The Last Rudra

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"I..." 

  Even before the harpy could say anything, Kasma slapped the harpy again. The impact made the blood gush out of the bird's ruined eye. 

"Screech! I'm telling ...I'm telling. please don't hit me."  The harpy pleaded as she struggle to get up. The sinister snake phans( tangle) curse had entered her body and was tightening around her soul. 

"Then begin. I don't have time to waste on you. " Kasma said, ignoring his soul's throbbing. He still had some time before the poison would reach his heart.

" They all come out at midnight. As for what I don't know. " The harpy said hurriedly, eyeing her captor fearfully. She had told him everything --her well-guarded nest on the Giggling tree, the burrow of immortal Owl, Ullook (of course, she herself had never seen the fabled owl, but it didn't stop her from telling her captor), the secret passages to Dilli where lived Elass ( a sage bird which had mysterious powers), the place where stood Mother tree. But nothing piqued the human interest except the water nymphs. Very fine fiery sparks had appeared in his ember eyes as she mentioned water women. 

It didn't take the harpy long to guess why her captor was venturing into this part of the woods. He was here for the water nymphs. No sane human would seek out them before the full moon night unless the objective of his visit was more important than his life. 

This little finding had given her a new hope that If she played her part cleverly she might escape her fate. 

However, what she hadn't excepted was that her captor wouldn't even give her a chance. 

"I think you want to lose your other eye too. "Kasma said as he took his dagger. 

"Please...believe me. I really don't know." The harpy cried, looking at the approaching black dagger, as cold as the human's face. 

Kasma looked into the only right eye of the birdwoman and scrutinized the tear and blood-stained face, filled with the expressions he was too familiar with--- Despair and gloom. 

She really didn't know. 

"Ok! I trust you." He said, commanding his dagger to come back.

Relief washed over the harpy's face. 

"Please...let me go human. You promised so." She implored.  However, Kasma didn't seem to hear her. His eyes were closed, and his dry lips were moving slowly, chanting a tongue foreign to the harpy. The sound of the obscure syllables tensed the stuffy air around.

Much to the harpy's horror, a ghostly face appeared above the human's head.  Cold fear froze her soul as her eye registered the formless face. Some deeply hidden memories, the recollections she had inherited from her progenitors rushed to her, telling her to flee as far as she could from the intangible being. 

But all harpy did was to keep rooted the spot with mouth agape and face ashen-white. 

Suddenly, the human's eyes snapped open. NO...they were not eyes but two small volcanos brimming with red fire. 

As soon as the human glanced at her, the harpy's soul jolted. As if it too had sensed the uncanny of the fiery eyes. The horror paralyzed the harpy, who herself was horror, as a notion arose in her. The evil eyes were staring at her soul, not her.

Then she felt the invisible strings, which were tightening around her soul, disappear. And the ghastly face opened its hollowed mouth. 

A sharp pain stabbed her soul. The agony was so intense that an ear rapturing screech escaped out of her parched throat. Frightened to death, she felt as if thousands of sharp blades were cutting her soul. 

She continued to scream until her throat got raptured. 

Kasma ignored the birdwoman's heart-wrenching scream. He had gotten used to them by now. This world was like this. If he had been weak, it would be him screaming and the bird would be enjoying her meal. 

He checked the soul. All the bondages had been cut off. Soon the bird's screech died away. He initiated the tadhia (sacrifice).  The harpy's soul faintly blue orb flew out as the ghostly face sucked the air, and entered the hollow mouth. 

Kasma's body shuddered violently.  The ghostly face above his head twisted and dissolved into the air. Kasma veins bulged out. Sepernts seemed to be running under his skin. Kasma's handsome face twisted as he howled like a wounded beast. Blood oozed out of his eyes. 

With his shaking hands, he fumbled for the harpy's body, which was still twitching on the floor. When he got her, he hurriedly took out his dagger and cut open the cotton soft chest of the dying bird. His hand plunged into the ghastly gash as if looking for something. When he took out his hand, it held a golden pearl glowing faintly, blood dripping from it. Kasma gulped down the pearl and collapsed on the floor convulsing like a woman delivering her firstborn. His screams were resounding in the small space of the ghost wood tree. 

Nearly a mahurta (48 mins) later, his body stopped shaking.  However, Kasma didn't open his eyes. He continued lying on the cold floor in the fetal position. The hollow felt silent. 

*****

It must have been the first pahar (6pm -9pm) when Kasma came out of the hollow like his ass on fire. The night had engulfed the woods.  Kasma didn't even mind the moon-roses glowing just a few feet away. If he sold them in Minaak, they could bring him quite a fortune. His mind field checked the directions with help of trees. After locating the northeast direction he rushed deeper into the forest. 

Harpy had said the Maan-Sarovar lake, where the water nymphs lived, was fifty yojanas away from here. 

The fifty yojanas were nothing for him. However, It was a forest filled with all kinds of dangers, which could threaten his life. Besides, he couldn't afford more delay. The harpy had already delayed him enough. 

But Kasma didn't feel too bad about his encounter with the birdwoman, for after assimilating the harpy's soul his chance of success had increased greatly. His agility, speed, mind field, and curse casting ability all got another boost. Moreover, he could use wizardry a little bit more effectively without facing a serious backlash. 

So feeling excited Kasma continued on his path, carefully picking his way through the woods. After traveling just two or three yojanas, suddenly, he halted in his track and swiftly cast a shield. He waited with holding his breath as a swarm of vajra-tunda (spirit -mosquitoes ) buzzed past him. A shiver ran through his spine. Now he realized why old falconers had smiled. The bag of rotten bones was sure that he would die here. Kasma increased his vigilance as he proceeded forward. And after five yojanas later he had to conceal himself again, a cloud of Ajin-Patra ( spirit -bats) came screeching, lightning crackling around their wings. 

Despite all the treats, Kasma continued on his path, dodging dangers. Though it seemed easy-peasy, it was not. For example, when he encountered spirit mosquitoes, the creatures could smell blood from yojanas, so Kasma had to freeze his blood using the ability of the stone-frog of Narkia, which soul he had assimilated during his training. 

As for escaping Ajin-Patra, which could even sense concealed things using their inaudible voice, Kasma had to take shelter underground. Not to speak frightening devil-creepers, which were like steel shackles and waiting for him at every step. And trees, not all trees as friendly as ghost wood trees.

So it took almost one and a half pahar when Kasma reached the fabled lake, Maan-Sarovar, the abode of water nymphs. 

The sight took his breath away. 

Colorful spirit-maple trees, their leaves glowing in the night, were standing around the lake. Among them stood spirit-apple trees with apples as red as the lips of the harpy, he killed a few hours ago.

Vines of spirit grapes were running from over golden-wood trees.  Precious soul-fruits, which could boost one soul strength, were hanging like moonstones from spirit-wood trees, floating in the air. 

Smooth rainbow stones were scattered on the edge of the lake. Kasma could imagine water-nymphs sitting on them while playing with limpid water with their feet. 

Myriads of rare and exquisite flowers were swaying in the night breeze. Kasma couldn't help take a deep breath and felt rejuvenated immediately. 

In the lake, spirit-lotus, or called Padma-Pushpa were floating, effusing silver glow like the slice of moon in the sky.

Kasma couldn't help but sigh. People in Moriya would kill each other for one Padma-Pushpa. he couldn't imagine what they would do after seeing so many of them together. 

But again they couldn't get here. First Nimara woods was in Varta, and second reaching here alive was not an easy feat. 

However what he couldn't understand, why spirit worshipers hadn't claimed such a beautiful place for themselves. 

Though an ordinary spirit-wilder couldn't make it here, Lord Oman and his butcher could easily capture all these water women and include them in their harem. 

Even after living among idolators for five years, Kasma still couldn't figure out how his enemies' brains worked.

Most of them would spend their whole life with single women, especially these southerners.