The Last Rudra

"How did  you smuggle it in?"

Ishit asked, looking at the electric blue feathered bird with amazement.  The alicanto, as big as a colt, was munching imperial gold chunks like nuts. Its golden bill was as sharp as his newly forged sword, Ratri (night).

"I didn't.  It is my guardian bird. " Guha said with a deadpan face. "So, I can bring it in." 

Ishit pretended not to notice the lack of vibrancy in his tone. Aunt Avantika had already told him. Something was nipping his friend. 

"Oh! I see. What happened to Niro?" Ishit asked, 

"He died. " Guha replied in the same cheerless, his eyes fixed alicanto's razor-sharp talons. 

"How ?"  asked Ishit, 

"I don't know. Maybe a phooto had possessed him."

Ishit didn't ask anything further. Though he really wanted to know how the hell the parrot encountered phooto, it was not the right time. He needed to bring back his friend from the gloom that was devouring him alive. 

"Why didn't come to visit me?" 

Guha seemed to not listen to him.  Just like Minerva said, sobbing, he seemed to be living in another world. A world where smiling was a crime. 

Ishit had got the white-castle three ghadis ago, feeling nostalgic. 

Minerva had welcomed him in, with cheery shouts, calling Guha and Aunt Avantika both. 

But only Aunt Avantika had come. There was no sign his friend, who had once promised him to be by his side like a shadow. 

"I was busy with the guild. "  Guha mumbled lightly without looking at him. 

"Whom are you are fooling? Have you forgotten that I know you like the back of my hand? " Ishit said sipping the hot custard milk.  The evening was falling around them. In the backyard of the white castle, except both of them and the bird, there was no one else.

"I'm not fooling anyone. " Guha said, 

"You're. Guha that I knew would have never given a damn about the guild, and come to me see me as soon he got the news." 

"And Ishit that I knew would have never fretted over such a thing.  Let's face it; we both have changed."  Guha said as he got up to throw more chunks for the bird. which eyes and fathers started to glow in the inky dusk. 

"Maybe you have. But I'm sure about myself, that I'm the same Ishit who would do anything for his friend. " 

"Haha, Look, who said? " Guha chuckled, "The boy who had tried to drown one of his friends in the lake. "

"It's not true. you know it " Ishit said, looking at Guha's unfamiliar smiling face. His friend's odd retort had surprised him. 

"It is. Accept it, just like your father, you too only care about your pride. Friends are just disposable commodities for you two.    "Guha said ruffling the bird's shining feathers.

"Don't drag my father into it. You don't know anything about him " 

"Oh! I do. Anyway, it doesn't matter. Let's end this conversation here and mind our business. Young lord, what do you say?" Guha said stroking the alicanto's beak. 

Ishit gave his friend a scrutinizing look. What happened to him? Was it because his lord father refused to help aunt Avantika?

"Don't you dare call me that again, Guha? And I don't know why you are acting like a prick. If It's because of my father. Then let me inform you. He did send a search squad in the uncanny woods, but none had come back. And  he refused to send his men with the aunt because he didn't want to lose her too." Ishit said

Emotions flashed on Guha's face as he glanced at Ishit but quickly looked away. 

"Thanks to tell me this. " He said after a moment of silence. 

"If you don't stop behaving like a jerk soon, I will really kick your ass;  and believe me you won't be able to sit for a fortnight. " Ishit said with a serious face. " Now, tell me what you have done with my jolly friend."

A smile slowly crept on the sullen face of Guha. 

"He left home to look for you in the dreamland,"  Guha replied, 

"Tell him to return immediately. The dreamland is not a place where you can roam alone. "

"But you did. "

"No, I didn't it was Nyx who had showed me around."

Their grins slowly broadened as they talked. The awkward silence and Guha's sullenness faded away in the pale light of moonstones. 

But what Ishit didn't know was that his friend's grief was not something he could treat. If he had looked into Guha's eyes carefully, he would've noticed they were not the same anymore. Two hard to notice firey dots had appeared in his eyes. 

However, he was too busy narrating his dreamland journey to pay attention to this minor change.

"So you mean a vortex of memories dragged you into the world called Illium. And you got a new body capable of wielding spirit." Guha said, his eyes were wide with amazement. 

"Yes. It felt so real that I never doubted for a moment that I was in a dream." Ishit said reminiscing his life in Illium. 

A glint flashed in Guha's watery eyes. 

"Enough about me! Tell me how the falconry guild is. Do they allow visitors?" Ishit asked. He had always been curious about this large nest of birds and wanted to visit the place.

"It is fine. I think. "  Guha said in a disappointed tone. 

"What do you mean it is fine? My friend, it is the best guild of Garuna, and if excluded Armenia's academy, I think it is the best guild in Varta.  " Ishit seemed surprised at his friend's reaction. 

"I know. It's just they don't allow first-years to venture into the Nimara woods beyond the third watchtower."  Guha said.

"It is because they don't want the birds to feast on your bones. I have heard deep inside the woods, live the birds that even a master smith can tame."  Ishit said.

"Yes, you heard it right. We have such a bird in the guild too.  Visit the guild someday I will show it to you. Though they don't allow visitors, they can't stop us."  Guha said grinning evilly. 

"Then I will after Inna's feast.  By the way, are you competing in the events? " Ishit asked. 

"I don't want to, but we first year had to. One of King Aslan's codes.  I think you too will vie for an academy. By the way, what was your mind type." 

"You'd better not ask. " Ishit didn't want to lie to his friend, and he also didn't want to disclose the secret for it would jeopardize Mahipal's job. 

"Oh! then I won't. I only hope it wouldn't be Brahama type. I don't want my only friend to turn into a bookworm. " Guha said, 

"Haha, you dare say this before Drona. "

The two friends continued chatting till Minerva came calling for them. Dinner was ready.

Aunt Avantika's face lit up when she saw Guha chatting happily with Ishit. And this happiness of her cost Ishit dearly. 

When he left the table, his stomach was bulging like a pregnant lady. He had to circulate spirit to digest the food. 

Aunt Avantika informed that she had sent a bird to his mother that he was not coming tonight. Ishit thanked her from the bottom of his heart.  Because he wouldn't have to sleep on the floor tonight. 

However, he again fail to notice that his friend was not looking happy with his overnight stay. 

Like always, their beds were set in Guha's chamber. 

It was a large room with an enchanted ceiling, which reflected the open sky. 

After working in the forge, Ishi was tired like hell. So as soon as he collapsed in bed, he drifted into sleep. 

*****

It must have been midnight. When Ishit woke up to screams.  He hurriedly lit up the moonstones and saw Guha was convulsing in his bed. His body was drenched in sweat. 

"Screech!!! Hoo HOO!! " 

The boy was letting out strange sounds. 

Ishit swiftly went to check his friend. And he discovered his eyes were rolling back in his head while his teeth clenched. 

Ishit had never seen someone in such a state before. He shook  Guha violently, calling his name. But Guha didn't wake up. He continued convulsing and screeching. 

Was he having a nightmare? Ishi wondered as he slapped his friend. But to no avail.

Ishit pondered for while decided to use spirit. He fed energy to his forehead, he didn't why he did it. it was just his notion. 

However, it worked.  All of a sudden, Guha's eyes snapped open. Though they were not blue like the ocean, they were fiery like a blazing flame. 

They looked into Ishit's bewildered eyes. A chill ran through Ishit's spine. He hurriedly leaped back.  However, he was too late. Guha grabbed his leg and threw him on the wall. Ishit smashed into the stone wall, and let out painful grown. 

"Wha the hell are you doing, boy? " Ishit cursed as tried to pick himself up. 

But Guha didn't give him time. Like a beast, he leaped into the air and within a blink, he was holding Ishit up by his neck. The fire was swirling in Guha's pupils.

It didn't take long for Ishit to realize that he was not facing his friend. There was something wrong with Guha. 

Ishit hurriedly formed a lightning ball and attacked. The ball caught Guha by surprising, and send him flying. He crashed into the window; smashing the window pane. Ishit rubbed his neck, as he gasped for breath. His eyes glowing blue fixed at Guha. 

Guha took a summersault in the air came for him again. This time Ishit was ready. He floated in the air and meet Guha in the air. He kicked his friend hard, sending him flying again, but Guha too managed to throw a punch at his chest.. Ishit crashed again into the wall, his head throbbed.