Aditya had just opened the book when he heard a scream, a scream of pure terror. it was pakhi. he picked the amulet, ignoring the glow, the power it radiated and dropped the book on the ground. if they survived tonight, they will pick it up later.
he waited for just a moment, giving time to the amulet to do something, something magical. something that will help them defeat the mantrik, once and for all. and their lives will be normal like before.
nothing happened. he could feel the amulet's warmth in his palm but that was all it seemed capable of doing. he didn't felt any immediate surge of strength, neither did he get lifted of from the ground, nor he started to glow or anything that sort. dammit! not even his head stopped throbbing.
of course it didn't you fool he thought what have you been thinking it would make you a superhero or something?
for good or worse, he was expecting at least something to happen. alas, nothing. grinding his teeth he asked elina for her hand and together they sprinted toward their friends. halfway through he could hear pakhi crying, her screams echoing in the night.
he cursed himself, he should have gone to help them the moment he woke up, he wasted too much time, now what if something bad happened? just because he was busy listening the story. how he ever going to show his face to Rajveer? he prayed for pakhi to be safe.
but no! he thought she was bound to be safe.
Rajveer was there, no chance he would let her get hurt. but then those cries, was something happened to Rajveer instead?
they neared the spot and he could see... he gasped sharply and stopped dead in his track.
'what happened?' elina asked him looking baffled.
'mantrik!' he said, looking at a bearded man who held pakhi captive with an axe, the same panchdhatu axe pressed against her neck. the man had hairs like thick jute ropes and was wearing only tattered black rags. his skin matched the colour of his clothing and wisps or black smoke appeared to be rising from him. the man was a synonym of darkness. only white things on his body was his eyes -which lack irises- and his forehead. pakhi was kneeling ahead of him, sobbing continuously. the scene made him numb.
his eyes searched Rajveer, but instead found Vishal standing at a distance from mantrik half-squatted. like an animal ready to pounce.
'mantrik? you mean Sidharth?' elina asked then gasped 'oh my god what is he doing?'
Aditya looked into the sky, this close he could make out a figure in the light, a man wearing white silk robes. he looked majestic with his strong build and 7 feet hight. his long white hears and Beard ruffled along with his robe as he glided in the air.
'no! real him, and that man. I, I seem to know him' he said pointing toward the man floating in the air. he was exact inverse of mantrik, where mantrik seemed to emit darkness this man emitted light. he was the orb of light they were watching hovering here.
he looked at elina she looked completely lost but so was he. where was Rajveer and Sidharth? and why elina was looking at him as if he was saying something crazy?
'Aditya..' she said sympathetically 'there is no one other then five of us'
'what!' he frowned, then it started to make sense 'wait, I got it!, with the amulet I can see their actual self. elina..' he said almost absent mindedly pointing toward the Saint with his fist in which he held the amulet.
Saint... then he it clicked. the saint from his dream. the one who captured the mantrik for the first time. his father from his previous birth. this was him. he jerked his head back toward the man without completing what he was saying. his father!
that's when the form of the old saint started to distort, from close to his head a wisp or white energy started to rise, stretching toward him, he and elina watched in awe as it reached his hand and started to get sucked into the amulet as if it was vacuum.
the man groaned painfully as he turn toward them.
'ohh oh!' he said panicked
having no idea of what was happening or what he suppose to do he yanked his hand backwards. immediately that string of energy broke and the saint's form solidified again.
so that's what it does he thought, breathing heavily, recovering from his shock. immediately without a second thought he turned it on mantrik, a reckless move considering he had axe placed against pakhi neck but it just happened. he regretted it almost instantly but since he had started it, he hoped mantrik would not have time to react or at least it immobilize him somehow.
Rajveer would really kill him if something happened to pakhi because of him, friend or not, mistake or not.
'aah.. here you are, we have been waiting for you' mantrik spoke in a rasping but clam voice, he didn't even flinched or seem a bit worried when the same thing started to happen with him. 'now be a good boy and give it to me, it's not a plaything'
Aditya ignored him, he didn't attacked so perhaps he was immobilised. that means they had a chance.
only if he could fasten up the process somehow, Aditya thought and immediately, what was only a wisp turned into a stream of black fumes and started to get sucked into the amulet with the speed of rushing winds.
immediately the amulet started to shook and heat, aditya tightened his grip on it. his whole arm started to shook but he carried it on.
'now, now, I started to like you children. don't spoil that. don't force me to harm you' mantrik grimaced and continued in his rasping voice 'stop it right now! or you'll lose two, not one friend of yours.'
Aditya hesitated on that and the flow slowed automatically.
'you can't trap me forever, I will come out eventually. however, I doubt your friends will return'
he looked at Rajveer on that and Rajveer in turn looked at Aditya, pleadingly. vishal's face had disappearing from rajveer's but his body still glowed.
man! this thing knows how to manipulate people.
'do you think I can not manage cut her throat before you trap me.' he continued 'You don't understand it's power do you? if you tried to pull me out of this body, you'll kill your friend as well. I will take his soul with me. what's his name? aahh.. sidharth. I really do not want to kill him. for now at least. promising boy, is that one. so eager, so determined. so like myself' he paused 'I guess you don't believe me' his tone suddenly harsh as if of another person's.
he shifted the axe, smiling as pakhi started whimper.
God! he wasn't immobilized, not at all.
'adity..' Rajveer started but Aditya yanked the amulet back before Rajveer could even complete. it stopped pulling mantrik's soul out of sidharth. Rajveer didn't need to tell him, no way he could have let that happened. not even if meant destroying the world.
compared to the saint's spirit, he hadn't expected it to work so poorly. either the amulet only worked effectively on good spirits or this creature was seriously strong. either way they were doomed.
he suddenly felt exhausted as if he had just finished a marathon, side effects of using the amulet he guessed. he looked at Rajveer and could see frustration in his eyes. knowing him Aditya could tell he was very very tempted to kick this creature's rear with his heart but was helpless. he was feeling the same but also disappointed, they were this close to defeating him. but if he think about it, they were never close to defeating him, they were just assuming that. perhaps even that because he let them assume.
no matter how much he hated to admit but mantrik was right, he would find a way to return but if his friends died they won't be able return. they'll have to find another way to defeat him.
but now when he knows the amulet powers a question sure was haunting him. what use of the power to trap spirits did mantrik had? perhaps so no one would be able to catch him. but the amulet was kept hidden from 1400 years, certainly nobody could have known where it was. or heck! even if there was something like that exists. then why... he had a strong feeling there was more to it, just he didn't understand it now.
'leave my friends!' Aditya said finally his voice firm.
'just give me the amulet and you all are free to go' mantrik said certainly enjoying his little play. aditya's hatred for this creature was increase with every second he stayed in his presence. it was their lives not his toy.
he and elina walked to rajveer's side whose body to Aditya still looked like vishal's, it was as if he was wearing a body suit. he straighten up when they reached him, relaxing a bit.
Aditya was taking his time, trying to form a plan. anything that would not include giving up their sole weapon but also save both pakhi and Sidharth.
aditya looked at the saint floating behind Rajveer, having no idea what to do, he nodded slightly to him. he nodded back but his expression stayed indiscriminate but so was his own. this wasn't the time for family reunion by any means.
'how can I trust you won't just kill us after getting the amulet' he asked looking him in those white slits on the name of eyes. this close Aditya could see ash covering his forehead.
'aahh... I like clever people' he said, probably smiling but Aditya couldn't tell with that shaggy mane of a face. 'you know the best thing about them? they tend to think they knew everything, that they are always right. but they forget there is always someone better than you. if I were to kill you I would have easily toppled your ride over the bridge and would have taken the amulet off your corpse'
a chill ran up his spine, only this short fall was horrible enough but thinking about it, mantrik was right, again. if he could manage to lure them all the way here, he could have easily set up a minor accident, if he wanted. that raised another question way he wasn't killing them then? they had gotten the amulet out why he still needed them?
then he dropped another bomb.
'did you really thought these..' he raised his hand where a red thread was tied, he took it in his teeths and broke it with a casual jerk of his head. he spated it on the ground beside him 'threads could save you from me.'
Aditya watched in horror, these threads were the only security they had against him. all the time they were thinking themselves safe from him but if they were useless...
everything seemed to be spinning to him now nothing made sense any longer.
'you gave them these' he laughed looking at the saint 'what did you think? I'm a puny demon you could sacre off with your gleam. I am the most powerful mantrik in the world. all the demons, monsters, spirits serve me. I'm above everything you have ever encountered with, soon I'll be above even from your gods. You can not defeat me, you were never able to. You were only able to capture me because I didn't know my own powers back then.' he snorted 'I see you have also gained some powers over the centuries but still this was the best you could provide your favoured son with'
the Saint didn't replied but stayed standing tall.
Aditya gaped at mantrik, he knew that as well. what was it that he didn't know? probably nothing. he was aware of their plans, Aditya was certain of it now. he just simply didn't care to interrupt them. he knew he would get the amulet one way or another, eventually. then why bother. he let them think that they could stay safe wearing those threads so in the end he could exploit that weakness. suddenly he realized how foolish they were to think that they could actually cheat him.
and what did he say? "soon I'll be even above from your Gods"
God, what was he planning?
mantrik's gaze turned toward him.
'now give me that!' he commanded 'before I change my mind'
a shiver ran through his whole body. his heart jackhammerd in his chest, whatever this creature was planning, this amulet certainly had a big part in it, giving it up could actually be destroying everything but what choice did they have?
they were lost. he couldn't let his friends just die, didn't matter what the stakes were. he looked at the saint over his shoulder, he nodded. he looked at Rajveer and elina they nodded as well. elina squeezed his hand before he stepped steped ahead.
he was still thinking furiously if by any chance they could shift the scale. they had been counting on it the whole time that once they got the amulet they'll be able to use it to defeat mantrik and now when he knew they could actually defeat him with the amulet, giving it up wasn't so easy either, if only it was his life and not his friends, he would have sacrificed it. after taking so much trouble, risking their lives he didn't want to accept defeat, just like that but their failure was inevitable.
he hated himself for thinking a third time but mantrik was right, they kept thinking they were playing mantrik, that they know everything, where he was the one playing them all along, carefully pulling the strings from behind the stage. and if Aditya wasn't mistaking and if he didn't just going to kill them after getting the amulet, he was still planning to play them more. it wasn't over, not yet. likely, that also meant they would too get another chance.
at last giving this consolation to himself that they hadn't completely lost, that there was still hope, he crouched and placed the amulet on ground.
instantly it shot across, state into the outstretched hand of mantrik. a jagged tendril of green light illuminated the sky as it came tearing down the black clouds with an intense crack. he could swore he saw a glimpse of the same horrid face in the clouds before he covered his face as the thunder clap hit a large tree across the river, tearing it apart. huge splinters fell here and there.
his heart almost in his throat, when he opened his eyes, mantrik was gone and sidharth lay slumped to the ground, his axe in his hand. pakhi sat on the spot covering her ears with both hand her eyes squeezed shut. Rajveer ran toward her. he no longer looked like Vishal, he was gone as well.