"And… here we are," Kara said. "Any questions…?"
The armoured-guy was barely holding up his sword to Kara, it was just facing the ground now. He surely couldn't believe it, but he had to. After all, he left a lightning energy from his hands, towards a girl who could bring out swords from her hands. He was laughing menacingly in his mind, to his past selves.
"Two. First, how did you know what your friends talked after you left?" the armoured-guy asked.
"You are also a crack-head like me," Kara sighed. "Well, that part I just added by myself, because I don't know what happened and probably that would have happened either way."
"Fair enough, now second question. What does 'rihbaz' mean?" the armoured-guy asked.
"It means thank you in our language. And now that the doubts are cleared, it would be a great time for introduction," Kara said.
"I still don't actually trust you completely," the guy said.
"I know, even I don't trust you, that is why I didn't tell my friends' real names or mine. And however, I wasn't talking to you," Kara said.
"Oh," the armoured-guy said and looked straight ahead.
Just then the guy got pushed from behind and he stumbled to the ground. As he looked up, there was another girl who helped Kara get up and quickly walked to him. He held his sword up.
"Hi," she said, a disc raised and it turned into a sword, she disarmed the guy and pointed the sword to his neck. "Now you can actually answer her question."
"My name is… wait, there aren't any aliases from the letter V, are there? At least not good enough ones," the guy said talking to himself out-loud.
"Yeah, so better tell us your real name genius. Doesn't matter, come on. I'll tell you mine, I'm Manasie, the girl whom she named as Mana," Manasie said.
"Fine, my name is Varun. I'm just not going to reveal my face, for secrecy," Varun said.
"I don't even want to see," Manasie scoffed and put away the sword.
"You know, I told him a fake name-" Kara tried to explain.
"I know, I know. Just wanted him to open up, you know. He seems alright for a human," Manasie said.
"So, you trust me?" Varun asked.
"Well, that would be the last thing I do. Just share us your story of how you got here. Besides, I can take you down either way. And without breaking a sweat," Manasie scoffed.
"Great," Varun said sitting up. "But beware, this is a dark story."
"We both know how boring Earth is, so skip to the point," Kara sighed.
"Oh right, you have been there. Which college did you study in?" Varun asked.
"Star… and this is time to know your story, not ours. Kara has already filled you in on ours, so you must continue yours," Manasie suggested, folding her hands.
"Just wanted to know about how clearly you can understand my story. Even I'm from Bengaluru, if that is where your Star branch was. Rife School and College, was-is my college," Varun said.
"Heard the name," Manasie nodded.
"Good. So, I just was in the wash-room of my college and looking at myself in the mirror, scary but well. I have this thing I keep with myself as a lucky charm, it's like a small white gem. I was feeling sad and took that out. When I held it in my hand a twinkle got my full attention to it and when I doubted it, I saw another one. The next time, I just was blinded by a lot of light shining at my face from the small gem I had. And here I'm, in armour, and on Pluto," Varun said.
"You must be the H.O.D. guy," Manasie sighed.
"What, like a knight in shining armour?" Varun asked.
"Yes, and in-addition, the one who must put an end to Rahambose," Manasie said.
"What?" Varun asked blankly and without missing a beat.
"The two guys Kara told you about at the end, they told us about this. Seems that the Primevel warriors had visited Fara, for some good old prophecy she tells. And she told about the H.O.D., Harbinger of death, and he is supposed to put down Rahambose. And you're it," Manasie said.
"Please say psyche," Varun sighed.
"I choose not to," Manasie said.
"You sure all this is true?" Kara asked.
"If you hadn't run off, then you would've known," Manasie said.
"I wanted to find Tacy. And how did you even find me?" Kara asked.
"Well, I'm too good at tracking things. That aside, we need to go back to the castle. And of course, you are coming Varun," Manasie said lending out a hand to Varun.
"Fine, hunter," Varun said and got up by himself. "But, I need to go back soon, before my friends think I'm lost and before my teacher thinks I bunked. I have a reputation to save."
"We better hurry then," Manasie said patting Kara's shoulder.
*
The three reached near the castle pillars where two guys and two girls stood by a pillar. Just as they spotted Kara and Manasie, the girls came running, and the two guys followed at a slower pace.
"New people keep showing up, are you the H.O.D. guy?" Magpie asked.
"And you doubted me," Manasie said without looking at Varun.
Varun looked at Manasie and then at Magpie. "Varun! My name is Varun."
"This one is Magpie and the other one is Nightrale," Kara said.
"I figured, with that cautious blade-blade the other one has," Varun scoffed looking at the sword which Nightrale was hiding behind her.
"Just being cautious," Nightrale said and deformed the blade.
"Magpie?" Magpie asked.
"Well, I don't fully trust him, so can't tell him your true names," Kara said.
"Huh, nicely done with my name. Just name me by the place I'm from. You must have used a lot of intelligence for that," Nightrale scoffed.
"Yeah well, I didn't have much time to figure out names. I did all of that in one scene," Kara said.
"And what about us?" the tall guy asked.
"Well, you can use your aliases," Varun said.
"Then… I'm Death," the tall guy said.
"Your name starts with an A and not D. I mean, that's the way the girls are named up so…" the other guy pointed out.
"Alias: Death, is my alias," the tall guy grinned proudly.
"Then I'm Nemesis, as I'm his nemesis," the other guy said, gesturing at Alias.
"That so much shows as made up names," Kara sighed.
"Alias and Nemesis, nice to meet you, I'm Vandalism, Victory… whatever, Varun," Varun said, smiling and trying his best, then held out his hand.
"Nice to meet you, whatever Varun," Alias said shaking hands with Varun and with a faint smile.
"Most awkward conversation," Kara sighed and started walking away.
"Here I felt it was a connecting moment with my friend Alias here," Varun said.
Kara didn't speak another word and kept walking, everyone sighed and started following her. They reached the castle doors and an old man stood nearby the doors. Harun, Varun identified. Harun bowed to Kara and then looked right at Varun.
"I see you met a guy at your little get away," Harun said still looking at Varun.
"I love this guy," Varun smiled wholeheartedly, pointing at Harun and looking at Alias.
"Yes Harun, he seemed to pop out of nowhere to behind me suddenly," Kara sighed.
"Oh, was there any causality…?" Harun asked looking at Kara's hands.
"Well, the first thing I did was attack him and tell him the story. So, he knows," Kara said.
"I'll get this off my shoulder and go get the soldiers," Harun said.
"But your microphone is with me. How will we contact you?" Magpie asked.
"It's fine my dear Magpie. I will convince them with the truth, somehow they will understand. Or will dismantle me through anger, but I'll manage," Harun said.
"Hope so," Magpie sighed.
Harun barely smiled at Magpie and then left.
"Aw… he left so soon," Varun smacked his lips.
"Sorry robot lover boy," Kara sighed and started walking again, everyone followed.
*
The seven of them sat on creamy chairs around a white square-table. Magpie and Manasie, Kara and Nightrale, Alias and Nemesis, and Varun sat at each side of the table.
"The crickets didn't actually beg for our silence," Varun said, breaking the silence.
"I expected you to ask and not talk. There are no crickets here, but worse," Kara scoffed.
"Fine, so tell me about the H.O.D. thing," Varun said looking at Alias and Nemesis.
"Rahambose has happened and the Primevel warriors had been waiting for a sign of his arrival. Humans coming out of Earth and talking of Fara, that news reached us the fastest. And some Primevel warriors were sent to Earth to meet the theorist. Fara talked about the crystal-stone-gem to them and how Samantha Villers had it in her possession. We reached The Empire and found out of how Samantha had been killed in the hands of Psycho and also robbed her of her possession," Alias sighed frowning, as if he were there and couldn't do anything.
He still continued. "By the time we traced Psycho, eighteen years ago, he was on Pluto, and we warned the queen about him. We couldn't find anything in the lab after the imprisonment of Psycho. And now the crystal-stone-gem is in your possession, you are the first warrior to be talked of, H.O.D., and the end to Rahambose."