"You told me it's just a game. I did what you told me, isn't it time to let me go?" asked Vikaya
The Hhital shook his finger
"No Pekassador" he said swinging around on the tree like a headless ghost "The game is just getting started. I am still not satisfied"
Vikaya walked closer to him, her each step bringing her closer to her over-boiling rage
"If you disagree should I remind you of our previous conversations?" said Zar casually
Vikaya sighed
'I still haven't figured out how to escape' said Vik to herself
"Alright" she said, she knew she needed more time to find the loophole to trap the Hhital
"Wonderful!" said Zar clapping his hands together
"Go on now, don't forget your labour duty" he said cheekily
Vikaya scowled and dragged her feet towards the large hole where the coffin sat. Everything was restored back to it's place once she answered the question correctly
'Should I give a wrong answer?' she wondered but as soon as this thought entered her mind it sent chills down her spine
The Hhital doesn't seem to be the type of person, well, dead person, that would bluff about cutting her head off
Vikaya accepted this as some sort of past-life karma she has to pay and got hold of the large chain again
"Ready?" she asked Zar
"Of course" said Zar delighted and flew towards the coffin and sat on it comfortably
The same ritual began, Vikaya pulled and a mysterious smoke bound them together. The coffin, as usual was as light as a cloud and Vikaya began dragging it towards the gate, hoping this time would be the only time she has to do this.
"Alright, let's do this!" said Zar rubbing his palms excitedly
"This is a story of a king named Kitra and his protector, Lekan" began Zar
Vikaya closed her eyes, fearing what was coming next. She heard the miserable snap of his fingers and wobbled into another dimension, in another time on this godforsaken, yet beautiful planet
"Whoa!" exclaimed Vikaya her eyes glimmering with the rich colors and luxurious décor around her
"This place is amazing!" she said
"I know right? Do you want to stay here?" echoed the Hhital's voice around her
"I need modern technology and running water in my toilet, so no thank you" said Vikaya
"Oh Pekassador, I told you, humans are ignorant beings" remarked Zar
Vikaya got up from her large bed and looked around at the exotic items laid across her room. She picked up a colorful, mosaiced gemstone tray and pocketed it
There was a sharp knock on the beautifully carved wooden doors
"Your Grace" entered a man
'Your Grace?' exclaimed Vik in her mind and immediately looked down. Flowing, rich robes donned her body, strings of various gemstones and pearls sat around her neck
"His Majesty calls for you. The man you asked for has arrived" said the man
Vik nodded
She followed the man and went straight to the King's court
"Wow, if it wasn't for continuous public speculation and responsibility, this actually feels good" she said
"That's being rich Super Cop" Zar deliberately emphasizing 'Super Cop' to let his sarcasm bleed through
All of King's ministers and advisors were gathered and a large man stood ready to go in front of the king
"Your Majesty, we found a suitable protector for you. He is Lekan of Vivona province. His strength and power is well-known all around the land" said one of the ministers
Lekan, a huge well-built guy came forward and bowed
"Greetings Your Majesty King Kitra" he said
"Tell me Mr. Lekan, can I trust you with my safety?" asked the sharp King
"Of course Your Majesty, it would be an honor" he said
"Alright, I trust my ministers and I have decided to trust you. You are hired. A house will be arranged for you and your family to move to the capital" said King Kitra
"Your Majesty if I may" said Lekan
'I wish everyone behaved like this instead of blabbering' thought Vik
King nodded
"I want my salary to be 8 bunnas of gold" said Lekan
"Lekan are you out of your mind? How can you make such a bizarre demand?" scolded the Minister
"Bunna? What in the world is a bunna?" whispered Vikaya
All the ministers were furious at this demand
"Silence!" said the King. Vikaya was enjoying this live historical drama
A bunna is a tiny weaved bag made of fixed measurements and consistently the same material to keep the gold. It also used as a weight measurement for gold
"Mr. Lekan, for such a hefty payment I trust your services would be extraordinary" she said
Lekan bowed deeply "Of course Your Majesty"
"Alright" said the King
The ministers tried to oppose but the stubborn and curious King had made up his mind
The days gone by, and Lekan protected the King fiercely. To be ready to give your life for someone else is an astounding act yet a heavy responsibility. But did Lekan really feel that in his heart?
Doubts had creeped into the ministers' mind since the day Lekan chose to 'rebel' with his audacious demand.
"He has no respect for the King. He is just after the riches" said one of the sly ministers
"I can see the greed in him. He wants to take advantage of the throne and the king" said another with lizard-like nose
"It takes one to know one" said Vikaya trying to mask it with a cough
Vikaya, being a minister herself was silently standing in the group of this gossiping, conniving hens and roosters, planning their next move
"Did you say something? Minister Swo?" asked one of them squinting with suspicion
"Of course not" said Vikaya
"You seem to be quite at ease I see. You don't seem to worry about His Majesty. He would feel assured knowing this" said the sly one from the bottom of the barrel
"A test for Lekan" said Vikaya
"What?" they asked
"A test will prove his loyalty and reveal the true intentions of his heart" said Vikaya and left the team of negativity, while they scowled and cursed with dissatisfaction about everything
These flying rumors and sharp tongues did reach the King, along with his own suspicion seeing such a bold gesture from Lekan
The King breathed in deeply, sitting in his tranquil garden, joined his hands together to pray
"Show me the way. Reveal the Truth" he whispered into the wind
In a few seconds the soft wind became a strong gust. As the air swirled around, millions of light particles popped out of the higher realms and began coming together like ends of a magnet.
A bright glow prompted the King to open his eyes. The vision left him shocked
"Kitra. Do you recognize me?" asked a voice radiating maginifence and divinity. It came from the strange phenomenon of light
"Are you…" the King knew who it was within his heart but still shook with doubt
"Speak up Kitra, throw away your doubts" the voice commanded
"Are you the Goddess Fortuna?" asked the King Kitra
"Yes" said the voice proudly "But I have come to warn you"
The delight on the King's quickly turned to worry
"There is a demon, who slays kings and takes over their kingdoms and he now resides in the Cave of Kurelim, the beginning point of your Kingdom. You're his next target" said the Goddess
"What should I do?" asked the King joining his hands
"Be prepared and wait for his move or go into the cave and slay him first. But the greatest of the kings have failed to get ahold of a tiny strand of his hair, slaying him is not possible in this life" said the Goddess
"Be prepared before the next New Moon. Wisdom before desperation" echoed the last words before the light vanished like a cloud of smoke on a windy morning
The King's royal garden wasn't as secluded as he thought it was as prying ears and curious eyes witnessed this strange occurence
"A king slaying demon? A Goddess who visits, warns and advices? This place is amazing!" said Vikaya
Vikaya, not knowing the royal kingdom and its bounds has walked around strolling and exploring. However, Vikaya wasn't the only one
The King stormed towards the palace and gathered the court
"Prepare the military" he ordered the commander
"Where's Lekan?" he asked
But everyone fell silent, no one had seen him. The King sent the errand boy to fetch him
"He left half an hour ago Your Majesty" reported back the boy
The whole court exclaimed with rage and shock
"He left for the Cave of Kurelim" said a tear-ridden voice
Vikaya turned around and saw a woman, an old lady and a toddler walking upto the King
"Lekan went to fulfil his duty to protect Your Majesty" said the woman
"These people are Lekan's family" said one of the ministers
"I know" said the King "I have met them"
The King got up abruptly and left the court. The whole court was flabergasted.
"He ran away" whispered a few of them while some of them lauded his courage
The King appeared, his body donned with a remarkable armor
"Let's go Commander" he said
"Keep the kingdom safe!" he commanded everyone else
With this grandeur and confidence he left he palace and made way to the Cave of Kurelim
Just when Vikaya was at the crucial point, hanging by the edge of a seat the Hhital felt the greatest pleasure in pulling her back
"Ugh!" she groaned and kicked "What is your problem man?"
Zar broke into a hearty laugh
"You are actually enjoying this, aren't you?" he said "So are you ready for the riddle?" he asked with a twinkle
Vik nodded grumpily "Are we near the gate?" she asked
"Maybe" said Zar shrugging his shoulders
Vikaya kept moving ahead
"Tell me Pekassador" began Zar "Between King Kitra and protector Lekan, whose sacrifice is greater?"
"Ohh?" exclaimed Vikaya, she never thought about sacrifices in this way
"Um.." she began racking her grey matter yet not slowing down the power of her feet
"umm" she said again
"He knows when you are stalling….He knows when you are trying to act smart" sang Hhital in the 'Santa Claus is coming to town' tune
Vikaya scowled "King Kitra's sacrifice was greater"
"Why?" sang Zar. Vikaya sighed
"It was always Lekan's duty to protect the King, of course he risked his life but he has already made a promise to do so. It was his job" began Vikaya
"However, the King did not make any such promises to protect Lekan yet he left his kingdom, his people to save Lekan, which are of greater importance" said Vikaya
"Marvellous! Bravo!" said Zar
As soon as Vikaya answered, she didn't spare even the slightest glance to Zar and ran ahead with full speed. Her last step was going to be on the other side of the gate but alas the heavy coffin dragged her back. Her feet couldn't even squeeze to the other side, not even by a tiny millimeter before the coffin took on the load of people's emotional baggage from all around the planet
Zar chuckled, which echoed loud and clear across the empty, grave-ridden land
"That was unexpected and clever" he said
Vikaya sighed and slowly walked towards the infamous tree
"So what happened to them?" she asked
"Fortuna lied. She wanted to show people that Lekan's heart was loyal. There was no demon" he said
Vikaya nodded "What about Sinaxa and her husband?"
"Does the appearance really matter when you love someone? Do people fall in love with the way someone looks or with what's in their soul?" asked Zar
"So she learned to love her husband, with someone's else body" concluded Vik
"Hey, at least she recognized his face" said Zar and both of them chuckled
How long does Vikaya has to drag herself through this cold, abandoned hell before she is finally free?