Abhirama was sleeping in his bed with the windows open when suddenly, a bird flew into the room. The bird was quite unique, with a grey texture to its feathers.
The bird sat beside Abhirama and stared at him before slowly approaching him with its feathery wings. As Abhirama felt the feathers on his face, he woke up and looked at the bird.
Abhirama (excited): "Oh, so you are finally here!"
The bird nodded towards him before giving him a letter attached to its legs. Abhirama held the letter in his hands, his eyes filled with joy.
Abhirama (excited): "I finally got the approval from Dad to go on a vacation outside the kingdom! I'll make sure to enjoy it thoroughly."
(Main Hall of the Palace)
Many ministers sat in their seats, and in the middle of them sat my dad, King Rajendra. He looked serious, discussing matters of state with his advisors. Abhirama walked into the hall, holding the letter tightly in his hand.
Abhirama: "Father, may I speak with you?"
King Rajendra looked up from the council table and nodded. He signaled for the ministers to pause their discussion.
King Rajendra: "What is it, my son?"
Abhirama stepped forward, trying to hide his excitement but failing miserably. He handed the letter to his father.
Abhirama: "Thank you for granting me permission to go on a vacation, Father."
The king smiled, a rare but warm expression.
King Rajendra: "You deserve it, Abhirama. You've worked hard and been a dutiful son. Enjoy your time."
Abhirama bowed respectfully.
Abhirama: "Thanks, Father!"
He packed his belongings quickly, choosing a few of his favorite outfits and some essentials. He also took a small dagger, a gift from his father on his last birthday, for protection.
His guard for this vacation was standing outside the castle, waiting for the young prince to come out. Eventually, Abhirama came out of the palace and met him.
Abhirama: "Is that you, Bhavesh?"
Bhavesh (Platoon Commander): "Yes, young master, you are right."
Abhirama and Bhavesh were both 20 years old. They used to be best friends when they were younger, but when Bhavesh turned 18, he enrolled in the Royal Platoon.
Bhavesh (smugly): "I'm not that young, naive Bhavesh anymore. I'm a dignified Commander of the Royal Platoon."
Abhirama: "So you are showing off in front of me?"
Bhavesh (smirking): "I wouldn't dare do that, young master!"
Abhirama: "Actually, I'm impressed you managed to become the Commander of the Royal Platoon in just 2 years, considering that the Royal Platoon is part of the Trinity Force."
(Trinity Force = Top 3 strongest forces in the empire)
After talking and catching up with each other for another 40 minutes, they finally departed.
(In the horse wagon)
Bhavesh: "Young Master, where would you like to go now?"
Abhirama: "Pisacha Cemetery in the east, near the abandoned village."
Bhavesh (concerned): "Why do you want to go near Pisachas? Aren't you on vacation?"
Abhirama sighed heavily before looking directly at Bhavesh.
Abhirama: "I think the British Raj will soon invade our empire..."
Abhirama: "My father and I noticed the strange behavior of multiple ministers in our palace, so we suspect that the British Raj has already started to make their move."
Bhavesh: "Yeah, but how is that related to us visiting Pisacha Cemetery?"
Abhirama: "We are heading towards that area to find the hidden techniques so me and our father can protect ourselves in case of any future betrayal."
Bhavesh: "That's a very concerning matter."
Abhirama: "It is indeed concerning, but don't worry. If we can get those ancient techniques, we will be able to survive this calamity."
Bhavesh: "But how are we going to get past those Pisachas?"
Abhirama: "You will know when the time comes."
After the discussion, they traveled straight for 3 days before finally reaching the Cemetery of the Eastern abandoned village.
Abhirama: "We have finally reached our destination. Let's rest for a bit before going inside."
After resting for about an hour, they headed inside the abandoned village. There were multiple broken and burned houses there, and in the middle of that village was a large cemetery filled with countless dead bodies. As they came close to those dead bodies, they saw multiple shadowy figures feeding on the flesh and blood of the dead bodies.
Abhirama: "Bhavesh, take this amulet and go inside an abandoned house. Create a circle in the center of the house and stay there until I tell you to come out."
Bhavesh: "But young master, I can't do that. What will happen to you if I leave you alone?"
Abhirama: "I already told you, I have a plan."
Bhavesh reluctantly agreed after a lot of convincing.
Bhavesh: "Promise me you will keep yourself safe."
Abhirama: "I promise."
Then Bhavesh left the cemetery and took shelter inside a house, following Abhirama's previous orders.
Abhirama took a deep breath and steadied himself. The Pisachas were known to be incredibly dangerous, but he had a plan. He walked toward the shadowy figures, making sure not to disturb them too much.
Abhirama (thinking): "I hope this works."
He pulled out a small vial from his pocket, filled with a special liquid his father had given him. It was said to repel evil spirits and creatures. He carefully poured the liquid around him, forming a protective circle. The Pisachas noticed him but didn't approach. They seemed wary of the liquid.
Abhirama: "Alright, let's do this."
He moved carefully through the cemetery, looking for the ancient tomb where the hidden techniques were said to be kept. The place was eerie, with a thick fog making it hard to see. After a while, he found a large, ornate tomb at the back of the cemetery. It looked ancient and had strange symbols carved into it.
Abhirama: "This must be it."
He pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside. The air was thick and musty, and it was pitch dark. He lit a torch and looked around. The walls were covered in old scripts and drawings. At the center of the room, there was a pedestal with a scroll on it. Abhirama approached it cautiously.
Abhirama: "This is it... the ancient techniques."
He picked up the scroll and carefully unrolled it. The text was in an old language, so he couldn't understand what was written inside it.
He quickly rolled up the scroll and secured it in his bag. As he turned to leave, he heard a noise behind him. He spun around, and there stood a Pisacha, larger and more menacing than the others.
Pisacha: "Human flesh... hungry... kill?"
Abhirama: "Damn it, they already noticed me."
Pisacha: "Flesh... blood... tasty human."
The creature lunged at Abhirama, but he was quick. He used the ganga jal-coated dagger his father had given him to fend off the attack. The Pisacha was strong, but Abhirama was determined. He managed to slice the creature's arm, causing it to howl in pain.
Abhirama: "I need to get out of here."
Abhirama ran with all his might, but it was all useless in the end. Many evil spirits/Pisachas gathered around him.
Suddenly, the scroll started glowing, and he found himself in a void.
???: "Don't worry, I'm not here to harm you, but to impart the knowledge of the ancient techniques."
Then that mysterious figure touched Abhirama's forehead, transferring all of the techniques into his mind. As he learned those techniques, the scroll in his hand disappeared.
He opened his eyes back in the middle of the fight. But this time, he was ready and concentrated in both of his palms along with his heart. That was the time when he gained three pledges. Along with those pledges, he gained four divine techniques.
Abhirama: "Blade that cuts the darkness!"
With just one swing of his dagger, he destroyed all of the spirits.
(Present Time)
Ray found himself deep inside the water, bleeding heavily.
Ray (Thought): "How did I forget about those divine techniques, and why am I drowning right now?"
After getting a hold of himself, Ray pushed himself out of the water using all of his strength. After coming out of the water, Ray found himself in an unfamiliar jungle.
Ray: "If I'm here, that means they got my brother. I'm sure they need him for something, so they won't harm him now."
Ray sat down and used his pledges to speed up his recovery. After 2 hours, he fully recovered.
Ray: "When I first reincarnated in this body, I searched multiple things about our family, and it seems that we are the descendants of the Royal Family of Marathas. So, is he trying to get to the Maratha Treasury using Bhairava?"
Ray: "If that's the case, then it can be dangerous. The Maratha treasury was used for storing multiple valuable things, but it was also used to seal the Rakshas."
Ray: "I would have to quickly get stronger if I wanted to protect my brother. They would only need three years until Bhairava turned 20, and then they would extract his blood to open the treasury"