I let out a wild shriek unable to stop myself. I stretch my arm out towards Ajaz catching him in an invisible grip. It gives him time to gather his senses. Our bands begin to glow, giving him strength. He wards off attacks by Firion and the beasts. But they are too many. Firion manages to wound him as do the beasts leaving gaping holes all over his glorious body.
I scream in despair. I need to get the baby out now! I need to fight this battle. And I know how.
I push with all my might. “Ammi! The baby’s coming!” My head rolls back and with one final push the baby’s head is out.
I’m shivering like a leaf, covered in sweat. I lock eyes with Ajaz. My handsome, bloodied Ajaz. He knows it’s time to keep his promise.
The beast had warned, “You can’t stop us from taking what’s ours! You live to give birth to her from your living loins, that’s your destiny.”
I’ve fulfilled my destiny but the baby hasn’t drawn her first breath yet. And that’s the chance I have to stop this exchange of power.
“Ajaz!” I yell, bringing his attention to me. I love you, I mouth, a single tear rolling down my flushed face.
He takes one look at the baby who is slowly being pulled out by Ammi who has a grip on its shoulders. His smile is proud, then sad. I love you too. With a sudden move, he swings his palms towards me, jolting me with a surge of power that lifts my soul out of my body.
He hadn’t promised but he did what was right.
Before I exit my body completely, I take in Partho’s shocked look which is quickly replaced with a ferocious snarl. I also see Ajaz fall helplessly under an attack by Firion.
Enraged, I let out the wildest shriek ever heard across the realms. I’m no longer in the realm of the living. I am an immortal.
A swift darkness overtakes me. I’m no longer a simple mortal woman. I’m a nemesis. Swirls of black cloud encircle me even as my body is encased in a figure hugging black suit. I still have the presence of mind to ask if I have willed this costume for myself. I can’t tell and it doesn’t matter. I’m feeling glorified, intoxicated with the power and grief running through my veins. I spread out my arms watching black patterns criss-crossing them. I lick my lips and taste blood. I will my eyes to bear the deepest colour of the darkest night possible. I will my hair to grow inches falling in glossy waves over my shoulders. I laugh at the frivolity of it all. What’s the point in all this when he’s taken my love from me?
I know Partho can see me floating over my body. He’s astonished. The baby isn’t breathing yet. His plans have failed and I’m going to destroy his world!
Thirty one
True rising.
I descend upon a dark realm my energy stoked with coals of pure rage. I sense the moment Partho enters it behind me with his beasts. I’m not surprised he can do that. There’s a lot we both can do.
“Prisha!” he shouts, making me pause. I turn to float at a distance from him. He has something to say? I’m listening. “You cannot rob me of my legacy!”
I wonder if I can tap my foot while floating just to show him how nonchalant I feel about his outrage. I smirk. “But I have, Partho. So what are you going to do about it?”
“Insolence will get you nowhere! You have no idea of my powers!” With a flick of his wrist, he lashes out a glowing whip at me.
In a flash it travels across the expanse to entrap my wrist with burning accuracy. It doesn’t hurt a bit. I stare down at it before smirking at Partho. “Is that all you’ve got?” I twist the whip further around my wrist before giving it a sharp tug that breaks it free from his grasp. “Now watch what I’ve got.”
I bend my knees, twist my torso for leverage and then throw my arms out sending razor sharp slivers of light towards him. He ducks but two catch him, cutting him on his cheek and upper arm. He lets out a curse before snapping his fingers.
The beasts that were shrouded in the darkness leap forth to attack. I laugh as I launch myself away travelling at supersonic speed. I leave them behind hearing their fading howls and barks.
I find myself in a new realm. It’s like the one before but with death and decay well-defined. I see mangled creatures oozing pus and blood with their eyes and limbs torn out, I see their limbs being nailed, I see their tongues being ripped out, their eyes being gouged, I see them dropped into cauldrons of boiling oil, I see them for the lost souls that they are. This is hell.
‘Yes, indeed, it is.’ A voice whispers behind me sending goose bumps across my skin. Firion! He circles around me to come float face to face with me. He is as tall, muscular and handsome as ever. His intricate tattoos have a life of their own here in a realm not bound by time or space. They throb and change shape as his muscles flex underneath. His colourless eyes regard me with curiosity. I cringe as he scrapes a talon across my cheek before touching the mark near my eyebrow. “Did you know I marked you?”
“Yes,” I reply, watching him through my lowered lashes.
“Do you know what that means?”
“Not sure,” I mumble. I’m still watching him closely. I notice a scar across his chest. Does it mean he has a vulnerability?
Raati takes that particular moment to slam into me and propel me towards Firion. Immediate flames of raw lust engulf me as I splay my hands across the broad expanse of his chest. He looks down at me pleased. “Welcome, Raati.”
“Ahhh!” I moan as he bends to kiss the side of my neck. My hands go to his shoulders as my head falls back. Raati, you traitor! Get out! Firion bites into my neck, drawing blood that he sucks on like a vampire. Wait, are vampires real?
The lucidity of that thought jars me out of the sensuous haze. Raati is floating in me and her essence is around me. But now I’m more powerful than her. I grab a fist of her purple essence and pull her out, chucking her out over the horizon. Her surprised shriek hardly registers with Firion. He’s enamoured by Raati’s charm and takes a split second longer to react. It’s enough for me to pop out a dagger, that I have no idea I had, and plunge it into his chest. He stares at me in shock before looking down to see black blood oozing out of him. My hand is covered with the black blood as well but I’m not shocked. I’m stronger than I ever was before. With one last twist of my wrist I shred him almost in two before using my foot to push him away and bring the dagger out clean.
He screeches in shock and pain while below him all his work gets undone. Tortured souls are released from their torment to float away into nothingness. I place my foot over his torso as he goes into a kneeling position. “Not so tough now are you, my pet?” I kick him and he falls away. As an afterthought I spit at his falling figure. “That’s why you marked me you bastard so you’d know your own doom!”
I’m exhilarated. Raati! You’re next!
With a leap I zoom away like a supersonic jet searching for her realm. I find it in seconds. She’s nowhere to be seen. I know she’s hiding in her purple pool. I stalk her around it. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
Raati emerges, purple water dropping away from her slick scalp. I give her a wicked smile with a tilt of my head. “Surprised to see me here?”
I can feel her fear and it sends an adrenaline rush through me. All my life I have been afraid of this entity, Klesha or whatever the hell she is and today she's terrified of me!
I let out a wild laugh as she rises from the pool, covered in her purple swirl. I circle around her as she has so often circled around me.
“Now tell me, Raati, how do you want to end this?” I pretend interest in my nails that are sprouting razor sharp talons. Raati tries to escape past me but I swoop in and catch her by her throat.
She gasps but immediately releases waves of pleasure that have me leaning into her. One hand firmly holding her neck, I let the other move down her luscious body. I don’t have a thing for women but this is Raati and it’s always going to be so with her.
She presses her forehead against mine treating me to her most seductive of moves. I can’t help but relent to the haze of lust she manages to create around us. But if she thi
nks she can trick me, then she has a thing or too coming. I’m no longer bound by emotions or sensations that affect common beings. I’ve escalated to something much higher. An invincible being capable of bypassing any and every law of the realms.
I place my mouth on her smooth cheek and take a sharp bite out of it. Her shriek is terror filled even as I spit the chunk away. I begin squeezing her neck riding high on the sensation of ultimate power. This is what it feels like to be invincible!
Raati chokes scratching my hand to make it loosen its grip. Her seductive haze disappears with her struggles sending waves of mirthless laughter through me. I push her away. Somehow I can’t bring myself to killing her just yet.
“That’s because the world needs me!” Raati croaks nursing her sore throat. “Without me, humans are nothing but insipid breeders.”
I smack her hard across her face with the back of my hand drawing purple blood from her mouth. I wipe the blood on her wispy garments, pulling her up with her hair. “True, my pet. But listen now and listen well, from now onward you do as I say. One step out of line and I swear I’ll blow you to pieces!” I drag her face close to mine peering into her wide purple eyes. “Do you know what I can do? I can re-create you. So don’t go around thinking humans need you!”
I push her off, watching her quickly seek refuge in her purple pool.
Power keeps surging through me. This is good. I’m invigorated, alive, enraged, all at once. I hold onto my rage and channel it towards the one man who gave me life and caused my death.
I jump back over realms hunting for him. I can’t find him anywhere making me wonder if he’s gone back to his human form.
“No, I haven’t!” His voice rings out, as a gigantic net of chains is flung towards me to bind my body in a death’s grip. I try to move my limbs and my head but I’m firmly encased in the hot, glowing net that burns into me. I strive not to cry out as I’m seared by them.
Partho goes around me in a slow circle. “Isn’t this tragic? Caught like a common bird.” He closes his fist and a chain snakes around my neck tightening around it in a death’s grip. “Did you think you’re more powerful than me? Nothing is more powerful than me in any or the realms!” He tilts his head to regard me as though I were an errant child. “Now, I want you to go back to your body and finish what you were meant to!” I launch a fruitless struggle against the chains.
Partho watches me with a keen eye before letting out a sardonic laugh. “You think my beautiful beasts are the only creatures waiting to tear you into a thousand pieces? I have fashioned creatures from the depths of darkness to deal with those who defy me. They stalk these realms searching for fresh blood. They’re made of immortal blood. You can kill them but they never die. They ooze acid that can make holes in you but not kill you at once. They will play with you, toy with you till you beg for mercy and even then death will be a privilege not offered to you.”
He disappears suddenly leaving me in near darkness. The only glow is from the chains that bind me. The only sound is my laboured breathing as I try and reserve my energy. I use all my senses to focus on my surroundings. I suppose Partho will show-off his vile creations but I have no idea where they will emerge. I try once again flailing at the chains with all my might but get nowhere.
A foul smell wafts around me making me cringe. They’re here.
In the glow of the lights from the chains, the creatures of night emerge one by one. They resemble deformed men with raw skin that oozes blood. Their red eyes burn in their sockets and their drooling mouths are filled with sharp teeth and a rolling tongue. Their arms are muscular, ending in long hands with razor sharp talons. Their torso ends to join animalistic limbs that are brawny and long giving evidence of their strength and agility.
They move closer to me, sniffing at me with their snouts, licking their snarling lips. I once again struggle against chains but they stay firm.
The creatures part to let Partho emerge amongst them. “These are my pets, Poppy. I call them Zorka. So what will it be, daughter? A lifetime of suffering with these creatures or a life in your mortal body?”
To my credit I manage to spit at him. My spirit of defiance is remarkable and it riles him.
“Did you forget I have given you all your powers? Did you really think you will create a bit of chaos and that will make you indestructible?” He whips out his arm and scrunches his fingers into a tight ball causing the chains to choke me.
Blood starts pouring from my lips as my capillaries haemorrhage inside me. I had no idea that could happen to me outside my mortal body. My blackened eyes bulge but I begin laughing like a maniac. He glares at me in surprise. “What are you laughing for?”
I mumble out words that are meaningless. “What?” Partho demands, closing in on me.
“Come..clo..ser,” I croak, hanging helplessly in the mercy of the torturous chains.
Partho leans towards my mouth to hear the words I whisper. “You aren’t..the only..one.”
It’s clear my words mean nothing to him. “What do you mean, girl? Speak up!”
He loosens the chain around my neck a tiny bit. I gulp in deep before pinning him with my wide eyes. They are slowly changing colour from the deepest black to the shiniest gold. My wounds mend themselves even as my hair turns from a glossy black to rich gold. I smirk at him. “I said you aren’t the only one who gave me my powers.”
Belatedly, he realises the meaning behind my words. I turn into a blazing, golden ball of fire right before his eyes disintegrating the chains that held me.
I turn my arms over to admire myself. My black suit is gone and I’m sheathed in intricate, glittering gold.
“No! It can’t be!” He shouts, horrified and angry. He takes a step back as I continue to glow, healing myself on the go. “That’s the power of the Triad! How do you have it? How do you have it?” He’s screaming his demand. His agitation causes his faithful beasts and creatures to howl in non-stop unison.
I laugh even as they surround me on all sides. Reaching out behind I find the weapon I somehow knew existed for me. I grip it and pull it forth engulfing the entire region in golden light.
Partho gapes at the trident, the Trishul, weapon of the Destroyer clasped majestically in my grip. “Want it?” I challenge. He roars in disbelief and lets loose his creations on me.
My fury knows no bounds. I leap high up and then bear down with my trident, driving it straight down into the rabid creatures completely annihilating them. My wrists work at a ferocious pace as I fight the abominations away with my rapidly churning trishul. They squeal and yelp as they’re stabbed and cut into two.
I see Partho back away and jump out of the realm. I’m overwhelmed by the number of beasts but I don’t lose my focus. I shred each one of them as they come into my path before I get my chance to chase Partho.
Sheer rage devours my senses. I destroy everything that comes in my path. A rush of power surges through my veins right into my weapon. I leave nothing standing in my path. There are dark creatures of different realms that try and attack me but I slice through them as though they were nothing.
A collective cry rises out of the realms as I spark fear in each and every being. Their screams goad me on. I have no idea of the sense of time, space or dimension. I have only one mission in mind and that is the destruction of Partho Sangram.
I rage on, bent on destruction.
“Stop, my child,” I hear a voice caution me.
I pay no heed, surging ahead. I’m aware it’s the Triad trying to put an end to my rampage. But I can’t stop not until I’ve found Partho and if other beings come in my way, so be it, I’ll ensure they’re crushed.
“You can’t find peace in vengeance, child,” the Triad cautions me.
I slow down by a millisecond even as my trishul knocks out a hapless creature of an unknown realm. I need vengeance for the love I lost!
“You will lose yourself this way, find your strength! Find it!”
“This is my strength!” I screech as I c
ontinue on my crazed spree sparing no one. As wild as I am, tears gush down my face with the slow realisation that I’ve lost Ajaz forever.
A heart wrenching cry escapes me causing the realms to split asunder. Terrified screams rent out from all around as I continue my anguished wail causing molten lava to get pushed out of its confines and spill over, causing quakes to shake with alarming violence and oceans to lash out with their highest waves threatening to drown everything.
At the center of the destruction I’m causing, I see Partho who’s hiding among creatures from an unknown realm. I bellow loudly descending upon them and hacking them away mercilessly.
“STOP!”
I hear a familiar voice but I’m crazed with the lust of murder and vengeance. I descend from above to drive my trishul into a hapless creature when it suddenly hits a barricade that it cannot pierce. The resistance I feel is not just from my weapon but also the glowing band around my wrist and ring finger.
True Rising: Mark of the Defenders Page 29
