The Skull Warrior

by Yajat Sharma

  The Scavenger and the children’s Elemental Powers proved to be too strong for the Wolf Hunters, who were defeated in a few moments.

  “Come on,” the Scavenger said, walking away. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Why did you come here in the first place?” Matt asked.

  “To save the wolf, of course.”

  “Well, the wolf flew away without saying any thanks,” Matt said. “So much for your chivalry.”

  “Never mind,” the Scavenger said. “Keep doing good. It will come back to you in ways you can never imagine. Let’s continue our journey. We need to meet Lynx soon.”

  “There must be some shortcut,” James argued with the Scavenger. “We can’t go on like this for days together.”

  The Scavenger thought hard. There must be portals here. He didn’t know the location of any portal, but maybe someone else knew...

  The Scavenger turned and walked back to Mort, who was still unconscious on the ground.

  “What happened?” Archer asked.

  The Scavenger replied, “I have an idea.” He knelt on the ground and shook Mort, trying to wake him, but Mort did not move. James understood what the Scavenger wanted to do and summoned cold water on top of Mort.

  Mort woke up with a start. “What... where?”

  “Answer me fast, or you lose your head,” the Scavenger said calmly. “Where can I find a portal?”

  Mort gulped. “Find it yourself.”

  The Scavenger paused and took out his sword. He surveyed the blade. “Maybe I could find a better use of you...”

  Mort started. “Of course not! I can tell you on a condition. Free us.”

  The Scavenger knew he had no choice. He glanced at the children, who were forced to nod grudgingly. The Scavenger turned to Mort. “Deal accepted. Now, tell quickly.”

  “The location of the nearest portal would be in the Crater, five miles northeast from here. It’s a place called Monster Cave,” said Mort.

  The Scavenger slapped his forehead. “Of course! I know. I have been there.”

  Mort grinned. “You need to keep your promise. Free my men.”

  The Scavenger nodded at Daniel, and the roots entangling the warriors disappeared. Mort and his men were freed, and they all rushed towards the jungle.

  Five miles weren’t much, and the children soon found themselves outside a large cave.

  The Scavenger said, “This is it. The portal is way deep inside the cave.”

  “Won’t any monsters be guarding it?” Archer asked.

  The Scavenger shook his head. “No. There are no monsters. The portal is deep in the maze of twists and turns in the cave. It won’t be a problem for us, because I already know the passage to the portal.”

  The Scavenger turned and was about to march into the cave, before the children stopped him.

  “We need to rest,” James said. “We took the portal to the Dark World at midnight. We didn’t sleep. I’m exhausted.”

  The Scavenger frowned at him. “This place has mysterious energies. If you try to sleep here, you’ll never wake up. We just need to carry on.”

  The children grumbled but had no choice.

  The Scavenger led the children into the cave. The cave’s interior was entirely lit up with a blue light. The children lost all sense of direction in a few minutes. But the Scavenger seemed to know the way as he guided all of them inside.

  “By the way, is there a coronavirus here too?” James directed his question at the Scavenger. “Just curious to know.”

  “The what?” the Scavenger asked.

  “Oh, you don’t. Well, there’s a major virus back on Earth, and it has really scared everyone. I thought there might be something like that in here too.”

  “Well, the only virus here is the Skull Warrior,” the Scavenger said. “And I can guarantee you that the Skull Warrior is worse than any other virus you can think of.”

  It was a couple of hours before they stopped. “Here’s the portal!” the Scavenger said in an excited voice, pointing straight ahead.

  “But where? It’s a piece of rock,” said Archer.

  “The portal is dormant and needs to be awakened. I need lots of energy,” the Scavenger said, directing the children to hold hands. “I want you all to focus your powers and direct it straight ahead. The sudden surplus of energy and power will awaken the portal.”

  The children summoned their Elemental Powers. Archer closed his eyes and concentrated. There was a sudden ripping sound, and then the children felt a force tug their bodies, pulling them forward. They saw a vortex made entirely of swirling sand.

  “Take us to the Rock!” the Scavenger shouted as he and the children leapt into the portal.

  3

  They landed on the ground with a thud.

  “We are now...” the Scavenger said in a dramatic tone, “in the Rock!”

  Looking around, Archer saw nothing but rocks and sand.

  “It’s scenic. But looks rather plain,” Archer said.

  “Looks can be deceiving,” an unfamiliar voice said.

  Archer turned, surprised. The Man of the Rock – Lynx – was standing in front of him. Lynx was about six feet tall and wore a black coat that hung down to his ankles. His broad shoulders carried two swords. “Now,” he said, his voice full of anger, “you have disturbed my meditation. Give me a good reason for your insolence. And then choose your way to die.”

  Before the situation could get out of hand, the Scavenger introduced the prophesied children to Lynx. His mood abruptly changed from anger to warmth, and he greeted the children with enthusiasm.

  “We need your help, urgently,” the Scavenger said. “In -”

  “Defeating the Skull Warrior, yes?” Lynx finished.

  “You know how powerful he is,” the Scavenger stated.

  Lynx stroked his chin. “Oh, I know all right. Well, I will try my best to help you.”

  The Scavenger presented his dilemma. “The Skull Warrior wants to free the Death Lord, who is trapped in the Arcane Crown. In case he succeeds, then I guess it’s the end of the Dark World and the Earth. We need to stop him.”

  Lynx snorted. “The Skull Warrior is not like the Death Lord. You cannot trap him the way you trapped the Death Lord.”

  “So what do we do?” the Scavenger asked. “We don’t know where to start. We need your help.”

  “Hmm... you need powerful things for such missions. There is the Arcane Crown, of course, but it has the Death Lord trapped in it, so you have no way to use the Crown. I can’t think of anything else...” Lynx remarked.

  “Nothing?” The Scavenger’s voice was tinged with panic.

  “Yes. Practically, nothing,” Lynx replied, “Searching for the Pages of Destiny doesn’t seem viable at this time. Apart from that, I don’t think there is anything else.”

  “But... but...” The Scavenger faltered.

  Lynx gasped. “No... wait... yes, yes… I completely forgot about it... a legend... the Slayer... maybe it’s possible that... maybe...”

  “Excuse me?” The Scavenger was confused.

  “Excused.” Lynx kept muttering to himself. “The Slayer... surely... yes.”

  “Do you have any information that could help us?” the Scavenger asked impatiently.

  Lynx gazed at the Scavenger with dark eyes. “Actually, yes. There is a thing. It is all but a legend, and no one believes it even exists.”

  “What is its name?” the Scavenger asked.

  After a long pause, Lynx began. “There is a legend that says that there is a sword named the Slayer. It is said to have an innumerable amount of power. When I first heard about this legend, I set about to find out more. After a lot of searches, I was almost convinced that the legend was false. Emphasis on ‘almost’.”

  “But is it?” asked the Scavenger.

  “Let me explain. I went to known scholars, studied scrolls, and went to forgotten and forbidden libraries and explored ruins of castles, searching for some hidden knowledge or somethin
g. Finally, after a lot of hard work, I managed to uncover a big revelation.”

  “Which is?” James asked, fascinated by the story.

  Lynx took a deep breath. “The Slayer doesn’t exist, but it does.”

  “Say what?” James was confused.

  “The Slayer is a real thing. But... one has to make it,” Lynx said.

  “Make it?” asked Matt.

  “Yes.” Lynx continued. “It did exist about a hundred centuries ago, but some great warrior hid it in an inter-dimensional reality. Somehow, due to the immense power in the dimension, it broke down, and its energy got stored in five different things.”

  Matt sighed suddenly. “Oh, no. You mean to say we have to do another riddle-solving, brain-tiring, life-risking, wild piece-of-the-Crown chase all over again. What!?”

  Lynx shook his head. “You have to listen first! Anyway, as I was saying, the energy of the Slayer got embodied in five things. The Trident, the Bolt, the Poison, the Warrior, and…” Lynx turned silent.

  The impatient Scavenger didn’t wait for Lynx to finish. He asked, “Do you know where these things are?”

  “Yes. The Poison is stored in the underground palace of the infamous warrior known as the Warhead. The Trident belongs to the ruler of the seas, Hothel. Hellfire, one of the most dangerous men in the whole of the Dark World, possess the Bolt.”

  “And the ‘Warrior?” James asked.

  “That’s one of the details the legend of the Slayer talks carefully about,” Lynx said, inhaling deeply. “The legend says that the Warrior is already chosen.”

  “What do you mean?” Daniel asked.

  “Fate has already chosen the Warrior. It’s written in the Universe. No one knows who the Warrior is. The Warrior will be revealed only at the moment when the Poison, the Trident and the Bolt are combined together and the great Sacrifice takes place. A part of the energy essence in the Warrior’s body will leave, and will form the Slayer. It’s the Warrior who will hold the Slayer in his hand once it’s formed.”

  “Is there any hint as to who would be the Warrior?” James asked.

  Lynx shook his head. “No, but the legend offers some hints. First of all, the Warrior needs to be very powerful, because he needs to have the energy essence in his body. Second, he will be someone who will have the willpower and determination to act at the right moment and combine the pieces to form the Slayer.”

  Everyone instinctively looked at the Scavenger, even Lynx.

  “Do you all think it’s me?” the Scavenger asked, sighing.

  Archer said, “Of course, I don’t see anyone else fitting the description. With Lord Arcane’s blessing, you will act at the right time to form the Slayer.”

  Lynx nodded. “I agree. Prepare yourself. Getting the other pieces will be useless if you are not able to act in time and combine them.”

  The Scavenger blew out a breath.

  James said. “Wait! But you said five things, right?”

  Lynx cleared his throat. “The fifth thing is the Sacrifice. The legend mentions that there must be some considerable sacrifice before the Slayer can be formed. This Sacrifice can be performed only after the Poison, the Trident and the Bolt are combined. The Sacrifice can only be done by someone who is willing, to an undeniable extent, to give up his own life for a great cause.”

  “And who would that be? It requires that the person sacrificing himself be extremely selfless and saintly. Who could that be?” James asked.

  Lynx shrugged and paused.

  After a moment, he spoke, “I have shared with you whatever knowledge that I have. Let’s leave something to destiny.”

  Before James could speak further, the Scavenger summarized, “Okay. So that means to defeat the Skull Warrior, we need the Slayer, which has to be formed by combining five things, out of which the Trident, the Poison and the Bolt are in physical form, the Warrior is unknown, and the fifth thing is the Sacrifice.”

  “Right,” Lynx said.

  Daniel asked, “So where do we go next from here?”

  “I think our first target would be to reach the Warhead,” the Scavenger said.

  “But how?” Matt pointed out.

  Lynx smiled. “I know it. Find the Buried Library of Homen. If you -”

  “A library!” James exclaimed. “YAY!!!!!!!”

  Lynx ignored him. “There will be a scroll protected by guardians who needs to be defeated. The scroll will lead you to the Warhead. But beware, the Buried Library is in Homen, and Homen is as dangerous as a Griffin with rabid flu. There is a clan of people called the Buriers. They won’t let you go to the Library. Be careful.”

  “You have been very helpful, old warrior.” The Scavenger bowed to Lynx. The children followed. “We will not forget your help.”

  The Man of the Rock returned the bow. “You’re welcome. Just be careful. The Dark World has become a dangerous place now. I wish you success.”

  Lynx raised his hand, and a swirling vortex of sand appeared in front of him. “This portal will take you to thirty miles east of Homen.”

  “I have a question,” said the Scavenger. “These Buriers... are they also called the Plague Warriors?”

  Lynx’s face was grim. “Yes.”

  The Scavenger’s face turned white. “We are in trouble.”

  “Why?” Archer asked the Scavenger.

  “If the Plague Warriors touch you, you get a life-threatening disease. The Plague Warriors were feared at the time of Lord Arcane. Arcane banished them to the city of Homen and...”

  “And...” Archer said, waiting.

  “They hate the most loyal warrior of Lord Arcane, because he was the one that had given Arcane the idea to banish them. If they see him, they will want to take their revenge. And they will destroy everything that comes in their way.”

  James sighed. “Let me guess. And this warrior...”

  “It’s me.” The Scavenger smiled as he, along with the children, jumped into the portal.

  4

  The portal had landed them in a field about fifty miles to the west of Homen.

  The Scavenger glanced about, alert eyes taking in the green landscape of the forest, searching for any camouflaged warriors. They started to walk cautiously.

  After a few miles, they halted in an open field.

  “We have reached,” the Scavenger said.

  “What? Are you crazy? There is no village, only green valleys and trees all around.” James said.

  The Scavenger shook his head. “The village of Homen was banished to the air.”

  “To the air?” Matt said incredulously. “What do you mean by that?”

  “That means...” The Scavenger’s hands groped about in the air. “There must be a tear in the fabric of the air, which will lead us to the village. It should be around...”

  The Scavenger’s hands stopped. “Here!”

  He stretched his hands in opposite directions, and the air parted apart, revealing blue energy in a doorway five feet above the air.

  The Scavenger rubbed his hands. “Hopefully there will be no Plague Warrior at the entrance of the village.” He jumped into the doorway.

  They emerged at the village of Homen. It appeared to be a haunted village. The huts and cottages were in ruins, with sand and dust all around.

  And of course, about fifty Plague Warriors were standing in front of them.

  One man stepped forward. “Wait! I guess I can recognize you?”

  “Look here,” the Scavenger said, “we are not your enemy.”

  Suddenly, a warrior shouted, pointing at the Lightning Sword at the Scavenger’s waist. “The Scavenger!”

  With an angry roar, the warriors pulled out swords and charged at the Scavenger. The Scavenger raised his sword, and lightning scorched the ground in front of him, dust billowing in all directions. When the dust and the smoke cleared, the Scavenger and the children were gone.

  The man that had stepped forward first – he must have been the leader – turned to his warriors. “Search t
he village! The Scavenger shouldn’t escape this time. Bring him to me... ”

  The Scavenger and the children watched from the roof of a hut as the warriors scattered around.

  “Can’t the Plague Warriors escape by using the same doorway we had come from?” Archer asked.

  The Scavenger shook his head. “No. They can’t open it.”

  “Where’s the Library?” James asked eagerly.

  “Look, the warriors are after me,” the Scavenger said. “They don’t want you. So I have a plan. You find the Library and try to get the scroll, while I distract the warriors. Do it fast – these warriors are expert in tracking their enemies. Now go.”

  “But where?” James asked.

  “How do I know that?” the Scavenger said.

  “There he is!” a voice shouted, and the Scavenger cursed.

  “Just explore or something,” the Scavenger said, jumping from the roof. “I will lead them away from you.” He ran to the right, followed by the Plague Warriors.

  James turned to his friends. “Okay. Let’s see...” Everyone looked around, searching the horizon far away. Suddenly, Matt pointed. “Look there. There’s a pyramid or something. Let’s go.” Matt summoned wind, and all of them shot towards the pyramid.

  When they reached there, the children saw that it wasn’t a pyramid. It was some kind of a hologram. An image of a pyramid flickered in the air above the ground where five Plague Warriors were standing, guarding the entrance.

  “What do we do know?” Archer asked. “Do we fight them?”

  “No need for that,” Daniel said, concentrating. A tree erupted from the ground fifty feet away. The warriors at the foot of the pyramid got startled and started walking up to the tree.

  “The guards are dumbos. There is no one at the gates,” James said. He started to run. “It won’t be long before they begin to suspect something. Let’s rush.”

  The children reached the entrance. They took the stairs down and emerged into the Library.

  The Library was gigantic. Shelves of books, parchments, scrolls and manuscripts covered the entire area in neat rows and columns. There was a doorway at the far end of the Library.