The Skull Warrior

by Yajat Sharma

Suddenly his expression changed. “What demoralizing words are coming out of my mouth? I should be ashamed.” He shook his head. “A warrior like me cannot be scared of such things. We have journeyed through tougher things. This is just another obstacle.”

  The others were rejuvenated by the Scavenger’s change of mood and surge of energy.

  James smiled. He looked around. “So what if we are not a huge army? Why worry about brawns when we have brains? We just need to make a plan and then execute it.”

  Everyone nodded.

  James said, “Let’s find some details of the palace. Lynx must be having some map or something here.”

  The Scavenger suddenly pointed at a pulsating red thing on a faraway shelf. He went towards it and picked it up. The thing stopped glistening red, revealing itself to be just a half-eaten apple.

  The Scavenger grinned. “The clever warrior. Before getting captured, he threw this apple on this shelf to signal us. Look at that.”

  The Scavenger pointed at a book on top of the shelf, on which the apple was lying. The cover of the book read: A detailed analysis on various fortresses in the Dark World.

  Matt grinned. “He knew we would need information about Voldmir. That’s why he did this.”

  Everyone silently thanked Lynx as the Scavenger took the book out and scrolled through the index. There were names of various unknown fortresses there, and Voldmir was found almost at once.

  The Scavenger went to the page and found a detailed removable map. He placed the map on the table and everyone started examining it.

  “Listen.” James stared at the map. He pointed to green areas all around the palace. “What’s that?”

  “The Forest of Voldmir,” the Scavenger replied.

  James held up a finger. “Can we reach the forest without alerting the guards of the palace?”

  The Scavenger nodded. “Yes, absolutely. We can reach the forest, but one step outside that and we are dead.”

  James grinned. “Okay. Then listen. I have a plan.”

  Lynx woke up with a start. He saw that he was sitting on a chair, and ropes bound his hands and legs.

  Where was he?

  Why was he bound?

  What was happening?

  Then it all flashed in his mind. While he was working in his cave, men with weapons had suddenly entered and attacked him. He’d had the presence of mind to act at the right moment, and he had left a hint for the Scavenger and his friends.

  “So you’re awake,” a voice said.

  Lynx jerked his face around to see who was there. He called out, “Who is speaking?”

  “You’re not the one who should be asking questions.” The voice was harsh and cold. “But… because you are going to be executed soon -”

  “What? Where am I?” Lynx asked, trying desperately to keep his voice calm and relaxed.

  “Voldmir,” the voice replied.

  “Grim?” Lynx said. “Is that you?”

  “How does it matter? Count your minutes.”

  “Why have you brought me here?”

  “It’s a win-win game for me. You have committed a crime by harbouring the fugitive Scavenger. Either your friend, the Scavenger, comes here to rescue you, or you die.”

  “He won’t fall in your trap. You don’t know him.”

  “Trust me, I know him. You’ll see. His moral compass is too strong. He won’t let you die. He will come.”

  Lynx changed tactics. “Why are you working for the Skull Warrior? He is a raving maniac!”

  “Shut up! I need power, enormous power, and I don’t care who gives me that.” Grim was filled with rage.

  “You’re crazy! Can’t you see…” Lynx tried to convince him further.

  “Enough! Sixty minutes is all you have. Just pray that Scavenger comes or else you are finished,” Grim shouted.

  With a sudden whoosh of air, something hard hit Lynx on his head. Lynx felt dizzy but didn’t lose consciousness. He could feel the chair he was sitting on being lifted and carried somewhere. From the gust of fresh air that he felt, Lynx figured out that he had been brought outside into the open.

  “Now, we wait,” Lynx heard a voice speaking.

  “This is madness. I don’t think this plan will work,” the Scavenger said.

  “I would like to hear of a better plan,” James said. “It is the best I can think of. And I am sure it’s the only one that will succeed.”

  “But -” The Scavenger started to speak.

  “It’s of no use,” Archer said. “It’s decided. Let’s execute this plan.”

  “He’s right,” James said. “Have trust in me. This mission will go off without a hitch.”

  At that moment, Urrax woke up. “What is happening?”

  “It’s time to leave,” the Scavenger said, sighing. “It’s time we attempt to rescue Lynx from one of the most protected and dangerous places in the Dark World.”

  James grinned. “All in a day’s work, I guess.”

  11

  Archer, James, Daniel and Matt were on the outskirts of the forest surrounding the palace of Voldmir. Urrax had requested them to brief him about the plan, but there was no time to explain the whole story to him. They just brought him along to observe and contribute in whatever manner he could.

  They were lying precariously on some branches on the top of trees with sharp little branches poking them.

  The Scavenger gave the children a binocular and three small devices – a mike, loudspeaker and amplifier. These devices would enable them to see the events clearly from far away and listen to, as well as transmit, voices. They could see the guards at the front gate of Voldmir Palace.

  James reviewed the plan in his mind and sighed. Either he was brilliant or stupid; only time would tell.

  The guards stationed at the front gate of Voldmir Palace became alert when they spotted a big man pushing a cart towards them.

  As the man drew near, the guards noticed that the man was immensely fat. His stomach threatened to rip through his clothes.

  “Business?” The lead guard plonked his spear onto the ground.

  “I have to deliver fruits,” the man said in a monotonous voice. “To the master of this castle.”

  The lead guard gestured to the others. “Search his cart.”

  The man stepped back as the guards searched the cart laden with fruits. After a while, the lead guard nodded. “You can go now.”

  The man pushed the cart inside the castle. As soon as he was inside, he looked around, ensuring that no one was watching. He then ditched the cart and moved to the shadows and lifted his shirt.

  The Scavenger tumbled out.

  The Scavenger stood up and stretched himself. “That worked like a charm!” he said. “They didn’t suspect a thing!”

  “Let’s get on with the task,” the man – No One – replied.

  The Scavenger and No One started to move towards the castle. Back in Lynx’s cave, they had diligently studied the detailed map of the palace, and No One and the Scavenger already knew it like the back of their hand. The mission had started.

  No One and the Scavenger made their way into the castle silently, quickly knocking down every guard they met. Most of the guards didn’t even sense an attack and were knocked out at once, but some guards were alerted. One or two tried to fight, while the others started to run, but the Scavenger and No One managed to subdue them before they could alert the whole area.

  The duo not only successfully disabled the traps from the Control Room but also stealthily managed to take weapons from the armoury. Soon, they were well on their way to the roof where all executions used to take place.

  “It’s time for the execution! The coward Scavenger didn’t turn up.” The disgust was apparent in Grim’s voice.

  Lynx jerked as the blindfold was ripped from his eyes. He saw that he was on a roof in front of a massive crowd, his arms and legs tied. Grim and many armed warriors surrounded him.

  Grim raised a hand to calm the excited crowd. “Today is a
lesson to all those who oppose the rule of the Skull Warrior. The fate of traitors is only one – execution.”

  Grim gestured with one of his hands. A bulky man, hefting a long blade, stepped to the side of Lynx and raised it.

  The crowd was shouting and yelling. Lynx gulped. Was this the end for him? Was this how he would die? Why had the Scavenger failed to rescue him?

  Just as the blade was raised and was about to fall down, a loud voice boomed.

  “Stop right there!”

  James shouted into his mike just as he saw the blade of the executioner rushing towards Lynx’s head. The executioner paused and looked at Grim for further instructions.

  “Hello, Grim,” James continued. “Leave him. We are the one you want. I am James.”

  “And I’m Daniel,” Daniel spoke up next, from a different direction. Matt and Archer introduced themselves too. Everyone used their mikes from different directions, so that Grim would be confused and unable to locate any one’s position.

  Daniel continued, “Leave Lynx and capture us if you can.”

  “Just appear, you cowards,” shouted Grim, “You won’t escape from Voldmir. Come and try taking your fugitive from my clutches.”

  As per the plan, the children engaged Grim in conversation, hoping that the Scavenger and No One would do their part soon.

  Meanwhile, No One and the Scavenger arrived in an empty room. They could hear the voices of the children engaging Grim in conversation.

  The Scavenger chanted a few words and levitated to the ceiling and chipped away wood with his knife. As the wood of the ceiling gave way, the Scavenger could spot Lynx’s legs hanging from a chair.

  “We are bang on at the exact spot.” The Scavenger’s voice was full of excitement. No One nodded. They both strapped the ceiling with small, circular explosive material.

  Everything was going as per plan. The children were successful in buying time by conversing with Grim.

  “You made a great mistake,” the Scavenger heard Archer talking to Grim through the mike and amplifier. “We value our friendships. You were about to kill one of our friends, which is morally not right. Something’s going to explode.”

  Archer’s voice stopped. Grim was confused. The Scavenger and No One covered their heads and ears as the strips on the ceiling exploded.

  The children and Urrax saw the explosions from their vantage points. They skimmed down the trees and ran forward towards the front gate. The guards were in a state of shock due to the explosions.

  From the holes created due to the explosion, Lynx saw the Scavenger and No One below. The Scavenger’s sword cut through the ropes binding Lynx’s legs and arms. Before Grim could understand what was going on, Lynx immediately snatched a guard’s sword and jumped into the hole. The Scavenger, No One and Lynx ran towards the front gate. Hundreds of guards, led by Grim, were chasing them. As they reached the front gate, they saw the children and Urrax and the unconscious guards. The Scavenger quickly summoned a chariot.

  “Well done, folks,” he said, smiling. “The plan worked. Let’s get out of here fast before they get us.”

  They all jumped into the chariot. The Scavenger rode it as fast as possible. No word was uttered until the palace of Voldmir was well out of sight.

  “That was amazing,” Lynx said finally. “Grim and the others didn’t even realize what hit them. I am so thankful to all of you for saving my life.”

  “You have James to thank for that,” Daniel said.

  “Oh, it’s nothing,” James said in an impish tone. “It was like a piece of cake.” They all laughed.

  During the ride, they updated Lynx on their attack on Hellfire. Lynx listened patiently. Once they were finished, Lynx was about to say something, but the Scavenger interrupted.

  “Get off the chariot,” he said. “We have to walk on foot now. We’re about to enter a village and we can’t take the chariot inside.”

  They all got off and started walking tactically. The village streets were deserted. It was still too early for anyone to be up. Just as they were exiting the village, Matt saw posters on the walls with a few photographs and text written on them. They walked close to the posters, and the Scavenger started reading aloud. “By order of the great Lord of the Dark World, the Skull Warrior, these dangerous criminals are wanted alive or dead. A bounty is offered to anyone who gives information about them or arrests or kills them.”

  On the posters were pictures of No One, the Scavenger, Lynx and the children.

  Lynx smiled. “Congratulations. We are most-wanted fugitives now.”

  They were all exhausted when they reached Lynx’s cave.

  Lynx was visibly disturbed and roared, “They took my blueprints!”

  “What blueprints?” James was curious.

  Lynx was much too angry to answer. “The Mudrazers! The Sandpots! The Barbarians! The Stupid Horclathzs! The Brainless Brains! They took away my Oculus.”

  “What’s he saying?” Archer asked the Scavenger. “What is Oculus?”

  The Scavenger sighed. “While I was searching for the four of you on Earth, I used to return to the Dark World from time to time. On one such occasion, I bumped into Lynx and told him about the guns the people on Earth had. Lynx got a desire to build one. But there is very little iron or steel in the Dark World. So Lynx created Oculus with different materials. Oculus means Destroyer in one of the Dark World’s languages. He explained it to me in great detail. It seems they took his Oculus too.”

  “How does it work?” James asked eagerly. “Tell quick!”

  The Scavenger couldn’t help but smile at James’s excitement. “It is shaped exactly like a gun – a pistol having muzzles and barrels. But there aren’t any cartridges or bullets, just round-shaped multi-coloured things about the size of half a grape. Lynx calls them Cules. I don’t know how the Cules are made, but the process includes the use of magic. These Cules are delicate and explode as soon as they hit anything with force. An Oculus can store up to fifty Cules.”

  The Scavenger continued, “Cules can dissolve a person’s armour in two or maybe three shots. Their explosions can be lethal. But there is a drawback. You have to wait for about ten seconds before the Oculus is ready to fire again. And that time delay could be disadvantageous for the shooter. But Lynx had found a solution. He had made a blueprint of a new Oculus, with a long and narrow barrel. But then, Grim’s men came and captured him.”

  “Bummer,” James said.

  “Exactly,” the Scavenger agreed. “That’s why Lynx is so agitated. By using the blueprints, Grim could have made highly advanced Oculuses by now, and this will help the Skull Warrior immensely.”

  James understood, but he couldn’t help notice how the Scavenger twitched slightly as the word ‘Oculus’ left his mouth. James’s brain connected the dots quickly.

  “You don’t like Oculuses,” James said, already realizing the reason why.

  “Obviously,” the Scavenger said. “I am a warrior. I don’t like these new devices. I get that they’re useful, but I still think they can’t be trusted. I prefer traditional weapons like swords and spears.”

  Lynx had calmed down by then and broke into the conversation, “The enemy would have created new Oculuses by now. The final war will now be very challenging. We need to get the Trident soon.”

  Lynx looked at the Scavenger’s face and groaned. “Uh-oh. From your facial expressions, I can make out that you seem to have different plans.”

  The Scavenger nodded firmly. “Correct. I plan to go to Arcane’s burial site to check whether Arcane’s coffin has his bones or not.”

  Lynx shook his head and groaned. “I knew this would happen.” He muttered, “Hellfire knew your psychology well and has been successful in creating doubt in your mind.”

  “Don’t fall for Hellfire’s lies. Going all the way to verify your doubt will be such a colossal waste of time.” Lynx made a half-hearted attempt to convince the Scavenger. But he knew that the Scavenger would have his way.

 
Daniel butted in, “Wait, all of you. I have loads of doubts in my mind, and I have got to get them cleared.”

  Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to say something further.

  “First of all, why did Hellfire bad-mouth Arcane?” Daniel asked.

  The other children too looked at Lynx. This was a doubt that had plagued everyone since they had arrived from Hellfire’s lair.

  Lynx said confidently. “It was a test.”

  “Say what?” the Scavenger asked.

  “It was a test of faith,” Lynx said. “The final test. He wanted to test our trust and faith in Arcane. He knew that time was crucial for us, so if we go to check, we lose precious time. But if we get on with our task, it shows our faith that Arcane can never be evil.”

  “Another thing,” Archer said. “The Skull Warrior has a huge amount of power. Why didn’t he just come and… you know… just possess Hellfire to simply hand over the Bolt to him?”

  Lynx sniggered. “Oh, come on. You have got to be kidding me. Isn’t it obvious? Hellfire is a guardian, and his sole purpose is to guard the Bolt. If anyone could have come and possessed him, the Bolt would have been in the hands of even a novice sorcerer. Obviously, it’s not that easy. No matter how powerful the Skull Warrior is, Hellfire would just disappear deep into his lair. Hellfire is after all a supporter of Arcane. Even if the Skull Warrior wished to fight Hellfire to get the Bolt, like us, Hellfire would never give the Bolt to such an evil person like the Skull Warrior.” Lynx took a deep breath.

  James chuckled, “And I think that the Skull Warrior must have better things to do.”

  Lynx nodded. He was glancing at a grim looking Scavenger.

  “I know what you have in mind,” Lynx said. “You will still go to check Arcane’s burial site.” Lynx looked frustrated to the point of no return. “It’s a waste of time! You have got to understand!”

  “I don’t care,” the Scavenger said. “The doubt created by Hellfire will keep bothering me unless I get it cleared. Don’t worry, I won’t take much time. Let’s split into two teams. I have already planned this. I will take James, Archer and No One. You, Urrax, Matt and Daniel work towards getting the Trident.”