by H. K Oby
It was coming from behind them. They all breathed in deep, exhilarating smiles coming on their faces of their own accord.
In a word, it was irresistible. Whirling around, they found the source: a tree a hundred feet away whose fruits were shining like miniature suns. Each fruit was the shape of a crescent moon, its original color impossible to be guessed as it had somehow absorbed the rays of the sun and transformed into one, itself.
Amin felt himself take a step, and then another. He wanted that fruit. No, he needed it. He knew that eating it would solve all his problems. Everything he-
What the…? This is not real! Snap out of it! The librarian said we shouldn’t pluck any of the fruits!
That was easier said than done. A breeze had begun to blow in the glade, sending even more of the bewitching scent of the fruit to them. Rishi broke out into a run. Amaira did the same after a few seconds, a struggle showing on her face while she walked beside Amin. When she began running, she had the same face as Rishi: that of a drug addict mindlessly ignoring everything else for a fix.
No! Guys! Stop!
He tried to say the words, but only unintelligible sounds left his mouth. He felt like running to the fruit, too, but he was able to put a fight against the temptation. After a few seconds, he even managed to stop, getting an edge on the enticing call, but that was all he was capable of.
As he watched on, horrified but also jealous as he wasn’t in their place, the two reached up to the fruits. He let out a pained moan, still unable to shout at them and attempt to snap them out of it, and at the same time, both of them grasped two of the fruit closest to the ground and pulled.
The fruits came away in their hands, and instantly, their glow disappeared. It happened to all of the fruit, not just the ones that had been plucked. With confused faces, they stared at the fruits in their hands, plainly not understanding how they were in their hands.
Amin didn’t even know what to say. All sorts of emotions surged in his mind. Shoving them aside with great difficulty, he decided to say that they should leave, first, before a rakshasa appeared.
The ground shook suddenly, making him lose his balance fall on his knees. What he had been about to say fled his mind when what sounded like deafening drums echoed from the forest beyond where Rishi and Amaira stood. He blinked warily, searching for the cause of the noise, and felt his soul leave his body when he saw a large, blue shape appear out of nowhere right in front of Rishi and Amaira. They still seemed dazed, apparently fighting the aftereffects of that intoxicating scent, so they were still looking at the fruits.
Amin blinked again, and the blue blur was in front of him. Half-convinced he was seeing things, he looked down to steady himself.
Where there had been nothing before, something large and blue appeared in his vision, as if it had teleported there. It was a humanoid bare foot that was as long as he was tall, thick rings made of solid goal around all of the fingers reflecting the sun almost blindingly. It was completely hairless, with curling, disgusting nails that should have been cut years ago and dirt, mud, and something red and mushy he couldn’t identify present in patches all over.
Before he could form another thought or move an inch, something heavy struck the back of his head, and all went black.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
STRANGE SOUNDS AWAKENED Amin.
There was a fire crackling somewhere nearby. Something liquid was bubbling, the pop-pop-pop loud enough that he could tell that it was coming from close by. A warm breeze brought sweet smoke to his nostrils which wrinkled. He had never known smoke could even smell sweet, but there was no other way to describe it.
Sweat drenched most of his body. A moment later, heat as strong as if it was from a furnace struck him with full force, making him snap his eyes open despite every instinct screaming that he should keep them closed to examine his predicament while acting asleep.
Sometimes, it just couldn’t be avoided. The first thing he saw was a gigantic cauldron at least 10 feet wide and twice that tall, a fire crackling below it while it stood on top of waist-thick blocks of wood that must’ve been freshly placed there as it wasn’t burning yet. Whoever had set it up hadn’t been very thorough; it tilted to one side, boiling water visible at the edge, almost ready to slosh over.
He tried to move and felt the ropes that bound him. In horror, he looked up to find that he hung by his hands from the branch of a tree, a rope as thick as his hand coiled around and between them.
His vantage point should have given it away, but he hadn’t really been in firm control of his faculties, having just awakened from –
I was knocked out! But…by what?
The throbbing at the back of his head told him where the blow had fallen. After a moment of thought, he remembered that nightmarish foot he had seen, but he shook his head, unable to believe that it could be real.
A loud sloshing sound made him look up. They were still in the glade they had landed in, before. He was hanging from the tree at the forest line behind the grassland, facing the pond whose agitated surface made it look like gigantic creatures were writhing in its depths.
The disturbance of the water continued, no new information being revealed even after a few seconds, so he turned his mind to other concerns.
Where are the others?
A hasty look all around gave him the answer. They hung in the same manner from two trees to his right, the fruits they had plucked lying on the ground below Rishi who had been tied to the tree that was the culprit behind everything that was happening. They were farther away from the cauldron, but they were just as trapped. Both of them were still unconscious. He opened his mouth to call out to them, but he froze and turned his head when he saw something emerge from the pond in the corner of his eye.
It was a glittering crown half as large as him, bedecked with rubies and emeralds, shining in the sun with a majestic grandeur that took his breath away. What that crown was resting on made him suck in a deep breath, next, while a small voice in his head started to go crazy, shouting that death was near.
Black, glossy hair framed a demonic face with eyes as big as his fists, a nose that had been cut off at one point so that only two slits remained, and a mouth with curved fangs whose tips looked sharp enough to pierce through him as if he was made of paper.
The face was decorated with red, ornamental lines, and a vertical, painted on eye sat in the middle of the forehead. The ears look like a deer’s, adorned in more glittering golden jewelry. A beard hung from the creature’s jaw and neck, braided in places.
The more of it rose out of the water, the more Amin wished that he could pinch himself and wake from whatever nightmare this was.
It had four arms, each so huge that he would be crushed like a tomato if he was in the crook of one while those bulging muscles flexed. The creature wore very little clothing. A black flap of cloth with golden borders hid its most private part, going around its waist, fixed in place by a golden belt. This belt connected to a meticulously designed chest piece from which golden chains spread. Numerous bracelets were also present, but Amin didn’t study them much; his attention had diverted to a fish that was clutched between two of the arms.
It was as large as him, thrashing with strength that he was sure would crush him if he was near. Casually, the creature wrung its neck and it went still.
Amin gulped, imagining the same fate befalling him. Water flowed down the creature’s rough blue skin. When it saw him looking at it, its reaction made a shudder go through him.
A smile that revealed fangs made the creature look even more fearsome. A scream sounded from beside him; from its high pitch, Amin didn’t need to look to know it was from Rishi. A yelp followed it from Amaira.
It’s a rakshasa. It’s a rakshasa!
Throwing the fish on the ground with a thud as loud as one that would come from his own body falling down, the rakshasa spoke in a gruff voice with a lot of inflections that made it hard to understand.
“Fish goes great with hu
man flesh. I need two more.”
Turning around, it stomped off into the water and was gone in a couple of seconds.
He looked between the fish, the cauldron, and the fire, and the obvious realization dawned on him.
“I’m going to be eaten!”
The thought that came into his mind erupted out of Rishi’s mouth. Amin almost gave in to the same panic that he heard in Rishi’s voice; in fact, he even started twitching fiercely, trying to see whether the rope around his hands could loosen.
The branch shook and a few leaves fell, but that was it. Closing his eyes and realizing that his mind was descending into chaos, he bit his lip as hard as he could, tasted blood, and forced a rush of clarity that he used to tell himself one thing.
I’ve been close to death before. Every time, there is always an opportunity that everyone wastes by panicking or being afraid. This time, this is it! Step out of it! Before that thing comes back, think of a plan!
All the plans he had involved siddhis, and they could hardly utilize any of their powers, tied up as they were. Even Amaira growing bigger and freeing herself would probably accomplish nothing if she was alone; the rakshasa looked faster and stronger than she would be even if she activated her siddhi to the limit, so with his eyes closed, he tried to decide on a single objective.
What is most important? To have a chance! That means all three of us have to be free from these bonds. What is the best plan that will work to make that happen?
Sloshing sounds appeared from the pond again. His blood went cold when he saw that his time was almost already up.
With no choice, he chose the one that jumped out to him.
“Both of you, shut up and listen! We need a chance! All three of us have to be free! If that happens, we can at least hope to fight that thing! When it comes back, I’ll start arguing! I’ll say that for my last wish, I want a chance to fight both of you and kill you! Go along with it!”
“What? Why would that work?” Amaira asked in a hushed tone.
“Just –.“
He clamped his jaw shut when that crown appeared again. He didn’t want to give the rakshasa even the tiniest hint of a doubt that what was going to happen had been orchestrated.
Frankly, he didn’t know whether it would work, either. The plan had only come to him because it had been of great use once before, when he and a couple of his underlings had been captured by a rival mob boss. That guy had been a great fan of physical combat. Using this plan, Amin had secured his entire team’s freedom and they had barely managed to escape with their lives, turning on their spectators when everyone least expected it.
That guy believed our ruse was true because leaders and underlings fight all the time. What will the rakshasa think? No, it’ll work. It has to work!
There was one decision to be made, though. What would he use as the basis of his argument?
Looking for inspiration, Amin tilted his head until he could see both his companions. Ignoring the same scene as before that was repeating over the pond, he looked at the two of them, forcing his mind to speed up.
An emotion that he didn’t anticipate caught him off guard, sending his attention in a direction that was utterly useless at the moment. Despite his best effort, it wasn’t one he couldn’t stay out of, as if he was in a car that had no brakes.
Regret.
I brought them here. If we all die, it’ll be my fault. The two of them will curse me while we cook, and I’ll have no answers or explanations.
To his genuine surprise, as soon as that thought appeared, another flashed into existence from a different part of him.
But… weren’t they the ones who picked those fruits and attracted the rakshasa? It must have all hinged on mental strength. Because I’ve been through more, I was able to resist the temptation. If I had come alone, I would still be free. Isn’t it their fault that this is all happening?
For a moment, he forgot everything else and lost himself in the internal struggle to choose how he felt about the situation. The first way was new, but it was still strong, bolstered by all the emotions and feelings he had begun to experience since their friendship had begun. It drew on all the times it had felt good to have real companions, and on those instances when he had meant to do one thing, but done another.
Yet, the second part was just a strong, or even stronger. It was a way of thinking he had lived by for a long, long time, so it felt almost natural to slip back into its grasp.
Months of change clashed with years of conditioning. He couldn’t have answered what he wanted truly even if it meant that God would swoop down and save his life then and there. In the background of it all, the fear of impending doom was like a volcano whose lava was spreading towards everything, and finally, the victor was decided simply because that lava came too close and pushed him into what felt most comfortable.
“This is why I didn’t want you guys to come! You’re weaklings! I hate both of you! If you weren’t here, all this wouldn’t have happened! Why couldn’t you have just shut the hell up and stayed where you were? No, you had to get all jealous and afraid that I would grow too powerful! You’re both pathetic! You, Amaira, with your childish pranks and stupid impulses, and you, Rishi, with your deplorable existence as more a chicken than a man! I despise cowards!”
The hurt that appeared on both of their faces was like an electric shock to his mind, startling him out of what he had succumbed to.
After a second, a flash of realization came on Amaira’s face. Turning angrily, she shouted, “We hate you, too! We believe you when you said there would be no rakshasas here! Look what you led us to! You’re the real weakling! You don’t even have a siddhi and you think you’re hot stuff! Well, I have news for you! You’re nothing!”
Rishi followed right at her heels. He didn’t really manage to sound angry, though. It sounded more like he was throwing a tantrum as his anger was tempered by the fear that kept breaking through.
“She’s right. You’re really nothing. We hate you.”
A new emotion, something he hadn’t ever felt before was quickly spreading and growing stronger in Amin’s mind, but he recognized what needed to be done. He had to keep up the act even though his feelings had cooled enough for him to realize what he had done. Faking as much anger as he could, he snarled, “That’s it! I want to fight you both! I’ll kill you and show you who’s stronger! Come here, you…”
Cursing under his breath, he twisted and turned, trying to free himself. He forced himself to keep his eyes away from the rakshasa, hoping that it would react in the right way.
When its loud voice sounded from the pond, Amin snapped his head in its direction as if he had forgotten that it even existed.
“Interesting. Companions fighting? I was told that something like that never happens. It’s suspicious… but all three of you are so weak! Even if you’re up to something, there is nothing you can do. Sure, you can fight. I have an idea! If you entertain me, I’ll give you a quick death instead of boiling you until your screams echo like sweet music.”
It worked! But… are our strengths really that far apart? No, it must be underestimating us.
Amin reassured himself, knowing that he needed to if he wanted to keep control of his senses. The emotion that was the aftermath of his outburst was still trying to engulf him, but with a superhuman effort, he kept it at bay, the danger of still being just a step away from dying helping him succeed. He knew it would come back at full strength later, but if he lived, he believed he could deal with it no matter how strong it was.
The rakshasa idly strolled toward them, depositing the second fish it had caught beside the first one. As it got closer, he saw how big it truly was. It stood at least 15 feet tall without even taking into account how long that crown was. Those muscles looked even bigger, up close, and when it walked to Rishi and Amaira to untie them first, he saw the crude animal skin scabbards on its back, hanging onto a patch of black feathers that looked like they were growing from its skin.
; There were three of them, the plane hilts of the swords they held wrapped in more animal skin. That was all he could tell about that material; he didn’t know what animal it came from as that yellowish color was something he had never seen before.
When it untied each of them, it caught their hands and lazily threw them on the ground, leaving the two to get to their feet after toppling in a heap. When it reached Amin, it gave him a smile which made him cough as the disgusting stench of rotting meat reached his nostrils, making his eyes water while he tried not to vomit.
When they were all on the ground, the rakshasa moved to the side and bent its knees to sit when a thought seemed to occur to it, making it stop. Straightening, it said, “I should get the last fish. I don’t want to go back in the water after watching a fight! If some of you die, I wouldn’t be able to control myself. Then I would regret it later when I don’t have enough meat for stew! Ach, life is so difficult. Don’t even think of running anywhere. Go get your weapons, if you wish. I’ve drawn a containment circle around this place; if you try to run, it’ll burn you to death. I didn’t want any of my brothers waling in and interrupting, but it’ll work on anyone who tries to go out, too.”
The rakshasa walked back to the pond with a cackle that sounded like it was coming from a hyena. Knowing how quickly it could come back, Amin ran to the bags he had spotted that lay nearby even though he didn’t know how exactly he could use any of the objects inside.
He frustratedly picked up the plate and the conch, but looking at either of them gave him no ideas. At a loss, he turned to see Amaira and Rishi doing the same. Seeing something in the set of his face, Rishi bent his knees and clutched at his head, moaning, “We are done for. It’s all over!”
If they were going to accomplish anything, he needed all three of them, so he shouted, “Snap out of it!”
Getting to his feet in a flash, Rishi pointed a quivering finger at Amin and screamed, “Don’t talk to me like that! I’ve heard you say you hate bullies multiple times, but you are a bully yourself! You know I get intimidated and panic easily, and you’ve exploited that so many times! You give me a look, and I remember you hitting me before and panic! You might not accept it, but you! Are! A! Bully!”
