Tantrics Of Old

by Bhattacharya, Krishnarjun

  Pestilence sat on the throne, watching him. The Horseman was shorter than Death yet taller than Adri, even though it sat. It had a thin frame, with long, bony arms and legs—over which it wore grey robes that flowed softly around it, fuelled by an unseen force. Its skin was deep yellow in colour, and was in a constant flux—things appeared on its skin immediately, to be replaced by something else the next second; things like boils, spikes, scales, and rashes that came and went with liquid rhythm, a process that seemed as natural as breathing. Its face was that of a young man—a sharp, leering yellow face with blood-red eyes and fangs that glistened as it stared at Adri silently. Above its large forehead was wild mane-like hair, growing in every direction possible at the same time, the colour a bright and vivid red. Like its brother Death, its hands and feet were enveloped by gauntlets and mail boots that shone dully in the light.

  ‘A visitor!’ It screeched in the Old Tongue. ‘Ah, pardon me, Visitors. How curious.’ Its voice was an excited one, and gave Adri the impression of someone trying to control his thrill through a voice long torn up.

  ‘Pestilence,’ Adri said, looking at him in unsettlement.

  ‘My aura is not good for you, human,’ the Horseman said. ‘You must have contracted quite the collection of diseases by now. I do love visitors, but you will die if you stay here for more than a few minutes.’

  ‘I have come to talk to you about your brother, Death,’ Adri spoke.

  Pestilence’s red eyes widened. ‘Oh, wonderful!’ it said in delight. It opened a palm and gestured towards Adri, calling something back. Adri felt something lift from him and rush away towards the Horseman. Immediately, he felt better. The itching and pain was gone, the rashes had left; he knew his hair had stopped falling, his nails had stopped growing. Pestilence closed its palm and then twirled its fingers.

  ‘There,’ it said. ‘It has been quite a while since I did that for someone. But then, I do love to hear news about my brothers! But tell me first, who told you of this place? Was it Death? But then I doubt that; he’s not very talkative.’

  ‘I was told about your location by Kali, the Tantric,’ Adri said.

  ‘Ah, Kali. Yes, I have heard about this Necromancer in the Bishakto Jongol, though I haven’t ever bothered to pay him a visit. He’s quite dull, isn’t he? All he does is worship the Dark Goddess, when there are so many truths to be found around us. How is Kali doing?’

  ‘Well, I hope,’ Adri said.

  ‘Ah, yes,’ Pestilence said. ‘When we do not see someone for a while all we can do is hope, is it not? Like I keep hoping for my brothers, and then you come up and talk about Death!’ It grinned. ‘Not the brother I’m closest to, I might confess, but it’s still remarkable to hear from him!’

  ‘No, you misunderstood. I am not a messenger from Death,’ Adri said. ‘I have come to talk about him.’

  Pestilence raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh, a discussion then? Wonderful, but you better keep your points well in your head. I warn you, I’m damn good at debate!’

  ‘I am the last soul Death has to claim in order to break its seal,’ Adri said. ‘The Apocalypse might be what will unite the four of you, but it will destroy everything my ancestors have worked to build. Naturally, I cannot allow it while it is in my capabilities; I have decided that your brother Death must be killed if possible. I want to kill him myself and forever stop the coming of Doomsday.’

  Pestilence was silent for a while. It breathed gently, looking at Adri.

  ‘My, my,’ it said finally. ‘Cutting to the chase, I see. Did you notice my moment of silence a moment ago? Did you?’

  ‘Err, yes.’

  ‘I was contemplating, human. I was considering extracting your soul right here and sending it to Death as a gift, perhaps.’

  Adri took a moment before he actually managed to ask the next question. ‘And what is your decision?’

  Pestilence scratched its head. ‘I don’t know, human. You amaze me and intrigue me. You come to where I live and declare your intention of executing my brother. What is your point?’

  ‘I don’t know how,’ Adri said. ‘Death is old and powerful. I want you to tell me his weaknesses.’

  Pestilence laughed, a high screech that hurt Adri’s ears. ‘WHAT?’ it asked in mock disbelief, and laughed again. ‘Is this for real?’

  ‘I want your help,’ Adri said, grim.

  ‘And why would I help you?’ Pestilence asked, still recovering from his laugh.

  ‘Others have asked me the same, and my reply remains the same—I don’t know. All I know is someone with wisdom told me you might, and it was the best shot I had.’ Adri looked down at the wooden floor. ‘I want to find a way, and it is tough. Time is short. The other presence you felt in me; it is taking over. Soon there will be nothing left of me. While I still have control, I want to do what I can. What I must.’

  ‘You are honest with me. Why is that? Do you think I respect honesty, or that I will help you if you are honest? Maybe a nice clean lie would have gotten you the information you needed, and maybe you would’ve gotten away safely as well.’

  ‘I’ve lied a lot in my life, Horseman,’ Adri said, looking up into Pestilence’s leering gaze. ‘I’ve lied myself out of every situation possible, and I’ve lied whenever it has been convenient for me. But I think I’m changing now, after the things I have done of late, after the things I have seen of late, after I know what it going to happen to me in the end. I’m not going to lie anymore.’

  ‘Hah! Your noble air burns me!’ Pestilence cried in mock pain. ‘We have a hero in our presence today, it seems!’

  ‘I am not a hero,’ Adri said quietly.

  Pestilence’s eyes flashed red; a sharp black coloured tongue licked its fangs as it looked at Adri.

  ‘You have a very curious web,’ it said, its tone more serious.

  ‘Huh?’ Adri exclaimed. ‘A web?’

  ‘It is The Web, rather,’ the Horseman said. ‘It is simply the structure behind; it is what connects everyone and everything. Things move in it, things are born and things are finished. It spans across existence, stretching from life to beyond death, ensnaring the fabric of time itself in its mesh. Everyone is in the web, human. You, me, Death, your comrades who wait for you outside. It is something of amazing complexity, something certain people have tried to study unsuccessfully, withering away their lives. It is something certain creatures have tried to gain power over, only to be trapped in horrific situations for all eternity. The web defines a person, human—the web will change according to who is present in it and at what time. When I see you, I see the web around you—and it tells me everything I need to know about you.’

  ‘It is the first time I’m hearing of this,’ Adri said.

  ‘Even for a Reborn, you are not that old yet,’ Pestilence smirked. ‘There will be many things you have not heard, many things you have not mastered. I can see you have hidden power, but that is not enough to defeat my older brother, human.’

  Adri hid his surprise.

  ‘Don’t be surprised, please—though I love to hear those little gasps that prove my superior intellect.’ It paused. ‘Your web tells me of things you have done and things you might end up doing. And I’m the one surprised when I see where you are about to go and what you are about to get into. You have courage, for a human. And you have repentance for your actions. I will help you.’

  ‘Why will you help me?’ Adri asked immediately.

  ‘Don’t be an idiot, human. Just accept the help,’ Pestilence said.

  ‘No,’ Adri said. ‘No, if I am to accept your help I have to know what your motives are.’

  ‘Perhaps it is wise to not trust anyone,’ Pestilence said, sighing. ‘Human, my brother Death once made a promise to me, a promise he did not keep and a promise I do not like to talk about and will not until it is kept. I do not want the Cataclysm as much as I want my brother to pay for his mistake. And you—your web is interesting. You are in dire need of help, and since I’m not the one after your s
oul, I don’t see why not.’

  ‘I will not ask any more. Thank you,’ Adri said.

  ‘Oh no, this is where you begin asking. Ask away!’ Pestilence said.

  ‘How can I kill Death?’ Adri asked.

  ‘The only thing that can help you now,’ Pestilence said, ‘is a certain kind of weapon. It is very rare, forged in Nedrashish, the forge of Dominion. A certain kind of blade of incredible magical prowess, called an ebb blade.’

  ‘An ebb blade.’ Adri repeated softly.

  ‘My eldest brother’s weapon is a scythe called Quietus,’ the Horseman spoke. ‘It has two blades, one beneath the other. The blade above is a malgarsh blade. It is a killing weapon, one that’s only purpose is to slay the foe efficiently and effortlessly. The blade below is an ebb blade. This blade is what Death uses to collect the souls it has to; the blade has the unique characteristic of extracting the soul from within when plunged, destroying the material body in the process. The soul is transferred into a soul gem at the base of the scythe, and can be removed, stored, or as in this case, used in a ritual to break a seal. Do you understand, human?’

  ‘Where can I get an ebb blade?’ Adri asked.

  ‘Unfortunately, like I said—ebb blades are extremely rare and not found lying around. Apart from Quietus, there is just one more ebb blade to be found in Old Kolkata. It is called the Araakh.’

  ‘And where can I find that?’ Adri asked, mentally gearing up for another journey.

  ‘Oh, right here,’ Pestilence said. ‘Ever since the Spider King died, I have been guarding the weapon for him, waiting for him to rise again and claim his beloved.’

  Adri stared. Pestilence grinned, fangs flashing.

  ‘Um, so are you going to give it to me?’ Adri asked.

  ‘If you ask for it—yes, I suppose.’

  ‘Uh, can I have the Araakh, then?’

  ‘You didn’t say the magic word,’ Pestilence said, wagging a finger.

  ‘Can I have the Araakh, please?’ Adri asked.

  ‘I didn’t mean please. I meant the real magic word, one that will summon the Araakh to the caller.’

  ‘But how can I know that?’

  ‘True, you can’t. You’re not a descendant of the Spider King after all.’

  ‘So are you going to tell me the word?’

  ‘If I say it out loud it’s going to be summoned by my side, not yours.’

  ‘Can’t you just hand it over to me?’ Adri asked desperately.

  ‘I don’t know. Would that work?’

  ‘Why not? It’s a sword after all, right?’

  ‘No. It’s a dagger.’

  ‘Just try summoning it then, why don’t you?’

  ‘Hmm. All right, here goes. Ilk Li Seyth Araakh!’ the Horseman cried.

  A blinding flash of light erupted in mid-air, and a dagger enclosed in a sheath appeared beside the seated Pestilence, hovering in mid-air, waiting to be taken.

  ‘Is this the place?’ Gray shouted. A roar of thunder almost drowned his voice out.

  ‘That’s what it sounded like,’ Adri shouted back over the howling wind. ‘Fits the description!’

  ‘The weather’s almost cyclonic!’ Maya screamed.

  ‘The church! We can take shelter in there!’ Gray shouted.

  ‘That might just be the church he mentioned,’ Adri shouted again. ‘What colour is the roof?’

  He could not see the colour himself, nor could anyone else for that matter—not in this gale. Dust, darkness, and dry leaves were in the air; a storm was brewing, and fast. They hurried towards the church as the rain started. It came down hard and fast, like a sudden hail of arrows, taking them by surprise. As they came closer to the church, Adri peered up at the roof. A flash of lightning. A figure on the roof. Huge wings outstretched.

  ‘This is the place!’ Adri shouted as they pelted towards the large twin doors. Aurcoe flew down in front of the doors as they ran. A massive awning above kept them from getting drenched; it was night already, and the storm seemed like it was about to get worse.

  ‘I’ve done my part well beyond the call of duty, Sen,’ Aurcoe spoke. Adri saw that his demeanour had changed slightly; evidently, he was done with the necessary steps he had to take to secure his coming back and registering as an Angel. His last responsibility remained, and he was getting it over with right now.

  ‘Yes. Tell me,’ Adri said.

  ‘I’m not the one who should do this,’ the Angel said. ‘Inside. Your answers are waiting.’

  Adri paused for a second, and then nodded. Aurcoe nodded back and then pushed open the church doors with both arms in a display of strength. They entered, Aurcoe shutting the entrance behind them. The doors groaned above the wind and the rain as they finally rested shut. No one said anything. The church was quieter now, the sounds of the storm partially muffled. Adri looked around. The church had recently been abandoned, yet not everything was gone. Some benches remained, as did the statue of the bringer of light, the saviour. A lot of objects were stacked where the aisles were, things that were packed to be taken away and hadn’t been. The path leading up to the Saviour was wide and empty; at the end of the path, on a marble slab beneath the statue, sat a man.

  Adri’s eyes were wide. He slowly started walking towards the man. The man was well-built, in his fifties, with sharp features and powerful, perceptive eyes through which he now watched Adri. His hair was beginning to grey at places, and other than that, he did not have many signs of age. He wore a dark green suit, clean and well-pressed. He stood as Adri approached.

  ‘Adri!’ he greeted.

  ‘Father,’ Adri said. ‘So it is you.’

  Victor Sen adjusted his hair, a grim smile on his face. ‘Of course it’s me, Adri,’ Victor said. ‘It’s been me all along, and I’m surprised you did not figure it out before this, until I decided to call you here.’

  ‘Aurcoe is working for you,’ Adri said.

  The others were still near the door, watching and listening in confusion, in awe.

  ‘He never worked for you, my boy,’ Victor said. ‘And yet again, I’m surprised you depended this much on the Fallen. Your old man had to do everything for you!’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Like give you the Ai’n Duisht, the confounded Pendant of the Crescent Moon! How else do you think a Fallen would get its hands on something that powerful?’

  Adri looked at his father for a moment, then ripped the pendant from his neck, letting it drop. ‘I don’t need this,’ he said, breathing heavily.

  ‘Now. Or any longer, maybe. You sure needed it all this while, and I was there to get it to you when you did.’

  ‘I did not need your help,’ Adri snarled.

  ‘What would you have done without your father, Adri?’ Victor asked, laughing. ‘What? I taught you everything you know; I had you put through the exams in MYTH when you couldn’t manage on your own. I brought you up. I taught you how to control spirits and Demons. I built you! Where would you have been without me?’

  ‘Not here, that’s for sure,’ Adri said grimly.

  ‘This isn’t too bad a place to be,’ Victor said. ‘Even though it is the end of the road, you’ve walked long and walked well.’

  ‘I might still end up surprising you, Father,’ Adri said. His hand had a cigarette, which he lit.

  ‘It’s not just the Tantric smoking to avoid spirits, is it?’ Victor said, closing his eyes briefly. ‘No, it’s a show of defiance, whenever you smoke. It comes from a deep-rooted feeling of being uncomfortable. Afraid.’

  ‘Don’t you go about analysing me!’ Adri said with force.

  ‘Afraid again, Adri?’ Victor smirked. ‘Afraid as the day you were born, afraid to come into my arms after such an important event, afraid to face your only living parent.’

  ‘You were the one who was afraid,’ Adri said. ‘Afraid to tell me about Mother. You were afraid, and there is no other explanation, Father.’

  ‘I was not afraid, Adri,’ Victor said. ‘Telling you
then would simply break the curse, and we couldn’t have had that, could we?’

  ‘What?’ Adri exclaimed, in spite of himself. ‘What curse?’

  ‘Now you may know, Adri. Now that you are twenty-three and about to die. But then again, death is but another state.’

  ‘What curse?’ Adri cried.

  Victor’s eyes narrowed and he put his hands in his pockets. ‘A blood curse, one of the oldest. A sacred and protected ritual, one that was long banned by the government and locked away in one of MYTH’s innumerable secret vaults. Guarded extremely well, actually. But when could MYTH ever stop me from doing what I wanted? All they could ever do was welcome me back with apologies of their own. Heh.’

  ‘The curse, Father,’ Adri said quietly, his eyes burning. ‘Tell me how my mother died.’

  ‘The Oka Draugr, the sealing of the breath, it would be called in the Old Tongue. But then I should tell you why, Adri, it would not be good for you to not know. You see, Adri, after you live as long as I have, and after you have done the things you have wanted to, there comes a time when a man must ask himself—what more?’

  Adri stared at his father. He was sweating, feeling unwell.

  ‘I have done it all, Adri. I have breathed life out of a dying demigod. I have hunted Demons across the star light highways of the Abyss. I have retrieved the secrets I have wanted to know from the Old City. I have changed parts of my body with old forgotten spells, incantations. I have sheltered a hundred souls in my body to know what the feeling of sharing is like, all without losing control. I have ripped the wings off Angels and given lifeblood to Fallen. I have fought a terrible battle with an Alabagus, far above the Old City and far below the heavens, a battle that lasted an entire day. I have raided tombs and crypts of the greatest Necromancers and Sorcerers of old, discovered their secrets, taken their weapons. I have earned the title of the most powerful Tantric in the world. And I have done it all for the sake of knowing.’ Victor paused, and took a deep breath.