by Yajat Sharma
Sighing heavily, he concluded, “The time has come. You are the prophesied children, and you have to go into the Dark World to find all the pieces and combine them to make the crown before the Death Lord does. You have to defeat him and rescue both the Dark World and Earth, from the evil.”
When the aged man finished, the children stared at him in disbelief.
“You are a crazy old man,” Archer said. “There is no such thing as magic.”
“That’s what you have been brought up to believe,” the old man said. “But magic exists. The Dark World exists. And you are the four children of the prophecy.”
There was a confounded silence for a while. Then James spoke up.
“How do you know this story?” he demanded. “What is your role in all this?”
“Haven’t you figured it yet? I am the Scavenger.”
The children looked shocked. “What?” asked Daniel. “You are the Scavenger? No offence... but you’re old.”
The aged man snapped his fingers. At once, his fatigued and bearded appearance turned into that of a young, masculine and agile warrior.
“Oh,” they all chorused, gawking open-mouthed.
“Listen to me carefully. I am the Scavenger, and my task is to take you, the prophesied children, to the Dark World. Now, where is the box I gave you?”
They handed him the box.
“This box contains the riddle that will take you to the first piece of the Crown. When you get your hands on the first piece, you will also get the riddle to get the second piece, and so on. We have to find all the seven pieces, put them together to reassemble the Crown of Magic, and defeat the Death Lord with its power.”
“I don’t understand one thing,” Daniel said. “If the Death Lord already rules the Dark World, then why does he want to rule Earth?”
“Every villain is ambitious. Earth will be an amazing option for expansion.”
“Why can’t he go after some other planet?” Matt asked. “Like, I don’t know… Mars or something?”
“Those planets are not inhabited,” the Scavenger pointed out. “The Death Lord wants to rule the Earth. He would turn all humans into an army of loyal zombies!”
“Wait a second!” said Archer incredulously. “He can’t possibly turn the entire population of Earth into zombies. The population is just too much!”
“Well,” the Scavenger said. “Look, this can be done but it requires enormous power. The Crown of Magic, which I call the Arcane Crown, is a powerful tool to achieve this. If the Crown falls into the Death Lord’s hands, he will use it for such a malefic purpose.”
The Scavenger could see the children still apprehensive about the whole thing.
“Think about your families! Think about your friends! The future generations to come! Their future rests on the decision you make! Will you refuse to save them?” The Scavenger paused.
There was a tense silence for a minute.
“I-I don’t know if this is true or…” James stammered.
“I will show you something.” The Scavenger pressed on a spot, and the lid of the box sprang open. He pulled out four pictures.
“What are these?” James asked.
“These are the pictures Lord Arcane gave to help me identify you four. Look at these – now, what do you think?”
The children were left stunned. Lord Arcane had made these sketches centuries ago, and yet they were so accurate.
“Now, who will help me save both yours and my homes?” There was silence.
James was the first to step forward. “I will.” Daniel was next. “Count me in.”
Matt was next. “Me too.” Archer nodded bravely and stepped forward in agreement.
A look of relief spread on the Scavenger’s face.
“So how do we get there?” Matt asked.
“Through a portal. But first things first. You will require a lot of training. Danger lurks in every nook and corner of the Dark World. You need skills to survive. Tomorrow, at two o’clock sharp, reach the old playground beside the Milk Depot of your school. Good luck!”
The Scavenger snapped his fingers again and disappeared into a cloud of dust.
“You know, I didn’t believe the Scavenger at first, but after seeing our pictures from the box, I realized that he wasn’t lying after all,” Archer said.
“But it’s still bizarre,” Daniel said. “Should we really do this? It seems risky.”
“I still have goose bumps,” Matt said. “But yes, we need to do this. I will not let some maniac turn us into zombies!” Everyone joined hands and gave each other assurance.
“I think we should disperse now,” James said. “I am exhausted and I need time to think about this newfound knowledge.”
The children returned to their homes filled with curiosity and excitement, and a trifle scared to meet the Scavenger again at the old playground.
4
THE CHILDREN WERE AT THE PLAYGROUND sharp at 2 PM. The school had abandoned the playground long ago and except for a few broken swings and slides, hardly any soul ever visited there.
“Okay, children,” the Scavenger said. “You have to practice to gain strength and acquire skills. You already have the potential in you.”
The Scavenger took a breath and continued, “You see, you have a tough training ahead. Learning the art of sword would take at least three months, and -”
“Three months!” James exclaimed. “But we have our school exams!”
“And James has to be at the top every time,” Archer pitched in.
The Scavenger frowned at James. “Saving the Universe is more important than topping your school exam!”
He continued, “Anyway, listen to me very carefully. Time works differently in the Dark World. One hour on Earth equals one month in the Dark World.”
“What? Are you crazy? With this calculation, three months of training means, 2160 hours here on Earth, which is equivalent to 2160 months in the Dark World. I mean hundred and eighty years? What the heck?” James exclaimed.
The Scavenger smiled. “Yes, my dear. By the time you learn the art of war, hundred and eighty years would have passed in the Dark World. This is enough time for the Death Lord to find all the pieces of the Crown. By using the Arcane Crown, he can control the entire Universe.”
The Scavenger took a breath. “So I propose something. We go to the Dark World tomorrow. I will train you there in the Dark World. The Death Lord would then have only three months’ time instead of hundred and eighty years.”
“That’s strange. But what about our parents?” Daniel asked. “We would not be around for three months, and -”
James interrupted. “You don’t get it, Daniel. Three months in the Dark World means only three hours here on Earth. I think a few hours of disappearance would not bother our parents.”
“Ah…” Daniel nodded, understanding.
James said, “It’s a win-win situation. Nobody would miss us in three hours, the Death Lord wouldn’t be able to form the Arcane Crown in such little time and, better yet, we would be able to return much before the school exams, giving us a lot of time to prepare!”
The Scavenger nodded. “Absolutely. So it’s decided.”
James whooped in delight.
“No need to be so happy,” the Scavenger abruptly cut him. “I need to test you. You see, Lord Arcane was a great visionary. He meticulously planned for everything. There is a maze of tunnels underground, right below your school. The tunnels finally lead you to a portal. Lord Arcane made the system as a backup. What if the Death Lord had trapped me in the Dark World? Then I wouldn’t have been able to come here to get you four. Anyone worthy of getting the seven pieces of the Arcane Crown should be intelligent enough to discover the portal through the maze of tunnels and reach the Dark World. So, boys, find the portal through the maze.”
The children groaned.
“How will we find the maze in the first place?” Archer queried.
“All that I can tell you is that the entrance to
the maze can be found by a simple mark, which could be anywhere in the school. You have three days to find the portal. Keep in mind that time is running out.”
With that, the Scavenger disappeared.
“Let’s plan,” James suggested. “We should make a step-by-step plan to search the entire school for the mark.”
“When?” Daniel asked.
“Right now, of course!” James said. “We can’t waste any time! Let us list down all the places where the mark can be.”
“All the labs,” Archer said. “Who knows, the mark could be under a microscope or a computer!”
James noted it down.
“The library,” Matt said.
“The staircases,” Daniel piped in.
“The stationery shop!”
“The cafeteria!”
“The audio-visual hall!”
“All the classrooms!”
It took James three pages to jot down all possible places.
“Now,” James continued, “what’s the best time to search?”
“The break,” Daniel said.
“Yes… but we need to feed our hungry stomachs too?” Matt said, “Besides, the break is only for fifteen minutes…”
“We have plenty of time!” Archer broke in. “Our parents still believe we are practising yoga in school, right?”
“Yes,” they chorused.
“Perfect idea!” James approved. “I think you all are becoming smarter in my presence.”
***
The children made their way to school the next morning.
They were careful to avoid everybody, staying focused on their plan of action. Doubts started crossing their minds. What if somebody caught them? What if they couldn’t find the mark?
The day passed quickly. They could hardly conceal their excitement. They were not able to concentrate on lessons in their class and waited for the bell to ring. When it did, they rushed out.
They decided to explore the science lab first and started walking towards the lab. To their dismay, they saw two teachers in conversation outside the lab. They hid behind the staircase and wondered what to do next.
“I have an idea!” James whispered suddenly. “Listen. I’ll go to the headmistress’s office and will cause some commotion there, distracting the teachers. Once they leave, you search the lab. If I see someone, I will warn you by mimicking a crow’s voice. You quickly run on getting the signal.”
James tiptoed to the office and tumbled a few chairs, creating a clatter.
The two teachers frowned and walked towards the office. The other three children entered the lab.
The children combed the lab. They searched the skeletons, the microscopes, the dead animal jars, but found nothing.
Suddenly, the crow’s cry came.
The children were startled. They froze and didn’t move a muscle, which was a big mistake.
The handle of the door twisted outside.
Daniel hid behind the cupboard. Matt chose to hide behind the encyclopaedia shelf while Archer leapt behind a table.
A teacher entered the lab and looked around. He took some keys lying on the table and walked out.
The children came out of their hiding places with a sigh of relief.
“There is nothing here,” Archer whispered. “Let’s go and search the math lab instead.”
They sneaked out and ran towards the math lab. They were surprised to find James already searching there.
“Hey, thought I would give you a head start.” James waved a keychain at his friends and disclosed, “I locked the teachers in.”
The children had a great laugh at this and then continued their search.
Sadly, they were unable to find anything in their search.
“This is time-consuming,” Daniel noted, checking his watch. “Almost an hour and a half have passed, and we have only searched two labs.”
“Let’s separate,” Archer suggested. “That way, we can search more places in the same time.”
They split into two groups: Archer and James in one group and Daniel and Matt in another. Archer and James walked over to the cafeteria, where the keeper was dozing peacefully. Daniel and Matt went to the stationery shop. No one was present there.
After an hour, they all met outside the library…
“Nothing,” James said.
“Same here,” Daniel returned.
“Let’s go to the classrooms,” James said. “Let’s split again and search them one by one.”
“Hey, James,” Matt said suddenly. “I just remembered you had locked the teachers. What about them?”
“Don’t worry,” James said. “When Archer and I were on the way to the cafeteria, I unlocked the door, and we fled from there.”
The children combed out all the classrooms but did not find any mark. They tried not to get discouraged. But in their hearts, they were losing hope.
5
Tension was evident on the children’s faces. The second day ended. There was only one day left to find the mark.
On the third day, after the school bell rang, the children waited for everyone to leave the school.
“I think everyone has left. Let’s search the classrooms,” suggested Daniel. “I am sure we will find…”
There was a knock on the window.
The children looked in the direction of the window. It was the Scavenger!
The children rushed to the window and opened it. The Scavenger slid in.
He got up and brushed himself.
“What are you doing here?” James hissed. “What if somebody catches you?”
“Don’t worry about that,” the Scavenger assured him. “I am here to help you find the mark. I am aware of your efforts and I am genuinely impressed. The whole purpose of this was to test your patience and resilience, and I am happy to observe that you didn’t give up. I know it’s impossible for you to search the entire campus and hope to find the mark in just three days’ time. Let me give you a clue. Listen carefully to this riddle:
What is the place
That calms your mind,
It subdues your anger,
And makes you shine.”
The Scavenger pulled out a piece of paper. “Also, once you solve the riddle, you will find the mark in the place mentioned in this paper. And don’t worry, there will be no more tests after this,” he chuckled.
James had already figured out the riddle. “It’s a library,” he exclaimed. “I have never heard such an easy riddle before!”
The Scavenger was pleased and said with a smile, “Wow!
That was quick!”
He handed the children the piece of paper that had alphabets written in a random order:
H-T-N-E-V-E-S-F-L-E-H-S-H-T-N-E-V-E-S-W-O-R-H-T-N-E-V-E-S-K-O-O-B-H-T-N-E-V-E-S-R-E-T-P-A-H-C-H-T-N-E-V-E-S-E-G-A-P-H-T-N-E-V-E-S-E-C-N-E-T-N-E-S-H-T-N-E-V-E-S-E-N-I-L-H-T-N-E-V-E-S-D-R- O-W
Daniel, Archer and Matt couldn’t make head or tail of the note, but once again, James’s brain surprised them all.
“I know what this is,” said James. “Seventh shelf, seventh row, the seventh book, seventh chapter, seventh page, seventh sentence, seventh line, seventh word. Just reverse the words and you will find what I found.”
Matt nodded. “Wow. It’s correct. Let’s make our way to the library!”
On reaching the library, James rushed to the seventh shelf, labelled ‘Old Books’. The books were filled with dust. It seemed no one was interested in reading them.
James counted the seventh row and moved his fingers to the seventh book. He opened it and flipped to the seventh chapter, then to the seventh page. He moved to the seventh sentence of the seventh line, then the seventh word.
Everyone waited with bated breath, but nothing happened.
“Where have we gone wrong?” Matt asked with slight despair in his voice.
“I don’t know,” James said.
James suddenly snapped his fingers.
“Of course!” he stated excitedly. “Let’s count the seventh
row from the bottom.”
Their faces glowed as James counted the seventh row from the bottom and moved to the seventh book – Mythological Places.
James instinctively knew he was doing the right thing. Quickly skimming over the pages, he turned to the seventh chapter, titled ‘Dangerous Worlds’, and moved to the seventh page and the seventh sentence.
His finger went over the seventh word – ‘Death’.
Suddenly, the Earth shook and the entire bookshelf turned, revealing a dark space. A piece of crumpled paper shot out from inside and hit James. James picked it up and looked at the Scavenger, who was grinning with pride.
“Should we go inside?”
The children were surprised to hear from him a firm – no.
“But why?” Daniel asked. “Wasn’t this what you have been training us for?”
“Tomorrow, we shall begin our travel,” the Scavenger clarified. “Spend one more day with your family, for no one knows how long you will be in the Dark World.”
The children nodded.
James moved his finger over the word – Death – again, and the bookshelf turned, concealing the dark space.
James unfolded the crumpled paper and saw written on it:
‘RLLRRLRLRLLLRRLRLRLLRLRLR’
“I don’t understand,” James said, confused.
“This is the first time I’ve seen this too,” the Scavenger said. “Well, don’t worry about it. Give it to me and go home to take some rest. You are going to need the sleep.”
***
The children woke up in the morning feeling tired and down, with dark circles under their eyes. They had no appetite either. The effort involved in finding the mark had drained them.
It all started dawning on them. They were going to the Dark World to take on the Death Lord, and no one knew for how long. A sinking feeling appeared in the children’s hearts as they thought about their parents.
While leaving their house for the school, they tried to appear cheerful before their parents and said their usual goodbyes. But deep down, the fear of not being able to see them again clutched at their throats.
They walked in silence.
The day passed really slowly. At last, the bell rang. The school was over for the day.
