The Wars

XIV- Isha- Da Hub!

All you need to know about the Hub: it's colours are blinding. I can't see properly since I entered that place. 

Ha- ha. Just kidding, that place is amazing. Literally. You can eat dreams-on-a-stick, and much more. "Where do we go?" I asked, gravitating toward the desire kaju katli stand. "Definitely not there," said Aranya, pulling me by my sleeves. 

"Awwww." I protested. "We'll go there." Aranya said, pointing to a shop.

It had ripped curtains, and its inside was dark and dusty. "Do we have to?" I protested.

"Yes, we do." Aranya said. "But it's so dark in here!" "I dunno. There's this energy that attracts me. Pings my prophetic radar." "Uh-huh. Is it Nilan? The power that attracts you?" I smirked to see the two of them blush. "Don't know what you're talking about," she said breezily. I saw that Nilan looked hurt. 

I rolled my eyes, and said, "I dare you to go in there alone."

She smiled and said, "Ten bucks?" "You know it."

She confidently walked in the shack, and moments later, we heard a heart- rending scream.

My heart beating at a dangerous speed, my friends and I ran into the stall, the boys looking most worried. 

Aranya was standing in the corner, and aiming her knife at.... air?

Nilan ran to her, and put a hand on her shoulder. "What is it?"

"Can't you see it?" she asked, her lips trembling. Nilan's face turned into the mask of emotions that Aranya looked like she was experiencing. 

Then suddenly, I saw clowns. I scrambled back, aiming my trident at them. You must be thinking: "You're scared of clowns?" 

The answer is, yes. After seeing IT, I never have liked clowns. 

Suddenly, they disappeared (the clowns). A lady covered in black shawls appeared. Her face was covered by a hood. She looked bony, like she hadn't eaten. "You are worthy contenders," she whispered. 

"Worthy? Of what?" Aranya asked. "To receive my protection." she whispered again.

"And who are you?" I asked, becoming bolder by the second. "A minion of Chhaya Devi. The goddess of shadows. I'm a nymph of night. And of course, we all of shadows of our past." she said, smiling creepily, as shadows engulfed her.

I snorted. IT being a shadow of my past? Yeah right. The lady lifted her hood, and her eyes looked like never ending horror. Pits, deep, and as old as Time itself. Pits with horrors untold. Her gaze itself told me stories. And dire warnings. The most important one: "Kid, don't underestimate me." 

I gulped. This lady could be dangerous. "For the Mother of the World, I give you shadow fruit. He who shall eat it, shall be engulfed with sadness, shadows and darkness of their past. Her eyes glittered as she gave the fruit to me, as if I was demanding for her favourite toy. (I probably was.)

"For Wisdom, I shall give Krushna-vahana. The dark horse." A wisp of shadows passed from the lady's hand to Aranya's. When she got it, she held it next to her locket. The pendant was in the shape of a swan, and she used it to summon her celestial mount. As if the two pieces had been waiting forever, they combined, and now the pendant formed a dark horse with wings.

"Ashwa- Pankh- Krushna. The winged horse." Shadow-lady said, smiling. "Smart." she mumbled, with some grudging appreciation.

She turned to Karnya, and said, "For the goddess of Wealth, I have the Umbra coin. Shall you throw it anywhere, darkness enfolds. Handy for getaways and escaping exams." Karnya looked appreciative of her gift, especially the exams part. 

She turned to Nilan and said, "For Death, I have the noose of terror. In your victims' dying moments they relive the worst of their lives...." Nilan looked uneasy as he collected his gift.

"For the Heralder of Rain, I have the Shady Gust." "The what now?" Sam asked. 

"It conceals sound. Whoever you blow it on won't be able to hear anything." "Thanks?"

"Aaaand, I do not have anything for the Sun, since that would make no sense."

"Rude." Sid muttered.

"Farewell, Avatars." she said solemnly, like she knew something we didn't.

We went outside and created a portal that would take us to Mrityuloka.