The Rising Phoenix // Vani Fanfiction

#82. An Odd Feeling

Shamshaan was still alive with burning piles. The hospitals would often leave unclaimed dead bodies here after a while. None of those bodies were of use to the aghoris because they were all longer than two months dead. They were preserved. Then thrown away when no one came to claim them. The aghoris would gather the wood and burn the bodies, praying for the peace of the souls of the dead.

Veer's soul energy rune had allowed him to see the souls that were still there. Since Veer had killed Markaat. The death and soul energy rune had started to appear on his arm. Now, it had finished forming completely. He felt it activated just before Shakura was going to die. Markaat called himself the god of death for a reason. He had a certain mastery over death rune and soul energy rune. Markaat had gained that energy from killing several aghoris and absorbing their energy.

The souls saw Veer. The way he emitted life energy begun to pull them towards his. Veer saw several of them dead in road accidents and some murdered ones. They were disappearing into the soul world. Veer didn't feel scared of them. Shamshaan was not a fearing place for him. He had been here several times. Veer had always been able to sense souls around in Shamshaan, now he was able to see them.

Kakot looked around while sitting on Veer's shoulder. Veer didn't know why he had the rune of death. He found them just when Bani was killing Shakura. They had activated themselves. Veer knew that feeling of violence burning in him. The same violence he felt when he had killed Markaat. It was mind-numbing madness.

The aghori was sitting and meditating. The same aghori who had told him earlier about Bani being in trouble. Veer walked there.

"Soch hi raha tha tum aaoge." He answered not opening his eyes to look at Veer.

"Purane baba kaha chale gaye? Kahin gaye hue hai kya?" Veer asked about the aghori he knew since his childhood.

"Honge kahin. Aghori ka ek staan nahi hota. Jaate rehte hai."

Veer smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Guess he deserves a vacation too."

"Yahan aaye ho toh koi baat hogi."

"Baba, aapko koi tareeka pata hai jisse yeh mark hata sake?"

He was in his human cheel form. Black ripped jeans, the cheel boots, a black full-sleeved shirt, and a black cape coat. The cape coat had feathers on it. Feathers resembling his own feathers. The same contour plumage of feathers. His black full-sleeved shirt had golden and silver designs on them. Rings on his fingers.

Veer pulled up his sleeve and showed the runes. They were of the same color as his skin with just one shade darker. An expert would know it as runes. Most people didn't notice and would assume it was just a random patch. The soul energy rune and death rune. Veer had earlier gained the soul energy rune when he had managed to use his own soul energy successfully to activate Rudra jaal. The death rune was something Markaat always had. He had spent ages with aghoris learning how to manipulate death and soul energy. Hence, he had become really powerful. Markaat had killed several aghoris and absorbed their powers. That's how he learned to manipulate soul energy.

Before Markaat got the rune, he still seemed to be something. The moment he received it, he went out of control. Suryash started to become Markaat while in the process of getting the rune. Once he got it, he had gone berserk.

"Apni niyati ko hata nahi sakte ho, Veeranshu. Jo tumhari niyati hai, use tumhe sweekar karna hi hoga."

"Matlab aap ise hata nahi sakte?"

Veer didn't want to go crazy like Markaat. He knew how some powers make a person insane. It needed a heavy amount of control to control the death rune. Markaat lost the ability to control the death rune and the death rune started controlling Markaat. The death rune in incapable hands was like a blade getting a mind of its own and addicted to tasting blood.