DIVINE CHAMPIONS 3: THE RISE OF THE ELEMENTALIST

AITRI TAKES ANOTHER STAND

Aitri stormed into her house in the evening, and started packing, with her mother not knowing about it. She packed a pair of clothes, her spectacle box, and different medicines, including aspirin, ointments, plasters and gauges. She texted her PhD mentor that she would be away for a few days due to some personal problems. Aitri was not going to listen to anyone now. She was going to play her part in the war, and no one was denying her that.

As she kept her backpack aside, her mother called, "Aitri, Rick is here. And he has a weird bag with him."

In two minutes, Rick was in Aitri's room, checking her backpack for if she had packed all the necessities. "Why are you here?" Aitri asked.

"Well, when two of my best friends act like children, someone has to act like a grownup. I am going with you."

"I don't need your help."

"Now that's a little too much. You are not going out there alone, when you can't even travel in between worlds. And you haven't even fully tested your powers."

"Even Rishi went on alone."

"Rishi was in Pankhpur while completing his mission. You and I have to go in between worlds, which only I can take you to."

Aitri considered this. Rick was right. She couldn't travel in between worlds. She needed help too. It is always wise to have two rather than one while getting into uncharted territories. Yes, she had gone through a heartbreak. But she needed to keep her head straight. The world needed her. "What if," Aitri asked, "Idunn isn't free?"

"The gods are not fit enough to fight the war. They will just keep growing old. That way, they wouldn't even be able to guard the Crystal that they are guarding. Pack your warmest jacket. It is gonna be cold in the nine worlds."

Aitri opened her cupboard and pulled out her fur coat. She jammed it inside her backpack, and asked, "When do we go?"

"At first light. Which is tomorrow, by seven in the morning."

"Hold on, what?" The voice made Aitri flinch. Her parents were at door. And her Mom seemed pretty mad. "Is this why you are here?" She asked Rick, "To brainwash my daughter into going to life taking journeys with you? Where is Rishi? He wouldn't allow..."

"He isn't accountable for me anymore." Aitri said, "We broke up. He doesn't trust me. And where there is no trust, there is no love."

"Oh, and now you make decisions?" Aitri's father asked in a high voice.

"About my life?" Aitri matched his voice, "Yes. That's what you asked me to do, right?"

"Aitri," Her Mom warned, "You will not go. I forbid you."

"I will go."

"I won't let you. If we need, we will lock you up." Aitri stomped her feet on the ground, and it shook. She said, "You won't, Mom. I've had enough of all of you now, forbidding me to do it. Rishi's Mom never stopped him. Why would you?"

"Because Nina never went through what we went through." Her dad said.

"Dad, if I don't go, just so that I can be safe, the price is too high."

"You brainwashed my girl." Her Mom snapped at Rick, who still seemed confused.

"He didn't. I decided. He wasn't even here when I had decided."

"You are still too small to understand."

"For gods' sake, Mom, I am twenty one. And yeah, if I stay here, we will die anyway. To have a chance to live with you a danger free life, I have to go. You two have taught me to be helpful to others, and if I listen to you now, I'll be going against all of what you have taught me, all my life. And I don't think I can afford to do that."

There was silence in the room. Rick stood still, not daring to even flinch. He did say many times that he was scared of Aitri's parents. Her Mom seemed to calm down a bit, as she asked her father, "What do you say?"

"I say it is time to listen to our daughter, and let her do what she wants."

Finally, a gush of fresh air. Aitri ran and hugged her father tightly. Then, she held her Mom's shoulders, and said, "Have you made your daughter this weak that she can't take on a few monsters? Mom, I will be fine. But I need to make sure that you two are fine too. That is why, I need to go."

"Okay." Aitri's Mom said finally, after a sigh, "I am leaving you. But promise me, on whatever you can take a promise on, that you will return."

"Mom, I, uh..."

"I promise." Rick said, shifting Aitri's parents' attention towards himself, "I promise that I will bring her back to you, with my life."

"So, I suppose Rishi isn't going?"

"No." Aitri said, the defiance returning in his tone, "He is not."

"Is he not going, or are you not taking her?" Her father asked.

"I am not taking him." Aitri said.

"You know why he was letting you to not go, right?" Rick said, "You heard what he said when you broke up with him, right? It was all because of you. It was all you."

"Rick, if you feel so bad, you can go back."

"No." Rick said, "I made my best friend a promise, and unlike him, I still have a way to keep it."

Aitri seemed to find no answer for that. She knew exactly what Rishi was worried about, but he also didn't let her try to know how much she was capable. It was not that she didn't feel guilty about hurting him, but he hurt her too, by not trusting her with the divine powers. So, the hurting was mutual. 

That night, Aitri couldn't sleep properly. Rishi used to tell her how dreams seemed to interfere sleeps of a divine champion. In her dream, she was in a field. There, she saw herself, running around the field, all happy and glowing. She wore a blue dress, till her knees, her hair flying in the breeze, and her eyes without the specs. Then, a man came along, in front of her, as she stopped in her tracks. "What's up, doc?" The man said. It was Rishi. And just like that, those dreams reminded Aitri of all her wonderful memories with Rishi. Their first date, Rishi killing the Pankhpur jerks to save her, her birthday surprise for Rishi by learning to bake a cake from his own mother, and baking a terrible cake and feeding it to him at midnight, Rishi's treat with his first ever salary, their long drive to Agra to see the Taj Mahal in the morning, and returning by night, their little arguments, little fights, little moments of love, everything, now suddenly, had turned into a distant memory. Not that she wanted to, but no matter how much she wanted to go back now, Rishi wouldn't take her back. He is righteous, and lives by some rules. Ever since he has turned into an assassin, he has learned to quickly move on. 

But why was all this hampering her sleep? The last sleep she was supposed to get before she left for a quest that could probably kill her? Aitri was not the only one to blame in this break up. Rishi had acted like a coward. He wanted her to swim without getting into water, and despite her telling him that it was not right, he did not listen. And then, he went on and reminded her that he was leader of the champions, and his decisions were final. She was not going to be troubled by, what was her name? Njorun. Right, goddess of dreams. She was not going to be troubled by Njorun's games. She pushed her thoughts aside, and slept.