2nd Gen Pandavas

व: The Fourth Rank - Part 5

CHAPTER 21:

On the Run

SURU

"Ryan?" I panted.

"What?" said Ryan.

"How long have we been running?"

"I don't know, but it feels like it's been weeks!"

The second the Vetalas took off their shades and said they would make me their next outfit, I just ran. Normally, with how fast they were, we would've been cornered. But Ryan clearly knew who he was dealing with because out of his jacket, he pulled out a ball made of white leaves, swiped a lighter from a man smoking near the door, lit the ball on fire, and threw it at the Vetalas, making them shriek as the smell of pepper hit the air.

"Garlic, onion, and pepper bomb," he explained. "Ghosts and negative energy hate it. But it takes a whole ceremony and mantras so I don't know how long it'll hold them."

Now that we were running down the street, I looked ahead and I immediately knew what the plan was. Nearby was a Shiva mandir with a huge statue of Him high up in a little tower above the building. If we could get inside, we'd be under God's protection and the Vetalas wouldn't be able to follow us in. The only problem is they were quickly recovering from the pepper bomb and we were still a few blocks away. Basanti hissed at us, her empty eye sockets looking directly at me.

...danger...Oh gods, not again! That same pulsing from before. ...you're in danger... My lungs were already burning from how hard I was running and even worse, I could hear the Vetalas shrieking behind us. ...use my power... No, I can't! Not again! ...i can give you power... Be quiet! I held my hands over my ears to try to drown it out. But something else happened.

"Yo, Menace!" said Ryan. "Didn't you hear me? I said take these real quick!"

We stopped and he handed me about a dozen more of those pepper bombs, all of them lit with that same strong smell as the first. My eyes watered.

"How-" I asked.

"You didn't really think I'd be dumb enough to just have one of those on me, did you?" he said.

He turned into something that looked like an alligator but had a way longer snout that made it look like it was stretching it to kiss something. I remember hearing it in one of Uncle Aiden's documentaries. I think it was called Gabriel?

"Now, on my mark, throw those on to me."

"But-"

"Just do it or we're gonna be leather jackets!"

I didn't know his plan, but I did know I either wanted to get rid of this pepper, the Vetalas, or both. When I saw him nod, I threw them on to him and he did a huge somersault, launching them right at the charging spirits, leaving a huge plume of smoke and making two of them fall, choking. But Basanti was smarter than the others and sped far to the side before speeding towards us again and grabbing Ryan by his thin snout. He wriggled, trying to shrug her off, but he couldn't hit her with his tail no matter how he bent.

"That was a dirty trick, Rehan," said Basanti. "But you know, she did love how cunning you could be."

"Let him go!" It was all I could muster, despite how terrified I was.

"Oh I don't think so, Prince Suru," said Basanti. "I've been wanting his body for years now. Doesn't he know guys aren't supposed to tell girls no?" Ryan stopped thrashing and turned human again, looking tired just from her words.