"cousins unite", the changed epic #2

4, the aftermath part 2.

When Shakuni woke that dawn, he felt unbearably painful.

His entire body was paining like as if he were beaten over the washing stone over a hundred times.

His hands, limbs, head, neck, back, chest, legs, everything throbbed.

However, still he managed to sit up, head spinning.

He didn't know what he had done the previous night for him to experience such pain.

Then suddenly, he remembered about Anarthajith and the mission he had asked the man to accomplish. He had asked Anarthajith to come and inform him if the mission were fulfilled, does that mean...

Oh, the 28 hells. What has happened? Who cut his loyal swordsman and spy? Did that Vasudev spoil his plans yet again?

He walked out of the chambers, expecting a storm.

But none of what he had expected was there. The palace was peaceful, as everybody woke up for a new day, going about with their daily duties.

He walked over his son's room, where he found him sleeping peacefully.

Shakuni though, felt something was amiss.

Somewhere.

As he made his way toward Dhritarashtra's chambers for his daily pill of advice to the king, he came face to face with Subhadra.

She was transparent, and Shakuni could see through her.

Her deep blue eyes gazed upon him with a bone-chilling calmness.

It then turned that mysterious way, a way that he had seen when he had attacked Krishna.

Oh, damn. Did the princess die? Was he seeing her ghost?

"Mamashri,"

She called, her voice so silky smooth.

"What had I ever done to you, for you to attack me? Did I ever harm you? Did my family ever harm you? No. It was that we were just standing against adharma, the manipulation that you were instilling into your nephews. Want to know what will happen at the end? Oh no, why should I show you all that? I am here to warn you, Mamashri. And take this as a final warning. Dare you touch any of my family members again," she said as her demeanor changed. She was misty, though her eyes glowed a haunting red. Her hairs turned pitch black, she herself half levitating in the air like a Yakshini. Long sharp nails came out from her hands, ready to strike at the Gandhar prince if need be. "You shall see the end of your luxurious life. It's Maya who's saying this. Well,"

She said, skulls now decorating her neck as a necklace. Her till then fair body was covered in ashes as her long nails vanished, and she now held a sword and a discus in both her hands.

She then slowly glided toward him, lifting her sword and placing it a few inches away from his neck.

A loud scream left her mouth, that made the king cover his ears in pain. The scream pierced through his covered ears as it began to bleed and blood rolled down his cheeks in a slow, steady pace.

The sword reached his neck, and he lost balance, falling into a deep, dark pit.

The laughter of the Yogamaya greeted his ears as he saw snakes and scorpions advancing toward him from the pit.

"Pitaaaaa," Uluka's screams made his heart raise in fear as he tried to balance himself. He failed miserably as he went on falling, down and down and down and sands and stones began to fall over him.

He witnessed his son, his body tangling over a rope, smiling at him with a bloodied mouth.

Shakuni went all pale as his back hit something hard, a loud crack echoing through the pit.