Beyond {UNDER EDIT}

S2-1-Enigma

"We've been waiting for this moment since centuries."

"I know."

"I haven't seen daylight for five hundred years!"

The creature sighed. He knew that it wasn't five hundred years, but four hundred and thirty six years. But arguing was futile. He dipped his head.

"I know."

Those ill-fated episodes flashed back. That colossal genocide. They had no option. The existence of their race was at stake. The ten of them back then, had taken refuge in this cave. Now they were close to ten thousand. All underground. Ready to come out and kill everyone in sight.

He smiled. It was going to be payback time.

The secret of the phenomenal survival of his race was right in his hand.

He looked at it.

An old and worn out scroll. Even he had heard rumors of the human called 'Vashwanth' who had miraculously managed to uncover the secrets of nature. Back then, he wouldn't believe it. But now he knew that the procedure, though extremely bizarre, actually worked.

Though the language was alien to him, he knew what the title read:

Reviving life from the dead.

•••

Abhay brought down his sword. As firmly as he could. Rohak side stepped and bowed. The absence of any stopping point, made Abhay's motion drive him forward. Exposed. Rohak responded to this loophole by preparing his fist to jam into his ribs; but his position was awkward and he slipped. Both of them fell on the mud ground together.

"Wonderful. Is that how you all are going to fight?"

Queried Captain Garud, with open sarcasm.

The boys were too exhausted and breathless to respond. Unsatisfied, Garud walked up to them and revealed them their errors.

Far away, from the library window, Panav was watching all this. He smiled. Although their questions were responded vaguely, he had sensed an instantaneous liking to Praveg. So had Abhay, Rohak, and Ojas. They were still kept in dark about numerous subjects, but there had to be a valid cause. The library was amazing. More than he could ever ask for. He only wished if the old librarian Ashir from Surya would be here. He would be so contented.

He looked to the courtyard beside the training ground. Ojas stood there with a bow in his hand. The archers were teaching him with tolerance. Each of them were asked to select a weapon to master; Abhay and Panav picked swords, while Rohak chose the hammer and Ojas selected the bow.

'Fitting for such a lazy jerk' Rohak had remarked.

Panav looked down.

The manuscripts and maps lay in front of him on the table like a collage of portraits. He carefully picked up an ancient map and studied it. He identified Praveg and Surya easily. His eyes ran over the mountains and lakes he had never seen before. Up in the North. There was so much to learn. So much to know about. But, in the east corner was a pattern he had overlooked before. It didn't look like anything he had ever seen. None of the maps he had seen so far, covered this extreme part. He ran his finger over the anomaly.
A stony structure? No, it was too complex. He looked closely.

He blinked. Once. Twice.

A prank? No. That would be too unprincipled for Praveg's Royal library.

Then abruptly he remembered something. A few seconds later he realized. Immediately the chain of thoughts made him remember the allusion in other scripts, books and records. His heart started racing. His mind took a moment to reconnect everything. And then in an instant, the intact development lay out open in front of his mind.

Impossible.

He could feel the adrenaline being pumped. He was aware that secrets were being kept, but this big?

His hands were shaking. Hastily, he put the other documents back in place. He grabbed the map and ran towards the door. The other boys needed to know about this.

Everything had been a lie.

•••

Ashir sat down shakily. He knew he was growing old. He could feel it. He took his wooden cup and took a raucous sip of his tea. Flawless for such a cold night.

He looked as far as his eyes could stretch.

The moonlight highlighted the time worn route to Makara. Beyond which started the dreaded territory of Praveg. He chuckled.

Ofcourse he knew it was all a lie.

And by now, the boys would've figured it out as well.

Perfect.

He felt proud. He had succeeded. It would soon be time for phase two. It wasn't long until it did. But till then he had to play along, like another miserable Suryan citizen.

Then? Then he would reveal who he really was, not to everyone, but at least to the boys. He couldn't wait for that moment.

Thrill. Excitement.

He had followed his commands flawlessly. He had contented his master. He ought to feel honored.

After all, the man giving him the orders was none other than Vashwanth the great himself.