(Book 4) Hayden Mackay and The Fest of Vrindahina

25. Horror in the Temple

Author's note:  Alright guys, intense gore alert. You have been warned. For those who cannot handle too many gory details, if you are eating anything right now, or just had something delicious, I sincerely request you to stop reading this chapter for now and come back later.

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"Gain the power! Gain the Respect!"

Pruthvi immediately averted his eyes away, refraining himself to read the label for the thousandth time. He hated that his guts were daring him to not to look at his predecessor one more time. And so he did look up-the handicapped bent posture, the scary single eyed face with saggy wrinkles, none of the factors was really making him feel proud.

Leena took his hand and nodded her head. They both turned around to face the entrance gate of the Temple. Deva and rest of his men were still completely caged, begging for their release. Both of them were now mentally and emotionally involved in the finding their friend inside their temple, and they completely forgot that these Shashi's minions were supposed to be taken care of before they could escape.

"Are you sure about this?" Leena asked, her voice cracking.

"Yes, of course," said Pruthvi and looked at her sideways, "Aren't you?"

"Pruthvi, we totally forgot. This is a public property. If we break in now, we and King Agasthya will have to face many problems with Panchayat."

"I know," he said, "That is why we are going back only after we find Tyrell, aka Rahu Kerenza, no matter how many days it is going to take. That is all Panchayat cares about right now."

There was a sign of desperation and bewilderment in her expression as she kept staring at the door. A light gust of wind stirred the trees making a few yellow flowers roll down to the ground He took up the opportunity and looked back at her. For a moment, just for a split second, he forgot that they were in the middle of the mission to bring his friend back. He was transported to those days when he had first asked her to be his girlfriend, the glow on her face when she had accepted. And now, he was eagerly waiting to see the glow once again when he was going to ask her to be his...

"Let's do this," she said, pulling him out of his thought. "No more interruptions."

"Right," he said and took a deep breath before they walked upfront hand in hand.

"Please, let us go!" Deva kept shouting, but Pruthvi and Leena just didn't care.

Together they pulled off 'Do not cross' barricade tape out of their way and easily walked ahead to stand in front the entrance door. The door- it was a solid stoned, carved with intricate designs, shut tight, affixed such that nothing could possibly enter in, not even the air. There was an arch over it, with a small design, a sculpture. The outline looking like that of a woman. There was a brass lock attached to the safety chain dangling at the top of the door, right below the carved woman. It looked dull and probably frosted with years of drenching in the snow.

"It's just locked," said Leena, "So we don't have to really break it, right?"

Pruthvi nodded, completely understanding what she meant.

"Plain Elevator Formation!" he commanded, having his palm pointed at the side of his legs. A small portion of the ground below his feet, protruded up, lifting him with it till he reached the knob. He noticed that a woman was carved intelligently inside a symbol, an asterisk. Still looking at it, he held the lock and twisted it slightly. As guessed the locked splintered into numerous pieces.

"Did you even use your stone to break it?" Leena asked as soon as he jumped down beside her.

"Take a wild guess," he said as he pushed the door.