Tryst with Destiny: The End of the Beginning

114: Five Years Later

(In the Stadium)

"Dragon Emperor!" Grace shouts.

"Where are you?" Delia shouts in a harsh tone.

The entire stadium echoes with their pain, desperation and helplessness. They call and call, but no one answers. The bystanders merely look on, not sure what to do or say.

After shouting their fill for a good ten minutes or so, the mothers break down. Unable to take it, they collapse onto their knees and sob away, inconsolably. Almost as if, everything that they hold dear to themselves, everything which gives them a purpose in life has been ripped away from within their chest, leaving behind a hole which shall never fill.

"Delia, Grace," Oak says after silently walking over to the grieving mothers.

The moment Oak puts a hand on their shoulders both mothers turn around and instantly bury their faces into Oak's chest, crying a raging torrent of tears to slake their unquenchable need for comfort. Oak instinctively puts his hands around their heads as they continue to cry away. Everyone looks at the two mothers as they bite their lips, not sure what to do.

"Shush, shush," Oak consoles them as they refuse to be consoled and cry their hearts out.

He's about to say something more when suddenly a crackling sound catches everyone's attention. Everyone looks up only to see the clouds getting dark and rumble with electricity. Before anyone to say anything a huge bolt of sparkling azure lightning lands a little away from the grieving mothers. Everyone is forced to cover their eyes from the blinding nature of the lightning bolt. A few moments later, the bolt subsides and the Dragon Emperor is seen standing with his Dragon Staff in his right hand.

The moment he opens his eyes Grace and Delia push Oak away who falls on his back. They run and come to a desperate stop in front of the Dragon Emperor. Dragon Emperor gives them an expecting look following which Grace and Delia sink to their knees.

They pleadingly bring their hands together and say, "P-P-P-P...Please bring our children back. Please return them to us."

The Dragon Emperor doesn't reply. Instead, he merely looks back at them with nerve-wracking silence and his characteristic cold facial expression.

"Why are you not saying anything? Please say something," Grace shouts in a louder tone.

"Your children are gone," Dragon Emperor finally speaks up.

"No. You're lying. Please say you're lying," Delia says in a shaky voice, causing Dragon Emperor to take a deep sigh.

"I am not lying. I warned you what will happen if you didn't let them go with me. You placed your bet and now that everything's gone wrong you're coming to me for help. I offered you my help and you refused me. That boat has sailed long back Delia," Dragon Emperor says.

"No. I don't believe it. You're lying," Grace says as she repeatedly shakes her head sideways in disbelief.

"If they are dead then you should bring them back to life," Delia says.

"Have you lost your mind? You know that would be breaking the laws of nature. I can't interfere in the balance of life and death. He who dies goes into the ground. The dead never come back. Even if I had the power to do so then also my answer will be no. There are some laws by which even I am bound. And I can't break those laws," Dragon Emperor answers.