Invulnerable

We break some rules

We rushed to the cafeteria for lunch where the Vishnu house was gathered around a table for their elections.  Kritika waved at me and signaled me to join her.  I spotted Kalki.  I had told Prachi to make everything look normal.

Kalki surely wanted to get rid of me because I knew what he was up to; I did not want to turn my best friend into a target too.

Everyone was waiting for the elections to begin.  Archita was supposed to make a speech.  She stood up from her chair while everyone was cramped in their own arguing for more arm space.

Anxiety crept up my spine and I was having frequent shivers down my backbone.  Great, the world ends in six days and I’m getting nervous about house elections!

“Attention everyone,” Archita was saying, “We know we usually have elections at the beginning of every year but due to the war going on everything has become hopelessly confused.  The elections have been prompted to fill in the currently dormant position of the motivator.  But if you wanted to challenge someone else from the council, you might stand up for the elections too.”

“Then what happens when next grade starts?” someone asked.

Archita’s shoulders sagged and she looked much older.  “That’s something we’ve got to worry about if we are alive till then.”

An uneasy chill spread around the table.  The elections began shortly.  My palms began to sweat though they were ice blocks and every throb of my heart was unnaturally audible to my ears.

At last I stood up to give my speech which I had rehearsed with Prachi during the rest of the class time that was left.  As she was captain for her house, she guided me pretty well as to how my speech should be.

Use body language.  I reminded myself.

“I know I’m just a twelve year old and the responsibility of managing the whole house might be too high for me; but then not every average twelve year old is a warrior.  These times are troublesome.  We’ve just been told some two hundred year old prophecy is coming to pass that might destroy the world if we don’t find a way to stop it.

    In these times you need a quick thinker and someone who can lead you well in the battlefield. I trust I can do both.  There is no one, and keep faith in me when I say that, no one in the entire Academy who has a temper as bad as mine which will unquestionably be bad news for our enemies.  Vote for me and I promise to lead you into a battle and finally to victory.  My battle records are pretty impressive after all.  In the past four days I learnt how to talk with gods, something Prinstin never taught us, I discovered how to kill monsters faster than we could have and I escaped from an endless pit without any weapon.  Oh and I forgot, I brought you your preserver.” I said that word with as much hate as I could.

“All the tasks Shiva has set up for us, I’ve seemed to destroy them.  I promise you this; my leadership will end the prediction…with a happy ending.  Mark my words.” I said and sat down.

There wasn’t any burst of applause which I had suspected.  My speech was about leading them into war; they knew I would be giving them the correct news no matter how tragic it was.  All of their faces looked concerned and serious.  When I save the world, I would give a nice long speech to Professor C about punctuality.  First she kidnaps us at the age of seven, forces us to bear the mark on our palm to keep us from leaving the Academy, then ten days before the end of the world she goes like, you know what? The world is ending and you need to save it! Good luck and all the best.

She was the reason I never had a childhood, I never knew my parents.  My dad was a separate matter; he was always on business tours so it was unlikely that I would ever know him.