(Book 5) Hayden Mackay and The Pride of Haima-Endira

14.2 The Pride of Haima-Endira

"Doctor was in Uttarameer to fetch the Pride," he said hurriedly, droplets of tears coursing down his cheeks, his whole body shivering as if a bullet was stuck in his gut. "I...I was invited to his meeting held between him and the High King months ago. I know everything about his plans. He wanted everything done at a time, in a single go. You, to kill Shaytan Rup. Celina Hansley to help him obtain the Pride and Pruthvi Krishna to find Rahu Kerenza. He wanted everything done simultaneously and legally."

"What is the Pride?" I asked, tilting my head, curiosity in my stomach rising to a whole new level, "The Pride of Haima-Endira, isn't it?"

Singh gave a quick pause and growled in an unusual way- a deep sound from the bottom of his neck. He lashed his tail and that made Bhupathi startle with fear before he blurted things out.

"It's the majestic bland dagger, a wish-fulfillment weapon, known as the Khatanjar. It was Doctor who thought that it would be better to rename it as the Pride of Haima-Endira, or simply the Pride which he and the High King used as a code word. So even if the word spreads around, nobody gets to discern what he was up to. But eventually, somehow you came to know about it."

"Did you blab the word around?"

"No. I did not."

I narrowed my eyes, my mind racing. If it was meant to be a top-secret mission, then how did Tyrell know about it? Could it be Celina who shared the information with him?

"Tell me more," I asked, "Why was Doctor looking for it?"

Bhupathi wiped his falling tears with the back of his palm. "It...it's the legendary Paramarashtrian weapon, intricately made of wood of Vrindahina. According to Doctor, it's the only weapon that has the power to break Almourah's magic."

My brain stuttered for a moment. "So it exists!" I exclaimed louder than I'd intended, "There is something in this country superior to Almourah."

"It's a bland magical dagger," he said and seemed to revise the use of it. "The weapon made of wood is just capable of breaking the items made of the same wood obtained from the Holy tree."

"Something like Shashi's tomb?" I asked, which I shouldn't have.

"What?"

"Nothing," I muttered, "Why do you change your words though? Didn't you just mention that it can break Almourah's magic? Why would you say it works only the things made of wood?"

Bhupathi shivered and sprayed his words out. "Nothing. Nothing can kill Almourah."

Irritation set my teeth on edge, his reverence for a psycho taking a toll on me. "Nobody was talking about killing Almourah or...wait a second."

Bhupathi bit his tongue, his eyes scanning the strong built muscles of the lion. He rocked back and forth, it seemed as though he was stuffed with extensive information regarding the uses of this legendary dagger. And that suddenly gave me a notion of altering the proposal I wanted to put forth in Panchayat. But just to make sure...

"You are lying, aren't you? Just making things up to confuse me." I slowly held his wrist and gripped it tight. My palm embered with a somber flame. It seared through his skin, giving the pain of his lifetime. "Tell me the truth! Tell me!".

He yelled with his eyes streaming. "It is the truth! But according to Doctor, Khatanjar is the only means existing in the country to put Almourah to death by breaking his magic first."

I reduced the heat intensity, his revelation sinking in. "He is after all not immortal, is he?"

"None of the three originators are. But it's just Doctor's assumption. It is a common knowledge among normal humans of Paramarashtra that there is absolutely nothing can kill off the originators."