Chapter 34 Retribution and Liberation
Aarav's body had gone slack like a puppet with its strings cut. His eyes were wide open but his vision was fading. From inside him. From his chest. From his mouth. A golden gleaming mist was pouring out. It was not just his age. It was his life essence the very foundation of his Devanshik (a divinely blessed one who wields divine power) power being drawn through an invisible tube straight into the Chhayagrasini's (a witch like entity who drains age and life force) open mouth. Her eyes were closed lost in some strange ecstasy. Her lips stretched into a twisted smile. Aarav was convulsing. A silent scream was trapped in his throat as if someone was tearing his soul out while he was still alive.
Then a black shadow lashed through the air.
It was not an object. It was a blur of motion that crossed from one end of the cave to the other in a fraction of a heartbeat. It was not Kiyan. It was Karishma.
Her eyes were no longer golden. They held dark pupils now filled with a deep red glow. The eyes of a Chhayagrasini. But the merciless emptiness that once lived there was gone. What blazed inside them now was a burning resolve. She moved through the air like black lightning and wrapped herself directly around the Chhayagrasini's throat. Her arms now thin and tipped with sharp nails tightened around the Chhayagrasini's neck like iron chains.
Arrrgghh. The Chhayagrasini's eyes flew wide. The flow of golden energy pouring out of Aarav snapped off instantly. Aarav hung in the air for a moment then slipped from the Chhayagrasini's claws and began to fall.
Thud.
Kiyan who had been watching helplessly until now moved at blinding speed. He caught Aarav in his arms and both of them tumbled to a safe distance. Aarav's breathing was fast and rasping but he was alive. His eyes locked onto Kiyan's. A silent exchange of gratitude and pain.
Across the cave the Chhayagrasini was rolling on the ground. She scrambled up her gaze whipping around. And then her eyes landed on Karishma who was standing right in front of her.
The Chhayagrasini's face twisted with rage. She rose slowly. Her black robes billowed around her in the still air. You. You attacked me. Her voice was thick with disbelief and deep offense. Destroy them all.
But Karishma did not obey. There was a pain on her face that looked centuries old. No. I am going to destroy you. You used me. You turned me into a Chhayagrasini. Why.
And without any further warning Karishma shot forward. Her speed was even faster than Kiyan's. More controlled. She seized the Chhayagrasini's throat and began squeezing with all her strength. Her nails sank into the Chhayagrasini's flesh and a black sticky fluid began oozing out.
But nothing happened.
The Chhayagrasini's throat which should have been human was as hard as stone. All of Karishma's strength was useless against it. Confusion and worry spread across Karishma's face. Why. Why is she not dying.
The Chhayagrasini laughed. Cold. Mocking. You are a Chhayagrasini barely a few days old and you think you can kill a Chhayagrasini who is three hundred years old. She grabbed Karishma's wrist and twisted it hard then hurled her ten feet across the cave. Karishma crashed to the ground.
Karishma. Nayan screamed. He ran to her and started pulling her up. Tears were in his eyes. Are you okay.
The Chhayagrasini started stalking toward Karishma again. There was a new target burning in her gaze now. But then another flash of speed. Kiyan appeared between her and Karishma.
Enough Kiyan said. His voice was exhausted but firm. This has gone on long enough. Just leave this place quietly. I do not want to kill you.
The Chhayagrasini shoved him. A shove that would have shattered the bones of any ordinary human. But Kiyan only stumbled back two steps and then stood in front of her again.
I am saying this for the last time Kiyan said. A painful humility filled his eyes. Go. And let us live in peace.
The Chhayagrasini laughed. In peace. And what about me. Should I just die. No. Today I will sacrifice you. My child. She used her braid to snatch up the Golden Dagger that lay nearby. She stepped close to Kiyan and brought the blade to his throat. One last kiss my darling.
But then the Chhayagrasini froze.
Her body shuddered in a violent spasm. The dagger slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground. She clutched at her own throat. A strange gurgling scream tore out of her. Aaahhh. What is this.
She collapsed. She started screaming uncontrollably thrashing on the ground. Across her skin where Aarav's golden energy had entered her silver veins were now spreading like ice crystals. Kiyan Nayan and Karishma stared in stunned silence.
The Chhayagrasini began beating her hands against the floor as if some invisible fire was consuming her. Devanshik. I will not let you live.
Then a voice echoed through the cave. Aarav's voice. He had steadied himself now. He was standing with Kiyan's support. A faint exhausted smile rested on his face.
What happened Aarav asked softly. You wanted my powers and my age did you not. So I gave them to you. My powers. My age. Now why do you want to kill me. All you wanted was the power of a Devanshik right.
The Chhayagrasini looked at him through her agony. Deception. You deceived me.
Aarav laughed and walked slowly toward her. Deception. You are the one who deceived all of us. He stretched out his hand toward her.
And then a miracle happened.
From the Chhayagrasini's body. From her chest. That same silver energy began flowing outward. But it was no longer golden. It was pure gleaming silver. The energy rippled through the air and flowed back into Aarav's body. His eyes blazed with silver light for a moment then returned to normal. But now there was a new freshness and strength inside them.
The Chhayagrasini stopped screaming. She was being consumed by the Devanshik power. Her body was growing lighter turning into smoke.
Tell me Aarav said. His voice was hard now. Why did you turn Karishma into a Chhayagrasini. Tell me.
The Chhayagrasini shook her head in refusal but Aarav extended his hand. A silver beam like a searing laser touched her shoulder. The Chhayagrasini screamed.
I will tell you. I will tell you. She groaned. I turned Karishma into a Chhayagrasini so I could use her to achieve immortality. And so I could kill her and take her powers.
But you were going to do that by killing Kiyan were you not Aarav asked.
Yes. But there is something in Karishma's blood. Something that could help me.
What.
The Chhayagrasini dragged in a deep painful breath. Karishma is a descendant of Virbhadra. The daughter of a descendant of Neelbhadra Virbhadra's brother. The blood of a Tamomayi (dark practitioner) runs in her. She could have helped me bring the Tamomayi back to life. But there was a condition. Virbhadra could only be freed from this cave wall when a Chhayagrasini of his own bloodline offered her blood to the stone and spoke the words I set you free. That is why I turned her into a Chhayagrasini.
Aarav froze. Virbhadra. The Tamomayi Virbhadra.
Yes the Chhayagrasini said. Her voice was a rasping whisper now. The very Tamomayi who created me. His soul is imprisoned inside the walls of this cave.
Aarav looked at Kiyan. Kiyan's face had gone pale. He understood everything now.
Kiyan stepped closer to the Chhayagrasini. Go he said. A strange calm had settled into his voice. Leave this place now. I am setting you free. And never come back into our lives again. Go. Get out of here.
The Chhayagrasini rose but her power had already failed her. She grabbed Kiyan by the throat and dragged him toward the Agni Kund (sacred fire pit). Free. Yes. I will be free through your blood alone.
Kiyan. Aarav shouted.
And then Aarav unleashed his final Devanshik attack. He thrust both palms forward. A massive wave of silver energy surged out spinning through the air and taking the shape of a rotating discus. The Aadisrashta Chakra (divine discus of the creator). It slammed directly into the Chhayagrasini's chest.
The Chhayagrasini went flying backward with a shriek.
Silence swallowed the cave for a moment. Then Karishma stood up. The red Chhayagrasini glow was gone from her eyes now. Only despair and fury remained. She looked at the Chhayagrasini then at Aarav. This has to end.
Kiyan stepped forward. No Karishma. This is my fight.
This is all of our fight Aarav said and he placed himself between both of them.
The three of them. A Chhayagrasini a Chhayodhbhav (a nightborn entity who drains age) and a Devanshik. They looked at one another. And then together they launched their assault on the Chhayagrasini.
Karishma shot forward at blinding speed. Her nails became black blades. Kiyan fired a blast of energy from his golden eyes that seared through the air as it traveled. And Aarav. Aarav joined his hands together.
On his wrist the mark of the Aadisrashta Chakra blazed with a sharp golden light. That light spread to his palms and then shot outward like a beam into the air. The beam spun and expanded transforming into a massive rotating Aadisrashta Chakra. It was not made of metal. It was pure energy and every edge of it gleamed with the brightness of the cosmos.
The Chhayagrasini saw it and for the first time real terror appeared in her eyes. She poured all her remaining power into a dense black shield.
The Aadisrashta Chakra surged forward.
Crrrrrraaaaaaack.
A sound echoed as if a thousand swords had clashed at once. Golden and black energy collided. The cave shook. Stones began to rain down.
Karishma and Kiyan's attacks shattered against the Chhayagrasini's shield. But the Aadisrashta Chakra did not stop. It kept moving forward slowly relentlessly slicing through the Chhayagrasini's black shield like a hot knife through butter.
The Chhayagrasini's scream turned into a monstrous wail. Her shield shattered.
And then the Aadisrashta Chakra blazed brighter. From its outer edge a smaller even sharper beam of light shot out. Like a lethal devastating blade.
That blade tore through the air and passed straight through the Chhayagrasini's throat.
Her scream stopped instantly.
Her eyes went wide. The light inside them began to fade. She touched her throat but no blood came out. Only particles of black and golden light. Her body began to grow lighter. Translucent.
She kept looking at Aarav. There was no rage left in her eyes now. Only a deep infinite exhaustion. Then like a soft gust of wind her body dissolved into a scattering of silver and black smoke. The particles floated in the air for a moment and then slowly they vanished.
Silence filled the cave. Only the fast breathing of the three of them remained and in the distance the hiss of steam rising from the extinguished Agni Kund fire.
The Chhayagrasini was finished.
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