Sharakkah, the warrior and Roki (part 2) - Aberration

I am seated on Roki, and we are gliding above the dense clouds, flying across green  pastures that have a  creek which resembles a giant serpent. The view is beautiful from up here. We are on top of the world, above all the commotions of human existence. The wind is blowing in my face. This feels like bliss! This is Elysium! Even the gods would feel jealous of me!

Suddenly I heard a sound! Something has just hit Roki and he is squealing in pain. I feel shocked. "What is it Roki?" I exclaim anxiously. He growls and  shrieks at me. I am trying to take a look at what hit him. The weather is not serene anymore. The sky has suddenly turned red, a fiery shade of red. I can feel that the temperature is getting hotter and hotter. Roki no longer has control over his wings. He is wobbling and unsteady. He is beginning to pass out. Up and down and side to side, we are wavering as Roki struggles to remain air borne. I begin to wonder if this is the end? I suddenly hear a loud hysterical laugh from the sky! Who is it I wonder. My little brother has lost control of his wings; he has stopped flapping them and is no longer even growling. He has passed out. And we are now plummeting. Down. Down. Down. Faster we fall. Faster than any arrow that is shot from a crossbow. I know that I am going to die. I feel a sudden and irrelevant feeling of calmness amidst this turmoil. I feel euphoric. It feels strange. I can hear people talking. I can feel the softness of my bed beneath me. Is this a dream I wonder.

It is raining and I can hear the rumbling sound of thunder. I am at the entrance of a cave. I hear screaming sounds coming from inside the cave. I am running towards the noise. Valkyries are burning! Their giant bodies have been set on fire, their wings chopped, with their hands and legs tied. One of them screams at me "Be ware! Sharakkah! Be Ready" Is this a dream I wonder yet again. If it is then why can’t I get up?

I can hear papa talking. So it must be a dream. I want to wake up but I am not able to. This is agonizing! Depressing! I am trying hard to wake up but it is so difficult. I feel trapped.

Phew! I woke up. I can feel that my breathing is heavy.  What should I be wary of? Was it just a dream? It felt so real. I am confused.

                                                    ******

The Duo had just returned victoriously from yet another battle. It was that time of the year when the soldiers rested in order to recuperate from their wounds. This was to be followed by a big feast to be arranged by King Czar, in celebration of his army's victory. It used to feel like a time of vacation for Sharakkah but this year he hadn’t been very lucky, he had sustained some injuries here and there although nothing was really fatal enough to cause concern.

It was on a bright and sunny afternoon. Taiki was perusing through Sharakkah's weaponry diligently in order to find out the ones which were holding good and separate them from the ones that needed to be replaced and the ones that needed to be sent to the black smith for mending. Taiki noticed that his shield needed to be replaced though his armour  and helmet which had horns like structures were holding good.

The Katar, basically a small three-bladed push dagger, one of Taiki's favourites, was in perfect condition as it was fairly new. He observed the beauty of the weapon and   praised the black smith in his mind for his craftsmanship. The sword  needed to be sharpened, he observed. He muttered under his breathe, ‘I've told this boy a hundred times to wash the sword  thoroughly after a battle, the blood stains have become dry and are stuck , the smell is malodorous.’ He always felt that weapons were a soldier's best companions in times of war. He would trust a sword more than his fellow soldier. And so he believed that it was the duty of a good soldier to keep his weapons in perfect condition at all times.

After he had finished washing the sword he observed that it was time to make a new "Bagh Nakh",an iron claw like weapon that Sharakkah  sometimes preferred wearing on his left hand. The Bagh Nakh always came in handy while on the battle field. It could be used to make superficial cuts on the enemy. This weapon also served as a complement to any weapon. His crossbow and arrows were fine. Lastly, he found that the battle axe needed some work on its grip as it was softening. All the while Xosha was busy cooking the brunch for the family.

Sharakkah was basking in the afternoon sun, lying there covered in a loin cloth. The oil which he had applied on his body to serve as a lotion helped to emphasize his huge muscles, making them shine. His two trapezius muscles protruded like miniature hills on either sides of his neck. He had big, bulky shoulders which looked like smooth balls and which fit snugly under his trapezius muscles. His huge arms and wide chest could scare his enemies from a distance. His small waist made his upper body resemble the letter "V". He had brown curly hair, and small eyes, that sometimes disappeared when he laughed, a somewhat blunt nose , and a perfect smile . He stood at a height of almost 7 feet with a dusky complexion. There were many scars all over his body which he carried as souvenirs from the battlefields. These  scars testified his mettle.

While his family members were engrossed in their respective activities there was a loud thud! Roki fell on the ground and lay unconscious. A few moments ago he was there in his paddock relaxing and the next he lay on the ground like a log, lifeless. Panic shook their bodies like an earthquake. "Roki! Roki!" Sharakkah shouted as he shook his torso trying to wake him. Taiki tried to feed the monster some water but the creature woudn’t move. "I better send for the witch doctor - Wayde "said Xosha in a tensed voice. Sharakkah was appalled. He had never seen Roki like this in all the time that they had spent together growing up and fighting in battlefields. That was when he was reminded of his awful nightmare.

“It looks like a very bad omen" said Taiki in a sad voice after listening to Sharakkah's narration of  his dream. "Valkyries are haughty, righteous angels who fly above battle fields. They decide who to send to Elysium, which is the Heaven and who to send to Narak, Hell. They also ensure that the rules of war are followed, breaking the rules was a sin" Taiki added. They both remained silent for a while, lost for words. Sharakkah looked at Roki's face which showed no improvement while they awaited the arrival of Wayde.

Far away in the graves of Cleabia, there was a strange vibration from within the ground. The wind rustled forcefully. In a matter of few moments, the vibration intensified. A half decayed hand protruded from the ground! Clearly a buried corpse was trying to awake from his long slumber.   This was followed by 7 more hands which protruded out in a similar fashion from nearby burials mounts.  And from that moment forward things never remained the same for everyone. 

 
- End of part 2/3


Bagh Nakh