A Handshake With Loneliness

The darkness was his home. He lived in a place which was always under the curtains. He was the only one there. Just walking the dark and barren lands, sometimes sitting down on a fallen tree trunk. There were times when he sobbed and the winds tried to console him, there were times when he laughed like a maniac without any specific reason and the winds tenderly stroked his hair.

He would write words coming out of his heart on dead leaves and throw the leaves away with the winds blowing them to some place he didn't know.

He had somehow found a home in the darkness. Like an unknown face in the darkness had handshaken with his loneliness.

====

Chains

Everyone were carrying a load of their imperfection which justified an imperfect universe. Some with their chained hands while some with their chained feet, they all had their imperfections distributed in different ways. But they also had distractions, letting their senses ignore the imperfections they had.

There was a constant share of imperfection in the world and it was not equally distributed. Besides people with single chains, there were also those who were entirely chained from head to toe. They were tied and made to stand at one place, attracting sympathy, as people secretly questioned their previous births. Those chains were their faithful companions, the only true friends they had.

He was one such "special" specimen carrying a hefty load of imperfections from head to toe. Among the crowded scene before him, he saw her staring at him. She herself had her feet chained, but it didn't show on her face. With a mysterious expression she started moving towards him. His hand and feet went numb for a while.

Finally, she was right before him as her eyes turned slightly misty. She came closer and embraced him. He saw his chains slowly melting away as his hands fell free, hanging parallel to his body. She still had him embraced and the chains guarding his feet melted away too. He wanted to embrace her back but he wasn't able to move his hands. Everything around him froze, he looked up, and reality stared back at him. He was still chained, with the chained passer bys ignoring him. He had just woken up from a nap, still chained to an extraordinarily imperfect life.

Still waiting to be set free.

A Disappointed Infant

He wiped the drops of sweat on his forehead. The design was finally complete and the human-like structure made of steel was standing before him. What started out as a simple project to trace mice in the dirty basement he lived in, turned out to become a full-fledged model. The digital screen blinked in the darkness, with the words “Battery full” flashing in green text. He had worked very little on the design of the model which made the figure look like a dummy from some low-budget sci-fi movie.

With a gentle push he guided the large figure to an open area. He plugged a large device to the model he had borrowed from the laboratory. There are advantages in a Janitor’s job too, that’s why he can “borrow” the equipment and the “techniques” without the knowledge of people working there. He pressed a red button and the machine came to life, letting out a loud growl, vibrating the model’s steel skeleton. The machine suddenly stopped and silence took over. He waited for something to happen and finally let out a sigh of disappointment.

He removed the plug from the model and it suddenly flipped backwards landing in front of a mirror. The figure noticed its steel body in astonishment, tilting its bald steel head from side to side. It suddenly turned towards him letting out a shrill mechanical voice, “Papa, Why am I so ugly? “

The Lost Smile

His life was an endless road. For the worldly eyes he was just a driver nothing more, but he was an aimless wanderer for himself. The road was his best friend and the faces in front of his eyes always kept changing, whether on the road or in the rear view mirror. However, there was one face that managed to linger on in his memory. He didn't find her beautiful but when their eyes met a silent conversation happened. At the end of the day, he was a driver and she was a regular passenger who boarded the cab to her work and back home.

Some days he would randomly ask her "How was the day ma'am?"

To which she would smile and say something which he would not hear as her smile said things more than she actually spoke. His question would be the same every time, a question which hid so many things he wanted to say.

Just when he started getting used to her, he stopped getting pick up calls from her. He silently waited for his manager to order him to go to that familiar road where she used to wait. But nothing happened. Every now and then he would purposely drive around the same route in a hope to spot her but he never saw her again.

The roads now seemed a little lonely. He used to picture her sitting on the backseat smiling at him, finding it hard to accept that she was long gone.

Another Chance

It was a make or break situation. He had accepted his fault and there he was, right in front of her, weeping like a child. She has always given into situations and compromised. But when the love of her life admitted about his accidental betrayal, she wanted to run away, leaving everything behind to find a refuge for her broken heart because people who promise to stand by you can also leave your heart bleeding.

The packing was done; the suit case was ready and she prepared to leave, trying to ignore his heavy sobs. He repeatedly apologized as she tried to push away those memories from her state of mind, memories which never fade with time. She opened the door, banging it right behind her and began looking for a taxi.

He was helplessly sitting inside, on the couch, crying out loud. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. He opened the door and she was there, with her suitcase, looking at him with her teary eyes.

She extended her arms and he hugged her. They both stood there in the moonlit night, crying their hearts out, in each other’s arms, like two lost lovers.

Soon, two glasses of wines were poured and one could spot a silhouette from their window, depicting two figures indulged in a passionate waltz.

= = = =

…Because love is worth every chance you give it.

Wrote this in response to this.

A Dangerous Want

She loved chocolate ice cream. After every meal a walk to the ice cream man was a must for her. So even that day she finished up her dinner, put her jacket on and headed out to get some ice cream. She had a fetish for frosted delicacies, and when she couldn’t get an ice cream. She used to console herself by a cold coffee with some extra ice cubes added to it.

She spotted the ice cream man on the empty road which was unusually dark today. She looked at his dark figure from a distance and it seemed like he was cutting something on his ice cream stand. Perhaps she was just imagining it as it was quite dark. On approaching closer to the ice cream man she noticed that he was very weirdly dressed. He sported a toque and a long black jacket. He was also wearing bulky crampons.

“One chocolate ice cream please” she managed to blurt out. The ice cream man slowly opened up the slab of his ice cream freezer. She looked down into it with a horrified expression. The deep freezer was full of pikes and human hands and feet. The naked and bitter truth was right in front of her.

The ice cream man looked at her with his eyes sparkling in the darkness. He gave her a seductive stare, as he wanted her in a very dangerous way...

= = = =

This was an on-the-spot idea in response to this.

A Parallel Home

It was ironical as to how people around him seemed like robots working on machines. There were numerous metallic cabins with people furiously tapping buttons in front of digital screens. There were people working on giant machines filling the air with shrill noises. Somehow, he didn't belong there.

He had heard from someone that beyond the river stream situated in the far east, there was a better place. So he decided to wander off, away from the smoke filled place that was now beginning to suffocate him. He began running eastwards with the noise still echoing behind him. He finally reached the river and saw people throwing in machine waste into it. Strangely, the other half of the river was clean with its water letting out a beautiful spark. There were numerous trees planted on the other side of the river stream. That's where he wanted to go. He waited for the robot-like people to finish disposing off the waste. Once they went away on their giant motor vehicles, he went to the river side to have a closer look at the stream. It was just like he had seen from the far end. One half of the river seemed like liquid grease whereas the other half sparkled.

He hurriedly swam towards the other side, and entered a whole new world. There was a mosaic of green trees, soothing his eyes. Numerous birds chirped, welcoming his arrival. Once the patch of tall trees ended, he reached the grass lands and spotted people wearing robes all around. They were scattered here and there, some were sitting and writing down something, some were playing their stringed instruments and some were just swaying and dancing to imaginary music. He felt at home now.

An old man walked towards him, "Welcome home son" he smiled.

====

Logical minds struggle to create a hell. Creative minds breathe free in a heaven.

A Silent Haunting

“Am I the only man in your life?” he asked squeezing some more mayonnaise in his burger.

“Yes you are, sweetheart” she smiled.

He innocently giggled hiding his face behind his hands.

“Come on now; finish up your burger Mr. Jameson. We have to go home and feed Larry” she said.

He still did not hurry and they sat there talking about the movie they’d just watched. The weekend had come to an end, but for them it had just begun.

Sitting on a table beside them, he watched them talk. They meant the world to him. A world blissfully complete in its existence and he was so glad about it. They got up after sometime and he followed them towards the exit. He silently followed them on the deserted road. The cold December winds muffled the sound of church bells echoing from somewhere. He heard them argue about what would be the perfect Christmas gift? The conclusion was a chocolate factory. This made him giggle, but thankfully they didn’t turn back and notice him.

The ice cream stall was parked on the street adjoining their home. Two Choco blasts were ordered. He wanted to order a blackcurrant fury, but he remained silent. After finishing their ice creams while debating some more about going to watch football on Christmas Eve, they headed back home. He followed them all the way inside the house. He sneaked in and sat on a couch, behind the book shelf.

After hearing tooth-brush strokes and their conversations, silence finally took over. He carefully sneaked inside the room watching them sleep, like a fairy with a little angel wrapped in her arms.

“Good night fellows” he whispered.

He picked up a photo kept on the bed side table, “At least I’m with you somehow” he said wiping off its surface.

= = = = =

Faith

It was like any other Monday morning. Mr. Johnson strapped up his shoes and walked towards the front door with his walking stick.

After all these years, he had painted a picture in his mind, of the world outside. The people who greeted him, the dogs who ran up to him, showering him with their enthusiastic display of love, the children who came to shake hands with him. For every time he rang the bell on his walking stick, he got a response.

Mr Johnson had everything calculated , from the walk to the park, to the particular bench where he used to sit, listening to the passersby talk about their stressful lives. Sometimes he used to indulge in a silent prayer, and sometimes he broke into a long forgotten song. He didn't mind sitting behind a permanent curtain of darkness.

The walk back home was calculated too. Mr. Johnson took the road less taken, passing by the antique shops and artist stalls, away from the busy high way. That particular day his walk back home seemed different. There were noises of motors, and people calling out to each other. For a moment, Mr. Johnson felt he had miscalculated his steps. He stood there, randomly ringing his bell, waiting for his realization to reach a conclusion. Just then, he sensed a man walk up to him, "The government folks are getting this old road repaired" he heard the voice say. "I'll be glad to guide you back from an alternate way"

“I’m Richard” the voice said as Mr. Johnson sensed a hand in front of him, inviting a handshake.

Mr. Johnson didn't give a second thought and shook hands with Richard. For he could sense the right people, and this man for some strange reason seemed kind. They made their way through the crowded path way which ran parallel to the highway. Mr. Johnson felt comfortable talking to Richard, who was a patient listener, telling him about how neglecting a son and a daughter in law can be, and how lovely his grandson Andy is.

"Andy, loves making hot chocolate. Once we reach home you're in for a treat!" he said.

They slowly crossed the highway ignoring furious honks by people in their early morning hurry, and headed towards the lane which finally made Mr. Johnson feel that he was home, as he felt the path with his walking stick.

"You've been of great help, Richard. I owe you one! “said Mr. Johanson when they reached the front door of his house. “You should come in" he added.

"Some other day, sir"

"God bless you my friend. The world isn't that generous to a blind man" said Mr. Johnson.

"Without a helping hand, we’re all blind" Richard said, rhythmically ringing his own bell.

Both men could somehow picture each other's smile.

= = = = = =

Without a helping hand, we’re all blind. Yep.

She

It seems like yesterday when I'd fallen in love with her. She was always there, right in front of me, laughing her heart out at my poor humor, smiling in response to my senseless rattling. When the nights used to get cold and dark, I helplessly watched her weep. My helplessness, triggered by my inability to reach her, physically and emotionally. An invisible barrier made me unable to embrace the pain that she felt deep inside.

After surviving her emotional storms, she shone like the early morning sun in the dawn. She made me dread the nights, nights which awakened her pain and exploited my helplessness to console her.

On one night, she was weeping her heart out and like always I tried reaching out to her with my hands stopping at a distance. I waited for her eyes to meet mine and when that happened, her teary eyes tried talking out to me. She hesitantly raised a finger at something behind me. I stepped aside to see a dark figure hiding in the mist, somewhere ahead. Suddenly I saw her running towards the dark figure. She stood in front of the dark figure and began weeping. The figure remained as still as a limestone idol.

I noticed the bubble around her reflecting light. I realized my inability to reach her. For she was a prisoner, sentenced because she loved a worthless man with all her heart.

= = = = = = =

Comments welcomed...

When The Night Came To Life

He carefully lit three candles placed on a dusty table and opened the window a little, exposing a bright moon outside. A gentle breeze welcomed his gesture. He sat on a chair and began pouring his drink, hearing the liquid patter in the empty glass.

A figure appeared from the darkness. It blew the candles, headed towards the gramophone and pushed its needle down. The moonlight fell on a face which displayed beauty as clear as a dew drop. Violins started to echo as she walked towards him, with her long locks tenderly touching her waist. It was like the night had finally come to life. She sat besides him and wrapped him in her arms. He placed his head on her bosom and watched the moon outside.

The next morning he woke up on his chair. The sun was just about to rise, letting in the first signs of light through the window. He opened his eyes and saw the bottle before him, which wasn’t empty, even by a slightest bit. The glass was empty and cold.

For some reason, tears started rolling from his eyes as he managed to smile.

#StorySeptember - Wrap up

Hello one and all !

It was fun rolling a story all through September. Although, I never expected that it would turn out to be THIS successful.

This actually turned out to be a nice creative exercise to stimulate those creative juices in my head. There were days when I was down and out , but the thought of rolling a story always motivated me to shift gears. Despite the lame story flow, the countless typos and grammatical errors, a story was formulated. I'm actually proud of this accomplishment, as even a bad form of art, is art in the end.

As of now the stats are showing 13,000+ hits. I'd like to thank all those who followed the story all through the month and even those who dropped by to read a chapter or two.

Special mentions-

@Dedhshaani

For surviving through all the chapters till the end.

Check her awesome story blog.

@69fubar

For the countless re-tweets.

You can check out his story blog which is a masterpiece in itself.

There are many many stories to be told before I hit my grave...

Till the next time, it's me signing off...

30

CHAPTER 30

For a few moments everything infront of Newark's eyes blacked out. He turned back to see Elena smiling at him as she handed him a dagger. Her smile lasted for a few seconds making way for a horrified expression. Newark looked straight ahead and saw the open jawed beast speeding towards him.

In a flash, Newark felt Jake giving him a thrust from beneath as he somersaulted over the beast flying beneath him. Newark landed back on the beast and plunged the dagger into its back. The beast went out of control like a mad bull. Newark realized that he had stabbed the beast on its head. Thick black colored blood was sputtering on Newark's face as he held on to the out-of-control beast.

After going topsy turvy in madness, the beast finally fell into the waters with an explosive splash. The chilled water pierced Newark's body; he could sense the endless depth of the waters beneath him. Right beside Newark, King Gerard was struggling to stay up as he splashed the water in panic. The mist covered surroundings wasn't giving the onlookers a clear view. Newark swam closer to King Gerard, "This one’s for the Aquadoms" whispered Newark, thrusting the blade three times into the King's heart.

The water started giving shades of red as Newark saw the king free falling into the water. After a few moments the emerald of life quickly floated up. Newark grabbed it and felt Jake rising up from the waters and lifting him up from the cold waters. Elena swam towards them, climbed up on Jake, "Victory!" she shrieked at the top of her voice.

There were invisible cheers in the mist covered surroundings. "I demand surrender, as your king has been banished to death" cried the Aquadom King with a newly discovered roar in his tone. Somewhere above, Elena's father blew the mist away with his Shader, "But I demand brother hood and peace among the people of fire and water"

After a little reluctance a neutral solution was decided. Elena's father was proclaimed as the new Ferodium king and promises of peace and mutual brotherhood were made.

The Aquadoms finally reached back home with their emerald, their king and their people. No one actually remembered how much time it had taken and how were they welcomed, they were all too drunk and too tired. All they remembered was sleeping away a nightmare they'd survived.

The next morning, Newark woke up on his bed. Sensing the familiar silence and noticing the scattered bottles on the floor, he pinched himself in disbelief, trying to shun this De Ja Vu. "Not again!" he cried.

All of a sudden, the front door slid open and Numerous Aquadoms rushed inside. Within moments the room was packed with people, all smiling at Newark. Finally the King walked in, "We've been looking for you, young man! You deserve a shield of courage for what you've done!"

Before Newark could even react to this situation, "Yaay!" he heard someone from under his blanket. To everyone's shock Elena's face sprang up.

"Owww" she cried in embarrassment, looking at the numerous faces staring at her.

= = = = =

Every story should leave you with a question. Something for your thoughts, to feed on.

The question here is:

Did Newark get laid?

...and that's the end of #StorySeptember. Tomorrow, a wrap up post.

Cheers.

29

CHAPTER 29

-

The Aquadoms started moving eastwards. Flasks were distributed among the clan. In a state of trance, they had lost track of time. The sun was now high up in the sky, they all had come a long way and there was no sign of a larger-than-life beast following them.

The Delavors finally stopped before a mist covered area.

"I think we've reached. Beyond these still waters, a waterfall will join into Parafacia" announed Elena.

The Delavors pushed into the waters like giant ducklings and floated slowly over the waters, letting out soothing cries. It was like they were all happy to be in the cold waters. Newark's father began whistling a tune with the mist and the silence giving a very heaven-like ambience to the surroundings.

All of a sudden all the Delevors started yelping out in panic. Newark spotted a dark figure, in mid air, hiding in the blanket of mist. It suddenly made a swift movement blowing away the mist around it. The thing which unraveled, took Newark back to the dream which had started this journey. It was the same beast puffing out smoke from its nostrils.

The beast flapped its humongous wings. King Gerard was sitting on it, appearing very ant- like as compared to the giant beast. Countless other Shaders were right behind the beast.

"Today! The still waters will be colored red with your blood! " said King Gerard, his voice faintly echoing in the silence.

Newark's father laughed from somewhere behind, it was clear that the laugh was trying to hide his fear.

"My boy is really hungry! And he shall have your head right now!" said the King pointing at Newark, "For you dared to take my queen away from me".

Silence took over, as time waited for something to happen, "You may do what you wish to, but she's the woman I love and always will, till the end of time" Newark shouted back.

Newark felt Elena's hand on his waist. Time started moving like sand in an hour class as the beast started gliding towards Newark.

= = = = =

Tommorow. Season finale of #StorySeptember. I hope you're reading.

28

CHAPTER 28

-

The intensity of the tremors were increasing gradually, as if something was trying to rise up from beneath the ground. In a few minutes, gold textured lava started flowing out from the fifth dagger knot hill.

“Gold!” Newark cried in awe.

Tremors were making the lava move much more rapidly. The fluid lava was making its way down the hills, like a snake. The Ferrodiums were spell bound by the sudden creation of the hindrance. Many brave men tried to walk through the lava but were burnt to ashes in seconds.

“Shouldn’t we get moving?” asked Newark lifting his head like a turtle.

“We’ve still got a king to rescue and an emerald to reclaim” replied Elena.

Separate from the crowd of Ferodiums , a bunch of people were waving out for attention. “I see our people” said Newark’s father. “We’ll need to fly beyond the lava and rescue them” he added in a tone that actually sounded believable.

All of a sudden the Aquadoms heard a screech behind them as a shader flew above their heads. It flew naturally , resisting the tremors and the sound.

“He’s tamed by nature herself “ Elena commented.

The Shader clawed it’s hold on the 5 stranded Aquadoms and flew back to the other side of the hill.

"Thanks boy! I hope that preacher was tasty!" said Newark as the shader dropped Elevarus, the king and the other aquadoms from its claws.

The shader let out its most affectionate growl expecting for a second treat.

"There!" Newark pointed at the Feordiums "A feast is waiting for you! Now off you go!". The creature quickly flew towards the army.

As the Shader was flying back, the Aquadoms spotted a large projection in the air. The projection drew nearer and exposed a gigantic Shader moving towards the aquadoms, totally unaffected by the chaos.

Elena quickly got on her feet, "To the Parafacia!" she screamed.

= = = =

27

CHAPTER 27

-

Elena leaped down towards Newark, held his hand and ran out from the front door. All the onlookers were too drunk to react to the situation.

“You good-for-nothings! Get them!”, shouted King Gerard rubbing his hand which still reminded him of Elena's slap.

The crowd blindly followed the King’s instruction and the front door was flooded with people trying to move out. The other Aquadoms and the Aquadom king also sneaked out amongst the rush. Newark and Elena were running down the straight road, hoping not to find an uninvited obstruction or a dead end. They ran as if the Satan himself was coming for their souls. Soon, arrows started flying towards them, although they were completely missing the target every single time. Newark was secretly thanking all the wine, which was now acting like a guardian angel for them.

Newark and Elena were approaching the main gate. Newark turned back and saw the mob coming towards them like a giant tsunami gaining momentum, outlining the whole view were numerous Shaders which were speeding towards them.

“We’ve got to head out through the precher’s chamber!” said Newark in shaky voice as he tried to catch up with Elena.

“I’ve got a plan!” Elena replied as she managed to give a smile even in such an uncomfortable situation.

“Some of our people are waiting for us outside, with some Delavors”

The moment Newark said this, Elena picked up speed and was actually pulling Newark with a tightened grip around his wrist. The sound of Shaders started echoing like sirens as they made their way out through the chamber. Surprisingly, the entire Aquadom clan was ready on their Delavors. “We heard you!” said Newark’s father with his signature drunk-grin.

Newark climbed up on his Delvaor “Buck up Jake! Let’s get moving!”

“To the Dagger Knot!” shouted Elena, sitting right behind Newark.

The Delavors raced towards the dagger knot hills, their feet gliding smoothly over the sand. ”I’ve oiled them, with enough wine” said Newark’s father from somewhere behind.

According to Elena’s instructions they had reached the fifth dagger knot hill which was a little higher than the others. It rose up and formed a flat peak. The giant gate of the Ferrodiums had opened up and countless people were marching out like an endless swarm of locusts. Elena took out a bag from under her hood, climbed up the little peak and emptied the contents of the bag in the flat peak which turned out to be a hole.

“Now run!” Elena shouted as the Ferrodiums got on their Delavors and ran back.

Moments later violent tremors started rocking the area. A loud groaning sound filled the air with a strong vibration. The Aquadoms laid down on the ground and watched the Ferrodiums constantly stumbling and falling down. Even the shaders in the sky were out of control and often collided with each other.

“If this is the apocalypse, I aint a sinner!” Newark let out a frightful shout.

“It’s the sleeping demon. All it needs is a bag of dust” Elena replied.

= = = = =

Sleeping demon ?! What the hell is that ?!

26

CHAPTER 26

-

“What are you doing here?” asked Elena staring at her father’s face which didn’t seem very fatherly to her.

“I’ve made a mistake, my child” he answered. “I was drawn towards the shimmer of power. The power I couldn’t have, being an Aquadom”

“You are a traitor daddy! In fact after all these years, it is today that I miss my mother the most. You justified yourself as my step father!”

“I’m sorry. I really am. I knew you would come here in the end”

A door somewhere above opened up, letting in the sound of bagpipes and drums into the dark hall way. A man came down and called out, “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine. I’ll be up there in a moment” replied Elena’s father. After the man left, Elena’s father reassured her, “We can surely undo this”

“I’d rather die than do what you say”!

“Please my child. I’ll face my penance. Let me undo this mistake” he whined.

“What’s the catch?!”

“You’ll have to marry King Gerard tonight”

****

The Aquadom army looked like an antique collection. The Ferodiums hadn’t returned back to retaliate. After a quick wardrobe change in the chamber, a plan was formulated. The Aquadoms split out in groups, the oldies joined Newark’s father outside the gate, some decided they’ll hide in the chamber, and some were supposed to wait outside the castle. Elevarus appointed four men to accompany him into the castle. Newark convinced him to be the fifth one.

After sneaking their way through the corners, the Aquadoms finally spotted the castle which stood in one deserted corner. The sound of music was louder than ever. Elevarus signaled the others to move in. Newark however had already ran inside.

Newark pushed the heavy door and saw the entire view from under his hood. The king was sitting high above, on his throne, with the Aquadom king chained beside him like a dog. People were hogging on food and drinks kept on long tables. The group of men, who had spotted the Aquadoms making an escape, were slapped and pushed whenever they went over to complain to a Ferodium soldier.

After observing the view for a minute, Newark saw wine kept on one corner. He hurriedly made his way towards it. What caught his attention was a bucket full of green wine. “A bucket full of green wine, just for me” he smiled. There was a sudden cheer in the crowd and drum rolls began ringing. Elena walked towards the king’s throne accompanied by her father. Newark’s attention was focused on the bucket of wine as he attempted to pick it up like a teddy bear.

King Gerard took out a ring, kissed it and reached out towards Elena’s hand. Elena furiously slapped the ring out of his fingers; it flew and plopped into the bucket of wine Newark was holding. Newark pulled his hood in anger, “Who the fuck dropped this ring in my drink?!” he screamed.

The music stopped playing and everyone stared at Newark in shock. Elena smiled at him, but he couldn’t smile back as a horrible realization hit him hard. And like always he had his two words to utter, “….Uh oh….”

= = = =

" Who the fuck dropped this ring in my drink ? ", Can I have my Oscar for the best dialogue? Please? Heh!

25

CHAPTER 25

-

The Aquadoms marched out of the prison premises like a misdirected army. Children marched right in front like they were the superiors. A full moon was up, and a cool breeze complimented the emptiness of the surroundings. There were two lanes extending straight ahead with a series of homes and shops on either side. The drums and bagpipes could still be heard as the mob of people headed straight ahead.

Somewhere in the middle of the path, a sloped pathway was situated on one side. It was headed to some place below, which was hidden in darkness.

“They’ve kept our Delavors here” announced Elevarus. “However, we’ll need to break into the stable” he added.

Within no time a wooden log was arranged with the help of the highly observant Aquadom kids. The most healthy and huge men were selected, Newark being one of them. Elevarus gave a count of 3 and the men ran down the slope with the huge log held in the center. After a series of thumping sounds, a bang was heard and green, long necked creatures yelped out of the darkness. The creatures were huge, defying their plant eating status. Their gills had dried up due to lack of contact with water.

Elevarus instructed the women to take their kids and head towards river Parafacia in the east on their delavors and then sail back on them back home. Newark’s father was instructed to take care of the remaining Delavors outside the territory till the men return back. A large part of the mob began to move back. As the area cleared up, Newark spotted his own Delavor standing in one corner with its head stooped down. “Jake!” Newark came running towards it. The creature answered his call with a loud snore. “Jake my boy! I got wine!” Newark cried. The creature shook back to life and opened its protruding mouth. Newark emptied half a bottle down his throat and it howled back in joy.

“Now off you go Jake! With Papa!” It obediently ran back with the other Delavors.

The children were crying, the men were waving back to their wives as they tried not to cry and tarnish their manhood. No one knew if this farewell was a temporary or a permanent one. All of a sudden they heard a group of men laughing. Newark turned back to see 6 Ferodiums walking back, “Uh oh” he said holding his breath.

“The aquadoms are fleeing!” One of them shouted as they ran back and disappeared.

“It’s show time boys!” shouted Elevarus.

Newark raised his bottle towards the sky “Cheers fellas!”

= = = = =

24

CHAPTER 24

-

The entire prison hall came to life. Newark started spotting faces from the dark prisons. The good-for-nothing farmer boy was the savior for now.

“How are you all doing today?” asked Newark as if the next moment he was going to sing a song.

“Shut the fuck up and free us from here!” a man shouted from the corner prison. Newark recognized the man; he was Elevarus, one of the commander general of the Aquadoms. Newark went up to him and brought his hand forward for a handshake.

Elevarus pulled Newark by the collar, “Listen up kid! We got no time for handshakes! The keys are behind that odd brick in the wall! Now quick!”

“Alright! Alright! Did any of you see Elena the general’s daughter?” asked Newark as he tried to fight the general's strong grip.

“Don’t you talk about traitors to me!” Elevarus pushed Newark to the opposite wall. Newark didn’t have time to think as to what the general was saying, he was countering many frowns at once.

Newark opened all 20 prison cells, and soon the passage was as crowded as a fish market on a weekend. After countless hug exchanges and not even a single word of gratitude said to Newark, Elevarus took the center stage. He cleared his throat as if he was trying to impersonate a lion’s roar, “Listen up my brother and sisters! This night shall witness the victory of our clan. A very fortunate night it is!”

Elevarus went onto talk for a couple of minutes. Newark was hardly listening; all he knew was that the foolish commander was encouraging every person there, to face the Ferodiums head on. Newark couldn’t control himself and so he interrupted the long sermon, “Let’s get this straight people! We free our Delvors from the stable. Women and children will sail back on them through the Parafacia River and men will attack the Aquadoms!”

“They’ll have our King and our emerald, over our dead bodies” Newark added. His to-the-point strategy was applauded by a loud cheer. Elevarus somehow didn’t like this. Newark secretly thanked the wine which was starting to lose its effect on his mind. A reminder suddenly made Newark shout aloud, “Where is my papa?”

Elevarus casually answered “He is right there in the corner prison! He made a narrow escape from the arena of death, drank some country wine he’s brought along with him. I suppose he’s sleeping like a baby now.”

Newark ran towards the prison; and saw his father mumbling something as he lay on one corner. “Papa!” Newark came running towards the old man and embraced him.

“Nuuuuwaaark” the old man groaned with a big grin on his face.

The silence of the emotional moment was broken by Newark’s question, “Papa, Did you finish all of the wine?!”

= = = = =

If man. Will drink. Yep.

23

CHAPTER 23

-

Elena opened her eyes to pitch black darkness. She saw a patch of light falling at the end of a long hallway, engulfed in darkness. After sometimes she realized that she was looking through many iron bars which hindered her view. She began to wonder as to where she was and how did she get there. But thoughts were slipping through her mind.

She spotted a figure walking towards her in the darkness. That’s when she began to recall some things. The strike on her head while she was heading out of the prison entrance, numerous men coming to pick her up while she was in those last moments of consciousness. However, she knew that she was missing out on some shocking detail that she couldn’t recall.

The mysterious figure squeaked open the caged gate, came closer to Elena who now realized that her hands and feet were tied. The person sprinkled some fire of dust on the candle he was holding. Elena gasped in horror as something struck her memory like a hammer. The man was her father.

Meanwhile, Newark had reached the 1000 count; the sheep had given up but Newark just didn’t want to stop. While he was placidly headed towards the 1200 mark, someone knocked on the door. Newark was a little hesitant to stop his count. The wine still controlled him, but he didn’t forget to put on his hood before opening the door.

A man stood by the door with a crooked smile, “Hey oldie! The king wants you to preach religion to those rotting prisoners! Make them people of fire too! Go right away and feel like home! We prison folks are enjoying a feast in the royal hall! ”. The man ran back straight ahead and disappeared. Newark could see the thirst of royal wine in his eyes.

Newark headed out carefully, scanning the surroundings which lay deserted in response to an offering of free food and drinks, being held in the royal hall. The sound of bagpipes and drums were echoing from somewhere. After spotting the filthiest structure around, Newark headed towards it and found it to be the prison. The drunk, wine-thirsty man was right, the place was empty. Newark eased out a little as he managed to smile under his hood.

He headed up a circular stair case and came to a long passage, with many prisons on its left side. Torches were lit on the right side, guiding the long path beside the prisons. Newark couldn’t see anything inside the dark prisons; all he could hear were whispers and snores echoing through the emptiness. Once Newark reached the middle of the passage, he suddenly pulled the hood over his head.

Moments later, he heard a kid from some prison, “Mommy! Mommy! Look! It’s the good-for-nothing farmer boy!”

“Yeah right!” Newark cried.

= = = = =

22

CHAPTER 22

-

“You call that guerilla warfare”, Elena crawled out of the bed and stood up. “Lessons from my daddy always work” she added.

“How the hell did you manage all that so damn fast?! “asked Newark .

“A black gown, explosive dust of fire and my eagle’s eye, after jumping down from the arena I dropped the black robe and camouflaged my way towards the chamber again” Elena smiled. Newark peeked out through the front door; people were headed back to their homes,

“Now what?” Newark asked , closing the door with a light push.

Soon afterwards two drinks were poured. Elena and Newark sat on either sides of a fireplace. The dried pieces of wood instantly lit up when Elena sprinkled some dust of fire on them. The evening was ticking away; but they still had a night to themselves.

“The wound is still fresh, we’ll have to strike right away”, Elena said sipping the peculiar wine which was green in color. “In about 30 minutes, I’ll head out towards the prison area. You’ll stay here and wait for my signal”, she said.

“You’ll get killed this time!” Newark cried.

“At this point of time, every soldier is headed to the grand supper at the King’s palace. There’ll just be a few half-asleep guards”

“Alright!” Newark quickly found his agreement as he helped himself for yet another wine refill. He seemed more interested in the wine.

“I venture out, observe the situation, knock at your door and then we head out. Our people will taste freedom tonight!” Elena stood up raising her drink. Newark was busy gulping down his drink as Elena kept on blurting her mind out. He banged his glass on the table and cried “DONE!” and started laughing abruptly.

Clearly, the wine was acting up on both of them. Newark started observing beautiful patterns in thin air. Elena started humming hymns of the Gods of middle age. When the time came, Elena slipped into a black robe, picked up her artillery, winked at Newark and said, “I’ll be back in a jiffy! Just be ready! ”. Newark watched her sway towards the door. She banged the door behind her which made Newark tremble with a sudden reflex action.

Newark started observing more patters, and even started creating his own ones. Every now and then he would try to find some more wine in the empty bottle placed on the table. To ease the wait, Newark started counting. He realized later on, that he had crossed 500, but Elena had never returned.

= = = = =

PS- I’m having fun now! I was so tempted to get Newark laid in this chapter. Guess a story holds its own destiny. Heh.
Cheers! =)

21

CHAPTER 21

-

Newark felt his heart larruping uncontrollably which made his body throb with heat. For a few moments, he had no control over his mind and felt like running towards his father. The soldiers led his father down the staircase, towards the arena. Newark decided that he would go for the run on the count of three. As the gates of the arena squeaked open, he started counting, “1….2….”, before the last count could be uttered, there was a loud explosion in the arena.

The smoke cleared off to expose a bull running in circles, with its back on fire. It let out hoarse moans which echoed through the arena. The people were spell-bound and confused; they were expecting this to be a surprise magic show. All of a sudden an arrow flew in and struck a Shader in mid-air. With a loud explosion the Shader burst like a water balloon, letting out drops of black blood which rained over everyone’s face. There was a sudden spark of astonishment which later turned into a wildfire of chaos. People started pushing their way towards the exit.

Newark tried to peek out of his hood to get maximum view. On looking straight ahead, he saw someone standing still among the rush. The person was wearing a black robe and had his head safely hidden under a long hood. Something told Newark that it was Elena. Soon, Newark noticed the figure raising his bow and striking three arrows simultaneously into the arena. It made a loud explosion making a bull fly out of the arena and falling into king Gerard’s compartment.

“Get that bastard!” the king shouted pointing straight ahead.

The soldiers ran towards the mysterious figure. It responded by running back and jumping from the tall arena wall right behind. Newark used the distraction to sneak out of the arena. After getting pushed by the crowd towards the exit and figuring out the directions, Newark finally reached the chamber. He hurriedly shut the door behind him, pulled the long hood above his head and checked under the bed.

“What the fuck?!” he exclaimed, looking at Elena smiling at him.

= = = = =

20

CHAPTER 20

-

Elena and Newark came back to the preacher’s chamber. They slipped into the preacher’s orange robes, poured their drinks and began strategizing the plan. All of a sudden there was a knock on the front door. Elena signaled Newark to put his hood on and quickly sneaked under the bed.

Newark opened the door with his heart banging on his chest. He could see two men in black robes from under his hood.

One of them said, "Old man! We have a circle of fire happening right now. King Gerard wants you to shell out your wisdom shit there. We must leave at once!"

Newark hesitantly shut the door behind him and headed out. The surroundings were brightly lit with numerous tall pillars holding torches burning on them. The streets were crowded with people in red robes; they were all headed in a single direction. Some people were flying on their Shaders, some were on their bulls. Newark spotted some Aquadoms carrying heavy loads. He finally reached a huge structure; it had a single wide opening with a staircase which went all the way to the top. On reaching the top, Newark realized that it was an arena.

The seats were filling up really fast. The men in black robes led Newark to a compartment in the middle of the Arena. A middle aged man was sitting on a big chair.
“Welcome saint Kiev!” he said with a tone of disinterest. “It’s been a while since people heard you talk. Today is the time!”

Newark kept staring down on the king’s wooden Getas, from under his hood. The noise from the crowd inside the arena prevented his swallows from being heard.

“Why is the hood on my old man? Why don’t you say something?” Drops of sweat started rolling down Newark’s face and before a drop could fall down, someone from the Arena made an announcement. The kind quickly turned back and Newark slowly stepped on one side, with the soldiers.

“FELLOW FERODIUMS! TODAY WE SEE AN AQUADOM DIE! IN THIS ARENA!” the voice announced triggering a loud roar in the crowd. The gates opened and two Shaders flew in, two more gates opened bringing in two bulls.

Three men entered the King’s compartment with a blindfolded man. They opened his blindfold and pushed him before the king. Newark couldn’t have a clear view of the person lying on the floor. “We have our lamb for today” the king laughed. “Take him at once!” he ordered.

As the men passed by Newark, he saw something that nearly took the life out of him. The man being taken to the arena was his father.



= = = = =


10 days more. Cheers.

19

CHAPTER 19

-

Newark picked the body up and carefully placed it above his shoulders. The preacher was murmuring something.

“The plan is to dispose his body near the dagger knot hills” said Elena.

“Alright. We’ll have to hurry, this guy is stinking”

Elena opened the chamber door, scanned the outside, and showed a thumbs up to Newark. There was a glow coming out of the interiors of the clan area, like a lot of flames were lit inside. Elena took the lead and Newark followed her. The preacher groaned as Newark ran. They reached the foot of the hills and spotted the figure of a Shader in the darkness. It made chewing sounds as it fed on a small corpse.

"Dude! It's your lucky day!" shouted Newark and threw the preacher's body towards the Shader.

Elena and Newark started walking back with the preacher's screams ringing in the background.

"I'm hungry too" said Newark rubbing his stomach.

"We've got a room to ourselves now. I saw lots to drink there" smiled Elena.

"I also wanted to tell you something" she added.

Newark stopped walking "What?" he said, failing to hide a grin.

"The preacher told me that one Aquadom was involved with the Ferodiums in their conspiracy"

Newark's jaw dropped down in horror. There was a sudden explosion in the sky, over the Ferodium clan area. A huge cloud of fire ignited with an intense light, hanging in the sky, like a giant light bulb. There was a loud roar of people inside the clan territory.

"What's happening in there?” asked Newark.

“We’ll have to find that out!” replied Elena staring hard at the cloud of fire.

= = = = =

18

CHAPTER 18

-

Newark wriggled his way towards the chamber door and pushed it hard. To his surprise the door swung open. He saw Elena staring at him nervously. The other seat of the table was vacant. Newark quickly rolled beneath the bed as he saw the preacher coming back from the kitchen. Newark saw him placing a big blue bottle and two balloon glasses on the table. He then began lighting the table candles. A sudden knock on the door interrupted his preparations.

The desperate lover inside the preacher mumbled out gibberish swears as he hurried towards the door. The person outside said something to which the preacher shouted, “To hell with the sermon! I need rest today!” He banged the door in frustration.

The preacher sat beside Elena and they started talking about Astronomy, Extra terrestrials and Out-of-body experiences, most of which sounded Hebrew to Newark. After a few refills the preacher started sounding drowsy. “Come on now! Let us feel the oneness we long to feel” He placed his hand on Elena’s shoulder.

Newark heard Elena’s nervous mumbles as his temper started to erupt. He started breathing heavily like a maddened baboon. He pushed himself with both his hands and tumbled the bed with his back. Before the priest could even turn back, Newark swung his hand, knocking off the preacher.

Elena looked the preacher’s body lying on the floor. Little drops of blood dripped from his jaw. “Is he dead?” asked Newark shaking the pain off his hand.

“He will be, I’d mixed something in his drink” smiled Elena. She came close to Newark and planted a tender kiss on his cheek “Thanks so much” she whispered. Newark trembled a little, smiling at Elena in surprise.

“Come now! We have to help somebody attain Nirvana” Elena kicked the preacher’s body as he let out a faint grunt.

= = = =

Our hero just hit a 3 pointer! < Insert whistles here >

17

CHAPTER 17

-

The enormous gate was in between a tall wooden barrier which extended on its either side. "I don't see a door gong here" said Newark. "You can be thankful about that. There may be numerous Shaders waiting for us inside. Tamed Shaders, who'll make sure you're dead before taking you to dinner"

"Our key is going to be that door" Elena pointed at a normal sized door situated parallel to the giant gate. "That leads to the preacher's chamber area. The door is exclusively for the preacher, so that he can embark on travels or meditative exiles". Elena untied the artillery bag from her back and handed it to Newark "Now I'll go in as a traveler, talk over some drinks and then we make the kill".

"Drinks?!" Newark's jaw pulled from side to side.

"You'll have to wait here till the time I signal you" Elena said. Newark hid on the side and signaled a thumbs up to Elena. He was already thinking about the drinks.

Elena knocked the door. "Who is it?" she heard a voice.

"A friend" answered Elena, trying to sound as feminine as possible. She actually didn't need to make any extra effort. Her beauty stood out anyhow. An old man opened the door. He was pale and had a dense white beard. His big blue eyes pointed at Elena, with a frozen stare. All of a sudden he shouted "I know who you are and where you've come from!"

Elena heard Newark gulp from the side. The old man remained quiet for a few moments, not blinking at all. "In my projections, I've talked to you about the mysteries of the universe, under the stars" he said. Elena took a quick sigh of relief. "Come on in! There's so much to talk and drink!" the old man let out a sluggish giggle. Elena winked at Newark and went in.

Newark felt a little jealous as he waited outside watching the desert behind the back drop of a setting sun. It was like time had stood still.

All of a sudden, the main gate opened up and numerous Shaders flew out. They were black and huge, bigger than the ones Newark had encountered. Men in red robes were riding them. Newark saw one of the Shader speeding towards him.

Newark stopped breathing, “Busted!” he blurted out.

= = = =

16

CHAPTER 16

-

“This shouldn’t be hard” said Elena looking at the dagger knot hills. The hills formed a natural barrier for the Ferodium territory. Elena elbowed Newark “You’ll have to climb all the way to the top, kid. Don’t make sudden movements in between. That will alert the Shaders”.

“I’d dreamt about a similar creature” said Newark trying to sound a little braver. Elena ignored him and continued her instructions “Our slow speed will be our camouflage against these things. One wrong move and we’re roasted in one single breath. Then we can join them for dinner”.

They began climbing the rocky terrain which became steep later on. Elena carefully placed her feet on the safer rock openings and kept climbing up. Newark followed her trail like a sniffer dog.

A piece of rock failed to take Newark’s weight and broke off. He let out a faint cry but managed to hold on. Elena looked down upon him and frowned. All of a sudden, a Shader appeared from the side of the hill. It let out a loud hiss, grabbed Newark like dead meat, and flew off. Elena heard Newark screaming for help and leaped away from the hill. She managed to clutch the Shader’s tail. The creature picked up speed and started soaring upwards as it tried shaking off Elena from its tail.

Elena took out her sword, slashed the shader’s tail and quickly caught its remaining half. The creature let out a painful hiss and started descending to the ground. It made a head on collision with a Sand dune and tumbled away like a giant toy. Elena got up, ran towards it and quickly stabbed its neck which sputtered out black colored blood on her face. The second Shader, looking at everything from a distance, flew back towards the hills. Elena looked at a giant gate in front of her. On its either sides, two Gargoyles had a flame lit in their open mouths.

Newark got up, dusted off the sand from his clothes and came running towards Elena. Elena looked at the gate “Here we are. Our people, our emerald and our glory are behind that gate” she said. Newark smiled at her.

Newark turned back and looked at the dead Shader “Thanks buddy, you saved us a climb”. It suddenly coughed out some fire from its mouth, which made Newark jump. Its lifeless body trembled for a few seconds and finally became motionless.

“Phew. That was close” Newark whispered.

= = = =

15

CHAPTER 15

-

The creatures belabored the ground as if numerous giant hearts were beating uncontrollably. Newark shook from side to side due to rapid vibrations being generated. The ostrich-like, long-necked creatures let out screeching sounds like train engines. Due to the vibrations, the hands inside the quick sand loosened their grip on Newark. His bones cracked back in motion and he came running down the slope, towards Elena.

The creatures ran past them shaking the ground violently. None of them turned to look at them. They all ran straight ahead with a concentrated attention, jumped the river in between one by one and disappeared into the distance.

"They're Denvertos, plant eating mammals" Elena fed Newark's curiosity in advance and they began making their way ahead. The landscape was changing, the greenery was reducing and they were walking in a desert-like environment. It was noon and the sun gleamed on their sweaty foreheads. They finally spotted the dagger knot hills.

"We're almost there" Newark grinned.

"Not exactly" Elena said as her tone tried to convey a source of alarm.

Newark spotted two flying creatures circling the skies above the hills. He realized he had seen a similar creature somewhere. His memory gave him a fleeting glimpse of the dream he'd woken up to.

"I know what those are" he said raising an eyebrow.

"Then, get ready"

= = = =

So I'm midway through this month of #StorySeptember.
It's quite an achievement for me. And so, let me take a bow.
And let me know, that you're reading.
Cheers.
=)

14

CHAPTER 14

Dark clouds thundered in the sky and it started raining. The stream flowing beside them became more violent, sending in more water into the water fall. "Your silence is giving me clues, but still I'll ask, what this quicksand of blood is" Newark said.

"It's a cannibalistic quick sand. It feeds on any living thing. Once engulfed, it chops bodies into little pieces by numerous jaws inside.” After a brief pause, she added "Prisoners are sometimes made unconscious by feeding them black mushrooms and thrown into these quick sands. By feeding the prisoners with black mushrooms, they temporarily stop breathing. Due to which these quick sands don't feed on them. After a few days they come out of them as Garfodus and spend rest of their lives in the wild"

Elena noticed the lump inside Newark's throat frequently going down. Elena herself was a little skeptical about the quick sands. But she had some survival techniques, given to her from her father. "Don't worry. We'll have to be a little careful Newark. Numerous hands will pull you. Make sure you don't panic, they'll slowly loosen grip and you can move on". Elena tried consoling Newark's nervousness.

"Alright" replied Newark.

"Come now, and remember to take it easy at all cost. Sooner or later the grip loosens"

They headed down the misty slope. The mist covering the ground did not expose what lied beneath. The hands were cold and gripped with a rapidly changing force. Elena managed to reach the other side. Newark got used to the flow and moved slowly, as soon as a group of hands let him go. Midway through the distance a group of dragon flies started troubling Newark. He started waving them away.

“What the fuck are you doing? Keep moving you jerk!” Elena screamed.

“Just a minute please. I got this under control” cried Newark.

Elena slapped her forehead. Somewhere from the distance, they spotted a fleet of giant creatures running towards them. Their foot steps collectively pounded, making the ground vibrate like an earthquake had arrived.

Newark was still stuck in the quick sand. He looked at the creatures charging towards him and then looked at Elena. “Momma!” he shouted.

= = = =

13

CHAPTER 13

-

Newark was on the ground. He perceived everything in bullet time. The Garfodius came running towards Elena, she bent down and swung in a complete circle, striking a Garfodius in its stomach. With the strike of the sword, Newark started perceiving everything in a normal speed.

Elena kicked a Garfodius, making it bang into the opposite wall and stabbed another one on its heart. The remaining two Garfodius made strange growling sounds; one of them was really frightened and ran outside. The other one grabbed Elena's throat and started choking her with an enormous force. The sword fell from Elena's hand. She tried fighting the creature off, but a long tapered tongue appeared out of its round mouth and tied Elena's hands. Newark had been spectator all this all this while. Everything happened so quickly that he never got a chance to react. He knew he had to do something fast. He was facing the Garfodius's back. All he had was a spear. He gathered courage, raised his trembling hand and just managed to touch the creature with the blade. This alerted the Garfodus. The moment it turned back, Elena swung her sword and beheaded it.

Newark saw its lifeless head rolling on the ground like a giant dice. That's when they heard more growls outside the cell.

"Pick up the bag. We're getting out of this shit hole" Elena growled like a lioness staring ahead.

They headed into the cave. They could see Garfodus's off springs hanging from the top. The Garfodius had turned defensive as they growled at both of them from the ceiling. After crossing the habitat boundary, Newark and Elena started running towards the cave's opening. On reaching the end, they both carefully climbed the waterfall. Elena reached first, Newark was a little slow. He finally reached the top and saw Elena looking at the view in sheer disbelief.

It was a slope which let to plane land. However, the slope was fog-covered. "What is this?" asked Newark.

"It's the quicksand of blood" whispered Elena. There was a loud roar of thunder which made Newark tremble. He uttered a short babyish cry.

= = = = =

It’s exactly 11:30 PM! I’ve somehow finished today’s chapter on time. Was busy in making a presentation. But commitments are commitments. : )

Chapter 13 it is. I guess the number justified itself by delaying today’s post.

Correct the typos yourself. I'm too lazy as of now. Cheers.

12

CHAPTER 12

-

Newark ran into the cave. The distance seemed endless as he ran into the darkness. The sound of water trickling between the crevices resonated through the emptiness. On reaching the interior of the cave, Newark saw a beam of light entering from a cracked surface above. It illuminated the cave to a certain extent. There was a foul smell in the air and huge Cocoon-like structures were hanging from the top.

Newark heard the two Garfodus entering the cave. He spotted an entrance straight ahead. He ran towards it, entering a rectangular shaped cell. The place was a little damp, and smelled less. A little light seeped in through another crack above. Two Cocoons were lying on the floor, something inside them was furiously moving. Newark heard the Garfodus roaring just outside the cell. Out of fear, he nervously took out his spear and cut one of the Cocoons in one go. He fell back as a dear sprang out of it and ran outside. This alerted the Garfodus and they growled angrily. The sounds told that they had increased in number.

Suddenly Newark spotted a finger sticking out from the other Cocoon. He quickly cut through it and saw a red-faced Elena gasping for breath. She quickly reached out for the bag that Newark was carrying, took out her sword. Four Garfodus appeared from the darkness into the cell. Their four eyes glowed like giant glow worms in the darkness.

Elena slowly got up, raised her sword and whispered “Its show time!”

= = = =

In the end, our heroine always ends up being the hero. Yep.

11

CHAPTER 11

-

Newark remained unconscious for a few moments. After a while, he opened his eyes and saw the world spinning around him.

“Ouuu…..Ouuuu….” he uttered faint cries as he got up.

He picked up the bag of artillery, wore it behind his back and began walking. He could hear cracks in his body as he headed towards the lake. On reaching the lakeshore he saw a waterfall lying straight ahead. The only way he could move ahead was to climb all the way up to the waterfall and reach the other side.

Newark took a deep breath and started moving into the cold waters. He shivered as the cold water pierced his body with a painful numbness. The splashing sound of the water increased as he approached nearer to the waterfall. He could also feel the vibrations made by water hitting the lake bed. The water slowly started touching Newark’s chest level. All of a sudden he spotted spiked creatures floating ahead and his eyes widened in suspicion. The pairs of spikes drew nearer to him and 2 Garfodius immediately sprang up from the water with a loud growl.

Newark quickly took a plunge under water and started pushing himself towards the water fall. He could feel the creatures following him as he kicked them while diving ahead. In a few moments, he was under the water fall and he started climbing up. The water slapped his head as it flowed downwards with full force. Surprisingly, the Garfodius started climbing up too. Midway through the climb Newark lost his balance and fell right through the waterfall, into a dark cave. He couldn’t see what lied ahead; the cave was pitch black and disappeared into the unknown. He could hear the Garfodius growling as they were climbing up. He was trapped; he looked straight ahead into the dark cave, took a deep breath and ran into the darkness.

= = = = =

Trying to push this roller coaster….

I apologize for the typos. I usually write after a nine hour work shift and somehow the tiredness gets passed on. BUT I make a point that the story keeps moving. A big thank you to all the readers. YOU fuel my creative fire. Cheers.

10

CHAPTER 10

-

It was getting dark; Newark hadn’t said anything for quite sometime. Perhaps, he was too scared about bumping into a Garfodus. The sound of dry leaves crunched under their food steps. It was getting a little misty, and the shadows of the trees look like herculean creatures of the prehistoric era. Elena halted in between, “I think we’re done for the night” she said bending her neck from side to side.

Newark answered her by a yawn. “Where will we sleep?” he asked.

“On a tree, Garfodus are blind when it comes to aerial hunting”

They both found a tree to spend the night and climbed up on it. The moment they reached up, they saw that the entire area had been covered by dense mist. “This is what makes hunting easy for the Garfodus” said Elena. Newark was too heavy to sleep on the tree’s branch, so he had to stuff his body into a V section of the tree with his legs hanging on both sides. Elena slept on an adjoining branch, “Good night” she smiled at Newark.

“Good night Elena” Newark smiled back. Elena closed her eyes and was fast asleep. Newark stared at her face as it gleamed under the moonlight. The winds played with her hair strands as they performed a slow moving dance. Newark kept staring at her for sometime and fell asleep.

Newark woke up the next morning, shielding his eyes against the sunlight. He looked to his left and saw the woods hindering the view of a lake. He spotted Elena washing her face near the lakeside. Out of nowhere 3 Garfodus came riding on black bulls. Before Newark could even think of making a move, they had taken Elena with them.

“I’m coming Elena” Newark shouted as he tried to move, but he was stuck there. He looked ahead at the empty view of the lake and realized that it was too late now. In the end, he looked down and let himself fall from the tree. His heavy body hanged upside down by his left leg for a couple of seconds and he fell hard on the ground.

= = =

Our hero is all alone now. It’s high time he justified his role as the story’s hero. Yep.

9

CHAPTER 9

-

The one eyed demon roared out hot air at Newark’s face. It tried reaching out to Newark with its 3 fingered hands. Out of nowhere an arrow came and struck the demon on its chest.The demon growled in pain. Newark got up and ran for his life. Elena saw him passing by her. Newark ran like his rear was on fire. After ensuring that he had reached far enough he turned back to see Elena charging towards the Demon.

Elena stepped on a tree trunk, pushed herself up and leaped over the demon. Her blade plunged the demon’s open mouth as she landed on her feet. The woods echoed with a painful growl. Newark was looking at everything from a distance, “Meh” he uttered nervously. The demon uttered a death cry as Elena pulled her blade out of its mouth.

Newark came running towards Elena, “What is this creature?” he asked.

“It is a Garfodus” replied Elena as she struggled to catch her breath.

“Here in the wild, Garfodus rule. We'll be meeting a lot of them as we head towards the Dagger Knot hills ” she added.

Newark gulped some cold air down his throat and said “I need to pee”.

====

Newark almost got laid this time. Yep.