23. Annihilation
After the prediction from the book of prophecy, mysterious deadly silence prevailed in all the edges of the brain and Akshara’s mind lingers and leads to arousal of her inner thoughts, “Am I not worthy of my intellectual power, do I still need to revise it? If I happen to use my brain in this situation, it suggests I run away from them to the place where humans live. I am unexplored to new lands. I was prohibited from exploring things. But where the hell did the humans live? How do I find them?”
The dark smoky eyes of Nicoria spotted Akshara who was immersed in a state of confusion. Soon the facial expressions of Nicoria changed to an evil frown which was previously enthralled in the ecstasy of her prophecy.
The shots of fear pierced the heart of Akshara to receive such an evil look from her godmother who was astounded to receive the prophecy of Akshara. Nicoria commanded Igikran to grab the book of prophecy; Igikran lengthens his winged hands to grab that one-eyed book.
The book then faced Igikran; the pupil of the eye on the book dilated to reflect the image of him and flipped its pages to show his prophecy. The unalarmed attempt by the book of prophecy mesmerized Igikran, the dark page made of coal opened to show his prophecy in blood etching words,
“Cherish mighty soul,
Make worthy foe allied.
Of royal power excels,
Treasured the monarch dwells.
Loyal, Wisdom, Trust
As the rarest gift is known.”
Nicoria shouted at Igikran not to listen to those words and commanded him to seize the book for her, “Your fate is upon my will, get that book, Igikran”.
Igikran caught that book in his hand, but the eye on the book spitted some hot molten iron-like liquid on him to burn his hand to flee from his claws and started wandering in the air to escape from him.
The molten iron liquid was hot enough to mark the scar in his hand and it made the uncontrollable bewail left out by Igikran in his nasal tone.
The anger fumed Igikran came to his raven form much in the size of an ostrich, the raven neither looked like Eggy nor like Igikran, but it looked like an armoured raven ready for the battle. The head and beak were armoured in such a way to prepare Igikran for the combat with the one-eyed book.
The one-eyed book of prophecy started orbiting in a circular motion to confuse the motive of Igikran. The annoyance act of the prophecy book caused Igikran’s anger to run deeply in his veins and chase after the book in a flaming manner.
The eye of the prophecy book emitted a pressurized air out of its dilated pupil; it helped the book to move further. Akshara thought to herself,
“How crazy the vision is! The book with an eye changed to rocket and it was chased by a raven with an iron helmet. What a weird book! Why everything is happening to me. Is it because I never believed in fantasy? I think I have muted my intelligence since the night of Bluemoon. I wish to wake up in my bed realizing everything I have gone through must be a dream.”
Alabruz and his family split to the nearby corners to make way for the race of Igikran and prophecy book. Alabruz caresses Akshara in his hands to shield her. Alabruz reminisced the glimpse of holding little girl of three years old cute Akshara in his hands.
A teardrop involuntarily escaped from his eyes and it dropped at the cheeks of Akshara. The brows of Akshara came together and her hands attempted to touch her moisturized cheeks and looked at Alabruz with question-filled eyes, “Uncle Bruz, why…?”
“Darling… I cannot answer… all your questions. But I can protect you.” He kissed her forehead to mark his fatherly concern.
Akshara was puzzled to hear those words from him, she thought inwardly,
“Everyone wants to protect me but no one is ready to reveal. My dearly Uncle Bruz is a chief werewolf, he wants to protect me. Even though he is a werewolf in nature I can sense his fatherly love for me. He is more attached to me than his son.
If he wanted to protect me, he would have kept me safe in a place where humans live. I have tons of questions in me, unless someone voluntarily answers, I cannot figure out what the hell is happening around me.”
In meanwhile, Azile ran to her parents who were brutally attacked by Nicoria. Azile dragged her parents to the corner of the living area and tried to awaken them from their unconscious state.
Akshara looked at Azile and her care for her parents,
“Azile! Who I believed to be the twin of my soul is now a werewolf. Though beast by nature, she too has a love for her parents. She is a lucky person to live with her biological parents. Unlike me who lives with my uncle, aunt, godmother whom I believed to be my relatives earlier.
There are so many times I felt jealous of Azile for being with her parents since her birth. But they never treated me like an orphan or adopted one. The love of Deniza and Nuraz on me is nevertheless of their biological daughter.
But…How did I end up as an orphan? Where are my parents? Why did they give up on me? What causes them to hand me over to witches and werewolves as my guardians?”
*****
The one-eyed book of prophecy glided to the kitchen and ran in all directions thus followed by Igikran. The dishes, plates, cups, mugs, glasses and whatever the kitchen items kept on the shelves were broken into pieces in the pursuit of the book of prophecy and Igikran.
After turning the kitchen into chaos, the prophecy book then escaped from the kitchen and went to the top of the palace and thus forming many identical books. The books started looping around Igikran who was perplexed to find the right one.
Though Igikran was confused, he did not want to accept his failure and with his sharp eyes, he found the exact book which possessed a red iris. The claws and beak of Igikran opened widely to catch the correct book. The book escaped from him but was caught by Nicoria.
When Nicoria forced it to open, the pupil of the eye on the book shrink doesn’t want to cooperate with the request of Nicoria. She shouted like a maniac to explain the meaning of the prophecy of Akshara.
The eye in the book of prophecy turned its iris colour even darker and a voice from the backbone of the book repeated the words, “Queen of Darkness…Queen of Darkness”
Nicoria with anger hooded eyes stared at the book, “Lost Will Be found…A Fragile Soul…Rise in Power”
Nicoria shouted angrily, “I know about mine. I command you to reveal the prophecy of that human”.
The book of prophecy repeated, “A fragile soul … Rise in power…A fragile soul…Rise in power” by the end of the word, the pyre begins to grow in the same place which was lit before.
Nicoria yelled at the book, “What does it mean? Is she going to be my rival?” pointing Akshara and asked the book to be more clear in its words.
The book of prophecy again shouted with an echo, “Ignorance Fails Your Quest”.
The book then vanished into thin air and its dust went out the pyre. Igikran was in a flight to capture the book from vanishing, he hid against the wall and fall reflexively.
Nicoria with angry grinned teeth moved towards Alabruz to push him to hit against the walls from his defence against Akshara and wedged the neck of Akshara with her foul nailed hands and lifted her from the ground. Alabruz got to his position and faced many failed attempted to get back his darling Akshara.
Nicoria shouted wrathfully at Akshara, “Are you my rival? Are you going to conquest me? What power do you possess to defeat me? What if I kill you today so you would not have a chance to win over me tomorrow?”
Akshara was choking to death and replied what hit her mind by hearing those words, “Nic, I possess something more powerful which you don’t have?”
Nicoria crushed Akshara’s throat while Alabruz shouted at Nicoria, “My Queen, I did everything according to your wish upon my request of sparing the life of Akshara. I was very careful about not letting this day would occur even in my dreams. Spare her life. She suffered a lot.”
Nicoria’s evil possessed eyes left out a burst of maniacal laughter and turned towards Alabruz and opened her mouth to reply, “Yes, Bruz. She suffered a lot. That’s why I want to give her salvation from these earthly sufferings to join her ancestors in heaven.”
Karen who was on his knees raised to his foot and pleaded, “No…My Queen, leave her. Instead, take mine. Maybe…you missed the core meaning of the words from that book? How a human will kill a powerful queen like you…?”
Plead from Karen gradually raised the wrath of Nicoria who wants to get rid of her rival, having Akshara on one hand; she twisted her fingers of another hand to chant dark curses.
Akshara could sense that the lady before her eyes is no longer her godmother what she was believed to be till that day, nothing but an evil wicked witch. So could not expect any mercy from her.
Akshara through the deadly pain in her neck could sense what the next intention of Nicoria was, Akshara shouted in a choking voice, “Karen… Run. She is a witch. Don’t expect mercy. Run for your life.”
Karen replied to Akshara who could hardly see his image in the corner of her eyes, “I won’t leave you. I will save you. I have promised you.”
Karen without a second thought transformed into the werewolf and forward to attack Nicoria. Suddenly a hand grabbed the neck of a giant grey werewolf and crushed the neck under the fingers of Nicoria.
Nicoria grabbed Akshara in one hand and Karen as a werewolf in her other hand left a peal of evil laughter which could tremble the earth’s seismic plates to scramble. Yadivah, the Luna pleaded to Nicoria to spare the life of her son, Karen.
Upon various efforts, Nicoria left the hold of Karen. Karen falls to the ground with great noise and transformed into his mortal form and soon he was helped by his mother. Karen further opened his mouth to talk back to Nicoria, Yadivah protested her son from foul tongue any further conversation to provoke the wrath of the queen. She could figure out what Nicoria had previously warned about the history repetition and the love of beauty and the beast.
Yadivah was lost in her thoughts upon hearing her son’s words of sacrificing himself for an unworthy human, “I will not let that happen. I won’t allow my son to experience any kind of dreadfulness alike his father. Humans are well-intentioned in flirting with anyone whom they come across. This human girl is too much talent in trapping my son to fall for her just like her mother. I won’t encourage their love.”
Yadivah quick with her words, “Pardon my son. He had gone insane and trapped by this filthy human.”
Nicoria ignored everyone and turned her face to Akshara again, Akshara was scared to look at the evil-stained scary face of her godmother to close her eyes tightly. Nicoria questioned her, “Why are you closing your eyes, Axe? Open it…Open it... This is original me. Open your eyes and look at me. Dare to disobey me…huh? If I had known the prophecy of yours earlier, I would not be allowed to you see the sun for these living days.”
Nicoria looked at Karen and asked Akshara, “Huh, Do you think your werewolf boyfriend will help you to defeat me? Impossible.”
Akshara replied Nicoria with struggle as her throat was being crushed in the hands of Nicoria, “Nic, you are hurting me.”
Nicoria replied Akshara with a malicious laugh, “Your harms, pains, sufferings will soon vanish once I kill you. Tell me, my dear, how do you prefer your death? Do you want painful death or painless death? I will let you die in peace.”
Akshara burst into tears by hearing those words from the mouth of her godmother, “Nic, don’t you know what I will prefer. You know me better than myself. You nurtured me. You filled my childhood. You have all the right to kill me. There is no one in this world to go against your wish of killing me. Since I lost my parents, my only family is, YOU.”
Nicoria replied with a smirk, “Stop your jabbers. Do you think I am a fool to convince that easily by you? Your tricks won’t help you this time.”
Akshara replied with pain in her neck, “Indeed…You are a fool. Only a fool can believe the fantasy words from the one-eyed stupid book. You asked me for what I possess which you don’t have, it is I have a brain which you don’t have.”
Nicoria spelt something to make big dark clouds engulf Akshara to death and thus uttered the words which must not be heard by Akshara, “What do you expect from me, Axe…LOVE? Hahaha… How lunatic! Are you expecting me to shower you with the hell of motherly affection…From a Witch like me? I am the Queen of Black magic. Finally, I got to live myself without hiding. Alabruz’s words spared your life until now. But it won’t help further... You are no longer wanted. Rest in peace!”
The dark cloud slowly initiated to swallow Akshara and her painful cry pierced the hearts of Alabruz and Karen. When the dark cloud grew in size, the screams of Akshara begin inaudible to hear. Soon her cry and scream faded and life petals of Akshara withered slowly.
Alabruz cried to his sour throat upon witnessing the death of his Darling. He even wanted to kill himself for not fulfilling the promise which he made previously to her mother.
Karen was broken into pieces to witness the death of his love before his eyes. His heart started to ache like it was shattered into pieces, he wanted to follow his love in the path of death and in the agony of love he unconsciously called his love’s name, “Axe…!” tears rolled down his cheeks to drench his soul in pain.