The person was still calling his name. The voice was thin and more desperate than the last time but he heard it crystal clear. His lips trembled.
I have to see His Highness' face. I want to see his face. His anxious and eager gaze directed toward the His Highness he mentioned. Tears pooled in his eyes to the brim.
Many times the human body and mind give up easily after witnessing the things he had witnessed and after trying countless times but it's hope and human heart that makes someone still keep going. And he still had some pieces of hope in his heart which again gave him the strength to move forward.
He put his right hand in front of him then the left hand to pull himself up on the path to His Highness. He was a cultivator, a demonic cultivator to be honest. He had been through a lot worse than this to stay on his diabolic cultivation. The situation had broken him to the point of thinking about dying; however, he didn't want to die. Not before seeing the person he wanted to see. Nevertheless, he was a cultivator with or without power. And of course, the mind of a cultivator was not easy to break.
He had let down His Highness every single time but not this time. He thought. If he wants to meet me then I will do anything to come to you, Your Highness.
In a rusty and brittle voice, he said, "I am… coming… coming, You…r Highness." He could taste the iron-like flavor of blood in his mouth.
With stubborn eyes, he started to creep ahead. On the way to His Highness he was sluggishly creeping, with grave struggle and endless efforts, he was slithering towards the person who was calling his name. Pushing his body forward with his body's limit.
Some of the soldiers dumped a few bodies somewhere else to walk. That's why the road to His Highness was not that much of a mess or difficult for him to slither yet the road had some sharp rocks, human fleshes, weapons and blood, and lots of blood on the ground. He grimaced. Many lines formed on his forehead. His face was showing his unbearable pain but he endured it like he was perfectly fine.
"Ouch!" He accidentally put his left hand on a pointed rock which he didn't even notice. Not caring about the new wound on his hand he just nonstop moved. "Your...Your Highness, where are you, I-I am coming, do not worry... everything will be fine. So please-please h...hold ugh..on a bit," he murmured these lines, the red blood which was stopped, again started to leave his mouth. I will…I will make everything correct. Everything will be alright. He thought while focusing on the coming voice.
"Your Highness!" He shouted with all the power he had when he saw a familiar figure, "I am coming...coming. You just wait." His legs pushed his body while the blood on him was leaving the trail of him behind.
His speed became faster than before, seeing that man which was just a little far away from him. If he could he would have flown towards that person but he could never do something like that so he joyously kept creeping.
Tears of happiness glistened in his eyes. He had a huge smile on his face.
The light of the setting sun made his eyes shine like stars while dipping his body with warm colors. Even his deep brown eyes were smiling seeing that that person was just some distance away, "Your Highness, see I am here... ugh... I am coming," he screamed again.
In the war ground, the only thing which was looking beautiful was His Highness. His Highness' eyes were almost closed. His alluring face was facing the sky.
The person was lying down on uneven and messy ground. A light frown came on his face. He thought the voice of Advik was a hallucination. However, he couldn't keep himself from searching for him. He was already on his deathbed. Without an ounce of power of his he couldn't do much except desperately call the name again, in a breathy voice he said, "Ad... Ad... Advi...k?" All the spiritual and cultivated energy of his was already sucked out of him. Even his core felt cold and hollow to him. His Highness' half-opened eyes were gazing at him, he tried to reach out his lifeless hand for Advik.
The evening sky looked dazzling, it had a cold yet gentle breeze. The warmth of the sun was still there, however, not the sun anymore. The yellow, orange, pink, red, and purple colors were covering the sky as if they were painted by a talented painter.
The light of different colors in the sky was making His Highness' whole body covered by enormous colors. He had some teardrops on his cheeks, some blood was coming out of his mouth, the long jet black hair of His Highness was spread beneath the slender back. The man's face structure was so beautiful that it looked like it was a meticulously crafted sculpture.
Everything about him was eye-pleasing to look at until you noticed the hairs of his which were dyed with blood, no, the person head to toe was soaked in blood and dirt, except some part of the clothes the whole body was red. Filth was mixed with that vermilion fluid, the pretty face was also covered with mud.
The blood was slowly scrolling down from the cuts and wounds from His Highness' stomach which was pierced by a pure silver sword, it was like glass - clear and colorless. It seemed like it was made from freshwater or crystal clear glass. The brown hilt of it was glittering like it was carved from diamonds. The sword had a strong spiritual air and a heart-wrenching aura around it. Still, it seemed as though the sword was crying because it did not want to kill this person who was dying below it.
"Y-you...your Highness!" Advik said so rapturously, "Look look I am… I am here!"
His Highness sluggishly opened his heavier than mountain eyes hearing those words, the eyes started sparkling, having Advik so close.
The vivid image of Advik was in the eyes of His Highness, with a disbelieving tone he replied, "A-Ad... Advik." Advik was there beside His Highness, lying on the right side, facing His Highness with great euphoria in his brown eyes. His left profile was touching the ground.
As to assure himself His Highness' left hand caressed his right cheek, in a thin voice he said, "Y-you, indeed, are here." Tears were on the edge of his eyes.
The hand which was touching Advik's cheek was stained with blood, still, the warmth of this hand which was gradually fading with every passing second was warming him. Calming him.
His Highness slightly curved to see Advik. The latter put his hand on the hand which was warming his cheek, "Ha!" He finally felt peace of mind. He grinned while looking into the eyes of the person in front of him.
Both were silently diving into the eyes of each other, the blurry reflection of them was the result of those tears in their eyes, yet it was pleasing; the image in their eyes, the droplets, and the light reflecting in their eyes. Everything. Maybe both knew that this was the end for them, which was why, even in that awful situation they didn't mind anything around them; not their filthy clothes, not the sea of blood, not their wounds, and not the strong smell of dead bodies rotting everywhere in the destroyed place.
Their hearts were serene, so was their mind in the company of each other. And that was all that mattered.
"I am dying, Your Highness!" A gentle smile showed on his lips.
His Highness snorted and scoffed, "Me as well."
"I apologize for before, Your...Highness," Advik whispered with sincerity in his low voice. Guilt for the past deeds of his building up inside him.
"Back there, it wasn't your fault." His Highness sighed, "I was at fault too, so, it's even now."
Looking at the face across him he couldn't help but open his lips to say something which he had said many times before. "Your Highness, just tell me already that you're in...in love with...me, aren't you?" He jest, knowing somewhere in his heart that now the words mean a lot to him and nothing to the other person. His heart twinged sharply.
His Highness smiled gently like flowers. His heart itched to say "yes" to this question of which answer he knew all this time. But he didn't say what he eagerly wanted to say. With a lump in his throat and dried tone, he said, "Please. D-don't joke at a time...like this."
"Argh... But why did you not tell me the truth?" Advik asked, looking into those deep and tearful eyes.
"I...I... Cough... Apologize!" His Highness removed the teardrop from Advik's cheek, "A-Advik... Can I request something... Cough!?" A mouthful of blood spilled out of His Highness's mouth, he was clearly in agony but trying to not show it on the surface.
Advik wanted to say something else but he didn't when he saw the blood dripping down His Highness' lips. He nodded and said, "Yes, whatever you want...Shwet." He smiled lightly when he said the name.
His Highness Shwet's eyes broadened hearing his own name. His visage gleamed softly. "C-can you sing that song of yours which your parents taught you, I-I know I am... being... Cough... stupid for asking you to sing in this situation but please..., if-if you could..." Shwet requested.
Advik's lips curved upward a bit when he heard the request. "Why not!" He took a small breath and started to sing. At the beginning of his singing, his voice wasn't pleasing at all to the ears, it was cracking often and those wounds didn't let him breathe properly to sing well. He was coughing so many times while singing the song, it was as if someone who is tone-deaf was trying to sing.
Even so, the fading smile on Shwet's messy face was priceless, with closed eyes His Highness was listening to him attentively. Somehow, it was a strangely relaxing melody that was helping him tolerate the unbearable pain.
After a while, Advik got a hold of his singing, thus, that made his voice better than before. The cold wind was getting stronger than a few minutes ago, the deep blue sky, deeper than the ocean itself was all over their heads, having many stars above them which were making the whole night sky divine.
Though the sun was gone long ago, still the milky-white moon was there glittering like a pearl in the sea. It could have been a perfect moment only if those dead bodies weren't decomposing there while the smell of it was mixing with the breeze.
The pin-drop silence was everywhere. Everything looked dead. Everything was motionless like someone had put some magic spell out there or the time might be just too slow to notice anything. Shwet was a cultivator, a high-ranked one thus his ears were more sensitive than many people. He heard something, his eyebrows knitted together. Cautiously he asked, "A-Ad... Vik... did you--" the tension was all over his face.
"Y-yes...I heard the sound...of something coming in...in our direction." Advik gazed with a worrisome look. His eyes darkened. He mumbled, "We...we should pretend to be dead or it may be more dangerous... for both of us."
The sound of wheels coming towards them grew up louder, it was indeed coming at a rapid speed. The sound of the vehicle, the footsteps of horses was the only thing echoing in that dead place, the noise was piercing. Advik thought that whoever is coming this late would be just here for the last check on the ground and they'll leave soon if they didn't get noticed by them.
However, the sound did not stop even after some minutes, it was as if the vehicle was coming straight for them, the thought of it made Advik's heart sink to the bottom. His chest felt heavy to him. He saw a Rath heading towards them from the right side, a big but not that fancy type of Rath which some royals or nobles would never choose to ride, it looked like the Rath of a soldier who wasn't that of high rank.
"YOUR HIGHNESS!!!"
Advik screamed his lungs out, yet he was late. The speed of those black horses was tremendous, even when they were not of high breed horses they still got some extraordinary legs. Advik didn't even get the time to think before the Rath walked over them, crashing their every single bone by those heavy wheels and those powerful legs of horses, it crashed them like ants. First His Highness Shwet then Advik was crushed ruthlessly by it.
A few seconds later, Advik opened his damaged eyes again, the only thing he saw was those grave wounds on the person in front of him. The injuries were graver than before, deeper than before, the blood was flowing out of the body like it was raining. The sword was bent deeper into the person, it ripped off the arteries and internal organs of His Highness Shwet, those organs were showing out of the body. It was unspeakable! it was a mess! It was just as if it would have been better if the person simply dies rather than suffering like that. Maybe that should be a more peaceful and painless death than this tragedy.
Advik's situation wasn't any better, he was heavily bleeding and injured as well. His whole body was in agony, way more shattered - dislocated than before. Just some inches away from them the Rath stopped after crossing over them. A man in turquoise clothes, smooth white skin, long brown hair, wearing an evil smile - may be pleased with what he just did, hopped out from the rath. One saber and one sword crossed on his back, having cunningness around him, with a disgusting look filled in his eyes.
"Phu...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....." He twisted his face into mockery, "OH GOD! OH, GOD! OH MY DEAR GOD! JUST LOOK WHAT I HAVE FOUND IN THIS DUSTBIN! Hmm, SO, The world-famous thief is here. How-how tragic! Shh...Your situation, aww....poor you! I am sad, very very sad seeing you like this that it's breaking my heart!!" His eyes raged, he walked closer to put his leg on Advik's head. Brutally he pushed his head in the land like he was killing some bugs, it was powerful enough to break one or two head bones of Advik.
His eyes widened, "I THINK WHATEVER HAPPENED TO YOU WAS WRONG, DEFINITELY WRONG. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN WAY MORE PAINFUL!, WAY MORE TRAGIC!, WAY CRUEL, AND WAY MORE EVIL! Don't you think so, hmm!!?"
He sat down in front of Advik and grabbed Advik's hair and looked in his eyes, "That's why! That is why I am here. To make you pay for what you did to MY FAMILY!" He tightened his grip on Advik's hair, "Hahaha... Look closely at ME! The table has finally turned.
"Thuu." He spat on Advik's face. "YOU DISGRACEFUL ANIMAL! YOU SON OF A BITCH! I AM HERE TO KILL YOU WITH MY OWN HANDS!!!" He held Advik's head mercilessly and forcefully shoved it deep into the ground.
Advik was just a little conscious because of anemia. He didn't know and also did not care for whatever was happening with him. His weak and lifeless right hand was just trying to reach Shwet's motionless body who was behind the person in turquoise clothes. He could not even breathe but he tried to form a broken sentence, "Y-you... Y-your... Ugh...H-High... Ness...!!" There wasn't any distance between them, at least not that much for others, nevertheless, for him, it was like Shwet was miles away from him.
The person in turquoise clothes saw his trembling and almost dead hand's finger stretching outward. "Huh!? Are you reaching out for someone!?" He crushed the hand as well and looked in the direction where the hand was trying to reach, "SO!! Is this person important to you?! Hahaha...Seriously! I can't take this anymore! You... are caring for someone else in this circumstance!?! My! FUCK!! I am very happy right now!!"
When he turned to see the other person, he was surprised. "Huh?! I am familiar with this glorious sword! Ain't you? Advik Arya The Diabolic Cultivator Thief!! Don't you think that this sword is more familiar to you than to me!?!"
The man kicked His Highness, "Well! Well, I came here to give your life the last strike which your pitiful life needs right now, however, I have changed my mind seeing this!" he smiled. "Do you agree that if someone wants to hurt their enemies they should just simply kill or hurt their most important people and their enemies will surely die most pathetically! Right?" he demonically laughed cheerfully while rubbing his feet over Advik.
Advik's heart almost stopped when he heard the man. With a petrified face, he looked at the insane person, the color of his visage evaporated, He urged, "D-don't! Please! D… don't don't hurt His Highness or you'll die by me!" He glared at him with a blazing fire in his eyes.
"Huh!? So YOU can talk! How interesting," he giggled, "Awesome! It's very interesting! You can talk and you want to kill me when you can't EVEN stand! Fufufu!!!"
In a woeful tone and wavering-desperate voice, Advik begged, his lips trembled, "P-please... I... I am begging you, I am begging you...ahhh!" His body hurt like many ants crawling over him and biting him but he ignored the unbearable pain. While crying he begged again, "S...spare His Highness! General!! Please!! His Highness is the only... friend I have!! He did nothing wrong to you! P-Please!!"
The General's eyes broadened with wrath, "NO!! I won't spare anyone! Why should I spare him when you didn't spare my family at that time!" He pulled out his sword. With just one move of his sword, it slashed off the head of the already dead Shwet like humans abruptly cutting animals for their meat.
"YOUR HIGHNESS!!!!!" Advik screamed with every last breath inside of him but that scream never left his lips. His eyes lost the lights and his face was white as clouds. He became quiet and blankly stared at the beheaded body which was covered in blood.
The General smirked, "LOOK AT YOURSELF!! YOU ARE CRYING FOR SOMEONE ELSE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...!!! I AM EMOTIONAL, VERY EMOTIONAL!" he sheathed the sword with a clang.
"Why... W-why!!" his fist clenched firmly, "WHY... WHY... YOU!!!" Advik cried.
"YOU ASK WHY ME? Hahaha, I simply think it was fun that's why. BUT NOW I AM THINKING I SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU FIRST!! WELL, it's still not late! Is it!?!" He grabbed Advik's hair and hauled him forcibly towards the edge of a mountain, it was just some hundred meters ahead from them. He was moving him like small kids move their toys with ropes, without caring for Advik who was half dead.
The evil General pulled him nearly at the end of the mountain to look down in the abyss, the depth of it was endless, "Take A Look! This is the place where you are going to die! Hahahahaha!! I AM HAVING SO MUCH FUN THAT I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING!!" He clutched him to look down in the abyss, "This is Narak Dvaar, down there is brutal Hell's Flame, it's said that if someone is thrown into it. They will die and they'll never be reborn ever again in any universe! Amazing isn't it?!!" He threw Advik on the ground, "But before sending you to that place, I personally want to give you a reward," he smirked.
On the other hand, Advik was unaware of his situation, lying down near the mountain's edge. After being through so much, his eyes were still half-opened. He could only watch whatever was happening with him, however, he had no strength left in him to fight, after that much torture he was used to the unendurable pain.
The General touched Advik's dry lips with his foot, "Aww, you still got some blood to flow out of your miserable body... hmm!"
"You know!? I love seeing you like this but I hate seeing you in pain!" His eyes had a dark twisted expression flowing in them, "So, let me end this, LET ME END YOU!!" The insane General raged.
That psycho put his left and right hand close to his broad chest with only index fingers and middle fingers of both hands pointing at the sky while the remaining others were closed down. He chanted some mantras, "THE SEVEN HOLY STARS OF ABOVE, JUDGE THE DEMONIC SOUL OF THIS HUMAN! KILL HIM IN THE MOST FIERCE WAY!"
Abruptly the unstoppable purple lighting from the sky fell down straight upon Advik, in just a moment it burned his entire body like charcoal; not even giving him a chance to feel pain.
Like that horrible death wasn't enough. The General unsheathed his both saber and sword only to cut off Advik's burned corpse into small pieces of dust. "HE IS DEAD!! THE DIABOLIC THIEF ADVIK IS DEAD!! I KILLED HIM!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...!!!"
He collected those pieces of Advik and put them in a small pouch. He smiled pleasantly before he threw it down in the Narak Dvaar!
Author's Note :
Rath: A chariot, especially one used to carry an idol/king or someone from a royal or noble family in a ceremonial procession. I used the Hindi word because I like it better than "chariot".
Narak: Hell
Dvaar: Gate/Door, thus, "Hell/s Gate".
