Chapter 94 - Vimanas

The chapter is coming soon! Around 10 PM 

"Chamber of Whispers " was the next test room. Mahipal pushed open the door and stepped in followed by Ishit with his face blushed lightly with the embarrassment. He hadn't excepted the headmaster to be so generous. What he had thought was that Mahipal would award him the third-grade immunity at the most. 

"This test would check the grade of your spirit ears.    " Mahipal said as the door closed behind them.  Unlike the last chamber, this chamber was not very spacious.  A stone statue of a dancing woman was standing on the dais. The statue was so vivid that for a moment Ishit mistook it for a real woman. The rose petals-like lips were half-opened as if the dancer was about to sing a song.

Her eyes were fishes capable of enchanting even a stone-heart. Ishit couldn't help but marvel at the sculptor's skill.

"She is Amrapali, the most beautiful city-bride of Vihaan. I've got only one opportunity to attend his concert five years ago. She really sings like a water nymph." Mahipal said, "This is a two-star statue."

Ishit couldn't help but give another glance at the stone beauty. No wonder It was so life-like. They said that each star given to a sculpture showed its virtues. 

"As for its virtue, it is singing one of Amrapali's soulful songs. So your test is simple, you just have to activate your spirit ears, and enjoy the sweetest voice of Vihaan. Of course, you have to write down the lyrics, too. The number of lines you can make out will decide your grade. "  Mahipal said. 

Ishit had heard of this city bride from castle guards. They were full of all praises for her. 

So Ishit couldn't help but feel excited. He sat down beside the dais and picked up the quill and a scroll. 

As soon as he activated his spirit ears, a faint distant sound whispered into his ears. Ishit heightened his hearing ability a bit more. 

And the faint sound turned into a melody. It was a hum that stirred Ishit's heart. The voice was singing,

"My village is on the banks of the Yamuna,

Come there, O dark-skinned!

My high mansion is on the banks of the Yamuna,

I'm a new gopika (cowgirl) from Brij  Radha Rangali is my name,

play your flute in my name

Come there, O dark-skinned!

My village is on the banks of the Yamuna!!

I'll thoroughly bathe you  And will apply sandalwood tilak on your forehead ;

I'll worship you in the morning and in the evening;

Come there, O dark-skinned!

My village is on the banks of the Yamuna!

I'll order for a swing made of flowers ;

I'll decorate the bed with the choicest of flowers;

And will gently massage your feet;

Come there, O dark-skinned!

My village is on the banks of the Yamuna.

I'll prepare a dish of butter and sweetmeats

And will feed you with my own hand.

I'll take care of you in the morning and in the evening.

Come there, O dark-skinned! My village is on the banks of the Yamuna"

The song was the sunshine of the winter sun which make Ishit's soul drowsy. Ishit didn't know when he drifted away to the Yamanu river, where a maiden with a face like a moon was sitting under a shady tree singing for his beloved. 

The quill dropped from Ishit's hand as he lost into the melody. 

Seeing Ishit state, a smile crept over the headmaster's face. He didn't blame the boy for losing himself in the song. The voice was too powerful to resist.

The song played again and again. It was the third song when Ishit regained his senses. He hurriedly gave the headmaster an apologetic smile as he scribbled down the lyrics. 

It was a full song in the Pali language, the native language of Vihaan.  Ishit decided to listen to this city-bride life, at least once in his life, as he hand over his scroll to the headmaster. 

"So you're really lucky, boy. You able to listen to the full song." Mahipal said looking at the perfect lyrics. The result didn't surprise him. It was the most basic spirit path, almost all the students passed it with full marks. 

"So, what do you think. I didn't overpraise her, did I?" Mahipal asked as they walked out. 

"No. She really has a divine voice. I'll attend her concert someday." Ishit said, noticing the hall empty. Ugra had gone somewhere. 

"Haha, you may even meet her personally. After all, your maternal uncle, Lord Vasu is Vihaan 's lord. " Mahipal said, "Ah! where Ugra went. "  he looked around. All the doors were closed except the last one in the row.

"I'm here, Headmaster," The burly man with gray eyes walked out of the last room, in his hand was a golden egg as large as a melon.

"Sirin has finally given an egg. I was expecting it since last month. " Ugra said with a goofy smile. The way he was holding the egg was suggesting it was priceless. 

"It is really good news. Take care of it carefully." Mahipal said, his face beaming. "With in three years we'll have another instructor."

Ishit, too, take a good look at the fabled egg. He had heard of Sirin. It's a spirit bird with a woman's face.  They said it had wisdom on par with spiritualists, and was capable of speaking spirit-tounge, which other spirit couldn't. 

However, Sirin was revered among  the spirit-wielders for teaching them the ways of spirit-birds.

"Of course, I will or Sirin wouldn't never trust me with his first born. Haa ha "Ugra said, as he took the stairs going up. 

"Your visit  is really auspicious for the school. Let finish this test of your soon, and we will have a party." Mahipal said all excited. 

Ishit rolled his eyes. He was sure the man was buttering him up. As for what, he didn't know.  Though Illium was just a dream, his three -year- long  stay in the dreamland had taught him many thing. One of them was this. If someone was praising you for nothing, either he was afraid of you or he wanted something from you. 

There was no way Mahipal would be afraid of him.  Even if he was a young lord, he couldn't do anything to the headmaster unless he had committed an unforgible sin. 

Ishit pondered as he entered another chamber. It was the test of his mind types, an important test which would decided his future path.

According to spiritualists, there were four types of mind, 

1. Manush 

2. Deva

3. Para 

4. Brahma 

To become a yoddha one must have Deva mind. As for becoming a spiritualist one must have Brahma mind. 

Para mind was for Nimohi (healers), falconers, tamers etc.  All other occupations preferred Manusha mind. 

That was the reason Ishit couldn't help but feel nervous. 

The chamber had an ornamented Mirror, seated on a stand. The mirror was called Oshun's  mirror,and had a smoking screen. It was one of the many treasures forged by water nymphs. 

The magical mirror could see through the beholder's mind and tale his nature or so called mind's type. 

"Just calm down your mind, don't resist." Mahipal said in a solemn tone. The headmaster too seemed serious. 

Ishit walked over to the mirror, and followed the instructor he  calmed down his rushing thoughts, and peeked into the smoky screen. 

He felt something entering in his eyes. Something indivisible to his necked eyes. His thoughts flickered as if shaken by a storm. 

All of a sudden weird feeling went away.  Ishit saw the smoke in the mirror turned blood red. 

"What?" Mahipal shouted all of sudden. His face white ashen. A fire ball appeared in his hand, and he threw it on the mirror was now fiery red. 

Smash!! 

The mirror shattered into peciece.  The fire was now roaring in the thousands of mirrors. 

Startled by the sudden turned of events, Ishit jumbed back. He looked at the white-ashen headmaster. 

Appaled Mahipal was still staring at the shattered mirror. he smeed as if he had seen Empyr the ghost emperor. 

"What happened?" Ishit asked puzzled and alarmed at the same time. Was he in  trouble again? 

"How is it possible ?" Mahipal mumbled; his eyes  were saucers.  The headmaster slowly looked up.  He gulped down. Ishit could see hands shaking and drops sweat apprered on his linned forehead. 

"Are you alright, sir?" Ishit asked, feeling worried if something happened to the man his test would be in limbo. 

The man continued staring at his face, as searching for long forgotten visages.  Ishit didn't what to do. 

After a while, the master soothed his face, and gulpled down once again. Ishit was his throat was dry like land of Asharar. 

"Are you alright, sir? " Ishit asked again as he approached the spooked man. 

"Ah! yes ..yes I'm aright. " Mahipal said as if he had woken from a nightmare. He clumsily wiped away his sweat with his cloak. 

"Why did you break up the mirror?" Ishit asked. How the hell now they would find his mind's type. 

"Ah!" Mahipal looked down at the shattered mirror. Ishit could see fear crept up on the man's face. 

"let's say...It got faulty."  he said as he swept away all the piece in his spatial pouch. 

"What's about my test?"

"I will again award you a grade. " Mahipal said take a deep breath. Ishit could feel his hand still shaking. "Tell me what type of brain you need."

Ishit was speechless.