Chapter 122 - Secrets Of Battle Arts

As soon as Ishit stepped into the dilapidated shrine, everything around him got changed. He felt as if eons had flashed by before his eyes. The ground slipped under his feet. The ten directions revolved around him. 

And when everything settled down, Ishit found himself standing in a world with no sun.  Yes, there was light, but it was there just like the wind with no source, in sight. 

Around him, in all directions scattered ruins,  ether -winds, horrifying lightning and heart-shattering thunders were wreaking havoc everywhere.

"Don't circulate, spirit, or you will enrage bedeviled energies. " Balinor said in a grim tone. 

Ishit nodded. He could sense law ownerless nature's laws around him. 

"Where are we?" asked he as he gulped his drying throat. Ishit was sure if not for Balinor 's shield he would have reduced to dust by bringers of destruction. 

"The birthplace of all Haras," replied Balinor, "Now sit down, and try to sense laws. See if you can cajole any of them." 

The place they were standing on was a floating platform.

Where were the appealing thing the dwarf had warned him about,? Ishit wondered looking around as he sat down in lotus position.

Anyway, it was a really good place to gain enlightenment of laws. Ishit let go of all questions and worries that had been tormenting these days. 

He formed Gyan mudras and closed his eyes. Balinor was looking around warily. 

It didn't take Ishit long to achieve a thoughtless state void of all emotions.  Soon he was nothing but just another stone sitting on the stone platform. His breathings were so fine that if you had placed cotton under his nose, it wouldn't have stirred. His aura dropped, reduced to a minimum level making him unnoticeable among the stone boulders. 

Balinor, who had seen myriads of warriors in his eons-long life, couldn't help but be surprised. How could someone so young have a sage mind? 

Who was he? What was his relationship with the watcher? Balinor scrutinized the emotionless face, before him. No resemblance, no sign,  there was nothing on the bright forehead of the boy which would tell him that he was the future Hara or some great warrior in budding. 

Except for the faint bloodline of Osric, the boy was as common as doop grass.

But Balinor knew Udolf better than himself. The watcher would never waste his time on some common boy. 

When the aura of Ishit disappeared completely, Balinor dissolved his shield and sat down on a stone boulder, his gleaming eyes fixed at Ishit. 

He was the last guardian of Drona's shastragar, the last of Parvatas (mountaineers). Even the watchers of times (death worshipers) had forgotten how ancient he was. He had witnessed the rise and fall of Mazia. He had guided three generations of Hara. 

His axe had drunk the blood of Guha, the king of blessed ones (spirit beasts). He had bathed in the fiery poison of Kaliya, the rebellious king of serpents. He had dinned with Vikramaditya, the last    Chakravartin Samrat (a powerful ruler whose dominion extends to the entire earth.)> 

Yes, he had clashed with Mora. And the battle had wounded his soul.  Evil Lord's had instilled something in him that was absent before--- thought of death. 

During these peaceful years of his life, he had been constantly thinking about unanswered questions. For he was sure that his time had come. What was awaiting him after death? 

Eons before, in the dateless time, when he had opened his eyes for the first time, he had found himself here. 

Balinor stared in the distance. Ahead almost 40 yojanas away, there was a statue, a giant idol of a humanoid figure with an elephant head. The sheer size of the idol could be imagined with the fact from the platform where Ishit was meditating, it was visible. 

If someone would dare to cross the river of fire and whirlpools of ether wind, he would find myriads of stones eggs as large as boulders laying in the feet of the idol. Balinor had come out of such an egg. There was no memory, no name. When he wonder was an ancient voice had uttered two words; 

"Tapam Karuh!" ( Meditate)

And information on Bandhas ( body locks to stop the flow of prana), Mudras, and Mantra appeared in his mind. 

For thousands of years, Balinor remained seated like a boulder before the statue in meditation. And It was then had discovered who he was and why he was her. 

After the battle of Kandhar, when they had killed Mora, Balinor had crossed the fire river. The idol, who seemed watching everything quietly, had always soothed his emotions, his thoughts. But now it seemed the unnamed diety too had left the mortal world, leaving him alone to face Mora alone. 

Balinor knew better than anyone that he couldn't. Even the last time if destiny weavers hadn't sacrificed themself, and thus awakened Hara in the last of Virohis (Just wait term would be explained), and hadn't one of Mitras broken the ancient code of First Village, Mora wouldn't have been defeated. 

They had thought they would find a way to kill Evil Lord, but Alas! they couldn't even find how Mora got so powerful. It was true he was one of the watchers of time ( death worshipers) but so was Udolf and others.

There shouldn't have been so much disparity. 

Mora knew something that they hadn't been able to unearth. Something that had made him unkillable. 

Suddenly, Balinor heard a roar. He rose to his feet, and what he show made him freeze on his stop. 

The fiery river was coming, rushing towards them. Its waves were as high as a mountain around him. What the hell it was! Balinor's face turned pale, for he knew it was not an ordinary fire. 

Enil was its name. It was the most malevolent fire on Mazia. Even Sāṁvartaka fire, Ankaha had summoned to annihilate the undead (not zombies)  army of Evil Lord was second to it. 

If myths were to believe Elin was a discarded son of Inn, the sun. 

Balinor saw the mountains got melted away like butter as the violent blue lava bathed them.  He had to wake up the lad before it was too late. 

Balinor hurriedly took the decision. He turned to Ishit. There was no sign of life coming from the boy, it was as if his soul had left his body.

Was the sudden eruption of Elin his doing? Balinor couldn't help but think, for he hadn't seen anyone in such a deep meditative state. 

Balinor looked at the rushing flames, the untamable fire, that even Kirtarjuna, the second Hara, who was known for his fire magic couldn't cajole.  He dropped the silly idea. The boy might be extraordinary enough to make Udolf bring him here. There was no way he could be more talented than a Hara.

After all, Haras were beloved sons of Mazia, blessed with all kinds of powers.  Thinking this Balinor didn't hesitate anymore. As waking the lad forcefully might bear some negative effect, so the dwarf decided to carry him in this meditative state. 

However, as soon as Balinor's hand approached the seemingly dead boy fire erupted from his body. The blue transparent flames bit the dwarf's fingers. 

Horrified, Balinor, the keeper of insentient laws, pulled back his hand. He swiftly mumbled the spell to put out the strange fire which had burned his fingers without him realizing it. 

Balinor circulated spirit as sweat drops appeared on his forehead. He eyed the transparent flames that were guarding the boy warily. What was It? 

Balinor hadn't seen such type of fire, not even in Patala or in the core of  Mazia. 

He looked towards the river. its giant blue waves were now a few miles away. He could feel the scorching heat. What should he do now? There was no way he could remain here to battle with fire, for no one could not even him. Balinor gave the lad another glance, the strange fire had died away. But he didn't dare to touch the lad a second time. His wound, despite his high-grade spirit, was still green. 

Balinor decided to call the boy's name, even though it could harm the lad's consciousness. But it was better than to get burnt to ashes by Elin. 

"Ishit, the son of Oman, you have to wake up. " Balinor shouted using spirit. The sound thundered over the rolling thunders and crackling of lightning. 

But Ishit didn't even twitch his eyelids. 

Balinor grew worried as the flames were now just a three-mile away. 

He heightened his voice, the air around him began to vibrate. However, the boy was still unaware of all this. 

Balinor hurridly took out a yantra and placed it on the platform. As soon as he mumbled the spell, a dazzling shield came alive engulfing meditating boy. Balinor gave the last glance to the enraged river and vanished from his spot. 

No sooner did the dwarf disappear, than the sky-touching waves crashed the floating platform.