Chapter 37 The Blood Stained Alliance
Anandpur The Tearful Farewell Ceremony
The streets of Anandpur were filled with the sweet fragrance of flowers and perfume in the morning sun The rays of the sun struck the rooftops and scattered like pieces of gold but the heaviness in the air was not of celebration but of farewell When the wedding procession of Prince Akshansh arrived the earth trembled with the beat of drums A deep heart wrenching rumble that seeped into the bones
Agni and Neer walked at the very front Agni red robes gleamed in the sunlight but his face held a peace that comes only after years of war A tired victorious peace The small wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were deep and each one told the story of a battle
Neer walked beside him and his blue robes fluttered lightly in the wind His face also held peace but this peace was different An alert watchful peace as if he was sensing some unseen danger every moment His fingers would sometimes touch the hilt of his sword Varshini A habit that had remained since the days of war
Nirag walked behind them quiet and expressionless But his eyes They had now completely changed The red and blue eyes had become a strange mixture Red deep like blood and blue gleaming like poison And between them just above his brows the skin was throbbing faintly as if some insect was crawling inside
The wedding rituals were completed When Vedika placed her foot outside the threshold of Anandpur her sobs filled the air with a heaviness A heaviness heavier than tears Her mother hugged her and her shoulders trembled lightly Her father bowed his head and his eyes were moist
Akshansh held Vedika hand A firm protective grip But his eyes were not only on Vedika They were roaming through the crowd looking at every face as if he was searching for someone
And in the crowd Nirag stood There was a smile on his lips But this smile was not human It was too wide Too still Too satisfied Like a hunter smiling at his prey when the prey is about to fall into the trap
Nabhgadh Welcome or Cremation Ground
The procession returned to Nabhgadh At the palace gate plates for the welcoming ritual were decorated Silver plates in which lamps of clarified butter burned and their flames flickered in the wind like long orange tongues Auspicious songs were being sung but the voices of the singers held a strange tremor As if they too sensed something
As soon as the bride and groom crossed the threshold of the palace the direction of the wind suddenly changed
A gust of cold wind came from inside the palace and the lamp flames extinguished People stopped and their eyes widened The auspicious singing halted midway
Nirag suddenly stopped
His breaths quickened Short fast breaths that heaved his chest forcefully And then around him the air began turning black
This was not smoke It was something else A deep poisonous darkness dissolving into the air It seemed to be emerging from Nirag body oozing from the pores of his skin The air around him began to shimmer as if the density of the air was changing due to heat
Nirag Neer screamed and his voice held a fear that was beyond words
But before the words could complete Nirag raised his hand
He did not draw his sword from its sheath Instead something emerged from his hands Flames of black fire These flames were not like ordinary fire They were deep black but held a purple gleam and they crackled in the air like shattering glass
Nirag looked towards the two guard soldiers standing at the gate
He raised his hand and the necks of the soldiers suddenly rose into the air As if an invisible hand had grabbed them Their feet were uprooted from the ground and they hung in the air their legs flailing
A terrible cracking sound occurred
This was not the sound of bones breaking It was something else Like an explosion of energy The bodies of the soldiers writhed for a moment and then went limp They fell to the ground Like dry leaves Lightly Without a sound
But this was not the end
The black energy emerging from Nirag hands merged into the bodies of those soldiers And then a terrible sight occurred The bodies of the soldiers began to shrivel The skin turned black then dry then cracked In a moment two living human beings turned into mounds of ash Deep black ash that began to blow away in the wind
Nirag What madness is this Agni roared and his voice held a rage hotter than fire His eyes began to glow like red embers and flames began emanating from his body Real flames Red and orange that were heating the air
Screams and chaos erupted throughout the palace People began running Women screamed Children cried
Aksh Kalpit and Anvay had drawn their swords Aksh sword gleamed in the air and the sound of Kalpit sword leaving its sheath echoed Anvay eyes were wide and his hands trembled Not from fear but from a terrible recognition He knew He knew everything
But they could not move They hesitated to strike their own friend The same friend with whom they had fought wars and for whom they had risked their lives
Nirag did not even look at them
His eyes had now turned completely black No pupil No white Two voids ready to swallow everything
He began laughing like a madman
This laughter was not human It was like a scream emerging from caves Deep echoing with a venom in every note This laughter bounced off the walls and returned forming a terrifying chorus
No one will be saved today Tauji Nirag spoke and this voice was not his It was deep and echoing The voice of Andhak Void Today the foundation of this empire will be written in blood
The Edge of the Abyss The Game of Fate
Nirag raised his hand towards Agni Black energy began gathering in his palm A spinning orb that kept growing larger and larger and purple lightning emerged from it
Agni raised his sword Jwala The sword blazed A sharp red glow that illuminated the entire hall
Nirag hurled the orb of black energy
Agni struck with his sword A sharp precise strike that cut the orb in half
But the collision was so forceful that an explosion occurred A wave of energy emerged that pushed everyone back Agni flew backwards Out the door Into the corridor Then out a window
He fell in the back part of the palace where the ground ended and a deep terrifying abyss began
Agni was trying to get up His armor was broken Pieces of metal were scattered in the air and blood was flowing from his chest He braced his hand on the ground but his body had gone numb from the pain
Before him Nirag arrived
He had come floating in the air His feet were not touching the ground In his hands black energy was gathering again and this time it was larger and even more lethal
Nirag son Agni said with a choked voice and his voice held a pain deeper than physical pain Come to your senses I am like your father
Nirag shook his head A slow sorrowful shake that seemed fake
I have no father He said and his voice held no emotion Only cold I only have an end
He released the orb of black energy
This attack was so fast that Agni had no way to escape He closed his eyes Only one image was in his mind Neer Neer smile Neer eyes Neer hand in his hand
NEER Agni final cry came
But the touch of death did not come
Instead a push came A forceful heavy shove that threw Agni away from the edge of the abyss He rolled on the ground scraping against dust and stones
When he opened his eyes Neer stood before him
Neer back was towards Agni And through his chest was a hole A black smoke filled hole with burned edges The black energy had passed through him but the damage it had done was clear
A long stream of blood emerged from Neer mouth Deep red and hot This stream fell from his chin onto his blue robes turning them into a strange purple color The blood stains began spreading blooming like flowers
Neer Agni voice choked in his throat He pulled himself forward ignoring the pain
Neer slowly turned his head His eyes Those deep blue eyes Were now blurry But they held no pain Instead there was a final peace A peace that comes only from sacrifice
He gave a weak smile So faint that it seemed it had never been there As if he was saying I kept my promise Agni I saved you
The pressure of the black energy was so intense that Neer body began sliding backward His feet dragged on the ground forming two parallel lines
Nirag or Andhak Void gave another jolt A gesture of the hand without touching
And Neer balance faltered
No Neer Grab my hand Agni lunged towards the abyss like a madman His body was screaming in pain but he heard nothing He only saw Neer Neer who was now stumbling on the edge of the abyss
But it was too late
Neer body leaned backward For a moment he hung in the air His blue robes spread out and his hair flew Then slowly he began dissolving into the darkness of the abyss
Agni struck his hand in the air
In his hand came only a piece of Neer silken blue shawl The same shawl that Neer always wore on his shoulder The fabric of the shawl was soft but now soaked in blood Warm and sticky
NEER
Agni scream made the entire Nabhgadh tremble This scream was not human It was the scream of an animal An animal whose everything had been taken away This scream echoed in the air and struck the stones and vanished into the sky
Agni leaped into the abyss without thinking
The Depth of Darkness And a Broken Promise
Agni fell down Striking stones and scraping against thorns Below there was a river with a strong current and he fell into it The water was cold Cold as ice He struggled and flailed his arms and legs but the current was so strong that he was helpless
Hours passed Or perhaps days Time had no meaning
When he emerged from the water he was thrown onto a shore A narrow bank of stones and sand His body was broken and there were injuries everywhere and blood was flowing
But he saw nothing He only searched Opening his eyes and staring into the darkness
And then he found it
On the shore trapped among the stones was a blue lotus The same lotus that Neer always wore in his hair The blue lotus But now it was crushed The petals were bent and broken And there were blood stains on it Deep red now beginning to dry
Nearby in the water some shreds of Neer torn robes were floating Blue silk now dirty and torn
Agni crawled to those clothes He picked up the lotus It was cold and lifeless Then he picked up the shreds of cloth and pressed them to his chest
He began to cry with a roar
This crying was not a scream It was a deep breaking sound emerging from his entire body There were no tears The tears had run out long ago Only a shiver remained A pain that could not be put into words
Above on the edge of the abyss Nirag stood
He was looking down At Agni At the lotus At the shreds There was no expression on his face Only a void
He sheathed his sword A precise mechanical motion Then he spoke in a cold voice and this voice descended with the wind and reached Agni ears
Stop searching Agni The one you are looking for is dead Your Neer is no longer a part of this world
Agni looked up
In his eyes there was no longer that affection that was there for Nirag Nor the pain that was there for Neer Now there was only one thing A flame of revenge A flame so deep that it could not be extinguished A flame that could incinerate the entire universe
He gripped the lotus tightly in his fist The petals crumbled and began escaping from between his fingers like ash
Andhak Void Agni whispered and this voice was a vow For what you have done today you will pay with your soul This is the promise of Agni
Above Nirag smiled That same terrifying satisfied smile Then he turned and disappeared into the darkness
Below at the bottom of the abyss Agni was alone In his hand was the crushed lotus and in his eyes was a flame that would never extinguish
The golden evening of Nabhgadh had now transformed into an eternal black night And in that night only one thing gleamed The flame in Agni eyes which was now the flame of revenge
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