Early in the next morning I was standing outside the hut, arms crossed against my chest. An icy wind blew howling slowly, making me to clench the sweater I was wearing closer to my body. I was sure it has been more than thirty six hours since my victory over the last challenge and it felt unnatural that there wasn't any intimation about the next one from the Constellia.

I was looking around, concentrating at every nook and crook, and trying to figure out what possibly my coming up challenge could be. Vrischika was a humanoid scorpion, with eight set of limbs and long, segmented and pointed tail. I sighed letting my anxiousness out. Only imagining the Constellia was slightly creeping me out, envisioning how difficult my challenge was going to be.

Nazira did have a choice, and she chose not to come outside to watch me going through these challenges, although against my yearning. Her eyes had shown a gentle concern before I had walked out the door. Even after my clear explanation that why she honestly didn't have to be worried, her sensitiveness wouldn't allow her to pick up the strength to even to watch me struggle.

A sudden shrill creaking sound alerted me, snapping me out of her thoughts. I frowned, darting my eyes at possible corner of the desert. The sound I was hearing seemed more like a bodily structure rubbing frantically against the wall. I dropped my hands down and took a step forward, carefully placing my feet over the sinking sand. The continuous sound of scratching and scuttling warned me about it's arrival and I slowly prepared myself for it.

There was a disturbance that arose far away from me, at the other ends of sand dunes, making me involuntarily take few more steps forward to have a clear view. My mouth slightly fell ajar when I noticed the loosened particles of sand rising in the air, beginning to vibrate as in a violent vortex. Gust of wind blew fiercely, whipping the sand travel towards my direction. I quickly covered my eyes, lifting my hand up and tilting my head aside.

Whooooooosh!

Wind was strong enough to spill the large amount of sand over me. My outfits and my hair became filthy with the powdery particles. Unable to withstand the wind mixed with sand, I turned around to get inside the hut. But a flat and graveling voice stopped me to do so.

"Good Morning, Hayden Mackay."

I peeped over dubiously, slowly lowering my arm. And as I had guessed, standing in front of me was Vrischika, with his feet apart, a single pair of his hands on his hips, and the remaining of his other hands gliding up and down creating a wave-like movement. His long spiky tail was resting slightly over his head. His body was covered in a reddish brown robe, and his long humanly legs with tight black silky trousers.

"What's up with the dramatic entrance?" I grumbled, getting irritated for making my hair all dusty.

"That's my style," he said, shrugging. "Don't you like it?"

"Constellia with a style, I love it," I replied, giving him a fake smile, "So let's get on with it. Tell me, what's the challenge?"

I haven't had a slightest hint that he was carrying it underneath his robes, until he pulled out to show it to me. The thing he was holding made me to automatically shrink my eyes and  to gaze to see how long and sleek this razor sharp sword was.

"You will be needing this," Vrischika said, tossing me the sword straight at me.

Impulsively, I caught hold of it. Vrischika then stayed quiet allowing me to have some time to inspect the rest of the sword. My fingers firmly and perfectly gripped the black leather hilt, as if it was custom made just for me to use it in the challenge. The sharp silver blade glinted beneath the sunlight, creating rainbow color reflections on it.

"What do I do with this?" I asked, feeling a little novice-like yet more masculine holding the sword for the first time in my life.

"Cut my tail," Vrischika said immediately.

I stared at him in disbelief, lowering the sword. "Excuse me!"

"You heard me," he said, "You just have to cut my tail."

"Er," I said, vaguely feeling uneasy, "You are saying as if it's not going to hurt you."

"No," he replied, "It's a daily routine for my tail to get detached from my body and it regrows by itself later awhile. Yes, we do some mental stuff, that is far beyond a human mind's reach."

"Thanks for the honesty," I mumbled, thinking about my own hellish nasty Constellia.

I gently scratched my forehead, and tried to summon some energy before I execute what I was asked of, which for now did not seem to be a difficult task. This thought made me ask him the most important and obvious question. "And there should be a catch, right?"

He smiled sympathetically, gaping down at me, as if he was sorry that I was chosen to be the current generation Fire of Vengeance.

"This game is designed ingeniously," Vrischika said, "and once it begins I am going to lose control over myself."

I frowned in confusion. "I need more explanation."

"I secrete venom and store it in my tail everyday," Vrischika stated, "This storage makes my tail extremely frangible, and I easily separate it from my body to regrow a new non-venomous one. The time for the challenge was chosen such that you get to fight with me only when it is filled with venom. So you have to do it before it gets separated by itself. Remember, if my tail touches any part of your body, you might feel numb at the spot for a while. But if you get stung...believe me it's no good."

"What will happen if it does?" I asked, my heart racing, "Say it. I am sure whatever it is I can handle it."

"It could leave the part of your body paralyzed."

I stared at him wide eyed feeling a prick of fear already paralyzing me. My subconscious mind instantly reminded me everything Nazira had asked me earlier- why was I even doing this meaning adventures? Gradually my grip on the sword slackened. Bending my head down, I desperately tried to hide my growing apprehensiveness. I constantly reminded myself why I was here and what could be end result if I just stick to win all the challenges.

I am not stepping back. No matter what.

"Alright," I said, taking a deep breath, "Let's do this."

"Before everything put," he said, when he began to walk backward to take me to away from the hut, "There is one more rule to follow. I am a Constellia for a Breaking Samagraha..."

"Yeah, yeah!" I interrupted, walking with him, "No Formation commands."

"Wrong. There is a difference. You are allowed to use your stone only once."

"One time only?"

"One time only," He repeated, stating it firmly, now standing still in the middle of the area with all the cactus plants, "You rely on your stone for the second time, challenge ends right there and you'll have to wait until my tail's ready with the venom. Now come and get me."

I held the sword, yet again firm in my hand and kept my eyes fixed on his tail that was swinging back and forth, like that of a threatening dog. I charged immediately, without even having a proper plan in my mind. Running has never been a big deal for me, but now to slightly bounce while jogging over this sand was hurting my ankles. And on top of it, this chilliness in the air seeped right through my skin making it's way to my bones.

Vrischika was casually walking backwards, my limited running speed was making him to falter his movement. Then I stopped to think for a while, only to realize that it was getting useless. If I just kept following the direction he was walking I might never get to finish this challenge. I had to get nearer to his tail, anyhow. Without further delay and obeying my impulse I changed my direction to run around the cactus plants to easily get behind him. As soon as I changed my course, Vrischika jumped right at the spot and disappeared underneath the sand.

Balancing myself on this slipping sand, I stood aghast. Draining in an utter shock might be an understatement for what I have just seen. It took me a few seconds to perceive the fact that Vrischika was hiding himself beneath the ground layered with sand. I looked around, the stridulating sound resurfaced, coming right from deep beneath the sand. I wasn't able to see any movement of the sand yet, but the sound of Vrischika moving around was clearly audible.

I furrowed my brow in concentration, to clearly hear the sound of his movement. I spun a several times, hearing the travelling sound, finally getting used with the systematic direction he was preferring to take. 

There should some way to bring Vrischika out in the open.

I held the sword up. I could just be a fluke but stabbing the sword into the sand seemed to be my only option. I was almost ready for it. But then I felt my face contorted as I realized Vrischika wasn't moving anymore. The sound he has been making was broken into complete stillness.

I contemplated the silence with a gloomy expression on my face. I knew Vrischika was giving me a tough fight and now planning to attack me anytime, the silence warned me so. But even after several minutes that passed, he didn't yet show himself. Neither he moved providing me with an option to feel his movements. Holding the sword up pricked my arm and I slowly loosed my grip. And it turned out to be a bad idea to do at this time. Even before I could see what had happened, a giant pointed tail was already making it's way towards me.

"What the...!"

I cried taking a long leap backwards, successfully escaping from Vrischika's first attack. Unfortunately, I was caught by something else. A cactus plant got in my way. It's thorns jabbed through the sleeves of my sweater. Vrischika was on the ground level now and he began swinging his tail fiercely at me. I gasped and instinctively ducked, but couldn't move away from where I was standing. My hand got stuck with the thorn that I couldn't loosen it with a single pull. Placing the sword aside, I quickly used my other arm to pull my sweater from its grasp. And not to my surprise my sweater and my shirt underneath it, tore until my skin got exposed to the air.

I removed my sweater and threw it away with frustration. Not caring about the weather anymore I heaved myself up, once again holding the sword. I looked up and found Vrischika was actually waiting for me to get hold of myself. And when I did, he strode towards me, his tail swinging back and forth continously.

This was getting tougher than I thought. Apart from the slippery sand, the chilled air and his poisonous tail, I was even worried about the cactus plants as well, that were aligned in rows. Any direction I chose to run away from Vrischika's attacks, thorns threatened me to poke.

I needed a better plan, a right plan.

Vrischika had warned me to use my stone only once. And I knew very well which formation it was going to be to trap him. But the only problem was the timing. Vrischika was capable to travel underground. If I used my stone carelessly at him at the wrong time, he might just simply get himself disappeared. That could result in losing my only chance, which in no way I could afford.

I swallowed hard watching him run dangerously towards me, his legs rolling like wheels of a truck. I maintained my momentum, heedfully dodging his attacks. Once or twice I had the opportunity to slash my sword high in the air to cut his tail. But Vrischika was faster, he rolled his tail aside to get away from my counter attack.

My efforts to cut his tail and his trials, in turn to hurt me, went on for a while. Both of us maintained to be unharmed. And this only helped me get better to thrust my sword, with full power.

Running aside, I turned back to check on Vrischika's moves. But then I had to immediately stand still, silence taking over the atmosphere. My challenger yet again hid himself beneath the ground.

For about a few minutes nothing happened. I kept looking attentively at all the sides my sight could reach. There was no sign of Vrischika, no movement except a low whistling sound that suddenly hummed in my left ear. Turning towards the possible source of sound, I waited for him to come out. My breath was turning intense and slight sweat trickled down my back.

I had never been so much cautious ever before but to my utter shock the sand towards my right rose high up, sprinkling the particles all over at me. I closed my face with my arms and I didn't even had time to turn around to see what was happening when a hard substance suddenly hit me at my upper arm of my hand holding the sword. I gasped aloud, when a certain hard metallic like substance pushed me upfront. I was about to fall over the cactus plant, but having my presence of mind in check, I forced myself to stop, pressing my feet against the sand.

My eyes bulged open when I felt it, a surge of intense pain deep within the veins of my arm. I groaned loudly, holding my arm with my sword free hand. It throbbed and sensation was dreadful, causing a hell lot of discomfort. I fell on my knees unable to cope up the pain. But I was glad that Vrischika waited till the pain slightly subdued.

Panic piled up on me. I tried to lift my arm holding the sword but I couldn't. Then I realized my right hand has gone all numb and the hard substance that had hit me was Vrischika's tail.

I lifted my eyes up to watch his next step, and he in turn was gazing down at me with some sympathy. Vrischika had tricked me, or may be the challenge was fabricated to trick me this way and I was naive enough to fall into his traps. I had to press my eyes shut, mentally chiding myself for the blunder I just made. Vrischika had improvised creating sound as if he was to come out from my left when in reality he appeared from the opposite side. This challenge was turning too dangerous and full of deceptions. I was having no idea how but I had to be way more crafty than Vrischika was.

"Are you okay?" he asked, in a friendly manner, watching me stand up.

"I am great," I said mockingly, breathing heavily and holding my painful arm.

"And this will only get better!" he said.

Before even I could understand the inner meaning of the statement he had passed,  Vrischika began to run towards me. I stepped on the smaller cactus plant, to easily dodge him. In the process I did not forget to hold the sword in my left arm. Vrischika noticed what I was doing and before he could change his direction to attack me, I lifted my whole body and flung the sword. I wasn't a lefty, certainly my idea didn't work for the first time. But I was glad that atleast the tip of the blade touched a tiny spot of his tail.

Catching my breath, I landed down on my knees. The numbness in my arm, now changing into a tingling and burning sensation. I tried to stretch my arm, but it only gave me a violent throb. Vrischika turned around, and resumed running towards me with utmost speed, his tail in continuous motion. I tired to repeat the instant idea that my mind had formed. I stepped on the cactus plant, lifted myself up, but it seemed Vrischika was ready for it this time. He changed the movement of tail, now swinging anti clockwise. And even before I could have tentatively flung my left arm around, his tail already did its job.

"Aaaaaaarrgh!"

I let out a strangled, ear-splitting scream as an intense piercing pain shot up in my numb arm. My head spun and world seemed to have tilted its axis as veins in my arm sliced open and blood instantly burst out like a dam. The pain dug deep within me, going through everything and anything. I dropped my sword down, my whole body falling on the ground. I staggered for breathe, my eyes watering in agony and as a result it blurred my vision. My shirt was drenching and crimson liquid flowing down my hand that I wasn't able to feel anymore.

Vrischika waited for a few minutes for me to gather myself. As I observed him carefully as much as I could, and found that he was panting just like I was, leaning down holding his knees with the last pair of hands. But he couldn't wait for me to stand up anymore. Sand underneath his running feet began to make the sound, making me aware that he was coming towards me.

I pressed my eyes shut in total frustration. I had enough. Vrischika, despite being tired was still running to make me weaker than I already was. If I had to fail the challenge, I decided to end it with the only opportunity I was given.

I did not try to perceive if it was the right time, I did not care if I had to repeat the dreaded challenge again and again. I just waited, till he came closer. Tenderly holding the the sword with my non-paralyzed hand, I began to put all my concentration on my stone, in a hope to see Nazira in my mind. Vrischika was just a couple of feet away from me and then I did it.

"Fire Explosive Formation!"

Flames exploded out of my palms, racing through the sword, giving me much required oppressive heat I needed in this chilly weather. I couldn't be careless to lift my head high up to see if my timing was right. Instead, I found myself immersed reading her expression as soon as she appeared.

"Don't do this!"

There, I heard her, once again stating how disappointed she was. Her eyes were filled and I could even see the pain in them. An unbidden tear rolled down as she kept staring back at me.

A sudden screeching sound then dragged my attention to the challenge. I looked up and took a huge sigh of relief watching Vrischika caught on fire. His robes were burning and his eight set of hands flung up in the air.

A proud smile instantly spread on my lips.

Tables have turned, now in my favor. It was as if there was no tomorrow and I had to finish it right at this moment. A thunderous scream escaped through my throat as I stretched my bruised arm straight to lift the sword up, pain searing through my veins and skin. blood pouring down the sand. I pulled an immense amount of strength from the ground, heaved my body up, my left hand still blazing and generating the fire. I stepped on the cactus plant, taking its support to lift my body higher and higher till I matched Vrischika's height.

I had no idea if I did it right but I felt the sensation of the blade slicing a hard and broad tail. It was rock type from the outside, and in contrast spongy from inside. A certain liquid with a high velocity, in a shade of yellow, oozed out as soon as I separated the tail with the body. Involuntarily, I turned my head aside as it spilled all the sticky liquid all over my shirt.

Vrischika then stopped screaming. Silence fell in the air and the only sound echoing in my ears was my own shuddering breathe. I lifted my eyelids only to check if I did manage to finish it. There was the tail right in front of my eyes, a strong yellowish liquid flooding out of the torn side. Panting heaving, keeping all of my weight on the sword, digging its edge into sand, I looked at Vrischika who was returning back to his normal shape.

"You did it," he said, smiling, "Congratulations."

Unable to speak, I replied him with a single nod.

"Your timing was perfect. You waited till I was tired, didn't you?" he asked.

"It..it..wasn't a plan," I stammered, unable to feel any part of my body anymore, "I just found an op...oppertunity."

"I am really sorry to hurt you..."

"Don't worry about it," I said, "It isn't your fault."

My voice didn't seem like mine, it was brittle and breaking rapidly. My eyelids were heavy, my body sinking down. But one thing that made me immensely happy was the opening Gates beside Vrischika.

"You are about to pass out," said Vrischika, as he put one of his hands between the lights. "Do you want me to call the girl?"

I forced my eyes open as I thought about her. "No. Sh..she will get scared seeing you."

Ignoring Vrischika's sympathized face, I left the sword alone and began walking aside unsteadily, holding my blood filled hand with the other. It took me several minutes to reach the door, wobbling and shivering with pain and thankfully the door wasn't locked.

As soon as the door opened, I fell on the floor, over the threshold. I found her seated in the chair, immersed reading a paper. There was a new huge basket placed beside her leg. Then I waved my unhurt hand, only to make her aware of my presence.

She gasped, her eyes widened in shock as if she has seen a ghost and rushed over to me as speedily as she could.

"What happened to you?!"

She didn't signal, I just heard her shrill voice. She fell on her knees beside me trying to hold me by my shoulders.

I looked up at her beautiful face that gave me slight peace of mind. Her eyes flashing the pain, exactly like I had seen her in my mind a few minutes ago.

I smiled at her suddenly feeling extremely euphoric having her in front me in person.

"I won." I said, trying to be proud even in this condition.

"Won?" She signaled, raising her eyebrows, "Look at the state of yours!"

"Nazira," I whispered, swallowing hard and fighting to get words out of my mouth, "We...we have to go."

"Can..can you walk?"

I smiled forlornly at her again. "My legs are okay. It's just my hand that's not working."

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" She knitted her brow, tears falling down her cheeks.

I didn't reply her, neither she asked me any more questions. She held me by my palms and helped me stand up on my feet. She let her sob out watching the blood that dripped down on the floor and I hated myself to make her worry every time I finished each of my challenges.

Venom was taking over my body. My legs were struggling to take steps in this sand and chilliness, my muscles beginning to convulse. Thanks to Nazira for giving me enough support to help me walk.

"You next challenge with Dhanu shall begin within forty eight hours," announced Vrischika watching Nazira and I jump through the Gates.

-x-