"Ready?" Doctor asked, slinging his brown satchel bag down his shoulder.

Celina tightened her shoelace and resumed her stance. She held a food basket in her hand, and a bag filled with basic necessities in another. For a moment she felt unsure but then nodded at Doctor.

Together, they wended their way towards the island past the bridge.

They were supposed to begin this journey about three weeks ago. Only if Shourya's men hadn't been such a hurdle and attacked her clan as well as the amphitheater back to back, A complete month of the Fest would have given a substantial amount of time to finish the job they were set out for. She was later forced to get busy with improving the safety of the clan, especially during the days when Vrishabha had to lock herself in the Parallel Universe. Whereas Doctor, on King Agahsthya's behest, had shifted his focus to Lithika's marriage that was later interrupted by Rahu Kerenza's savagery. Panchayat had summoned Doctor to deliver some answers, which delayed their plans even further. Celina envisioned a highly delighted Shashi Thribhuvan smirking and winking down at her. He was the brains behind this formulaic planned attacks, after all. With or without dark magic during the month of the Fest, he had yet been brutally domineering.

Celina straightened the cuffs of her sleeves and pulled her bag up watching the innumerable Vrindahina trees pervaded everywhere on the island. Almourah was residing only a few feet away. Every step of hers was a jaunty swagger as if daring the dread gnawing at the pit of her stomach. She was scared, although in denial. The way Doctor had trained her, according to Naag, she could be called undefeatable. The confidence was based on the fact that she would now be able to resist the pain that came with any kind of dark magic.

Then why was she suddenly doubtful? Why was her heart pounding like a jackhammer?

Thanks to the heavens, that it was the month of the Fest. No chance of snowfall. There were walking freely in the beautiful weather with clear blue sky above them and the sound of the birds chirping from the distant. A few steps later, she picked up the sudden shift in the scent that reminded her of lemons. The bridge beneath their feet suddenly began to creak and shone as if the stone bridge was repainted lately. She frowned and looked up at Doctor who answered her dubiousness. "It's damaged. Be careful. King Harsh had made sure that the beasts don't have easy access through the bridge. So he destroyed it."

"It doesn't look like its damaged. It seems more like someone fixed the damaged."

"You are right," he said, having his gaze down, watching his wood creek in slight astonishment. "This confirms that people are illegally traveling through the bridge to meet Almourah and learn dark magic from him. Or maybe Shashi himself rebuilt it years ago. We can't say for sure though."

As they walked further ahead, the scent in the air aggravated. The rays of the sun seemed to be getting blocked by darkened mist, the plumes of black smoke swirling upwards like inverted confetti, cloaking the entrance of the Almourah's territory.

"That's the seal," Doctor said, his voice gruff, "The further we go in, the more drastic its intensity is, not that it's detrimental to us in any way. But it will begin to fade. And that shall indicate that we've entered his territory. Listen to me carefully now- once we enter, there's a possibility for the beasts to catch the smell of your blood and they'll instantly attack you. Living without the blood of a woman for the past thirty years must have definitely aggravated them. Their hunger must be a thousand times more than that of a Samagraha. If that happens...you know what to do."

"Right." She nodded.

It was two days prior to the scheduled day of Hayden confronting Shaytan Rup. Pruthvi must have already captured Tyrell and waiting for Doctor's return. The other parts of the Pride were safely secured with Doctor. The rest of the job that was dependent on her must be done as quickly as possible. Two more days, she said to herself. Just hang on, Tyrell.

As per the facts that were given by Doctor, the mist began to fade. She inhaled heavily, to pacify the nauseating feeling rising from his stomach. The bridge seemed to be descending, hinting at the possible end of their journey. The mist seemed to lift off their faces, like the rise of the curtain unraveling everything behind it.

A strained silence was doubly odd. Doctor had deliberately been walking gently with his walking stick over the bridge, only to maintain the level of silence that wouldn't warn the approach of two humans. But when they took the final step down the bridge and gained a clear vision of the island, there came a disturbing sound from somewhere below the base of the bridge.

The sounds reminded hairy pigs- snorting, snuffling, heavy breathing and sweating greed.

Doctor paused for a bit, listening to the hubbub. He ducked his hands inside the bag and removed a vial and a lemon. "Here they come. Begin concentrating."

The moment they stepped out of the bridge, the attack was beyond Celina's imagination. There was no time to study them in particular. Their size was twice as her and just that. A troop of beasts, making a revolting sound like that of bellowing bulls, began to stir and jumped one upon another. They were in a great rush to attack the only woman infiltrating their territory.

"Now!" Doctor shrieked.

Celina took a step forward and swished her hand. With an instant jolt, innumerable windy spikes swished out of her palms like the hail of bullets raining down from a gun. Her Formation, the invisible slits of air, as sharp as the obsidian knife, ripped the beast into two. White congealed liquid gushed out. Doctor, concerned for their safety, generated earthly walls. The ground beneath them shot up that hedged the white blood from sprinkling over them.

The walls sizzled like bacon, and that made her frown.

"I need to create the seal around us," he said quickly. "And do not come in contact with the acid. Even a Samagraha takes a lot of time to heal if burnt. Be very careful."

The walls cracked creating sounds of drum beats. The beasts seemed to be rushing and colliding against them, being insanely eager for her blood.

"I'm lowering them," Doctor said, staring pointedly at the walls, "Keep slicing these beasts until I make sure we are absolutely safe."

She knew what Doctor was heading for. Nodding at him, she began concentrating. The wall broke and collapsed. Celina swished her hand. The upper body detached and fell off from the severed lower part. Acid flooded. The more they came forward for her blood, the more the colorless slimy liquid showered down.

Doctor held a piece of lemon and a vial in his hands. His face stern and eyebrows drew closer, the wrinkles on his forehead sagging down. He opened the lid of a vial and spilled the contents into his palm. It was just plain water. And now however Doctor kept going was a miracle. The five formations generated at once  - fire, air, earth, lightning, and the water content spilled over the lemon sprung to life. Doctor flicked his hand, and together they zapped straight down to the floor.

The overflown acid began to create sharp blistering sounds. It took a minute for the magic to come to life in a burst of black smoke resurging up in the air. It twirled and encircled Doctor and Celina. She let out a sigh of relief feeling contented when Doctor declared that the seal was successfully created.

The disappointing scream of the beasts rose in pitch until it turned into an ear-splitting shriek. Most of the beasts retreated. And the ones that had been severed... gosh! Celina thought there couldn't be a more grotesque and repulsive thing, but bearing the young curious mind it was interesting to watch the horrid sight and she couldn't look away.

The upper portion of the beast, crawled using only its arms until it found the appropriate lower part. And then they magically got attached, like having been instantly sewn together with a thread. They dangerously stood up proudly revealing themselves as fully grown beast come back to life.

Okay...ew!

"Walk with me," Doctor said, pulling his bag up. "Pay no attention to them."

How can she not pay attention? They were surrounded by the blood lusty creatures that terrorized the entire country. Despite the blackened smoke being a silky curtain, she was still able to watch their grisly lizard-like moves. The beasts were slobbering and twitching in an uncontrolled way. Their greedy, piggish face was framed with a vile form of expression.

"That magic, so cool," Celina whispered. "Didn't know a Diamond user can do stuff besides Formations."

"Sure, we can," he said, "Lady Chandrika was a mage remember? And the diamond is not a naturally formed stone. She was deft enough to make the full use of it. How do you think I was able to perform Yajna to transport your parents out of the country in the first place? I'm no warlock."

Being very closed off regarding her emotions, she walked side along with Doctor who was looking for a place around the undermine caves amidst the trees. Her steps matched with the crawl of the beasts. There was a sudden sweep of a flashlight and that triggered an alarm in her nerves. The burning sensation at the lining of her wrist, quickly spread through her body urging her to take a wide turn and look up at someone.

She gave in to the urge and obliged. Doctor halted as well, didn't mind her from looking around knowing that she wouldn't be able to resist. She was so close, standing in his territory. She recollected what had been taught to her, and that squeezed her heart. She gazed yearningly, wanting to catch his eye.

There was the loom of the storm-beaten lighthouse, painted in black and white, standing afar in the middle of the island.

It wasn't the lighthouse that had drawn her interest, but the dark silhouette staring out of the broad square of the window.

The head tilted slightly as if being conscious of their locked stares.

"Mother!"

Her breath turned to gasps of astonishment when she heard a whisper in her head, or so she thought she had heard. Doctor had prepared her for it, yet she was getting swayed by the moving cacophony of emotions she had never felt for anyone before. This was beyond her comfort zone, the sheer empathy knotting her gut. Her vision blurred. Throat pained. Her brain was racing for the way out of this but nothing could stop her from feeling it.

Then, as her stone burnt and she started to think straight. He is Endira's son. Endira's. To me, he's only a human turned beast waiting for someone to lend his death wish.

In the midst of the silence, a beast growled and leaped up aiming for her face. The seal worked when the beast instantly got knocked and rolled away. The sudden incident forced her to break their locked stare.

"Doctor...!" She choked.

"I see him too," he said, "Evidently, he's weak. We have two days to finish this task off. If not, consider it impossible- with or without the charm laid back on your stone."

"Something doesn't feel right," she whispered, still pressing her stone. "It's not a mistake, is it?"

Doctor tightened his jaw. Anger flickered briefly in his eyes. "This is what I was afraid of. Remember what I told you? Samagraha's feelings are exaggerated and highly unnatural. Do not let anyone take advantage of it."

"Shh, Horsey, calm down!" She whispered, caressing on the face of her horse that had been neighing all the while.

She pulled Horsey with her to the tiny stable she built for it beside the bar. From the corner of her eyes, she watched without a care, the parts of the beasts trying to find the appropriate other. There was a commotion among the pieces wanting to get sewn together. A violently rotating column of air, a small tornado that she had created, was keeping those parts aloof. A baleful cackle escaped her mouth hearing the screams and wails of pain hung in the surroundings. But she knew the satisfaction was temporary.

She wanted to have them gutted forever as they had gutted her. The wait wasn't going to pass in a comfort. Hurry up, Hayden!

-x-