Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion

In a Quagmire

The Elapsed Era:

Hanneli took the guise of a black dog, owing to its ability to repel the wrath of a spell. Her pursuers had not yet uttered their incantations. Hanneli was aware that they would reveal their spiteful intentions at any moment since the pair were known to be frighteningly powerful in Alaka. Their sortilege was discussed in hushed whispers and children were instructed to hustle away when these men walked the streets. Such was their force of spells! However, to emerge unscathed from the potency of their spells, Hanneli had to recall the lessons, her father had taught her. He had often told her that to endure and survive, she must elevate her energy to a greater level. Hence, shedding her disguise, she evoked her innermost spirit to disclose to her, the whereabouts of the sorcerers who had vanished after sighting the Yakshas. Her extra-sensory perception saw them lurking near her cottage. They were waiting to maraud on her vulnerabilities. To get out of the quagmire, she had to act fast.

Most of the Yakshas had returned from their visit to the city but one Yaksha spotting the magicians near Amogha's house, hurried back to the city to inform Amogha. Nonetheless, Hanneli did not seek the help of her tribe. This was her battle alone and she had to confront the sorcerers with the skills that her father had instilled in her. She strode to that part of the forest where herbs grew in abundance. She plucked many bay leaves, and collecting them, she moved quietly to the front of her cottage. She tossed the bay leaves in a circle. Flinging them uniformly around her, she lit fire to them by rubbing two stones. Burning bay leaves warded off the intensity of hexes.

Next, Hanneli pressed her feet on the ground, and summoning her resplendent force, she absorbed the energy from the earth to her body.

When the sorcerers saw her, they found her inside a ring of fire. They discharged their powers to trap her spirit in their spell.

Yaksha Amogha had once demonstrated to Hanneli that every being had the latent potential to combat and spew out the toxic onslaught. Refreshing her memory, slowly and steadily, she released her inherent energy at different stages to gain entry into the will of the spellbinders and control their strength.

It had now become a contest of wills; her force against their charged strength. The air around them thickened with a miasma of deception and violence. As long as the bay leaves burnt, the tricksters wouldn't be able to take control of her so they conjured the rains to put off the fire. It started to drizzle and Hanneli tried her best to repeal their sorcery.

Instead of attempting to go into the city and seek her father's help, she sought sanctuary in the forest, and therefore, she was certain that the guardians of Saugandhika Forest would help her. She appealed silently to Kalpadruma, Saugandhika, and her best friend Aranyani. The drizzle was dousing the fire and the men cheered with relish but a sudden gust of wind swept more dry leaves into the flames, rekindling the fire. The strong breeze drove away the rains and the ignited embers flared brightly. The magicians' temper raged at the futility of their guile and they grew ferocious. Although they were magicians, they were also ordinary mortals whereas Hanneli was a Yakshi, born in the clan who were the custodians of the forest and the river. Her powers went beyond sorcery and spells.

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Ekveer sat beside the king to watch the bull race. The annual event was taking place in the open stadium of the city. The massive marble pillars, built around the stadium, reflected the glistening brilliance of the torches of flames. The air was tense with excitement and anticipation. The roaring crowd placed bets on their favourite pair of beasts and rallied with shouts and whistles. As the race progressed, the outcries swelled in high-spirited vibrancy. Ekveer enjoyed the vivacious ambience. Men and beasts competed together to win the love of Alaka. Focussed on the racing track, he missed the murmurings.