A Heart In Flames

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

To the east of the island, Oma went. He was unafraid. His desire to rescue his wife was so much so, that, he became blind to danger. His sword was in his hand; his sac hang on him, and in it was the axe.

The forest was dense; there were many tall trees, and under the trees were thorns and thistles. There were brooks and rivers, rocks and stones. There were also creeping, venomous, and other strange creatures in the forest.

Through the thorns and thistles, Oma moved. He didn’t care about the pricks and the scratches. His love for his beautiful wife, and the strong desire to rescue her numbed his pains. A love so strong was one that he had for her.

His eyes widely opened, his feet moving fast, and his sword in his hand, Oma got to a brook and there, he stopped. He saw something that nearly moved him to act. An old woman stood in the brook, crying for help. She looked old and frail, sick and hungry. Her hairs were grey, her knees were feeble, and her skin looked wizened.

“I am stuck in the mud,” the old woman cried. “Please, help me to get out,” she pleaded, her tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Oma felt pity for the frail old woman. He wanted to help her. He didn’t quite remember at the moment that evil was the name of the island on which he was. He took steps towards her, but just when his left foot entered the water, he remembered the little and wicked spirits that the fish said they would seek his mercy. Then, he got out of the water instantly.

“Who are you?” he asked, and looked closely at the frail, old woman.

“I was abandoned here by a man I loved so much. He betrayed me after loving and helping him all my life,” the old woman replied. She was still in tears, looking more pathetic.

Oma didn’t trust the old woman. He remembered what the fish told her. “You are cunning,” he said. “You are one of the evil spirits, but in your trap I will not fall.”

The old woman continued to plead. She sounded more pathetic with every other word she uttered, trying hard for Oma to believe her.

Oma didn’t want to waste time. Time was running out for him; he had to rescue his wife before it would be too late. He chanted the three mysterious words and when the sword had flamed, the old woman barked like a dog, turned into smoke and vanished.

Oma crossed the stream and continued his way. But not long after, behind a hill, he saw the town crier he knew in Sabasu. He was holding his bell, looking tired, tattered, and hungry.

“Why have you kept so long?” the town crier asked. “The people of Subasu have waited so long. They are worried, and I was sent to come and look for you.” His voice really sounded like that of the town crier Oma knew.

The voice touched Oma's heart. He remembered when he went to the town crier and asked him to announce the day of his marriage ceremony to the people of Subasu, and the day he went to him to announce their voyage to Mookoo. He liked the town crier for his hard work and dedication. With his heart full of admiration, Oma wanted to get closer to the town crier but, then again, he remembered what the fish told him about the little and wicked spirits.

“You are an evil spirits disguised as the town crier. Get off my way before a flaming sword burns you to oblivion,” Oma shouted, with his sword raised.

Oma was right; it was an evil spirit that had taken on a form that looked like the town crier he admired. Knowing that his trap had been unveiled, the evil spirit made a loud noise, turned into smoke, and disappeared.

Again and again, Oma encountered evil spirits as he walked through the dense forest to the east coast of the evil island to rescue his wife. Some of the evil spirits came in a form of beautiful birds, harmless children, talking snakes, and appetizing fruits. But, Oma remembered the words of the shiny, beautiful fish and never fell prey to them.

Finally, after a long walk and having avoided many temptations, Oma reached the east coast of the island. It was a beautiful sandy beach, but Oma didn’t spare a minute to relish the serenity of the coast. Until he had rescued his wife, nothing would seem appealing to him.

Oma looked at his right side of the coast. The sand stretched far, it appeared unending, and he saw no huge rock. Then, quickly, he turned and looked at his left side, and far from where he stood, he saw something like a rock. He trusted his eyes.

“That is where the demon is hiding with my wife,” he said to himself, and breathed satisfactorily. “I will rescue her soon.”

Right away, Oma started running like a hungry lion chasing its prey – he neither wanted to stop nor rest. The sand at the beach didn’t allow him to run as fast as he wanted but it was never his intent to run slowly.

In a jiffy, Oma got to the rock. It was huge indeed. The top of it reached the top of the trees, and it stretched wide between the shore and the forest. It looked green at one side, and black at the other.

At first, Oma could not find any space under the rock as the fish told him. But he believed the fish. Everything it told him was true. There must be a hole hidden somewhere under the rock, he thought. “I must look for it,” he said to himself.

Trying hard to discover where the demon was hiding under the rock with his wife, Oma went round the rock, straining his eyes, hitting loosed spots, and calling his wife. It took him quite sometime for his efforts to yield result.

At last, he saw a wide, dark hole at a hidden corner beneath the rock. His heart raced. He knew his wife was there. He planted his sword on the ground, and holding on to it, he tried to look into the hole. He saw nothing. But, unexpectedly, a huge bat flew from the dark hole and hit his face. He fell down. And the next thing he saw was murky darkness as the sound of the huge midnight waves of the sea crept into his ears.