WARLOCK'S INTERNS

Chapter 4: The Savior

Gorma and Rukma steered their broom higher and began to circle the Palace. They were careful enough to make sure they floated much above for people or guards to notice. On the third round, they saw something move along the thick bush. Gorma lowered her flight to see clearly.

Her eyes were very sharp, as sharp as an eagle’s eye. Soon she noticed the tiny figure of Princess Chitrakshi running along the woods. Yes, that’s her catch; Gorma feeling delighted started to fly towards the woods.

“There she is, our Princess is sneaking away from the Palace, and this is our chance Rukma.” She cried out to Rukma. Rukma too lowered her broom for a better view.

**

Mani was singing to herself when she heard the heavy footsteps. Suddenly she was alert at once, someone was walking this way. She ran towards the door of the Princess chamber so that she could block them from entering inside. To her astonishment she saw the tall figure of the King Maheepati himself. She began to perspire heavily, “Oh! God! What am I going to do now?”

Maheepati walked in with a broad smile, “What my little Princess is doing? I have a surprise for her.”

Mani stood blocking his way and stammered, “My lord! She - she is sleeping, she seems to have a headache.”

The King at once became suspicious, “Sleeping at this hour! let me see her Mani.”

With trembling legs Mani began to stammer again, “She - She is not really well, my lord!”

King Maheepati looked at her sternly before shouting his command, “Let me see her now, OUT OF MY WAY.”

Maheepati pushed her across and hurriedly walked towards the golden colored bed. He removed the covered cloth to see only couple of pillows arranged neatly. He turned back sharply and with a fierce eye and commanded Mani, “What does this mean? WHERE IS SHE?

Mani could not control her sobs; she at once knew she has erred in letting the Princess go out. With tears in eyes she began to cry hard “It’s not my fault my Lord, I - I told her not to go out, but - but she was very persistent.”

Maheepati looked even fiercer this time, he was very furious at Mani; he commanded her again in a high pitched voice, “WHERE DID SHE GO?”

“To - to meet her fisherman friends, my lord!”

King Maheepati suddenly thought of the lurking danger and called his guards at once and commanded them to bring back the Princess immediately to Palace.

**

Vaachaspati looked affectionately at the little white rabbit. It showed no fear of him. It began to move here and there nimbly; every now and then it stopped and looked at him. He always loved to sit on the steps of the temple and watch the activities of curious little beings during the mid day.

He always wondered about the mystics of nature, he wondered about others beings and their behaviors. It was so much like theirs yet different in a way. They seem to do all the things that humans do. He smiled inwardly thinking about his own childishness. He was a grown man with three kids!

Suddenly he saw a wild black cat snatching up the cute little white rabbit in no time. The black cat moved at an amazing speed and outwitted the rabbit without giving it time to react. Instantly he stood up, was this a sign? Was this an omen? He knew it was one. He was very good in understanding the signs of nature.

“God, save her!” he cried aloud in desperation. Yes, it has to be the Princess and Witches of the Mountain. He knew at once that Princess is in danger, something is going to happen.

**

Atma and Bakula continued their walk along the thick woods heading for the back fort. Suddenly Bakula sensed change in the air; he felt a sudden pang of despair.

“Atma, read the sky at once, I feel something strange.”

Atma believed in his brother’s greater inner sense. He closed his eyes at once and began to ask questions about Princess. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up at the sky. He saw the formation of a dark cloud; he peered his eyes through it for more indication. Atma was astonished to see the face of a Witch forming at the center of the dark cloud.

He turned towards Bakula and cried in urgency, “Baku Princess is in danger, she is going to be captivated by the Witches of Mountain, that’s what the dark cloud means, and I saw a Witch face too.”

“What shall we do now?” there was desperation is Bakula’s voice too.

“Let us run and warn the guards at the back fort, for I sense a great danger there.”

Both began to run at their possible speed towards the back fort.

**

Chitrakshi started panting heavily; she had never run so much. She had underestimated the distance, it was much more than she had expected. She kept on running slowly. Suddenly she stumbled on a twig and fell down. Chitrakshi began to feel desperation; she was hurt! Tiny droplets of bloods formed from her thumb nails of her left leg.

She was all alone in these thick woods; she started to feel very foolish. She shouldn’t have come all alone. She sat down making herself comfortable beside the twig. Chitrakshi started to take in her surroundings by looking around. Slowly she looked up and felt the shock of her life! She saw two women flying towards her sitting on what looked like a long broom or a big stick. At once she realized they should be the Mountain Witches that the Palace guards spoke very often.

Gorma and Rukma zeroed in on Chitrakshi and stopped their respective brooms beside either side of Princess.

“Rukma, Grab the Princess, while I scrutiny the area for any danger.” Gorma said to Rukma in an urgent tone. 

Although Rukma nodded her head in agreement, she was taken in by the beauty of Princess and lost all her senses as she murmured, “The lovely Princess of the heartless King.”

Chitrakshi at once could not understand what was happening! She was too shocked to observe the proceedings. To her surprise, one Witch caught hold of her hand and smiled sweetly.

“Aha! How beautiful you look dear! I feel very affectionate towards you, my Princess!” Rukma said as she began to pull the Princess upwards. But she failed as the Princess backed away and snatched her hand back as she asked in utter awe, “Aren’t you Witches of Mountain?”

Rukma stepped down from her broom as Princess began to back away. She walked towards the Princess opening her arms to embrace her affectionately and said, “We are, lovely Princess, we are.”

Gorma began to survey the area floating a bit higher and soon saw eight guards running towards them. She at once lowered her broom to the ground level near her sister. At once, she understood that Rukma has lost her Witch sense and cried in anger, “Rukma, you fool, there is no time. Grab her at once; let’s fly away before the guards come.”

Rukma still mesmerized by her beauty, could not understand the situation; she knelt in front of the Princess and stared deep into her eyes.

Gorma heard the footsteps and commotion getting closer; she picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it at Rukma in order to bring her back to senses.

“Rukma, grab her now – the guards are HERE.” Gorma Screamed in a high pitched voice.

Rukma came to her senses the moment the stone hit her back. She grabbed the Princess’s hand firmly and said, “Come with me dear, we shall fly to our cave in the mountain.”

**

Atma and Bakula began to run back towards the woods, they had heard the commotion and were running towards it. They knew it has to be the Witches of the Mountain and Princess. It was Bakula who saw them first. He was too shocked to speak; he could only point his hands to Atma.

Atma at once saw them, one Witch had a firm hold on Princess’s hand and other was closing in on Princess, instantly he knew what they are planning to do. They are going to carry away the Princess. They are too far away to do anything now; desperately he began to think fast.

It was again Bakula who saw a small figure jumping up from a bush behind Princess Chitrakshi and everything else happened in an instant! The tiny figure, a girl! Vasundari! Threw a hand full of raw mud on the eyes of both Witches and grabbed the hand of Princess and began to run towards their right.

Atma was also too astonished to speak up, to their luck he saw the six guards running towards the woods from their right. He waved out a heavy sign of relief, as the guards approached towards the running Vasundari and Princess. Soon two guards among them took their bow and aimed the witches. The two Witches, who had taken enough time to rub of the raw mud from their eyes, now saw the guards aiming their arrows at them. With no other way the Witches sat on their respective broom and started to fly away in a zig zag way to avoid the incoming arrows.

Atma and Bakula sat down on the ground at once in great relief after seeing the guards securing the Princess and Vasundari safely inside their small circle.

**

Later Atma and Bakula started walking towards their hut with Vasundari. The guards had taken them all along with Princess to King’s presence for an explanation about the incident. The King looked very angry at first, however; he smoothened up soon and told them about the risk and consequences of their childish behavior in an emotive tone that surprised everybody. Further, he made them to promise that there would be no more secret meetings whatsoever.

Vasundari has not spoken to them at all since she left Palace, she too was very angry with what they had done. As they walked towards their hut, Bakula was the first to venture a comment on her braveness.

“Vasundari, we are really grateful to you, without your quick thought Princess would have been kidnapped.”

 “You and your thanks, it is a shame on your part to desert me in the first place.” Vasundari replied scornfully.

 “We are sorry Vasundari; we just didn’t want to put you at risk.”

 Vasundari stopped walking at once with hands on her hips, “And now whose risk worked?”

 Atma looked at her admiringly, “Vasundari, let us to stop our quarrel and think about those Witches.”

 Bakula nodded, “Yes, I wonder where they have been all these years and how come suddenly they appeared.”

 Vasundari was back to herself as she thought of an idea. “Hey, why don’t we meet old Warlock? He would know all about them.”

 Atma gave it a serious thought and slowly smiled, “Yes, I too have lot of questions for him.”

 Vasundari threw a mysterious grin on both of them before adding, “But mind you, no more tricks this time, I AM COMING WITH YOU TWO.”

****