The Secrets of the Elements

Chapter 32: Dai Maa

Indra snapped his fingers; all the curtains drew at once covering the hut in darkness. He swivelled to

meet the confused faces of Daksh, Rutuja, and Rishi.

"Indra," said Dai Ma as she shut the door behind her. "They will be here in no time." She produced a

small crystal ball from her dresses' pocket and held it in front of him.

"The transportation crystal," said Rutuja as she stepped towards it. "Why are we-"

Daksh spun around as the ground shook and thunder rattled in the distance. Rishi lost his balance and

landed on the floor. "Rishi," said Rutuja and helped him get to his feet. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

"Indra," said Dai Ma as she stretched her hand. Indra narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. "No, I'm

not coming with you," said Dai Ma as though reading his mind.

"What is happening?" said Daksh.

"His people are here," said Dai Ma and thrust the ball in Indra's hands. Indra opened his mouth to say

something but Dai Ma raised her hand in the air. "You follow my orders, Indra."

"How did they get here? Nobody knew this place-" started Rutuja and clutched Rishi's arm.

There was a bang and the door exploded into pieces. They shielded their eyes from the light flooding

the room. "Indra," said Dai Ma, standing in front of them, facing the group of ten people now standing in

front of them with what looked like guns in their hands. "Do it now. I order you."

Rutuja stepped ahead and produced a transparent ball of light and threw it towards the soldiers. The

soldiers stood there, almost unaffected by her move.

Daksh stretched his arms in the air generating a ball full of sparkling blue light. Rishi moved his hands

up in the air building a wall of protection around them as the soldiers began firing. The bullets could not

pass the protective wall build by Rishi. Though the wall became weaker every passing second as the

incoming bullets didn't seem to stop any time soon.

Daksh threw the electric ball in their direction. It hit them with full velocity. Still, they stood there,

unmoved, their silver armours deflecting all the attacks on them.

Rishi fell to the ground; his hands in front of him, trying to keep the resistance of the wall poised. "I

can't stop them anymore," he said closing his eyes, applying all the power he had. He could feel the

strain in his muscles and nerves, the energy gradually leaving his body.

Daksh and Rutuja continued with their efforts of attacking the enemies from another side of the

protective wall but in vain.

With much hesitation, Indra threw the ball up in the air and pulled the children towards him in a circle.

Rutuja spun her neck so fast that she might have hurt herself. Dai Ma produced a massive ball of void

that blocked all the bullets coming from the shotguns of the enemies.

The image of Dai Ma battling the soldiers alone blurred every passing moment. Daksh stuck out his

hand to feel the wall of what felt like water-raising around them. Rishi looked up at the crystal that was

emanating bright white light.

Indra caught hold of Rutuja's arms as she set her foot towards Dai Ma, outside the circle of water they

were standing in now. "We are not leaving her alone," she murmured teary-eyed.

Daksh took a step towards the wall but was instantly pushed back by an invisible force. He closed his

eyes and moved his hands in a circular motion as though producing an ethereal ball. Rishi followed.

"This is a wall of transportation," said Rutuja, her heart pulsating vehemently against her chest. "No

magic works in it."

Rishi and Daksh opened their eyes and looked at their hands, confused. Daksh nodded his head and

stretched his hands in front of him attempting to produce a sort of invisible rope or power that could

stop the soldiers.

A masked man emerged from behind the soldiers and stood in front of Dai Ma. He lifted his hands in

the air forming a sparkling ball of light.

"No!" said Rishi and Daksh in unison as the ball hit Dai Ma right in her chest. She collapsed on the floor

and lay motionless.

The surroundings dissolved in the air as they were particles of sugar dissolving in water. The wall of

water sprang high up and covered them. Rutuja's eyes were full of tears. She noticed the floor has

disappeared and had instead been replaced with green grass.

Daksh looked at Indra accusingly. Rishi kept his hand on Rutuja's shoulders as she dropped to her

knees, sobbing. "Why!?" was all she uttered.

Indra felt his throat go dry and his hands shiver.

"We have to go back," said Rishi. "We can't just leave her like that."

"How could you?" said Daksh, his eyes watery. He felt like his insides were burning, his heart heavy

with grief. He buried his face in his hands.

"We could fight them!" said Rishi. "Why did we run? Leaving Dai Ma alone."

Rutuja kept crying; her face covered with her open hair. She took a deep breath and got to her feet

wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "They were Azazel's special shooters," she said, sniffling.

"You can't fight them. They don't stop for nothing."

Indra turned on his heels and began walking in the opposite direction.

"Master Indra!" called Rishi. "Where are you going?"

Daksh looked up at his father who was now walking away from them. He looked at the things that

surrounded them. He could see trees, bushes, huge boulders, and a river far away from them. As

though coming to his senses, he took in the air and closed his eyes. "Roses," he said.

"This," said Rutuja, still weeping. "is the Forest of Aegis. It's the place of the highest security and can

be only entered in times of peril."

"Well, what about Dai Ma?" questioned Rishi as he looked at Rutuja and then at Daksh.

"Don't," said Rutuja as Daksh set his foot in the direction of Indra. "He wants to be alone," she said

wiping her tears.

Daksh opened his mouth to protest but he felt furious and sad at the same time that his brain could not

form words. He dropped to his knees and put his hands on the ground crushing the grass.

"Are we just going to let them take her away?" Rishi almost screamed.

Rutuja sat next to Daksh cross-legged and began sobbing again. Daksh felt his tears running down his

face. Rutuja looked up at Rishi. "We've lost her."

"No, she- this can't happen- " said Rishi. Tears rolling down his eyes. He took a few steps back and

dropped down on the ground, wailing.

To be continued...