17

Viaan slowly turned around and jerked

his head towards the right so his face

would be in shadows of the outpost

building. That motion also served

to displace his hair and it fell in his

eyes. Eyes smarting with tears, Viaan

answered the head guard. "The trainee

sent for some, I don't know which

trainee. The desk manager gave me

this to give to you," he said indicating

the small bottle, "before leaving to get

supplies, sir." Viaan bowed his head

remembering how Rudra talked to him.

The guard bought his act and dismissed

him. With a slight spring in his step,

Viaan walked briskly to the mansion. He

was quiet proud of his accomplishment

when he was tackled from behind. He

tried turning his head but he was kept

frozen. He was standing below the

tourist attraction, the waterfalls which

were allowed entry for only two months.

And as he was trespassing, no one

knew where he was. He tried to open

his invisible bindings but they were

fastening around him and squeezing

hard. Viaan had little time to free himself

and he tried to remember his training.

He focused his mind on the bindings

and searched for a little crack. When

he found one, he made it bigger and

bigger till there was a snap and he was

free. He whirled back and saw those

black robed warriors. They were like

the ones he fought with Nairiti. He now

knew how to felt when his magic was

being pulled away from him. But their

magic didn't work on him. They also

realised that and then advanced on him.

Viaan knew how to fight. He was taught

that before he could learn how to read.

Viaan dodged the left one's hand and

parried the right one with his extendable

sword. He added some lightning so that

the person could get a shock and get

unconscious. It worked and soon the two

guys were dozing. He didn't know why

they attacked him. If they knew when

to attack, they were keeping a close

eye on him. Viaan left them there and

nearly ran back to the mansion. "You

are back, so early," Vidyut gasped after

looking at him properly," Why are you

bleeding?" Bleeding? It was a small cut,

Viaan thought, Vidyut carefully wrapped

a cloth on Viaan's forehead. "You fought

the Black guards, huh?" "Who are they?"

Viaan asked. "They are the supreme dark

users, I can say." Something dark clouded

Vidyut's voice and Viaan didn't like it.

His friend was sunshine personified not

darkness representer. "And what do they

do?" Viaan asked him to bring him out

of his powerful dark thoughts. "They

recruit magic users in their swarm.

They like to be forceful about things.

They are the law enforcers and pretty

much brutal." "How can the enforcers

be brutal?" "They are hardened people,

you see. They only want to see justice.

served at any cost. But they are going

wrong about it. You are a prince, let me

ask you something? What punishment

would you give a kid who was caught

stealing?" Viaan thought for a moment. "I

would tell him not to do it again and give

him food." "That's the difference. They

will send the kid to fight with a skilled

magic user. A defenseless kid to fight a

magic user. To harden and toughen him

up for something he did because he was

hungry and no one cared for him. I agree

that sometimes hard punishments must

be given. But they believe punishments

make people better. I think it is pure non

sense." Viaan could see Vidyut's point

but he felt like something was off with

those magic users. "Then don't they get

hurt by using magic to hurt others?"

"They believe they are doing the world

right, so in their mind, they are right.

Why would they torture their mind at

night when they spend their days doing

the world good?" Vidyut's tone was bitter

and icy. Viaan knew those people and

Vidyut had a history. "How many people

are they?" "Only a couple thousand!"

"Whoa!" Viaan thought it was a kingdom

by the way Vidyut reacted. But if it was

a kingdom, Viaan should have already

known about it or his geography teacher

would be mad at him. "You are hurt!"

Both of them turned towards the right

where Nairiti was standing with Rudra.

She looked at him with a worried stance

and Viaan felt sheepish. It was nothing.

He had falls way worse than the cut on

his forehead. She demanded a thorough

second by second narration of his field

trip. She didn't interrupt and neither

did the others. After he was done, she

exploded at him with anger. "You were

almost caught. Do you know what could

happen then? I can't break you out

again. And then you got almost strangled

by the Black Squad. Why won't you listen

to us?" Viaan interrupted her before she

could point out other flaws in his plan.

"I'm here, aren't I? I didn't know about

the Black guards. But I got out without

anyone knowing I was in. I can be safe.

I'm here. Be calm." She glared at him for

a few seconds and then her expression

softened. Viaan produced the paper

strips he found and gave them to Vidyut

for his analysis. Then Ridra informed

about five of his friends who wanted to

work for them. They didn't tell anyone

of their complete plan so it was good,

Viaan thought. Viaan then fell asleep

on the chair which he realised when he

was woken up by Rudra. He opened his

tired eyes and saw the pensive look on

Vidyut. "Based on what food materials

you saw, they are being fed with slow

drugs. The spices and everything are

not what we think. If they are added

more in the food, everyone in the palace

Viaan didn't do anything.

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