The dust finally began to settle down,thin beams of sunlight cracking through the broken roof.Smoke curled upward in lazy spiral,painting the wreckage in shifting shadows.
Foxen lay on his back,amidst the rubble.With a grunt,ge propped himself on his elbows and tilted his face towards the open sky,breathing as though a massive weight had been lifted off his chest.
A few feet away,Sana perched on a fractured slab of stone her legs dangling.She kept glancing Foxen's relaxed frame to Mahnstin's frustrated shoulders.
Mahnstin didn't sit stillm.He prowled over the rubble clenching his jaw with frustration and kicking the stones around.
Foxen dusted his sleeves and looked at the unstable Mahnstin.
Foxen: C'mon,man.Don't chew yourself up like that.You were the one who sensed this place-without you we wouldn't even have got here.
Sana leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees.
Sana: He's right,Mahnstin.You just got caught in the cheap tricks of that man.Stop blaming yourself.
Mahnstin pretended not to hear them.His hands dug through the fallen rubble and finally,he got his hands on the CE-stopping stone along with a sword that they had seen earlier.He pushed the shattered rubble beside and held the stone in his hand.
Mahnstin: Found them,a stone and a sword.
Sana: Good job.
Foxen stood up stretching his arms-approaches Mahnstin.
Foxen: Just a sword and a stone ? Weren't there shields and more of them ?
Mahnstin: Yes but I wasn't able to find them.
Foxen: Ah that explains things now.
Sana got up and approached them,covering her nose with palm from the dust.
Sana: Explains what ?
Foxen: That man probably took the other things with him and probably used the shields to protect himself.
Mahnstin: Yeah that makes sense.
Sana: No,it doesn't.How could he do that ? The blast took off in like few seconds-was he that fast ?
Foxen: I fear,he might be.
Mahnstin: He also mentioned killing past hosts.We didn't get much info about it.
Foxen: Oh right.We will take out everything from him next time.
Sana folded her arms looking away from them.
Sana: Personally,I'd rather never see him again.He had the nerve to raise a hand on a woman,you know.
Foxen smiled and patted her shoulder.
Foxen: We will end him before he lays even an eye on you.
Sana smiled.
Sana: I don't recall giving you permission to touch me.
Foxen: Oh apologies Miss.Helar.
Sana: Quit that,you have the permission to use my name now.
Mahnstin interrupted them.
Mahnstin: So should we take this to the tentacles ?
Sana: Yes let's do.
Foxen: So which tentacle should we dump these things to -Achinos ? Darsana ? Or Ayu-what was it ?
Sana: Ayurash.Gold fish memory.
Mahnstin: I think we should take it to Sir Darsana as he sent me to Arcanum in the first place.
Sana: Sir ??
Foxen: Oh he is just an obedient student of his teacher.
Sana burst out laughing.
Foxen: Wow,you can laugh too ?
Sana: Of course and I wasn't laughing on your comment-don't flatter yourself.
Foxen: Huh right,must have been the air tickling you.
Mahnstin handed over the stone to Sana and the sword to Foxen.
Mahnstin: Let's go now.
Sana: And how do you plan to go ? walk through galaxies ?
Foxen held the sword more tight and swung it in the air.
Foxen: We have our eyes.
Sana: Eyes ? that eye you carry-that's gonna help us ??
Foxen swung the sword two times then pointed it towards Mahnstin.
Foxen: No,I mean our 'eyes'.The sensory eyes.
Sana: Oh you mean Mahnstin.
Foxen: Bingo,you do have a brain.
Mahnstin gave a laugh.
Mahnstun: Let's go now.Hold on to my hands.
Sana narrowed her eyes.
Sana: A married man asking a woman to hold hand ? huh ? So bold of you-trying to cheat ?
Both Mahnstin and Foxen ignored her.
Sana gripped Mahnstin's palm grabbing stone in the other hand-while Foxen didn't hold Mahnstin's hand instead he rested his palm on Mahnstin's shoulder,holding the sword in other hand.
Sana saw it and poked him with the stone.
Sana: Aww shy to hold a man's hand ?
Foxen looked away,avoiding her.
Foxen: Let him focus.
Mahnstin closed his eyes.Energy rippled through the air-and three of them vanished.
They reappeared in the Library of legends.
The air was thick with humming energy.
Shelves soared endlessly upwards,energy rippling through them as if they were forged from dying stars.Humongus books stacked in the shleves,carrying the secrets of the universe.
From the dark a tall glowing figure ascended in front of them.Darsana.
Foxen and Sana were so stunned by the surrounding that they didn't notice his arrival.
Mahnstin instantly bowed.
Mahnstin: Apologies for the intrusion sir.
Sana's jaw dropped-seeing Mahnstin behaving like this.
Foxen whispered to her.
Foxen: Told you he is teacher's obedient.
Darsana: No apology is needed,Mahnstin.I was expecting you three.
Foxen squinted.
Foxen: Expecting us ?
Darsana: Yes.Foxen-you fought well and that plan was clever.Sana-you did well too covering it.
Sana instinctively bowed.
Sana: Thank you sir.
Both Mahnstin and Foxen looked at her in disbelief.
Foxen leaned forward crossing his arms.
Foxen: How do you know this ?
Darsana's calm glow shimmered a little.
Darsana: Can you learn some manners first ?
Foxen looked away saying something in low voice.
Mahnstin: How do you know sir ?
Darsana: I saw it all.
Mahnstin: Why didn't you intervene then ?
Darsana: I can't because you posses my powers now. Same goes for the other two too.
Sana: So the others can't use their powers ?
Darsana: Not entirely.You will get to know later-Now you have something for me right ?
Mahnstin: Yes sir.
He pointed towards Foxen and Sana.
Both of them raised their hands showing the sword and the stone.
Darsana: Foxen bring the sword here.I want to take a good look at it.
Foxen approached him and held the sword in both of his hands.
Darsana glanced over it and then raised his hand.
A glowing pillar came out of the floor.
Darsana: Insert it here.
Foxen slid the sword into the pillar and it dissolved back into the floor.
Darsans: Good job weilders.Your mission was success.
Foxen: So this was our mission huh ? What if we had failed ?
Darsana voice got bold.
Darsana: Well,then all three of you would have been perished on Arcanum itself.
Foxen looked down clenching his fists.He had expected the answer.He looked back at Mahnstin and Sana-both of them stood still,theit eyes had no light.The fact of being mere tools struck into their minds.
Sana then held the stone in her hand high towards Darsana.
Sana: What about this stone ?
Darsana: Take it to Achinos.Mahnstin take them to him.
Mahnstin bowed to him.
Mahnstin: As you say sir.
Foxen walked back to Mahnstin and kept his palm on his shoulder.Sana grabbed his palm.
Mahnstin closed his eyes and in a blink they vanished.
Now they stood in the Orb of memories where Achinos was already waiting.
Sana was stunned again by the paintings and the glowing spheres of the orb.
While Foxen and Mahnstin stood unbothered.
Foxen: Yo,ancient glow.Missed me ?
Achinos: I'd rather get swallowed by a black hole than miss you.
Foxen: Oh don't be so cold.-I know you were waiting for me.
Sana's jaw dropped seeing Foxen interacting with Achinos-completely different than Mahnstin.
Achinos put his arm forward.
Achinos: Sana,give me the stone.
Sana was startled and almost dropped the the stone.
Sana: Apologies sir.
She walked towards him and kept the stone in his palm.
Foxen: I can't pass my CE through it.
Achinos: I know.
Foxen: So what are you gonna do with it ?
Achinos didn't answer.
Foxen: Yooo,you got deaf ?
Achinos: Shut up,dumb meat.
Mahnstin: What's our next mission,sir ?
Achinos: Mission ? No,you can rest for a while-till we call you again.
Foxen streched his arms,cracked his knuckles.
Foxen: Oh a vacation ? Feels like school again.
Sana: Damn-you went to school ?
Foxen: Of course I did.My planet wasn't busy in civil war.I ended it you know.
Sana: Yeah yeah,self proclaimed peacemaker.
Achinos: You got your match,Cosmic wax.
Foxen: and you back to being cosmic cupid again ?
Achinos: Get lost already.
Foxen: Aye aye,don't miss me.
Three of them walked towards the exit.
Mahnstin: So,where do you two plan to go now ?
Sana: I am going to Ayurash.He asked me to visit once the mission completes.
Foxen: Oh pop's call huh ? Nice.What about you Mahnstin ?
Mahnstin's eyes lowered,his voice softened.
Mahnstin: Going back to my everything,my family.
Both Foxen and Sana smiled.
Foxen: They will be really glad to see you.
Mahnstin: Yes.What about you Foxen ?
Foxen hesitated then shrugged.
Foxen: I was thinking about going back to Prith but now....I think they don't need me anymore.
Mahnstin: You can come with me.
Foxen: No,I don't want to intrude in family moments.
Sana poked Foxen with her elbow.
Sana: Oh caring man.
Mahnstin: It's fine-
Foxen: No,I have a place in my mind.
Mahnstin: Okay,suit yourself.Just remember you are always welcome in Urmars and you too,Sana.
Sana: Thank you.Sure,I will visit someday.
Foxen just smiled didn't say a word.
Sana: How do I get to Ayurash ?
Mahnstin: Tell me about his place,I will help you get there.
Sana: I don't know about it.I never visited his domain.
Mahnstin and Foxen looked at each other.
Both: All the best.
And they started walking to the exist
Sana screamed.
Sana: Hey,don't leave me here like this.Help me!
Foxen: Go ask Achinos.
Mahnstin closed his eyes and waved at both of them.
Mahnstin: Later guys.
Foxen didn't look back he stood at the exit and waved before hovering out.
Sana waved at them smiling and kind of upset too.
She went back to Achinos.
Sana: Sir,can you help me get to Ayurash ?
Achinos: That gremlin,he didn't even meet you,did he ?
Achinos raised his hand towards a wall,seven windows appeared on it-out of which one glowed and a figure spoke from it.Ayurash.
Ayurash: Oh Achinos,long time no see-Sana my dear,sorry for making you wait this long.
Achinos: Do your job,lazy ass.
Sana's body glowed for few seconds and she vanished from the orb.
Achinos stood there staring at the stone.
End of chapter 15.