Aru Shah and the Soul Trident

Use Musi-zzz

Takshaka's tail whipped back and forth as he surveyed them.

Fight or run? Mini asked nervously.

I don't think he'll give us a chance to run, answered Brynne.

Aru nodded. Based on her previous experiences with the blind naga king, he wasn't the type to give up a fight.

"Dada-ji? How did you get here?" asked Rudy.

Takshaka snarled. "Don't call me that, boy. You're unworthy of being my grandson."

Rudy looked taken aback, and Aru saw Mini squeeze his shoulder comfortingly. Her sister glared at Takshaka.

"You're the one who's unworthy to be his grandfather," Mini retorted.

Takshaka let out a snicker. "What is this, Rudra? You've got yourself another admirer? Does she not know how useless you truly are?"

Mini blushed, and was about to respond, when Rudy beat her to it. "I'm not as weak as you think, Dada-ji. I've grown much stronger. If anything, you're the one who's at a disadvantage. There's only one of you and five of us."

Takshaka scowled and thumped his tail on the ground threateningly.

Guys! I see the portal! Brynne subtly nodded towards the path up in front of them. A couple of feet behind Takshaka, was a swirling blue and black portal that was cleverly hidden by various ferns and trees.

We have to keep him distracted, Aru messaged back. Brynne and Mini nodded, while Aru stealthily motioned Aiden and Rudy to back away.

"Perhaps. But I can defeat a couple of children on my own." Takshaka hissed and jumped at Brynne and Mini, who avoided his attack just in time.

Aru hefted Gandalf up and threw it at Takshaka. The weapon glowed and slowly transformed into a spear, but the naga king dodged and Gandalf instead lodged itself into a tree.

Rudy fumbled with his bow (Aru had forgotten he even had it) and with great effort, nocked a golden arrow on the string. With visible strain, he pulled back the arrow and let it loose. Aru expected it to at least go in Takshaka's direction, but she was proved wrong. The arrow missed him by a large margin and it landed just a couple feet in front of Rudy lamely.

"Oops," Rudy muttered.

"I thought you said you had training!" yelled Aiden, as he dodged an attack from Takshaka.

"I never said I was any good at it!" retorted Rudy, while he tried to nock another arrow. He let out a sudden yelp as Brynne suddenly shoved him aside.

"If you can't fight, then at least stay out of the way!" she yelled, using her mace to try and land a hit on Takshaka, but instead, she tripped over a tree root and bumped into Aru.

Aru went stumbling backwards, knocking into Aiden and Rudy. The three of them went tumbling to the ground, and Aru winced. Shaking off the fall, she quickly tried to stand back up, when Takshaka suddenly snapped his fingers.

All of a sudden, she began to feel drowsy. She felt like someone had wrapped a warm blanket around her and placed her in history class, which made her yawn loudly. Aru staggered, struggling to keep her eyes open, but she was just so...sleepy. Just close your eyes, her brain whined, but she tried to resist.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Aiden and Rudy similarly struggling. Both cousins swayed, and after a couple of seconds, Rudy went down with a thump and started snoring. Aiden soon followed, and it took all of Aru's strength to send one last mind message to her sisters, before falling into an unwanted slumber.