Aru Shah and the Soul Trident

It's Not a Number Two

A/N: Hey, everyone! This chapter is reallyyyy long, so enjoy! I'll hopefully be completing the series in the next 2-3 chapters, btw!

The stench of sweat and blood hit Aru's nose like anything. She gagged, but trudged forward, practically blind in the darkness. She felt around the wall, her palm meeting with rough, crumbled rock, but she quickly drew her hand back when she felt something crawl up her fingers.

"Ew, ew, ew," she whispered, as she frantically shook her hand.

"Guys, I think I see something," came Brynne's voice from up ahead. Aru gulped and rushed forward, then stopped abruptly.

A floating weapon suspended in the air about twelve feet in front of them. Not just any weapon. A trident.

Its three, sharp prongs were encased in a golden halo that brightened up the chamber they were standing in. Protruding below the three tips was a long, mahogany shaft that had golden inscriptions carved on it.

"The soul trident," whispered Rudy beside her. His brown eyes had widened in awe, and his patch of scales on his forehead gleamed. "It's-"

"-powerful," finished Aiden, also in awe. Slowly, he raised Shadowfax and snapped a quick picture.

"Okay, let's go," ordered Brynne, looking determined as ever. She clenched GemGem tightly in her fist and took a step forward.

"Wait, what about Mahishasura?" whisper-yelled Mini.

Aru scanned the small room they were in. Other than a couple of rats and skulls shoved in the red sand, there was no other creature in sight. Definitely not an angry rakshasa.

"Maybe he's in the bathroom?" Aru said, her voice going up an octave nervously.

"If he is, I hope it's a number two," muttered Aiden, completely serious-looking.

"WHO DARES COME TO MY ABODE?"

"Guess not," said Rudy, gulping as he pointed a shaking finger at a figure approaching them.

Aru tightened her grip on Gandalf and ran a thumb over the SSS ring, which turned warm beneath her touch. She felt her friends tense up next to her in anticipation for a fight.

She watched as Mahishasura came closer and closer, cloaked in darkness...until he wasn't.

The cave seemed to get a couple degrees colder as he entered the chamber from a tunnel. Aru stared at the supposedly fearsome rakshasa. 

"You're Mahishasura?" asked Brynne incredulously, a minute later. Aru saw Mini elbow their sister.

"Careful," she hissed.

Mahishasura raised a bushy, dark brow that nearly blended in with his crimson skin. "Yes, I am," he said in a deep, rumbly voice. He spread out his arms in a sweeping gesture. "I look the part, don't I?"

No. No, he didn't. At least, not to Aru. The so-called terrifying monster was about eight feet tall, but that's where his scariness ended. Mahishasura looked like those annoying Indian uncles that Aru saw at those potlucks her mom dragged her to every other weekend. Harmless, but incredibly nosy and bothersome.

He was not at all what she had expected. Aru had thought he would wear sorely just underwear like all evil monsters did. But, no. Mahishasura was wearing casual, dark gray sweatpants that seemed like they hadn't been washed in decades, and a sweatshirt that read Embrace the Patriarchy.

That's a red flag right there, whispered Brynne into her mind, and Aru knew she was talking about the sweatshirt.

Two, thick horns stuck through his long, dark curly hair and his brown eyes seemed like they were in permanent surprise.