TRIAL-END OF AN ERA

Chapter-103

A strong wind from the unknown land waved her hair and dress. It had a strong smell that overwhelmed her months ago. It was jasmine. But in this land, it was different. It had a faint smell of blood blended in. She followed the horse neigh and moved forward. The smell of blood thickened. The path was wet and had big oak and nutmeg trees in its way. The path seemed to be habituated but now it's deserted. She couldn't infer her appearance in that strange place nor about others who left her here. The place seemed to be a maze for her with no intervening paths and the horses seemed to be her only clue. As she progressed, she could feel a sense of nostalgia whose origin she was unaware of. The number of horses seemed to be increasing and she felt the presence of a mob. She rushed in that direction but the destination seemed to be endless. She was slowly draining her energy as well as her optimism. Amanya dimly starts to accept the harsh reality before her; she is lost. Lost in an unknown world.

All of a sudden, there was a loud clamor and the sounds died. It followed a huge wave of silence hitting her from all directions. The whole area around her looked as if time had stopped at that land. Amaya stopped at that point and took a deep breath. She was confused and started to lose her confidence lethargically.

Suddenly she saw a shade in the woods. She slowly progressed towards it. A lady in white. Her attire looked exactly the same as that of the girl she dreamed once. She found the source of jasmine. She approached her but couldn't reach. Amanya started following her. No matter how hard she tried, the lady was always ahead of her by a few steps; it felt as if she was chasing her shadow. The lady before her walked in agony and she could feel it, though she couldn't see her face. The way was hard and wet. She slipped and hurted her hands hitting a tree. The time lag didn't matter, she could still keep her pace. As she progressed, the blood stench increased.

The lady walked restlessly and suddenly stopped at a point. The abrupt stop made Amanya pause too. She roared and galloped. Amanya rushed towards her. It was a battlefield. A field that just had a battle. The land was full of fresh blood and swords everywhere but no soldiers nor horses. The lady wept cuddling a man in armor. Amanya got the meaning of a jasmine scent with a blood tint and walked towards her. She guardedly grazed her shoulder and the lady had no response. She was weeping like a lunatic with no regard for her existence. Amanya buckled her courage and stood face to face. The lady glanced at her in a stroke. It was her reflection. "It's me... It's Amanya..."