Sun Moon & Stars Volume III Curse Of The Third-Eye

|| SHAMANIRI ||

A tense, eerie silence had been prevailing around the palace walls for quite some time. 

Alaapi didn't want to ponder on negative possibilities, so decided it was best to retire for the night. 

Worried ministers had held him back at the king's court. They had finally started to believe in the skull-men and kept asking Alaapi long questions. Some of them even suggested sending soldiers to search the cave of Kaanthalis. 

Alaapi was about to protest, but Veerendra quickly stepped in and refused all those nonsense strategies. It was under his stern battle plans that the panicked ministers realised the forces they were about to fight against were not mere humans.

As he walked towards the infirmary, Alaapi kept thinking about the heated conversation between Veerendra and the king but didn't worry much. He knew there was not another soul who would dare to go against the crown prince. Well, maybe Chaarvi could, but she was too occupied to be involved in the happenings of court.

On one hand, Dhannishth's deteriorating health forced Laakhi to take over the royal army's command and Atrī's transition happened abruptly while she was with child throwing her into a vulnerable state, yet on the other hand, Chaarvi nowadays seemed lost.

She mostly remained inside the walls of the Aśvin temple and somehow her closeness with Prajvedh was growing at a rapid rate, which both pleased and worried Alaapi.

Walking his tired legs back to the infirmary carrying a bundle of wooden logs, Alaapi sighed. He opened the door and pushed it closed behind him, then looked up blinking away the traces of sleep. 

As soon as his gaze adjusted to the flickering light in the fireplace Alaapi gasped stepping back. He quickly secured the logs under his arms tightly and shook his head to check whether he was hallucinating or not. 

Prajvedh was bent over the infirmary table studying a large map that resembled the old scrolls Alaapi was entrusted with by the shepherds.

Finding his vagabond friend in a grave thought at that time of the night was surprising.

It was a time when his friend often indulged in forbidden affairs. However, he also cannot deny that his reckless friend started to change after meeting the young Brahmini. 

"Why aren't you in bed?" Alaapi asked announcing his presence. He strode towards the fireplace and started neatly stacking the logs inside the storage. 

Prajvedh jerkily looked up and kept staring. He blinked after a minute taking in Alaapi's presence. 

 "Oh! So sorry I didn't realize I was taking up your research schedule," he quickly rolled up the map glancing towards the hourglass and started wrapping up the bronze tools he had borrowed from Alaapi's collection. "I'll put them in the right places, do not worry."

"What were you studying?" Alaapi didn't want to intrude but seeing the old scriptures and parchments he couldn't hold himself back out of habit.

"Oh these..." Prajvedh trailed off, a half-smile lifting the corner of his lips as he again spread the map on the table. He pursed his lips thinking hard for a while then asked, "Ever heard of Tritwa Shikhar?"

Alaapi's eyes widened, and the rest of the logs he was carrying fell from his hand scattering on the floor. He rushed towards the table hurdling the logs with great anticipation, "No it can't be. The land of the Magris!?"

Prajvedh nodded with enthusiasm and a smirk, "the land of Onkhquerik as well."

Alaapi's eyes sparkled as his mouth fell open. He looked closely at the map, "Incredible!" His hands roamed over the pointers describing the land, the places and the three distinct towers of Ina, Kami and Jayu.