(Book 4) Hayden Mackay and The Fest of Vrindahina

35.1 The Act of Nirnaya

I outstretched my arm. Happiness swelled in her face, as she gazed down with surprise at my offering hand. The way she smiled with a small twist at the corners, her chin quivered making an effort to keep that smile intact. Her warm, slightly shivering hand touched mine, and I gently, carefully pulled to help her stand on her swollen legs.

The flickering flames were roasting the invisible body beneath it. She glanced aside with half-lidded eyes and her smile slowly faded.

"Sorry," I said, not allowing the guilt of killing a person taking me over, "Had to kill him. He was hurting you so much that..."

She exhaled through her mouth as if losing the tension. The look of contentment returned. I observed, through the lightning, her staring at me as though she wanted to say something. She did eventually, but with her actions instead. She let her body sag, took a step further and swiftly wrapped her arms around my neck, almost knocking me backwards.

My breath caught in my throat. Despite the heaviness in my stomach, it fluttered in a way it never had. She squeezed me tight in her warm embrace, the feeling of her body pressed against mine soothed me more than I could've foreseen. She sobbed over my shoulder, when I slowly raised my hands to hug her back, one arm around her waist and other running through her hair.

The lightning suddenly stopped allowing darkness to fall but only a fraction of a second. The whole arena lit up with twilight garnishing the darkness. She loosened her grip and I let her go, against my wishes, gazing at her reddened cheeks when she tucked a strand of her hair back.

"Hayden Mackay!"

I turned around, and instead of looking for the one who called my name I checked on the Arena first. Trees of Vrindahina, tall and gigantic, filled with glittering yellow flowers- they were plenty of them all around the spot where I and Nazira were standing at. The inrush of freshly scented air pepped me up and we both breathed a huge sigh of relief when the weather felt quite pleasant to bear.

I heard her muffled gasp. I darted my eyes when a huge muscular man, with a large saffron coloured snake coiled around his waist, walked out from behind the trunk of one the trees. The snake hissed once, paused and then resumed hissing uncontrollably, its forked tongue remained flitted in the air.

Naag seemed extremely delighted. All the way he walked towards us, he never took his toothless, ear to ear grin off his face. His red hair shone tremendously underneath the moonlight. Reaching closer, he shut the hissing snake down by grabbing its mouth tight and tilting it away.

"Hearty congratulations!" said Naag, "I know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, no matter how many generations pass by, your name will remain in the history forever."

I swallowed, remembering Shaytan uttering the similar words that were quite embarrassing to hear. I dropped my eyes and ran my fingers through my hair, taking a moment to find a humble way to respond.

"Well, that wasn't my intention though."

"I know," said Naag giving a single nod, "So does Doctor. He is going to be immensely proud of your accomplishment. By now you must have realised that it was his decision to send you here in this year of the Fest. It was hasty but very strategic. For some reasons, he didn't want to delay this mandatory big game of the generation. You proved he made the right decision."

I nodded, forcing a smile and feeling Nazira's sideways glance upon me. "Thank you," I replied, "Shaytan is..."

"He is dead. He is still burning, but he is gone. His approximate eight hundred years of lifespan comes to the end. The Yajna that the First started is now absolute. Hayden Mackay, me and my fellow Constellia, we cannot thank you enough. You displayed a great bravery. The country must continue the celebration for a longer period this year."