Page 86 of Tiger's Curse
“What do you mean it’s not heavy? It is actually quite heavy.” He pulled it free from its wrapping and hefted it with two hands, straining his muscles to hold it.
Puzzled, I mumbled, “That’s weird. I remember it being light for its size.” I walked over and took thegadafrom him, and we were both shocked that I could easily lift it with one hand. He took it back and tried to lift it with one hand, and he again faltered under its weight.
“To me it feels like fifty pounds.”
I took it back again. “For me it feels like maybe five to ten pounds.”
“Amazing,” he marveled.
Shocked, I added, “I had no idea it actually weighed that much.”
Mr. Kadam took the weapon from me again, wrapped it in a soft blanket, and then placed it into my backpack. We hopped back into the Jeep, and he drove us along a back road, which changed to a dirt road, which changed to gravel, which changed to two lines in the dust, and then disappeared altogether.
He let us out and set up a mini-camp, assuring me that Ren would be able to find his way back. He also gave me a small flashlight, a copy of the prophecy, and then he included a warning: “Don’t use the flashlight unless you have to. Be sparing because there are security guards walking through the ruins at night. Be alert. Ren can smell them coming, so you should be alright. Also, I would suggest that Ren stay in tiger form as much as possible in case you should need him for something later.”
He squeezed my shoulders and smiled. “Good luck, Miss Kelsey. Remember that you might not find anything at all. We might have to start all over again tomorrow night, but we have plenty of time. Don’t fret. There’s no pressure.”
“Okay. Well, here goes nothing!”
I began trailing after Ren. The moonless night allowed the stars to glisten with extra brilliance in the black, velvety sky. Beautiful though it was, I wished the moon were out. Fortunately, Ren’s white hide was easy to follow. Pits and holes dotted the terrain, and I had to be extra careful. It would be bad timing to trip and break my ankle. I didn’t even want to think about what kinds of creatures had made those holes.
After a few minutes of stumbling, a greenish light began to softly glow in front of me. I looked around and finally figured out that the light was coming from Fanindra’s jeweled eyes. She lit the dark countryside for me, providing a special kind of night vision. Everything was clearly outlined, but it still felt creepy, like I was walking across alien terrain on some weird green planet.
After almost an hour of walking, we arrived at the outskirts of the ruins. Ren slowed and smelled the air. A cool breeze wafted over the hills and freshened the warm evening. He must have decided the coast was clear because he continued forward quickly.
We made our way through the ruins, striking a path toward the Ugra Narasimha statue. The ruins that had been stunning during the day now hovered over me, casting dark shadows. Beautiful archways and pillars that I had admired were now gaping black maws waiting to devour me. The gentle breeze I had appreciated earlier whistled and moaned as it wound through passageways and doors as if ancient ghosts were announcing our presence.
Hair on the back of my neck prickled as I imagined eyes watching us and demons lurking in hazy hallways. When we finally neared the statue, Ren started investigating, sniffing, and searching out hidden crevices.
After an hour of searching and finding nothing, I was ready to give up, head back to Mr. Kadam, and get some sleep.
“I’m exhausted, Ren. Too bad we don’t have an offering and a bell. Maybe the statue would come alive. Hmm?”
He sat next to me, and I patted his head for a moment. I looked up at the statue, and an idea popped into my head. I mumbled, “A bell. I wonder—”
I got up and ran to the Vithala Temple with its musical columns. Guessing what to do, I lightly tapped on one three times hoping that no guards would hear it, and ran back to the statue. The eyes on the seven-headed snake were now glowing red, and a small carving of Durga had appeared on the side of the statue.
“This is it! The sign of Durga! Okay, we’re doing something right. What do we do next? An offering?” I moaned in frustration. “But we don’t have anything to offer!”
The mouth of the half-man, half-lion statue opened, and wispy, gray mist started pouring out of it. Puffs of the cold, smoky vapor rolled down the statue’s body, spilled over the ground, and began to expand in all directions. Red snake eyes were soon the only thing I could still make out. I kept my hand on Ren’s head for reassurance.
I decided to climb the stone carving and search the head of the statue for some sign. Ren growled an objection, but I ignored him and began climbing up. It didn’t matter because I still found nothing to lead us further. As I hopped down from the statue, I misjudged the distance to the ground and tripped. Ren was at my side instantly. I wasn’t hurt except for a broken fingernail, but being encompassed by the swirling fog was chilling.
Just then, as I stared at my fingernail, I remembered Mr. Kadam’s story about Ugra Narasimha. I thought for a minute.
“Ren, maybe if we repeat Ugra Narasimha’s actions, the statue will lead us to the next step. Let’s try to reenact Ugra Narasimha’s famous task.”
He brushed against my hand in the darkness.
“Okay, there are five parts. The first thing we need is an animal/human, so that’s you. Here, stand next to me. You can be Ugra Narasimha, and I’ll be the demon king. Next, we need to stand somewhere that isn’t inside or outside, so let’s look for some steps or a doorway.”
I felt around the statue. “I think there was a little doorway here, near the statue.” I stretched out my hand and felt the stone door frame. We both stepped under it.
“The third part was neither day nor night. It’s too late for dusk or twilight. I guess I can try using my flashlight.” I clicked my little flashlight on and off, hoping that would be enough. “Then there was the part about claws. You do have those. Umm, I think you have to scratch me. The story says kill, but I think scratching me might work.”
I flinched. “You might need to draw blood though.”
I heard his chest rumble in protest.
