Page 157 of Tiger's Quest
“Yes.” Lokesh chuckled warmly. “Perhaps I could interest you in working for me. You are obviously resourceful, and I am a man who well rewards those who serve me. Of course, I should also warn you that I mortally punish those who defy me.”
“I’m not looking for a job right now, and something tells me your employee-satisfaction rating is pretty low.”
Kishan ran at Lokesh, flipped into the air, and round-house kicked him across the face.
Lokesh spat blood. He smiled as a line of crimson trickled from his mouth. Wiping it delicately with a finger, he rubbed it across his bottom lip, licked it, and laughed. He actually seemed to enjoy the pain. I shivered with revulsion.
He continued, “This has been a pleasant enough diversion, but enough of this banter. You have one amulet; I hold the power of the other three. Give it to me, and you can take the tiger and leave. Not that I’ll let you get far, mind you, but I’ll give you a sporting chance anyway. It will make the hunt that much more enjoyable.”
“I think I’ll leave with the tigerandthe amulet. And while I’m at it, I think I’ll kill you and take yours as well.”
Lokesh cackled madly. “Youwillgive me what I want. In fact, you’ll soon regret snubbing my generous offer. In a matter of moments, you’ll offer me anything I want just to stop the pain.”
“If you want the amulet that badly, then why don’t you come over here and try to take it? Let’s see if you can fight as well as you threaten. Or, do you just leave all the fighting to other people now . . .Old Man?”
The smile fell away from Lokesh’s mouth, and he raised his hands. Electricity sparkled between his fingers.
Kishan leapt toward Lokesh again, but he was stopped by an invisible barrier. Lokesh began muttering enchantments, opened his palms, and lifted his arms. Loose materials in the room rose in the air and began swirling in a whirlwind, moving faster and faster. Lokesh slowly brought his hands together, and the whirlwind moved closer to Kishan. Objects revolved around him and began to hit him. A pair of scissors ripped open a gash in his forehead, but he began to heal immediately.
Lokesh saw him heal and stared at the amulet greedily. “Give it to me! It’s my destiny to unite all the pieces!”
Kishan began capturing the larger items and crushing them between his palms. “Why don’t you try to take it from my dead body?” he shouted.
Lokesh laughed—a terrible sound of sheer delight. “As you wish.”
He clapped his hands together and rubbed them. The ground started shaking. The boxes I was sitting on swayed precariously. Kishan had fallen to the ground and was being bombarded by a hail of objects, including lethal items like staplers, scissors, and pens, as well as larger things like loose file drawers, books, and computer monitors.
I shook with fear. This man frightened me more than anything else I’d ever faced. I’d rather be running from a horde of Kappa than look into this man’s eyes. Evil dripped off him in waves. It blackened everything around him. His darkness choked me. Even though he wasn’t aware of me yet, I felt like black, misty fingers were making their way toward me, seeking me to strangle the life from my body.
I raised my trembling hand and shot out a bolt of lightning. It missed him by about a foot, and he was so intent on Kishan that he didn’t even see the streak of light pass behind his body. He did notice the impact of it on his weapon display case and probably assumed it was his earthquake that had done it. The glass exploded outward. The pieces joined the whirlwind and began slicing Kishan. They were soon joined by a lethal barrage of weapons. Lokesh laughed in delight as he watched Kishan torn apart by sharp glass and then heal. A large piece flew into Kishan’s arm. He yanked it out. Blood streamed down his arm and joined the spinning miasma of the whirlwind.
I was mortally afraid. My hands shook.I can do this! I’ve got to get a grip! Kishan needs me!I lifted the arrow and aimed for Lokesh’s heart.
Meanwhile, I heard people shouting outside. I assumed it was the villagers and things were going according to plan. If not, then Kishan and I were in for worse trouble and soon. A hugebangsounded, and I smiled in relief. I knew it was Mr. Kadam. Nothing could pound like thegada. The building shook on its foundation. Time was of the essence. If they were attacking the building that meant the soldiers had all been rounded up and taken care of. Mr. Kadam was indeed efficient. Either that or Lokesh had abused these poor people sufficiently enough that they were on the verge of rebellion already.
I shot my arrow straight at Lokesh’s heart, but he turned at the last moment as he finally heard the bang of thegadaand the arrow sunk deeply into his shoulder instead. The whirlwind surrounding Kishan suddenly halted, and all the items dropped to the floor in a treacherous shower. A heavy metal safe landed on Kishan’s foot; he grunted and shoved off the bulky object. I was sure his foot was broken.
Lokesh spun with thunderous rage and found me. Electricity shot out of his fingertips, and his breath froze the air, sending an icy gust up toward me. I froze and felt the blood congeal in my body thickly. I panted, more terrified than I’d ever been in my life.
“You!”
My skin broke out in goose bumps. Spitting castigating commands in what he assumed was my language, he yanked out the bloody arrow and began chanting. The arrow suddenly flew back at me. In an unconscious move of self-preservation my inner fire warmed me enough so I could move. My hands darted up to cover my face, but the arrow stopped in midair inches from my nose. I held out my hand, and it dropped slowly into my palm. Frustrated, Lokesh clapped his hands together and rubbed them viciously to make the box I was on teeter. I tumbled to the floor, painfully hitting several sharp corners along the journey. I groaned and shoved boxes off my body. My ankle was twisted sharply and pinned under a box, and my shoulder was badly bruised.
Kishan took out his chakram, which he had hidden in his shirt, and flung it toward the overhead lights. The room sank into blackness as I heard the metallic whir of the weapon move through the room. He threw the chakram a few more times but he couldn’t hit Lokesh with it because sudden winds whipped through the room, causing the disc to change direction. I crawled with difficulty to a new hiding place. Kishan caught the chakram and leapt on Lokesh. The two men fell to the floor in a mighty struggle.
Lokesh shouted to his soldiers; his voice was loud and augmented as if carried by the wind to the outside camp. I could hear it amplified as if he was speaking into a microphone, but all his soldiers were now contained. No one came to his rescue. The two men rolled toward me. Lokesh mumbled some words until a cushion of air bubbled between the men. It shoved Kishan back until Lokesh could stand again.
I stood and raised my hand. My entire arm shook as I tried to gather the courage. The fire wouldn’t come. My gut felt cold, like the fire inside me had been tamped out. Lokesh flicked his head instantly when he saw my gesture. He laughed at my pathetic effort and began muttering anew. I became stiff. I couldn’t move. A tear rolled down my cheek and froze.
Kishan took advantage of Lokesh’s distraction and grabbed an arm, twisting it behind Lokesh’s back. In an instant, he had the chakram pressed against Lokesh’s throat. The gleaming blade slid into the tender flesh, releasing trickles of blood to stream down the blade and drip on Lokesh’s blue silk shirt.
Lokesh grunted and muttered softly, “Do you wish him todie? I can kill him in an instant. I can freeze his blood so his heart stops beating.”
Kishan looked at me and stopped. He could have decapitated Lokesh with the flick of a wrist, but he paused, and I saw emotions cross his face. He was holding back for my sake. Lokesh cackled in a rasping voice, breathing heavily at his exertions. A deep thump and the walls shook as Mr. Kadam and the villagers continued to beat on the building, trying to knock it off its foundation.
Lokesh threatened again, “If you don’t unhand me, Iwillkill him. Choose now!” The glint of anger burned in his eyes, a smoldering fire that could never be quenched.
Kishan let him go. I groaned inwardly because I couldn’t move. We had almost won. Now we were at the mercy of a monster.
