Page 86 of The Burning Mountain
“Why not use thesangrahafarseeing stones, then? These mirrors are obsolete,” he said.
“The stones don’t work across water bodies,” replied Veer, watching him closely. He decided to test a theory.
“I was trying to contact my wife,” said Veer slowly.
Virat didn’t say anything in reply. He stared out at the ocean as impassive as a sea cliff. It didn’t seem to bother him that the woman who had killed him was now close to his friend.
He handed the mirror back to Veer. “This appears to be broken,” said Virat in a flat voice. “Unlikely that it would ever work.” He bowed his head and, collecting his staff, turned to leave.
“Why are you doing this, Virat?” called Veer. “Why help us? What’s your interest in the Lotus Key?”
Virat halted but didn’t turn around. “I believe I already mentioned this. I don’t want Meru to explode. Rajgarh was, after all, once my home.”
“Is that all there is to it? I find that hard to believe.” Veer no longer tried to mince words, voicing his misgivings without hesitation.
“You used to trust me more,” said Virat tonelessly, glancing at him over his shoulder.
Veer couldn’t decide if that inflection or that tiny movement was meant to tell him something.
“Can you blame me?” said Veer, coming around, watching his friend raptly, waiting for a flicker of some emotion, some clue that would give him an insight into Virat’s inner thoughts. But nothing showed. “It’s been seven years since your death, and not once have you visited me or given any sign you were alive in some form.”
“That’s because I didn’t want you to see what I had become.” For the first time since he met his friend, there was some animation on his face other than a blank stillness. And yet it was difficult to put a name to whatever Virat seemed to be experiencing. “Since you don’t believe the reason I’ve given you, here is another one—I want to go back to how I was, Veer. I want my body back. I’m doing this because I’m hoping you’ll help me achieve this dream of mine.”
“How can I help you? This change, whatever it is, is irreversible,” said Veer quietly, his gaze probing. “Your body was burned long ago on the funeral pyre. There is no going back.”
Virat was silent for a long time and then he spoke, his voice grave. “Hope is all I have left, Veer. Please don’t take it away.”
“What didyou two talk about? Did he say anything?” asked Shota groggily, joining him later. Shota looked ashen, his skin tone blending into his gray shirt. He massaged his temple with one hand. A small pouch of medicinal herbs was clutched in his other. The rasp in his voice told Veer he must have spent the morning throwing up. Unlike the rest of the crew, Shota seemed to have difficulty finding his sea legs and spent the past few days cooped up in his chamber below deck.
“Nothing more than what he has already mentioned,” said Veer, leaning his arms along the wooden railing, letting the bracing sea air disperse the foul miasma that seemed to have lodged itself in his nostrils. “He claims to want to go back to how he was, before he turned into whatever he is now.”
“That sounds impossible.”
Veer smiled humorlessly. “Quite. I can’t decide if he’s lying. I can believe, though, that he is losing his emotions. It’s like he’s carved out of a rock. This is miles from how he used to be. I don’t know how much of Virat is actually left in him, since he is losing parts of himself.”
Shota gave a shudder and stared in the direction Virat had gone. He waved his medicinal pouch under his nose frantically, presumably to stave off another bout of nausea. “I never remarked on the practices you and Virat took part in, but I don’t mind telling you, this entire business with him coming backfrom the dead gives me the shivers. I can only imagine how his family will react when they know.”
“His parents were devastated upon hearing the news of the death of their only son.” Veer’s tone was heavy. “Knowing what he has become would horrify them even more. It’s best if we keep it a secret, not just because of his parents. Chandra’s maid and Sarun would also be impacted by it.”
Veer’s mind was in the past. He had known Virat since his childhood, when his uncle chose him to be Veer’s companion. He knew exactly how powerful Virat was.
But Virat’s true strength lay in his inquisitive nature. From a young age, he was interested in the specifics and the methods behind magic. With his talent for research and his endless curiosity, he had been a huge asset, both in helping Veer hone his own powers and reinforcing their kingdom’s security. And when he discovered the ritual to turn thesangrahastones into a reservoir of power, ones that could absorb and store certain types of magic, there was no one prouder than Veer. Thesangrahafarseeing stones and healing stones came into existence because of his efforts.
However, that thirst for knowledge had also led him into forbidden areas of obscure magic.
It was hard for Veer to digest that all that genius went to naught. There was a tinge of pity for the wasted potential of a talented man…and of sadness at what he had become. A greater part of him was angry, though. Why did he go down that route? He was given every opportunity for success in life, and it still wasn’t enough?
“Did he tell you why he’s interested in the Lotus Key?” asked Shota. He had opened the pouch and was inspecting its contents. “Low on fennel,” he said under his breath. “Should’ve picked more in Angaradweep.”
“He says he doesn’t want Rajgarh to be destroyed.” Veer watched Shota tie the pouch and stuff it down his shirt. “And requested my help in getting back to being a normal human man.”
“Is that even possible? And more importantly, do you believe him?”
“No,” said Veer, his denial emphatic. “He’s hiding something, although it’s hard to tell. I no longer believe in his altruism. He claims he wants my help but doesn’t go into further detail. I wonder…” Veer shook his head. “I wonder if he is just pacifying me by asking for my help, and pretending he needs me, or if there is something deeper. He certainly hasn’t demanded anything beyond assistance in getting his body back. But I am wary. Of him and his motives.”
Veer became aware of a strange look crossing Shota’s face. “What?” he asked.
“You’ve changed, Veer,” remarked Shota. “I thought for sure Virat would find his way back into your good graces with all the help he has provided until now. There’s a reason why Chandra hid the truth from you all these years. It’s because you are blindly loyal to people close to you. You tend to believe the best in them.”
