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Chapter 25

AND NOW THEY WANT A PIECE OF MY SOUL?

W e were expecting Guru Mihir and more dummy gauntlet training, but instead we got Pashim and an array of weapons and targets.

Araz didn’t show, and after the altercation we’d had earlier in our quarters, I wasn’t surprised, and if I was honest with myself, I was relieved for the extended reprieve from his presence. Despite my stoicism when faced with his harsh words, I wasn’t unaffected by them. He’d hurt me more than I cared to admit, and a little time to lick my wounds was much appreciated.

The main arena was set up with huge target boards and wooden mannequins. A rack of weapons, unlike any I’d seen before, was set up by one wall.

Pashim stood beside the rack, waiting for us to gather around. “These are the shastra that you will be armed with. You will learn to wield them all. But we do not choose our weapon, it chooses us, and on the eve of the labyrinth, your weapon will choose you. If you ascend, that weapon will be imbued with divine power and become an astra.”

“What does that mean?” Joe asked.

“It means that a simple mace will deliver a blow equivalent to the force of a hundred elephants.” Stunned silence ensued. Pashim smiled wryly. “The battlefield is a vicious, bloody place, and the devouring force grows daily.” His expression sobered. “So we fight. And we use all the power that we can muster to beat back the threat.” He lightly touched a strange weapon that looked like a ball on a stick, except the ball had a pointy bit on it. “ Gada , or mace as you might call it. Very powerful when wielded correctly.” Next, he touched a curved sword with a hilt that sported an ornate handguard. “This is a khadga , and if you are chosen by one, it will reform to fit you. Next, we have a couple of parashu . These axes need two hands to wield them.” He moved on to the spear-like weapons.

Some looked like javelins and others like tridents.

“These are called shula ,” he said. “Once again, varied but effective in keeping a mass of revenants at bay. And finally, we have the ranged weapons.” He indicated an ornate bow. “The dhanush and shara requires precision and stillness in battle. But once the arrows have been dispensed, they will not return to your bow unless you have ascended and the weapon has become an astra. Same with the chakra.” He picked up a flat disc with serrated edges. “Once thrown, it is lost to a demigod, but it will return to an ascended. Now step forward and pick a weapon to start working with.”

The last thing I needed was a weapon that forced me to show my strength. I was struggling to hold back my blows as it was, so I decided to go for a weapon of precision, a skill that I needed to practice, and picked the bow.

Pashim smiled at me with his eyes. “Good choice. Now let’s get to work.”

We were mid supper when Umbra entered the kitchens. The room fell silent at her arrival, but she waited several beats before speaking.

“As many of you know, there was an attack at one of our western settlements last night. Although we were able to beat back the threat, several Asura lost their lives. Asura who worked hard to ascend. Some of our brightest and most promising were cut down, reducing our numbers once more.” Her gaze traveled over us. “But there is a way to prevent a final death. One which we have petitioned the Shakti for before and been declined, but after last night, they have finally agreed to the process. ”

Okay, this sounded ominous, and from the looks on my fellow potentials’ faces, I wasn’t the only one who was feeling a little wary. Like, what more were they going to do to us?

Umbra answered my question a moment later.

“You will each be gifted an anchor,” she said. “A manifestation of a sliver of your soul. It will remain here, at Aakaash. Always. If you fall in battle, the tantrik may be able to bring you back if they act quickly. Not all will be saved, but enough to make a difference.

“At this moment, our native demigods are being tested by the Shakti. I will be back to take you to them when it is time. It will be tonight, so remain close to the communal area. Not all will be gifted an anchor, but those that are will be blessed indeed.”

“Wait a second,” Eve said. “You’re going to what? Shave a sliver off our soul?”

Umbra lifted her chin. “It is for your own benefit.”

“You’ve taken us from our home, from our world, and now you want to take a piece of our souls? Surely, we should get a say in this. What if I don’t want to do this process?”

Everyone was suddenly talking at once. My gaze flew to Pashim to find him staring at Umbra, his mouth a thin line of disapproval.

Umbra took a breath, and a moment later her voice boomed around the room. “Enough! ”

Silence fell like a thick shroud, and all eyes turned to her.

“This process is mandatory. Refusal to co-operate will simply make the procedure painful. Rest assured that this is for your own good. I will come for you when it is time.”

“Why does it have to be now?” Dharma asked. “We have time, surely, before we’re on the front lines?”

“The process requires cosmic energy that relates to the stars and the moon, and luckily for you, those forces are in perfect alignment right now. I will be back for you later tonight.”

As soon as she left, the room broke into a cacophony of sound once more—everyone speaking at once because what did this mean? What did it truly mean? Not even the drohi had answers.

I guess we’d find out soon enough.

I expected Umbra to take us back to the platform place where the Shakti had paired us with our drohi, but instead, she took us into the main complex, deep into a part of the building we’d never seen.

We crossed a bridge between towers and then climbed a spiral staircase with way too many stairs until we got to a landing platform with a single large wooden door .

There was no handle on the door, just a serene female face with its eyes closed, etched into the wood.

“Well, that’s not creepy at all,” Joe muttered.

“You’ll go in individually,” Umbra said. “The Shakti will guide you. Follow their instructions, and you’ll be gifted with your perfect anchor.”

“Does it matter which order we go in?” Dharma asked.

“Yes, indeed it does,” a voice echoed from the face on the door.

“Fuck, it’s speaking,” Remi squeaked.

The face smiled, showcasing neat wooden teeth. “Remi, you will enter first.”

Remi swallowed and approached the door. “Um…there’s no door handle. How do I?—”

The face opened its mouth wide until the door was a dark gaping chasm. “Step inside.”

Remi took a deep breath. “Here goes…” She climbed into the mouth, and it snapped shut, swallowing her. The door was now smooth and unmarred. No face. No handle.

“Now what?” Dharma asked.

“Now we wait,” Umbra said.

Minutes crawled by, and finally the face reappeared, opened its mouth, and spat out Remi. But she wasn’t alone. There was a huge black bird perched on her shoulder. A crow?

“Meet Percy.” Remi indicated the bird on her shoulder. It eyed us up then cawed loudly .

“What happened in there?” Dharma asked.

“Dharma,” the door called out before opening its mouth.

“I guess I’ll find out myself.” Dharma stepped through.

The crow cocked its head, studying us, and Remi reached up to pet it.

“Well?” Priti arched a brow at Remi. “What happened?”

We surrounded Remi, eager to know what lay in store for us.

Her brow furrowed slightly. “Honestly, it’s all kinda fuzzy now.”

“It will be,” Umbra said. “The Shakti cannot be remembered and cannot be truly seen. Their presence is unfathomable to a mortal mind.”

Remi looked up at Percy. “Yes, I’ll introduce everyone.”

“Are you talking to your bird?” Eve asked.

“His name is Percy,” Remi snapped. “And yes, I was talking to him. He wants to know who everyone is.”

“I thought these anchors were made from us, so surely he should know,” Joe pointed out.

“It doesn’t work that way,” Umbra said. “Although the anchors are made from a piece of your soul, they are also beings in their own rights.”

“Wait, wait,” Priti said. “You can hear it talking in your head? ”

“Yes,” Remi said. “I can hear Percy speaking in my mind.”

“Sorry.” Priti winced.

“I don’t know if I like that idea,” Eve said.

“This process is mandatory,” Umbra replied.

Wasn’t everything here mandatory?

The door activated, mouth opening wide, and Dharma joined us, followed by a hunting hound.

She scratched between its ears, and it rubbed its head against her hip. “This is Ida,” Dharma said. The hound studied us with a shrewd intelligence that made my scalp prickle.

The door continued to call names. Joe came back with a blue cat. Sylvie brought back a large colorful butterfly. Poppy was accompanied by a yellow and blue bird that chirped a beautiful melody, while Regina came out carrying a small pug-like dog. There was just me, Eve, and Priti left, and I was getting antsy.

Eve went next and was out in three minutes with a ferret draped over her shoulders. It hissed at us, and she laughed. “Easy, Drake. They won’t bite, but you might.” She arched a wicked brow our way.

“A ferret,” Dharma said. “Figures.”

Eve lifted her chin. “Ferrets are super smart.”

Priti was called next, and we waited a little longer this time. When she returned, she was alone. No anchor.

“What happened?” Dharma asked .

Priti shook her head. “I’m not sure. I can’t remember.”

Umbra paled. “It’s fine. I did explain not everyone would be gifted anchors.”

But why not? I was about to ask when the door called my name.

My pulse spiked. It was my turn.

I took a deep breath and stepped into the door.