Cry of Shadows - Novel : Chapter 5

                                                                                                                   Chapter 5

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Idukki  is the second largest District of Kerala(the largest being Palakkad). Rugged mountains and forests cover about 97 percent of the total area of the District.

Deep inside the forest, a long dark man was running with a piece of dried leaf in his hand. He reached near a cave and stopped. He was struggling to catch up the breath. He carefully moved inside the cave and walked down the narrow path. On the side of the path there was a shallow stream flowing. He continued running through the path and reached near a pond full of blue lotus. He shouted

“Akaleya”

The sound echoed in the forest “Akaleya.. Akaleya”

After a minute of silence, a thunderous sound of a human being evolved out from the cave near the pond.

“Who is there?”

“This is Nariyan, the Moopan¹ send me to give this ola² to you”

Akaleyan came out of the cave. His body was tattooed with a Snake and a strange animal. He had a strange tattoo on his face tool, a fire spitting dragon. His eyes were painted black and were appearing red as blood, he had a well-built physique. He was six feet three inches tall and had broad shoulders.

“Ok. Give that to me”, He ordered Nariyan. “But you are repeating the same mistake again and again; in this forest you have only one king, it’s me “Akaleyan”. Don’t repeat calling Ananthan as the chief”. He laughed loud; even with low light his long teeth’s were visible as if it is sharpened using a diamond saw.

Nariyan was visibly scared in front of him. He realized his heart seems beating normal than usual. He was waiting for Akaleyan’s response.

“What? How dare he is to disobey my orders?” Akaleyan screamed.

“I won’t kill you but tomorrow Amavasi³ cannot be completed without one among you. I warn you to be here else your kids will meet their ends. I repeat I warn you”, His eyes protruded and became more red and he was shivering with anger.

“Nariyan, tell your chief. His days are counted. He will sacrifice all your lives. Tell him to obey my orders else meet the mighty soon, The Death. Go….!!!”

Nariyan took a huge rock and hit akaleyan on his face. His nose was broken and he started bleeding profusely.

“Ahhhh…”. Akaleyan cried. “You…!”

Nariyan banged the stone on his head again and again till he was sure that it crushed his skull. Tears rolled out of his cheek.

“What are you dreaming? I told you to run”. Nariyan was shocked and returned to senses. He saw Akaleyan fuming in front of him.

“Huh it was a dream”, Nariyan turned back ran towards the entrance of the cave. The whole community was waiting for him to return with good news. But they didn’t know that one among them would meet a worst fate of their life time.

 

1. Moopan: The tribal head in Kerala is called Moopan
2. Ola: Thaliyola is a dried leaf in which people write before the invention of paper being used widely.
3. Amavasi: New moon day