amazement at the old man.
Subodh paused in the act of disinfecting the wound. “All those birds and animals we healed together, you think I found them by co-incidence?”
“Well … aah, actually …” stalled Rain, not sure it was safe to say yes.
Subodh picked up his walking stick and waved it threateningly in front of Rain’s face, confirming his fears.
“Think and answer boy, think and answer.” he warned, looking angrily at Rain.
Rain gulped. “Uh … no, I guess they were not.” he said quickly, his eyes following every movement of the stick swaying in front of him.
“Good thinking.” said Subodh, calming down instantly.
He put aside his stick and returned to the task of tending to the injuries of the wounded sequestor.
“Remember one thing, boy. There is no such thing as a co-incidence in this world. Whatever happens, happens for a reason.” rasped Subodh, now applying a brownish paste on the wounds.
“Everything?” asked Rain skeptically, and then darted a quick, nervous glance at the walking stick.
“Yes,” said Subodh, meeting Rains eyes, “everything. Think about it boy, and you’ll realize that what this senile old man is saying is right. There are no co-incidences in this world.”
Subodh had finished wrapping up the wound and was now cleaning up after himself. Rain got up to change his shirt, which was stained with the injured sequestor’s blood. He was still unconscious. On removing his shirt Rain exposed his chain which, he only just noticed, was glowing.
Rain clutched at the chain, staring at in alarm. How long had it been glowing? And how long did he have before he got pulled into his next mini-Quest?
Washing the blood off his chest with a few quick splashes of clean water Rain quickly put on a fresh shirt and touched his Geeya mark, since he could not see his Geeya anywhere nearby. She appeared beside him swiftly, her face an unreadable mask, but Rain had no time to dwell on her expression - or the lack of it. He had just finished buttoning his shirt when the wind picked up and he felt the ground move from under his feet. He closed his eyes.
*****
CHAPTER 5
The first thing that floated into his view when he opened his eyes was the face of his Geeya, and she was smiling.
Was this good news?
He looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. He appeared to have landed in some sort of a village. Wherever he was, it was damp, cold and early in the morning. There were small mud huts wherever he looked. One or two men, dressed simply in loose drawstring pants and straw hats as farmers probably would, were riding a bullock cart. He spotted a group of children playing in one corner of an open field and decided to approach them first, since they were the least threatening.
As he came nearer, he noticed that all the children had two teeth missing from the front. Strange, thought Rain, reaching the group and halting uncertainly while he scanned the small, boisterous crowd. He spotted a chubby little girl who was standing off to one side, all alone and who seemed to be having some difficulty joining in on the games being played. He called to her and she came to him immediately, smiling a friendly gap-toothed smile.
“Hello, cute little girl.” he greeted her.
She covered her mouth with two chubby palms and giggled.
“I think you’re cute, too!” she said.
“Well, that’s relief.” joked Rain. “What’s your name?” he asked, thanking his luck and smiling and taking her small hands in his.
“Are you the golden traveler?” she inquired of him instead.
“The what?”
“The golden traveler.” she repeated. “The soothsayer said a golden traveler would arrive soon. Are you that golden traveler? If you are, then I’m not scared of you. Everyone else is scared, but I’m not.” she said, squaring her shoulders boldly to emphasize her point.
Rain could hear Subodh’s words echoing in his head, ‘Think and answer, boy, think and
Subodh paused in the act of disinfecting the wound. “All those birds and animals we healed together, you think I found them by co-incidence?”
“Well … aah, actually …” stalled Rain, not sure it was safe to say yes.
Subodh picked up his walking stick and waved it threateningly in front of Rain’s face, confirming his fears.
“Think and answer boy, think and answer.” he warned, looking angrily at Rain.
Rain gulped. “Uh … no, I guess they were not.” he said quickly, his eyes following every movement of the stick swaying in front of him.
“Good thinking.” said Subodh, calming down instantly.
He put aside his stick and returned to the task of tending to the injuries of the wounded sequestor.
“Remember one thing, boy. There is no such thing as a co-incidence in this world. Whatever happens, happens for a reason.” rasped Subodh, now applying a brownish paste on the wounds.
“Everything?” asked Rain skeptically, and then darted a quick, nervous glance at the walking stick.
“Yes,” said Subodh, meeting Rains eyes, “everything. Think about it boy, and you’ll realize that what this senile old man is saying is right. There are no co-incidences in this world.”
Subodh had finished wrapping up the wound and was now cleaning up after himself. Rain got up to change his shirt, which was stained with the injured sequestor’s blood. He was still unconscious. On removing his shirt Rain exposed his chain which, he only just noticed, was glowing.
Rain clutched at the chain, staring at in alarm. How long had it been glowing? And how long did he have before he got pulled into his next mini-Quest?
Washing the blood off his chest with a few quick splashes of clean water Rain quickly put on a fresh shirt and touched his Geeya mark, since he could not see his Geeya anywhere nearby. She appeared beside him swiftly, her face an unreadable mask, but Rain had no time to dwell on her expression - or the lack of it. He had just finished buttoning his shirt when the wind picked up and he felt the ground move from under his feet. He closed his eyes.
*****
CHAPTER 5
The first thing that floated into his view when he opened his eyes was the face of his Geeya, and she was smiling.
Was this good news?
He looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. He appeared to have landed in some sort of a village. Wherever he was, it was damp, cold and early in the morning. There were small mud huts wherever he looked. One or two men, dressed simply in loose drawstring pants and straw hats as farmers probably would, were riding a bullock cart. He spotted a group of children playing in one corner of an open field and decided to approach them first, since they were the least threatening.
As he came nearer, he noticed that all the children had two teeth missing from the front. Strange, thought Rain, reaching the group and halting uncertainly while he scanned the small, boisterous crowd. He spotted a chubby little girl who was standing off to one side, all alone and who seemed to be having some difficulty joining in on the games being played. He called to her and she came to him immediately, smiling a friendly gap-toothed smile.
“Hello, cute little girl.” he greeted her.
She covered her mouth with two chubby palms and giggled.
“I think you’re cute, too!” she said.
“Well, that’s relief.” joked Rain. “What’s your name?” he asked, thanking his luck and smiling and taking her small hands in his.
“Are you the golden traveler?” she inquired of him instead.
“The what?”
“The golden traveler.” she repeated. “The soothsayer said a golden traveler would arrive soon. Are you that golden traveler? If you are, then I’m not scared of you. Everyone else is scared, but I’m not.” she said, squaring her shoulders boldly to emphasize her point.
Rain could hear Subodh’s words echoing in his head, ‘Think and answer, boy, think and
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