“Hey!” the Scavenger said. “Is everything fine?”
Lynx shook his head. “I am not able to figure out who is controlling Aronicle. Very ancient, thick and impenetrable magic is in place. I tried everything I could, but in vain. The only thing I can say is that it is not the Skull Warrior. That is certain.”
“How can you be so sure?” Archer asked.
“There is no trace of evil. I mean, although too much dark energy has been used in the magic, there are no traces of evil. The Skull Warrior’s evil is so strong that he can’t control it. I can tell if his magic had a role to play in this. It does not.”
“It’s good that you have confirmed what the real Aronicle said to me, but what about our Elemental Powers? Could you find a way to make Aronicle give us our powers back?” Matt asked Lynx.
Lynx shook his head sadly. “Nope. How can I? Unless I free Aronicle from whoever controls him.”
“So you mean to say that bringing all these things and Aronicle from the Isle of the Beast was all a monumental time waste!” Matt remarked.
Lynx sighed. “No effort is ever wasted.”
“Don’t worry. Be positive,” the Scavenger said. “Cheer up. We got the Poison.”
Lynx’s eyes brightened. “Oh wow! This news has made my day. Let’s get this Aronicle thing out of our minds for a moment and celebrate this achievement. Most importantly, let’s plan the next move – to get the Bolt.”
After a deep breath, Lynx continued. “The Bolt is with Hellfire, one of the most dangerous persons in the Dark World.”
“Where do we find him?” the Scavenger asked.
“There is a dacoit who goes by the name Knight, with a ‘K’ at the start of the name. Knight and his army of thieves and bandits attack and loot other kingdoms. It’s difficult to locate him as he is continuously moving.”
“So how does it help us?” asked the Scavenger.
“There’s a man named Huro in the village Shimo who might know about Hellfire’s location. He was in the Knight’s army. I can create a portal for you to reach Shimo. The portal would take you thirty miles South of Shimo, from where you need to walk through a dense forest. When do you plan to go?”
The Scavenger looked at the ready faces of the children and then looked at Lynx. “Now.”
The portal dumped them in a dense forest. The Scavenger led the way, cutting through shrubs and undergrowth. They had walked for only a few minutes when there was a loud explosion. The Scavenger yelled, “DOWN!” and pushed the children to the ground.
A barrage of arrows ripped past the bushes towards them. The Scavenger cut down every arrow by the Lightning Sword with unbelievable speed and accuracy.
Then there was a rustle in the bushes, and a man emerged.
He was dressed in full armour, a visor covering his head. He was carrying two swords, but his left arm hung limp. He was severely injured.
Nine more men emerged, dressed in armour too. They were chasing the injured man. They stopped when they saw the Scavenger and the others.
One of the men pointed his sword at the Scavenger. “Leave, stranger.” His voice came out muffled from the visor he was wearing. “This is not your fight.”
“I don’t think so,” the Scavenger replied. “You should leave, or you will face my wrath.”
“We will see about that.” The man charged at the Scavenger, waving his sword at him.
The Scavenger sidestepped him and hit the warrior on the head with the pommel of his sword, leaving him unconscious.
Before the men knew what was happening, the Scavenger whirled among them, disarming and quickly rendering all of them on the ground breathless. In a few seconds, the fight was over.
The injured man who had come out first sat on the ground with a sigh. He turned to the Scavenger. “Thank you, warrior.” He pulled out his visor.
And that’s when the children got the shock of their life.
The man had five eyes.
Two of them were in the usual place and the other three were on the forehead. The middle eye on the forehead was closed and the other two surveyed the children.
“What is your name?” the Scavenger asked.
The man shook his head. “My name is No One.”
The Scavenger said, “Well, strange name. So why were these people chasing you?”
“They looted my kingdom and were chasing me as I fled from my castle,” No One explained.
The Scavenger said, “But tell me, who are these people?”
“They are thieves, bandits and rogues led by a dacoit named the Knight,” No One said.
“What?” the Scavenger exclaimed. “With a K at the beginning?”
“Yes.”
“Can you lead us to him?” The Scavenger was excited.
“Why?” No One asked. “Why do you want to meet him?”
“We have to,” the Scavenger said. “You can join us and take revenge on him when we meet him. Do you know where he is going next?”
“No,” No One said. “But it is not that difficult to search for him. Of late, he has become so powerful that he sends messages to the villages before attacking them.”
The Scavenger grinned. “Come on then. I know a place.”
“Where?” No One asked.
“Shimo.”
9
The village of Shimo was a beautiful place, with big houses and gardens. There were shops selling weapons, armours, food and drinks. The place was full of vigour and activity.
The Scavenger approached a stranger who was carrying a pot and asked him, “Can you tell me where Huro is?”
The man pointed to a drinks shop. “He’s sitting there. But he’s busy.”
“Why?”
The man looked at the Scavenger as if he was stupid. “Haven’t you heard? The Knight is coming.”
The Scavenger rushed towards Huro, who was surrounded by creatures to whom he was giving weapons and food. The Scavenger tapped him on the shoulder.
“Yes?” Huro asked.
“Are you Huro?” the Scavenger
