Chapter 2
Gurinder rode back to prem's house and saw the two counselor's soldiers standing at the door. He rode up to them and stated, "the counselor needs you at the west side of the town that leads to boundary'I will guard Mr. Lalit." The soldiers agreed and left taking their horses. Lalit heard the sound of horses leaving so he took his overcoat and opened the door to leave when he saw gurinder. Gurinder walked in with a knife in his hand. "tell me where is your son?" gurinder asked. "I told you sir'I do not know," lalit replied. "well'it would be better to tell me the truth or choose the path of death," gurinder said threatening lalit. "In that case, I would rather give up my life for my son," lalit firmly stated. Gurinder looked at lalit angrily that his plan to find prem had failed. Here in the forest, prem was riding back home to make sure that his father was safe. In the midst of the forest, his horse stopped and he got surrounded by bees. They weren't normal bees'they were huge'blood sucking bees. "ouch," prem said slapping his hand and killing one of the them. He motioned his hands in different directions to get rid of them, but it made no difference. He fell off the horse and looked at the bees. Now the bees had surrounded his horse. He was about to go save his horse, when someone pulled him back. Pulling him on the ground, she fell on the top of him. "don't make a sound," heer wispered in his ears. He looked up at her'their bodies touching each other'they were so close that they could hear each other's hear beats. Their eyes looked into each other's and they lost themselves, but they came back to reality when they heard the horse whine for help. prem looked up to see it and it was at that moment, a huge dinosaur like creature flew down from somewhere and bit the horse. Prem was struggling with heer to let go, but heer wouldn't him go. The bird like creature looked up at prem heer as he ate the horse. Looking at them, he wanted to taste their blood. He was about to come to a scared prem heer when fire from behind them burned the animal, killing it. They both turned around to see Dharam on a horse. "wasn't sure I had it in me after all these years," Dharam stated. "What did do to it?" prem asked. "wizard's fire," dharam replied. "what was that?" prem asked to no one in particular. "it is a gaar'it uses bees to help it to smell out its prey," heer told him. "Apparently, the soldiers weren't the only ones that followed you through the boundary," Dharam added getting off the horse. Prem was going to walk way when heer stopped him by holding his arm. "where are you going?" heer questioned. "To my house'to check on my father," he replied. "we will go together," dharam told him. "no'stay away from'both of you," he said as he got his hand out of hers and jumped on the horse. He rode away not listening to heer yelling for him. "he has the book and the sword," she said worriedly to Dharam. "isn't that exactly what you wanted," Dharam mocked while heer just glared at him.
When he was close to his house, prem saw that his house was on fire. He was shocked'his dad'he thought and picked up the sword of truth. The sword glowed with the anger of the seeker. Prem raced his horse to his house. Not finding anyone outside, he ran inside to see lalit on the floor. Prem picked him up and helped him outside. "who did this?" prem asked as anger flowed through his veins. "the daharan," lalit replied. "let's go to dharam'he has poison that will help you," prem said. "no'we cant'he has gone their to find you'and if we go there'he will kill you," lalit told his son. "dad'what is dharam saying'is it true'you are not my father?" prem asked trying to help lalit sit up. "listen to me son'.what you heard from dharam is true'but also remember something'I will always be your father and you will be my son," lalit replied. "dad'" he said getting teary. "ahhh 'I'I love you son," he said as he took his last breath and closed his eyes. Prem sat there as tears flew from his eyes. After his mom left him, his guide'his philosopher'his friend'everything was his dad. As he sat there with lalit in his lap, he heard horses behind him. He turned around and saw Harman and two of his men. "Harman'.dad," prem said. "you killed him," harman shot back. "I didn't kill him'he is my father'.gurinder did this," prem told his brother. "he is with preet trying to find you'don't lie prem. And yes, he is not your father'he is only my father," Harman said angrily. "you knew?" prem questioned. "yes I did," harman said. "why didn't you tell me?" prem asked. "because I promised him I wouldn't but today you killed him," harman blamed prem. "believe me I didn't kill him," prem said. "catch him," harman ordered his guard. "stay back," prem shrieked picking up the sword. As the sword glowed, harman said shockingly, "witch craft." "stay back," prem said again as he jumped on the horse and left.
Prem wanted revenge from the man who had killed his only support. He rode back to Dharam's house. Parking the horse, he walked into the house slowly carrying the sword. Gurinder hid behind the pillar in the house waiting for prem. As he saw prem, he attacked prem but prem put his sword forward protecting him and pushed him back. "where is the witch'tell me about her and I will let you go," gurinder offered. "she didn't kill my father'you did," prem said as he attacked gurinder with the sword. Gurinder pushed prem back, kicking him, which caused him to fall back and hurt himself. As prem fell, gurinder escaped outside and took prem's horse and went away. Prem got up and ran following gurinder. They reached a bridge with gurinder on one side with the book and prem on the other side. Gurinder took his sowrd and cut off the ropes that held the wooden bridge. Prem stumbled on the bridge and was going to fall when heer pulled him back. They fell on the ground'her long black hair was on his face....the smell intoxicated him'she moved her hair and got a look at his face. They were sadness over his face and his eyes were red which showed that he was crying. "is everything all right?" heer asked worried standing up. "my father is no more'gurinder killed him," prem replied sadly as he sat up. "I am so sorry to hear that," heer said placing her hand on his shoulder. "and now the book is with gurinder," prem said as he turned to look at heer. He sat on the ground and stated, "I failed'I have no one'.nothing with me." "don't say that my boy'you have me and heer, and most of all you have yourself," Dharam told prem. "may be you saved the wrong child years ago'may be I am not the one," prem said losing hope. "no'you are the true seeker and that is not mistake," Dharam told prem with all hope. "you dad bought you up to be all that you are destined to be prem," dharam said. "I will fight'I will make sure that my dad didn't die for anything," prem said determinedly as he stood up. "will you name me?" he asked looking at dharam. Heer and dharam looked at each and smiled, then looked at prem. The sunset set as prem, heer, and dharam went to the forest. Prem stood in the middle of the circular line that dharam had drew while heer stood with the sword of truth. "Will you forget your past and look on with with your future?" dharam asked. "yes I will," prem replied. "Knowing that there will be many evils, do you promise to fight for the truth and destroy evil," dharam asked again. "yes I will," prem said. "do you accept your true destiny as the seeker and the sword of truth?" dharam questioned for the final promise from prem. "I will," prem promised. "then I, Dharamraj Mahia, wizard of the first order, name you, Prem Juneja, as the true seeker," Dharam screeched as he lit the circle around prem with fire and gave him the sword. Prem stood there with the sword as the sky thundered. Far away, a man woke up from his sleep, alarmed. "Is everything alright, my lord?" one of his guards asked entering his room with a lamp. "The seeker lives," he firmly stated.
Here in the forest, prem was drawing a map on the ground with a wood stick to show heer and dharam a way to get to gurinder faster. "Even if he gets to the boundary'how will he get to the other side without magic," heer wondered. "what does that tell you seeker?" dharam questioned prem. "then he must have an other way'which we have to find," he replied. "on mark seeker," dharam said and they all smiled. Right then, they heard a horse coming there way. prem and heer both became attentive, ready to pull out of their weapons if they need to. Spotting the person, prem said, "put down your weapon preet'I do not wish to fight you." "we have known each other since childhood prem. whose side do you think I am on?" preet asked his friend. "But before anything, I need to know what is happening here?" preet added wanting a explanation. Back in the Daharan palace, rishab dressed in a red and black gown, walked back and forth anxiously waiting for his soldier. A man in mid 50s walked into the room, "you sent word for me, my lord," he said bowing in front of his master. "yes Balraj'I had a dream tonight that the seeker was being named," rishab replied. "It is not possible my lord'the seeker is not alive'you may not worry my lord," balraj said with confidence. "I have slept in peace for twenty two years balraj'do you think I lie?" rishab ridiculed with anger. "no my lord'world be damned'I would never say such a word. I followed your orders and killed every first born of Breneden," balraj said. "Except the one that needed to be," rishab told him. "I think you have served me enough balraj'now I order that you take your leave," rishab stated. "yes, my lord," balraj replied bowing once again. As he was about to leave, rishab stopped him saying, "wait'give me your hand." Balraj stepped back and walked up to rishab, and placed his hand in his master's. Rishab smiled at him as he slowly took a knife behind him and cut balraj's wrist. "my lord," balraj said as he fell on his knees. "I needed your favor one last time balraj," rishab said as one of his other soldiers took the blood from balraj's wrist in a cup. Leaving balraj on the floor, rishab used the blood to write in the journey book. The journey book was a way that rishab contacted with his men. The book was written with blood and that was the only way it worked. He wrote to his men that they may take the most powerful artillery to bombard the boundary and take sorceress with them and try to break it down and find the seeker, and kill him. On the other side of the boundary, prem told preet everything about the prophecy, his destiny, the book; everything that has happened the whole day. preet looked at him and smiled with a sparkle on his face. "you believe all this?" prem asked unconfident. "of course prem. I always knew you were made for more that tracking trails," preet replied. "we have to reach gurinder before he gets to the boundary," heer told them all. "but you all need rest," preet said. "but we have to get to the boundary," prem said. "the ride to the boundary take about nine hours'come to my house'rest'eat, then we can go to the boundary after sunrise," preet explained. "we cant waste time," prem told him. "slow down my boy. Preet is right," dharam said to prem. prem looked at him confused since saving the book from getting to rishab's hand was more important. "Lesson number one seeker: in order to gain scale, sometimes you have to slow down first," dharam told him. Prem thought for a second and replied, "but that doesn't make any sense." "never expect sense from a wizard," heer wispered, yet loud enough for dharam to hear. "At least not from a hungry one," dharam said as they all laughed. Later, they proceeded with preet to his house.
The sun was about to rise for the next morning as they sat and eat food in preet's house. Kritika, preet's sister, bought heer out of the room and said, "how does she look?" prem looked up to see heer dressed in a maroon dress that sat on her shoulders'she was looking gorgeous. He ignored all of what kritika was saying as he kept staring at the beautiful lady in front of him. Heer smiled as kritika praised her on how good she looked. As she moved her eyes to prem. he looked down and pretended to eat his food. Gungun pulled at her mom dress and wispered to her something. Meher, preet's wife, asked, "oh'she wants to know whether you two are married?" as she looked at prem and heer. "oh'ummm'no we are..," heer said trying to find the right words. "we are just traveling together," prem said completing the sentence. "yes'you have a lovely family'thank you so much for your hospitality'.now if you all would excuse me for a minute," heer stated and walked out of the house. She walked out in the front porch and stood there looking at the crack of dawn in the sky. The door behind her opened and prem walked in. "everything ok?" he asked as he came next to her. "yeah'I just miss my family," heer replied wrapping her hands around her arm. "well'you can return to them after this all is over," prem said trying to encourage her mood. "there is no one left'my parents died long ago'and now my sister too is gone. Now its just me," she said feeling lonely. "you have me," he said looking into her eyes. He moved closer joining his hand with hers'.heer looked down at her clasped hands as tears welled up in her eyes. "you are crying," prem asked shocked. It surprised him that a strong woman as heer would cry. "no, its just" heer said as she was about to wipe them. His hands reached her soft skin first. "they are pearls," prem said as he wiped them. Heer looked up at him. "my mom used to say that tears were pearls and you shouldn't waste them," he stated as she smiles at him. At that moment, Heer heard the night wisp. She pulled it out from her dress. "what is that?" prem asked. "not what'who?" heer said. "its additi'she is a night wisp'it has people's voices trapped inside. Her people live in a forest near Idendrill. She was the one who helped me find you'she is telling you something," she said as she gave him the night wisp. Prem put her close to his ear and replied, "what is she saying?" "she is saying thank you," heer told him. "why?...I didn't even save the book," he said. "but you took the name seeker'people have a reason to hope for justice and freedom," she told him with hope in her eyes. They looked at each other when they heard an explosion near by. "what is that?" prem said looking around. "I do not know'but we have to get to the boundary and catch gurinder," heer said and they both went inside so they can all leave.
A little while later, they stood outside getting ready to leave for the journey. Prem kept staring at heer who was packing her bag behind him, unknown to his stare. "focus boy," dharam said as he stood next to prem fixing his horse. "what?...I did not do anything," prem lied back. "This hair hasn't turn grey by doing nothing," he said. "Lesson two: clear your mind of what was and what will be'only seeing the task that lies ahead," dharam stated. "yeah'yeah'lets go," prem said as he hoped on his horse seeing her one last time. They were all riding through the forest when the town's people surrounded them. "Give us the witch or we will kill you all," harman threatened them. "she is not a witch," prem said defending heer as he got off the horse. "of course you would say that," harman said to prem. A group of the town's people threw a rope around heer and pulled her off the horse. "nooo!," prem said. Dharam burned the rope off with wizard's fire, freeing heer. "you all have known me since I was a child'believe me," prem told the people but it didn't make a big difference. Harman aimed at prem and shot, but additi came and took the bow, saving prem. "oh magic," said the town's people as they moved back, feeling scared. Prem ran to heer and helped her up and they all left, leaving the town's people behind. Riding a few leagues, they stopped. "are you hurt?" prem asked heer. "no'I am fine," she replied. "preet'you should go back to your family'the people know your are with me'they could do anything'go and protect your family," prem said to his friend. "whenever you need me'send me a word and I will come to you as soon as a horse can take me'bye friend," he said as they both got off their horses and gave each other a hug. "take care," he told them all and left for his family. Back in the village, gurinder goes to a blind lady who knows a way to the other side of the boundary. "you better tell me what is the secret?" he said putting a sword at her neck. "don't kill me'I will give you the rock that will help you get to the other side," she blabbered scared for her life. she moved finding her way across the house. Stopping at a doorway, she sat down and started to move the mud. As the rock became visible, gurinder stabbed her in the back killing the women. He opened the rock and found the night wisp and left the place.
As prem, heer, and dharam rode to the boundary, they saw the boundary being bombarded. Stopping there horses, "what is happening to the boundary?" prem asked. "Looks like rishab is trying to break the boundary to find the book and the seeker," dharam replied. "how can he do that?...I mean the boundary has been up for thousands of years" prem questioned. "He has thousands of men at his disposal. Not just that, he also many wizards and sorcerers and powerful magic that he could use," heer told prem. "and you expect me to kill this man all alone?" prem mocked at the two. "what do we two look like to you boy? grilled sardines!" dharam said as heer smiled at him. "you have the sword," heer told him. "one sword'against an army," prem replied. "Not just any sword'it's the sword of truth. It has the power of the all the seekers before you and people will rise up when they know that the seeker has returned," heer said. "Lesson number three seeker: though the seeker may battle alone'he has the power of many," dharam told prem. Tracking gurinder's trail, they rode off again to find him. As they moved closer to the boundary, they started hearing voices. "whose talking?" prem asked looking around. "Those are the voices of the dead; it said that they can travel from the underworld through the boundary," heer told him. Prem got off his horse and started to move forward as he heard his mother call out to him. "prem'.noooo!" heer yelled, but prem was on a world of his own. He was under the spell of the voices coming from the boundary; he didn't hear heer or dharam. He just kept walking forward and reached the boundary. He was about to touch the boundary when dharam pulled him sideways, falling into the voices himself. "noooo!" heer said as she ran to dharam and that's when prem came out of his trance. "dharam," he said as he fell on the ground catching dharam. "what happened?" prem asked heer. "he saved you from the voices which drained him off his powers," heer informed him. "it is all my fault," prem said getting mad at himself. "no prem'you were under the spell of the voices'it was a trap," heer explained. "And he put himself there for me," prem questioned himself. "And I would do the same," heer stated. "but why?" prem asked getting angry at people as to why some one would give up their life for him. "You are the true seeker that has risen up after thousands of years. Your life is important than any of us. Because of you, one day, people will live a free life," heer said to him. "We have to take him to a healer," prem said. "But, we also have to find gurinder," heer said. "ok then, you take him to the healer and I will go find gurinder," prem told her. "you can not go alone," heer stopped him. "I can," he said as he looked at her and left.
After prem left, heer took dharam to the healer and told him to take care of dharam. She left from there since it was more important to find prem and help him. Here at the boundary, gurinder and one of his soldiers were about to cross the boundary. Gurinder walked forward with the night wisp. But the soldiers on the other side thought it was something dangerous. So, the head of the soldier on the other side ordered, "there'.aim at the south side and start shooting." So the firing started. As the boundary was about to open, prem came there, "gurinder," he said. Gurinder turned around and was shocked to see the seeker. "give me the book," prem stated. "and if I say I do not wish to'what can do seeker'all alone?" gurinder laughed. "He is not alone," heer said walking up beside prem. "kill them," he ordered his man. As prem came up to him, gurinder said, "Have you not learned your lesson boy?" "As a matter of fact, I have," prem said as he jumped up to wedge gurinder. As prem fought with gurinder, heer fought with the other man. Heer stabbed the man and he fell to the ground and she turned to see prem and gurinder. At that moment, prem stuck the sword in gurinder body. The sword glowed with the anger and revenge within the seeker'and gurinder fell to the ground, dead. Prem picked up the book and looked at heer. "you did it'you are the seeker," she said and smiled. As she was walking up to him, a cannon ball broke through the boundary opening it and prem and heer fell to the ground, to save themselves. The cannon ball fell in the forest and started a fire. "The boundary is open'.attack!" the leader told the army. Both prem and heer got up and stood next to each other. "what do we do?" heer asked seeing such a large army walking in. "we stand and fight," prem declared. "The book of counted shadows," the leader said seeing the book in prem's hand. "we cant let them get the book," heer told prem. "Stay Back!!!" prem yelled to the leader. "Give me the book and I will give you a merciful death," the leader told him. Prem remembered dharam's and heer's words about how important the book is and what will happen if rishab got the book. So, he took the only way to save it from getting it into the hands of evil. He took the book and threw in it the fire. "nooooooo!," heer yelled as the leader told his men to get the book. However, before they could reach the book, it was gone'.it was now turned into ashes. "take them," the leader ordered his men. Prem saw all those men running to kill him. He remembered dharam's lessons and started to fight, along with heer.
On the other hand, dharam came back to conscious. "Where am
I?" he asked the healer. "your friends left you with me to heal you," the
healer replied. "Where are they?" he questioned. "At the boundary," the healer
said. "I have to go," dharam stated and left from there. As each minute passed,
a new death body fell on the ground. Heer and prem were two, but together they
were equal to two thousand'their strength and unity is the only thing they had
that will help them win this fight. Two soldiers surrounded heer'.she was
trying to fight with both of them. In the process of killing one, she looses
her dragger. As the other soldier came forward to kill her, she held him and
confessed him. Confessing him, she fell on the ground. "noooo'heer!" prem
yelled. The soldier started fighting with his own men as they tried to kill
heer. Killing that soldier, three of the other soldiers surrounded heer as she
lay on the ground. "heer'get up," prem said fighting with the other soldiers.
But heer couldn't, no matter how hard she tired. Ready to die, she closed her
eyes as one of the soldiers was going to kill her. "heer!!!" prem roared as he
jumped to the soldier, pushing him to the ground and slicing his throat. Heer
opened her eyes to see prem killing the other soldiers too. Killing them all, he turned to heer and
offered her his hand. Taking it, she stood up, "that's the second time you saved
my life," she said smilingly. He smiled back and embraced her in a hug. "Looks
like I missed all the fun," some one said behind them. "dharam," prem said as
they both ran up and hugged him. Coming out of the hug, heer said, "he burned
the book." Dharam walked up and saw the burned book. "I had to'to save it from
getting into the hands of the Daharans," prem told dharam. "how will he fulfill
the prophecy now?" heer questioned. "Looks like he has already started," dharam
said. "I don't understand," prem stated. "well, the prophecy says that the seeker
will use the book in the quest to defeat rishab rampal. You did use the book,
just not in a way we expected. More importantly, you kept it from getting into
the hands of rishab," dharam explained to both of them. "But how will he know
all that the seeker's before have done?" heer said. "It looks like the seeker's
quest isn't coming with a instruction manual," dharam said teasing prem. "we
are due now'the boundary is open'we can go either way," dharam said looking at
prem. "a wise man once told me, that in this life you cant go back, only
forward," prem said smilingly at dharam. "Spoken like the true seeker," dharam
replied as they all smiled at each other. Here in rishab's palace, one of his
men walked up to him and informed, "my lord'word has come that the seeker has
burned the book and killed all our men." "Oh I see'the seeker and I are at the
same footing now I believe," rishab said stating the fact that prem didn't know
how to get to him nor did he know how to all te powers to rule the world. "But my
lord, you have thousands of men who will give up their life on your one word,"
his man said. "Well then, let know through out the three territories'that
whoever brings me the seeker will be rewarded unimaginably," rishab firmly
stated.
hiii afreen
