The villagers prepared a sumptuous meal. Adhiraj was quite satisfied with the food.

  As a prince, he has eaten all sorts of exotic food made of rare ingredients and spices. Even then, the food offered by these simple villagers was very fulfilling.

  Steaming rice scented with ghee, lentils slow-cooked with herbs from the mountains, fresh flatbread roti, a small bowl of honeyed fruit, and a piece of well-cooked and seasoned venison and wild pork. The meat was a gift from the hunter, a wish for a quick recovery.

  After eating his fill, he entered the study room of the clinic. The healer Aadya was waiting for him.

  Without hesitation, Adhiraj stepped inside. He had several questions that he couldn’t wait to get answers to.

  The study was a modest chamber lit by oil lamps, their flames steady and warm. Wooden shelves line the walls, filled with palm-leaf manuscripts, jars of dried roots and petals, stone weights etched with sigils, and folded charts of mountains and rivers. The air smells of ink, resin, and old wood.

  Adhiraj stands respectfully, then bows his head.

  “I am very grateful to you for saving my life. Yet instead of repayment, I burden you with questions.”

  Aadya gestures for him to sit.

  “It was the Great Goddess’s guidance that led us to cross our paths. So, there is nothing to be grateful for. As a healer, I merely fulfilled my duty.” She shakes her head with a calm smile.

  Adhiraj nods in appreciation of her humble character and asks.

  “Regardless of the fate, it is still a fact that I owe my life to you. May I ask for the humble name of my saviour to sate my curiosity?” He asks respectfully.

  “I am Aadya, one of the many humble disciples of the Sage Dhanvantari.” She answers with a simple smile, yet the weight of these words falls like a mountain on Adhiraj’s shoulder.

  “A disciple of Sage Dhanvantari!” Adhiraj mumbled in shock.

  Sage Dhanvanatari, also known by his alias Healing God Dhanvanatari, is an extraordinary person and holds the same position as Sage Sukrit, the royal teacher of the Prayaga Kingdom.

  In every epoch, 24 outstanding Tirthankara, also called the Teaching Gods, will appear, each representing a different aspect of life. These Tirthankaras are the supreme teachers of an aspect of life. They have reached the summit of a path and teach others to follow, to learn from them. A Tirthankara provides a bridge of knowledge for others to step on.

  As supreme teachers, their grace is said to be available to all living beings, regardless of origin. Thus, it’s a universal law that every Teaching God must be treated with utmost respect, irrespective of race.

  Because of their position and title, Teaching Gods avoid all mortal conflicts and thus are exempt from the laws of warfare and political strife. No warrior shall point their weapon at any Teaching God. Violating this law will lead to punishment from the heavens and earth.

  Both Sage Dhanvanatari and Sage Sukrit hold positions among the 24 Teaching Gods. Sage Dhanvanatari is the Healing God, while Sage Sukrit is the Yantra/Formation God.

  The teaching gods are very picky in selecting disciples.

  They judge a person through their character, morals, ethics, efforts, worldview, mentality, and actions. After judging all of their virtues, the Teaching Gods will issue a trial to their nominee disciple. If the nominee disciple completes the trial, he/she will become a true disciple, obtaining Teaching God’s legacy and personal guidance.

  The disciples of the Teaching Gods hold significant influence and power over the world. Their words and actions can shape the future of the world, thus making them crucial people to ally with.

  And now a person with such great prestige is standing before his eyes. Adhiraj couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe and disbelief.

  He had received personal guidance from a Teaching God, and thus he knew the weight and prestige of such a title. Any disciple of a teaching god is bound to be extraordinary.

  Adhiraj quickly lowers his head and bows in apology.

  “I seek forgiveness for my earlier rude behaviour.”

  “It’s a simple matter. There is nothing to apologise for. Also, please continue to treat me as you would treat any other healer.” Aadya shakes her head.

  “Besides, I can’t let a noble prince bow to me.” She chuckles slightly, pointing at the signet ring with the noble insignia on his index finger.

  Only the members of the royal family wear such ornaments. And judging from Adhiraj’s majestic aura and his way of address, his identity wasn’t a mystery to keen eyes.

  “Ah… well… I apologise for not introducing myself.” Adhiraj laughs and introduces himself.

  “I am Adhiraj, the crown prince of the Prayaga Kingdom and a noble descendant of the Chandra Vansh.”

  He explains his identity and the circumstances that led him to wake up in this place.

  “The villagers found you unconscious along the bank of one of the many streams of the river Tu?gabhadrā.”

  Adhiraj and Aadya continue to converse for another hour. Both sides asked each other several questions and exchanged information.

  Adhiraj learned that Aadya is on a spiritual trial to seek the Great Goddess of Healing’s blessing. And it’s this journey that led her to this remote place.

  He also asks about their current location.

  Aadya lays down a worn-out parchment map on the table.

  “The details on this map are unclear, but from what I found in these past two years, we are here.” She points to a small dot on the map.

  “This small Chitkul village is located somewhere in the foothills of the Rukmin Mountain range. The Rukmin mountain range is present at the boundary of the Ketumāla subcontinent and the central subcontinent Ilāv?ta.”

  “Ketumāla subcontinent!” Adhiraj’s murmur in surprise.

  Ketumāla is the westernmost subcontinent of the Jambudvīpa continent, and the Rukmin mountain range is located at the northeast corner of Ketumāla, separating it from the central subcontinent.

  The Prayaga Kingdom is located on the southern subcontinent of Bhārata. The path home is treacherous. Ketumāla is a land of extremes. He has to cross the entire Ketumāla subcontinent and traverse through various deserts, marshes, wetlands, and mountain ranges to return to his kingdom.

  To the west of this place lies the scorching desert Dhrumatulya. This desert stretches for countless Yojana all the way beyond to the distant sea. To the east of the place, heading towards the central continent, lies the cold desert Spiti, where cold winds cut like a blade and nights freeze breath itself. Between these harsh lands are wetlands and marshes, and several lands of extremities. Rivers flood the plains, and active volcanoes erupt with streams of lava. Powerful winds and lightning would occasionally strike at multiple places.

  Besides the natural disasters, the subcontinent is home to man-eating plants, bloodthirsty monsters, various Danavas, Pisachas, Rakshasas, and Yakshas. With such dangers, no human dared to set foot on this land alone.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Their conversation continued, and Adhiraj expressed his intention to leave this place once his injuries recovered.

  Adhiraj hesitates and asks after a moment.

  “Are you willing to travel alongside me on this journey? We will eventually part ways and walk our own path, but until then, would you walk that road with me?” There is a hint of hesitation and expectation on his face.

  Aadya doesn’t immediately answer him. She looks to the shelves of her study, to the jars labelled with careful prescriptions, and to the doorway where the children’s laughter often lingers. Her fingers rest lightly on the edge of the table, and for a long moment, her mind wanders to the past two years spent in this remote village in distant lands.

  “I too can’t stay in one place for too long. I have to venture into the vast world and help as many people as I can to overcome my trial.” She mumbles. And finally expressed her interest in leaving this small village.

  “But… there is something that must be done before we leave this village.”

  “Is it the Pi?āca (Pishachas) hiding deep within the marsh located at some distance from the village?” Adhiraj asks in a low voice.

  “H-How do you know?” Aadya asks in surprise.

  “I heard some fragmented whispers and information from the kids and pieced everything together.”

  Pishachas are malevolent, blood-sucking, flesh-eating demons. These creatures of the dark are evil, bloodthirsty, and vengeful in nature. Once they mark prey, they won’t leave it alone unless a higher power drives them away. They will wait patiently until they quench their thirst and sate their hunger.

  After her initial surprise, Aadya nodded in agreement.

  “Yes, it’s a pishacha, and it is targeting the residents of this village.” She adds.

  “The pishacha was in a weakened state with multiple injuries, probably a result of being hunted down by some powerful being. It hid itself in this remote mountain to recover. To hasten its recovery, it planted a plague using its corrupted blood and Ketū’s influence.

  I purified the curse and wiped the plague. The Pishacha discovered my actions and came to confront me, disguised as a wounded person. However, I saw through its disguise because of its crooked shadow and repelled it. Since then, the pishacha hid itself in the nearby marsh, awaiting my departure.” Aadya explains.

  “Please leave the matter of the Pishacha to me. I will slay the evil Pishacha after I recover my strength to repay my gratitude to the villagers.” Adhiraj requests.

  “That’s fine by me!” Aadya agreed.

  “Besides, as a healer, I lack the means to eradicate that demon. So, I was about to seek your help to slay him. But your request makes things easier for me. Still, we need to prepare well, or else the pisacha might escape and return to torment the villagers after our departure.”

  So, for the next month, they quietly prepared for the confrontation.

  Every day, Adhiraj would train his body and mind to adapt to his newfound powers. The awakening of the Crown chakra didn’t just directly boost his combat power; it enhanced his perception of cosmic energy and the laws of reality.

  Through the crown chakra, Sahasrara, he can hear the cosmic language of the universe. The harmony and alignment of his body became more natural and balanced. The crown chakra is a conduit for channelling cosmic energy in the body and connecting to the divine.

  Through meditation and penance, he can earn the recognition of the elements and summon them as divine Astras in exchange for prana. His previous use of a divine Astra was forced and flawed. But now, he can channel the divine Astra smoothly, though he still lacks the prana to sustain and control it for long.

  The biggest change brought forth by awakening the fourth chakra is the projection of prana outward in a projectile.

  Adhiraj breathes according to his pranayama. Blue prana swirls around his body, and a radiance of moonlight glimmers around him.

  He stretches his palm and focuses his mind. Prana circulates within his body and moves towards his palms. Soon, a small wisp of blue moonlight takes shape.

  With a thought from him, the prana wisp flies forward. It whistles through the skies and strikes a distant boulder at 500 Dhanu. The small wisp, the size of a fingernail, shatters a giant boulder of 20 Dhanu into pieces.

  “Not bad!” he exclaimed in surprise and satisfaction.

  Previously, his body didn’t have enough prana reserves to fire prana projectiles. He could only imbue his weapons with prana and use them in battle. But now his prana reserves expanded fivefold, allowing him to shoot it outward. Now, even a small wisp of prana carried a powerful, destructive force.

  After completing his meditation, Adhiraj practised his swordplay. The little kids observe him with curiosity and awe. Looking at these young ones, Adhiraj couldn’t help but chuckle.

  He asked the village woodcutter to fetch him some ironwood. The woodcutter obliged and delivered several logs of ironwood. He infuses prana into his fingertips to slice through the ironwood. Adhiraj uses these ironwood logs to create several wooden swords, spears, maces, bows, and other weapons of different sizes.

  He handpicked the kids based on their talent, aptitude, and interest and taught them the basic moves of each weapon.

  He borrowed some parchment, a quill, and ink from Aadya and wrote down the basic sword, spear, and mace techniques. He even wrote archery guides for everyone to learn.

  Every morning, he demonstrated the techniques to the villagers. Several young and old folks would attend the lessons and receive guidance. Adhiraj would patiently explain to them.

  The villagers and even Aadya were appreciative of his actions. A month was too short to learn anything substantial. Even so, proper guidance from a well-versed mentor was enough to help people learn for a lifetime. Besides, Adhiraj also compiled books for the villagers to continue learning after his departure.

  He also made ample preparations to hunt down the Pishacha. He would wander the forest in search of clawed tracks and lost livestock, occasionally finding their furs, horns, and hooves scattered.

  The Pishacha hid in the shadows, patiently waiting for an opportunity. He quietly learns the Pishacha’s habits, its hunting spots and patterns. Adhiraj also marked its escape routes and several hideouts.

  He also borrowed sacred ashes, salt, crushed herbs, bone powder, and several exotic minerals from the villagers and Aadya. He crushed these materials into a paste and used the Tu?gabhadrā river’s water to make ink. Using these materials, he inscribed a vast Yantra surrounding the village. He even used his blood as a catalyst to channel prana in the Yantra.

  Despite his position as a prince and warrior, Adhiraj was quite proficient in the art of formation and Yantra. Under Sage Sukrit’s tutelage, he learned military formations, Vastu Shastra, Prana Yantra, and several other types of formations and mandalas.

  So, with limited materials and time, he set up a [Sa? Dishayen Deva Sanrakshanam Mandala] around the village. He erected six large iron pillars in different directions, each housing the statue of a directional deity.

  This mandala will ward off evil beings, repel disasters and plague, and bring good fortune and rain to the village.

  Most of Adhiraj’s possessions were preserved after the battle, except for small trinkets and ornaments that got washed along the river. Although his armour was cracked and the eagle pauldron shattered, it was still enough to preserve his life.

  His beloved silver blade was still with him, unharmed and unsinged. He visited the village blacksmith to repair his armour, but the blacksmith’s skills were severely lacking to repair an armour of such calibre.

  The blacksmith did a slight repair, making the armour temporarily usable. If he undergoes another intense battle, the cracks on the armour will expand, making it unusable.

  “But this much should be enough for the battle.” Adhiraj gently caresses the blade of his silver, curved sword.

  Finally, the day of decisive confrontation arrives: the night of the dark moon. Adhiraj recalls the information he learned about the Pishachas from his teacher and several books. He never fought a Pishacha directly but had heard several tales of encounters from soldiers and warrior of his kingdom.

  On the night of the dark moon, Pishachas are in their most powerful but also most vulnerable state. Pishachas are the creatures of the dark.

  They hide their presence flawlessly in the dark, suppressing their aura to the utmost to fool most warriors’ perception. They move through shadows, stepping in and out of darkness, using the veil of the night as a doorway. In deep gloom, their form can vanish entirely, turning invisible.

  They command blood and shadow as extensions of their will. A Pishacha can draw blood from living flesh without touching it. They can manipulate blood to create weapons. They can harden it into barbed whips or jagged needles that lash from the dark. Shadows thicken at their command, clinging to limbs, blinding eyes, muffling screams.

  Their claws are sharper than forged blades, capable of slicing through armour, bone, and enchanted steel alike. Each of their strikes is precise, aimed to cripple rather than kill outright—because they enjoy fear. Their fangs are monstrous, long and serrated, strong enough to pierce stone and drink deeply from anything that lives.

  The worst aspect of a Pishacha isn’t their mastery of blood and dark tantra, but the Sammohan (charm) of their eyes.

  Their eyes glow a sickly purple-red, as embers drowned in blood. A single glance from them can drag the unwary into a hallucinatory snare.

  They drag their victims into their Mayajaal, weaving visions of safety, the embrace of loved ones, or false threats that feel utterly real. Time distorts within their illusions; moments stretch to lifetimes.

  Their attacks target victims’ mental defences. During battle, the decisions may falter, and the prey often never realises the attack has begun until their fangs are already closing.

  A pishacha’s form is ghastly and distorted. Their limbs are slightly too long, joints bending where they should not; their silhouette constantly shifting as if struggling to remain anchored in one shape. Despite their fearsome form, they prefer to wear humanity as a mask, approaching as a wounded traveller, a desperate supplicant, or a harmless shadow at the edge of sight to lure their victims into their trap. Pishacha don’t outright kill their prey. They like to play with it, reeling in its fear and misery.

  This cruel nature of the Pishacha can be exploited against them. Warriors disguise themselves as helpless, harmless, travel-worn travellers to lure them.

  The cautious and cunning Pishacha will approach them as a needy fellow traveller, but warriors can differentiate them from normal humans using various means. Having their identities exposed and their fun game ruined, the Pishachas will enter a frenzy, abandoning their caution and cunning.

  Warriors can then engage them in battle and use sacred or enchanted weapons to wound them. Pisachas are also prone to fire, and travellers often light a campfire to repel them.

  “Tonight, let’s end the threat of that evil creature.” Adhiraj draws his silver blade and takes the lead, with Aadya following closely.

  The duo of a swordsman and a healer set out to end the reign of darkness.