Before the skies could speak and the earth could answer, the first spark of war was struck.
~~~~~
She feels pain.
A sharp, blinding pain.
When she looks down, blood is pouring from her abdomen, soaking her clothes. A knife is lodged deep in her belly. A man stands before her, staring into her eyes as though searching for her soul. He murmurs mantras under his breath. As the chants reach her ears, Ahmaya feels herself trapped in a narrowing tunnel, the sound echoing as if from miles away.
The terrapin tries to attack him—but can't.
Ahmaya opens her mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. It's as if her spirit is trying to speak, but her voice is lost.
Her vision blurs. She's slipping away.
When she opens her eyes again, she finds herself lying in the center of a dark cave. A ring of fire surrounds her, glowing with sharp, crimson light. Strange symbols and objects line the edge of the circle—none of it familiar.
But she does recognize one thing—Gyanwati.
Sitting just outside the burning circle, eyes closed, Gyanwati chants ancient hymns, her voice low and unshaken.
Ahmaya gasps in pain as she notices the wound on Pushpa's body, the body she now inhabits. Blood still seeps from it. It aches deeply.
She tries to stand up and get away from the fiery circle—but the moment her body nears its edge, she feels as if her entire being is set ablaze. The pain is instant and searing. She can't cross. The circle holds her in place like an invisible prison of heat and force.
Frustrated and terrified, Ahmaya shouts, "What is this???? What are you plotting? Answer me?"
Gyanwati opens her eyes for a moment—then calmly shuts them again, as though Ahmaya's voice doesn't exist.
"Stop this! What are you doing?" Ahmaya screams louder.
Several men step into view and begin pouring a strange liquid along the circle's boundary. The fire roars, and a wave of unbearable heat rises. Ahmaya cries out in agony. Her wound burns, her skin stings—her body feels like it might melt.
She screams again. Then everything around her starts to fade, blurring into shadows. She's slipping into unconsciousness once more.
.
The terrapin rushes to Ayani's family, telling them everything.
"What? They took Ahmaya....but why…."
*RUMBLE*
And then they all hear a tremendous noise, and one of her cousins comes to tell them, "People from Paatallok are here; I guess they are here to take Ayani with them."
Ayani believes she now understands what Gyanwati is plotting.
"Dad, Ahmaya is stronger, different, and more powerful than us, but she has no idea how to summon or use her abilities. Gyanwati took advantage of this. Gyanwati knows how powerful Ahmaya is, and she desires her power, so she abducted her and is likely performing rituals to obtain her power... and now….." she is in panic mode, breathing heavily.
"Now she sent her army to fight with us so we will be busy and won't be able to go and interrupt her ritual. Once she finishes doing what she wants and becomes stronger, she will come to us for your power." Ayani's father finished what she intended to say.
As soon as they could think of a plan, the spirits of Paatallok and their Aokma friends lost control; if they throw away their time thinking rather than fighting, something horrible may happen.
Ayani steps forward; her fingers summon the green energy pulsing inside her while her breath remains steady. A glowing emerald sword emerged from her palm with a flick of her wrist, its light glimmering in the wind like leaves. With the raw strength of the forest itself, she slashes through shadows as she charges into battle, her blade dancing like a living branch.
Her father lifts his hand beside her, and streams of glistening blue water, wild and alive, slashing out like a serpent, come gushing from his fingertips. He sculpted waves, spears, and shields with each movement, attacking and defending simultaneously.
Their friends and cousins surround them, each with the power engraved in their souls; some are covered in flames, while others are veiled in light or darkness. Energy blazed through the field, a clash of steel and magic, roars….
From the brink of turmoil, a silver and moonlight-clad figure shows up. It is Ayani's mother, with long hair catching the breeze and stormlight glow in her eyes. She moves with the grace of a goddess, ageless in spirit, majestic in power, although age has touched her face.
The wind around her spun into a cyclone with one upward motion of her arm. Like dry leaves in a tempest, invisible currents scream, lifting rivals off their feet and hurling them backward. She has no need of a sword because air is her weapon. Blades of pushed wind cut across the night, and with every graceful movement, the battlefield turned in her direction.
The air bent to her will, creating shields around her allies while whirlwinds consumed enemies entirely.
Ayani is fighting powerfully, but she is worried about Ahmaya.
Ayani pushes forward, eyes fixed on her father, ducking beneath a fiery strike and her sword slashing through shadows. She clears a path with a green surge, dodging dark spears as she runs towards him.
"Father!" she cries, clashing swords with a hideous figure then pushing it aside. "We cannot win this unless we save Ahmaya; One of us has to go, and save her."
Turning, her father battled off a wall of dark flames with hands whirling with water. His gaze got darker.
"It's far too risky. You cannot go alone", he says, striking an enemy with a watery blast that sent them tumbling to the ground. "I'll go. You stay here."
Her body already glistens in light and sweat as she blocks a coming blow.
"Dad, you are much needed here. You are the elder. If you leave, the leader will be missing from the battlefield, not only a warrior. But me? I can go...trust me, I will save her and myself."
Not far around, another explosion breaks out. Her mother floats above the tumult, sending gales across the enemy lines, and their cousins battled like stars ablaze across the night.
Her father yells, slamming his fist into the ground—a surge of water exploding outward, knocking evils away "Even opening a portal to Paatallok will take too much energy; it will drain me."
Ayani says, "Let Mother open it; she has enough power," getting closer and sounding low and firm.
He then gives her mother a slow nod.
"Go. But you must take care of yourself, Ayani. God will protect you," says her father.
Hearing their call, her mother waves her arms skyward. The winds whirl closer to create a circular gate of silver light, a shimmering portal with unquenchable force. Ayani exhales, then runs forward, jumps into the portal, and vanishes.