The Secrets of the Elements

Chapter 21: The Attack

"May I know where you have been?" questioned Indra as he stood tall, towering them; their heads

bowed before him.

"The temple," Daksh lied. "I went to the temple without telling these guys, so they came there searching

for me."

"And why exactly, would you in such a situation go to the temple?" asked Indra.

"Indra," said Dai Ma, entering the small room in the cottage. "The High Priest has summoned us, this

instant we must leave."

Indra nodded his head.

They crossed their arms, closing their eyes and vanished, leaving the three of them alone.

Rutuja sighed.

"Saved," added Rishi. "Thank you, High Priest."

"The High Priest is in Srinagar, right?" questioned Rutuja and looked at Rishi.

"Yes, Shankaracharya Temple. Why?" said Rishi as he threw the jacket on one of the six chairs around

the dining table.

"He has special powers, how doesn't he knows about the book being in the wrong hands?" wondered

Rutuja.

"Those five might be good, you know," said Rishi and sat on the chair. Rutuja opened her mouth to say

something but then stopped.

"Yes, they attacked us, that's because Daksh attacked them first, it's not their fault, they were ready to

talk," Rishi clarified.

Rutuja looked at Daksh.

"Well, I came to know that they had the book so. . ."

"So? You didn't consider telling anyone of us or Master Indra?" interrupted Rutuja.

"Okay, what's done is done, it is time for damage control," said Rishi and kept his hand on Rutuja's

hand.

Daksh glared at Rishi; Rishi smirked.

"What next then?" asked Rutuja.

"Daksh obviously knows where those guys live," said Rishi as he poured some water in a glass.

Rutuja looked at Daksh; her eyes demanding the truth.

Daksh fought the urge to punch Rishi right in the face.

"Daksh," said Rutuja.

"Well, yes," he replied. He could not lie.

"So done then, we're going to their place and taking the book from them," said Rutuja and headed

upstairs banging her heels against the floor.

~~~~~

There was a knock on the door.

The five friends had gathered at Tej's house, enjoying a hot cup of coffee, sitting in the hall.

"It might be mom," said Tej and opened the door.

With an anguished shriek, Tej fell to his knees, clutching his stomach.

"Tej!" screamed Advika.

Daksh lunged at Ray, dagger in hand. However, at the last moment, Ray snatched up a metal pan from

the table beside him and smacked it into Daksh's face with a loud crunch.

Rutuja kicked Maya in the stomach and pushed Zarna on the glass table with enough force to shatter

the glass. Blood oozing out from Zarna's forehead.

Advika's heart leapt in her chest. Rutuja held Advika's hands behind her back with a knife held against

her throat.

"Where is the book?" she demanded.

Ray thrust his arms forward, and blue lightning surged towards Rishi, completely obliterating Rishi's

own beam of energy. With a cry, Rishi threw up his hands in a feeble attempt to protect himself from

the oncoming lightning and sank to the ground.

Ray snapped his fingers, and the lightning reeled away from Rishi, springing back to his fingertips,

before disintegrating in a shower of blue sparks.

Tej threw a ball of fire towards Daksh. Daksh blocked it with a ball of vacuum that emanated from his

hands.

"Stop!" screamed Rutuja. The knife drew blood from Advika's throat.

"Give us the book, otherwise," she said and tightened her grip on Advika's throat.

Tears slid from Advika's eyes. Grantha help, she thought.

~~~~~

Sometimes you have to be your own hero, Advika, Advika heard a voice in her head.

Advika closed her eyes. Maybe you're right, she thought.

The window opened; a gust of wind entered the hall.

"Now," said Advika and stomped her foot on the floor.

Rutuja, Daksh, and Rishi lost their balance, falling flat on the floor.

The air surrounded Rutuja and Advika. Advika snatched the knife from Rutuja.

"Maya, help Advika, we'll see these guys," said Tej as he threw a ball of fire towards Daksh.

Daksh sent a psi ball towards Tej. Tej hit his head on the chair kept beside him.

"I don't want to hurt you," said Advika, pointing the knife's edge towards her enemy.

Rutuja laughed mockingly. "What makes you think you can hurt me?" she said and got to her feet.

Zarna grabbed a jug full of water from the kitchen and threw the water on the floor. Rishi looked at her,

confused.

Zarna formed a ball with her hands. Ripples began to appear in the water dropped on the floor. The

water rose from the floor, took the form of a ball, and with one command from Zarna, headed towards

Rishi.

Rishi moved his hands in a circular motion, creating a ball of energy to block the attack coming from

Zarna.

Boom! Clash!

Both the balls of energy and water collided in the air.

Zarna picked her right leg to kick Rutuja, however, Rutuja swivelled and held her leg, twitching it,

sending a wave of pain in her body.

Advika sat down to pull her leg, but Rutuja kicked her.

"Ouch!" she said as she hit her knee on the floor.

The girls exchanged a glance. Advika nodded her head in a no.

Maya removed a small cloth bag from her jeans' pocket and drew some powder out of it.

"Maya, no," said Advika.

Maya threw the powder on Rutuja. She tossed the bag in the air, directing the powder towards Rishi

and Daksh.

The powder fell on Daksh's head. Zarna motioned Tej to stop attacking.

Ray jumped on Rishi, tying his hands with a cloth he took from the kitchen.

"Ray, move," said Zarna.

The powder, in the form of small balls, fell on Rishi.

Rutuja, Rishi, and Daksh hit the floor, disappearing into thin air.

~~~~

"Tej," said Advika and rushed towards him. "Zarna, can you please get the first-aid box from his room,"

she said and put her handkerchief on his bleeding forehead.

Ray poked Tej with his elbow and smiled. Tej smiled back. He loved the way Advika cared for him.

"Adu," said Zarna as she picked up one of the pieces of the shattered glass.

"Careful with it," said Ray.

Zarna nodded her head and kept threw the glass back on the floor. "Why did you stop Maya from using

that powder, and what was that powder?"

"That powder, it's called the Schwinger powder," revealed Advika as she applied antiseptic cream on

Tej's wounds.

"The day we went to the ancient library, we found a book there, it had this powder, which I stole," said

Maya.

"The book clearly said this powder could transport people to... anywhere, literally anywhere, into a

different dimension also," said Advika and looked at Maya.

"I suppose it works," said Maya.

"I'm worried for those guys, God knows where they landed, hope they are safe," said Advika.

"I don't believe this, you're wishing good for our enemies," said Maya.

"I think the hall needs cleaning," interrupted Ray and went to the kitchen.

Small pieces of glass lay all over the wet floor. The sofa was dishevelled. The white powder lay in

patches near the door and sofa.

"Careful with the powder," said Maya as Ray came back from the kitchen with a broom and mop in his novelbin

hands.