Chapter 125.

PART 1.

At the dinner, Hatori explains what happened there. He is thankful for the quick healing that the girls provided. Magic is convenient like that, he must admit.

“So, you’re saying that the soul attacked you?” asked Munshi, skipping the whole thing about the fight, and Hatori’s non-violent handling of it.

“Not all of us,” said Hatori. “It seems to be targeting that older boy who picked the fight with me. It only attacked me because I was defending him, and ignored the girls and the people nearby entirely.”

“Hmm. that seems like a vengeful soul.” Said Munshi. “Remember how souls retain their complete memories of their lives, and how they are like a person without a body? this means they remember the wrongs done to them as well, and often try to take revenge against the people who have wronged them while they were alive.”

“Aren’t they alive, sir?” asked Hatori.

“I suppose you could say that,” said Munshi. “But not like a human. A living breathing body.”

“Is there a way to track this soul?” asked Hatori.

“Leave that to me,” said Munshi. “I’ll teach you the basics of tracking the souls later, this one is too dangerous for you to handle alone. you likely won’t encounter it again, but just in case, be ready to fight.” Instructed Munshi.

“Yessir!” salutes Hatori.

PART 2.

Dhanush is shaken up by the events of today. He didn’t expect to end up facing that dangerous soul when he went to kick out that apprentice. ‘He saved me, despite that.’ he thought. ‘Not just saved me, he was strong. He could have injured me very badly. How is he so strong, despite being four years younger than me? I’m a graduate student, dammit!’

‘And that soul, why did it target me?’ Dhanush may not be experienced with souls, but he can deduce that much at least from the short encounter.

“You look shaken up, son.” Said his father. “Understandable, given what happened.”

His father puts his massive hands around him. “Don’t you worry my son; I won’t let anyone harm you.” He assured him.

“Thank you, dad.” He spoke.

“You should try to sleep. You look exhausted.” Dhanush decides to listen to his father, go to his room to sleep, and forget this day entirely.

Vikram watched his son leave. He has seen how people can end up shaken by their first violent encounter. And as much as he would like to say things get easier, he knows that is not true. He has been retired for five years now, and he still gets nightmares about some of the cases, especially the unsolved ones.

As he leaves the house, and ensures all the wards are working properly, he remembers how his senior officer said the same thing to him when he joined the police force as a fresh graduate. “Unsolved cases are a bane of an officer. They keep you awake in the night, and not even the retirement is an escape from them.”

Arriving at the car, he knocks the window. Munshi opens the door, without moving from his seat. Hatori is asleep nearby. With a wave of his staff, Munshi creates a sound burier around his student to make sure he is not disturbed by the impending conversation.

“I was expecting you.” He said, putting his staff in a grabbing range.

“Then you should know why I’m here,” said Vikram. “Back off the case.”

“Why?” asked Munshi.

When Vikram fails to answer, Munshi continues. “You should know that you will be the next target.”

“I don’t understand.” Said Vikram.

“But I do think you do understand.” Said Munshi. “I know all about you, and what you did ten years ago. There’s a reason why you had to take an early retirement.”

Vikram’s face remains impassive. “I do warn you. stay away from my student.” said Munshi.

“I won’t lay a finger on him,” said Vikram. “He saved my son. Whatever spat they may have, I will never harm him.”

“That is good,” said Munshi. “I’m not going to back off. So, I suggest you leave, your son needs you I believe.”

Not wanting to show his worry, Vikram stands up from his seat and leaves as if he is not in a hurry. Once he was out of the sight of Munshi, he picked up his pace and arrived at his house. He checked up on Dhanush, and seeing him asleep peacefully, he decided to catch some shut-eye for himself.

PART 3.

The next day, after Hatori has his breakfast, Munshi tells him to go out. “Wait, shouldn’t I stay here, given how you’ve said I should avoid this dangerous soul?”

“Yes. Do you have the locket I gave you?” he asked.

Hatori brings out the locket, which is hanging from a string, hidden behind his shirt. “Here, let me replace it,” said Munshi, untying the previous locket, and tying the new one to the string. “This one will keep you protected from the souls. It won’t provide better protection against the spirits, so be careful.”

“Thanks.” Said Hatori.

“I do think that you should also deactivate your air resistance.” Said Munshi, startling Hatori.

He has been doing that for so long that he doesn’t even think about it. “Why?” he asked, wanting to know the reason.

“Because it will give you the necessary boost to evade the soul if you ever come in contact with it again.” Said Munshi. “I suppose you could argue that you don’t need that boost, but better safe than sorry, in my opinion.”

“I get that,” said Hatori, mentally tracing the symbols, and deactivating the air resistance around him.

Immediately, his body felt lighter, and with a skip in his step, he left the car. Munshi watched him go away. In any other case, Munshi would have kept Hatori inside. But he is trained by Zeko. If he puts the habit of running away at the first sign of danger in his student, Zeko will never forgive him for it. their friendship is already strained as it is.

PART 4.

Hatori didn’t have the same interest in exploring this city as he did yesterday. Besides, he is never been the kind of guy who enjoys traveling much. limited amount is fine, but overindulgence is not. though he did walk around, and did his usual physical exercises with his air resistance off. He had to work harder to get some sweat out, and now he is sating his appetite for food. He is eating another curry, different from the one he ate yesterday, which is of course, delicious. He paused in the middle of the enjoyment of his midday meal, as a familiar magical signature approached him. As this signature walked into his line of sight, Hatori already knew that this was the same boy as yesterday, who picked a fight with him yesterday.

“I see you’re enjoying the curries. I’m proud of the curries of my city.” He said, puffing up in pride.

“Yes. They are delicious and wonderful.” Said Hatori. “Even the veg ones.” Taking the final spoonful of curry from his plate, Hatori goes to deposit the plate in the recycle bin.

He was amused when he learned of its existence, after all, a computer has the same thing. The pang for his life back at home does not hit as hard as it used to, but he still misses it. the boy followed him, as he went to the counter to pay for his lunch.

“Do you want something from me?” he asked, once he was outside of the shop.

“Well, if you think I want revenge, then you’re wrong.” Hatori relaxed after hearing that, but he did not drop his guard. “You are very strong, much stronger than anyone I know. I really respect you as a result.”

“Thanks for the compliment.” Said Hatori. He wanted to point out how lucky this guy was, if he were to be in the same faze as two years ago, he would have killed him in cold blood, and never thought about him again. ‘Looks like Kangana changed me in more ways than I thought.’ He thinks to himself.

“I realize that I never introduced myself. I’m Dhanush Prabhakar.” He extended his hand.

“I’m Hatori Eagle.” Said Hatori, shaking hands with Dhanush.

Though Niti and Saroja are not here today, (they were busy tending to some patients), Hatori does remember what they said about Dhanush. “So, your father was a police officer?” he asked, not mentioning the cruel reputation about which they also told him.

“Oh yeah. I’ve grown up around the force.” He spoke. “In fact, let’s go to the station, for a tour.”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Wouldn’t we cause a disruption?” asked Hatori, easily changing tracks to go to the station.

“Not really. We’ll just sit there; the officers know me there. We’ll observe the daily proceedings.” Said Dhanush.

Just as Dhanush said, they spent time in the station, while Dhanush provided the running commentary on the people coming and going there. “That is Officer Sharma, he is very strict, which shouldn’t surprise you, he is from the Sharma clan, after all. The young man with him is Officer Shetty, he joined just the previous year. I pity the guy since he got paired up with Sharma.” He spoke.

Apparently, Sharma heard him and gave him an impressive glare. “Just wait, you’re set to take the exams next year. once you’re here, then we’ll see whether you eat your words or not,” he said to Dhanush, before leaving.

Dhanush smiled. “I like to think that is his way of saying that he will look out for me.”

“Doesn’t sound like that to me, but whatever seems right to you,” said Hatori.

He suddenly stiffens, as he senses the soul nearby. “We should run.” He spoke.

Before Dhanush could say anything, the police station gets its front walls blasted into rubble, only the hastily created shield of magic by Hatori saved them from any serious injury. The officers tried to come to get them out of there, but the soul attacked them and made them back off. Hatori senses its magical flow, it is doing something, but he senses no threatening magic coming to them.

However, as the visuals start to shift in front of his eyes, Hatori realizes that the soul is using some illusion. He was about to try to break it, but Dhanush’s words stopped him from doing so. “That is me, ten years ago.” He spoke. “The other boy is Prasad, he was my classmate, but I never saw him after that day.”

The scene is from the school, as the children got their results. Prasad has come first in his class, while Dhanush has remained in third place. “Father wasn’t happy about that,” remembers Dhanush.

The illusion shifted, and the face of a nine-year-old boy appeared in front of them, looking battered. “And he took it out on me.” Dhanush takes a step back from the sheer venom in the tone.

‘Why do I get the feeling that I’m not going to enjoy what’s coming next?’ thinks Hatori.

The face disappears from their vision, instead, they witness Vikram arriving in the hut of Prasad’s family, and taking the boy, calling him a thief. His family protested, calling him innocent, but he did not listen to their words. He brings the boy to the lockup, ties him to the chain, and starts to slap him around.

“You think you can beat my son, and take the place which rightfully belongs to him?” he slaps him so hard that the chair falls to the ground. Prasad is tied to the chair, so he has no way to defend himself or move his hands or legs.

“You must have cheated, I’m sure of it. no way a low-class boy like you can beat him in exams!” he kicked Prasad so hard that he was sent flying to the other side of the lockup, still trapped in the chair.

As he brings out a stick, he transmutes the chair into a hanger, on which Prasad is hanging upside down. “Just because you got in the school, you think you can take the place of your betters?” he started to beat him with the stick, as the body of the kid swung, still suspended by his legs to the hanger. He conjures a needle in his hand, and with a final thwack, as Prasad’s body comes back to him, he stabs him with the needle.

“This is the punishment for cheaters, you hear me?” Vikram puts a whole in the lockup, conjures some salt water, and fills the whole with it.

Releasing him from the hangar, he throws Prasad into the salt water. “Everything is burning, everything is burning!” he screamed. “Mom, Dad, save me, save me!” he screamed.

“This is the pain you’ve caused today. Now, suffer!” said Vikram, walking out of the lockup.

As the illusion ends, Dhanush stares at the empty air, horrified by what he saw. He always knew that his father did have a bit of a cruel streak. But this went beyond cruel, and the worst part is, that he lived for ten years without even knowing about it. he always thought that his father sustained some injury in the line of duty, that is why he retired. But clearly, this wasn’t the case. He buried the incident, by using his high status, and retired early.

A cloud appears in front of Hatori and Dhanush. The officers nearby are unconscious, having been knocked out by the soul when the two teens were trapped in the illusion. The cloud takes the shape of Prasad and the vengeful soul glairs at Dhanush.

“When I kill you, he will feel the pain worse than my own.” He said, still sounding like a nine-year-old.

As the face lunges towards Dhanush, Hatori brings out his foci with a flick of his wrist from the storage runes carved on his hands. With a burst of water, Hatori throws the soul back. He barely managed to keep the frequency correct, or the water would have just passed through the soul like it wasn’t even there.

“You. you always get in the way.” said the soul of Prasad. “Now, you die!”

Massive pieces of rubble come at Hatori, trying to crush his head. But Hatori uses a shield from his one hand, and with a twirl of his staff, he transmuted the pieces of rubble into metal bars. He then sent them back at the soul, now enchanted to affect the soul. The soul did not expect that and got pinned to the ground as a result, but it escaped by burrowing underground.

Dhanush watched this fight, he was terrified yesterday. He is still terrified now, but he can observe the events. During their casual walk, Dhanush didn’t realize how big Hatori was, but now he seemed to fill this battlefield with his imposing magical and physical presence. The soul tries to get at him from below ground, but one stomp by Hatori’s feet brings it out. Dhanush is also amazed to watch how little Hatori needs his foci. If anything, the staff seems to slow him down. He graduated last year from the Academy, but since he took his apprenticeship under a detective, he wasn’t there to see Hatori’s magical feet. He also did not return for his last year, deciding to continue his apprenticeship under the detective.

Hatori is getting tired of this battle. He still has tons of stamina and physical strength, but keeping someone safe is exhausting. Only his resistance training has kept him ahead of the soul so far. As he shields Dhanush from another attack of the soul (he seems to display his intelligence by constantly changing his location, and keeping close to Hatori), several chains come from the ground and bind the soul. The chains squeeze, and with a scream of rage, the soul pops like a balloon. The chains disappear in the sleaves of Munshi, who has just arrived.

“You have the worst luck, boy,” said Munshi to Hatori.

Hatori just nodded and said nothing.

The rest of the proceedings are a blur to Hatori. He was asked to give some statements, during which Munshi coached him on what to say. After that, they leave in Munshi’s car, probably to solve another case.

“I can’t believe that Vikram got away.” Said Hatori. “Is there no justice in this world?”

“There is no justice.” Said Munshi. “Never was, and never will be. You will learn this truth, as you progress as a necromancer.”

“At least his son seems to be different than him,” said Hatori.

Dhanush and Hatori talked one final time. Hatori told him to keep his fociless abilities a secret. His staff was originally burned down by Krishna Menon two years ago, but Zeko bought him a new one. before he came with Munshi, he gave him strict instructions to use it at all times and to keep his fociless abilities secret. Luckily, the older teen agreed without a fuss.

As Hatori lies down to sleep, he knows that he will remember this case for all the wrong reasons.

PART 5: CREATION OF FLOODED PLAINS.

2000 years ago, near the Kamarupa region, two sorcerers fought in a duel. The reason for their duel is unknown, but the effects of their fight are still available for everyone to see to this day. Their magic was so destructive that it collapsed the mountains and plateaus which were located nearby, and the river Brahmaputra flooded the flat area. Ever since, this entire area has been known as Flooded Plains, a large flat land flooded by the river, divided into five smaller plains.

A lab is located nearby, which mostly focuses on the research for harnessing energy. These plains provide a good source of water, and as a result, farming has seen a boom in this area after that duel.

As for the sorcerers responsible for the creation of this area? No one knows what happened to them.