The Sacred Talisman 3

Shiva was driving the horses fast. He was swathed in flowing robes to keep out the desert chill. The silken strands of the mane and the tail of the spotlessly white stallion flowing in the breeze, gleaming silver would leave one and all agape.

Closely rode Farishta on a charcoal black mare which had a white star on its forehead. The swishing tail, the flowing mane and the rippling muscles winked back the moonlight where the perspiration ran down.

Swiftly they covered hundreds of miles to the far east, Shiva’s home. They had quickly collected all that was required for the journey, saddled the strongest horses in the kingdom and set forth as they were bid adieu by the monks.

Farishta guarded her bag closely. “How much further?” she asked.                                                                            “Probably another 24 hours!” But he knew the horses needed to be watered, fed and rested. As they approached a run down, one horse town, he looked around. Spotting a hut further out from the few clustered together, he headed there.

The silence in the silvery moonlight seemed peaceful. The lonely shrub near the dilapidated hut seemed bedecked with fairy lights as he could see a swarm of fireflies flitting around. But there was something that made him feel uneasy. He looked at Farishta, who nodded her assent to go ahead. Dismounting he knocked softly on the door, ‘Thak! Thak! Thak!’                                                                                                                 “Who is it? .... Come in!” came a hoarse whisper after a long wait. Farishta held on to both the horses as Shiva signaled, he was going in.

“Hello! “said he as he entered. A very cramped but well-arranged room opened up to him. In the silvery glow (from the moon) he could make out a figure on the only cot. It was reclining and waved its hand indicating, to come closer. As Shiva approached hesitantly, the covers fell off and out stepped a giant of a man. His face covered in shadows, but the glowing eyes bore straight through him. Taken aback he could barely whisper “Who are you?”

“I am the Red Knight! Awaiting your arrival for years Shiva. Now all my problems will be solved. Come give it to me. I know you have the Sacred Talisman.” “RUN” he screamed! Leaping on her horse, Farishta swirled around and urged it to gallop away at top speed! The Red Knight was up and out in a trice and seemed to whistle in a frequency audible to animals, not to humans. The beautiful black mare screeched to a halt and dutifully cantered back. Shiva’s mind was whirling. He reached out to his friends for help telepathically.

In the meanwhile, Red Knight strode up to the Black Beauty, patted her lovingly and calmly took the precious bag from Farishta. She kept staring and pleading, but to no avail. He bound the two together and locked them in the hut.

Laughing with glee, he climbed up Black Beauty and rode as fast as he could straight to the East.

Meanwhile Shiva’s friend Vignesh who had fathomed what was going on, left on his Flying disc. In a trice he landed near the hut. As he entered the hut, he was able to check how far the Red Knight was. Hushing away the cacophony of questions, greetings, and joyful surprise, he quickly released the two. Boarding the Flying disc, they soon swooped down close to the Red Knight. Slaying him with his powerful Thunderbolt 108, Vignesh picked up the precious bag and set the coordinates for home.

The Sacred Talisman finally reached home!