BLACK AND WHITE #BOOK 1 - SWORD OF SILVER

“Looks like you should make your record some other day, Hector...” Aarav heard someone say , he turned , still on the floor , to look at his saviour , and it was none other than the Masked man.

“Justice blade...what are you doing here ?” Hector said. His face had lost all it colour , it was emotionless for a moment and then , it was fear, sheer fear and nothing else.

“Why, cant i come out for socializing ? And yeah , my little weak friend here requires help very often ...” Blade said looking at Aarav.

“You were banished , you are an S-rated criminal roaming free. We have orders to kill you at sight!” Hector said , and Aarav saw him shivering like a fool.

Is this guy really that dangerous ? Aarav thought.

“Well, what can i say , i know i’m pretty famous , but u see , i’m out here to fulfill a request, and as for you , guess what? I wont kill you , it’ll be against my ethics to kill someone who has no mortal blood on his hands , but , all the people you brought with you here , including this.” He pointed his sword at the sorcerer holding the glass sphere , and continued ,“.. so if u just give me a minute...”

“Justice blade please , NO! N-” Said the sorcerer , but before he could complete the sentence , in the blink of an eye , the masked man was beside him , and the sorcerer’s head on the floor.

He glanced at Aarav , and with the same thunderous speed , one after the other , heads of Hector’s comrades were falling on the floor . Whoever tried to escape through the open ceiling , were shred to pieces .

Within five minutes , the only people standing in the hall , were Aarav , Shiba , Hector and Justice blade.

Blade walked with his eyes closed towards them , then joined his hands and prayed , and then opened them again. He said,

“Now , Hector , i know you’re no less than these , but sure enough you haven’t killed a mortal yet , so i grant you your life , just walk away and nobody will know.”

“Do you think i’m mad? The king will hang my family in the town’s square if i fail him , i’d rather die in your hands.” he charged . Blade smiled , and stopped his attack with one hand , then kicked him in the gut . Hector spat blood and fell on his back ...

“Why are you protecting the girl , Blade ? What gain do you have in betraying the Phoenix?” He asked Blade.

“What girl? Oh this...?” Blade said pointing at Shiba “..you can take her and flee if u want , i wont stop you.” He said .

“What? No!” Aarav said .” I wont let you take her ...” He tried standing with all his might , since Hector had thrown away his sword . Blade , within a glance , kicked straight at his hand , and Aarav fell on his face .

“I know ...i’ll try taking the girl , and you will come kill me. Am i right, Blade?“Hector said in a scared voice.

" Quite a hilarious guy, aren’t you Hector? I just don’t get it why you people are so scared of a normal person like me...“Blade said .

“Normal? You can be anything on this earth , but not normal ! I need a word , that you wont kill me ...” Hector said.

Blade sighed and said ,” Now , before I change my mind , take her and go!"

Aarav turned and sat doubled , he said ,” No...dont let him take her ....”

“Shut up and sit!” Blade said kicking Aarav in the stomach. Hector slowly got up , looking back and forth from Aarav to Blade , and slowly walked towards Shiba , who was in shock and had sat on the floor covering her face in her hands. He again looked at Blade , for one last time , he hit Shiba gently with his finger on her neck , for which she fell unconscious . He lifted her , looked at Aarav who was crying in pain , and simply walked away.

Aarav saw that , and with all his strength , he stood up and walked , struggling to stand , and all this to get another hit on the leg to fall.

“Why are you doing this? Dont you see he’s taking her ?Let me go!”

Aarav again tried to stand , and fell back without a hit from Blade . He started searching for something to use as a support , and found a sword dropped by some soldier . He took it and stood up .

“WHY DID YOU LET HIM GO?” Aarav yelled.

“Yelling wont bring a thing! If u want to follow him , defeat me and carry on...” Blade said .

Aarav was so outraged , he simply charged at him . Blade laughed , and held the tip of Aarav’s sword with his thumb and index finger of his left hand . He hit Aarav in the chest with his right palm. Aarav spat out blood and fell on his back.

“You’re so weak !. Do you really think , you can defeat me? Do you even know how to use a sword ? You’re nothing but a loser, a boy dependent on others to save himself. Are u really thinking you can protect that girl?“Blade spat.

“I never asked you to... save me!” Aarav said as he got back up.

“And i never wanted to save your waste , loser body in the first place .. i’m helping out someone else by helping you...you , brat! You are not worth saving .“He said .” If u want to save the girl , protect her , you should become strong , a way lot more stronger. In the pathetic weak state you are in , i doubt you can even protect yourself !”

“Let me go!” Aarav said and charged , just to get hit in the face by Blade .

“Boy, i told you , YOU ARE WEAK! ” Aarav fell down , Blade came close, bent over to face him .

He said,” If you ever want to grow strong , come to the land of the sun . I’m not forcing you too , if u ever want to see that girl who you care about so much, follow the sunrays. ” He again smashed Aarav in the face to which he fell unconscious.

Aarav was dreaming again, he was running , hearing some foot steps , he was in a long corridor , a small girl was running in front him . He recognized her , it was Shiba . He tried calling her name , but no voice came out of him. He ran and ran and ran , until finally , Shiba stopped running and turned to face him .

Tears were rolling down here gentle cheeks , she said,

“You couldn’t save me ...”

Suddenly, the girl standing in front of him was no more Shiba , she was a woman , so similar looking to him , same eyes , same nose , she was weeping .

Aarav tried to reach her , but out of nowhere , bars came crashing in front him , blocking the woman .

She held those bars , and started crying out loud , she said,

“Save me. I’m waiting ...”

The scene again changed , the woman , Shubhanka , was now sitting above him and as always , her body was on fire ,

“I was born for this, Silver .I love you too!” she said.

He felt her hot lips on his , and a stab in his chest , which finally woke him up.

Breathing heavily , and checking whether the dagger was still in his chest , he woke up and looked around . He was in the hospital ward , amidst many other soldiers who were lying there, wounded .

There were many beds , and on the last bed he saw two people , Pranay who was sitting on the bed , and beside him Megha , with her head bent , and tears shining in the dim light.

Aarav slowly woke up , removed the blanket and walked over towards them. He saw Pranay’s eye was bandaged , and he was trying to calm Megha . Aarav went and gently patted her back.

“It’ll be alright, Megha.”

She looked up and hugged him . He pulled a chair and sat beside her , she placed her head on his shoulder and continued her weeping .

“How do you feel?” Aarav asked Pranay .

" Just as a one-eyed man should feel. I’m half blind now...Just great!” He said, giving a fake smile , but Aarav could feel the sadness in his voice.“What about you? Your face looks pretty bad ...”

Aarav hadn’t noticed , but his whole body outside his patient clothing was covered in bandages .

“Badly beaten up , nothing much. Megha ...calm down ,will you?”

Aarav knew it was foolish of him to say her to calm down , he knew all along how much she cared for Pranay , and not only that , even her brother was maybe dead.

She sniffed hard , and sat up properly , and cleaned her face with her hands .Aarav had never seen her so much broken , he had always known the calm , shy and unbelievably badass Megha.

“What about Mayank? Is he okay?”

“Yeah...the shards were removed soon enough before the poisoning started , so he’s on sleep-treatment right now. As of Pranay...his optic nerve was damaged , not to mention the outer damage . So before the poison could reach his brain through the nerves , we had to....remove his eye.“Megha said.

“Megha..your brother...” Aarav asked.

“He’s alright , the sword didn’t hurt his vital organs ...” She said, “But what were those shards? They didn’t affect you did they?”

“No...Hector said they are harmful for only those without warrior blood, but ,,,Megha does that mean you are...“Aarav said remembering that her brother , just like him was unharmed by the shards.

“No, i’m not warrior blood , but my mother was , and so is my elder brother. Anyways, Shiba’s safe right?” She asked .

Aarav closed his eyes , and shook his head , he said,” Justice blade let her be taken by Hector...”

“Justice blade was here?” Pranay asked .

“Yeah, if it wasn’t for him , my head would be rolling on the floor right now , but he didn’t even try and protect Shiba , he just let him take her , and i was ...useless!“Aarav said , rage filling his veins.

“Hector is no ordinary man , Aarav , and you cant save everybody . Its not your fault Shiba was taken ....” Megha said, ” Think about yourself , you gave your best , but its just that Hector is rather too strong.”

“But I didn't try enough ! I promised to protect her , how could I? And i cant save everybody , i don’t even want to , but if i cannot even save the people close to me , i’m nothing more than a piece of garbage!”

“Hey , you’re going too hard on yourself , buddy , we will find a way...“Pranay said.

Aarav put his head on his hands and thought for a while about what Justice blade had said , about what Hector had said , about what the man who had attacked Shiba last time had said ,

You’re weak , even though having a holy sword , you’re weak . A waste of warrior blood .

Youre not strong .

Do you think you can protect someone else , when you cant save yourself ?

You’re a weakling .

Piece of shit.

Megha said ,” Aarav its okay....we are all a clan , we’ll save Shiba.”

“No...“Aarav said,” ...there’s no ‘we’ in this.”

“What’re you saying ?” Megha asked him.

“Yes...there is no ‘we’ in this . I found Shiba , I promised her that she would be safe with us , I forced her to come here and I pulled you people in this mess . If I hadn’t found Shiba in the first place , so many soldiers wouldn’t have lost their lives , Megha , you’re brother would be safe , Pranay wouldn’t have lost his eye , so many people wouldn’t have died .... that’s why , there is no ‘we’ who will save her , it will be me and only me and NO ONE ELSE .!“Aarav said angrily.

“Aarav, what are u saying ? We’re a clan , and you swore an oath to be loyal, we’ll help you find and save Shiba...look at you , you aren't strong enough to fight anyone...” Prany said .

“I know i’m not strong enough , and that’s why i’m going .Pranay , don’t try and stop me , and one more thing ...take care of my mom...“Aarav said , with moist eyes.

“But...” Pranay tried saying , while he was struggling to stand .

“Pranay...no...” Megha said , that sounded almost a whisper, “...let him go, we're no one to stop him...but before you go , there’s someone waiting for you, if there is any emotions left in you towards your clan , then meet her , or else just walk away....”

Aarav knew who Megha was speaking of , he didn’t think twice . If he hesitated now , and started avoiding the reality , Shiba would become more and more difficult to save .

He walked to the room , and knocked . He heard footsteps and the door opened ...

“Aarav?” Reva asked him . She saw that his eyes were swollen , his face bandaged , not to forget his whole body was bandaged .

Aarav didn’t answer , he was looking at her face . The same face which he was once annoyed of seeing , the same face that called him a freak , the face whose emotions and feelings he had ignored for so long .

“Are you....” She couldn’t complete the sentence , Aarav grabbed her by her waist , and pulled closer.

Their lips met , and this feeling for Aarav was totally different than what he had felt when he kissed Disha. That was mere attraction , and this ....this could not be defined , not by words atleast.

He kissed her gentle lips for eternity.

He kissed deeper , and kissed her neck .

He stopped himself from going any further and turned his back to her , not because he couldn't face her , because he just didn’t have the guts , he said,

“I’m sorry Reva , but i have to go...and don’t follow me , and most of all... try and forget me...”

“Aarav...what’re you....” Before she could say a word , he had already left .