Shivani impatiently paced outside the temple. The evening prayers were going on and Satvik had told her that he will only be able to talk after the prayers conclude. She could not sleep after Ajinkya's naming ceremony. What made Satvik withhold such a big truth. She knew she could never become a mother, but when Manyata became pregnant she had unknowingly developed a bond with the foetus inside her. 

That was her charm. Ajeenkya knew how to effortlessly make people fall in love with her, Shivani thought. She had known her fate even before she was born and decided not to get involved with the baby. But it was like Ajeenkya had pulled her closer with each passing day.

Shivani's thoughts wondered to her godchild. She didn't know whether Ajinkya was aware about their bond, but Ajinkya filled the void that Shivani had felt all these years. The void of not having a child.

She had thought that Ajeenkya would not make it to the world alive. Very rarely did a baby survive after being strangled by the umbilical cord for four long hours. But Ajeenkya made it. She was like the crawling miracle. Her name was correct. The invincible, the victorious. Yet the oracle had been so cruel to the baby.

"I know what you want to ask." Satvik said quietly as he walked up to Shivani, once the last of the worshipers had left. The news of Eaval's arrival had suddenly awoken their faith on the Supreme Operator, which had resulted in a rush at the Temple of Oracle.

"They want her to be the goat for slaughter, isn't it " Shivani barked at Satvik " all for their darling Vayu"

"Shivani we cannot let anything happen to Vayu, we know he is our best chance" Satvik tried to reason.

"By letting her take his place," Shivani's anguish rose "after all Vayu is the child of Supreme Operator, the messenger of Supreme Operator, isn't it?" Shivani grabbed Satvik's arm and shook it violently "have you become as heartless as him. Do you have no love for Ajeenkya, are you also driven by Vayu's gift"

"You don't know what you are talking about" Satvik replied indignantly "I love the child as much as you do but...but I will not tolerate a word against the Supreme Operator. Whatever he says is meant for the greater good."

"HUH, GREATER GOOD!" Shivani growled. "You wont give her a fighting chance, you know what will happen if she goes with him."

"What am I supposed to do?" asked Satvik.

"Tell him the truth, let him decide"

"And let him die?" Satvik asked angrily "I chose you for your balance, and today you have become so driven by your own emotions that you are not worried about the people or your friend. Are you ready to sacrifice your friend Shivani?"

Shivani slowly dropped herself on the floor sobbing profusely. Satvik calmed himself down and sat down infront of Shivani placing a hand on her shoulder.

"We have to let one of them go, and we need Vayu." said Satvik "It is either the father or the daughter, and if Eaval aggravates things, then the father can save us, not the daughter. She is a baby."

"And only the father possess the gift." Shivani said quietly. Satvik took a deep breath but decided not to correct her.

"Will you be alright ?" asked Satvik.

"Yes, I need to go home, Parikshit might be back." She rose up and walked towards the stairs. She stopped suddenly on the middle of the staircase and turned around.

"What if they have two daughters?" she asked Satvik.

"What?" Satvik looked bewildered at his fellow orator.

"The oracle said the daughter, but didnot mention which daughter."

"Are you feeling alright Shivani?" Satvik walked towards her, genuinely worried. "They have only one daughter and the oracle said that the daughter of Emperor Vayuvijay and Empress Manyata."

"They have only one daughter now, what if before Vayu leaves they have another daughter?" 

Satvik gasped.

"What do you mean?"

"Delay his voyage by four more years and tell him that the oracle has demanded him to have another daughter." Shivani cried hysterically "Do something Satvik, save them both."

"You are disturbed and don't know what you are talking about, go home, you will feel better." He turned around and walked inside the temple shrine and closed the door.

****************************************************************

"But all the arrangements are in order, your holyship how can you ask me to delay the trip?" Vayu asked Satvik.

It was a week after Ajeenkya's ceremony. The courtroom was in session when the high priest had walked in with the other priests and informed the Emperor that he needed to post-pone the journey around the five lands.

"That is the command of the oracle, you cannot leave any time soon" Satvik said. "Danger is looming over the Rajdhani and you are required here."

The entire room erupted with protest on hearing his words. The people knew they could not let their emperor leave them in peril.

"SILENCE" Veer-bhadra's voice boomed silencing them all at once.

Vayuvijay nodded at him as he turned his gaze back to the high priest.

"When should I leave then?" he asked the high priest.

"Only after One thousand eight hundred and twenty six nights." Replied the high priest.

"Five years?" Vayu exclaimed.

"It is for the welfare of your people. Oh, and the Oracle has also said that before you leave on the voyage you and the Empress need to have a second child." Satvik replied as he bowed and walked out of the courtroom. He knew he had four sets of suspicious eyes on him.

*************
"Are you alright ?" Steve inquired as he noticed that the colour was draining from his friend's face.

"I think, I saw something." Alexander replied

"Where?"

"Behind the rock."

"There is nobody mate." Steve replied. "May be you saw a mirage, we are in the middle of a desert"

"No it was not a mirage there is someone" Alexander said stealing his gaze from the place where he saw it. "It had no skin, its blood vessels were visible, it looked like a man but yet not like a man."

"You are having a heat-stroke," Steve told him "you need to sit down and rest, it was probably.........." He heard the thuds behind him and noticed the look of Alexander who was standing infront of him. Steve turned around and saw it, he felt Alexander make a run for it and felt his legs follow Alexander.

As he ran after Alexander he saw another of those humanoids emerge from under the sand and stand infront of Alexander. Alexander stopped on his track, only to be tore into half.

Steve knew the emperor had to be warned. He searched into his bag as he found the vial with green liquid, but before he could light it, he felt two hands on his own, as the desert engulfed his last cry.

************************************

Satvik knew what he had done was wrong, but may be Shivani was right. After all Ajinkya too was gifted. Sacrificing her would mean sacrificing the blood of the Operator. May be they had misinterpreted the oracle. Why would the oracle ask them to delay Vayu's voyage. May be there was supposed to be another daughter. He tried to reason and justify his action to himself

"High-Priest, will you care to explain your actions." Five hooded figures were standing inside the temple of Oracle.