by Namita Singh
compatibility is something that I am guaranteed in case of Neal. And considering Ananya, I’ll just say that I don’t like to be the second best.
“When are they going to come back?” I ask Aakir, changing the topic yet again. I walk towards the door, a frown intact on my face. Neal’s topic has brought back the impending nervousness regarding his situation. I do not know what Mikhail and father have to talk about that they cannot discuss here. I wish they be back soon, because I really want to know what we should be doing now. Also, I do not want to continue talking about partners with Aakir. He has started to get to my nerves.
“Let me call Nik uncle.” Aakir says, fumbling with his phone. After a brief talk, Aakir shuts off his phone and informs me that we are being summoned to the library. I put on my loafers and we leave Mikhail’s room, shutting the door as we move out. The mansion has its own library in the left wing. I am aware of this information because Neal occasionally visits it to grasp some book or so which he can read in our room later. And he would always ask me to accompany him. And well, why would I deny?
Weaving through the countless corridors, we finally push the doors to the library open. I can already sense and hear the voices of my father and Mikhail. We follow the direction of the two lone auras in the library. Father and Mikhail are sitting next to a desk which is sprawled with various books and an unblinking computer desktop. Mikhail is sifting through the computer. He is wearing huge glasses that are peacefully resting on his nose as he stares down at the computer screen. The spectacles make Mikhail look oddly older. The site takes me with a little surprise. Can a therian’s eyesight become weak with age? I didn’t know that. Father is sitting next to him, a book in his hands, but his attention is not on the book. He is speaking quietly, intermittently glancing at Mikhail.
“-the region of the Samoyeds,” father is saying, “They have a range of mountains there.”
“But no volcanic mountains.” Mikhail says monotonously.
“The volcanic part of that mountain was not visible.” Aakir says as we approach them. We grab two of the chairs present on the edge and drag towards the elders. Mikhail glances away from the computer screen and watches, from the top of his glasses, his eyes glued to Aakir as we settle down.
“Anyone who has visited the place must have seen the volcanic mountain.” Mikhail says. Though he is stating the fact, his stance is actually inviting for more opinions or information on the subject.
Aakir minutely shakes his head, “It was very hot there, despite being snowy everywhere. Neal and I were in our astral forms, so obviously the heat was hardly a hindrance. We obviously couldn’t feel the heat. But we could wildly guess that it was enough hot for anyone to not survive a passage through it. Not in the physical form at least. The air was so thick and hot that it practically made the lava and the mountain invisible to anyone who may see it at a safe distance.”
“You cannot possibly tell me how cold it was there, can you?” Mikhail grunts.
Aakir shakes his head again, “There was extending permafrost. And it’s still September, so I believe it must be a pretty cold place to have solid permafrost even this time around the year. But otherwise, obviously, we couldn’t determine exactly how cold.” Aakir pauses for a moment, “It was an odd site actually. Fire and ice. Creepy.”
“You do not know where the land of flames is?” I ask apprehensively. If therians were exiled to this place in the past, I expect common people to at least know where it is.
“I know the general direction. But I cannot tell you the exact mountain that Aakir speaks of.” Mikhail returns back to the computer screen.
“There are only the Byrranga Mountains in that region, father.” My father speaks.
“But those are Rocky Mountains. We are looking for something more…snowy but discreet at the same time.” Mikhail gives a thoughtful look, “Hmm,” he turns to Aakir, “Was there any water body nearby?”
Aakir shakes his head, “Only snow, slope and woods. And of course the fire.”
“We could ask the shamans.” Father suggests Mikhail. “Though I am dubious if they’ll be cooperative.”
“We don’t seem to have any other option.” Mikhail grunts. “And sending the therians to the land of flames?” he gives a sly glance towards father, “I am sure the shamans will be cooperative.”
“Who are shamans?” I ask.
“The locals of Taymyr.” Mikhail answers. “That’s where the land of flames is believed to be.”
“People live there?” Aakir asks dubiously.
“Not exactly near the land of flames. They live at a safe distance and are not many in number. Only the extreme orthodox ones. Who also enjoy the extreme weather.”
“They know of therians?” Aakir asks.
I have a bad feeling in my stomach that the shamans don’t like us. I am beginning to wonder if there is anybody who likes us.
Mikhail seems to be contemplating as he answers, “Some of them are therians themselves…” he says reluctantly. The information takes me by surprise.
A look of understanding crosses Aakir’s face, but then he frowns, “Then…why do you say they will be happy to send therians to the land of the flames? They are a part of this Realm, aren’t they?”
“No, they are not.” Mikhail says, “They chose not to be. Shamans are…they are people who do not take our therian ability as a gift. Instead they take it as something unnatural, something that shouldn’t be on the face of this earth, as it disrupts the natural order of things.”
“So, they are not therian-friendly?” I deadpan.
“Yes.” Father answers me, “That is why I am doubtful that they will help us with guidance. All they really care about is keeping their nature intact with their shamanism practices.”
“Shamanism?” I ask.
“Like conversing with spirits and all?” Aakir asks.
I look at him sideways, giving him a funny look.
“What?” he says at my stare, “Shamanism is a sort of religion, right?” he turns towards father during his question. I really do not know how come Aakir seems to know the vague meaning of every weird word that is thrown our way. They are always completely foreign to me.
“Not exactly.” Mikhail says, funnily eyeing Aakir. “But their practices involve worshipping the nature spirit and supposedly, channeling the energy of the nature to heal or remedy an impending situation.”
“Nature spirit?” I ask in a tone as if I think this is all a bad joke. But seriously. Even though therians believe that their true nature lies in the animal forms, I always consider our therian features to be unnatural. Considering I am one, I should not be surprised with the peculiar developments, or discovering already existing peculiarities, in our world. And I have been fine up till now in my life.
The only oddity I had seen since birth was the spiritual nature of Aakir’s therian form and the prowess of the Occultist, which I haven’t yet witnessed in real life. Now there is a fortune teller in our world, who let’s not forget, is my partner. We have a half wraith-half human person who is capable of keeping grudges for long years. We have a ‘magical’ sword, whose characters are often compared with my partner’s. And now we have therians who do not like therianthropy and also ‘converse’ with the ‘nature spirit’. Of course, I have never been inclined towards believing that nature, as a whole, also has a soul. But I guess if I can turn into an animal then anything’s possible, right?
“They believe,” Mikhail says, looking at me, “that their ability to survive in such harsh climes is because of the blessing of the nature around them. Despite being completely cut off with the rest of the world, shamans find food, cloth, warm blankets and quick remedies for any ailment they suffer from in their frozen homes. And they credit their reverence to the nature spirit, which in turn blesses them. Of course there has been no proof of their ability to actually be able to channel energy from ‘nature’ and utilize it as per their requisitions. But there have also been no proof to discredit their claims. An
d since, they do not like us therians ‘flaunting’ our unnaturalness, they deem it fit to not share their lifestyle secrets with anybody else in the world. They occlude human and therians alike, remaining in their own cocoon.”
“But that’s hypocrisy.” Aakir says indignantly, “they may not transform their spirit into an animal, but they do utilize the quirks of easy projection that is characteristic to therians.”
“They are spiritual therians?” I ask, shocked.
“Yes.” Mikhail nods in response to my question, but he is still eyeing Aakir up.
“How the hell do you know about shamans?” I ask Aakir. It’s clear through the conversation that Aakir is quite acquainted with the up and above life of the spiritual therians in this Taymyr. How the hell does he even know of Taymyr? I have never even heard of the place before.
Aakir shrugs, though he looks slightly sheepish, “I had just researched a bit. I am not sure if this is what I had searched for. I just knew some spiritual therians have colonies in northern Russia and they use their ability to worship some different goddess. Apparently I got a few things wrong. I wasn’t aware of the details.”
“Researched through whom?” father asks, frowning at Aakir.
Aakir looks like a deer caught in headlights at the question, “Just…here and there…” he trails off.
Father raises one regal eyebrow, as if intending to say