Hindi vocabulary:

Shakthi: Power

Rakshsha: demon

Asura: also demon but more powerful and more evil.

Rani: Princess

Maharaja: Emperor
 

" It sounds interesting. Are you going to try it?" Amy asked.
          "Yeah, it seems like an easy spell. But don't tell Giles
okay he would be really angry if he knew I was doing this." Willow
said, looking over the page in
the magic book one more time.
      "It's not dangerous is it?" Amy asked.
"No, if I want the visions to end all I have to do is recite a
spell." Willow said looking at her watch.
     "It's almost time. I gotta get ready.  I'll talk to you
tomorrow." Willow said.
           "Bye Willow. Be careful" Amy warned.
"I will, bye." Willow hung up the phone.
<I wonder what I was.> Willow thought as she drew the circle on the
floor.  She had found the spell last week.  It was supposed to give
visions of what you were in your last life.  She told Giles about it
and he had forbidden her to do it.  Willow's powers were growing
rapidly in the last few months and Giles didn't want her to
experiment with magic; the more powerful the witch, the more serious
the consequence.
       Usually Willow would have let it go but her curiosity got the
best of her.
<Maybe I was someone important instead of little ol' Willow. > She
thought, feeling a little guilty. It's not that she didn't like being
a member of the Scooby gang, researching was fun, but she was always
the one who everyone told to hide in the corner and not come out till
it was over, just   * once* Willow wanted to be the hero.  The one
who gets the guy.  Cordelia had Xander, Amy had Oz, Faith had a whole
line of nameless boyfriends and Buffy had Angel. <Well that's what
Buffy said. They really didn't act like a couple. > Willow thought.
Ever since Angel came out of hell, he distanced
himself from the group, still Buffy insisted that they were a couple
no matter how much it appeared they weren't.
      Willow prepared the herbs, mixing them together and drinking
them.  The potion helped you sleep and allowed the visions to come. <
I'll I have to do is
wait to fall asleep… >
 
 
 
 

"Savathri, you must wear this it, matches your eyes perfectly.  How
I love your green eyes. You are so lucky your mother is from the
north." Mira pouted at her elder sister, holding a green scarf.
"You too have many wonderful features Rani Mira." Mariam the
princesses' nursemaid said.
       "She is right Mira.  Your skin is much fairer than mine."
Savathri said. Fair skin was highly prized in their land; the few
women who had it never went outside for fear of the suns affects.
           "That is because you spend all your time in the sun!
You're always outside practicing fighting with the men, pretending
you are some kind of warrior." Mira complained, stamping her brocaded
foot on the green marble floor.
         "Mira, do not become upset. I told you it's not because I do
not like to spend time with you." Savathri said. She was used to
Mira's tantrums.
                The Maharaja had four wives and three children.
Savathri, born of his first wife, Mira born of the second and the
youngest Ashok, the only boy born of the forth.  The Maharaja was
often away at war and when he was home he spent all his time spoiling
his only son. Mira's own mother was often ill and did not have time
for her daughter, so Mira depended on love and attention from her
sister and their nurse maid.
        Her father's absence did not bother Savathri like it did
Mira. While her father was away she found a freedom that very few
women of their status could.  No one would dare refuse the first-born
of the emperor if she wanted education on the art of war.
        "But soon you will be married, and we will never see you
again." Mira said, stomping again.
     "Who told you this?" Savathri asked, alarmed.  If she were to be
married than that would mean she would have to stop….
         "As soon as father comes home he will have to arrange it.
You are seventeen, practically an old maid." The thirteen year old
said with a smile.
         "Yes, it is time you were married. Your father will find you
a most handsome prince. He will come for you riding upon a fine
elephant. The beast will be bedecked in silken cloths and jewels.
Your prince will have dark eyes and a sweet voice to sing love
songs.  He will carry you away to his kingdom, where you have many
sons and live happily ever after." Mariam said, trying to calm
Savathri.
      "I am tired, please leave me, all of you." She said.
            "Yes it is late.  Everyone out!" Mariam ordered the
servants. Other than the imperial family, the old nurse was only one
allowed to cow the servants so.
       "I'm sorry if I have upset you.  When father comes home he
will probably be so busy with peace treaties he'll forget all about
arranging your marriage."  Mira said in an attempt to apologize.
  "I know. It's been a long day I will see you tomorrow. I promise to
spend the whole day with you."  Savathri said, making Mira smile and
hug her sister before she left.
<If they only knew.> she thought.   Night was coming soon and she
would have go hunt down the Rakshshas that take a human body.  What
did Arthur call them?  Vampires?  It didn't matter.  She was born to
destroy them. Savathri sighed and looked into the mirror. <Mira is
right. I have been spending to much time in the sun.> Savathri
thought.  Her skin was tanned to a bronze color; it contrasted with
her bright green
eyes. People often compared them to the purest jade.  Her hair was
black and shiny, a feature she supposed was to compensate for her
being so tall. She was at least a head span taller than the average
male, still her figure was womanly. All in all the princess was very
beautiful, with her turquoise-blue silk gauze skirt with large gold
coin shaped dots, the hem was edged in two-inch bands of gold. Her
short sleeve half blouse made of cloth of gold with a modest round
neckline that seemed to be at war with the wide area of bare skin
exposed between the bottom of the blouse and the waistline of the
skirt. A single long braid was woven with pearls, a necklace of
diamonds and sapphires adorned, with matching earrings that flashed
in the sun, jeweled bangles and gold anklets that chimed every time
she moved.  It was not much compared to what some of the women in the
palace wore.
       Taking out her favorite hunting clothes, she began to take of
her jewelry and change. It was a simple outfit for an imperial
princess.  Another silk short sleeve half blouse, this time black,
with matching black pants. The borders were sewn in with silver
thread and seeded pearls.  Opening her chest, Savathri took out her
sword.  Arthur said that the
easiest way to kill them was a wooden stake through the heart, but
Savathri preferred the method of beheading, and there were more than
vampires to fight. There were other kinds of Rakashas that hid in the
night.
        Stepping out of the terrace, she jumped off.  The jump would
have killed an ordinary man but she landed on her feet, by the
reflecting pool, graceful as a cat. Careful of the guards, she passed
the fountains and entered a complex maze of gardens.  Savathri could
smell the night blooming jasmine. Finally reaching the end she jumped
over the wall,
once again something an ordinary man could not do. It was two years
ago she had discovered that she could do things no one else could.
She was faster and stronger than any of her father's warriors. Her
father joked saying that if she should have been born a
man, she would have made most formidable warrior.
         The emperor didn't know how right he was. She was a warrior
chosen by the gods themselves. She was to fight the unearthly
creatures so that the world could be safe, in fact she  * had * saved
the world many times.
         The only one who realized it was a man named Arthur.
Surprisingly enough a man from a foreign was more to her than her own
father. Arthur supported and encouraged her.  He said that she was
the best fighter he had ever heard of and that he was glad to
be the person who watched her.  Every night after she hunted she
would go to him and he would help her train. He came looking for her
a short time after she discovered her abilities, he was from a land
he called Britannia.  He said that he understood the Shakthi within
her, it was something that only one girl in all the world possessed
and he would help her focus it. Author said Savathri was a Slayer.
        Savathri was honored by this title; she was the one who would
protect innocents like her sister, who didn't know anything about the
horrors of the night and never would. She tried to act like her
father's warrior with honor and discipline, never once becoming lax
on her training, she couldn't ignore that people depended on her. A
husband would not understand this, all he would expect from his wife
was to look pretty and to give him sons.  <I'll worry about that when
the time comes> Savathri thought as she made her way towards the
market place, walking past the fruit and merchant stands. As it
became darker she saw the oil lamps being lit, giving the streets
strange shadows.
     The vampires came out soon after that, they were easy to kill,
after the first couple, all vampires were the same. Then she felt
something not human near the alley.  Proceeding to the area with
caution, Savathri saw him. A man who walked out of the shadows, he
looked like he could have come from Arthur's country.  He was tall
and pale with brown hair, his eyes were silver not gray. No one could
ever mistake that color for gray.  He wasn't a vampire, perhaps an
Asura.
      <I felt like a challenge.> she smiled as she  circled him.
He was quicker than she anticipated, striking with his own sword,
Savathri met his blow.  It was good that he attacked first, to deal
the first blow in a fight was considered unhonorable. She ducked his
second attack and tried to kick him, but he jumped,
avoiding it. He tried to strike again aiming for her neck. She
blocked it in time and the fight went on.
The man didn't talk, he just fought. All of them talked to tell her
how great they were or how she was about to meet her doom. This one
just fought.
       Finally she wounded him, a cut across his face.  It would give
him a nasty scar, if he lived to see it. The wound didn't stop the
man, he didn't even bother to wipe the blood.  He just kept
attacking, saying nothing. He struck at her blind side, slashing her
arm. It was the first time she had been wounded in a fight. The man
smiled, it reminded her of a jackal.
It enraged Savathri, and she fought faster and harder than before,
roaring like a wounded tigress.  It wasn't enough. The man countered
her every blow, she got a few more shallow cuts in but that was all.
After the fourth cut he stabbed her through the stomach. Savathri
felt the cold silver enter her body.
      For the first time Savathri knew fear. No, human, no vampire or
any other kind of demon she had ever faced had never been able to
make her afraid, till now. Covering her wound with her free hand,
Savathri prepared to attack again. <I will not run. I am not a coward
who has no honor. If need be I will die fighting.> she thought and
rushed in again.  He was ready for her.  Three more blows and it was
over.  She felt silver in her body again bringing the message of
death.  Again the silver came down on her, this time on her head.
Her blood spilled downlike a river.  The final blow came to her
heart, this time Savathri didn't feel it. All she was aware of was
the blood, she could taste her own blood: it seemed to soak her
entire body.  Red, it was everywhere. The world was red now, all red,
red, red, red, red, red, red, red..
 
 
 

"Red, Red answer me!" Faith almost screamed shaking Willow.
       "NO! Get away!" Willow screeched clawing at Faith.
"Willow, what's gotten into you?" Faith asked.
        "Faith? Oh goddess I'm so sorry!" Willow said.
"Willow, what happened? You weren't in school today. We were all
really worried" Faith said.
    "What time is it?" Willow asked.
"4:00." Faith answered, noticing the circle around the room.
      "Did you do a spell and fall asleep?" Faith asked.
"Um.. something like that?" Willow said, getting up with Faith's
help.
"Is that why you were screaming? You had a bad dream?" Faith said.
Willow smiled but it did quite reach her eyes.
     "Yeah, it was just a dream."

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