SCHOOL OF THE MASTERS

Phil and Kel looked at the new opening and saw a deep tunnel that was going somewhere inside. They could make out in the dim light which was falling from the sage’s heart that it was rocky on both sides and they would have to bend slightly to go through it. The floor of the tunnel was flat but was a bit rough for them to traverse barefoot. The sage asked them unexpectedly to take off the shoes that they were wearing to go into the tunnel. It is a holy place where Gods live nearby so you cannot take them with you. He produced a pair of wooden sandals by waving his Yogdanda towards the floor. The wooden sandals did not have any straps but fit both of the perfect as they removed their shoes and slipped into them.

The sage led the way and asked them to follow him and not to touch anything on the way. You have to be quiet and not talk as there are a lot of Siddha disciples in there who will not like to be disturbed. They nodded to the sage in agreement and followed him.

As soon as they came inside the tunnel the sage turned towards the cave and with his Yogdanda or T stick waved and closed the tunnel entrance. A huge black rock now covered it as it had before.

He walked ahead of them while bending slightly so that his head would not touch the tunnel roof. The tunnel was cut inside a dark black rock which would shine occasionally in its crevices as the lighted sage moved inside it. Kel and Phil were finding it difficult to keep up with the sage as he was much taller than them and they were almost running to keep pace with him. The tunnel floor would occasionally throw up a pebble or a small rock here and there so they had to look carefully on the floor not to trip on them.

The sage after a while stopped and looked back at them to allow them to catch pace with him. He then told them the path will now go down rapidly and to hold the rocks on the side of the walls in the tunnel so that they do not fall down. they nodded in agreement.

The drop was not very sharp but the rough floor made it easier for them to put a foothold. they could now see a lighted flame torch ahead as they caught the sides of the wall to balance themselves. The descent was now slowing down and was giving way to a wider base. As they went ahead the slope angle was now gone and they were standing in an opening where they could see somebody sitting with their back towards them as they neared the person. Now they were all standing beside him and the sage folded his hands to bow down and pay respect to the Shivalinga which was in front of the unknown person sitting there.

The sage opened his water pot and sprinkled some holy Ganga water onto the shiv linga. The unknown person sitting there was sitting in a meditative pose and was oblivious of their presence. The sage moved a little ahead allowing them both to take a glimpse of the Shivalinga and they bowed down to pay their respect to Lord Shiva.

The sage said We have now arrived at the cross path this path ahead goes to Mount Kailash and the path on the left goes to the Gurukul. The path on the right goes up to Rishikesh. Phil asked the sage how much further was the School of the Siddhas. The sage replied not very far we will reach there soon.

The sage walked ahead and took a left turn as they followed him they realized the tunnel had now become a stepping stone with an ascent. they were climbing up in the narrow tunnel by holding their hands to the walls to balance their bodies. The tunnel was now winding sometimes curving around sharply as Phil slightly banged his head on the wall. The sage realizing said to Phil be careful there is no hurry don’t get hurt. He was caring for them as if he was their mother.

The ascent must now have become almost 45 degrees felt Kel as she saw water under their feet. It was slowly flowing from the walls of the tunnel into the floor they were walking on. The ascent lasted for a few more minutes and then it became a straight floor as they moved ahead.

The sage signaled them to move on behind him as he moved ahead. The sage said this water ahead is from the river Baitarani which flows in the Land of the Dead. Only mortals who have not sinned can cross it. Otherwise, the creatures inside it engulf them. Don’t worry and follow me. The floor now became covered with water which was reaching up to his ankles as he waded through it. They watched the waterfall down from the walls of the tunnel down on the floor and that is what was flowing down when they were climbing up. Phil suddenly slipped his left leg and was about to fall down in the water when he caught hold of Kel. They both stopped and balanced themselves before resuming further.

As they all moved ahead the tunnel was now growing wider and the walls were now becoming dry. the small water stream had now given way to a dry floor. They reached a four-way path and the sage signaled them to turn right. He moved ahead rapidly as they turned into the tunnel alley. The tunnel now was much broader and the floor was smoother. There were no rough cuts in the walls as it looked like to have been crafted with care. Phil thought as he followed the sage who must have built this tunnel system? Did the sage do this all by himself?

They moved ahead in the tunnel for some time as it wounded itself several times and then came to a wide black rock end. All the three of them now were facing the rock and there was nowhere else to go. The sage brought his right hand in a clasp and moved and touched it to his forehead and muttered some mantras which were not sufficiently audible to Kel and Phil. As he did this he moved the right hand towards the black rock and touched it with his hand and then came back and stood still.

The black rock now slowly moved away and they were suddenly flooded with bright sunlight in front of them almost blinding them as they had been moving in the dark tunnel for so long. It took them a while as they instinctively put their hands over their eyes to shield them from the sudden glare to get used to the light.

What they saw in front of them was a vast expanse of beautiful trees lined on both sides of the tunnel entrance. They moved out of the tunnel to follow the sage and saw that the trees were laden with fruits of various kinds which they had not seen before. The lush green trees were lined across in symmetry as if greeting and welcoming them. Kel could feel the fresh air and took a deep breath to absorb it.

The sage told them this is the pathway to the School of the Siddhas and we will soon go to it from here. He said the sun never sets here in this land and there is no death as the land of death where Yamaraj the Lord of Death rules is left far behind.

The sage further said I will now call my divine vehicle or Vimana so that we can go to the Gurukul faster. He moved ahead for a few meters and both of them followed him. They were now at the end of the beautiful lining of trees along the path and the path was ending ahead giving way to an empty space down. Phil looked down and saw that this was a flat mountain as he saw the tunnel behind him which was a solid black rock rising above the flat mountain.

The sage recited a mantra and waved his hand three times in the air above him and waited for some time. Kel felt there was something about this place that made her feel revitalized. She felt as if she was floating in the air and felt very light. We are beyond the land of death said Kel to Phil who looked back at her and said I am getting such a nice feeling about this place too. They saw a vast expanse of lovely mountain ranges which were hued in a different colors of red. green and purple. This was unlike the land they had left behind the mystic cave.

They saw after a while a flat wooden-like structure which was golden in color floating towards them. It came in front of the sage and halted in the air. The sage signaled it with his hands towards the floor and the wooden structure immediately fell to the floor. The sage signaled to them to come and sit on the Vimana as he said this is the way we travel in this holy land of the Siddhas. Phil asked how does this plane-like structure work? How do you control it? The sage replied by thought it is connected to me and listens to my inner commands.

They stepped on the wooden structure which had four pillars in the four corners and there was a raised plank ahead for the driver to sit. There was enough space for Kel and Phil to sit behind the plank. The sage sat on the plank and waited for them to climb the divine aircraft. They sat down and the sage commanded the aircraft to move towards the Gurukul or the school of the Siddhas.

The divine aircraft lifted all of them in the air gently as they watched in amazement it went up to quite a height and they could see the lovely colorful mountains around the valley below. They saw some different birds with large wings flying in the valley below. They also saw lovely waterfalls in one of the mountains below as the water stream meandered gently through the valley. They feasted their eyes on the magnificent sight and then the divine aircraft gently started moving forward taking its passengers through the enchanting valley.

The divine aircraft moved in between one mountain peak to another and was going much faster than any aircraft on earth thought Phil. It suddenly started making an ascent and they could see that there was a huge lovely purple mountain full of large red and yellow flowers with numerous mesmerizing colorful butterflies floating on them.

The ascent took them into the other side of the huge mountain to reveal a river that was flowing below and had crystal clear white water so pure laced and undulant flowing through the colorful mountain valley. Kel remarked Oh Sage this is so beautiful and colorful. The sage looked around and said yes this is the Valley of Life and the river you see below is known as Amritdhara or the stream of immortality. This river flows only in this realm and not on earth said the sage and A dip here ensure your sins for 100 births are washed away instantly. Let us go down to the river as he commanded the divine aircraft.

The aircraft brought them down slowly in waving motion as it descended to a flat place on the shore of the holy river.  They along with the sage got down from the aircraft and looked at the magnificent sight which had them hypnotized. They saw the river full of fishes of every color they could think of dancing up and down the stream and happily jumping out of the water and then going back in as if showing their happiness of flowing along the holy river.

The sage took off his wooden sandals and bowed to the river and said a prayer as he stood there with folded hands. He took out his kamnadala or water pot vessel which he used to carry everywhere and filled it with the holy water from the river. He then bent down and sprinkled the holy water from the river three times on his head. Kel and Phil also followed the sage and bent down and offered their prayers to the river and then sprinkled the water on their heads three times as the sage had done.

Now the sage said it is time to resume our journey and we will stop at a temple on the next mountain which is built on the banks of this river and pay obeisance to a form of Lord Shiva known as AgniShiva. The divine aircraft took them up and moved towards their next destination the temple of Lord AgniShiva.

The divine aircraft moved swiftly between two mountain peaks which were greyish purple in color and had black rocks protruding out of them from various places. They came to a clearing in the valley where there were just pure white flowers emitting a sweet fragrance and a white light glow was emanating from them. Kel and Phil looked at them with bewilderment as Phil thought how could flowers glow and give out the light? Kel said the fragrance is so enticing and heavenly. She glimpsed some black and orange-colored bees flying over the flowers and were making them look so pretty in contrast.

The divine aircraft was approaching another big mountain and it quickly moved up to climb it. They saw the river flowing down as the mystic aircraft took them down the slope of the mountain. They had moved only a short distance when they saw a huge temple-like the structure of grayish purple hue the same color as that of the mountain. The aircraft started to turn towards the temple and in no time they were very near it. The temple was built on the banks of the holy river.

The mystic aircraft took them down on the sage’s command to the platform in front of the temple. The sage got down and signaled them to get down as well. They could now see a few of the other sages who were looking very similar to The sage Agastya except for his lovely pot belly.

The temple structure was a huge complex which was standing to at least 3000 feet Phil thought as they entered the temple. There was the statue of the Divine Bull Nandi in front of the sanctum sanctorum and a few of the sages recognized the Sage and bowed before him and he blessed them in return. They reached the main deity Shivalinga of Lord AgniShiva. They were asked to come inside by a sage who was the priest of the temple. Sage Agastya bowed before the Shivalinga and then poured some water on it from his water pot. He then circumambulated the deity and Kel and Phil both followed him.

After paying their respects to the Diety the sage said it is I who had established the Lord hereafter meditating in the realm for thousands of years. The lord was pleased and decided to establish himself on my prayers. You are very fortunate to have got his divine vision as no mortal has come here before. Now we will go straight to the School.

The Mystic School of the Siddhas

The aircraft gently lifted them up starting to climb the huge mountain ahead of them. The ascent was rapid and they felt a cool breeze flow through the aircraft as it picked up height. They could see different animals roaming in the red forests of the mountain. There was one common one which was two-headed like a goat. There was another which had the shape of a wolf but the body of a bird with no wings. They saw several large birds circling the colorful forests. the birds had small heads but large beaks and pointed chins. The sage saw they were looking at the birds and said they are known as DevGarud or the Divine Eagles. They protect the area from monsters.

As the aircraft moved up they saw the towering peak very much appearing as a dome of a temple. Was it hiding a temple inside Phil thought as the aircraft moved very close to it and then started descending?

The descent was gradual as it approached the other side of the mountain they could see a gorgeous valley which was surrounded by mountains from each side. There was the river stream flowing through it. They also saw a dazzling circular colony visible from the top which had golden walls around it. There seemed to be inhabitants in it and a lot of activity happening inside it.

The sage said we are now approaching the School we will straight away go to the entrance. The aircraft took them to the front end of the colony which had a grand elegant and glittering archway. The aircraft came down just in front of the gateway and slowly dropped onto the earth.

The sage got down from the aircraft first and then Kel and Phil followed him. They were still ogling at the beautiful entranceway. The sage said this school has strict guidelines for anybody including me who comes in. This school was created with the power of all the Siddhas or Sages who are accomplished masters and we all came together and made it secure so that Demons do not get inside it. The archway that you see in front of you is not an ordinary one and will not allow any strangers inside. So if you attempt to go in now you will meet your death as you will not be able to pass it. The sage then meditated and closed his eyes and clenched his left fist while reciting some mantras which they were not able to hear or understand.

The sage's left hand now had two rings made of silver which a strange Sanskrit symbol etched on top of them. The sage offered them to Kel and Phil and said Wear them and you shall pass the entrance safely. Remember once you wear them you cannot speak lies otherwise the ring will punish you.

Phil took the bigger one for himself and Kel took the other one. Miraculously the rings fit them perfectly without any uneasiness. Sage told them there is a stream of water that is flowing in the entranceway and only the true inhabitants or the one who created this school know the correct sequence of stones which lead to the inside of the school. The combination changes every moment but a true Siddha is able to see the ordinary stepping stones and they appear to them as red in color. To an ordinary person, they all appear in the same color. The rings that I have given you will give you that magical power to see the correct stone on which to step and not step on any other. Remember if you step on the wrong stone by mistake you will drown in the stream and not come up ever so be careful.

The sage went ahead and stood at the entrance and closed his eyes and meditated for a while and then opened his eyes and started jumping on the stones one by one. He looked back at both of them expecting them to follow him. They had hesitated and stood there watching the strange stones. Phil was able to see the red-colored stones very clearly and saw that the sage was only stepping on them. He wanted to experiment so he took off the mystical ring from his right hand and his vision of the red stones was gone. All had turned to a light gray color. He understood this was indeed magic and they were in a magical land.

Kel started moving ahead carefully stepping on each red stone and reached the sage in the middle of the stream very quickly. Phil too joined them and the sage moved ahead stepping on each correct stone as he had the magical vision inside himself and he needed no ring to do so. they all reached the other end of the stream safely and felt very happy that they had passed the entrance test.

Immediately when they stepped onto the school they saw two strange beings come their way. The beings had a head of an eagle but the body of a human. One looked like a male and another looked female due to its large breasts and colorful ornamentation. They prostrated in front of the sage and said in unison Welcome to the school O great Sage!

The sage said to Kel and Phil they are Itida and Itidi a Garuda or eagle couple who are the guardians of this school. They not only protect it from evil but also manage it. The purpose of this school is to create Siddhas who do well for the billions of universes that are wobbling up and down the cosmos. Each Siddha here is given years of practice to ensure they attain perfection in each mystic procedure that they learn. They then learn to control their senses and the practice of ultimate Yog to gain liberation. Each Siddha is selected carefully through a process and they are given different mystical processes to master. When they have mastered all the processes and controlled their senses they are sent to take birth in one of the billion universes to help humankind.

Everyone speaks Sanskrit here continued the sage, and I know you do not know this heavenly language but the magic silver ring that I have given you will translate the thoughts and words of Sanskrit and translate to you in your mind what is being spoken about in front of you.

I will be going to my quarters as my lovely wife Lopamudra has come here after many years and is waiting for me. You will be taken inside the school campus but Itida and Itidi round the school campus to show you what the Siddhas are doing here. Be careful not to disturb them while you watch them. I will meet you after that. They both thanked the sage and bowed to him as he went inside the school campus.

Itida was the male eagle and Itidi was the female eagle half-human. They both came near Kel and Phil and welcomed them to the school of the Siddhas. We both are from your planet too many years ago the sage rescued us from a demon’s net and he brought us here said Itidi who was speaking to Kel.

We will take you around the school so that you can have a look at how Siddhas are trained here. This is a huge campus and we cannot simply walk around so you will need something to ride around. Itida made a short shrill sound with his beak and a small astonishing pair of birds appeared from near a hillock. The birds were a mix of green, red and brown. Their beaks were sharp and conical their eyes were very beautiful and almost like the shape of a fish. Their heads had sharp dark purple color hair which had beads on them. The wings were quite large and their feathers had green and red tips. Their bodies were big enough and were larger than any birds they had seen on earth. The birds were very active and eager to help as they sat down near Itida and Itidi.

Itidi asked them to mount the birds on their back so that they could go around the school. Kel asked what about you will you also come with us and Itidi replied yes but we do not need birds to move as we have magical powers given by the sages to fly around without wings.

Phil and Kel climbed the birds as they were sitting on the ground. The birds soared to the skies slowly moving towards the left side of the school campus. They saw from a distance many disciple sages looking like the great sage Agastya doing various activities around the campus.

The birds flew towards a pond that had crystal clear water and white pebbles in its base. There were various fishes of flashing gems in their eyes moving around the enchanting pond. The birds came down and sat on the ground near a large mystifying tree. The tree had exotic pink flowers the shape of paisley bells hanging all over it. The flowers were unique and they had never seen such spectacle before. Each wonderfully shaped flower had two strands of white strings hanging from each side of the flower and there was some gooey substance coming out of some of them. The flowers attracted some bee-like creatures that were trying to suck the gooey substance as it emitted a sweet smell around and fly around them happily.

Besides the pond, there was a clearing and a flat surface where sat a disciple sage. He was sitting on the ground with both his legs folded and Phil recognized it as Padmasana or the lotus posture which he used to sit in every day during meditation as well; however, the disciple was jumping up and down and moving forward like a frog. 

Itidi  and Itida had by this time reached the pond and were flying down towards Kel and Phil. Itidii said to them this is a disciple of one of the great sages and is in the beginning stages. He is learning to master the mystical magical power of Siddhi and once he has done that he will rise above the ground and be able to go from one tree to the other. They sat there beside the pond and watched the disciple practice his art.

Itida flew to a tree nearby the pond and came back with a few fruits for them to eat. The fruits were strangely shaped like a star and reddish-brown in color. Itida said they taste heavenly as they have come from mount Kailash brought here by a sage. They ate the fruit which had a lot of juice inside it as they ate their hands got the juice around them. Itidi said you can wash your hands in the pond be careful not to step inside as a protector spirit lives there. They washed their hands and offered some flowers to the pond for the protector spirit for allowing them to use it. Itida told them the name of this disciple is Mahavana and it will take him many years to move ahead for gaining greater mystical magical powers. Let us now move to the next level of mysticism in the school which is nearby. Itida summoned the birds and they started flying ahead going further left from the pond.

The beautiful swift birds took them towards a small hillock that was peculiarly colored reddish golden. The birds dropped them in the well of the hillock where they saw a disciple sage sitting. The eagle couple came down just as they were looking at the sage who was sitting quietly and seemed to be looking strangely forward.

Itidi said to them softly this disciple who has been practicing to float in the air without any support for many years now. He is almost nearing perfection but he was very funny when he had stated he would try to float and fall down from the hillock several times to get hurt. Watch him perform he will do that in some time. Kel looked around the hillock and saw several charming blue-colored creepers falling down. The creepers had various flowers which were hued yellow and red and were making the hillock look opulent. She also saw a half bird and the half animal-bodied creature who was looking at her. The creature had blue eyes and a small head shaped like a cone. It was balancing itself on four legs and had wings to fly. It was twin-colored with its head deep red and its body brownish-green. These were hues that she had never seen before. It bent its head towards Kel and was about to touch her when Itida came around and asked it to go away elsewhere. He told her this is the small creature created out of a sage’s mystical powers which went wrong as he got angry. It roams around the school looking for food.

In a flash of a moment as they were looking around the disciple sage suddenly got up from the place he was sitting and started floating in the air. He was standing and he moved straight in the air and went very fast to the nearest tree in front of the hillock. He turned from there and then came back towards the hillock and came straight to where Kel and Phil were standing. He came and stood in the ground before them and greeted them. Hello, how are you I am Ganayak disciple of sage Bagira I understand the great sage Agastya has brought you here? Phil was amazed and asked him how did he know the Sage had brought them here. Itidi interjected and said reading a person’s mind is a minor mystic power that every one of us possesses when we enter this school. He read your thoughts and knew about your connection with the Great sage Agastya.

They bid farewell to Ganayak who offered them some choicest clothes of saffron color which he produced by waving his hands as the great sage had done. He said these clothes will help you hide from evil beings they will not be able to see you. If you lose these clothes they will return back to me. They all have extraordinary magical powers said Phil to Kel as they amazed them with each passing moment. We are in this mystical magical land and this is something that science can never comprehend. They don’t have any mechanical moving parts yet they perform feats which modern-day machines are not capable of performing. Itida signaled to them to ascend the birds again and it was time to move on to the next level of the school.

The birds moved towards the center of the school campus and came near an opening where there was a stream of water flowing through. The water was greenish in color but was transparent revealing multi-colored pebbles. A stone would be color red and green or blue or orange and yellow and some were just golden or silver and white. They gave the water different colors as light shown through them. It was a sight to watch as their birds descended to the shore of the stream quietly by flapping their wings. The eagle couple also flew down and looked around where there were trees that had leaves shaped in spiral patterns. They looked like leaves but anybody could have mistaken them for small tunnels as they were spiraling inwards endlessly. Some of these leaves had fallen down and Kel picked up one of them to feel it. They had a nice texture almost feeling as soft as a bird’s feather. Itida said I think this disciple is not yet here or we will have to go around and find him.

Let me look for him around and find out what’s he up to said Itida and flew about. Itidi was with Kel and Phil and she took them to the stream and said you can sit here by the stream and watch the lovely Dinty creatures go by they are a delight to watch. Dinty creatures it turned out to them were small colorful snails that were going about very fast and were not slow at all. They could move one over the other and then onwards in the direction in which the stream was flowing. Some of them would just go in the opposite direction and would just place themselves upon a rock and come out of the water. Kel just tried touching one of the Dinty’s and it allowed her to pick it up without moving. She placed it over her palm and watched it move slowly. It had tiny black eyes on the sides of its shell so it was actually watching her. She felt peaceful looking at it and then she picked it up again and put it back on the rock.

 Itida came back flying to where they were sitting and he said upon touching the ground with news about the disciple that he is on the other side of the stream so we will have to walk the trees by the stream to reach there. They started walking in the opposite direction of the flowing stream and saw a waterfall. Besides the waterfall was a sitting disciple sage who was in meditation on a flat rock. He was very still so they did not go near him just not to disturb him with their presence.

They sat there waiting for him to open his eyes which he did after a while. He did not look at them as if oblivious of their presence. He closed his eyes as he stood up and started muttering something very quickly.  He then opened his eyes and looking at the water and then put his right foot over the flowing water of the stream. The water was flowing from the waterfall with a great force but it did not seem to affect the disciple in any way. He put his next step forward and then started moving ahead as if he was walking on the ground. This was amazing as Kel and Phil had never seen anybody walk on water before. Itidi said his name is Merudhan and he has completely mastered the art of walking on water. He is a great adept at this mystical art now and will very soon move to the next level in the school. Let us now go to the next art form which is near the far end of the campus said Itida.

Their birds ascended in the air with Kel and Phil and they saw ahead of them a beautiful grove of colorful trees. The birds neared the center of the grove which was empty; as they approached it they saw a strange sight. There was a cage in which a huge graceful lion was kept. As the birds gently put them on the ground they saw the lion had a horn bump on its head and was rumbling probably hungry.

Itida and Itidi were quick to catch up and came down towards Kel and Phil and told them this is a place for the most amazing mystical art form. The disciples here learn to expand and contract at will when danger strikes. This is where you will now see a group of Lord Hanuman who is being prepared for some of the planet earth’s where Lord Ram is to take birth. Lord Ram is the mythical king who is regarded as a God in India and the surrounding countries. So Phil said this is the real place where Lord Hanuman is trained in order to be prepared for all the challenges in his life. Yes said Itidi and moved towards a shady part of the grove.

They saw in that place sitting under a tree a giant sage the size of a huge temple. He was towering above the length of the trees as he sat in a padmasana the lotus posture. In front of him, they saw there were three disciples sitting who was having the head of a monkey and the body of a man. The disciples appeared very small in front of the giant sage and were looking at him. They all felt as if they were like ants in front of the giant ascetic. In the next moment the sage started shrinking and in just a few moments was back to his original height but he continued to shrink further and was shrinking till he almost became the size of an ant. He then again grew back as he continued sitting in the lotus posture. He was now back to his original self. It looked like he was demonstrating this mystical skill to his disciples who were watching him with apt attention.

Itida spoke to them telling them that these disciples were very special and were being trained by the Sage in the mystical art of becoming big or small in size. the three disciples were known as Agnimoh here as they were yet to take birth as Lord Hanuman. Once they complete mastering this art form they would then be ready to take birth in their respective cosmos.

The entire group gathered and paid obeisance to the sage. He blessed them looked at Kel and Phil while saying I will give you a gift that you will cherish on your mission. Saying thus he read a mantra while muttering slowly and put his hand in his huge bag which was slung across his left arm. He took out two rosaries which had shining green beads strewn across it. He handed them over to them and said these beads have the power to make you invisible till you wear them. No Demon or Danava or evil can see you while you are wearing them. If you lose them or they go into another person’s hand other than you they will immediately come back to me here. So they are protected against falling in the wrong hands. Kel and Phil were elated after receiving such a rare gift and Kel tried it on her neck as the necklace was looking pretty. She wore it and went to the nearby pond to see her reflection in the water, but she did not see any, then she remembered what the sage said it will make you invisible. She laughed at herself and took off the beads.

Itidi said we now have to move to the last of the mystical art form skills in the school which was on the far side of the campus. She signaled the birds to come and get ready to fly. They alighted to the ground and took off Kel and Phil towards the far end of the campus.

As they ascended a beautiful garden become visible from the top. It was so beautiful and colorful and a sight to behold. Kel threw out a sigh in disbelief. The garden was laden with gemstones in as far as their eyes could see. The birds descended in the middle of the garden which had green grass-like substance that felt as soft as velvet. It was slightly slippery too. The colorful glittering flowers were in every conceivable color all around the garden. The garden had poppy-shaped flowers in blue with red centered stigma and anthers. These flowerbeds extended to a few hundred feet stretch. They would move from one flower bed to another to find another more colorful magnificient flower bed to enthrall their senses. This garden had roses made of very fine and light red gemstones with their center in yellow and they thought they had never seen such beautiful wonders before as the ever-present light in this realm shined through them and accentuated their curves even more. The sweet smell from the roses caught their attention as they moved near them. Instinctively Kel reached her hand out to the gemstone wonder to touch it she wanted to have one. She looked at Phil to pick it up for her who understood that she wanted it. He bent down to cut it from the stem but no matter how hard he tried it would not come off the plant. Itida and Itidi came down flying and reached them and saw what Phil was trying to do. Itida told Phil he will not be able to break the flowers as they had a spell put on them by one of the sages so that Demons who roamed the air could not steal them. He then read a special mantra muttering in his mind very slowly and then bent down to pluck the flower. He gently handed the flower to Phil who was extremely happy to receive it. Phil looked at Kel as she was smiling and was blushing at the same time. He gave her this most wonderful gemstone flower and they felt very close to each other.

Itida and Itidi were holding their hands together as well feeling the romance in the garden around them. Itida remembered and started speaking out loud that this is the garden of the disappearing mystic skill so the disciples should be around somewhere in an invisible state watching us. As he had spoken just near them suddenly out of thin air three damsels wearing ascetic clothes appeared. They were Laxkali, Laxkuberi, and Laxgyani. Itidi and Itida welcomed the three of them and introduced them to Kel and Phil saying these are past disciples of the Great sage’s wife Lopamudra. The three girls greeted them and said we are pleased to have you in our school. As you are the disciples of the great sage we wish to give you some gifts.

Saying thus Laxkali who was extremely beautiful to look at took out one of her hairpins and handed it to Kel saying this is a special pin which will help you if you wear it to know if there was evil lurking around you. You will be able to see the evil force even if they have changed forms and hiding nearby. Laxkali stepped back. Laxkuberi came forward and said in your mission you will need something to heal you from an evil attack. Saying so she waved her right hand in the air and produced two round button-like green objects. She said to them these are not ordinary ornaments when you press at the back it activates a shield around the keeper and heals any wounds in your body in no time. But remember never to lose them for if you do they will return back to me.  Now was the turn of Laxgyani who came forward and said nothing in this world is more precious than the right knowledge at the right time. I am going to give you a gift that is going to help you get the perfect knowledge that you need at any point of time. She then waved her left hand and produced a bird’s feather-shaped red magical crest. She gave both of them to Kel and Phil as she explained their mystical powers. These magical crests give you the power to seek answers from this very school and harness into its own wisdom base which is created by the supreme wisdom of our great sages. With them, near you, there will be no dearth of divine guidance and knowledge that you seek in completing your mission.

The three maidens were extremely pleased to give the mystical gifts to these mortal disciples of the great sage Agastya as they bid goodbye and became invisible again.

Itida and Itidi now told Kel and Phil we have completed the tour of the school and the sage would be waiting to meet you so let us now go to his abode.

Itidi had just started to summon the birds when she heard a shrill sharp cry in the air and saw a half eagle-shaped bird fall from the sky into the school campus. She immediately understood what the problem was. They were in trouble as the Demons of the Danavas had attached the school again. Itidi and Itida asked the birds to hide in the trees nearby as they did not have the fangs to fight the demonic birds which were going to come out flying in the skies.

They moved Kel and Phil quickly into a small cave opening nearby. The cave was enough for them to stand and it was not deep enough to completely hide. Itida said I will have to go and alert the sages of the danger so that we can protect the school. Itidi will stay with you and do not worry the sages protect us from evil no harm can come of us. So saying he flew up in the sky. Kel and Phil’s heartbeat was racing and they were not able to comprehend who these demons were and why they were attacking the school.

As they stood in the cave and were looking at the sky they saw large greyish blackbirds on the side of elephants on earth fly around the school in the sky. They must be at least 6 in number and were circling continuously as if looking for something. At that moment they saw Itida and other half-eagles like him leap into the sky and this time they were carrying a black staff in their right hands. Itida pointed the staff at one of the black demonic birds and a ray of blue lightning shot out of his staff hitting the bird on its head. As soon as the ray of light hit the bird it exploded in thin air and disappeared. Itida did this to one other bird and as he succeeded the third demonic bird came from behind and nearly attacked him as he was able to dodge it.

There were five demonic birds circling the skies looking for prey their eyes were red as if with anger ready to pounce on the opportunity. They were not able to see three sages including the great Sage Agastya who was now floating in the sky at the same height as the birds but was directly looking at them not giving them a chance to surround him. He swiftly moved his T stick in the air and out came fire like ray which consummated its first victim. The other sage did the same and used his T stick to annihilate two of the birds. Now there were two large black demonic birds circling the school and were flying in a zigzag pattern over the beautiful garden that they were in right now. One of them had spotted them inside the cave.

Itidi said Oh this one has got our smell now it is going to come for us. I hope the sages are able to kill it before it reaches us. Kel and Phil just held their hands together as they were feeling very scared at the thought of being eaten by a demonic bird. As It tried to come down to the cave one of the sages pointed his T stick towards it and a ray of firelight evaporated the bird that instant. This brought a sigh of relief to the three of them. There was one bird left now and it was flying very fast continuously to evade any attacks. It was going up and down changing its height in order to avert being zapped by the fire rays. The sages and eagle-faced protectors of the school spread themselves in the air to make the demonic bird not do out of their circle as they repeatedly tried to zap it by firing killer rays at it. It was Itida’s staff as he aimed it towards the bird which flew very close by him and the ray finally zapped the bird a light pop sound was heard as the dark cloud-like substance was seen falling to the ground.

Itidi said to the mortal visitors we are not safe and can come out all the demonic birds have been destroyed. Itida came down after a while and was standing proudly with his staff as he said These demonic birds are sent by Halli Demon who is camping nearby nowadays. Phil asked them why did the demon want to attack them?

Itida said this has a long history when the sages had come together to build the school they had asked Lord Shiva for a place where they could establish the school of the Siddhas. Lord Shiva had given this land in the realm of the never born however there was a powerful demon who had once established his kingdom. Lord Shiva had annihilated him and since then the demons were trying every now and then to get back their territory. This attack was one such attempt in which the demon Halli had some of his powerful fie breathing demonic birds.

Kel said so the demons do exist and they are very much alive how come we do not see them on earth she thought.

The 3 sages who fought the demonic birds came down from the sky to where Kel and Phil were standing. They looked at them and then the Great sage asked them are all of you fine? enquiring about their well-being after the short skirmish. Kel and Phil said Yes they were okay and no harm had come to them. They thanked Itidi for taking them to a safe location.

Just as they were speaking there arrived towards them from the air a strange being riding a divine aircraft very similar to the one in which the great sage had brought them to the school. It had four heads on its shoulders which were like that of a mouse. The creature bowed in front of the sages after alighting from its aircraft. The great sage said come, my friend, Chatur you are welcome to the school.

Chatur started speaking as he told them there was the monthly competition that was about to begin in the kingdom of the golden shaft. The sages acknowledged the invitation however they said their disciples would be participating in the competition. Chatur the strange creature turned towards Kel and Phil and said we invite you also to our kingdom to see the monthly competition O mortals and disciples of the great sage. The great sage Agastya spoke Of course they can go and look at the competition in your kingdom. Itidi explained to Kel and Phil that the kingdom was a splendor to watch and the competition was a much-awaited monthly event. Chatur greeted and bowed to the sages again as he got into his aircraft and took off. The sages took off to the air as well to go and settle in their individual quarters.

Kel asked Itidi looking perplexed if you do not have any sun which is rising or setting down as we have on earth how do you count the time and months?

Itidi moved to a parting amidst the garden and pointed to the far end where they could see a giant glass-like structure. Itidi said we have a system of water droppers that the great sage had invented. They moved closer to the amusing structure. It was huge as it was higher than the trees. It was the shape of an hourglass however instead of sand pouring on the other side there was a purple gooey liquid inside it which would fall after some time had elapsed on this realm. She said as one side of the water clock got empty it meant their day was over. Right now they could see that there was only a quarter of liquid on the top glass container which had fallen into the bottom container so which meant they were in the morning said Itidi clarifying how time was counted. She further said everyone has a replica of this amazing water clock in our quarters including the sages and that is how they tell if it is time to go to rest or if there is a new day. Everyone works according to this clock.

Phil said this is an amazing way of keeping time and I have not seen anything like this before. Itida interjected We should now go to the Kingdom of the golden shaft to watch the competitions which are to begin shortly. You will definitely like them I am sure of that. Saying so Itida summoned the birds and they ascended the skies towards reaching the kingdom.