Chiruthevi: The Vengeance

"Death awarded at the hands of the one she loved, reborn a bewitching damsel,  to waylay men with her beauty and to drink their blood ..."

Do you lust for my soul,

Or my malice filled beauty.

Lay your heart out, let me suckle,

Lay your life out, let me bathe.

My tears laugh at your pain,

The scars arouse me, embalm me,

Let your wounds talk, let them kiss me,

As I submerge in your passion.

I see your fiery eyes, locked on me,

The scars did little to quench your ardor,

And as the last of the reds flee,

I relinquish my fury,  my heart drunk yet sober.

Its my heart's content that I seek,

Vengeance, long forgotten, yet,

My alluring words, a kiss so bleak ,

As your sweat ichor fuels my youth.

Why did you betray, my love.

Why did the noose tighten,

Why was I reborn,

To suckle on the life of men.

Ref: Kanjirottu Yakshi (Chiruthevi)

Traveler-Epilogue, The mad King

The night had been long,

My share of mares, with the stories untold,

With dreams forgotten, a heavy heart,

And through 'em, sinister plans, I play my part.

My brothers disappear, in pools of blood,

My brothers disappear, I wish help'em I could.

Forests of despair, intervened with our quest,

Riches promised, women to satisfy our lust,

Lands to conquer, for the king in me to rest.

A long trail of deceit, as I travel,

An immortal, I have lived a story untold,

Today I stand, alone and lost in time,

Traveler, they call me, traveler with a rhyme.

To devil, sell my soul I did, to live for eons.  

To devil, sell my soul I did, despaired, I live on.

The moon, my desire,  a price far promised,

Wine to quench my thirst, golds for the love I missed,

Souls to win, for the king in me to despotize.  

This is the last journey, they say,

I desist to move, for I have stories untold,

The winding path through the country side,

And the men, whom I killed for my own hearts' pride.

Ghosts aren't real, they just vanish with the wind,

Ghosts aren't real, sleep eludes, for I have sinned.

O' night, why are you bathed in blood,

Ridden with guilt, my heart, a withered rose bud,

Sleep I yearn, and my eyes, they have bled.

I am a king, the king of an immortal time,

But insanity, my king, has stories untold,

I have reigned with vengeance, for my soul that I lost,

The witch of time, chuckles, "but at what cost".

Past is slowly pulling me in, vanish it whispers.

Past is slowly fading away, sins, my seven sisters.

So I drink, I dance and I feast with the dead,

With so much, over the crackling fires done and said,

But no pleasure satisfies me, and no one for a tear to shed.

For I,  am the traveler. 

The traveler saga : Traveler 1 - 6

The Count's Wife.

"...And by the light stood a beauty so divine, that I wanted her to be mine"

"There should be a silver lining", I thought,
As I moved on, on the stony path uphill.
"Sire, would you mind camping up here",
Bellowed my guide, as his steps started to fail.

The gray of the sky was settling in, as we camped,
And the twilight soon faded into the night.

"Why doth thee wish to enter the castle?",
Asked he with a curious glister in his eye.
"I wish to meet the Lady of the house,
For I have heard praises of her beauty", I replied.

A moments silence, and a hint of fear in his eyes,
Shocked and shaken did he reply.

"Sire its not safe in the night, for I've heard screams,
Screams of pain and anguish, screams of revenge with blood lust",
"What happened to her?", I asked curious to my bones,
"Oh let the dead rest in peace", he crossed himself, as he replied.

A cold sweat broke out on his forehead,
A shudder of despair enveloped his being.

"I will pester thee till you speak,
For I am a man who doesn't give up on ease",
And after a long persuasion he broke, and he gave in,
"But I warn thee sire, thy shan't see the light of dawn if I speak".

The moon peeked occasionally from the clouds, hiding at times,
As my guide wiped the sweat on his forehead that divulged his fear.

"It was their wedding night, and bride was in her chamber,
As a party of robbers, armed to kill, invaded the castle.
The Count, a brave soldier himself, killed a many with his sword,
Until a scum hiding, drove his knife deep into his bosom".

He paused for a while, scared as before,
And then took a deep breath as he resumed.

"She was dragged out, her cloths ripped of,
And as each of the men took his turn, she lay there helpless,
And her screams were muffled by the wicked laughter."
He stopped, and looked around, scared by the presence of a being.

I could hear the winds howl, through the hollow mountain,
And the gentle splash of footsteps on the water.

"When they were done, they left, leaving her to die,
She crawled back to her beloved lover, as she died",
"Sire, that's the story I know, and I shall not continue,
For whomever has recited the tale, never lived to see the dawn"

The story had captivated me, or may have enslaved me,
For I kept pushing him, now offering money for the same.

"Why are you so scared?", I asked losing my patience at last,
"She is still alive, and haunts these mountains", he replied.
"Finish the story, or I shall take your life,
For I hate cowards, who live their lives in fear of a hearsay"

He had no choice, he thought, for he would die,
So he gathered up his strength, and pulled up his bags as he walked.

"Lets go to the castle and I will tell you the story en-route,
For I shall die tonight, either by your hands or by the Count's wife"
So we started our uphill journey and reached the castle in an hour,
An eery silence was all that left, as we passed the castle doors

The courtyard was flooded with the silver moonlight,
And the long shadows of the pillars that stood by.

"Here she died", he said pointing to the ground,
"And here she was born again, to vent her fury on men"
A light breeze whistled by, as I heard on to the story,
"None of the robbers lived to see the morning light", he said

The creaking of doors, sent chills down my spine,
As I listened to his closing lines.

"From that day on, she preys on men, who wander by,
To spend the night in mountain, but for us, we are locals here,
And she doesn't harm, for we bring her the men she wants",
He sighed and sat down by the stone pillar, gazing up at the stars.

There was silence, a gloom of despair,
Which was broken by a painful scream.

"She is here!", he screamed, as he ran for the doors,
But the doors closed upon him, as he fell.
I could see a faint light, as it slowly filled the corridor,
And by the light stood a beauty so divine, that I wanted her to be mine.

She came close, a beautiful smile adorned her face,
And that smile was the last thing I saw, as she took me in her hands.

An embrace covered my body as lust filled my being,
And I watched the poor guide, clenching his chest as he died,
She took me into her sweet chamber, filled with fragrance of rose,
She dimmed the light and I swam with her, as my eyes closed.

Her warmth was what I felt, against my body,
Her killer gaze was what I had missed, as she lay by me.

The night was about end, and with passion did she kiss me,
And as I kissed her lips, I felt the cold breath from her being,
And slowly I gave into her hands, losing my self to sleep,
A sweet sleep I had never known, as I slept forever.

White Drapes

"...By the crimson ribbons of blood, on the white drapes..."

I heard the rattle of the chains,
As I passed by the lone swing.
It swayed slowly in the wind,
Under the light of the full moon.

My memories played out their parts,
As I passed through the doors.
My house, my home, now in rubles, it stood,
My house, my home, where my life I lived.

The moon light floods the room,
And the mirrors reflect, hung by the walls,
I built my memories here,
And have buried them with the house.

I enter my room, a sweet fragrance fills my being,
A sweet fragrance of rose and lemon grass
It was the room where I grew up,
The room where I found my first love.

The white drapes hang by the window,
Slowly floating with the night breeze,
The moon light casts a shadow of it,
And a shadow is what remains of it.

He was a young lad, a handsome man,
And the drapes held his memories,
He would climb every night through the window,
To kiss me a peaceful sleep.

I embrace the drapes, as it holds his fragrance,
A fragrance I had started to love,
I stay there all night, by the window,
As the moon light fills my heart with peace

Nights on end, we sat by the window,
Sharing our dreams, dreams of days to come.
We would count the stars, and watch the fireflies dance,
And with the first light, he would leave with a sweet hug.

Every night, moon witnessed our growing love,
As it lived on for days to come.
And suddenly one night, he didn't come,
That day neither the fireflies danced or the moon shined.

But Its no more the same night,
As the sun peeks through the trees,
And my memories, refreshed by the morning light,
Saw the crimson ribbons of blood, on the white drapes.

Then one night he came, and broke my heart,
"I can't be with you, for I am going far", he said
Then no more I saw him, as he bid farewell,
Leaving a sweet kiss to remember him by.

I was broken, I was shattered, and I missed him,
And nights I would stand by the window,
And nights I would weep for him to return,
Until one night I stabbed my self in the heart.

My blood splattered on the white drapes,
And crimson streams did it leave behind,
I died that night holding the drapes close to my heart,
For it held his sweet fragrance, a fragrance I had loved.

So every night I come, to live my love,
Every night I live, till the sunrise,
And as the I see the white drapes in the light,
I disappear with the morning mist.

The Traveler-4: The Riders of the Dark Sand

I have traveled long and far, in search of things that the world has seldom heard of. The journeys I have taken in search of Fear, The Forest Nymphs, and the Devil himself have already been written about. My journeys have taken me to the ends of the world, from where there seemed no return. One such journey took me to the land, covered under a sea of sand. It was everywhere, it spanned from horizon to horizon, and it was here I heard about the Riders Of the Dark Sand.

I was part of the caravan, and we were to cross this great desert to reach the other side, to the green lush fertile land along the River Nile. The caravan was actually a transport for a precious jewel, guarded by an old priest. There were stories about him, and how he had always guarded the jewel from the desert robbers.

I walked over to him, eager to know what was so precious about the jewel, but before I could ask him, he started the tale.

Long ago, during the reign of Thoth,
The heaven was torn apart in war,
Horus in arms against Set, the God of sands.

Thoth conceived a jewel, of pure power,
Power to alter time, and resolve fights,
And handed the jewel to a man, priest in his temple.

But the greed in man's heart was strong,
And he yearned to be powerful,
He fought for this jewel, to control the time.

One such man was Hareb, a mighty warrior,
Who up with his four men, laid siege on the temple,
Killing the priests, and stealing the Jewel.

His insolence angered Thoth,
And this anger gave birth to a curse,
A curse to be captured within time.

And together with him, his men perished,
Only to be risen on the day of no moon,
When they fight to regain the Jewel.


Well it was an astounding story, and the old priest could see the glow on my face as I heard about the power of the Jewel.

"Stranger, be warned, no one has ever returned back from the desert nor has the jewel reached the temple by the Nile. Those who die in battle with the Riders, . . . ", his speech was cut off by the bull horn. The journey was about to commence.

I was a bit afraid, but still was determined to see the marvel that lay up ahead in the day.
We were fifty brave men, strong warriors to protect the Jewel, and I was confident that I would be able to set foot on the fertile land across this great desert.

So the journey began. . .


Fifty brave men, mounted on horses,
With swords drawn ready to fight,
Across the desert, they ride,
They ride along with the sun.

The hot days, take their tolls,
But the brave never give up,
For across the desert, lies their dream,
A dream of fertility and pride.

The priest travels along, guarding the jewel,
With fear in his heart he rides,
And as the sun dips towards the horizon,
His eyes betray his fear.

"I have traveled this sand, thousand times,
But never do I see the green land."
Sang the priest, as the skies darkened,
And darkness covered the land.

"They will come, and take all of you,
They will come, to enslave your souls,
But for me, I have the jewel, so I shall live,
The jewel shall set my times right."

And soon the sands turned dark,
And no moon shined in the sky,
Then we heard the sounds of hoofs,
As the Riders of the Dark Sands arrived.

Four men, and their horses breathing fire,
With swords drawn, ready to take the lives.
"If its four, we can take them", I thought,
But my hopes soon turned to despair.

With his hands the rider waved to air,
"I am Hareb, listen to me oh great sands,
I have been yours for many years,
Now give me what is mine"

Soon the earth shook and split
And our sights were blinded by the winds,
And then rose the many who had died,
Died protecting the Jewel of Thoth.

The undead, rose to their feet,
As my men charged ahead into them,
And I watched each of my men fall,
Fall to the swords of the undead.

It was me now, who stood afoot,
Between Hareb and his jewel, his desire,
And with a drawn sword I charged into the men,
Slicing the already dead to death.

"Its futile, that you may fight,
For your men are dead, and you stand alone,
Its futile, that you may fight,
For I still can summon the demons from hell"

And with a scream, Hareb leaped forward,
Knocking me off onto to the sands,
And as his cold sword pierced my chest,
I saw the priest stab the jewel with his staff.

I saw the life flash in front of me,
And the light shone bright, blinding me,
And then darkness followed for days to come,
Until I heard the call, and life ran through my veins.

I rose up again, with the sword in my hand,
And my men stood next to me, ready to fight,
But the fate had a different plan,
For now I was also the Rider of the Dark Sand.


Glossary:
Thoth: Wiki Page. Thoth is also the moon deity.
Set: Wiki Page.
Horus: Wiki Page.

The Traveller - 3

One hundred stars and a million sands,
Underneath my foot did I trample.
In search of the perfect fear, I travelled,
Lands and sea, Hills and mountains.

Brave cried, but I never did,
Men Died, but I never blinked.

In the lust of fear, did I travel, night and day,
In the search of fear, ages I wandered.
Dungeons and pillars never frightened me,
Nor did the fight with the bravest of men.

But curse the day, I met this man,
Oh, was he the devil incarnated?

"Why do you seek fear?", He asked me,
"I have never known one", I replied.
"How can you seek the unknown?", he questioned me,
I pondered, never to find a reason, why.

He stretched his hand and touched my heart,
And made me drink of his wine.

"I will tell you a story, to ease your mind
For, in turmoil you are, and are like a child".
His wine did sooth my mind, and his touch did calm.
But a feeling of repose and despair rose in my heart.

He started the tale, seated by the fire,
I listened, as the owls hooted and night came by.

Was it the story, or the wine I had,
For in the fire I saw my past.
The fire crackled, and ashes did fly,
As in the fire I saw my burning life.

I was a child, as I lay in the cradle,
Crying I lay in the cradle.

Was it a wolf that lay by me, Or was I dreaming,
For there lay a wolf besides the cradle,
Eyes of fire, burning bright, did it look back at me,
Please someone save the child, for a wolf lay besides me.

I had grown up, A boy I was.
And hills became my mates as I played along.

Was it a snake that I saw, or rush of waters,
As it crawled besides the boy, lost in his own world.
It did coil around, like water drowning the boy,
Oh please save the boy, for he is scared of water.

The boy was no more, A man stood instead.
In search of fear did he wander along, lands and sea.

In The fire did I see my self seated, next to the man I had seen,
As he stretched his hand, and touched my heart.
A feeling of despair ran through me, as he released the touch.
Oh for The Devil himself was He.

Hours later, I came out of the stupor.
But nothing remained, Just emptiness and fear.

The Traveller-2

Tlot, tlot, the horse shoe hit the sun baked clay
On a winding path over creeks and brooks.
Tlot, tlot, did it echo into the fragile dying day,
As the sun slipped down, and up went the moon

Night did descend, and tired were we,
For an evening-primrose bed, did we find,
Snuggled between the flowing crystal stream,
A land lit by the moon and the silver night.

The camp was set and the food was served,
As beasts, drank off the sparkling creek,
Wine was served and songs were purred,
By shores of the river, restless and bleak.

At length, A shimmering flame, crossed our way,
A man dressed in white, fragile, aged and wise,
"I am a traveler", said he, "would ye let me stay,
For, the night is long and chill will rise".

We let him stay, and by the fire he settled,
"There's a better land, upstream beyond the mound",
said he, as he feasted on wine and rested by the fire.
Where wild lily blossoms And the brooks make no sound".

"So would you mind following me, oh men of time,
For its a beauty that lays, untouched by men",
So we saddled our horses and followed the wise,
To the land, upstream beyond the mound.

"When the hour strikes late, cherubs do sing", he continued,
"With flutes and harps, and a song that sooth the being,
The music does capture, the music does attract,
For those who have listened, were never to be seen".

"I was caught once, in this heart numbing song", said he.
"And I did cross the land upstream beyond the mound.
To dance to the music and sing with the cherubs,
I did cross the land upstream beyond the mound".

"Weren't you captured?" asked one of my mates,
As we got absorbed in the stupor and dream.
"If you were captured how do you sit with us",
Asked one of my mates, slumped in stupor and fear.

Wind did howl, and the trees did bow,
And moon light played with our minds,
The waters moved, and the camp fire crackled,
As the traveller cleared his throat to rhyme.

"I made a deal with the cherubs said he,
So they let me live, for I bring them life",
And slowly his voice started to fade, fade into the night
As The slow laughter of flutes and harps, filled us inside.