chapter 41

"It's a hot day isn't it?" said Balak sweating continuous for hours now, the group was resting in a grass field it's still sometime when they will reach the town of Mikosh, Barak needed to fix his spear which got damaged after the menacing fight with witch and he knew he could find the welder in Mikosh.

The group ate their lunch and started journey to Mikosh, Balak lit up his pipe, "you smoke alot sir" said Aruna who was gazing upon his pipe "Do you like it?", "It's an old habit" said Balak, he has been smoking since he was a kid, he can't resist it anymore, Alec pointing said " That's Mikosh isn't it uncle", taking a good look where Alex pointed Balak nodded his head "We reached Mikosh" he said.

"What kind of town is Mikosh" asked Mathias, "It's a town with a proper leader, it's a big town which is civilized well, many good families live in this town" said Balak, Mathias was thinking how he think he knows this place, "Is something bothering you?" asked Aruna looking at confused Mathias, "It's nothing" said Mathias, as the group entered the village they sensed a gloomy energy around. 

Mikosh was a place formed by scholars and business people, it was a rich town with well civilization, they used new and expenditure machinery for their work not like other villages, people of Mikosh lived a peaceful and happy life until they elected a leader for the town, his name was Zok, since Zok became the leader of town peace of village got lost, in no time Mikosh became gloomy and with no colour, "We should find welder" said Balak, the group was not understanding the reason of this gloominess, no one in village was speaking, people just walking like puppets doing their work without speaking with same facial expression, "Where can I find welder Arosh" asked Balak to a lady who was cleaning streets, the lady said nothing she kept on cleaning the streets as if she didn't heard Balak, Alec said "Look it's here", Balak and the kids went to welder, Balak asked him to fix his weapon but the welder said no he can't, "You have done it before too in early days what's wrong now?" asked Balak, the welder didn't answered, as they was leaving a shop, "Great Elders" said Mathias walking up to an old couple, "Do you know them" said Aruna, "They are The Great Elders of Malokh" said Mathias, Mathias asked elders about their visit to Mikosh, "It's terrible now" old lady elder said "This place is ruin", Mathias asked the elders about his family and village, the elder told him how his mother and big sister are being working hard, and village was also maintaining itself, this made Mathias happy, Elders was surprised to see Mathias carrying the Great Axe of Aastak, "So you have chosen this path" said old elder "You finally found your objective", Mathias nodded in yes, Balak then asked about Mikosh to the Elders, Elders told the group how Malokh had exporting and importing business of goods with Mikosh but since Zok became leader he is not letting people from outside the village to do business with them, Elders looking at Mathias said "Your dad spent his final years fighting against Zok", that's when Mathias understood he knew Mikosh, his dad used to talk about it back in home, he used to say how the leader is not letting them do trade with them and how he is fighting against Zok. Mathias knew he had to do something to make things right he wanted to atleast do something for his father who was now dead, Balak also wanted to know the reason of this gloominess so they decided to meet Zok at his castle, after Elders departed the group went to the castle, the castle was huge, it was painted black and there was many sheep and cows in the barn.

Balak knocked on the door, the door opened itself, the group went on and got inside the castle, "What do you want" asked Zok "I don't have any business for you", "We aren't here for business" said Balak "We want to know what happened to village", Zok looked at them he knew they are strong, looking at their weapons he knew they were the witch hunters, Aruna was getting scared,  staring at Aruna "What's the girl doing with Witch Hunters?" asked Zok, "She is companion" said Balak, Zok told the group there was nothing wrong with the village, everyone is happy, and he asked them to not worry about the village as he was it's leader so the village is not of their concern. 

Balak and group realized quickly that Zok was trying to hide something but they didn't had any proof to exploit him so they returned, they stayed a little far from Mikosh that night, Balak made a plan he told everyone how he will go to town tomorrow and make Zok meet him and while he will be out of his castle Alec, Aruna and Mathias will go in castle and look for proof of his evil deeds, it was decided next morning Balak went to town he  made a scene in the market which made people call for Zok, it wasn't much time when Zok came there to look at the scene Balak made, when Zok saw Balak he knew something was wrong he rushed back to his castle, Alec, Aruna and Mathias was already inside the castle they were searching for something which can be taken as an evidence against Zok, they found nothing on ground floor, Aruna went up the stairs to check 1st floor, Alec and Mathias was still looking at ground floor, Aruna saw a small room, she tried to open it but it was locked from inside, she heard a acrid voice from inside, Aruna knew something was inside she shouted for Alec and Mathias but till then Zok reached back at castle, Alec, Mathias went up and took Aruna and left before Zok could enter the castle, Aruna told the group how she heard a voice coming from room, Balak knew something was wrong it was evening when Balak and group broke in the castle, seeing them in his castle, Zok knew he is gonna get caught so he tried to attack them but Balak was much powerful than him with only a punch he knocked out Zok and then they decided to open the door Aruna found, With a kick Balak broke the door and the group got inside it was all dark they could smell the rotten flesh inside the room, Alec lit up a candle, they was shocked to see what was in front of them.

There was a witch locked up in chains, there was rotten flesh of cows and sheep, they saw the things related to witchcraft and also the rituals, Zok gained conscious running toward the room he saw group already inside the room, Zok ran away, Balak understood the whole scenario he knew Zok was using witchcraft on his own people of village and making them his own puppets, "What are you doing here" asked Balak to the witch, " I am his slave" said the witch, witch told them how Zok found her on the outskirts of Mikosh and was about to kill her, but witch offered him powers of black magic and her body itself, Zok not only made love to the witch but also kept her as his slave and used her to perform black magic on the people of Mikosh, witch told them how Zok killed people who was in his way by witchcraft, witch said "There was a man from Malokh who was in our way so I infected him with my black magic and he died of an unknown illness" Mathias was shook to his core he knew it was his father that witch was talking about, it was Zok who killer Mathias father, Mathias was ferocious he wanted to kill Zok for what he did, Balak noticed that Zok was gone and he went looking for it, witch also told them how it's Zok who controls the villagers with a magic doll that witch gave him.

Alec and Aruna stayed with a witch and Balak and Mathias headed out looking for Zok, as soon as they got out of castle they saw villagers coming at them to attack them, to kill them, Balak and Mathias knew they was being controlled and they can't kill them for this, they decided to fight their way through the villagers without killing anybody, Balak used his fist to knock the villagers and make the way for Mathias, Balak understood he need to stay with villagers only then Mathias could catch up to Zok, Balak stayed behind and Mathias went ahead, he saw Zok getting inside the main hall of Mikosh, Mathias followed him to the hall, as Mathias entered the hall Zok attacked him with sword but Zok wasn't a fighter he was a coward who used black magic to gain power, he didn't feared Mathias, Mathias was angry for first time his eyes was all white as if he had gone berserk, Zok knew he won't stand a chance against him, Zok reached for his pocket but Mathias was quick he chopped off Zok's hand with his Axe, Zok cried in pain begging for his life, he was rubbing his face on Mathias feet but Mathias knew there is no forgiveness for people like Zok with one blow he ripped off his skull, and hence Zok died and Mathias destroyed the doll, the crowd suddenly got out of the power of black magic and was shocked they was not understanding what's happening, Balak explained them everything by the time Alec had burned the witch and came back with Aruna.

Villagers decided to give reward to them, they was given money and provided food and clothes, the welder fixed Balak's spear this time too, Mathias was relaxed to know his father got justice and now he can rest well. 

Balak talked with one of villagers and came to know about a place in northern mountains where they had problems of witch, Balak and group decided to head to the place next day, in the evening Balak smoking his pipe was thinking about the code Alec's parent send him "eyes everywhere" he didn't knew what he meant for now, he was relieved that Alec became a warrior and met his destiny, Alec was Balak's responsibility since Alec was 2 years old, he indeed raised a warrior.