Aru sighed. “Another fail…”
Hey, that rhymed!
“I don’t want anything you have to sell; I want the stories you could help me tell.” Valmiki leaned over his typewriter and tented his fingers. “This is a new age of epics, you see,” said the sage-poet. “And I have two Pandavas before me! We have all the legends and poems of yore, but it’s time we offered readers some more. Promise to give me one day of your life, and I will grant you the gift of less strife.”
So Valmiki wanted to write their biographies? Yes, please! That sounded…amazing. Aru was already brainstorming titles for hers:
The Legend of Aru
The Chronicles of Aru
The—
“Aru?” asked Mini. “On this man’s terms can you agree? There is little downside that I can see.”
Oh, right.The Chronicles of AruandMini.
“Wait!” said Boo. “Don’t give your life rights away for free! The day has to be mundane, Valmiki. Anddayis a mortal’s twenty-four hours. Comply, or else you’ll face the gods’ powers.”
Aru hadn’t even thought of that. This was officially the second time she was happy to have a pigeon guardian.
Valmiki shrugged, but he looked a little disgruntled. “You cannot rush a writer’s art!”
“And here you thought you were so smart,” said Boo smugly.
Good thing Boo answered, because the only thing Aru could think of that rhymed withartwasfart, and that’s not a word you want to throw around when you’re talking to a legendary sage-poet.
“So, my friends, tell me: Do we have a deal?” asked Valmiki. “A nod is a sufficient way to seal. I will come and claim my payment one day. Until then, Pandavas, go forth and slay.”
Aru grinned, nodding so fast she thought her head might fall off. Mini, as usual, was more thoughtful. She watched Valmiki for a long while before finally nodding.
Valmiki smiled. “This rhyme won’t save your life, which is a light, but it will surely hide you both from sight. Say it once; be sure not to miss a beat, or you will risk becoming monster meat. Now repeat after me, little heroes, for I’d rather you not become zeroes….”
Mini and Aru leaned closer.
“Don’t look, don’t see, there’s no such thing as me,” said Valmiki.
The words wound through Aru, powerful enough that she imagined she could see them floating around her.
Before they could thank Valmiki, he sank back into the anthill and it closed up around him.
“Now that you have the mantra,” said Boo, “let’s try again to reach the second key’s location. The Sleeper shouldn’t be able to find you this time.”
Shouldn’t, but notwon’t.
Aru steeled herself, and she and Mini spoke the words aloud. “Don’t look, don’t see, there’s no such thing as me.”
Up to now, Aru had never given much thought to how a word or sentence might taste. Sometimes when she said something mean, there was a bitter aftertaste. But when she spoke Valmiki’s mantra, shefeltmagic on her tongue, like fizzing Pop Rocks candy.
The last thing Aru saw before she touched the second key symbol on her mehndi map were some new words on the boulder. The poetry ants had spelled out what looked to be the very bad first draft of an epic poem (then again, all first drafts are miserable):
IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT
WHEN GIRLS WITH PIGEON DID TAKE FLIGHT
TO STOP THE SLEEPER IN HIS QUEST
TO WAKE LORD SHIVA FROM HIS REST
