Read Rain (The Quest Trilogy-Book Two) for Free Online

helplessly at the old man, who came at once to Rain’s rescue. Taking the bowl from Rain’s hands he tilted his head back and dumped all the contents of the bowl into Rain’s parched mouth in a single go.
    “There… now doesn’t that make you feel better already?” he rasped.
    Rain coughed and spluttered, but before he could say anything, the old man was pushing another bowl towards his limp hands.
    “Drink up, my boy, drink up.” he urged merrily. “Would you like me to feed you this bowl as well?”
    Rain shook his head vigorously. The old man smiled encouragingly and placed the bowl in Rain’s numb hands. Rain curved his fingers around the warm bowl carefully and slowly lifted the bowl to his lips. He drank the second bowl in tiny sips, not wanting to choke on his meal again and not really being able to taste anything through his bitter mouth.
     
    When he had finished his bowl of soup he was both, looking and feeling, much better. Looking up, Rain extended his hand for the bowl to be refilled again, but the old man was nowhere in sight. Instead, his Geeya floated into view.
    “How are you feeling now, Rain?” she inquired softly.
    “Much better, thank-you.” said Rain, smiling a wobbly smile. “Where am I? What happened to me? How did I get here? Tell me everything.” demanded Rain.
    She smiled and sat down beside him.
    “Your wounds were terrible, and your condition was only worsening. I was wondering if our journey was going to end before it even had the chance to begin when suddenly, he appeared out of nowhere…” said his Geeya, indicating the spot where the old man had just been.
    “Who is he?” interrupted Rain.
    “He is Subodh, the Senile Sadhu.”
    “The what?!” laughed Rain, despite himself. He winced lightly, though it was more of a reflex to expected pain rather an actual pain causing it. In fact, he felt no pain now, just a pleasant numbness all over his body.
    “Oh, he is an old healer who roams the forest.” said his Geeya. “Found you at the right time, too. When you were mere hours away from death. Since your wounds were festering badly, he needed to get you to this hut, where he had medicines prepared. But you were too big for him to lift or drag … ” she trailed off.
    Rain realized she wasn’t going to say more and this piqued his curiosity. “So? What did he do then?”
    “He didn’t do anything. I carried you.”
    “You what …!” said Rain in disbelief, not daring to believe his ears.
    “Don’t look so surprised, it’s possible. A Geeya protects her sequestor when he is not on a Quest.”
    Rain didn’t know how he should feel about being carried by a ‘laydee’ , so he moved on to other questions.
    “I don’t understand. I am not currently on a Quest?”
    “No. You are in Quniverse, on your journey to complete your Quest. But currently, you are not actively engaged in one of your mini-Quests.”
    “Okay, I get that … And my backpack?”
    “It’s here.”
    “Did you carry that, too?” asked Rain, looking down at the floor.
    “No, Subodh dragged it here.”
    Rain sighed in relief.
    “But how are we on a beach now? We were in a forest …”
    “I told you earlier, Quniverse is everything within everything. Mountians, valleys, forests, beaches … Subodh led the way and I followed.”
    “How could he see you?”
    “He couldn’t see me. But he knew I was there because of the Geeya mark on your wrist. He is not only aware of sequestors but as a healer, he heals badly injured ones regularly. He instructed me on what to do, and I did as I was told.”
    “I …” began Rain and then shook his head as if to clear it. “Oh what does it matter? Thank you for saving my life.”
    “You are welcome. You should thank Subodh, though. He’s the one who’s been looking after you all this while.”
    “How long have I been out?”
    “Three days now.”
    “Three! Oh darn! …” he groaned. He remembered something important that he had been meaning to ask