Chapter 5: Freedom

I looked at the tomb and the symbols on it. “I thought we were going to Vishnu’s tomb,” I said.

“Not right now, to release him I think will take more than just you,” Shiva said.

“Why in the hell do you think that? As you remember with Kali, nothing you did helped me to release her. “I really don’t think that any of you are going to be able to aid me. Besides, don’t you need Vishnu in order to right things?” I asked.

“No,” Shiva said. “Now that there are two of us out, I believe that we can handle it. We really need to release Rama, so things will truly balance,” Shiva said.

I looked over at Kali as she rolled her eyes, which in turn caused me to roll mine. A moment later, I heard Kali’s voice in my head. So, I see that you have spent some time with him. I will do the best to keep you further from harm. You understand though that he is far stronger than me.

I sighed as I turned slightly toward her, nodding my head. This, of course, had Shiva staring at both of us, especially me.

“I don’t know exactly what just transpired, plus I am certain that I don’t want to. I am sure that both of you remember how mad I can become,” Shiva said as he stared more intensely for a moment, then dropped the subject. “Alright, I have all the machines that you had before to clear it.”

I started up the rocky way to the almost hidden tomb. Like with Kali’s, I tapped on the rock face. I hit the same spot feeling the hardness. For some strange reason, I thought this was going to be decidedly tougher.

I started to drill, then wasn’t surprised when the bit broke after a few inches. “I need much harder drill bits than this, Shiva,” I said.

A moment later, almost diamond-tipped looking drill bits appeared. I nodded as I started to drill again. This time I got about half a foot before they broke.

I shook my head as I backed off, then I brought the backhoe to the rock face. I started much slower than I had on Kali’s tomb, which seemed to work ‘til the machine seized up after a foot and a half.

I got off the machine and looked at the rock. How in the hell could diamond-tipped bits barely make a dent, and an iron backhoe made a foot and a half? I sat on the bucket of the broken backhoe. Was this really about me? I had to start then back off? Hmmm, I thought this was indeed strange.

I looked down the path not seeing anything or anyone. “Hey Shiva, Kali, the machine is broken, I have a lot of rock to remove. Could one of you stay near in case this happens again?” I asked, not really expecting an answer. I figured I was toast anyway, no matter what they said, I was just a mortal.

I felt a stirring of the wind or air, then they both were there. “Ah, I see you have made some progress,” Shiva said. A wave of his hand and the machine was working again.

“I think that this is harder than Kali’s. I also think it is a lot thicker. This might take a few days. I hope that this doesn’t mess up any of your plans,” I told Shiva, then I noticed that Kali was behind him.

“No, as long as you get him out of there. Though you only have a bit out, I can now, barely feel him,” Shiva said.

“I can slightly feel him, though we still cannot contact him, he knows we are here. Also, I don’t think that he will be as angry,” Kali said.

“I damn sure hope not, dying the last time was far more painful than I thought it would be,” I told them.

“I was far more angry than I thought I would be. I had just started to get most of my memories back when all of us were sealed gain, Kali said.

I just shook my head in disbelief. Did the two of them really expect me to believe that shit? Especially coming from Shiva, he was, after all, if I remembered right, a master of deceit. I didn’t think Kali was deceiving me, though I wasn’t sure.

I looked at both of them, they did look desperate, though as I knew, desperate times ment desperate actions.

Both of them were staring at me. I could see that they knew that I really didn’t believe all they were saying. Kali turned to Shiva, “You really put that much doubt in his mind? It’s a wonder he is willing to do anything for us!”

“But Kali...” Shiva started, as Kali started to hit Shiva with energy bolts and fists.

“But Kali nothing! The only one in the world that can free us and all you can do is piss him off! I should remove myself and not speak to you for a few years,” Kali shouted.

This had Shiva’s face covered in panic. “Hey! That’s not fair, he was a complete horse’s ass when I met him.” Kali looked at Shiva with a total look of disbelief.

Kali waved a hand seeing what had actually happened. I could also see with each passing moment she was growing madder. Finally, she turned a grim face toward Shiva, blowing him across the landscape with a powerful blast.

Kali then turned toward me, her face slightly softening, “I apologize for my mate. I realize why you got so mad though, some of your reactions were harsh.”

I nodded, “I will admit to that, plus there were a few times he actually was agreeable.”

Kali smirked a moment then slightly nodded her head. “I hope that one day, he can become what he once was.”

Less than a minute later, there was a whoosh, then Shiva appeared looking more than a little singed.

Shiva sighed after seeing the look on Kali’s face. “Alright, I admit I was a little of an ass...” Shiva started.

“A little!?” Kali shouted, “honestly, I think you were a complete ass. Really, as I said before, I am surprised he wants anything to do with any of us.”

Shiva’s head dropped a moment, “I will endeavor to do better, mate.”

“I hope so, I, for one, am very grateful that he was here. The first time was bad enough, this second time was almost maddening,” Kali said.

Shiva nodded his head, then turned to me. “I apologize for what has transpired before now. I have only the excuse that I was trying to free Kali.”

Mine and Kali’s face held shock, “perhaps what I was hoping for is coming to pass,” Kali whispered to me.

I only nodded my head, really afraid to say much as I was only human.

I then shrugged, moving back to the digging equipment. I spent almost the rest of the day digging, breaking the rock and the machines. The sun was starting to set when I hit ten feet. I shut it down, leaning back in the seat. This had been far harder than Kali’s tomb.

Kali and Shiva appeared next to the digger, “ah! He can now hear us. Unfortunately, the sound is still muffled, he can barely feel any of his power,” Shiva said.

“So, he is close but still a good distance off. It is good that he will be free soon. Tomorrow should be a good day. At least we will have three of us to balance everything,” Kali said.

Shiva turned to look at Kali, “It will help some, though without Vishnu, it will still be difficult. With you here, things are a little easier for me. Vishnu will be a great help.”

Kali nodded as she looked closely at Shiva, then nodded. She could see the tension on him. She knew she had helped, though only on one aspect.

I nodded, too damn tired to go with or against them. A moment later, I was sitting within the tent, a large array of food before me.

I looked at the two of them, then slightly smiled, nodding. The only problem I had was, I basically passed out in my food.

I awoke the next morning wrapped in warm blankets, staving off the dessert cold. A moment later, both Kali and Shiva appeared at the opening of the tent. “I take it, you had a good rest?” Shiva asked.

I shook my head to clear it, then nodded, “not that bad. I thank who ever gave me the blankets. I forgot the desert could be cold at night.”

“That would be me,” I heard Kali’s voice behind Shiva. “I am afraid that he doesn’t really think of things like that. Though to be fair, he does have quite a bit of pressure on him. To keep this realm as it should be, takes a great deal of power.”

I nodded in agreement, I could only imagine just what all Shiva had, had to do.

“Is the release of Rama really going to help ease things?” I asked.

“Not everything per se, though it will allay one aspect of holding everything as it should be. In the grand scheme of things, two fewer things to watch isn’t that much,” Shiva said, a little of the tension clear on his face.

I just nodded my head as I climbed back on the machine starting again to dig. I jumped off an hour later when the machine broke down again. I grabbed a pick ax wacking away at the rock face. Once again, I noticed that the rocks fell away like loose earth.

I assumed I was about twelve or thirteen feet in when I had to stop. Shit, this was a lot harder than I thought, though I seemed to be going faster.

I felt that I was almost through as I sat up in the cab of the machine. Then again, I was at thirteen feet, which was three feet more than Kali. If this kept up, I was going to be digging a long time.

I rested an hour, then got up starting to sling the pickax as hard as I could. Damn it, I was tired as hell, I really wanted to be done with this.

For the next few hours, I tried to lay waste to the rock face before me. I was almost fifteen when I started to tense up. I just knew when I released Rama, it was going to be a repeat of what happened with Kali.

Sure enough, as soon as I broke through, there was a blue rush out of the hole. I then felt the familiar burning and dissolving of my body. The only thing I noticed was that it was a lot slower, not nearly as painful.

I saw both Shiva and Kali appear a few minutes later, though I went unnoticed, but all but Kali. She had a look of complete astonishment on her face. She had started toward me the word how, on her lips. I shook my head no as she then moved away.

A few minutes later, I was gone again, watching as everything faded. Again, I didn’t know just how long I was gone before I was suddenly whole again.

I looked at Shiva almost completely losing my temper. “You did it again!” I shouted, “you said that this wasn’t going to happen again, yet the pain and shame is again on me. Perhaps I should have both of them do the same to you, so you can see what it’s like! You know what!? I’m done!” I started to walk away at a very rapid rate, something else I didn’t notice due to my anger.