Aru Shah and the City of Gold - Roshani Chokshi Page 0,115
Aiden’s hands.
Mini smiled. She reached out to stroke his head, then yelped and blew on her burned finger. “I guess we can worry about it later.”
“Speaking of later,” said Aru, “there’s something we need to do.”
She pulled out the IO(F)U from Agni, then told them about what her mom had learned and Sheela’s prophecy. Brynne’s eyebrows shot up her forehead. Mini stared at the ticket, her mouth wide open.
“So…maybe we can get the weapons back?” asked Mini.
“I don’t know for sure,” said Aru. “But we only have ten days until the full moon, when the Sleeper and Kara can open the labyrinth. It’s our only chance.”
“Do you know how to find Agni?” asked Brynne.
“Nope.”
“Do we have a backup plan?” asked Mini.
“Nope.”
“Do we have…any plan?” asked Aiden.
“Nope,” said Aru. “So, you with me, or no?”
“Yes, obviously,” said Mini immediately.
Aru’s heart lifted, and she grinned. “If you’re really with me, you have to say the thing.”
“Seriously, Aru?” sighed Brynne.
“Um, yeah,” said Aru, crossing her arms. “Plus, I’m calling today an extension of my birthday. Deal. This is it, Potatoes. This is the last battle. So yeah, I want to hear you say the thing.”
Mini took a deep breath. Then she sighed and said in her best Aragorn impression, “If by my life or death I can protect you, I will….”
Mini looked pointedly at Aiden.
“You have my sword,” said Aiden.
Mini whispered to Rudy: “Say ‘And you have my bow.’”
“But I don’t have a bow?” whispered Rudy.
“Just say it. You know how Aru feels about Lord of the Rings.”
“Can I have a bow after this?” asked Rudy. “No one else has one. I want my own weapon—”
“YES, Rudy, we will get you a bow,” said Aiden. “Now just say the line.”
“And you have my bow,” said Rudy smugly.
The Potatoes turned to Brynne, who scowled.
“Why am I always Gimli in this scenario? I’m literally the tallest person here—”
Mini elbowed her.
“Ugh,” said Brynne. “And my ax.”
Boo sleepily lifted his head, adding, Cheep.
Aru smiled. It was kinda like what Kara had said days ago, when she was talking about that poem. Hope was the thing with feathers. It lifted the part of her that had been stomped in the dirt. Hope made her look out the window to the sun rising higher in the sky. Hope might be all that they had left, but it was something she needed to cling to, because it meant that even though things were awful…
They were far from over.
MWA-HA-HA. I’VE LURED YOU HERE AGAIN. YAY ME! So, you know the drill by now, but indulge me anyway…. This glossary is by no means exhaustive or encapsulating of all the nuances of mythology. India is GINORMOUS, and these myths and legends vary from state to state. What you read here is merely a slice of what I understand from the stories I was told and the research I conducted. The wonderful thing about mythology is that its arms are wide enough to embrace many traditions from many regions. My hope is that this glossary gives you context for Aru’s world, and perhaps nudges you to do some research of your own.
Agni (UHG-nee) The Hindu god of fire.
Airavata (AY-rah-vat-uh) A white elephant! And no, not the terrible Christmas tradition where someone steals the present you were secretly excited about because they’re actual Grinches. Airavata is said to be the king of the elephants, and he spends his time joyously knitting clouds. He supposedly arose out of the churning of the Ocean of Milk.
Amaravati (uh-MAR-uh-vah-tee) So, I have suffered the great misfortune of never being invited to/having visited this legendary city, but I hear it’s, like, amazing. It has to be, considering it’s the place where Lord Indra lives. It’s overflowing with gold palaces and has celestial gardens full of a thousand marvels. I wonder what the flowers would smell like there. I imagine they smell like birthday cake, because it’s basically heaven.
Ammamma (UH-muh-mah) Grandmother in Telugu, one of the many languages spoken in India, most commonly in the southern area.
Amrita (am-REE-tuh) The immortal drink of the gods. According to the legends, Sage Durvasa once cursed the gods to lose their immortality. To get it back, they had to churn the celestial Ocean of Milk. But in order to accomplish this feat, they had to seek assistance from the asuras, another semidivine race of beings who were constantly at war with the devas. In return for their help, the asuras demanded that the devas share a taste of the amrita. Which, you know, fair.