Asiri's Quest: The exciting sequel to Mythil's Secret

By Prashani Rambukwella

Mythil must put aside his problems with a school bully when his secret friend Asiri suddenly regains a part of his memory. But is Asiri's fantastic story from wartime Ceylon a figment of Mythil's imagination or did it really happen? Can Mythil use what he has learned on Asiri's Quest to overcome his problems at school? Join Mythil and Asiri on a spine-chilling, time-travelling adventure!

• Language: English
• Publisher: We Green Solutions
• Release date: Feb 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9789810985240

Book preview

A challenge for Mythil

PRESENT TIME. COLOMBO

What turns people into bullies? – Mythil wondered as he watched his lunch box fall, scattering rice, dhal and mallung onto the floor and under the nearby desks of his classmates.

Hey! Clumsy, clot! a voice sneered at his elbow. Snap to it. Clean up that mess right now. Just two minutes to the bell. You’re going to catch it if Miss Marikkar comes and sees this rubbish you have put on the floor.

Mythil glared. You bumped into me on purpose, Jehan! he said. But Jehan was very popular in class and although he was angry Mythil was afraid to antagonise the boy too much.

What! Me? Jehan said in mock surprise. I’m the class monitor! It’s my job to make sure you don’t mess up the class with your clumsiness. Why would I bump into you on purpose?

He looked around for support and Mythil’s heart sank. This was what he had been afraid of – that Jehan would get the others involved in the bullying.

Look at what Mythil is saying, Jehan laughed loud and a few of the boys turned towards him with interest. He’s saying that I made him drop his lunch! Blundering elephant can’t even own up when he’s clumsy.

One or two of the others sniggered. Seething with anger, Mythil hurried to sweep up the mess. The bell that signalled the end of the interval rang. Mythil quickly tore out a middle page from his exercise book and swept the remains of his lunch onto it.

Too late! Jehan chortled in delight and Mythil looked up to see his strict class teacher sweep into the room. She gave Mythil a withering look as he emptied the dirt into the bin.

Coconut refuse is a lot better than rice to clean the floor with, she said sarcastically. The boys laughed – Jehan loudest. Miss Marikkar looked around sternly.

That will do, she said, and the class fell silent but Jehan turned round and grinned triumphantly at Mythil.

In your face – loser! he mouthed at him and turned back before Mythil could say anything.

Even now, hours later, Mythil couldn’t think of a good retort for Jehan. He sighed. He was having extra lessons in Maths with his mother’s regular tuition class but his thoughts kept turning to the bully in school. Jehan kept picking on Mythil and another boy in the class every chance he got and Mythil was getting fed up. He sighed and scowled at the work set before him.

Ammi had given her class 15 minutes to finish some sums and then gone out to buy vegetables from a vendor who had come to the gate. Mythil could hear their conversation through the open window. It sounded like the vegetable vendor was trying to bully Ammi, but Mythil knew that Ammi wouldn’t stand for that.

That’s not 500 grams! Ammi was saying. Your scales must be broken.

Aney nona – all your neighbours buy from me and they don’t have a problem with the weights, the young vegetable vendor was saying in a wheedling tone. Shall I ask them? Look that nona there bought kankung from me just yesterday. She doesn’t have a problem…

Why should you ask anyone? Ammi cut him off before he could call her neighbour. I’ll bring my own scales and show you that that can’t be 500 grams. Mythil’s mother stalked into the pantry and out again with her weighing scales.

Now where’s that boy gone to! Mythil heard her exclaim. I knew those scales were rigged, the little rascal! Ammi said coming back inside. Mythil grinned to himself. Yes, his mother was one tough lady. That was the way to handle a bully.

Five minutes more children, Ammi told her class as she went into the pantry again.

Mythil glanced around at the others. Amitha, who was very studious, worked quickly and efficiently. Saheed, who never said a word, kept his head down and dawdled. Asha and Anusha - the twins, were secretly reading a newspaper and giggling quietly together. Next to Asha sat Harith – easily a foot taller and wider than any of them.

There’s another bully, said a voice in his head and Mythil nodded absently as he pulled out his penknife to sharpen the tip of his pencil. He glanced at Asiri who had just floated downstairs and now stood beside Harith. Asiri was a yaka – a nature spirit – and Mythil’s best friend. No one but Mythil could see him. And because they were best friends they shared a mind link that allowed them to communicate telepathically.

Look at him, thinking he’s so important! Asiri jeered, pulling a single hair off Harith’s head. Harith scratched his head but didn’t look up.

No one liked Harith. He did as he pleased and since he was so much bigger than anyone else his age he usually got away with it too. He had no father and his mother worked overseas and sent him plenty of pocket money. He and his younger sister lived on Mythil’s road with their very strict grandmother but Harith boasted about how he could always skip school when he wanted to and go to the cinema to watch films that children weren’t allowed to see. Or how he would just get on a bus and go to the end of its destination just to see new places – all on his own.

Yeah, but like Jehan, Harith is such a bully that I’m sure no one really likes him, Mythil told Asiri. I bet everyone thinks he’s a horrible show-off even though no one would dare to say it to his face.

I would! Asiri said at once.

You’re invisible. You don’t count. Mythil teased his friend.

Huh! Asiri said, making a face at Mythil and grinning.

Mythil closed his penknife carefully and frowned over his sums. I wish I could be invisible like you, Asiri, he said. Then I wouldn’t need to go to school or do horrible sums like these, he said.

Yeah, we yakas do have our privileges, Asiri grinned. Right then he was lounging on the cabinet flicking imaginary stones at the children with his catapult. He looked like a cross between a boy and a thin little bear with big bulgy eyes, tangled hair, a snout and pointy teeth and claws. Mythil smiled to himself as he remembered how scared he had been the first time he’d seen Asiri.

Mythil’s thoughts were rudely interrupted by Harith. The boy had spotted Saheed's new pencil sticking out of his school bag. It was a two foot long gold-and-green striped beauty with red tassels at the end.

Wow! Cool! he said, pulling it out of Saheed's bag as though unsheathing a sword. I bet if we pulled out the lead in this it would be the longest stick of lead you ever saw! And before anyone could protest he cracked the pencil on the edge of the table and expertly pulled out the lead centre. Look at that! he crowed, oblivious of the stony looks he was getting from around the table.

Poor Saheed looked ready to cry.

You shouldn't take what doesn't belong to you, Amitha ventured piously. She was a child who believed very strongly that everyone should strive to be good.

And you shouldn't concern yourself with other people's business, Miss Nosey, Harith said belligerently. Saheed and I are friends. It’s ok, no Saheed?

He slapped the smaller boy on the back and turned back to admire the long piece of lead. Saheed tucked his chin down and said nothing. Harith took no notice. He pulled out his foot ruler to measure the piece of lead.

Amitha looked pointedly at Mythil and he felt uncomfortable. Just because this is my mother's class doesn't mean I’m the monitor – he thought, running a finger over the dragon carved on the wooden handle of his penknife.

Asiri, why can’t you get off that cabinet and pull Harith's hair again or something? he asked his friend telepathically.

He’ll get what’s coming to him, Asiri replied with a sly smile so Mythil resigned himself to wait.

Mythil’s parent's thought that Asiri was his imaginary friend. They didn’t believe the ancient nature spirits really existed.

But I know that yakas exist – Mythil thought. I know how they can masquerade as humans or stay invisible and pull all kinds of pranks. But Asiri isn't strong enough to do much yet, he thought gloomily. Even the mind link they shared only worked at close quarters now.

When Asiri followed Mythil from the jungle, where they first met, to the city where Mythil lived he had had to turn invisible and swoop after Mythil’s car. Asiri couldn’t have travelled inside the car with Mythil because iron makes yakas very weak. They had travelled through town after town with more and more iron vehicles on the road and by the time they got to Colombo, Asiri was so weak that he could barely talk. Neither Mythil nor Asiri knew how long it would take him to regain his strength.

Mythil had tried to keep Asiri occupied by teaching him how to read and bringing him exciting books from the library. Mythil found that yakas could understand any spoken language and learn how to read it quite fast.

It had now been six months since Asiri had arrived at Mythil’s home but there seemed little improvement to his strength. He could talk and hover around Mythil in the house or take short night-time flights outside but he couldn’t do many of the great tricks he used to be able to pull off with ease – like changing his appearance to look like a human boy.

But his appearance didn’t really matter. Being invisible was a sort of default setting for yakas. So Asiri remained invisible to everyone but Mythil.

Still, I’m glad he’s around, even without his powers – Mythil thought. With Thaththi working in Hong Kong, it’s just Ammi and me and it can get quite lonely.

Mythil hated that his father was so far away from home.

For instance, at the beginning of that term his class teacher had announced that for Parent’s Day their class had been assigned World War II as a presentation theme. Almost all the other boys were working with their fathers to make model airplanes or ships that were used during the war. Thaththi was great with his hands and if only he had been in Sri Lanka, Mythil knew that they would have been able to make the best plane on display. But now he’d have to do something boring.

You could always make a model airplane with Ammi, Thaththi had said optimistically. Mythil had just sulked and said nothing.

Or we could do something about Sri Lanka’s role during the war, Ammi said. Did you know that the Peradeniya Gardens was the Allied Forces’ South East Asian headquarters? Ammi had done history at university so she knew a lot about Sri Lanka’s past. But Mythil had just pulled a face.

Yeah – Ranga said he was doing a story about the Botanical Gardens and all the other boys laughed at him, Mythil said with a scowl. I guess I’ll have to do something stupid like that, too.

Mythil was angry because that had been one of the times when Jehan, the class monitor, had picked on him.

We have too many model planes and ships already, Jehan had said. You two do some girly stuff. Ranga, you write about the Gardens, and Mythil, maybe you can draw some flowers.

Of course all the other boys in the class howled with laughter at this. Not one of them had stood up for Mythil. He knew he was a bit of a loner and most times he didn’t mind but that day he had wished he’d had a friend to stick by him.

So while Ammi and Thaththi both scolded him for being rude to them about their suggestions for the class project, Mythil just glowered silently.

Just two centimetres shorter than two feet! Harith crowed, interrupting Mythil’s thoughts. Then, Ouch! Harith swore and rubbed his ear, looking for the mosquito that must have stung it.

Mythil smiled. Only he could see that Asiri had been responsible for the sting. Asiri had made a tiny paper bullet and shot it at Harith with his catapult. Mythil cheered up at once, feeling much braver. It was fun to have a friend on your side – especially an invisible one – he thought.

You should put the lead back in the pencil and give it to Saheed, Mythil found himself saying authoritatively.

Harith’s eyes gleamed at this challenge from the usually quiet Mythil. Or what? You’re going to tell your mother? he asked with a scornful little smile.

I won't need to, Mythil said, pretending to continue with his sums. She'll see for herself soon enough and she'll tell your archchi.

Everyone knew what a strict grandmother Harith had. Mythil could hear her yelling at him from three houses down the road.

My, my, isn't our little Mythili-kikili getting brave? Harith said flapping his elbows and clucking like an irate hen for emphasis. The twins looked up from their newspaper and giggled.

Mythil felt his face flushing hot with anger but he couldn’t think of anything smart to say back to the annoying boy. He looked at Asiri for inspiration but the yaka was making rude faces at Harith. Not very helpful – Mythil thought.

You're one to talk, he retorted at last, his voice shaking a little. You're always bullying those who are younger or smaller than you. Yeah, that's very brave! Asiri cheered.

I'm braver than you! Harith retorted. The only reason you're brave is because you can run to your mother and she's the teacher.

Rubbish! Mythil said, even though this was actually partly true.

Most of the other children down their road kept a healthy distance from Harith and his little gang. Only Mythil walked like he didn't care. He and Harith both knew that if Mythil was roughed up or bullied, Harith's grandmother would hear about it and then there would be trouble. The old lady had great respect for teachers, and by extension, their children.

Rubbish ah? Harith asked, leaning across the table. Mythil slipped his penknife into his pocket in case Harith decided to swipe it. Then I dare you to be at Siyambalawatta at midnight. I dare you to go up to the watchman's door and knock on it three times.

Mythil was taken aback by this sudden challenge. The other children around the table gazed at Mythil to see how he would react to this. Siyambalawatta was the name of a large vacant plot of land on their street. It was at a three points cross road and had a dilapidated four-foot wall around it. In the centre of the garden was a huge tamarind tree which gave the garden its name; it was always loaded with ripe brown tamarinds.

But no child dared climb over the wall and pick the fruit because in a back corner of the garden was a rude wooden shack. And anyone who attempted to even peep over the wall was greeted by dire threats from the caretaker who lived inside. He was hardly ever seen during the day, which added to the aura of mystery and horror that surrounded Siyambalawatta.

Pfff! Mythil said rudely. I'll be there. Just make sure you are.

He'd go with Asiri of course, Mythil thought, and even if Asiri was still weak and couldn't do any magic at least he’d be good company and Mythil wouldn’t feel scared or alone.

Oh I'll be there all right, Harith said with a smug grin. This is going to be epic!

Mythil's mother came in then. Saheed's pencil reappeared miraculously in his bag with the lead centre apparently re-affixed. Asha pushed her newspaper to a side, hiding it behind a column of three fat textbooks. Sighing reluctantly at the end of this interesting interlude, the class turned back to its work.

But for Mythil the excitement was not yet over. Asiri, who had been hovering over Asha, suddenly started doing a jig on the cabinet. Mythil looked at him puzzled. Asiri zoomed over to him and whispered urgently: You have to get that newspaper! You have to!

Mythil was perplexed. How am I supposed to do that? he asked telepathically, but Asiri was too busy leaping about the room to listen. So he wrote the words in his exercise book and looked pointedly at the yaka until he stopped to read it.

I don't know – you just have to get it! his friend replied quite fiercely. Mythil rolled his eyes and tried to ignore him but Asiri became more and more agitated, zooming around the room so that it felt like a strange mini-gale was blowing inside. Then, with just five minutes to go before the lesson ended, Asiri managed to sweep the paper off the table. It landed with a sharp slap on the floor.

Ammi looked up from correcting Saheed's book. What's that? she asked seeing the twins’ guilty faces. Asha was already scrabbling to retrieve the newspaper. Let me see it.

Asha handed Ammi the newspaper reluctantly. Ammi glanced at it. Reading newspapers is a good habit, Asha, but this is not the time or the place, she said. As you seem to have extra time on your hands, you can start on the five sums on page 69. Finish them for homework if you run out of time.

Asha and Anusha bent their heads over their books, glaring at Harith. They think he pushed their newspaper off the table – Mythil realised. He smiled smugly to himself. Of course he wasn’t going to tell them who the real culprit was.

But Harith was oblivious to the twins’ angry looks. He was busy drawing an unflattering caricature of Mythil. A speech bubble above the sketch said I’m scared! I want my Ammi! Mythil pretended not to notice. Ammi placed the folded newspaper on a pile of books on the cabinet and continued marking Saheed's book.

Mythil watched Asiri out of the corner of his eye. What was he doing now? He was pulling out one of the pages in the newspaper! Oh no, the books were starting to totter – Mythil realised. Look out – he yelled telepathically, but it was too late. With a crash, the paper and a whole pile of books toppled off the cabinet and landed on the floor. Asiri just had time to whisk one of the pages away and wriggle under the cabinet with it before everyone turned to look at the mess on the floor.

Amitha scraped back her chair and quickly replaced the books and newspaper. Ammi thanked her and asked Mythil for his book. Mythil handed it to her absent-mindedly, trying to