Myth, magic and prophecies—designating one or a group of people, the ‘chosen’, to look for a lost sacred item, stories of battles and marvels, the rise of heroes, magical kingdoms and fantastical creatures—are all perfect ingredients for a quest tale that Linthoi Chanu weaves in her Wayel Kati: The Quest of the Seven Guardians. Resourced from the heart and hills of Manipur, the story revolves around seven guardians ‘chosen’ to retrieve the scissor of justice, the Wayel Kati. None of them know much about the quest except for Laiba, the nine-year-old head priest. Dark creatures, who until now existed only in tales and ancient memories, have begun to invade the human realm. With the world at the brink of collapse, the guardians struggle to find their true selves, their purpose and deliver their one divine task. Will they succeed in their pursuit, or will the journey lead them to another gruelling quest? Crafted beautifully with words and illustrated with vivid imagination, the book delves into the themes of nature worship and environment preservation, as well as human inclination towards magic, myth and fantasy as a means to cope with reality.
