ã€ŠIncandescentsã€‹


 Book 1: Prologue

    Thunderous booms accompanied by the noise of clashing blades filled the night. The putrid scent of blood wafted through the halls like an omen of doom, gusts of wind dispersing the iron laden scent. A battle raged within a once pristine palace, the source of the artificial wind, the noise and the scent of blood.

    A red knight tore through his enemies like a demon bathed in blood. Belying his appearance, his skill with the two handed sword he wielded was far from that of a battle crazed berserker - his bladework skillfully serene to a transcendental degree. He danced across the battlefield forced upon him, his form akin to ripples upon the surface of a tranquil lake.

    Knights of great renown frustrated themselves trying to take this demon down. They knew who they were up against, but never did they expect the difference between this foremost of knights and themselves to be so vast. The truth they all were forced to acknowledge by cold experience proved very bitter. There appeared to be nothing they could do against this man besides hindering his speed of flight, not without his peers all being away for one reason or another.

    The current situation was worsened by the fact that amongst those who were perhaps capable of stopping this man, one was actually backing him up rather than standing against him. His peer in position, the foremost knight of the lance stood by the red knight¡¯s side, guarding a lady behind him.

    The knight bearing a beautiful, deep red blade carved a path ahead and away from the palace. The knight behind him with what was perhaps one of the most dangerous lances in existence escorted the lady through the gap the other made. The synergy was flawless, the execution absolutely precise. The red knight knew - no one in this group of opposing knights would be capable of stopping him.

    Another knight rushed into the battle zone and stepped up before him brandishing a sword bubbling with poisonous purple. The chaos intensified within the spectral crystallization, ready to be unleashed at any moment.

    The red knight responded in kind, raising his own sword saturated with power.

    Gwenwyn

    Secace

    Turbulent deep purple light charged towards the red knight and was met with an extended wave of rippling deep red. Where the purple light was bubbling over like water boiling within a kettle, the red simply rippled like the unquiet surface of a bloody lake. The deadlock lasted not more than a second as the red wave cut through its opposition into the purple knights¡¯ armor. The defence of the armor proved absolutely worthless against the tidal red wave of power.

    Another knight thus fell.

    ¡°Come,¡± a serene voice intoned, the red knight rushing ahead towards the archway beyond which freedom awaited.

    The knight of the lance dismissed his weapon and picked up the lady delicately. Just as he began rushing after the red knight, the latter halted. The lance knight scrambled to a stop in order to look at the reason his greatest friend had stopped.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    A black knight stood silently by the arch. Though this adversary was silent, the two knights could feel animosity pouring off in waves from the aforementioned knight.

    Still silent, the black knight materialized a red hilted greatsword. Black visage, white fang - that was the image the knight induced as the knight coiled like a beast about to pounce.

    In response, the demeanor of the red knight also changed. He was now a great lake - the depths churning water at glacial speed, ready to burst into life and energy as sudden violent currents, while the surface grew absolutely still without even a single disturbance - a mirror of the starry night. A young dragon and a beloved of the lake stood facing each other like dragon and dragonslayer.

    The lady who had remained silent throughout watched the two with bated breath and troubled gaze as she was set down by the lance knight. He stepped in front of her as he took in the situation. From behind them the other knights started closing in rapidly. The lady blinked, and madness broke its leash.

    The black and the red knight all but disappeared and reappeared from sight with their blades clashing against each other. The other knights once again found themselves frustrated as they had to face the might of a weapon greater than even the one wielded by the red knight. The chaos threatened to consume the lady and the palace as it grew in intensity.

    The first few clashes between the two titanic forces were quite evenly matched. Minutes ticked by in a frenzy of steel and force. But soon the even scales of the battle started tipping ever so slightly with the passage of time. The lance knight started gradually getting overwhelmed due to greater numbers and his status as a defender. The red knight at the same time slowly yet surely was overwhelming the black by virtue of greater skills.

    Finally the lady who had been nothing but a spectator this entire time herself got into action. Turning away from the lance knight, she raised her hand up towards where the black and the red knight were clashing.

    ¡°Back!¡± her shout cleaved through the battle like the thunderous peal of a massive bell.

    The red knight pirouetted back, keeping his back turned towards the lady; the outstretched hand of the lady flashed with a brilliant light.

    The black knight was disoriented by the flash just for a fraction of a second, but that was enough for the red knight to take advantage of. His red sword punched through the gap in the armor plates, through enchanted fabric and chain-links. Blood immediately gushed out from the fresh wound on the knight carapaced within. With another swift well-aimed kick the black knight was thrown away towards the depths of the palace.

    Without wasting a single moment the red knight scooped up the lady in his arms and leapt away towards the lower citadel down below. The red knight himself now blew away his own adversaries in a show of strength and skill, then paused to address them.

    ¡°It seems this is my cue to retreat. Honorable knights! I am honored to have been a knight together with every one of you. I wish circumstances had not driven us apart like this. Tell my king - for what it is worth, I am sorry and will exile myself for repentance!¡±

    The lance knight thus spoke and leapt down tracing the same path as the two before him. At the same time an enraged roar tore out from deeper within the palace.

    The lance knight did not look back after he hit the ground. He started sprinting in the direction he could see the red knight moving ahead of himself. Just a second later a knight in dazzling silver armor shot past him and leapt up towards the palace.

    Neither looked at the other, content to run towards their own destination. From this moment onwards everyone had their different path to walk.

 Book 1: Chapter 1

    Steam arose from patches of snow covering brown grass. The cold was retreating one step at a time under the harsh scrutiny of the winter sun. Squirrels peeped out from their miniscule dens, testing the energetic morning with equal vigour. They could smell spring walking lazily towards this land.

    Not many a moment later they turned their twitching noses higher up and tensed. In the distance there was the sound of crunching snow, and these furry little animals immediately retreated back into their holes.

    Two riders lazily traversed through the snowy land. A girl with wavy blonde hair was accompanied by a fair young man, each astride upon a mount of their choice. They rode in silence; their mounts advanced in a lazy trot.

    The young man looked at everything around him with an expression of wonder. Though his poise upon his white bay was relaxed, his eyes sparkled with life and amazement not much unlike the squirrels he and his companion had scared away a few moments ago. He inhaled long and deep, relishing the fresh cold smell of the moisture laden morning air. A smile graced his lips - a smile so carefree and joyous it made his pretty face light up like a child no more than ten. He was absolutely lost in the beauty of the moment.

    ¡°When do you think we will be reaching that tournament?¡±

    The girl''s voice cut through the relative silence and the tranquility of the young man. She was looking straight ahead with a thoughtful expression clouding her brows.

    The young man pulled back his horse a bit, turning to look at his companion.

    ¡°I don''t know. Maybe two days¡¯ ride from here?¡± he replied.

    The girl hummed in contemplation. She did not say anything else, not even turning to look at her companion.

    The young man''s face took upon a sour quality, visibly peeved at her all too serious response. He leaned over the side of his bay and reached into the space of her black mare with his outstretched arm, then lightly slapped her upon her head. The girl finally turned to look at him, annoyance written clear all over her face, to which the young man responded by sticking out his tongue like a child would and then pulled ahead of her in a canter, laughing all the while.

    ¡°Leonard!¡± the young lady sighed out. She looked at his taunting form for a moment, and then raced after him in a gallop!

    The girl chased her companion over the slopes of the snowy hills for quite a while. In their wake joyous laughter followed, as did the evacuation of all little animals from their path.

    Hercompanion, the young man apparently named Leonard, led her zigzagging around the hillside. Even though their chase seemed erratic, they never really strayed too far off the road which led towards their destination.

    Leonard slowed down a while later and the girl caught up to him with her mare. She punched the boy, who was grinning like a loon, and the two shared a little laugh.

    ¡°Idiot¡± she said, smiling all the while.

    ¡°You too, Mary!¡± Leonard shot back.

    They turned their attention back to the road and started moving once more in a leisurely pace, the silence between them now much more joyous.

    They travelled for a couple of hours without meeting a single traveller, passing through the landscape in peace and relative solitude. But as the sun began its descent into the second quarter of the day, the two travellers saw another figure in the distance, thwarting their solitary camaraderie. A young man perhaps around their own age was striding downhill, and he immediately commanded the attention of both travellers.

    What was so singular about this young man was that even from that distance, he appeared to be not quite human; the best way to describe that inhuman aura would be ¡®radiant¡¯. His long hair was as white and brilliant as fresh snow, his bare torso covered with intricate golden tattoos, all of which seemed to originate from a blood-red stone set upon his bare chest.

    As Leonard and Marian, or Mary, as Leonard called her, moved closer towards the lone wanderer, they noticed more of his features. He was pretty well built and toned, and he did nothing to hide that. His pale skin, though not quite as fair as Leonard''s or Marian''s, was utterly unblemished aside from his tattoos. The stone which appeared to be the origin of the tattoos strangely enough looked as if it was embedded into his flesh. It pulsated with a veiny golden light, exuding a feeling of being alive - like a n uncut ruby heart beating with golden veins, arteries and blood. His eyes were of a brilliant golden hue, his lower eyelids being lined with what looked like natural dyes of red, impossibly similar to the tattoos visible upon his torso and arms. But the most interesting phenomena was that the air around him felt warmer for some reason.

    For Leonard, who looked at life with wonder sparkling in his eyes, this man was much too interesting to pass by without even a single conversation.

    ¡°Hello there, fellow wanderer! May I ask you where you¡¯re off to? If we have our destination in the same direction, maybe we could travel together? What do you say?¡±

    The stranger on being stopped to be interrogated with an exceptionally friendly jest merely looked at Leonard and huffed. It appeared to Leonard that the man in front of him had a resigned expression after he had asked his questions.

    The stranger relented though, responding to his questions after a moment''s pause.

    ¡°Hello, friend. I am travelling towards Agneya city,¡± the stranger replied in a velvety voice that would best be described as alcoholic. ¡°Have you heard of the tournament they are having there? The tournament of martial skills? That tournament is where I''m travelling to. I believe you''ll be travelling there too? If it be so, then wecan travel together. As it appears to me that you probably wish to travel together, I can surely fulfill this wish of yours.¡±

    Leonard beamed at the traveller in return.

    ¡°Great! So what do I call you now?¡±

    The odd traveller turned to Leonard, then with a serene smile that betrayed the crimson linings upon his eyes, which turned down like tears at the far corners, he replied -

    ¡°I am called Karma!¡±

    <hr>

    Night had fallen upon the camp of three. A cheerful tune wafted across the camp; a fire danced along merrily keeping time with the delightful melody. The scent of wood on fire waltzed through the air cleverly masking the fainter scent of spices and meat, but with every passing moment the subtler of the two gradually gained upper hand on the former.

    Marian walked around the camp, alternating her attention between Leonard and Karma. Leonard was singing a song that reminded her of her homeland - a familiar tune from the hills of a country far away, a lute strumming out some melody guided by expert hands.

    Karma, on the other hand, was busy steaming some meat over the fire. A while ago he had finished preparing some rice before starting with the meat. He had long since conjured utensils, meat, spices and quite a bit more of food-related utilities seemingly out of thin air, but Marian knew better. He was utilising space pockets, which she took for granted as he did appear to be quite a powerful fellow.

    Leonard had been the one who had set the camp up for the evening as Marian was gathering some firewood to light a fire. She had finished her job almost at the same time as Leonard had, but no sooner had Leonard been done with his quota of work did he sit down to tune his instrument. In a short while he was done with the adjustments and subsequently started playing his instrument while singing along. Marian really appreciated his actions - he was really a good musician and had an amazing voice, and that was without even taking account of his singing skills which, in her opinion, were top notch! In fact, it looked like Karma really loved the general atmosphere Leonard had invoked as well!

    Earlier during the day, Karma had slowly but steadily started bonding with them. At first Karma seemed reluctant to join them on horseback. Only after Marian had offered him her own steed did he finally accept it. Marian had then shifted to Leonard''s horse, but she insisted on taking hold of the reins.

    Karma seemed terribly cautious and formal even then. It took hours of babbling on Leonard''s part to get him to relax a bit. Once he did relax, he revealed himself to be quite a passionate character, though his quirk lay in the fact that he was quiet by nature despite being passionate and could not dispose of his formality. To Leonard, it was quite a strange thing to witness. He never thought a person could be genuine and formal at the same time.

    They had ridden together for more than a dozen mile that day before the sun had started to dip below the horizon. At that moment Karma had broken off all conversation and had lowered his head, as if he was showing respect and appreciation towards the sun. After that they decided to set their camp at the nearest possible spot, which was not far off.

    They had made camp at a spacious flat outcropping on the hillside which was lined by pines at the edge and littered by huge boulders towards the hill-face. Nothing but tawny grass and some bushes lay in between the two looming borders.

    Presently, the smell of food overwhelmed the camp.

    Karma looked satisfied with his handiwork, and even Leonard ceased singing. He put away his lute and began walking towards the fire in order to look at the meat being cooked. Right before he could reach, Karma''s voice rang out loud across the camp.

    ¡°Marian, Leonard! Come, food is ready!¡±

    Leonard reached a moment later and peered into the array of pots, bowls and plates with barely restrained interest.

    ¡°Mmmm! It looks so good! What do we have here? Ah! So rice it is. And what is this? Meat cooked in the hollow of a bamboo?! I''ve never seen anything quite like this before! Hey! This is a curry of¡­.eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes¡­.and what are the rest even?! It looks so spicy!¡±

    Karma smiled at Leonard''s outburst, pleased that his cooking was so appreciated.

    From the beginning, he found them quite fascinating. He was on his way towards Agneya meaning to participate in the martial art tournament being held there when he met these two people.

    People who usually meet him for the first time are quite taken aback owing to his strange appearance. He knew that all too well. Marks of interweaving gold flowed across his body in intricate designs - an ''armor¡¯ that he possessed ever since his birth. He also had a pair of very unique earrings fused to his ears from his birth, but he kept them hidden by his long hair. Finally, there was his impossibly strange heart. A heart which seemed like a crimson stone aglow. A heart that breached out of the depths of his body and peeped out at the world from the centre of his chest. Indeed, like his guru had said, he had too big a heart. But at the same time, it was also the strongest part of his body, of his ¡®armor¡¯.

    But the way these two looked at him was nothing akin to what Karma was used to. They looked at his not with alarm or even cautiousness, but rather with curiosity. As if his appearance was no reason to be startled. It was then and there that he knew there was more to these two than meets the eye. Just as it was apparent that he was no ordinary person, it was apparent to him as well that they were not ordinary travellers they wished to pass themselves off as. Yet they were trying their best to hide that fact. Their sharp gaze, their fluid control, their well hidden physique, their powerful nonchalance and minute alertness - all of it pointed in the direction of Karma''s conclusion.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.Karma had deliberated on that and ended up with the conjecture that they were powerful foreigners who were threatened by something or someone, hence they were intent on moving around anonymously while at the same time looking for companions on their way.

    Karma shook off the inertia of thoughts and looked at the two near drooling companions of his. They must not have had good food during their journey.

    Karma stood up, then spread out the food on the bowls and plates for the three of them. Steaming rice, curry and meat sat upon nine bowls and plates, three for each, in front of them in a moment''s time.

    ¡°Do enjoy the food!¡±

    Karma smiled at the two sitting opposite to him and watched them intently. He was hoping to see their reaction to what he had cooked. It was always a good feeling to see someone smile or be happy about something given to them out of nothing but goodwill and care.

    The three of them muttered their respective prayers before starting to eat. Karma ate slowly and easily, unlike Marian and Leonard. The foreign duo dug into the food with noises of appreciation and joy. Between the mouthfuls, they asked different questions to satiate their appetite of curiosity as well.

    ¡°This is so good! What kind of rice is this? It is so fragrant!¡±

    ¡°What is this cheese like substance? Definitely a dairy product! It is so different from what I am used to!¡±

    ¡°Hey, can you teach me how to cook like this? I am willing to pay any price! Or better yet, will you consider joining us on our travels beyond the tournament?¡±

    Karma answered all of the questions with patient amusement.

    Their supper continued in this manner and came to a satisfactory end for everyone. Karma insisted on washing the dishes, so the foreign pair sat contented by the fire in the cold.

    It began snowing lightly.

    "Hey Karma! Say, where do you come from?¡± Leonard spoke up without turning his gaze away from the fire, ¡°I mean, we did talk quite a bit during the day, but that was mostly me talking about Mary and myself, and you simply gave your input, your assent or dissent. You never did talk much about yourself, did you?¡±

    Karma finished washing the last pot and dismissed the utensil like all others, making it seemingly vanish into thin air.

    ¡°Well,¡± he began, ¡°I was born in the mountains - this same range, but quite far off towards the east, raised there by my mother. She had always lived alone amidst the lap of nature.¡±

    Karma smiled, looking up towards the clouded sky, eyes unfocused and nostalgic, as though he could peer through the curtain of clouds and see the past engraved upon the distant stars. He felt as if the night was weaving some magic upon him. He could not stop the words from spilling forth.

    ¡°She was always with me through much of my childhood. She taught me all that I know. She taught me how to gather food, how to live in harmony with nature, how to love and accept everything life gives, about the value of life - so many things she taught me!¡±

    Karma sighed and walked towards the fire, as if feeling the cold of the night for the first time.

    ¡°But she was kind. She never taught me how to be strong in body. She said I was already strong enough, it was my spirit which I needed to strengthen if I wanted to really be strong in life. But that didn''t help. When she died one day suddenly, I could not do anything. I know she taught me to accept what I''m given in life, but I could not accept that.

    After that, I went travelling. Trying to find strong people to teach me. But no one would accept one such as me. Because I was without a cast. Then I learnt about society and its rules. I was forced to learn quickly about how caste determined everything in this world of human beings. And I understood the meaning of my name. Karma. Deed.

    But this world was not ready to accept an outcast. I was lower than even the lowest being of the lowest caste because I had no cast. I did not belong.¡±

    Leonard looked perturbed at the sudden burst of emotions accompanied by a sudden story from a man who was usually much more silent. But he understood at the same time. This was the unleashed passion of a man who had always been on the observing end of the spectrum. With nowhere to belong, he could only observe, never express. Now that he was finally opening up, the gate holding back his emotions and his passions burst apart.

    Karma continued his tale.

    ¡°Soon, I heard of an immensely strong man who only took in people who were from the scholarly cast. So I began studying. All my time before this had been spent in watching students learn the different martial arts from afar and practicing on my own when I could. I applied all my practice to sneaking into libraries, stealing tomes and scrolls to read. It did not matter then, for I was already in the habit of stealing for the sake of filling my belly. Once I was satisfied with my level of knowledge, knew that I would at the very least understand what I was being taught and pass myself off as a child of the scholarly cast, I set out to find him. This was how I weaved the longest and the only lie of my life.

    After I found him, I begged him to take me in. He agreed. Soon, I began my training. But just as I thought everything would end well, disaster struck. Just the day I was to complete my tutelage under him, my lie was discovered. My guru cursed me to forget all that I was taught and never be able to learn it all again. When I begged him to forgive me and told him my tale, explained to him what drove me to do what I did, he relented. Even then, he firstly divined my life and lineage, which can be done only with the consent of the one being scrutinized. Once he was done, he took me to the side and told me who my father was. That was the first time I learnt about my father and my inheritance.

    After that, he told me that he could not revoke the curse, as I did lie to him. The stain could have been completely removed only if I was absolutely faultless. But he did understand and recognize my need, therefore the stain of the curse could be mitigated. Using that clause, he diminished the curse to me being barred forever from the strategic arts of large scale warfare and command while retaining all the arts and strategies of combat that I may personally use.

    It was fitting; I learnt a lot. Firstly, I learnt how much of a dreadful thing lying is. Secondly, I learnt who my father is and the gifts I received from him. Now I pay my respect to him every day. Thirdly, I was freed from even the possibility of needless ambition for power, since I could never command battles, could never cause it and garner success, while being fully capable of defending myself and anyone who would stand by me. And lastly, I remembered all the forgotten lessons I had learnt from my mother. Only that day I truly understood what she had taught me, and how valuable it was.¡±

    Karma finally looked up from the fire where his eyes had remained so fixed throughout his tale. He was smiling at Leonard.

    His eyes sparkled, as if finding a priceless treasure; they were alight with hope and happiness. His countenance appeared unburdened, relieved of a great weight he had been carrying all the while.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said with a smile as bright as the sun.

    Leonard simply smiled back and nodded. He understood. There was no need to speak. He was used to speaking all the time, but at this moment, he could not speak and lighten the gravity of this moment.

    Marian, however, could not digest it. She looked at Karma with troubled eyes.

    ¡°Why,¡± he enquired, ¡°Why did you thank us? I mean, aren''t we travellers who you just met today? Why did you give bare yourself before us and then thanked us right after? How can you trust us just like that? What if we were to betray you?¡±

    Karma looked at her, his smile never fading away. He looked embarrassed, and that expression upon him looked innocent, like a child being caught commiting a mischief. He was unused to embarrassment of this kind. The last time he had been embarrassed in this manner was with his mother when he was young, that moment being buried in a distant past. It made him feel happy and warm.

    ¡°I understand your confusion,¡± he began, ¡°If I may be so bold, I thanked you for being such great people. You were the first after a long, long time to accept me. I know it is very presumptuous of me, but it felt like you were my first friends. I could not help it! Therefore I thanked you.

    I know we just met today, but you see, people usually are afraid of me or just shun me when they learn about my casteless nature. How you two have been treating me is so different that I could not help but feel delighted.¡±

    He looked away, a somber mood overwhelming his embarrassment.

    ¡°I know, if you wished to betray me, you probably could. And honestly? I am not used to unraveling myself in front of anyone. The decision I took in doing so was perhaps reckless, even stupid maybe. If you were to betray me in some manner, I would have to graciously accept it as the result of my own impulsive carelessness.

    But can you blame me? I, who never had any friends aside from the birds, animals and insects from my old home, the mountain forest where I grew as a child? After this long, long spell of solitude I never wished for, how do you think I would react when I finally find people who treat me so kindly, with such warmth? Would I not want to be friends? Would it be a sin to entertain this notion? Would it be a mistake to wish to share, after such a long time of keeping all to myself?

    I know, I am merely a moth in the dark flitting off towards the first warm fire I saw burning.¡±

    Karma turned his head to looked at Marian in her eyes with a sadly serene expression.

    ¡°You know, I would accept it wordlessly if you were to betray me. After all, I learnt to accept everything that life gives me.

    Thank you for your kindness. And¡­.I apologise if I have overstepped my boundaries.¡±

    The last vestiges of warmth had left Karma''s face as he looked away. His visage hardened into a neutral expression guarding his thoughts and emotions as powerfully as the armor he was born with.

    Marian, on the other hand, had so many different emotions raging within her that she could appear nothing if not troubled. All the rage, the frustration, the confusion, the hope and childish joy, the sadness and bitterness - all of it coalesced into a decision.

    She would be damned if she was the one who shattered such an important moment of innocence, growth and joy for this beautiful person in front of her. She could deal with her own troubled mind later. For now, she had to protect this fragile man as much as she could. At the very least she could save this person from being used by evil people for their own sake. There was no way that she would allow this person to suffer being a pawn like him. There were enough people like her, who could not think even two feet beyond themselves.

    Her decision made, Marian walked up to the now withdrawn and guarded man, aware of Leonard''s joyous gaze trailing her all the while. She knelt down beside Karma wrapping him up in a warm hug. In the back of her mind, a dislocated voice that she ignored perked up in surprise -

    ¡®How warm is this person?¡¯

    "Hey, Karma,¡± she spoke in a gentle tone, not unlike a mother talking to her child, ¡°You don''t need to be sorry for anything. I know, I have my differences. But you should never be sorry for something so beautiful!¡±

    She ended the embrace and held Karma by his shoulders, looking straight into his surprised eyes.

    ¡°Of course we are your friends! In fact, I would be honored to be considered one of your very first friends by you! And¡­..I would try my level best never to break your trust. So please, never think so lowly of yourself. After all, that is your name, right? Karma? Deeds, as you said? As long as you prove yourself with your deeds and remain as beautiful a person as you are, you are never any less than any damned person of any high caste. At least to us, to me and Leonard, your friends.

    And you thanked us, right? Let me thank you in turn. I am really happy that I can call such a beautiful soul my friend.¡±

    Karma remained rooted to the spot for quite a while, face marred by shock. Then he suddenly leaned forward, threw his arms around Marian and held her close, eyes closed shut, while she patted his head like a child. Warmth was bubbling in his heart - he felt as if flames would burst from his being unbidden. He knew it was blasphemous, but to him it felt as if this person who he held in his arms was brighter than even the sun!

    Tears trickled down his eyes silently, surprising him, but nothing could chase away his smile, his happiness in this moment.

    ''Am I crying?¡¯ he thought, ''Is this what friendship feels like? It''s so warm, so happy! I am forever indebted to them.¡¯

    Karma opened his eyes, though he did not yet break the embrace. It was so happily warm!

    ''Mother, do I make you proud? Are you happy? Everything you worked for with me - can you see the first fruits? For the first time, my meager deeds have earned me something really precious! I have friends!

    Father, even if you are not here now, and it is night, I hope that you are looking at your son right now from somewhere. I hope you can see how happy I am with the life you gifted me! I hope the radiance of this moment can match at least a fraction of your own and return some light, no matter how feeble, to you!¡¯

    All the while, Marian had her face scrunched up as she held Karma tight and caressed his hair, as if she was in great pain. Even as the night deepened, all the embraces ended, Leonard''s teasing and Karma''s embarrassed voices receded, and all three lay down to sleep, conflicting thoughts, experiences and emotions continued to haunt Marian.

 Book 1: Chapter 2

    Agneya was a large city built upon the plains around the foothills of the great Kailash mountain range. The city was saturated by the smell of burning incense and sandalwood contrasted sharply by the smoke from wood and dead bodies burning at pyres, called shamshan in the local tongue. The crackle of ceremonial fires and funeral pyres, the clang of temple bells and loudly recited prayers by groups of priests from the scholarly caste, the brahmins, lent an additional layer of suffocating piousness and religious fervor to the city. The deceptively charming river Yamuna, the clear, sparkling Ganga, and the river of knowledge, Saraswati, named after the great goddess of knowledge, met right at the heart of this city, thereafter flowing down and away as the great river Lohit towards where the Rudra sea lay. The entire city of Agneya was centered around this eagle-foot conflux unique in the entire world, though ironically, the city was culturally and spiritually tied around fire. Aspects of river and hills nonetheless did invade subtly into the larger framework, if only out of necessity.

    Agneya, the holy city named after the fire god Agni, lay glowing like a bed of embers. It was awash in vivid tints and hues of orange and crimson by the setting sun, the colours being enriched further by the fires lit in prayers and pyres. Even the four rivers appeared to be composed of liquid fire in that light.

    Karma, Marian and Leonard gazed at the city and the vast plains that stretched out beyond its walls, carrying away the immense weight of Lohit into the obscurity of distance. Karma was done paying his respect to the sun a while ago as he did every evening during the three preceding days this fledgeling fellowship had been travelling together for. Now the three travellers were descending down the green hills in ease, enjoying the picturesque scene that lay sprawling around them. The land was like a canvas engulfing them in its painted folds so curved that the objects within the painting at one end could imbibe the beauty that lay on the other end.

    This beautiful evening, the three travellers could afford to be relaxed. Even if night did fall whilst they were still on the road, tonight they would not have to worry about it. Tonight they would have concrete lodgings after all.

    ¡°Ah! It feels so good to be here in a city after so long,¡± Leonard spoke with animated gestures, ¡°It had been too long sleeping in tents and bedrolls, barely even encountering villages in this damned cold! To think I would be sleeping tonight on a proper bed! And having a proper, warm bath!¡±

    Marian did not reply to Leonard''s comment. She did agree with him, particularly the warm bath part, but wished not to divulge her wishes for such gratification of sensual nature; her familiarity with being silent helped.

    Karma, on the other hand, chose not to stay silent.

    ¡°It makes no difference to me either way. I don''t really get uncomfortable, nor does ambient temperature really affect me.¡±

    Leonard laughed and craned his head towards Karma, who sat reverse upon the back of the horse which Leonard himself was riding.

    ¡°Of course, of course! But that does not mean you can''t get comfortable, does it? Hahaha! Don''t worry, tonight we will drown ourselves in luxury!¡±

    ¡°Is it really necessary?¡± Karma mumbled in reply.

    Though he might have appeared to be apprehensive, he was truthfully looking forward to it. He was merely abashed by the fact that he would be getting to enjoy luxury, something that was never allowed to a casteless one.

    ¡°Of course it is necessary!¡± Leonard declared his will boldly.

    Marian glanced over her two male companions and smiled. Then she frowned at one oddity.

    ¡°Karma, why are you sitting on the horse like that?¡±

    ¡°Ah, this? Well, it is because I wish to watch the hills tower above me. It is always a majestic sight.

    Another reason is that if I were to keep looking continually at the beautiful sight of where we would eventually be, I might not be able to drink its beauty as much in the moment of contact as it could be possible from fleeting glances and final indulgence.¡±

    Marian couldn''t help but stare at Karma with a deadpan expression, even as Leonard nodded along to Karma''s explanation as though it made perfect sense.

    ¡®That doesn''t make it any less strange,¡¯ she thought, ¡®That reasoning is what I find even more perplexing, not to mention improper! Does he realize how it sounds? Does he even know what he''s saying?!¡¯

    She stopped her mental outburst to actually observe the two, one of whom was seriously staring up at the heights they left behind while the other also had a serious expression of contemplation, as if he had just discovered a carefully guarded secret. They had no idea how absurd all of it appeared to Marian.

    ''Alright,¡¯ she sighed, ''I am definitely surrounded by idiots.¡¯

    The moment this thought struck her mind, she couldn''t help but smile wryly. After all, when hadn''t she been surround by idiots and madmen? She would herself appear mad enough to another, she had no doubt.

    Once more, her mood soured. She should not be thinking about all these - just let bygones be bygones. Thankfully for her, Leonard and Karma were talking once again, helping her snap out of her thoughts.

    ¡°You know,¡± Leonard was saying, ¡°I have no idea why your people call it an eagle-foot conflux. Wouldn''t it sound more grand to call it the dragon-foot conflux?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Have you heard of the legends of the Garuda? They are a species of spectral beasts. It is said that they have been friendly towards our kingdom since time immemorial. This conflux was named in their honor.¡±

    Though Leonard''s question was quite silly, Karma''s answer piqued the interest of Marian. She paid closer attention to their conversation now.

    ¡°Have you really seen one? A Garu¡­..ah yes - a Garuda, I mean?¡±

    ¡°I personally have never had the fortune of meeting such a legendary creature. But rumors have it our king, Ramachandra, is quite friendly with one such being. My guru told me his name is Jatayu.¡±

    ¡°Whoa! Your master sounds like quite an amazing person!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He is. He is also probably the strongest person I know.¡±

    ¡°Isn''t it said that your king is really, really strong too? I heard that he actually fought a demon and won?¡±

    ¡°Well, there are a lot of rumors floating around about the adventures of our king''s youthful days. I''m not sure how many of them are true though. Some say he''s the strongest person in the world. Some say he has an army of spectral beasts under him. Some say that alongside the Garuda Jatayu, there is another spectral beast, a Vanar named Hanumaan. The two along with his brother, prince Lakshman, supposedly act as the king''s personal guard.¡±

    ¡°Do you believe them?¡±

    ¡°Well, whether I believe them or not, I try to keep what I hear in mind. It is good to always keep your eyes, ears and mind open.¡±

    ¡°I see, I see~! Hey Mary, Bh¨¢rat Kingdom sure is something, eh?¡±

    Marian was not really surprised to be called out suddenly. She expected Leonard to know that she was paying attention to their conversation. Despite how carefree Leonard was, he was extremely perceptive as well as in possession of top-notch instincts. It was easy to forget that he used to be one of the seven belonging to the innermost circle, just like her.

    Marian mentally noted down the fact that Karma had noticed as well and wasn''t at all surprised.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Marian said, ¡°Though I think the rumors that Karma was talking about are perhaps exaggerated.¡±

    When no one said anything, expecting her to continue, she sighed, proceeding to expanded on her view.

    ¡°The part about spectral beasts may or may not be true, though some merit may be credited to these rumors. I mean, every rumor has to have some kind of a source, right? But the part about these beings being the personal guard of the king? That I find hard to believe.

    As for the king being the strongest in the world? That is probably incorrect too. Everyone who sees the immense strength of one who stands in the higher echelons of might up close forgets that the world is really a vast place. I mean, you hear some names whispered in awe and reverence across the world, don''t you? While Prince Ramachandra was a name whispered a lot during days past, King Ramachandra has not really made waves across the world. In fact, isn''t the general Bhishma much more widely discussed currently in terms of might? Then you have names which now make you pause in your steps. The strongest being in the Hetairoi, or the Macedonian emperor''s army, surely you must have heard of him?¡±

    Karma nodded.

    ¡°Heracles¡±, he said, ¡°My guru had spoken of him while talking about contemporary politics, though much of what he had spoken is muddled in my mind due to the curse.¡±

    Satisfied, Marian continued -

    ¡°Think of the current king of Kemet. Who has not heard of Ozymandias, the King of Kings? Supposedly the Pharaoh defends his entire kingdom on his own, never going out to war against anyone. What about King Arthur with his Excalibur? Who can say for certain that King Ramachandra is stronger than these phenomenal beings that roam the world?¡±

    Here, Marian took a deep breath and looked away into the distance.

    ¡°And what does it matter anyways? You have heard of what happened to King Arthur, right? Where did all his might get him? His reign crumbled with a single incident of adultery, of treachery. All your power, all your goodness, it gets you nowhere.

    What''s worse - you can''t even trust anyone. Everyone is hiding a blade up their sleeve which they will plunge into your back the moment you trust them with your back.¡±

    Leonard suddenly interrupted Marian with annoyance coloured by a tinge of frustration visible upon him like a gathering of thunderclouds.

    ¡°Hey! What do you mean by that? Do you think I would stick a knife up your back when it is turned?¡±

    Marian faced him with a pained smile.

    ¡°No, Leonard - not you. You''re too sweet for that. You¡¯re almost too pure, you know that? Sometimes I fear for you. You trust people too much because you would never betray anyone yourself.¡±

    She looked away with an ugly snicker.

    The last leftover crimson light of the day remaining after the sun¡¯s disappearance, consuming itself into darkness with every passing second, illuminated Marian with its baleful glow.

    ¡°Sometimes I feel like I should simply turn around and stab people in the back before they can stab me.¡±

    ¡°You''re wrong!¡±

    Marian looked at Karma, surprised by his sudden outburst. He had his eyes trained upon her with a ferocious intensity burning within his eyes.

    ¡°You are wrong,¡± he repeated once more. ¡°If everyone would follow such kind of a reasoning, who would be left in this world? We would all have killed each other out of fear!¡±

    ¡°Then pray tell, dear friend, what do we do when someone backstabs us, someone we considered a dear friend?¡±

    The was an edge to Marian''s voice that Karma did not like. She was¡­.bitter. He did not know why she was behaving in this manner, or what had happened with her in the past that caused her to be so bitter, but it seemed as if all that bitterness was now festering, choking her from within like a vicious concoction of smoke, soot and tar.

    He had noticed the mood beginning to plummet downhill ever since the name of King Arthur came up. At first he did not understand, but when she talked of being helpless despite having power, even Leonard had started acting strange. The cheerful young man had turned grave in a perplexing manner. But what Marian had said after that he simply could not digest.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.He could not let them continue to be hurt this way; he would do whatever he could to help them. They were his friends, right?

    ¡°You need to let it go. Acknowledge that this person was never really your friend. I don''t know much about being friends, but I know this much - A real friend would never be able to do that. This warmth¡­.how could anyone throw it away?

    We learn from our mistakes, right? There must be something to learn at that moment of pain, though I don''t know what it could be, looking at that possibility from a distance.

    Leonard knows this. That''s why he''s such a bright, warm person. He knows to accept and keep moving. I think you should not worry about him; you should rather learn from him.¡±

    But whatever he said did not help at all. Marian''s face, now plunging into the darkness as the last wisp of light disappeared, twisted even further with bitterness.

    ¡°So you mean to say we should keep giving, even when we don''t have much, till we have absolutely nothing left? Till we are nothing but a mass of ripped flesh torn apart by betrayals, rejections and complacency?¡±

    ¡°No, not necessarily. What actually matters are people who truly care about you, right?

    Bearing grudges will burn you away, you know? It could make you do things you don''t really want to.¡±

    ¡°But who do I trust? How do I know if someone really cares for me? How do I know someone is true and constant? Is there any concrete method to ascertain who is true to me and will remain so? Tell me, is there anything like this? Or do we just take the risk and get a stab wound more often than not for our troubles?¡±

    Karma did not reply. He had no answer.

    He noticed that by now Marian just looked tired. He was familiar with that look. It was not that of physical exhaustion of any kind - it was born of something far, far heavier.

    His heart ached. He did not want to see his friends in such pain. It felt like he wanted to tear his heart away. Karma accepted this pain as an inevitable result of caring for another. But he had also learnt that once you acceptsomething, you need to act in accordance to that acceptance. Deed necessarily follows every act of acceptance.

    ¡°Leonard,¡± Karma softly spoke up, ¡°Do you remember when you asked me to travel with you two as your cook? I accept.

    I shall burn to ashes anyone who would dare to try harming you. This I vow upon the radiance of my father.¡±

    Leonard chuckled, suddenly brightening up once more.

    ¡°Really? Thank you so much, Karma! I''m glad! You''re a good guy, you know that?

    And......you don''t need to travel as a cook or anything. You''re our friend, no?¡±

    At the same time, Marian looked up, a bit surprised, but her face was still droopy. She looked as if she couldn''t let go of her skepticism that she donned like a self destructive armor. Wearing a tired, wet smile, she uttered with just little flicker of sincerity -

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Karma heard her half hearted whisper that nonetheless carried out loud through the night, then looked at her with decisive determination. This was one person he would definitely protect at any cost.

    ¡°Friends are important,¡± Karma whispered back into the night.

    ¡°And we''re here!¡±

    Leonard''s voice rang clear like a bell, and the cobweb of troubled thoughts in the mind of the travellers were swept away. The massive walless city of Agneya loomed in front of the three, an indistinct hum of a sea of voices just beginning to register in their mind. A temple bell clanged somewhere in the distance; a morose spell shattered to a million insignificant pieces.

    <hr>

    ¡°.......

    O Lord that gives us warmth, gives us light -

    Protect us from those who would do us harm, put us in plight.

    Thou who holds the power to turn enemies to ashes -

    Guide us with thy strength, keep away evil''s soft caresses.

    Lord Almighty and O thou faithful lover, gracious wife Svaha,

    Grant us the warmth of love - from family, friends and spouse; Om Svaha!¡±

    The old lady opened her eyes to three sets of expectant gazes directed towards her. She had heard them come in by means of the main door to the inn creaking open, then the lightest shuffling of feet in the room coming closer towards her direction. She paid them no heed, continuing her prayer with utmost devotion to God. Thankfully, they had enough sense not to interrupt her prayers.

    If only all the people were like them! Travellers these days had no respect for customs. Couples would come in giggling, ogling each other while she prayed; drunk old men would come in with a blatant disregard for anyone aside from themselves, acting as if they owned the world, thereby proceeding to interrupt her prayers; there were also those tourists who neither understood their customs nor bothered to learn, and they would either chatter like monkeys amongst themselves, or worse, some worse cocky little upstart devoid of patience would try to cut through her prayers by addressing her directly even though he or she could clearly see her state of pious engagement.

    The three travellers who stood in front of her clearly appeared to belong to some sort of nobility.

    There were two foreigners, both with yellowish hair and pretty faces, though she wasn''t sure if they were siblings or not. The girl''s short locks were wavy and a brilliant shade of golden, whereas the boy had a pale yellow mane - so pale that it was almost colourless. Even if it were not so, she would still hesitate in declaring them siblings. That was not because they differed a lot in appearance, the truth of which was to the contrary, but because she was old, and not many foreigners from the Okzident visited her humble little inn.

    The other was an enigma. Frankly, that man''s appearance was a bit frightening. Sharp, golden eyes that were lined with red dye, pale skin that almost matched the skin tone of the foreigners, and long white hair straight as only an Eastern hill dweller''s could be - all aspects combined to form a sharp visage that seemed to peer directly into the soul of all things surrounding him. He was donned in traditional clothes - a handsome native achkan, called a kurta, and a crisply tailored dhoti, a native replacement for trousers, clung to his frame smartly. He seemed to be a man belonging to the borders of the society, for he was neither clearly a native nor apparently a foreigner. Truth be told, she didn''t know much about the tribal people from the Eastern hills of the Kingdom. If they had a nobility then this was her first time meeting one belonging to it. Strangely enough, this man appeared to be uncomfortable for some reason.

    But regardless of who they could be, business is business, so she had to speak up before she lost some quality customers.

    ¡°I welcome to our humble establishment, dear sirs,¡± the old woman spoke up in a surprisingly clear voice, ¡°What you like to have? Food? Room? All available, nice and cozy!¡±

    Karma looked at the courageous old lady. He really sympathized with her, even though this was his first time meeting her. She was just like him - she belonged nowhere truly aside from herself and her own own beliefs. She appeared to be a religious character, being at the same time a rebel by necessity.

    Traditionally, women were supposed to be the light of the household; they were supposed to take care of the private sphere of life by taking care of the family and doing all the chores of the household. Only the men were supposed to take part in worldly matters like business, administration and warfare, or academics, all depending on their caste.

    Karma had never agreed with these social norms and ideals, for there were always those whom circumstances did not favor, who were incongruent with the expected pattern of life. These people were driven to the fringes of society as a result of the rigid orthodoxy. Who were the fortunate to decide what was right and what was wrong for those who were luckless? While Karma understood the practical wisdom of women working at home while the men worked out of doors, that was no reason to be so rigid that they would begin looking down upon women. His mother was the strongest person he had ever known, and he knew very well that those fortunate who boasted their capacity would not be able to withstand even half of the hurdles his mother had faced with as much courage, admirability and success as his mother had.

    Karma smiled at the old lady, his discomfort with the new luxurious clothing that Leonard and Marian forced him to wear being momentarily forgotten. This old lady who did not appear to have the basic support of a family must have had enough struggle in her life. He wanted to assure her that tonight she had people who would at least understand her, and not cold businessmen.

    ¡°Yes, Grandmother,¡± Karma addressed the old lady in customary Indu salutation, ¡°We would like two rooms, please.¡±

    Karma watched as the old lady''s eyes widened a bit and her smile grew a little more uneasy. He wondered what could have happened? He merely wanted to be a bit kinder and make her feel at ease, but surprisingly, her reaction veered in the opposite direction.

    ¡°Most definitely, ji! I shall have nothing but the very best for you!¡±

    Karma wanted to protest that it was unnecessary really, and that he was not someone of a great position, but he did not say anything more, lest he should worsen this already taut atmosphere. As always, he set people on the edge, filled them with fear without any real fault of his.

    Leonard watched the entire scene unfold in front of him with interest. He did not know what Karma had said, but the moment his friend started speaking, the old lady seemed to have lost her nerve.

    Karma was such an interesting person! He seemed to see right through everything, and yet never really understood the meaning of it all.

    ''I mean just look at the situation now!¡¯ he mentally commented.

    Leonard was sure every one of them had a desire to be kind to the old lady who appeared to be the one who was running this little establishment despite her age. Karma perhaps wanted to set her at ease, but he did not understand society the way Marian and himself did.

    The old lady probably worked here as she had no choice. It was all business for her to ensure her own survival. So when she saw them in all their finery and non-native skin, she probably thought they were some rich foreigners. But when Karma had spoken to her in their native tongue, she must have thought that he was there to ensure that no one could hoodwink them or lay a finger upon them. More than an assurance, it appeared to her a gesture of warning.

    Leonard watched as the old woman said something in Indu language again, after which Karma gestured to him and Marian to follow. He glanced towards Marian, then turned his attention back to Karma as he and Marian followed.

    He felt really ticklish. What a strange group they made! All of them were so new to open communication that he wondered how everything had not fallen apart till now! Maybe it was because they were so unused to sharing whatever was within them that they understood each other at a very sub-conscious level. Or maybe it was because they were simply good at heart.

    Whatever the reason was, he could contemplate later - they had reached the room the old lady wished to offer to them.

    Karma looked at the room flabbergasted. Earlier when the old lady had told him to follow her, she said that she had a better option for them. She did not have many rooms anyways; this was a home-stay rather than a proper inn. He had agreed to have a look and promised that they would stay there if it suits them. The old lady had thanked him and then nervously had begun speaking about how she was the one who was managing everything on her own after her husband had died, how her son had moved away to Gurukul city for academic purposes and never came back, how there was only a little orphan girl to help her with all the work, of whom she took good care as Agnidev decreed. Thereafter she grew even more nervous and began telling him how they would love the room she had chosen in her mind for them, and how it was would be much more convenient for them if they stayed in a single room, where she could get them whatever they needed all at the same time, thereby reducing the need to wait or her trouble to prioritize. But whatever she had said had not prepared him for what the room had in store.

    The wooden walls and the granite floor of the room shone with good care. An unlit chandelier hung from the ceiling, surrounded by pretty lights he had only overheard being spoken about by well to do kids. Mattresses so thick that he never even knew existed lay upon two such beds that he would not be surprised if they were fit for royalty. Pretty curtains drawn apart to let in the moonlight hid behind them windows of such make they left no room for doubt that this room was constructed with the focus being upon aesthetics.

    Before Karma could even say anything, he felt Leonard''s arm being thrown around his shoulder in a gesture of familiarity that shocked him. Yet, the recently familiar warmth of happiness grew within him, and the resulting mix of emotion left him embarrassed, happy and speechless.

    Leonard spoke not to Karma but to the landlady directly, addressing her in Common.

    ¡°This is such a beautiful room, madam! We would gladly love to have it! We would pay anything for this room!¡±

    Thus it was settled.

    The keys to the room were given to them and Karma''s protests silenced. Leonard and Marian moved into the room immediately afterwards, pulling the uncomfortable Karma along with them. Lights were lit and the room explored. Soon, they snuggled into the beds - Leonard with Karma, leaving an entire bed to Marian which she gladly accepted. The old lady left their dinner in their room after half an hour, then bid them a good night in her broken Common.

    Finally, it was now that time of night where each of them attended to themselves.

    Karma was slowly walking around the room, taking in all the sights, smells and feels of the sense of luxury around him. Marian had long since disappeared into the bathroom to take a hot bath, which was her share of rest and relaxation before hitting the bed. As for Leonard, he lay upon the bed he and Karma shared, idly staring up at the chandelier, his mind wandering all around.

    He thought about Karma. He was an interesting person, and a good guy really. From the moment he met Karma, he grew interested. He could sense Karma''s power searing beneath the surface, carefully controlled and hidden away. And despite all that power, he was really humane, really kind. This new friend of his, who Leonard was absolutely sure wasn''t really a human, was quite like himself.

    He remembered times before he chose to become a wanderer alongside Marian. During those times, he was always polite. He used to be just as he was now from within, a young boy brimming with emotion, kindness and wonder. Yet, everything he said, everything he did - he had to apply a filter to it. He had an important position, so he could only act accordingly. The way others looked at him influenced all of his actions.

    Marian''s case was even worse. No one knew who she was, how she felt, what she thought. She was taught to keep it all bottled up. Societal norms required her to do so. She deceived out of necessity with her silence, or she would never have been where she was. But when he got to know her accidentally, she turned out to be quite an optimistic person similar to himself. But she had not seen the ugliness surrounding herself. She was used by people all around her. While he saw the beauty and was amazed by it, at the same time he also saw and acknowledged the ugliness surrounding him. His optimism was born out of acceptance, whereas hers was born from ignorance. So when everything came crashing down that fateful night, she broke. She turned bitter. All that hope which was bottled up within her festered and poisoned her. That was the reason he decided to run away with her, leave everything behind.

    Leonard shut his eyes in painful reminiscence. He still heard the echoes of her raging shouts that night. He remembered her turning on him in anger. He remembered her finding out the truth of things, and breaking down. He remembered the tired, pained words she spoke to him with such bitterness that he could not bear it. He had to do something. He could not let the beautiful person who shone brighter than any in his eyes be consumed by rage, bitterness and betrayal. And so they ran away. They ran far, far away.

    That was the best thing they could have done. Leonard himself began loosening up. He learnt that value of self indulgence. He learnt what it was like to dedicate oneself to not public good, but the good of a person who mattered to him more than anything selfishly.

    And Marian? She was still healing. She needed a lot more love than what only he could provide her with. She needed people who she could trust. She needed to be able to understand and accept. In the end, she was but a sheltered child brought up like a pawn upon the board of politics. She needed to grow up to be able to make a stand on her own in this scary world.

    Him, Marian, Karma; what a group they were! Tied by the red strings of fate together, even though they were all worlds apart in their origin. He wondered who else would they be meeting. Where would their paths take them?

    ''Ah, I suppose the blowing wind will sweep us along like leaves upon a dusty road!¡¯

    For now, there was a tournament to look forward to!

 Book 1: Chapter 3

    Blue lightning crackled ominously as a massive bronzed man hit the ground. A beautiful, dark young man stood by the downed man with an outstretched hand, the same blue lightning flickering lazily upon his palms with a continuous intensity that made it look almost like a flame. The crowd gathered on the stands instantly went wild, their cheer resounding all around like the roar of a terrible wave.

    The young man smiled and looked towards the sky. The tournament of Agneya kingdom was going strong and he was the centre of attraction, the favorite of the crowd.

    Of course he was the favorite! He was Arjun, the best archer of his generation in the entire kingdom - and one of the strongest warriors too! None of his opponents as of yet had been able to stand up to him!

    Tuth be told, he could not allow anyone to stand up to him here. He was strong, and he had such a political standing that he was awarded outrageous gifts by almost everyone. Effort and luck - both he had, and he took pains to use every advantage he could get. After all, this tournament was something he had been both dreading and looking forward to. His love was at stake here.

    Not many people were privy to the fact that this martial tournament was a very political move. It determined who had the potential become the next official Atimaharathi, a position that denoted the achievement of being the mightiest a mortal warrior could ever hope to be. But since any being with such power could potentially become too difficult to control, Bhishma, the current general of the Kingdom''s martial forces, had pledged to marry his daughter to whoever won the tournament. Said daughter was called the most beautiful young lady of the Kingdom, now that Queen Sita had passed away. The tournament therefore was a salivating prospect for anyone - being awarded the title of Atimaharathi and gaining all the political power and privilege that came with it, while being wed to the most beautiful young lady in the kingdom all at the same time!But that in itself was the source of Arjun''s dread and drive.

    Bhishma''s beautiful daughter, Draupadi, was also Arjun¡¯s childhood sweetheart. He had watched helplessly as she had been swept up in the politics of the Kingdom. Arjun therefore had vowed to become the best this kingdom had to offer, so that at the very least he could extricate her from that miserable position of political bondage.

    Arjun sighed as he walked back to the participants¡¯ stand. He was a sinner and he knew it. He could never forget the incident with Ekalavya. He knew he should have said something to stop that terrible thing his guru was doing - but he didn''t. Sometimes he wondered if all this partiality he was favoured was even worth all the cruelty others had to face? But right now, in this moment, none of it mattered. If he could but save the lady he loved, it would all be worth it. His only fear was the participation of Lav and Kush, the two younger twins of King Ramachandra. They were actually the other favorites of the populace. The only reason they weren''t here was because they were more interested in adventure and exploration of the new than any matter concerning political power or matter of state. So very like the childhood facet of the King himself! Only Yudhisthir, the eldest of the King''s son, had inherited the sense of duty and grave wisdom of the matured King. All that aside, what mattered to Arjun now was that if Lav and Kush decided to participate, he had no idea if he could get them, even when he teamed up with his cousin Bheem.

    Bheem was a mighty warrior in his own right. In a straight out melee fight, none had yet been really able to stand up to Bheem. He was perhaps the strongest man physically in the entire kingdom, being physically stronger than even Lav and Kush, though not enough to make a difference.

    Honestly, Lav and Kush made the entire tournament so very frightening that he did not know what to do. Bhishma was known for his terrible vows, and that was the reason Arjun absolutely had to be the winner of this tournament. There was no other way.

    Arjun focused on the tournament again.

    His cousin, Bheem, was walking into the field. The giant stature of the man rippling with iron tough muscles cut an imposing figure gleaming in the midday sun. The crowd was tense with anticipation, though all they really wanted to see was Bheem dominating his next opponent, as he had done so far in every match he had been in.

    The gates at the far end opened up, signifying a new entry. When the opponent walked in, the whole arena froze to silence.

    The man was tall - taller than Arjun, though he was a bit shorter than Bheem. The man was powerfully built, but he did not ripple with muscles like Bheem. The curious part was that in front of this opponent, Bheem did not look as hopelessly imposing anymore. But the newcomer''s physique was not really the reason why Bheem no longer seemed extraordinary. The aura around this man was absolutely inhuman. Arjun and Bheem were both demigods, but at the same time they were unmistakably human. This man, however, did not seem at all human. Even his appearance was strange! A strange gem embedded upon his chest, golden tattoos that spread out across his bare torso, a strange sense of radiance and heat exuding off him like waves from an ocean - all of it drove him further away into the realms of the alien. More than that, Arjun saw details with his archer''s eyes that common people undoubtedly had missed; details which left him worried.

    All of it begged just one question - who was this man?

    Within a moment, the bell signalling the start of the bout rang out loud.

    <hr>

    The moment the signal was given for the battle to begin, Karma did not waste even the most miniscule of moment to burst into action. He sped off as fast as he could towards his opponent and threw a punch, which the massive man barely blocked. Pure concussive force blasted in all directions as his opponent skidded away.

    The entire stadium went silent in an instant. All the roar, the cheer, the jeer, the whispers - all of it died away in that moment. Karma waited for everyone to soak it in. To let his strength be appreciated. He wanted to show everyone his deeds. For that effect, he waited.

    His friends were out there watching him too. That thought made him smile.

    The murmurs started once again, more frantic and loud this time. That hushed noise was drowned out suddenly by his opponent rushing towards him like a rampaging bull with a great, gravelly roar. Karma''s smile tightened. He was a humble man, but at this moment he could not help but want to show off a bit.

    He took the punch much more casually than his opponent had taken his. To his surprise, he actually skidded quite far away.

    Karma''s golden armor was one which constantly decimated any attack dealt upon him on all the planes of existence - which is to say that his armor had the potency to deal with any kind of damage, be it physical, spiritual or even abstract. Any damage below a particular threshold would simply break apart, not being able to get through the decimation effect of the armor. But if an attack was titanic enough to not completely disappear even with that reduction, then it would be able to deal some damage to him in accordance with what power still remained in that attack after its reduction. But what was truly formidable about Karma''s armor was that the decimation of damage was impossibly constant. Even with an attack getting through, the armor still subjected the attack that broke through to a reduction at the immediate next moment, and that process continued perpetually. That meant that even if any attack did get through and damage him, any and all damage done to him simply disappeared in a matter of moments, as if that damage had never even existed. Even mortal wounds would simply disappear without doing anything other than stalling him. His guru had said that even one of the strongest Gods would have a grotesquely difficult time destroying that armor.

    That armor was the only reason he could actually survive his guru going all out against him enabling him to learn quickly all that the ancient man had to teach.

    There were only a few problems with his armor. The first was that it required his awareness to be active. It was only semi-autonomous. If he was aware of himself being in danger of being attacked, the armor would act on its own to keep him safe. The second was that at the highest levels, where he attempted to take on some of the strongest astras head on without a counter attack, it burnt so much of his energy that he simply passed out and was left terribly weak after that. It meant that while the armor was infallible, he wasn''t. He still couldn''t afford to get too confident simply because he had a phenomenally powerful armor. The final weakness was that while it could render ineffective almost all things that would do him harm, he was still very susceptible to physical restraints.

    This formidable armor was all that Karma had tried to show off when he had decided to take that blow head on. But right now, Karma was the one who was pleasantly surprised.

    When his opponent had punched him, that was pure brute force. None of the weaknesses of his armor had been exploited. To think his opponent was able to budge him with such an attack was remarkable indeed! Whoever his opponent was, Karma was sure that he was quite strong!

    But all around Karma, the responses were quite different. In every mind, there was just one common assessment -

    That man is strong! To think he could push the mighty Bheem like that was terrifying in itself! But to take a blow in return just as simply? That was unthinkable!

    People were looking at Karma''s tattoos that had blazed into life and extended further into more elaborate patterns across his skin, almost as if they were alive, with stupefied amazement. Even the tear-like crimson linings upon his eyes were glowing, having extending further down across his face, neck and chest to his crimson stone heart, which was also glowing. Radiant was the word to best describe this new challenger upon the stadium.

    Bheem himself was left speechless. Here was a man who was quite a bit faster than himself. This opponent of his had been fast enough that Bheem could just barely react to his punch. What surprised Bheem was the actual power behind that man''s blow. That was not quite far behind his own! That had inflamed Bheem a bit.

    He was the one who was supposed to be a physical monster here, damnit!

    So Bheem had gone in for the next attack, to which this person didn''t even raise a finger in reaction. And yet¡­..and yet¡­.it seemed to affect this man far lesser than Bheem was affected by this stranger''s blow! Without even putting up a guard!

    Right from his childhood, Bheem was strong. As he grew he had built a reputation around himself of being the strongest. He knew of none who could match his might. He knew he was a physical powerhouse, and there was none who could deny his might.

    Then he met his cousin, Arjun, and he knew that strength came in different manners. While his cousin was not as strong as him, what that young man could do with a bow Bheem knew he could not replicate. And they were both children then. They had come to a sort of mutual understanding and respect. Arjun had known Bheem to be the strongest man physically; Bheem had acknowledged Arjun to be the mightiest bowman. At the very least, they knew they could each reach there where they imagined their place to be. It was almost like an undeniable cosmic truth. Together, they were such beings who could destroy any who stood in their way. Against each other¡­.who knew what would happen?

    That notion was shattered again when they met the much discussed royal twins, Lav and Kush. Bheem was confused at that time. Were they not the strongest? Probably not. But he had faith that if they kept striving to be where they wanted to be, they would definitely get there. He honed his physical prowesses, just as he knew his cousin was honing his archery skills. They would definitely get there. They were making leaps and bounds of progress.

    But now? Bheem was seething with rage now.

    This man¡­..he was doing nothing more than humiliating him! He was Bheem, the strongest of this generation damnit! How dare this man, who popped out of nowhere, look down upon his gift, his years of toil? He would rip this damned festival light apart! How dare this no-name look down upon his dreams?!

    Bheem summoned his famed golden mace, releasing the restraints upon his body. Those were restraints he took upon himself so that he would not overwhelm any who came his way and have some fun even with weaker enemies. His strength was like a storm - it could keep growing if he let it. Bheem always kept that abnormal growth in check. Now, however, he would no longer do so.

    Bheem rushed forward towards Karma, whose eyes widened as he felt the change in his opponent. That man was distinctly faster, his aura more imposing this time around. In response, Karma materialized a massive spear. Right in that moment, Bheem was upon him.

    Bheem swung his mace towards Karma''s head, which Karma dodged by leaning back, letting the mace swing narrowly past his face. Using the momentum of the first swing, Bheem brought back the mace to smash Karma across his midsection. Karma drove the tip of his spear towards the bulky head of the mace in response.

    The tip of the spear hit the intended target, and the mace was driven forcefully to the ground. At the same time, the spearhead was knocked sideways - a result of Bheem''s millennial strength. The moment the mace struck the ground, it shattered the ground of the stadium right to the edge. Bheem took advantage of that and lashed out with a powerful roundhouse kick, hoping to catch Karma off bbalance. Karma once again forced Bheem''s attack off trajectory by smashing the butt end of the spear, with the momentum of the previous displacement, to smash the calf muscles of the offending appendage. In a show of pure strength and skill, Bheem stopped his spin by smashing his active foot to the ground, and in that same moment launching his mace into a one handed thrust to smash his opponent''s chest. Karma, with a decidedly problematic footing, chose to simply block it with the shaft of his spear. He was launched some ways off, then skidded to a halt.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Both Bheem and Karma paused to assess each other. When Karma took the initiative to launch an immediate attack on his opponent, he had thrown the possibility of assessment to the side in favor of displaying his prowess, and in the heat of the battle drawing out his opponent''s own abilities. While that might not seem the most calculated battle plan, it was a very viable tactic for Karma owing to his armor which could shave off any threat to him to negligibility. Bheem had reacted out of rage, and he was boiling with rage even now. But he did understand that he at least needed to know what to look out for. This was not an opponent whose attacks he could simply overlook or smash through - at least not without knowing what he needed to smash through.

    Bheem looked at his opponent and thought back on the bastard''s prowesses. That man was strong enough to pose significant threat to him in close combat. More than that, his opponent was faster than himself if he did not unseal his own restraints. The martial skills of that man was terrifying, honed to a point that suggested he was used to dealing with things faster and stronger than himself, which was a terrifying prospect. But however outlandish it may seem, that was the truth because that is what skills are all about - to overwhelm with technique what could not be overwhelmed by power. And bitter as it was to admit this truth, his opponent was actually more skilled than himself.

    But what this man truly seemed to be gifted in was defense. The patterns upon his body that were blazing with a golden light most definitely made up some kind of an armor. There was no way anyone could have taken a hit from him with such nonchalance otherwise. As for how that armor worked, Bheem had no idea. Though he hated to admit it, his own resilience paled in the face of such a defence.

    Then there was that tall spear that his opponent was holding. That was quite a huge thing, almost twice as tall as the man himself. The spear was really akin to the ''pikes¡¯ that he heard of from his guru in terms of stature. But stature is where the similarity ended.

    The spearhead was proportionately massive as well, constituting nearly a third of the spear''s length. The spearhead began with a flat, disc like bulk with six straight spikes, three jutting out on each side of the ¡®disc¡¯. From there, the rest of the the spearhead jutted out like one final spike, though this was a ¡®spike¡¯ that resembled a conventional kite-shaped spearhead of tremendous height. But none of that was what made that spear so unique. What was so singular about that particular spear was that it was composed entirely of what looked like intense flames solidified into the shape of a spear.

    The entire shaft of the spear was glowing crimson like the light of the setting sun. In the butt end, however, the flames intensified into a yellow hue. The spearhead was a totally different story. It blazed yellow right from the circular base with such might that this intensity bled off a few inches into the shaft itself. From there, the heat only increases so that by the tip of the spear it became searing white in intensity. All through the length of the spear, flames flickered and danced as if it could not all be contained within the spear - as if they were straining to burst free. Bheem could feel the oppressive heat trying to suffocate him right from where he was standing. And yet, his opponent showed not even the slightest discomfort holding the source of that heat.

    All in all, this was a terrifying opponent, whether he wanted to admit it or not. The only option he had to win was to overwhelm this opponent with as much force as he could possibly muster, disregarding the damage he received himself. He had to break through with all his might. There was no need to respect his opponent; the only need was of acknowledgement, and destruction thereafter. He would do that. He was Bheem!

    Karma, on the other hand, was gazing at his opponent with respect and joy. He was indeed glad that this mighty man was his first opponent! With a bare handed strike devoid of any enhancements he could force Karma away. It was a feat none had managed to pull off ever as of yet! Such pure physical might! And then, that man had gone and revealed his enhancements! His opponent was even faster and stronger after that! And there was also the added weight of something divine added to it. An abstract weight.

    His opponent was no doubt the offspring of some God like himself. To find a brethren like himself - Karma was glad he had undertaken this journey!

    His opponent was fearsome though not simply because of that. That man undoubtedly also possessed indomitable will! Karma had struck the calf of his opponent, and there was a visible burn mark now where he had struck. But that man was so vigilant and full of vigour that he did not appear to even notice the burn, let alone the matter of that wound impeding him.

    And that mace - it was without a doubt a Spectral Crystallization, just like his own spear. Though, Karma was unsure if it was completely his opponent''s own creation like his spear was, or was it something borrowed, like Karma''s bow, the one that he tried his best never to summon forth into the world, was. That golden mace had an abstract weight to itself. If Karma were to describe it, he would call it a hammer of wind. But regardless of who it belonged to, it was quite a formidable thing. The only problem he believed that mace had was that it was not something that could be activated. It was a passive Crystallization.

    Regardless, Karma was glad he was able to meet a foe on this level who could force him to show his prowess. He wanted everyone, especially his friends, to see what he could be capable of, after all!

    Bheem ended the standoff by rushing towards Karma. He would break through all of his opponent''s tricks. He would show everyone that he was the strongest without a doubt!

    And then, the arena exploded into flames.

    <hr>

    Arjun''s eyes widened as sweltering heat reached his skin from beyond the barrier.

    This was bad! If Bheem by any chance lost this round, and the royal teens decided to participate in the tournament, he would deeply be in trouble!

    But what could he do? What could be done in this situation? Arjun had no choice but to clench his fists and observe.

    His cousin was bursting through the flames to reach his opponent each time. But Arjun saw that he was being slowly eaten away at by the flames. While there was yet to be a conflagration as intense as the first burst, the intense heat didn''t let up much.

    The opponent was clearly the cause of the intense flames. It was quite obvious, considering the tall lance of flame he held. Those flames - they were quite akin to the lightning Arjun himself commanded as the son of the god of lightning, Indra. Bheem''s opponent was undoubtedly a really high class demigod like Arjun himself. If that man was anything like himself, he was undoubtedly holding back yet. Was that man the son of Agni, the god of flames?

    Bheem seemed to get more powerful than ever, even as his skin continued to get charred away, consumed by the ferocious flames. His strikes were more powerful, his speed now even greater than that of his opponent. But somehow, the spearman kept up. Bheem''s every ferocious attack was met with subtle redirections and clever counter attacks. The skill of that spearman undoubtedly far surpassed the realm of man. What a monster in human skin!

    Gradually, Bheem''s attacks started getting through to his opponent. Bheem was thoroughly enraged. He howled like a mighty gale and battered at the defenses of his mighty opponent. Divine mana raged out of him in bursts, keeping the flames around him in bay, even if it was only momentarily. His opponent was hard pressed to keep up, but that now grim faced man still faced his cousin like an immovable mountain.

    But Arjun knew, he had to end this soon. Had the both of them been equals in close combat as it appeared to be, he would not be worried. The problem was that the defenses of his cousin''s opponent was way too strong. That man was absolutely unscathed, while his cousin had raw burnt muscles showing all over his body - the result of those deadly flames. Bheem''s lustrous long hair were almost completely gone. Those flames had reduced them to cinders.

    Suddenly a vicious thought struck Arjun''s mind. Why was it that he had never heard of this man before? What was his name again? Karna? Something like that. But he had never heard of a man with such a strange name. He would have definitely heard of a powerful warrior who was ridiculously named ''Earlobe¡¯ in their language. Arjun had made sure of it after he had met Lav and Kush.

    He knew of all the great warriors of the land. Everyone knew the supposed Vanar army with the formidable names, Hanuman and Sugriv. Equally famed were the mythical Garuda brothers, Jatayu and Sampati. Then there was an old man in the mountain who no one had been able to find, an ancient sage of war, Parashu. There were also the great grandmasters of the army - the supposedly immortal Bhishma and Ashwatthama; the sage of warfare and his own guru, Drona; the greatest chariot warrior, Satyaki; the mighty king Ramachandra and his brother, Lakshman. Then there was a man who called himself Suyodhan, a man who was argued to be the strongest youth physically, though that title went to Bheem as well. The tribals of the east had their own great warriors like N?r?k and Bhagadattwa. But nowhere had he ever heard of even a whisper of a man named Karna. Why was that? Either there was a problem with the man or he was secretly brought up by someone tremendously powerful. But since no one had come forth to declare him as their greatest student, nor to restrain him for any problem at all, that meant that he was neither a problematic person or a secret successor of some great warrior. He was simply overlooked. That could mean only one thing - something was problematic with his caste, or his tribe. Such a man couldn''t have been hidden for so long for no reason at all.

    Arjun swallowed nervously. This was a merciless gamble. Perhaps he shouldn''t be doing something like this at all.

    But then he thought of Draupadi, and all his hesitation was stilled.

    Lightning flashed upon the tournament ground and thunder rumbled loudly over the din of battle. In a trice, an arrow landed between Bheem and ¡®Karna¡¯. The ground between the two exploded, forcing both to part with surprise. With deliberate ease, Arjun landed upon the site of contact, his bow pointed towards ''Karna¡¯. There was a noise in the gallery, and before anything could be said, two foreigners stood by ''Karna''s side. Arjun''s heart was racing with nervousness, but he willed it to a serene rhythm.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Arjun''s question, though calmly asked, boomed over the arena like rumbling thunder. The entire place became silent once more. A bitterness spread upon the face of the fair spearman, who looked at Arjun with what he supposed was resignation and resentment.

    ¡°I am a warrior,¡± the man replied, ¡°Isn''t that enough for you?¡±

    Arjun knew at that moment for sure that he had hit the spot. He could see great masters of war stand at the ready at the edge of the grounds, just waiting and watching. He could even spot Lav and Kush enter the arena, though that was the least of his concern right now. What mattered that it had all paid off.

    ¡°Are you, really? Are you a Kshatriya?¡±

    His opponent closed his eyes and smiled a sad smile. It was almost as if he knew he had lost whatever he was planning, and he accepted that fate.

    ¡°No. I am not. I do not have a caste or a tribe.¡±

    Chaos erupted across the stands again. Cries of outrage and protests sounded out like a cacophony of temple bells. A huge man came down and spoke something to the casteless man, who turned away together with the two foreigners and left the arena in mute silence. Bhishma stood and attempted to calm down the raging crowd. Lav and Kush disappeared into obscurity again. Bheem was fuming with wrath even though he was declared the winner, while the magic of the arena worked to negate the damage done to him and the arena now that the end of the bout had been declared.

    But none of that mattered to Arjun right now. He stared out towards the most lavish space in the gallery. There he could see a faint, relieved smile upon the beautiful face of his beloved Draupadi.

    In this moment, that was all that mattered to Arjun.

    <hr>

    Karma shuffled out of the arena with a slow gait. He felt so tired. Nothing he did seemed to be ever enough. All his power, all the might he had - none of it ever mattered in the face of this giant structure that bound the world to order. What about those unfortunate like himself? Like that old landlady forced to work all by herself? Like those thousands of poor people whose only fault was to be born in a certain family? Imaginary sins heaped upon the unfortunate - what a twisted world! He knew he had to accept his lot in life, but did actions not matter at all?

    His gloom was brought to a closure by a punch upon his shoulder by Leonard. He looked at Leonard and was surprised to see that man grinning bright like the sun.

    ¡°Hey, Karma! Cheer up!¡± Leonard spoke to his friend with a genuine smile, ¡°Those bastards are dead wrong if they believe actions count for nothing! You still have us as your friends, right? It''s just that some people love the way the world is working because it benefits them. They''ll do everything they can to keep the world working that way. But you yourself said that the first thing to do about anything is to accept what you have, right? And then, act as you think is fit! Don''t fret the details, my friend! You know, the way of those old coots is already cracking! That man, Suyodhan, didn''t he come to offer you a place by his side? But you still chose to come with us, right? Believe me, one cannot run away from truth, even if it is contrary to the the truth they have known all along, if the new truth is spoken loudly and clearly enough! If you accept what you have, be strong enough to yet find kindness in your heart and then act accordingly, people will one day or the other just start calling you righteous or just! Believe in those voices like yours which have not yet spoken and just shout out loud what you have in your heart!¡±

    Karma looked at Leonard in astonishment. He had known that Leonard was wise, but never did he think he could be so eloquent as well. Karma couldn''t help but smile as well. It seemed that no matter whatever was against him, he was still blessed!

    ¡°Thank you! I feel so blessed to have friends like you!¡±

    Marian smiled at Karma. What an admirable man! The world did not deserve people like him at all.

    ¡°Let''s get away from this place and its revolting laws,¡± she said, though her smile did not disappear entirely.

    ¡°Where to?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. What about the far West?¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a good idea!¡±

    ¡°Anywhere is good to me. I shall be seeing the wide world thanks to you! I do not know how shall I ever repay you two!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! You''re so funny!¡±

    ¡°Really, now! You know¡­¡­.¡±

    The sound of the conversation of these three smiling friends faded off into the din of the city alongside their heavy footfalls, dissolved into the chaotic multitude of overlapping voices and conversations. In a moment the arena roared into life again with cheers, drowning the sound of temple bells and human conversations.

 Book 1: Interlude 1

    Bhishma looked down with satisfaction as the tournament neared its climactic ending.

    Lightning filled the stadium like a torrent of blue flames, turning to ashes anything that came into contact with it. In the midst of it all, a man named R?ktim from the tribal eastern coasts of the kingdom stood proudly facing Arjun, two curved short-swords glowing with demonic power in both of his hands. He was a man with some demon blood in him; a prot¨¦g¨¦ of N?r?k, supposedly.

    Unfortunately for R?ktim, Arjun''s victory was inevitable.

    Brahmashira

    That attack Indra''s son performed shone brilliantly in the dome. Lightning and blue flames washed away the dome as it strained to contain an attack that was meant to wipe out and entire kingdom in a single shot.

    ¡®That boy¡­..!¡¯

    Bhishma sighed internally.

    That boy needed to learn humility and restraint.

    Bhishma knew all about his daughter''s and Arjun''s feelings for each other. It was a divine mystery why the youngsters always thought that the elderly were prude people who knew nothing about feelings, mischief and the like. He was a father before a military-politician! Moreover, hadn''t he been young once?

    What no one knew though, Bhishma''s own little secret, was that this tournament was a calculated move meant to appease both the Kingdom and his daughter. This was him fulfilling his duty towards all of whom he owed.

    The disappearance of the King of Angeland had destabilized the long standing stable power structure of the world. Some kingdoms from the Okzident Alliance of South, an alliance to which Angeland belonged, would certainly be trying to gain the great island kingdom. Just because they were in an alliance did not mean they were all honorable friends, at the end of the day. Especially Celt and Njord, being the battle thirsty, power hungry Kingdoms they were, could never pass up this opportunity.

    Of the Auriento alliance, which Bh¨¢rat itself was a part of, Keihatsu could probably try to wipe out their Southeastern neighbor so as to gain a better leverage at the sea routes. Bhishma could see that happening despite the internal tension of Keihatsu; given that the Okzident Alliance itself wasn''t quite as unified now as it used to be, Keihatsu could definitely take advantage of this window of opportunity.

    What was even worse was the fact that the Central Continent, Gondwana, could be moving in when the conflicts started boiling over as well. That continent was already blotted out by the three empires - Roma, Arcadia and Mogul. If all the three empires began to move, even with each of them having their own agenda, the infighting amongst the Okzident would make it absolutely difficult for them to resist the might of the empires. Once Okzident fell, Auriento would be in for a time of war as well.

    All speculations aside, it was a time of tension regardless of who would make a move and what the consequences would turn out to be. The fact that no one had made a move as of yet was a strain on everyone''s nerves - a tension of a rope pulled taut, which might snap at any given moment. So the Kingdom needed to be prepared independent of the stasis around them.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    There was at the same time the matter of Bhishma''s daughter''s marriage on a more private front. He knew well of her affection towards Arjun. At the same time, he knew how fickle his daughter''s heart was. He wasn''t sure if she was yet ready for marriage. But the society would not let her alone in peace to grow and develop. That was the reason she was fickle in the first place - she had not yet had enough experience of the world for true wisdom and gravity of experience to sink in yet. His dear daughter might burn away fast with that emptiness in her heart. And yet, the pressure was mounting upon him for the marriage of his daughter. He could not shield her much longer now.

    But if only Arjun was mature enough, if he learnt humility, learnt the virtue of restraint, had the experience of struggle enough to bear the burden of his daughter, he could see the match working out.

    So Bhishma had decided to make a gamble. He had arranged a tournament where he pledged the hand of his daughter to the victor. It would be a trial by fire for Arjun, where he would have the opportunity to grow and steadily become the sort of man who could handle the happiness of his daughter. At the same time, great warriors would come out to the forefront in the public eye. That would also help solve the problem of military strengthening of the Kingdom. Arjun himself would definitely get that push that he needed to truly stand shoulder to shoulder with the greats. He was the most promising warrior Bhishma could see, after all.

    While it was far from an ideal arrangement, it was the best Bhishma could do. That, and pray for the best outcome possible.

    But now it seemed that what Bhishma had hoped for did not come to pass. What Arjun cultivated here was instead the vicious side of every human being. Arjun had increased the difficulty for himself that he would no doubt have to face later on.

    That man though - Karma was his name - he was one who had caught Bhishma''s eyes immediately. A promising young man looked like. Whoever won between Arjun and Karma, Bhishma was sure he was in for a win-win situation. But the way Arjun had handled the problem of Karma left a bad taste in Bhishma''s mouth. Arjun was a brilliant archer, and yet his wisdom was lacking, his heart still lacked a real resolve that would last a lifetime. He was just looking in front of the him and nowhere else. That is not how a great warrior should be. At least, not one who would inherit the title of Atimaharathi.

    Whatever might be the case, there was no turning back now. Bhishma had done the best he could, and the results, though far from ideal, were good enough. Now, the only thing to do was to wait and observe.

    In the arena, he could see Drona, the warfare-sage and his colleague, drop into the arena and invoke his own defensive armament. The power and pressure of Arjun''s astra was starting to overwhelm the defenses of the arena.

    Brahmadanda

    The destruction was immediately swallowed up and the arena was cleared. As the dust cleared and visibility grew, Arjun could be seen standing victorious over R?ktim.

    The crowd went wild. A roar of cheer thundered as great as the thunder of Indra''s son himself, drowning out the sound of Arjun being declared the victor of the tournament.

    As the last moments of the tournament waned towards its dusk, Bhishma could only see the rows of warriors streaming into the arena, and a painfully bright happiness upon his daughter''s eyes.

    Bhishma for a moment allowed himself a small smile. Every war had its own devastation. Despite that, the results here were quite satisfactory. His daughter was happy, the kingdom was satisfied. For now, Bhishma''s duty was done.