4

The Great Quest

Vaig walked to the ground of shrine coming down from his Royal Charriot. The ground was whole packed with participants and viewers. Though there was time in the start of competition, the spectators had already marked their present. The royal guards arranging people on the seats to speculate the great adventurous event.

On his way to arena, he felt a strange presence. Some special aura. It was the similar sensation he had got in the temple when he saw her. Is she here? For some reason he questioned himself and was pleased with the wish of getting a positive answer.

He rolled his eyes in between the crowd in participants and he saw her. His eyes froze on her just like they had in the temple. After a moment of time he noticed the surrounding. Kanani talking to Ayom and Nrita standing beside her. And then Ayom hugged her tight.

Vaig felt a strange emotion emerging in his heart. A strange anger for a reason unknown. He just didn't liked an unknown hugging her. Although Kanani was herself an unknown to her whom he had already declared to have lower standard than him to have any relation.

But still he felt like that. Unable to understand the reason, he just shrugged his emotions and walked way from there.

Nrita and Kanani went in sitting area with other spectators. It was more crowd than last time. specially of girls. They could see a big group of girls cheering for the Royal Princes.

Finally the Quest began with an archery match. All participants at one end and there target at 25 metres for the first round. Then 45 metres and final at 80 metres. The amateurs disqualified at the first, a few at the second round and the most at final. Mayur lost the very first match. Prince Vaig scored the most and reached the second stage with highest score. And Ayom was at second position.

The second stage was a fencing duel. Kshey and Vaig faced each other but Vaig being far better than him won pretty easily. Ayom passed the match like a piece of cake. Who can see the swift gale?

The Third stage came and only six people had been able to make this far.

The announcer announced, 'So far we have the six greatest warriors of ours so everyone let's applaud for the fearless youth.'

The arena echoed with claps like striking thunder. The crowd seemed to be spiritic than the participants. Maybe because till now everyone has been exhausted except one, Ayom. The announcer continued, 'Now these six brave young men will race in their charriots and in the end will be here back with a flag in their hands. The first participant who brings the flag beyond this line will win and be titled ' The greatest Warrior'.

'That means I will be titled, as i will be winning the match.' said Vaig confident of his victory.

Ayom gave no reaction. People were still chearing , from deep in the crowd a loud voice came, 'AYOM..... You will have to win ... I KNOW you will Win.' Kanani screamed. Nrita joined her too, 'You can do it Ayom.'

Ayom smiled.

The third stage began. All the charriots ran with the signal of waving red flag.

'Shouldn't you follow them? I mean you can't take part but can follow and help in case of any demonic creature appears.' said Nrita.

'I have already done my part of help. Did you took those Bow and Arrows as ordinary one?'

'You mean they are Celestial Weapons.' uttered Nrita in loud voice out of joy startling the people beside her.

'Sorry' said Nrita humbly. Kanani sighed the in low voice.

'Yup, The Quiver is granted by Eni, which is never empty of arrows and the arrows are none other than the majestic Frozen Tears. The Bow is specially enchanted by my powers. It's like me myself beside Ayom.'

A beautiful smile appeared on Nrita's face. Finally some relief. She was worried about Ayom too, but didn't said a word. She supported him and his decision with firm faith.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

The charriots were running with the greatest speed. At top speed. No one wants to loose. Ayom was ahead of everyone, with Vsig following him. The road was quite rough with dry land as they were approaching the dark forest. Ayom's Charriot got a big bump rolling over a hard rock, then it dtubled and tilted for some thirty five degrees and crashed on the corner with a wheel out.

After a few minutes Vaig reached the place. He stopped for a while with a thought of help but then something echoed in his mind. 'Ayom you will have to win.' Kanani's voice and it made his mind change. Although he was not like this but still he went away from there. He didn't wanted to loose at any cost. Morely he didn't wanted him to win.

The others xane and went away too dadhi g behin Vaig. Ayom stood up patting the dust from his clothes and looked at the Charriot. Not much damage had happened to the it. It was just that wheel. He took the wheel and examined. The wheel was not brooken up even to pop out by sudden. Someone had loosened it before the race that it came out.

Ayom plugged the wheel back in the wooden barrow. Then went to check the horses. Fortunately the Horses had not got much injury just little scratch at leg of one horse.

'I am really sorry for making you work so much, but I need your help.' he said patting his horses. He dashed up on Charriot and re continued the race.

Faster and faster the horses ran. Faster than they have ever in their entire life. Like great guest of wind. They were reaching the border of forest when Ayom saw another horse running backward in their direction. It was one of the other Charriot horses.

'why is the horse.....?...... Could it be?... I would have to hurry.'

He commanded the horse to run faster. As he reached nearer he heard a scream. And then he saw that frightening sight. Broken charriots, running horses, hiding participants and a big marine green dragon. The royal guards lied down on the ground unconscious. The dragon hurt and furious with anger. Ayom was ready for anything but not this.

The furious dragon screened in his loud voice making people stumble. His marine scales were turned greyish, eyes shineless blue, winds broken. It seemed like the fight was going on for a long time between the royal soldiers and dragon but being busy in the competition the officials didn't got knew of it.

Ayom first ran to rescue the people hiding. Sime were terrified, some stranded in the broken charriots. All this time Vaig and some conscious soldiers were fighting with the dragon.

The dragon wagged his big tail and the soldiers were thrown far. Then in second attack he squashed Vaig under his tail. Ayom was helping a terrorised racer get out his leg from under a plank. He was so terrorised by the dight that even after being free he wouldn't move but shout in utter shock.

'Save me, save me ....pls....'

'Run away .....'

But he wouldn't listen, he just screamed making the fearsome dragon look at them.

'Run now or you will be dead.'

Finally the racer ran, after making the dragon aware of Ayom. The dragon walked up to Ayom, leaving Vaig alone grinnining in pain on the ground.

Ayom stood straight, calm and froze as a statue. The furious dragon reached near him about to attack but then something stopped him. As soon as he saw Ayom his anger was all cooled down. Ayom stretched his hand to touch him but then a soldier shooted an arrow on the dragon making him furious again.

'These dumbs are all ready to die.....uhh.'

The dragon once again attacked the soldiers and brutally injured them. The furious dragon screamed in the loud voice. Vaig stood up once again weilding the sword he attacked on the dragon trying hard to save the life of soldiers.

But ended up being himself the target of the dragons anger. The dragon screamed for the third time in his rage all ready to breath out his green flame on Vaig but then an arrow came straight into the his skin, so powerful that it made him stumble and the on ground.

Vaig was all scared when he saw Ayom running toward him and then a big leap into the air higher and higher like he was flying. At the moment in air he took the arrow from his quiver and shoot.

Ayom rushed to the dragon slowly turning unconscious. His heart was full of guilt to attack in the great spiritic guardian of Dark Forest, The Kaha. And that all because of the stupidity of the Royal heads.

'I apologize for what I have done. The Frozen Tears will make you fainted for particularly twenty five minutes at most. The Soldiers will take hours to get conscious and the fresh troop will take more than forty five minutes. I apologize again.' he said to the dragon and bowed.

By the time Ayom was doing all this. Vaig stood up, getting back into his senses then dashed to his Charriot taking his flag from the tent. He commanded the horse to run to continue the race and inform royals about it.

Ayom looked arround and found Vaig rushing on his Charriot. He too dashed into the tent and ran with a flag on his hand, then on his Charriot continuing the race.

Vaig was in front of him, and Ayom following him. It took them whole twenty minutes to reach back to shrine. Vaig was still on the first place. The crowd cheered as they came in to the shrine. The one who would place his flag on the elevated platform would be given the title of winner.

Vaig rushed down from his Charriot running to the platform. Ayom had just reached the shrine still on his Charriot. Vaig was way ahead of him. There was no way he would be able to reach there faster than him.

Ayom took out an arrow then tore a part of his shirts hand. He tied the stick of the flag to his arrow and shooted it up in the air. Moving in parabollic path. Vaig was almost there and about to put his flag but couldn't defeat the world fastest arrows empowered by the Wind itself, Ayom.

The flag fell down from Vaig's hand. And the crowd cheered on the marvellous ending of the most memorable Great Quest of the times.