{Five centuries ago}
[TRR….THRR]
Thunder roared in the sky, illuminating the surrounding for a split second. A man stood in front of a window, his hands were on his back while he kept fidgeting his fingers. His brows were contracted, with eyes restlessly gazing at the dark clouds. The room had a long red carpet heading towards the exit, with a number of golden artifacts sticking on the wall.
[WOOO]
A strong gust of wind caused the lamp’s flames to vanquish. The man closed his red eyes, allowing the wind to wave his red hair.
[TAK..TAK..TAK]
He heard footsteps behind him and turned,
“Haah..haah....my lord…the queen..has given birth to twin brothers..” A woman entered the room and said with a bright expression, while breathing heavily, indicating that she ran the entire way.
The man’s brows expanded, the clouds of anxiousness disappeared in a moment, with his lips stretching a bright smile on his face. Without saying anything, he took hasty steps outside the room, quickly moved through stairs and entered another large room. A woman was lying on a bed, with two infants sleeping next to her.
The man forwarded towards her, and placed his palm on her forehead, gently moving it towards her hair. The woman opened her eyes, she quickly smiled as their gazes met. The man turned towards the twins, but suddenly his brows got closer;
“Dear…only one of our children..have the dragon heart..” The woman held his palm and spoke, with pain echoing in her voice.
“How can this be?” The man stretched his hand and lifted one of the twins in his hand, he placed his palm on the chest of the infant;
[THUMP..THUMP…THUMP]
The heart was beating normally, without any energy flowing through his body. The man frowned and placed the boy back on the bed, while his previous happiness filled gaze turned into disappointment.
“Dear…we wanted a strong boy…one of our sons possesses the strength of both twins..destiny has bestowed us with a formidable warrior..” The woman placed her hand on the other twin,
[NEH!]
The infant began crying as she touched and woke him up;
“We can’t let this embarrassment have the dragon’s name…The phoenix clan is waiting to devour us any moment, having a weakling will only trample our strength..” The man spoke and lifted the other infant in his hand. The woman calmly stared at him exiting the room.
“HARAKA!”
[WOOSH]
The moment the man exclaimed, a man appeared in front of him.
“I don’t want to see his face again..” The man handed over the boy and instantly walked away. Haraka gazed at the boy, who looked at him calmly while his eyes kept shining as if a pair of gems.
“Destiny was unfair to you…” Haraka said with a sad expression while climbing up the stairs, finally arriving on the top of the castle.
[WOOSH]
Dark energy appeared out of the man, his skin began hardening with wings appearing on his back. The hands he held the infant in, turned into claws with him transforming into a large dragon.
[WOASHH…WOASH!!]
He leaped into the sky, and flew through the thunderous clouds.
He arrived near a waterfall and stopped meters high over it. He opened his claws, the black cloth surrounding the boy flew off him and he fell naked in the strong flow of water.
‘Ho?..not even a scoff?’ Haraka thought while his wings flapped to stay in the air, as his eyes stared at the boy slowly falling in the water. The boy stayed silent the entire time, not showing even a hint of fear or cry.
{NEXT MORNING}
[TING!!...TING!...WOOO]
A man hammered hot red metal, while drenched in sweat next to the forge. He had dark hair and beard, while his eyes were locked on the metal with absolute concentration, not leaving the slightest room for mistake. His huge muscles bulged under his clothes, threatening to tear them apart with every hammer. The room was filled with dozens of swords and weapons, some placed on the table while some sticking to the wall. The house used bricks for construction and appeared clean.
“DEAR!!..” A woman entered the room while screaming with a concerned tone, the man turned towards her voice. He saw a woman with long black hair and dark eyes looking at him with a pale face;
“A CHILD…IN THE RIVER!!!” She anxiously pointed outside the house. The man’s face went serious, as he saw her concerned expression. He quickly placed the hammer down and went towards the river.
His gaze fell on something small floating in the water. His eyes widened, as he saw the infant moving his limbs. He quickly stretched out towards the river, catching the boy flowing with the water current. His eyes stared at the boy while bewildered, he looked up and saw a huge waterfall barely visible in the long distance away from him.
“Here..” The woman quickly took the infant and began wiping the water off him,
“Poor soul..what kind of monster would leave an infant in a river..” Tears began flowing out of her eyes, as she restlessly wiped him. The man looked at the boy, the boy’s skin appeared wrinkled, revealing the long time he stayed in water. The man also noticed the crimson hair and eyes of the boy, making him suspect the boy’s origin. A smile appeared on his face, as he saw the woman carefully and lovingly wiping the water from the infant’s face. His previous suspicion got replaced by gratefulness, as he saw his wife’s bright face while she carefully and lovingly cleaned the boy.
“It appears destiny has filled your deserted lap..” The man spoke while empathetically gazing at the infant. His words caused the woman’s tears to intensify, she placed her head on his chest, while covering the boy with her clothes.
“Look at him,..his eyes are so peaceful. He truly is an extraordinary child...AHA!..your name will be-....” The man spoke while smiling at the boy, who calmly gazed at him.
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“Arav”
The couple said in unison.
***
A woman hastily rushed out of the white castle, while covering herself with a black shawl. She climbed on a horse’s back and began riding it away. She traveled past the city and arrived in a small village. She stopped in front of a small cottage, while the villagers wearing saffron clothes curiously gazed at her entering.
An old man with a long white beard reaching his chest, with similar hair sat with his eyes closed on the ground. His left hand was placed on yogdanda, while the right hand held a mala.
{Mala:- In hinduism, this is a word for a string of prayer beads.}
“Rishi Visishta..” The woman bowed her head and called the old man’s name.
He slowly opened his eyes and found a woman standing with half of her face covered. WIthout saying anything, he got up and went outside the cottage, with the woman staring at him the entire time.
“Rishi Mahod…”
“Queen Usha…I prefer my morning to stay pure.”
“....I apologize for my previous behavior.” Usha went on her knees and joined both of her palms in front of the man.
“Speak..”
“Rishi Mahoday, Is he truly alive?” Usha anxiously asked while getting up;
“...If this ‘he’ you spoke of is the third prince, then yes..”
Usha’s eyes widened, she stood stunned while not speaking anything.
“If your queries are answered, your ride is there..” Vasishta man pointed at the horse;
“The prophecy..has it arrived?” Usha asked again, her question made the Vasistha’s expression serious. He gazed at her with pitiful eyes;
“I warned you countless times, but your foolishness and thirst for power has left you in the grasp of a beast.” Vasishta spoke as turned towards the golden statue slightly visible in the horizon;
“The pillar of evil will crumble. Not just this kingdom, but the entire planet is about to become aware of an elite being.”
“NO!..” Usha’s forehead veins bulged, while turning purple. Vasistha noticed it and signalled his disciple to go back, who were preparing to attack her;
“I..I apologize..” Usha spoke and sprinted towards her horse and rapidly rode it away from the village.
Vasistha gazed at her moving towards the city;
“Often the path we take to avoid our destiny…ends up hastening its arrival.”
Usha rapidly moved back to the castle, now sure of Arav’s existence. Her heart once again stayed thirsty for his blood. She moved down the stairs and entered a large room underground, that did not possess a spec of light. An eerie silence filled the room, devoid of any sort of life. Usha forwarded while blankly staring at the darkness;
[WOOSH]
She raised her hands and summoned purple energy throughout her body, the light from the energy illuminated the room, revealing a large snake drawn on the floor.
[THUSH!]
She struck the force with great might, causing her raging energy to flow through the snake shaped carving, turning it purple in the process.
[WOOSH]
The energy raged through the carving, while forming a sphere above it, the floor cracked into several pieces, with the air inside getting heavier and heavier.
[THUD!]
Usha got forced on her knees with her head hitting the floor;
“State the reason for this impudence immediately..” A voice resounded from the sphere, while creating powerful tremors in the air;
“I..I..I apologize for my insolence master…I require help..” Usha spoke in a nervous tone, while still unable to lift her head;
[KRR]
“URGH…” Her face got pushed further in the floor, making it hard to breathe;
“Your reason failed to justify this act..”
The voice echoed once again, Usha’s face went pale, she got goosebumps all over her body as she sensed threat to her life;
“But,...as you have served me well for years, I shall forgive you this once..”
[HUM!]
A dark energy appeared right next to Usha and turned into a small dagger;
[WOOO….TING!]
The dagger moved and fell down right in front of her. Usha delightly listened to the sound of the dagger falling, ignoring the suffocation she felt;
“The one who impales this dagger in the chest, shall gain the power to eradicate this entire planet.”
[WOOSH]
The energy disappeared;
“Haah…” Usha got up while sighing in relief, she felt as if a huge boulder was just removed from her chest. Her heart still raced, as the fear from the encounter hadn’t dwindled yet.
“Hahahaha!!” She suddenly began maniacally laughing while lifting the dagger.
“PROPHECY?!...YOU WERE WRONG VASISTHA!!!..THE SUN OF MY POWER WILL NEVER SET!!” She exclaimed while staring at the dagger.
***
The sun had almost disappeared, leaving its red light covering the atmosphere. Arav sat under the banyan tree with his eyes closed. His heart had finally calmed down, letting him grasp the control of his anger. He could hear elves crying in the town, as the soft breeze on the hill failed to mask their sound.
Arav opened his eyes, with his mind clear. He looked to his left and found Marichi asleep. He raised his hand in front of him and clenched his fist;
‘This body has changed quite drastically..’
[HUM!]
Yellow energy appeared on his fist and began burning as flame.
‘That state..It occured due to the rage I felt..’
[PHISH!]
The energy dispersed from his hand;
‘Her concern was correct…If I had consumed my lifeforce…this body would have certainly gotten destroyed….My debt keeps increasing..’
Arav lowered his hand and looked in front of him with a gaze expecting someone’s arrival. Yaksh appeared and silently sat down in front of him. Arav sensed a change in his gaze while noticing marks of tears left on his cheek.
“You should stay with them..” Arav spoke calmly;
“My sister’s last journey will be happening here..” Yaksh pointed at the banyan tree behind Arav;
“....It’s supposed to happen in Sundarvan…but current circumstances won’t allow it.” Yaksh spoke again in a low and shaky voice. Arav noticed Drishti’s bow and quiver on Yaksh’s back;
“Don’t blame yourself…”
“What do you mean..sir..”
“That opponent was too strong for you, If someone is to blame it should be me. And I’m sure you certainly don’t intend to dishonor her sacrifice.” Arav calmly spoke, but his words caused Yaksh’s eyes to widen;
“Why would you say that?”
“In her last moments…She was proud of the cause she died for. Pick yourself up, become strong enough to never let any other elf get harmed.” Arav got up as he spoke, while Yaksh was left staring at the ground.
“Where are you going?” Yaksh asked while confused, as he saw Arav heading away from the tree.
“The forest requires purification..”
[HUM!]
Yellow energy formed a platform under Arav’s feet and he flew up;
[WOOO]
He rapidly moved through the town and floated above the forest. Arav’s cold eyes noticed dozens of nagas slowly moving towards the forest.
‘A scouting fleet…The main army is yet to arrive..’
“SSS…THERE!!..” A naga slammed his tail on the ground, and shouted upon noticing Arav;
“Let’s see how strong I am..”
[Chapter 16: END]