Most people in the north prayed to Goddess Kali. It was the Kali temples that were more prominent and common. When Surya expressed the desire to offer a prayer ceremony at a Shiva temple for his wounded uncle, Vidyut immediately knew where to take him to. It was the only one in the region and one that Vidyut had forged a special connection to. He had discovered the Shiva temple as a child by accident, exploring the outskirts of the city and stumbling upon a dust-covered ridge that faintly looked like a step.
Being a curious child, Vidyut followed the ridges up the gentle hill until the steps became more prominent and stony. Little Vidyut's lanky legs tired after he continued to climb for hours and hours, but he did not give up, still very eager to discover what was at the top of those stairs.
In the end, he reached the top of the hill and found a small cave like shelter surrounded by rocks. Little Vidyut's eyes did not understand the markings printed on the rocks all around the cave, but he entered the cave out of intrigue. That was when he discovered it was a shrine of a deity, the idol nothing but a coal black cylinder, with white markings on it. In his child's mind, it was the most wonderful thing he had ever discovered while exploring, unlike anything he had ever see. It would be years before he found that the shrine belonged Lord Shiva, a long forgotten temple that was now covered in leaves and vines and hidden from the people.
"Brother Vidyut, should we wait for the others?" Rig's question was more of a statement.
Vidyut sighed and looked back at the rest three apprentices who accompanied Surya, ten steps behind them. That was not at all what Vidyut had planned for the day. His proposal was to bring only the prince. But as luck would have it, Surya crossed paths with Alok the day before at the Guild. The youth heard the news about Commander Abhiram, the man who had saved his life and pleaded to come with him. Before long, Alok, had invited his two dear friends, the siblings, Raag and Rig. With no one to watch over him, Little Tilak tagged along, too.
"At this pace, we will not reach the top of the stairs even by nightfall," Vidyut noted with some frustration. "Go and ask your fellow mates to make haste."
The young apprentice hurried back to the trailing group and related Vidyut's command. Little Tilaka came in running, and the rest of the group followed soon. The youths brought the bare essentials for the prayer ceremony. Surya carried a basket of sweets that were a specialty of his kingdom. It would be an offering as well as their meal for the day. The others had flowers, incense sticks, holy water, milk, and a broom.
The last time Vidyut had visited the temple was years ago. It was all dusty and forgotten, the porch covered in crinkly discolored leaves. He had cleaned the area with his own bare hand and bathed the Shiva Ling in holy water and milk. Today, he planned to task his apprentices for those as he spent some rare private moments with the prince.
"The sun has just come out. Can we still not reach it by nightfall?" Surya grumbled softly as he joined Vidyut's side.
"Not if we have a full entourage," Vidyut answered curtly, throwing a sideways glance to the young tantrics.
"I could not refuse them. It is their temple, too."
Out of the corner of his eye, Vidyut noticed Surya looking at him vexedly. He was in no mood to turn this into a battle of wits and pointed stares. "Of course, you could not, my prince," Vidyut said with as much patience as he could gather.
Vidyut and Surya had not pursued any more acts of intimacy since their night together, not for Vidyut's lack of trying. After most of Surya's men left for their quest to find the Pond of Eternal Sentience, Surya was left alone and unguarded in the city, just how Vidyut wanted. However, he was not blind to the guilt in Surya's eyes. The prince would politely decline any offer of a private word. But Vidyut was not the one to take no for an answer. He could not. Letting the prince go was not a choice.
The prince and the five tantrics left the dirt path and made their way into a thicket of pine and oak trees. The lush green leaves and the dry ground made it look like it never snowed there. Locals spoke of a Dakini spirit that roamed around in the woods, keeping most travelers away from the region. That was also the reason why no clear path was visible passing through the woods.
"These woods seem untouched, so innocent and pure." Surya's eyes were watching the tall pine trees. "I hope the woodcutters of your city never find it."
Those were the very woods that graced the prince's bed-chamber and other furnishings of the palace he lived in. Vidyut glanced at Surya just as Surya's face lit up in the first rays of the morning sun, and the prickly response on Vidyut's tongue melted away. "I hope so too, Surya."
Surya turned sharply towards Vidyut, must be the way Vidyut addressed him, when there was a soft thud followed by the rustling of leaves. All eyes immediately moved to the source of the noise. It was little Tilak who had tripped over a root that was jutting out of the ground. When the five people reached him, they found him sitting on the ground and brushing off the dirt from his grazes as quiet tears rolled down his cheeks. Raag let out a giggle, only to be kicked on the elbow by his brother, Rig.
Surya gently lifted Little Tilak to his feet and rubbed off his tears. "You must be careful," he said with a kind smile to make up for the blunt words. "Woods may be innocent, but they are as fearful of strangers as strangers are fearful of them."
Little Tilak nodded as he took in the wise words. Surya reached inside his basket of the yellow, creamy sweets and offered one to the child that the child happily accepted. Surya also offered him his finger to hold on to for the rest of the way, which Little Tilak clutched with his hand.
"There is no need to offer assistance. It is a minor scratch." Vidyut said plainly. "He is a tantric. He is more than prepared to defend himself in this forest."
"So? If I ever stumble on my way, I, too, expect a helping hand." Surya argued with a mock dismay that caused Vidyut to chuckle.
"If you stumble and fall, you won't have to walk. I can carry you to the temple." Vidyut's words had a hint of laughter, and Surya was astounded. He quickly stole a glance at the other apprentices, who were, fortunately, several steps ahead of them and safely out of earshot.
"You mustn't." Surya's eyes widened with a silent warning, but his voice could not hide his delight.
"Mustn't I? It wouldn't be the first time for me to carry you." Vidyut reminded him, and Surya quickly looked away from his smirking face.
"Will you be holding that against me for the rest of our lives?" Surya said, with a hint of a smile in his voice.
"May be." There was a warmth in Vidyut's tone. "A tantric does not have much else to hold on to."
Vidyut let his arm hang by his side, very close to the prince's. Then, in a moment of deliberate carelessness, his hand touched Surya's, and the prince did not pull away immediately.
The rest of the journey was largely quiet other than the prince exchanging a few words with the apprentices every now and then. Vidyut's familiarity with the area helped the group safely cross the woods without any harm. Soon they arrived at the foot of the steps that led to the Shiva temple. From below, all they could see were the faint markings of the broad, winding steps that ran across the long, gentle hill, with no end in sight.
"My prince, are you sure you want to climb all the thousand steps only to pray to Lord Shiva?"
Surya was bemused. "Do you question my faith, Tantric Vidyut?"
"I would not dare." Vidyut smiled with honesty.
The first steps were hidden under the soil of the rising ground, the ridges faintly visible at the corners. The climb up was easy at first with a gentle slope. Once the steps to the temple became more visible, the incline too became steep.
"Brother Vidyut," Alok's shaky voice got everyone's attention. They all looked to where he was pointing with his finger.
The steps behind them had vanished, so did the ground below it. Everyone was looking down into an endless abyss.