A JOURNEY OF TWO YOUNG WARRIORS
"A million stars hang in the sky yet only one shines bright in my eye and if you ask me its who and why, I would say it's a promise of mine until I die"
Prologue
Session was nearing to end. The central garden of Sitara, under a clear sky was busting with students from all over the village. Some of them were old adults, some young teenagers and every age group in between; all waiting in an utter silence for their final lecture. Only a few moments were left before they were all together like this and finally their teacher, master Asahi walked slowly among them, gazing upon each student, heading towards the stage.
"All of you have grown so much" said Asahi in a prideful voice "After this very day, I wouldn't have much to teach you all, but I know your life will! So always remember to learn from the experiences you're all going to get ahead. Because, above all, life is the greatest teacher there is"
"You are not retiring from our questions, sir" shouted Guddu from behind "And don't be sad because we all know where your home is"
"Wow! I can't believe who is saying that" Rooh turned and replied with a mocking tone "Since when do you have any questions?"
Raja, who was sitting next to Guddu, yelled "He wouldn't need them and…"
"….. And neither would you" Rooh completed his sentence. Crackles filled the arena. Raja, Guddu and all the other students along with Asahi laughed until it all became silent again.
"Okay now, I want to know if you got any questions left for me" Asahi took a deep breath.
"Come on! Ask him a question, miss perfect!" Raja shouted again, glaring at Rooh.
"Aww… Thank you!" Rooh arrogantly mocked again "But after watching our performances, I believe I should step aside and give you the honour, sir" and once again all the faces bloomed with smiles.
"Are the five spirits real?" Guddu raised his hand.
"Yes, they are!" Asahi answered right away "I know it's hard to believe for those who have never saw them, but don't forget that we're blessed by the spirit of the forest! The reason why our village has never been attacked by any wild animal, despite being inside the forest is because of the blessings we carry as the children of Sitara, and that makes them real"
Aditya was sitting silently in the front, listening to him with wide opened keen eyes and after a while, he stood up "What must a warrior remember in the battlefield?"
"No matter what happens, a warrior must not falter at what he believes" Asahi walked near him "A warrior must never show his pain to anyone"
Asahi's eyes slowly moved to the sky and stayed still for a while "A warrior must keep his secrets to himself"
Everyone along with Asahi, started looking above, at the clear sky, realising that the little time they had together was almost over. Hearts started to throb apprehensively as sun went almost above their heads, telling them that the sound of gong they loved so much was soon going to end their journey together.
Taking those eyes down to earth, Asahi continued "And one of the most important things a warrior must remember is; humanity prevails honour"
And the final bell rang.
Sitara
Aditya's tired eyes started to unfold, feeling uneasy. His hand stretched to his left finding his mother who had been sleeping next to him. As his sleepy arm couldn't find its way to his mother, he woke up in haste and looked around. Numbness of his drowsy mind faded slowly and voices started to prevail in his ears, a faint pungent smoke chocked his voice and sweat that drenched his chest on that cold night of winter, told him that something was wrong.
He could see the colour of the hazy window, burning red, as he descended the stairs in panic. The door was wide opened and things were all over the place. He rushed out of the house calling for his mother and found her lying down on the streets at a distance. She was drenched in blood and crawling towards the house with a half-broken body. Watching his mother like this, Aditya rushed towards her, traumatised.
"Mom! What happened?" Aditya screamed, helping her to stand on her feet.
"Fire festival….." her eyes oozed with tears of horror.
"Fire…. Festival?"
"Aditya! My son, go away! Leave now!" she denied his help "We don't have time… leave now!"
"No…! Mom tell me what happened! Who did this to you? ….. What is happening?"
"Rahim!" she took a deep breath in pain "Aditya! Take the secret path to the other side of the forest, and run, some of the villagers have already left. You will find them in the way or certainly at the end of it"
Aditya remembered Rahim's face, he was a fierce swordsman and the leader of a group of bandits who called themselves 'warriors of the tribe'. He was one of the most important men of Mahmood, the king of Zohar who had been expanding his territory by attacking nearby villages, capturing their land and rule over their people. Aditya's father had died protecting their village 'Sitara' from Rahim and his men, the last time they attacked, about a year ago.
Sitara had been sitting in between a special direction connecting the east and the west kingdoms, other than the main route. Hence, tactically an important village for both the kingdoms to acquire. Many of the proud warriors of Sitara had lost their lives protecting their land from outside interference since a decade, but the count of warriors remained the same. If one warrior died, a villager took his place. Which made Sitara one of the hardest villages to conquer even with an entire army and thus, was well known as a land of warriors.
But after Mahmood turned out to be victorious in the battle with the east king Dara, he had acquired their kingdom and became the king of both directions. After which Rahim acquired more forces and arms under him and became much powerful than before.
Their celebration was called 'The fire festival' where they burned everything to the point where nothing remained. In that ravaging night, Rahim came along with his troops for destruction of Sitara at once, attacking the village by surprise in the middle of night. He had killed almost every warrior and put the village on fire. Aditya could only see his mother covered in blood, people's scream from everywhere and red flames devouring the village from every direction.
"No! I am not going anywhere without you" Aditya jerked his head "Mom! Come, I will take you with me! I will carry you on my back, we will go together!"
She puts her hand over his head "We are from the warrior clan! Have you forgotten?" her eyes shined bright as she pats his head "We are fighting for our honour! Just like your dad did! But since you're young, I want you to live a bit longer before the time comes. So go my son and let your mother be a part of this glorious war"
"I won't leave you when you need me the most" Aditya couldn't gather his emotions within "And if we are to fight here and now, let me fight with you. I swear on my life to protect you and our village"
"Please my child, Listen to your mother… just this once!"
"I am also a proud warrior of Sitara just like you and father" Aditya held his mother's hands tightly "And I refuse to leave"
"Aditya, you have so much to learn ahead, you're still young, my child" she pulled Aditya near and hugged right away "My dear son! I do not want you to run anywhere but I want you to learn, learn about humanity, learn about pride and learn about honour and when you know them, I want you to come back and fight for what you believe"
"Mom; I can't leave you here all by yourself, I know they will kill you! Please come with me!" tears of helplessness rolled down from Aditya's eyes.
With a frail smile on her face, she pushed him away making him fall to the ground and stood straight in a fierce stance and without a doubt in her voice, she roared "Aditya! A proud warrior from the land of Sitara, stand up and give me your word that you will return and rise this land of warriors again!"
"M…Mom!!" his numbed voice couldn't reach to his mom, not even his own ears.
"There is no place for a coward in this village" she draws her sword "This is the land of warriors and we fight for our honour. We either win or die, we don't know anything else"
The colour of resolve in her eyes was deep red, it made Aditya realise that she was not going to waver even for a second from her stance. It was her pride for which she was fighting and she wouldn't have moved an inch from her determination.
A certain coldness fazed his thoughts. All emotions along with the voices lowered until they all vanished somewhere. He somehow stood back on his feet and nodded his head "I will return!"
"I didn't hear you!" she roared again, standing on her crumbling body "This is not the voice of the son I have!"
The boy raised his head, looking at his mother for the last time, just like her. A certain silence shook both of them for a while as their eyes met. No words could have deciphered the conversation that their silence did, but a promise was already made. Tears of agony rolled down from Aditya's face as his overwhelmed heart filled with emotions.
"I am a proud warrior of Sitara! And I will come back and avenge my village and my people! I give my word to you!" Aditya cracked down.
The mother who carried the tears of separation from her only child and the joy of dying as a proud warrior, turned back and walked the path of war again, into the ravaging hell of the fire festival, uttering her last words "Now go my son! May the spirit of forest guide your way"
That was the last time Aditya saw his mother, walking into the burning Sitara with a shattered body and a sword painted with blood.
Standing on his shivering feet, Aditya growled Rahim's name in anger, unleashing all the pain within.
Carrying resentful and teary eyes, he kept glaring at the village as he walked to the path his mother had shown, leaving his homeland and loved ones forever, with a promise to fulfil.
Accepting fate was not easy for the young boy who had lost his father at the age of seventeen and now his mother and home as well. The unwavering principles he had been taught of a warrior, could barely calm his emotions.
The path was ever ending. The thick forest in the devouring darkness of the night wanted him to stay and cry aloud but the silver of moon kept showing him the way forward to a new hope.
The way he was told to trail was a thin pathway straight into the forest. The boy remembered that he had to follow the grassless path all the way. Although being broken and frightened, he obeyed his mother's words and kept walking, almost running all the way.
After a while of walking into the forest, the way ended up in a big open grassy land with trees encircling the entire area. With a small fresh water pound placed somewhere at the centre, countless fireflies adorning the sky under the silver moonlight and feebly blowing cold wind; it was a spectacle.
The boy couldn't see anyone but glade. He was still inside the forest and he knew the path didn't ended there. He was all alone and moving any further was pointless, nothing was visible anymore. The boy moved to the pond again, vanquished his thirst and splashed some cold water on his face and decided to stay put until dawn.
Everything went silent again as he lied down near the pond watching the sky filled with gleaming stars, recreating all the memories of his mother and the village he grew up in. The central garden's noise, bickering of his neighbours, teachings of his master, laughs of his friends and all the happiness he was a part of, were flashing before his eyes.
But as the cold wind blew even faster and broke the silence of that spectacle as the imagery of his mother splashed before his eyes again, uttering her final words.
"Honour, Humanity and pride" Aditya stretched his hands towards the starry sky "I will return for my pride, I will fight for my honour and I will win for humanity"
Rooh
Early dawn was a sign for the young warrior to find his way again. He began to observe the periphery of the glade in a hope to find the same grassless path again but all that visible was the way back.
He couldn't recall his mother telling anything about this glade or the end of the path.
'Maybe this is the meeting place?' he thought wandering back to the pond again, looking in every direction possible 'If that's true, where are the others? And if not, where is the way?'
Loaded with questions he had no answers to, the boy decided to enter the forest at the other side by marking on successive trees in his way with a sharp dagger that he always carried with him, leaving a trace of his own path. The boy knew if he got lost in the forest, finding others would become very difficult as he didn't know what lied ahead of the forest.
It was early morning already and the forest was thick enough to block any ray of sun to enter. Animals were quiet and a slight wetness had covered the entire forest. Aditya walked for a while inside the jungle and found a piece of torn cloth lying on the ground. Filled with a little hope, his eyes started searching for his own people even more intensely. The boy was certain that the villagers had passed through this place. He thought he was in right direction and close to where everyone was, taking that little faith in his hand, he walked further.
It was almost noon and somehow the boy came across a tree, loaded with guava. After walking tirelessly for a while without anything to eat or drink, he thought of taking a short break while he can.
The boy tried hard to pluck some guavas but they were out of his reach. The boy was hungry and shattered, both physically and mentally and the tree was tall enough to prevent him from climbing or aiming. Neither he could find a way to the top nor did stone pelting help. But the hunger made him pick the same stone and try again.
Before he could aim again, suddenly with a hit, the guava he was looking at, fell down.
"Wow! You were just a few miles away from that!" a girl holding a golden bow said from behind "What are you doing here?"
The boy's head turned and his eyes opened wide in shock "Rooh?"
Rooh, a childhood friend with whom Aditya had been studying in the village from the beginning. She was a deep brown eyed girl with skin that of milk and silky long hairs which she bound together with a clip. With a thin and sleek body wearing smartness and cleverness in her every step, she was a beautiful young lady. The girl was arrogant and prideful enough to be called as a sweet death among her classmates. Apart from her appearance, she was even considered to be one of the perfect archers of Sitara. With flawless blend of beauty and mind, she was well known among the villagers.
Rooh stood wearing a subtle anger in her stance as she glared upon Aditya's confused face. The boy was surprised to see her out of nowhere and couldn't speak a word.
"What?" Rooh looked a little more annoyed than before "Should I go back?"
"No! I mean….. where did you come from?"
"From the sky!"
"....I am asking how did you reach here"
"Through legs, genius. I can walk"
They were close, had known each other since childhood. Words weren't necessary for them to describe how happy they were after finding each other. They knew what horrors they both had suffered just a night before and they were mature enough not to cry about it, it was all understood. As the conversation went on, her ripped clothes took Aditya's eyes.
"Hey, what are you looking at?" Rooh hides her torn shirt with hands.
"What happened to you?" asked Aditya.
"Nothing, just fought with a tiger, slept with some snakes and had breakfast with a bear just now"
"Cut it out already" Aditya sighed and took a little bite from the fallen fruit "We should hurry and focus on finding the others, we have lost too much already and can't afford to lose more"
"I know! I have lost my home as well and the people I care about…. I have been running since last night, tumbling down all over the forest!" she approached towards him fastening the bow on a leather belt which she wore on her back "what did you thought happened to me?!"
"I know already" Aditya sighed again "Do you have any idea where the others might have gone?"
"I don't know!" she snatched the fruit from his hand and started eating "By the way, have your own"
"Shot more!" he argued.
"I am not giving you anything" Rooh turned away and started eating in a hurry.
"No, not for me" Aditya calmly sat under the same tree, watching her from behind "….For you"
Torn clothes, tired pale eyes and cuts and bruises all over the body told Aditya that her night had been even worse than his. 'It must have been a cold night, the coldest night to be honest, isn't it?' he thought. Even after looking twice, he couldn't find any cloth in his body to offer her either. Somewhere inside the forest, they just had each other. Nothing less, nothing more.
Aditya patiently waited until she had finished eating and after a long awkward moment of silence, he broke the ice again.
"So, you were told to follow the secret path too?" Aditya's eyes moved to Rooh.
"Yeah, my uncle told me to go this way and meet up with the other villagers" Rooh walked slowly and sat near him "But I haven't found a single person beside you till now"
"I see. The path ended in a glade as well; but I am not sure if it was the meeting point" Aditya showed her the piece of cloth he carried with him "I have found this on my way here, they must have passed through this forest"
"I don't think so"
"What do you mean?"
"I have found a river nearby; I remember someone mentioning about a river in the forest a while back when we were in the village. They said that the holy river takes you to the other side of the forest" she stood up rearranging her torn clothes "I believe they must have taken the same route"
"And what about this?" Aditya showed her the piece of cloth again.
"I don't know about it" Rooh turned "But I know one thing, no one would aimlessly enter a forest at night without anything to guide them. Like you did!"
"Well, I entered at day but never mind" Aditya murmured "Anyway, if you already found out the right way, why did you return?"
"I was running all night and I was not sure about anything. It was dark as well, I returned to clear my confusions" she drew her bow again "As I came back, I saw some fresh marks on trees, and I was certain that it has to be some idiot from the village"
"I see" Aditya started walking ahead.
"Where are you going?"
"What…?" Aditya turned to her again "Forgot the way already?"
Aiming at the tree, she shot an arrow straight to a thin branch, making some guavas fall "No I didn't! But first, tie up the guavas as much as you can in that piece of cloth you're holding. What if I get hungry again?"
"You know what?" Aditya came close, pulling her cheeks "You are the daughter of the devil"
"Yeah, yeah… and I'll go straight to hell, now hurry up and then follow me" Rooh smiled for the first time "I'll let you have some to eat on the way, don't worry".
They gathered as much food as they could and started walking towards the glade again.
It was past noon already as they found themselves standing beside the holy river. It was a thin stream of water flowing in the opposite direction. Forest at the other side was a bit different from the one they were at; it was more dense and much darker. Discrete rays of sun were sparkling on the entire stream of river. A peaceful silence captured the air where the only thing they could hear was chippering of birds and flow of the river.
Being in their own zones of thought the entire time, the day ended with miles of distance covered. They had good luck finding some food along the way as well. As night fell, they decided to camp until dawn.
The warmth from the fire of the woods they had collected and under a cold clear sky with a subtle breeze kept them awake for a while. The fire from the woods was a reminder of the fire festival and the cold night of the things they had lost.
"Hey! Do you remember …... the fire festival" said Rooh, lying beside Aditya.
"How can I forget" replied Aditya as he stared upon the starry sky.
"Fancy name for committing crime, isn't it?"
"That's true"
"Cowards…. They're all cowards"
"I know….."
Rooh's wet eyes turned to her left finding Aditya "The stars looked prettier from Sitara isn't it"
"Yes, they did…"
"Where do you think they are now... Aditya?"
Aditya knew that Rooh was sad, she had always talked desperately whenever she missed someone. But Aditya was no good either. He didn't have the courage to confront her but facing the other side and shed his own tears of agony. Rooh kept talking desperately and Aditya kept listening without a word replied until both of their eyes closed.
A day had ended after losing their home and they found themselves walking the same path again. The sun was walking along with them and it was all quiet and hot. Rooh was continuously glaring at Aditya's off-track face while walking aside him "I know what you're thinking right now"
"What?"
"You're thinking about taking revenge, isn't it?"
"You're not?"
"Well… obviously but …."
"But what….? You know the purpose of escaping right...? It is to regain our strength again and return" Aditya was out of breath as he replied "We fight for our honour, and Sitara is our honour as well as pride"
"Yeah, I know and we definitely will" Rooh puts her hands behind her back "But, most of the villagers who had left are normal people, who have never fought. I believe they would prefer to live peacefully in some corner of this world rather than going back and fight to death"
"I don't agree with you at all, everybody in the village is a warrior and we have always fought together and don't forget we have Guddu and Raja who must be itching to join us and tear those bandits apart" Aditya leaned a bit forward with dedication "We are all warriors, there is no way that people who have escaped are not boiling with anger right now"
"You're right, I think I am reading too much into it. Well, there has to be some of our seniors among them as well, to guide them safely out of the forest"
"Yes, you're right, the seniors who must have wanted to stay and fight but forced to escape with the villagers just like us… I even think that they might be making a plan to reclaim our village right now"
"I guess you're right. Certainly, right about Guddu and Raja at least. They had already escaped with the others; Raja's father had told me that night as I bumped into him" Rooh smiled closing her eyes "I wonder who convinced those thick heads not to fight and leave the village. I want to salute that person to do the impossible"
"Well, in that case, we need to salute your uncle as well"
"What did you say?"
"Never mind" Aditya smiled.
Guddu and Raja were both close to them, they were all friends with each other. With a little impulsiveness and aggressiveness in their attitude, they were a kind of hot heads with hearts in the right direction. They used to pick fights more often but also were the first ones to help someone in need.
Sun was picking up the pace as they walked alongside the endless river, talking all the way. Suddenly their attention went to another white piece of cloth trapped in between two rocks in the river. Taking a closer look, their faces bloomed with joy as they remembered the design engraved in that cloth. It was from the village. Their own people were somewhere nearby. They were not out of their reach anymore.
"See! told you we're going in the right direction" Rooh was excited "The first thing I want is clothes. Because I am not going anywhere looking like this"
"Sure! And what I want is some deep sleep. But I am not sure if Guddu and Raja will let me have some" Aditya took a slight breath of relief.
Filled with bliss and emotions, their steps picked up a little more pace than the sun. They were not tired anymore but a bit happier and a bit more energetic. They were finally going to reunite with the people they loved so much. Soon an opening to the clearing was visible from far away as they went on.
The forest was about to disappear soon as they started running towards the dark orange sunshine with a huge smile of their faces, but soon that turned into a nightmare as they put their feet on the ground under the red bloody sky.
With eyes about to fall and a shiver in their jaws, wherever their shaky legs took them, ended up finding the dead. Bodies were flooding the ground; of the people they were eagerly waiting for. They were all dead, all of the them.
Yes, everyone fought, they fought together, and they lost together as well. Raja and Guddu's impaled bodies said it all.
The golden bow
With dreams shattered all over the place and hopes drowned in despair, they gathered all the valuable belongings the dead bodies had to offer with their trembling hands. They were taught not to falter even if they saw their loved ones dying in the battlefield. But this time they were in a graveyard of their entire world.
Aditya walked leisurely alongside a narrow stream of blood that couldn't made its way to the river. This endless journey of pain aches even more as he walked through, trying to acquire some memories and belongings from the dead.
A headless mother offered him some jewellery and a little bracelet was given by her slitted child, not too far away from where she lied. An old villager with a pierced heart offered some gold and silver coins, maybe what he had earned his whole life. It was all silent yet audible, he could listen to it all, all the cries, all the pain and all the suffering. All at once.0
Overwhelmed, Rooh somehow collected her senses. She could feel their wide opened eyes, calling her name as she walked through the pile of bodies of her loved ones. It felt like as if they were trying to say something. Something that she never wanted to hear.
Along with some precious stones, clothes and food, she found some old memories of those who once laughed with her. A wooden dagger of a child who never stopped babbling about becoming a proud warrior of Sitara, a broken flute from a girl who played it really well and a bronze coin from a poor guy which he never traded.
They were all sharing whatever they could, to the last warriors they were entrusting their dreams with.
They had collected enough wealth to survive for lifetime, food that could last for a day and enough memories to last for eternity. And now, it was time to leave.
Closing both of his friend's eyes for the last time, Aditya took their swords in honour and walked beside Rooh, along with the river again, leaving their fallen world forever.
Horrified and lost in their own thoughts, they kept walking without uttering a word. Soon the night fell and they found themselves strolling under the same moonlight again just like that night, nothing had changed, nothing at all. With a mile strolled in a dead silence, Rooh's trembling feet lost its will to take another step. She fell on her knees, down in dumps and lost in coldness.
Unaware of his friend, Aditya kept walking slowly with his lost wakefulness, leaving her behind. Rooh never called and Aditya never listened.
Suddenly a tiny snow flake took his attention. Aditya stretched his hands wanting to feel the coldness of the winter but couldn't sense a thing. Another snow flake rested on his palm and melted right away. One after another, snow started to pile up in his hands, trying to tell how cold the outside world was and suddenly a freezing breeze returned his lost senses again.
Rooh was not with him, he looked back and found her on the ground, drowned in hopelessness far away. Aditya ran and held her hands trying to make her back on her feet but she was already a stone with no will of her own, no will at all.
Watching her lost, Aditya's will to move forward trembled as well. Her burden was enough for him to give up, both of the lifeless souls fell down aside each other.
"We lost" Rooh whispered, weeping "Adi…"
Aditya swept her tears many a times but couldn't stop them from rumbling down her cheeks.
"Adi… we lost everything" Rooh cried in a silence "We lost Adi… We lost"
"Who is alive to fight for? …. Adi… tell me" her voice started to crack just like her soul.
Aditya didn't have any answers to her silent cries, only what he could do was to he pull her closer, press her face to his chest and give a home to her tears, a place where she could cry all night.
Winter started to fall upon them, slowly blending their existence into itself. Dark cloudy skies hide the stars they used to see together; moonlight wasn't there to guide their way and the drizzle of flakes started to paint everything white. It snowed heavily that night.
Days flew by and they found themselves living together in a calm village under the Thar kingdom in south. They had rented a small house where they were living a normal life without thinking anything further.
Their souls were empty and this peaceful village was more than enough to fill them up slowly and steadily. Sitting between the ocean on one side and the forest at the other, this village was much peaceful, far away from any distress. Much crowded but a little less alive than Sitara. People minded their own business, living in their own bubble. There were a lot of faces around but none were familiar. They felt lost standing among the people they had never met but that's what they called their home now.
Day became night and night became day, much faster. Life was moving fast yet slow. After living there for a while, they now knew the lanes and markets necessary for their survival needs and some familiar faces every here and there.
After that devastating night, both of them had lost their will to fight back. Something valuable was lost forever in the way and they had unspokenly decided to stay in that village laying low forever. But the destiny had decided something else. A new journey was around the corner, being written in a market full of people.
A guy with a stolen black packet in his hands was sprinting on the lane, smashing and finding his way into the crowd. He crashed with Aditya, while they were shopping together in the market for refilling their supplies. The guy got up in haste and sprinted again, away from a voice.
"Thief! Thief! Stop him! Somebody, stop him!" someone yelled from behind.
Rooh out of impulse, took a potato out from the basket and threw it to the guy, hitting his skull from behind. The guy fell down and the man who yelled thanked Rooh while passing by. It was all being seen by an old man sitting on the stairs of a temple at a stone's throw.
Wearing dirty torn clothes, a tooth missing in front and hairs covered in dust, the old man was holding an unfinished apple in his hand and munching time to time. He suspiciously started following Aditya and Rooh from a distance without getting into their view.
Rooh and Aditya, after refilling their supplies started walking towards home, taking rapid turns. The lanes were small and narrow and they were fast, it was being difficult for the old man to chase after them without being seen. Soon, he found Rooh walking alone. With the same enthusiasm, from a corner he was watching her keenly and suddenly found his throat pressing against a sharp dagger.
"What do you want?" asked Aditya from behind.
Rooh turned, holding the bucket and approached them "This is not the age to do these things sir. But still, if you're at it, at least take a bath"
"Rooh!" Aditya glared "It's not the time"
"Ok! Sorry" her cold eyes returned to old man "I'll ask only this once, what and why"
"I… It's not what you're thinking… I …" old man started shaking "I…"
"We don't have whole day" Aditya interrupted, pressing the edge of the dagger against his throat "Start talking"
"Competition! Competition!" the old man yelled closing his eyes. Aditya and Rooh looked at each other, confused. Then freed him.
After being free, the old man looked at Rooh with intriguing eyes "You are an archer, right?"
"How do you know that?" asked Rooh.
"I saw that throw back in the market" said the old man "Your aim is amazing! Only a true archer can throw something in such a crowd and still hit the target"
"You didn't follow us just to say that did you?" Aditya glared at him again "Tell us the truth"
"No! No!" old man's eyes moved towards Rooh again "You must participate in the archery competition; the festival is going to start next month"
Hearing the word festival brought some old memories back to both of them. Suddenly the old man's babbling was lost somewhere and nothing was audible anymore.
"I am not interested, thank you" Rooh turned away and started walking.
"It is for the Honour! Child!"
"Honour?" Rooh turned "Whose honour?"
"Honour of the common man!" old man answered.
Aditya rested his back on the wall and sighed "ok, now what's the story"
"King Soor's daughter, Arya" old man looked worried "Every year, an entire week is celebrated by having different competitions in this village, funded by King Soor in the name of the spirit of the ocean. His men are winning every competition ever since; lady Arya has been winning the archery competition every festival as well"
"So what?" asked Aditya, annoyed "we're not getting your point and what's with king's daughter?"
"The point is, Kings from all generations has been undermining the common villagers" old man came down on his knees, joining hands "I want you to defeat lady Arya so that my villagers could understand that they can too! I want them to believe that they have a value. Nearly five decades ago this village was flooded with brave and unique people, but now, I see none. It has reduced to a playground for the king and his men. I want the honour of this village back"
"People should step up on their own, if they want to retain their identity" Aditya turned away, towards home "It's not our responsibility if they're not motivated enough"
Aditya started to reflect on his own words as he walked away. Rooh followed him and watched him being a little down but didn't say a word.
Old man pleaded again "There is no harm in it, think about how many people will look up to you if you win"
Watching them walking away in a dread silence, he also came along, continuously insisting them to participate. All the way, he kept talking about the lost honour and his village. Something inside wanted the young warriors to stay and listen to the old man but reoccurring faces of their lost ones drove their legs away and they didn't know when they reached home.
After a while of listening to the old man's babbling about pride and honour, tired, Rooh before entering into the house, said "Ok! I'll talk to you tomorrow about it, if you leave us alone right now"
Old man's steps ceased as he heard those words, he didn't say anything afterwards but with a big smile, waved at them and walked back "I'll see you tomorrow then! Have sweetest of dreams tonight!"
He went away saying that he will come back tomorrow. "Oh god" Rooh sighed.
"Are you going to…" Aditya looked at Rooh.
"I said I'll talk about it" Rooh closed the door "I never said I will…"
A restless night passed by, recalling the old memories and the next morning old man was at their door again.
"So, what is your answer"
"No!"
"But why?" old man pleaded "But you were excited yesterday"
"I said no!" Rooh passed by "And… go check your eyes first"
"I saw it!" old man followed her "and why are you running away?"
"Don't you have anything else to do, old man?" Rooh kept ignoring him "And this is my normal speed"
"Give it up old man" said Aditya from behind "She won't listen, it's time you should go home now"
Old man didn't say a word after that and left. Rooh and Aditya watched him walk the other side with a down face.
"Did I do right?" asked Rooh in a sad tone.
Aditya kept his silence for a while then said "I don't know… I really don't"
Night fell again and both kept thinking about the same thing, 'why no' and 'why yes'
Next morning, Rooh opened the front door and shouted "Aditya! Adityaaa!"
"What?" Aditya came running "what happened?"
Rooh pointed outside. Old man was sitting next to the door with a board that said 'Hunger strike"
"What the hell are you doing!" Rooh shouted angrily "I said no, and it means no!"
"I am not saying anything" said the old man "And I am not inside your house"
"Fine then!" Rooh held Aditya's hand, dragging him inside "Starve to death then! I don't care"
Both went inside and got into their own rooms. Rooh was not easy, so the old man. He didn't say a word but sat with his board straight, pointing towards the sky. Rooh closed every single door that opens to old man but kept yelling at him from the same time to time. She pretended not to care but kept watching him from a distance.
Old man kept sitting below the hot sun, without food and water. Every time any of the two took a bite of food or had a gulp of water, thought about the old man who was sitting outside.
Night fell and nobody had dinner. Both kept watching the old man from their own rooms. Rooh was uneasy the entire night and couldn't sleep. Now she was thinking 'why not yes?'
Next morning, she took some food and water and put in front of the old man and started glaring at him "EAT!"
"No, I won't"
"What is your problem?" Rooh folded her hands "Why is it such a big deal for you?"
"You wouldn't understand" old man paused for a while then continued "The pain of losing everything"
'How can I not know that…' Rooh stood quite for a while, staring at him "Okay, I'll participate"
"What?" Old man was happily confused "What did you say?"
"I said I'll kill you!"
"No! No! the one that said you'll participate!"
"Dude" Rooh was annoyed "Take the food and go away or I'll seriously make you my target practice"
"I'll be happy to be one for you!" old man quickly drank the entire glass of water and started stuffing his face with food.
"OMG! This is delicious" old man smiled.
"Stupid old man" Rooh took a breath of relief as she turned to home, smiling.
She entered inside and the old man left after finishing his meal. Aditya was watching it all from above.
Night fell and they prepared dinner together, it was quiet all the time. At the dining table above a white cloth, they had put two bowls of rice along with some curry. With the first bite taken, Aditya started gazing at Rooh blankly.
"What?" Rooh started stirring the rice, mixing the curry "I didn't have a choice"
"Are you sure about it?"
"Well, it's…" Rooh whispered "It's just a game, isn't it?"
"We are yet to make a decision first, or did you forget?"
"I haven't forgot anything, but there is one more truth that life must go on! Anyway, it's been a while since I used my bow…. I have to use it one way or the other, isn't it?"
A strong breeze from the window took their attention, the winter was already over and summer was on its way. Aditya realised what she was saying was right. There was no point in taking a decision when it was already decided. They just needed some time.
Aditya jerked his head and after a little while said "Yeah, you're right. Sorry; I guess I have been thinking too much lately"
"Don't worry, I feel the same way" Rooh's eyes went down, on the white table cloth.
Time passed a little slower as they ate. A lot of things were rambling inside their minds. As they were almost finished, Aditya's eyes found Rooh again "I have been wondering lately that…how did they knew where the remaining villagers were heading to and about the secret path that only a few of the elites of the village knew about"
"I have been thinking the same thing, but I can't say anything for sure" said Rooh.
"By the way, you're looking a bit relieved today"
"Who me? I don't know" Rooh took the last bite "I really don't know"
It had been a while since they felt some ease around them. Aditya looked at Rooh's face. The cheerful girl who he had known from his childhood, had lost somewhere in between the depths of reality, but was slowly returning to him once again.
His eyes moved towards the window again, watching the outside world, into the darkness of night "Well… anyway, I think you should concentrate more on the competition ahead from now on"
"I have been thinking about the same thing. Well, it will be a good practice at least" Rooh filled her glass "The old man said lady Arya is the best archer in this kingdom. It will a good opportunity to see where I stand"
"Are you scared?" Aditya faintly smiled.
"Scared? Me? In Archery? Let me check please…"
"Check what?"
"Check if old man took your brain with him"
"Well anyways, just as long as you don't upset the king, I guess everything is fine" said Aditya, gulping what last remained in his glass "We're down on streets if we do that"
"No, no I won't" Rooh smiled again "I want to live here as well"
It was late and both of them went to their rooms calling it a night. Aditya slept right away. But Rooh couldn't, a subtle excitement ruined her sleep and made her took the bow out which she had wrapped around a cloth and placed at some corner of the room. Her heart started to flutter as she fastens her quiver on her back again. Eyes shined bright as she took an arrow in her hand one more time. Stretching the strings, she felt like herself again, the old archer Rooh. That night, she slept with her gears on.
Morning came in a flash and they found the old man at their door steps again, excited "It's the time! It's the time!"
Rooh and Aditya looked at each other and sighed together.
He took them somewhere at the middle of the village where a big old tent was placed and the in-charge of the event sat. A fat bald guy behind the table said "Our list is completed; we cannot take more participants"
"Last time there were fifteen contestants, why are you closing at twelve this time?" old man argued after watching the poster sticking to the wall behind the desk.
"It's been decided by the community, now go away," shouted the guy.
Old man put his hand inside the pocket and took out ten rare gold coins and put them on the table "Put my bet on this girl"
Bald guy looked around and grabbed those coins in a hurry "What's her name?"
Rooh and Aditya, who were standing at a corner watching all this, looked at each other with wide opened mouths and said together "So this was the honour he was talking about?"
Summer was at its early and days felt longer, much longer for Rooh who was silently waiting for the day to come. Days kept passing and the old man spent most of his time outside their house, reminding them about the competition every time they passed.
The old man was worried as all these days Rooh never practiced at all and the day of event was around the corner Whenever he argued with her, she always told him that she had already read the rules and everything was clear to her. Old man couldn't understand if it had anything to do with practicing and after a day found himself standing with them at the stadium on the day of competition.
It was the day of festival and the entire village was decorated. A number of food stalls flooded the streets. The stadium was overcrowded with people who came from different villages of the kingdom, faces from the nearby kingdoms were also visible. The event started with Archery competition. A man in all black was announcing the event and calling the contestants one by one. A huge couch was placed near the entrance where king Soor and his daughter, Lady Arya had sat.
Rooh stood with other contestants at the ground in one corner. While Aditya and the old man sat among the viewers somewhere at the second row.
Event started with a beat on a huge gong placed somewhere at the top of stadium and contestants started showing their archery skills, audience clapped and cheered at their performance as they advanced.
There was a straight line on the ground behind which the contestants must stand while aiming; at the other side, three target boards were placed at a fifty, hundred and one hundred and fifty meters away at a distance. Total points to gain were thirty. Five for first, ten for second and fifteen for the third. Points were to be given out of maximum according to their aim at the centre of the board. Eleven of them performed but none reached even ten and the twelfth name was Lady Arya.
Lady Arya was a beauty. A blue eyed, white skin girl with blond hairs. Wearing a blue silky dress. She arrogantly held a royal bow in her hand and a golden quiver in her back and walked to the first check point from where the first board placed at fifty meters away was clearly visible. Without wasting any time, she shot an arrow straight to the centre of the yellow circle. Arena got filled with applause, King Soor called her name with great pride, giving flying kisses. And Lady Arya moved to the next target.
After aiming for a few seconds, she shot at the centre of yellow again. Everyone clapped and cheered her name once more, King stood up and cheered along. Arya then walked in front of the final board and stood for a while. The target was too far away, she took a few minutes to aim but couldn't shot out of doubt.
People along with the king started cheering for her, inspiring and motivating her to pull the strings again. Taking a deep breath, Arya took the aim again and shot the arrow a little outside the yellow circle. Nobody had reached this far. The arena brightened up with joyful faces. Arya's name was echoing all around the stadium until she got back on her seat again with the king.
The announcer signalled to lower the voices as the competition was not over. Confused, everyone in the stadium started looking each other's faces and after a while of silence, Rooh's name was announced. Everyone watched her as she walked to the centre of the line. King Soor and princess Arya were also confused as she held the golden bow in her hand and took an arrow out of her quiver.
It all became quiet as she pulled the strings. Her strong posture and eyes full of dedication made everyone on their edge. Even king Soor was keenly watching without saying a word. And the host signalled to start.
Without a second waste, Rooh shot the arrows one after another standing at the same point without stopping. At a flash it was all over and all three boards were pierced with an arrow at exact centre. Jaws fell, in shock. It was a spectacle in the archery world. Everyone was outperformed by an unknown girl.
Suddenly a yelling was heard; heads moved; everyone saw the old man dancing shirtless "I told you! I knew it!"
"Hand over the prize money to that half naked tiny old man" Rooh said to the host as she walked to the exit.
Aditya stood up and started descending the stairs. Old man came along singing and ran straight to the organizer for the prize money. Aditya and Rooh walked together as everyone watched them, appalled. King's men moved out of their way, frightened. And they passed by the royal couch, to the exit.
The Temple of Angtok
Summer festival went by in a flash and Rooh's name was known throughout the kingdom. Kids of the village started to wave at her whenever they saw her on the streets. Nobody in the village talked much but there was a gesture of appreciation in their eyes. There was nothing new as they walked the usual streets, yet something had changed. Rooh and Aditya could see a minute change in the environment. A little more confidence, a little more joy and a little more smile around them. And they knew that they were the reason behind it.
One regular day, it was a hushed evening, clouds painted white canvas in the orange sky. Aditya headed back to the house and Rooh was wandering somewhere in the outskirts of the village, soothing her eyes with blend of sunset and nature alongside the holy river. She had started to enjoy this village even more. The heart-warming gesture she was getting by every person she met, made her feel proud of what she was.
After recreating some beautiful old memories, on her way back, she saw a kid impersonating herself with a bow and arrow made out of woods. Just like Rooh, she tied her hairs with a black clip. Stood straight in a mark that she had made in the ground, clamping her bow in a rope at her back just like Rooh does with the leather belt.
Rooh stayed still for a while sitting and watching her play, with a smile on her face. Night was about to fall and she saw the girl tripped over a stone while going back home. Rooh stood up in a haste to help her but something restricted her steps. The girl cried for a moment in pain and couldn't get up on her feet but as the time passed, she did. Collecting her fallen wooden bow and arrows, the girl walked to her home again.
With a new spark on her face and smile busting with a new confidence, Rooh ran towards home and dragged Aditya out of the house. Holding hands, she brought him to the same place, at the riverside.
The holy river was shining slightly silver under the bright moon light. Peaceful silence embraced the vicinity and wind-blown slowly and steadily. Aditya was gazing at Rooh, confused as she had dragged him without a word spoken and leaving the home wide opened. Aditya knew she had something big to say or someone important to introduce as this had happened many a times before while they were in village. Aditya stayed put with a straw in his mouth.
Rooh was staring at the woods on the other side of the river with a frail smile enriching her face. Aditya wandered his eyes around but couldn't find anyone. After a brief moment of stillness, she broke the silence.
"You asked me about the decision a while back, before the festival" her eyes moved to Aditya "I choose to reclaim Sitara! I choose to fight back!"
Straw fell. Aditya was surprised "Are you…"
"Never been so sure" Rooh interrupted. The wind started to blow faster and her clip loosen some hair strands which flew with the wind.
It was too sudden for Aditya who stood amazed for a minute. She reminded him of his mother as she talked. The determination she carried in her words was the same as the sword that his mother had drawn. After some time, He realised that deep within he was already aware of what he wanted but still had some questions that needed to be answered. Dwelling between right and wrong, doubts started to hail his head but his answers were soon found in the eyes of Rooh again.
"But there is no Sitara to fight for!" he said apprehensively "Sitara existed because of its people, now there is no one left to protect anymore"
"Sitara is still alive. Rooh and Aditya are still left" she gazed Aditya with her intriguing eyes "Until we fall, Sitara exists!"
She had made up her mind. Every ounce of her body was an answer to him, she was standing with pride of what she was and what she believed in, with a stance much bigger than Aditya's worries.
"Hey… do you still remember the fire festival?" Rooh continued.
"Yes, I do!"
"I want to burn that bastard alive in it, what about you?"
With a smile depicting a sense of relief, Aditya turned back in the direction of their home "The villagers look up to you, if you want you can live peacefully here forever"
"They look up to me for what I am" Rooh turned as well "And I am a proud warrior of Sitara, the Archer, Rooh!"
Both saw each other and laughed with joy as it felt like a big burden had been removed from their shoulders. Holding hands, with a new hope and determination in their hearts, they walked to their home again under the same moonlight.
"Hey, you never told me about your own decision"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Ohh, that living peacefully in this village stuff?"
"Rooh…"
"Okay, Okay! But why were you shocked earlier, knowing well that this was the right decision and we had to take it anyway"
"I was worried if I were dragging you into something you wouldn't want. I found you happier living a normal life in this village. So, I wanted you to choose your own path"
"And… what if I said I wanted to live a normal life here?"
"Then I would have left this village, walking my own way"
"Leaving me alone...?"
"I mean… I would have… I mean I would have been a little worried about you. But it wouldn't have bothered me much having known that you were safe and happy here"
"A little…?"
"I mean… yeah… I mean, I would have come to you for whatever reasons and I would have even come to protect you with my life"
"Awwww… That's so sweet of you" Rooh's eyes and voice turned colder "I am better skilled than you are, so worry about yourself! I can take on hundred at once"
"Right, miss famous archer"
"Well, why do I feel like it wasn't the reason?"
"Because it wasn't!"
Rooh's eyes and mouth opened at once "Ohh…wait a minute… I don't believe this! Were you scared of losing me?"
"…By the way I can take on two hundred at once" Aditya hide his eyes from her.
"Yeah right, Mr. Swordsmen"
Time started to move at its pace again. After a long time, that night, they slept well with a new hope, a new them and with a new dawn the very next day, they saw the old man again at their door steps.
"I overheard your conversation last night, at the riverside" old man said rubbing his nose "You helped me bringing the change in this village, so it's my turn now, I will help you out as well"
"How can that be?" Rooh touched her cheeks "There was no one except us there"
"Ha-ha, that's my super technique of hiding" old man puts his hands behind "My technique is unbreakable"
"Hmm… you had hide pretty well at the top of the tree, third to the left from where I stood," said Aditya.
"At the second branch to be exact" Rooh added "I was amazed you could climb that high"
"Well…, I am still learning" old man laughed "But he can do it with perfection!"
"He…?" asked Aditya.
"My best friend!" old man answered "He lives in the temple of Angtok"
"And…?" asked Rooh, tired.
"And he is the most powerful warrior in this world" old man said with a great pride "He is the only one who could help you two"
They had heard about the temple of Angtok, it was dedicated to the spirit of the ocean. They had also heard about the holy river which was dear to the spirit, the same river which they had followed. Villagers had told them that if a person with an impure heart try to cross the river, he would die. They also had talked about a bridge called the bridge of faith that connected the two kingdoms; Thar from here and the kingdom Luna from the other side. Stories had told them that the bridge was made by the permission of the spirit of the ocean a long time ago. And People were only allowed to cross the river from that bridge without facing the wrath of the spirit.
"Tell us everything" Aditya leaned to the wall, resting his back.
"I am saying, that if you want to go against an entire army, you must become much more powerful" old man came closer "I do not doubt your skills but my friend can make you even more powerful. So that nobody will be able to defeat you ever"
Rooh and Aditya looked at each other for a minute. Last night they already had decided to train harder and equip themselves with all the information and supplies they needed before leaving. They had graduated already from their village with proper training and their teacher Asahi had told them to learn further from life which they were following whole heartedly. But they had never thought of having a new mentor.
"Don't think of anything! Just come with me tomorrow!" said old man, excited.
"We don't know anything about your friend" said Rooh "How do we know if he's exactly like how you're describing him? and also even if he is, why would he help us?"
"Don't worry! I have already talked to him!"
"Well, we need to discuss about it" Rooh hesitated.
"Okay! We will!" Aditya wake from his deep thoughts and after a moment, said "Tomorrow morning, we'll leave"
In between them and their destiny, the old man had played an important role and Aditya had a hunch that he might as well do further.
"We'll leave tomorrow morning as you said. Let's meet your friend and see what he got for us" Aditya started walking away.
"You better not be joking old man!" Rooh glared at old man and followed Aditya's steps "We're believing in your words once more! I'll kill you if it turns out to be one of your money-making pranks again"
Knowing the old man, Rooh didn't had any high hopes but Aditya did. Nothing was clear but still they slept with a little excitement in their hearts, wondering what fate had wrote for them ahead.
The very next day they woke up early and packed their bags to head for the new journey. Rooh polished her arrows and bow, just like the old days. Aditya took both the swords of his old friends 'From now on, we will fight together'
The three of them left the village with their gears on. The temple of Angtok was a few miles away. Along the way, they had passed aside the palace, protected by the huge walls. The old man had told them not to be in the view of palace. They being living in the temple was supposed to be a secret among them. Hot air had warmed them up and the sun was above their heads as they reached to their destination.
The temple was huge and abandoned. With walls and stairs turned black, it appeared to be existed for eternity without any restoration. An old monk, wearing orange came forth. Well-dressed, without a spot of dirt in his appearance, he stood with his head raised. He was completely opposite of the old man standing next to them.
"So, these are the young ones who brought the change you talked about?" said the monk.
"Yes! And I have told them about you as well" old man walked to his side "They have come to be your students"
Aditya and Rooh looked at each other and their eyes started to converse for a moment.
"Students?" Rooh interrupted "We came to know about your techniques! We're way too good to be someone's students you know"
"But..." old man didn't say a word any further as he was stopped by the monk.
"The techniques can be learned right away, you're right about that" monk stretched his hands out asking them to come at him "But it takes years of practice to be good at it"
"Oh no! no no no!" The old man ran and hide behind a pillar.
Rooh took her bow out and pulled an arrow and Aditya drew his swords. In a moment, the peaceful temple became a battlefield where both the sides had only one motive; showing their worth.
A subtle breeze started to flow and a little leaf was visible at the middle, about to hit the ground. Just after it touched the floor, Rooh shot an arrow straight to the monk which he stopped in mid-air, by a bare hand. Smiling, he keenly glared at the arrow and threw it back at Rooh, leaving her shocked. With a sound of woosh, it passed aside her, slightly shearing the skin of her cheek. Amazed and appalled, Aditya attacked him head on but every time he swung his swords, got deflected by his bare palms. Monk's hands moved fast, thrusting the side of the swords without touching the edge.
Rooh, out of anger took her dagger out and joined Aditya but soon found her hands bursting with pain as monk hit the lower of her arms every time she tried to attack. His hands felt like stone every time they clashed. The monk was keenly looking at their dedicated eyes which were striving to connect a blow somehow.
The monk showered his fists on them, making them hurt badly but the two warriors didn't give up or falter. Both of them were dropping down with thrust, getting thrown but none backed off. It went from noon to night and the monk found them laying on the ground with broken bones and gasping in pain but still staring at him with their unwavering eyes.
"Acknowledging your opponent's power and accepting defeat won't mean that you backed off" said the monk with a voice that sheered even the wind "Accept your defeat for now and come with me, I'll teach you the art of one hundred palms"
"…Aghh…We… were not fighting to defeat you" said Aditya, gasping "We knew the moment you stopped the arrow, that we can't beat you in any way… we were fighting to know what we will become after you make us perfect in your art"
"Yeah, that's right… I am sorry to mock you earlier. I did it so that you could challenge us head on" Rooh somehow stood up but fell down again "We're taught not to start a fight for no reason so I had to do that… I really am sorry… but we needed to make sure that the one who teaches us must worth high… I hope you understand"
The monk was standing still, amazed. He couldn't speak for a few moments. After a while, he scratched his bald head and laughed "Amazing! The two of you are something else! I accept the both of you as my students."
Monk walked towards the temple pushing the heavy metal gates that seemed impossible to move, with his hands, making them wide open. He then turned one more time and gazed upon them.
"In the name of Lord Angtok! I promise to fulfil your dreams, master!" he growled and went inside.
Rooh and Aditya were more or less unconscious. Their bodies broke in every way but still, will power pushed them to follow the monk's footsteps. But after a moment of struggle, minds felt dizzy and eyes got closed.
Watching this from a corner, the old man came running and helped both to enter the Temple of Angtok.
Awakening
A new dawn shined upon their faces and the young warriors woke up feeling surprisingly well with a slight dizziness in their heads. The bones they thought were broke, seemed normal with a frail pain. Eyes moved around and they found themselves in an empty room, just two pale coloured mattresses were in sight below them. Coming out of that room, they found a big empty hall, at the centre of which a big sculpture was placed, a giant statue of a half lion and a half human holding a golden staff.
"My name is Zen! And this gentleman who brought you here is Hann!" Monk said from behind standing along with the old man "You will be staying in the same room you just woke up in; from now on"
"And I am the chef of this temple" said Hann from behind Zen "If you have any special requests, tell me straight! Because I am the best cook in the world!"
"How come we're still in one piece?" asked Rooh, raising her arm "You beat us pretty badly yesterday. I even remember that two or three of my bones broke last night"
Zen and Hann looked at each other, confused.
"Yesterday?!!" Hann laughed aloud "It was a week ago!"
"A Week?" Aditya stood blank "What week?"
"After the two of you had passed out, I have been taking care of you and treating you with my special medicines for a week" said Hann "I am amazed you didn't die after pulling that stunt, you're both lucky"
Aditya and Rooh stared at each other with empty faces and opened mouths. It took a minute for them to register what he had said. But after a brief moment of talk, they found it to be true. They had been sleeping for an entire week, in fight with Zen, they had worn out themselves to the point of death. A tonne of questions arose in their heads and Zen kept clearing them all, one after another.
"This Temple of Angtok is where we worship the spirit of the Ocean" said Zen walking slowly "This temple exists from the ancient times when the spirit of the ocean 'Angtok' himself talked to the humans"
"Angtok…" whispered Rooh.
"Though he had sworn to protect the holy river from anyone who set his foot, still he allowed humans to build a bridge across it from where they could safely travel across the river for their needs" Zen stood in front of the stature "This sculpture you're watching depicts Angtok in his true form"
"If this temple is so significant, why it is abandoned? Master Zen?" asked Aditya.
Zen walked backwards to the statue and stood silent for a minute and answered "Long ago this temple was full of devotees who worshiped Lord Angtok and practiced Tau but after King Thar acquired everything, the nearby village turned into ruins and villagers shifted in a faraway land. From then, the importance of this temple kept declining in their hearts as they engaged more in their own lives forgetting the principles they were living with. And now after generations had passed, some people don't even recognise this temple"
Rooh was quietly listening to everything. It was fascinating for her to sit in the temple with such a significance. In his talk, he uttered a word that she had heard a long ago from her late mother, with a keen interest in her voice she asked "Practiced Tau? What's Tau?"
"Tau is a way of life!" answered Zen right away "Long ago, people lived the most disciplined and peaceful life by submerging their body and mind in complete oneness. They lived like lions, fought like warriors and spoke truth even if it was against themselves. They all dedicated their life to at least one of the arts, whatever it may be. They did what their heart told them to do without fear. That way of life is Tau"
"How come the two of you are still here then?" asked Aditya "If everyone had abandoned this place a long time ago"
"It was long ago…! After being abandoned for ages, this temple was reopened by our master Omkar" Zen closed his eyes and continued "He was the strongest warrior this eternity has ever seen. Recognising his abilities, the king of that time permitted him to take over the temple in exchange for training his forces. For a while everything went well as agreed but soon after, master Omkar died out of an illness and everything fell apart. The king abandoned and restricted the entire area forever and this temple was left for the nature to reclaim"
"We were two of many students of master Omkar's last batch" said Hann coming forth "And we were the only ones who followed his teachings and stood by his principles"
"Ohh so that's what you were talking about" said Rooh.
"Yes! And We inherited our master's will. He wanted to bring Tau back to everyone's life and wanted people to live with dignity and pride and we have been trying to do the same. But nobody believed in us. They were all living the lives their king had provided them, forgetting their true identity"
"One night, master Omkar came in my dream and told me to wait until the world begin to change and the kingdoms fall" Zen opened his eyes "After that dream, we have been waiting for that change to happen and we believe the two of you are the chosen ones"
Aditya and Rooh eagerly listened to everything Zen and Hann had to say. After a while, Rooh and Aditya told them everything about them as well. They told them about their village, how it was attacked and by whom; they told them about the villagers who had escaped but eradicated in the way and they told them what they wanted.
Hann and Zen agreed to accompany them in the path they had chosen. Hours passed and the two young warriors had all the answers they needed to know. They accepted Zen as their new master wholeheartedly and stepped forward on the path to become much stronger.
The first day of training arrived and they found themselves in a ground full of stones of their size. Master Zen had told them to reach there before sunrise. It a waste land full of rubbles wherever they could see. The wind was silently blowing and suddenly they found master Zen coming from behind.
"The technique I will teach you requires you to have full control over your body and mind. And for that, you must meditate and calm your soul first" said Zen "Sit above a stone, whichever you want, without any support and meditate until your mind is clear and free of any unwanted thoughts"
Without a moment waste, both did exactly what their master told them to do. They meditated for hours with great discipline along with some regular exercises. Watching their dedication and sincerity, Zen moved to the next step right away after a few days "I believe you have already reached to a level from where I could start teaching you my techniques, now wake and stand by the same stone"
Zen himself stood by a stone placed near him "Now try to move this stone with one hit of your palm"
Rooh glared the size of the stone placed in front of her for a while and then master Zen. Stones were impossibly heavy to move, for a moment she was convinced that Zen was joking but it didn't seem so by his face. "This is impossible!" she finally broke the silence.
"Flow like the wind and strike like a serpent!" Zen stretched his hand and with one strike of his palm, the stone rolled aside at a distance. Taking a step forward, he moved his hands in the air making the sign of Tau "You are what your mind allows you to be. Leave the well you're living in and you'll see what an ocean looks like"
Shocked, Rooh and Aditya couldn't believe what they saw with their own eyes. Zen had moved a stone of their size with one strike of his palm.
"How did you do that?" asked Aditya, amazed.
"I already told you that a human is much more powerful than his beliefs" Zen moved forward "Striking something head on will hurt you in your current condition but I want you to remember that the side of a blade may hurt you but its edge will definitely cut you! Shape your palm according to your target before hitting it!
First it seemed impossible for both of them but after what their master had said and done, there was no room for any doubt. They knew it would take a while for them to be able to do this and they knew they would have to go through excess of hardships to reach where their master stood. They had a mountain of challenge before them but they smiled and followed their master's words by heart.
Zen, to make their will and bodies to be able to cope up with his techniques, made them go through harsh pre requisite trainings. They carried double of their weight and ran, they practiced under water and added weights to their arms and legs to the point they couldn't move and then trained. Months passed and they went through toughest of challenges their master had set for them without any fear or hesitation.
By the end of the year, they got a better grasp on the technique and became almost as good as their master wanted them to be before leaving. Their remarkable progress made Zen to finally move to their core competence.
"Both of you have become much stronger since we met" said Zen "I do not doubt your conviction or your aim to become stronger. I do not doubt your skills either which must have been increased with your training. But I want you to groom your skills even further to the point that no one could defeat you"
Zen made them practice their own art of war in their own way. Rooh was told to practice in an open field in Hann's watch with multiple targets several metres apart.
"I have already done it!" said Rooh "In the festival a year ago, remember?"
"But you didn't hit them all at once!" Zen made a line far away from targets "Hit all the targets at once"
"What!" Rooh couldn't figure out anything but stood behind that line pulling an arrow, she saw all three targets at once "How can someone do that?"
"Use three arrows at once" said Hann folding hands,
"That's insane" Rooh replied. She never thought of using multiple arrows at once. But the idea itself was pretty amazing for her. 'Well, he got a point, more targets more arrows' she thought
"Hold the tails in between the four of your fingers" said Hann mimicking Zen "Load them at once and hit the targets. Give them directions by moving your fingers"
"Yeah, yeah mister genius" Rooh loaded three arrows and started aiming "By the way, I am impressed"
Targets were far away, all at random spots. Holding three arrows was uncomfortable and slippery. Aiming was harder but she shoots somehow. One arrow missed the target, the other two were way off the centre.
"Woo-hoo" Hann applaud "And you're already a master"
"No, I am not" said Rooh taking more arrows out of her quiver "This is the first time I have missed my targets in a while, I have to do a lot more if I want to win this thing"
After hours of practicing and missing the targets, she smiled "This is going to take a while I guess"
Harsh mental and physical training for a year made her well equipped with all the strength and focus she needed but still she had a long way to go with this new technique and she seemed to enjoy it more than usual.
'Your eyes see three at once, your mind knows their path and your arms flow with the wind' master Zen had told her to remember.
Aditya was made to wait in the empty ground with his swords where master Zen himself came forth holding a long silver Katana.
"There is no way for a swordsman to enhance his skills without fighting another swordsman" Zen rested his katana in his shoulders "Come at me, defeat me and end what you have started"
Zen became his opponent for the rest of their time in temple. He was made to practice his twin blade technique on Zen himself. They fought for hours every day without any break. Zen taught him about the ancient twin sword techniques and filled the voids of his own style.
"You feel the moves, you hear the swords, you see the future and your hands strike as lightening" were Zen's words to him.
Time went on and Aditya's blades started to flow like water. He started to feel the blades and acted accordingly. And on the other hand, Rooh was getting better and better with three arrows each day. Her eyes started to move faster along with her arms.
Couple of months passed and they far left the peak of their training. Master Zen had already recognised their abilities and freed them of his teachings but still they had decided to give a little more time to themselves.
As the day was nearing for them to leave and start their final journey, one day Hann came to Rooh and asked her to come with him. He took her to the back of the temple inside a small basement where he showed her something that took her eyes away forever.
"This is my creation!" Hann removed the cloth over an arrow "This is the weapon of destruction! I call it Trishool!"
The arrow was no normal, it was much bigger and wider with a lace lurking out at the head.
"What is this?" Rooh lifted the arrow "And what's this smell?"
"This is the smell of a powder that only I can make!" answered Hann "This powder explodes when it touches fire!"
Rooh had never seen or heard something like that, so she asked him how it worked. Hann took her to the open field again and made her load the arrow on her bow and set the lace on fire.
"Hurry! Before the lace burns out, shoot it far away" shouted Hann, running away.
Rooh released the arrow quickly as far as she could and it exploded a big rock she threw at. The sound of explosion was so big that it echoed for a while. It was a miracle for her to witness the power of one arrow.
"…. What is this" asked Rooh, standing blank with wide opened eyes.
"If you're going against an entire kingdom, you got to have miracles in your side" Hann giggled "Come with me! Back to the basement"
Rooh realised that the entire basement was covered with clothes. Hann kept removing them and Rooh, who was already amazed from the destruction of that weapon, kept laughing in excitement.
"Old man!" Rooh took an arrow and raised "You know what? Marry me"
"Wow! Seriously.....?"
"No!....."
"it's your loss though!"
"Yea right, ....."
And both of them giggled big time.
The journey they were seeking for was going to begin and this master piece was a remarkable addition to her archery. She was intrigued yet surprised that Hann could make such a weapon. With enthusiastic eyes, she raised one in her hand.
"Trishool!" placing it in her quiver, she turned "So…should we take some with us?"
"Ha-ha! Some!? I say we take every last one!" laughed Hann.