"It is a sight to behold, is it not?" Aksha remarked in a hushed, excited tone, and Sachi had to agree.
The city of Ashwinapur presented itself before them like a spell, and it made the grueling journey of four days on the road bearable. Instead of gates, two giant marble horses guarded the entrance, as high as the city wall itself, their manes cascading down in rolling tumbles, one front leg curved elegantly in a trot. Below the horses stood six sentries, three on each side, armored and armed as if they were about to march into a battle.
The tales of the horsemen warriors were famous across the realm, and Sachi saw why. They had steel helmets on their heads that narrowed down to the face of a horse guarding their forehead and nose. The gray steel breastplate was emblazoned with a cool, white equine crest and in their hands stood spears that were so high, they looked like they touched the skies. Sachi could not even see their pointy ends, no matter how much he stretched his neck.
Narsingh spurred his horse along and trotted up to one of the guards. He signaled the party to the guard, and soon, the guard nodded and hit the ground twice with the butt of his spear. Like magic, the horses came to life, neighing and rearing, standing on their hind legs to clear the way. It was as if they were welcoming the guests into the city.
The traveling party guided their mounts through the open Stallion Gates and into the main street. It was not as busy as Amravati; the people were not scrambling to get somewhere, and neither were they stepping on each other's toes. Instead, the shop keepers at their stalls were as laidback as the customers strolling down the walkway. Sachi even spied an impish child, who stole two apples from one of the fruit carts and dashed, but the merchant simply looked on and swatted away a fly.
The people on the street stopped mid-chat to flash a smile at the passing entourage. There was pride in their gaze but no hint of conceit.
"This is nice," Sachi muttered, simply, "they seem friendly."
"That is so because they know who we are," Naga Rathi jibed. Lord Rathi's mount was walking beside Sachi's. Having no legs, the serpent man had a peculiar way of sitting on the horse with his tail hanging down one side of the saddle.
"I advice you to guard your tongue before the Ashwins, Rathi," Sage Parasu cautioned the serpent man, with a hint of impatience. "We have come here to pay a visit and ask for assistance. Your snide remarks will help with neither." Naga Rathi scoffed but held off on his slandering of the horsemen.
Sachi was fortunate to ride beside his guru at the very front of the convoy. Up ahead where the street took a sharp turn, he saw a group of mounted soldiers marching towards them. They carried a gold-bordered blue flag, with the sigil of a rearing white stallion printed on it.
"The city guardian's escorts," Sage Parasu noted.
During their travel, Sachi had found out from others that the city of Ashwinapur was a free city, not ruled by OneRealm's sovereign or any of its seven regions. Instead of a king, it had guardians, the legendary Ashwin twins, Nasatya and Darsa.
"Prince Bali, regards," the man at the head of the convoy greeted when they rode up to their group. And then he greeted Sage Parasu and Naga Rathi.
From the way they exchanged pleasantries, Sachi suspected they were good acquaintances. Even mounted on his horse, the man seemed very tall, dark in skin, and lean in figure with thick, jet black hair falling to his shoulder. Pearl strings covered his neck and chest and dangled from his ears. He and his companions were all clothed in spotless, crispy dhotis and wrapped around their heads were bejeweled turbans.
"I was not expecting a royal treatment, Lord Manu," Naga Rathi said in a honey voice, contrary to his whining before.
Lord Manu smiled, the sharpness matching his piercing dark eyes. "Our scouts alerted us of your arrival. I believe you are eager for a meeting with the Ashwins. If you would kindly follow us."
The traveling party followed the horsemen through the streets of Ashwinapur. After three or four turns, they arrived at a lone path that led out of the city bustle and towards the outskirts. The flat road ran straight, passing by empty fields and they rode the distance making small talks. Soon, on the right side of the path, Sachi spotted a large gathering. As they drew closer, he heard loud cheers and gasps from the crowd. A narrow, dirt road veered off the main and carried them to where rows of pavilions stood, on either side of a race track.
"I apologize for bringing you all out here, but the guardians wanted to see you right away," Manu, the horseman, explained.
None of the travelers seemed displeased. In fact, they all looked thrilled at the prospect of witnessing a horse race. Once they dismounted their horses, grooms appeared and whisked away their horses. The entire area was crowded with spectators and stallions, and the pageantry was breathtaking.
"My lord, if you are expecting us to take part in this contest, I must alert you I am thoroughly drained, and you will be wise to bet against me," Vyom declared, sounding more cheerful than tired, as they all crossed the field towards one of the pavilions.
Lord Manu chuckled. "We do not bet, nor do we let humans participate in these contests. I hope that puts your mind at ease."
"Immensely. But now I do not know which stallions I should root for," Vyom quickly added, his long strides easily matching Manu's. Sachi, on the other hand, felt like a dwarf walking beside the two tall men.
Horseman Manu barked with a short laugh. "Root for the ones white as snow," he said.
But that advice seemed to be of little help. Sachi looked around, and there were many stallions of the color white. There were also thoroughbreds, black as night or yellow as gold. Some were copper red, others chestnut brown, all with the silkiest mane and the most elegant whinny. And strangely, it did not smell like stables, like it did back in the capital.
The crowd gathered there looked every bit as luxurious as the horses they owned. It was a sea of silk and velvet, the womenfolk wrapped in the gaudiest robes and jewelry and wearing veils fine as a cobweb. The men were dressed in their silk brocades, and new dhotis wrapped around their legs, eagerly discussing the racehorses, even getting into small arguments.
Sachi and his companions followed Manu to the tallest pavilion with the most spectators. Benches were laid in tiered rows, every seat occupied, save for a few rows at the very top. There, the imperial family sat with crowns on their heads, flanked by high lords and ladies of the court. Manu climbed all the way to the top and gestured to the empty seats. Sage Parasu moved ahead and took the first unoccupied spot on the bench, beside one of the courtiers. Lord Rathi followed, and Prince Bali and Narsingh walked after him. Sachi sat on the very next row, with Vyom, Uncle Bhringi, and maiden Aksha. The rest of the men took their seats on the lower benches, admiring the contending horses.
"Look at the way they are prancing. If you want to spot a winner, take note of the spring in their stride," Vyom explained to him busily, even though Sachi had not asked. The tantric's finger was pointing at a black stallion with a shiny coat and a smooth arching neck.
Sachi simply nodded. He had very little knowledge or interest in horses. He would rather gaze at the beautiful maidens who were clapping excitedly in between their shy smiles or the handsome warriors who sat there brave as a lion.
"Which one do you think will win?" Vyom whispered again into Sachi's ear. Sachi noticed his nomadic mottled green eyes peering at the start line of the race. It was far from where they were sitting close to the finish line, but Sachi could still see there were around thirty horses getting ready for the contest.
The grooms were tending to the horses one last time, checking their saddles and brushing their mane. The riders had begun to come out into the field and swing onto the saddles. In that swarm of thoroughbreds, two horses caught Sachi's eyes, noticeable from the rest, and Sachi remembered what Lord Manu had said, root for the ones white as snow.
And these two were not just white. They were white as snow, glowing so brightly in the daylight they were blinding the eyes.