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Grand Hall, Shambhala, October 16, 1942
As Aryan stepped into the grand hall, he was immediately struck by the serene and majestic atmosphere. The hall was vast, with high ceilings adorned with intricate frescoes depicting celestial beings and ancient legends. The air was filled with a subtle fragrance of sandalwood and jasmine, adding to the mystical ambiance.
In the center of the hall stood a young man dressed in traditional Indian priest clothing. His attire was simple yet elegant, with flowing robes adorned with delicate patterns of gold and crimson. His presence exuded a calm and welcoming aura.
The young man approached Aryan with a warm smile and a respectful bow. "Welcome to Shambhala, Esteemed Protector. My name is Bhaskar," he said in a gentle voice. "I have been assigned to guide you during your stay here."
Aryan returned the smile and nodded. "Thank you, Bhaskar. It is an honor to be here."
Bhaskar gestured for Aryan to follow him. "Please, come with me. The Guardians are eager to meet you and discuss the matters at hand."
As they walked through the grand hall, Aryan couldn't help but admire the intricate details of the architecture. The walls were lined with statues of ancient sages and warriors, each one seemingly alive with the wisdom and strength of ages past. The floor was made of polished marble, reflecting the soft glow of the chandeliers above.
Bhaskar led Aryan through another set of intricately carved doors, revealing a smaller, more intimate chamber bathed in a soft, golden light. The air was even more fragrant, with the scent of incense mingling with the faint aroma of fresh flowers.
In the center of the room, seated in a semi-circle, were eight individuals. The first was an old man, his long white beard flowing down to his chest, dressed in traditional Indian attire of a simple dhoti and shawl. He was nearly Aryan's height, standing at about 6 feet 2 inches. His eyes sparkled with wisdom and kindness, and he radiated an aura of serene authority.
Surrounding him were seven ancient-looking sages, each towering at an impressive height of 10 to 11 feet. They wore robes of various colors, symbolizing different aspects of knowledge and spirituality. Their faces were lined with age, but their eyes were sharp and penetrating, as if they could see into the very soul of anyone who stood before them.
The old man rose slowly and extended his hand in a gesture of welcome. "Aryan, welcome to Shambhala, we have been expecting you," he said in a voice that was both gentle and powerful. "I am Guru Vishwanath, and these are the Saptarishis, the seven great sages. We hope that your journey was without any problems," he said smiling gently.
Aryan bowed deeply, feeling a profound sense of respect and humility in the presence of such venerable beings. "It is an honor to meet you all, Rishivar, also there was no problems during my journey due to some fortunate encounters," he replied folding his hands in namaskar in respect of the elders before him.
Guru Vishwanath nodded and respectfully introduced Maharishi Atri, Bharadvaja, Gautama, Jamadagni, Kashyapa, Vashishta and Vishwamitra one by one. He then gestured for Aryan to sit, while smiling gently. "Let us begin our discussion. I am sure you may have many questions you would like to ask from us."
Aryan nodded and sat on the floor alongside them with him positioned in the front of the sages and Guru Vishwanath. He started the discussion with a question that was bugging him from the moment he arrived at this place, "Rishivar, I couldn't help but be curious about the reason everyone has been calling me 'Protector' since I arrived here," he asked trying to not sound rude.
Maharishi Atri answered his question with a amused expression, "Haha!!, Vatsa you yourself have been going around calling yourself 'Rakshavir'. The denizens of Shambhala only want to show their respect to you for standing up as the protector of Bharat."
Maharishi Bharadvaja added from the side with a serious expression , "Also we have been observing your actions as you have been quite an enigma for all of us due to the sheer change in space-time continuity you caused."
Maharishi Gautama agreeing to the words nodded and with a serious expression said, "Hmm, various dimensional beings along with cosmic forces have also been intrigued by these changes. You may already know this as you have been battling some of these dimensional invaders yourself."
Aryan nodded and said "Yes" while remembring the battles with the invaders from other dimensions who were trying to take advantage of the chaos during the freedom struggle led by Aryan. His clones were particularly troubled by the annoying and cunning demons like Mephisto and the Asuras, as while they were not a match to Aryan's powers but were still caused quite a headache for them.
Guru Vishwanath woke up Aryan from his intrusive thoughts by saying, "In fact, the reason for inviting you here was to discuss this matter with you."
Aryan after hearing the reason had a serious expression on his face as he replied, "I know I caused those disruption but you all don't have to worry, as I will take full responsibility of my actions and will protect Earth from any invaders as long as it is within my powers."
Maharishi Vashistha with a gentle expression added, "Vatsa, we are not blaming you for your actions in any way, as your actions while disruptive of the continuity, have also been beneficial for a lot of people, we are just reminding you that there are forces in the multiverse who can be quite troublesome for even gods and protectors like the followers of Vishanti. So you should be careful while handling this."
Maharishi Atri added thoughtfully, "Hmm, We are simply observers of the various events of importance from cosmic acale to more mundane events and are not like the followers of Vishanti or Yao who protect our dimension from the various threats, but we also sometimes lend our hand in the task of protection against these invasions."
Maharshi Vishwamitra who has been silent up untill now spoke up, "Vatsa, we will lend you a hand with our knowledge and wisdom accumulated for thousands of years to help you overcome the trails that you will face in the future."
Aryan hearing this relaxed a bit but still sensing some unsaid information about the reason for the Saptarishi who have been observers until now, so suddenly helping him with knowledge and wisdom, asked, "Rishivar, I am very thankful to you all for lending me a helping hand, but I couldn't help but sense a deeper reason for you to help me in my trials."
Hearing this the Saptarishi as well as Guru Vishwanath had a mysterious smile on their faces as Maharshi Atri said, "Don't worry Vatsa, You will come to know about that when the time is right. However, we will have to warn you to be careful around the Asuras. They are making some bold moves."
Guru Vishwanath then added with a smile, "You should also cooperate with the followers of Vishanti or as you may already know of the Ancient One Yao and Kamar taj."
Aryan nodded, not thinking about this much since he had the confidence to overcome any adversaries he encounters. He smiled and said, "Yes, I will be careful and will cooprate with Kamar Taj as you have asked."
The Guardians of Shambhala simply smiled at his confidence and decided to end their discussion on serious topics. They then discussed heartily about various events or sometimes engaged in philosophical talks about dharma. Aryan stayed in Shambhala for a few more days, absorbing the wisdom and knowledge shared by the Saptarishis. Each day was filled with profound teachings and serene moments of reflection. When it was time to leave, Aryan felt a deep sense of gratitude and newfound strength. As he stepped out of the grand hall, the fragrance of sandalwood and jasmine lingered, a reminder of the mystical place he had been. Returning home, Aryan carried with him the blessings and guidance of the ancient sages, ready to face the challenges ahead with renewed resolve.
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