The Last Rudra

As Ishit descended the worn-out damp stairs he frowned, snuffing in the air. Was his mind tricking him? 

The air, which was stuffy and stale a few moments ago, was now pregnant with the smell of salt. 

His frown deepened as he walked on. His ears perked up to the faint sound. It could be nothing but the song of crashing-weaves. His feet hastened up, and he soon found himself facing the vast black stretch with rippling waves. A slice of the moon was hanging amidst the dotted stars. Was it all an illusion? He wondered as he glanced around, inhaling the sea breeze, and feeling damp air on his skin. 

The stairs, which had brought him here,  had disappeared leaving nothing but a long stretch of sand behind him and palm trees in the distance sighing in the night breeze.

It was as if he had materialized out of thin air. Where was the tower? He activated his spirit eyes, but the surroundings around him were as real as he was. 

Ishit calmed down his racing heart as he felt the emblem on his chest. It was still there. Relief washed over his face. He could go back if he wanted. 

But what kind of trial it was. Ishit had never heard of such an odd occurrence where someone got teleported to another place all of sudden, not even in sutas' most unbelievable tales.

What was he supposed to do here in the dead of night? Ishit swept his spirit-sense around, in hope of some clue. 

Almost a mile away in the cluster of palm trees, he sensed some unusual spirit flow. The distance was too much for his weak sense. Ishit decided to take a look. For precaution, he camouflaged himself with a shield and dashed towards the small grove.

As he got closer, two silhouettes came into his view. A boat was moored nearby. The two figures were having a row over something. Ishit strengthened his shield as he crept closer to eavesdrop on their conversation. 

"Don't forget. If not for me you wouldn't have even known how to find this place let alone to attack it. " Said one of the two figures, by the voice Ishit could guess the speaker must have been in his twenties.

  "You, pagans, sure know how to take pride even in treachery.  " Second voice said, "But I liked it. We, followers of the One, never break our promise. So rest assured, the princess will be yours after we seize the fort. Now give me the maps" The gruff voice seemed impatient. 

The first silhouette rummaged in his cloak and took out a scroll case.  But he didn't hand it over to the other, 

"I want her unharmed." the man said, with steel in his voice.

"Yes, yes!  Lord has granted your wish, Mallian, so stop repeating yourself. I have to return to the camp before dawn, so give it to me now. "

The young man handed over the case to the other silhouette, who almost snatched it. He hurriedly opened the metal case and unrolled the parchment. In the darkness, the man's eyes glowed red as embers. Ishit's heart skipped a beat. 

A spirit -defiler! The fiery eyes were their signs. What was a spirit defiler doing in his trial? His mind reeled, as he subconsciously let go of a spirit ripple. 

The man's eyes glanced in his direction, lingering for a moment where he was hiding wrapped in his self-devised camouflage shield.

Ishit froze on his spot, his heart thudding. 

"What? " the man asked, puzzled at the man's sudden distraction.

"Nothing. I'm leaving now. And if everything bodes well our next meeting will be in the Glass Castle. " 

The man gave another swift glance to the spot where Ishit was standing and hurriedly pushed his boat in the sea. He jumped into the boat and rowed away. 

  Mallian kept staring at the boat and its rider until they both vanished into the darkness. 

Ishit didn't dare to move. Holding his breath, he waited for the silhouette to leave. 

All of sudden, his hair stood up. Ishit, without thinking, jumped aside. However, his reaction was too slow. The blazing sphere crashed into his shield, knocking the air out of his lungs. 

The camouflaging shield got cindered like paper, while Ishit found him self- flying off. The impact dislocated his organs. Ishit moaned with the excruciating pain as he tried to stabilize himself in the air. 

He quickly gathered the scattered spirit, as he formed a defence shield around him while eyeing his assailant warily. 

The man was now in the air; his golden eyes glaring at him as a tiger glared at its prey. 

"Who are you?" demanded the young man, as his fist glowed with condensing spirit. 

  Ishit didn't reply because he saw nothing coming out of the introduction. The young man would never allow him to leave alive. So, instead of answering his enemy's question, he raced up his mind to devise a plan for the upcoming battle.

His enemy was clearly stronger than him. Judging by his golden spirit, he should be a one-star yoddha. There was no way Ishit could defeat him with his novice battle skills.

"I asked. Who are you?  Why are you spying on me? " The man asked.

"I was not spying on you. I was just enjoying the night breeze... "Ishit decided to engage the man in a talk to buy some time for his recovery. But He had thought too little of his enemy's wits.  As soon as he finished his second sentence, the young man attacked again. A fiery chain came lashing at him to coil around his neck. 

Startled, Ishit dodged, cussing. 

Weren't they exchanging formalities just now?. 

"You betrayer of humanity, Take this." Ishit cursed loudly as he formed one of his self-devised shields. And darted away using all his strength. He didn't even look back to whether his shield was working or not. 

The spirit powered him, thrusting him in the air.

The shield Ishit had left behind to hinder the assailant was called naga-pash. A modified version of the knot of the naga tribe.

The young man cursed as he felt his invisible ropes tightening around his whole body, trying to choke him to death.

He murmured a spell, and a yellow flame shot up from his body burning away the strange shield. He looked into the direction in which Ishit had runoff. 

He summoned his bow and a glowing arrow, and after aiming it for a moment he fired it. 

The blazing arrow darted towards its target, leaving sighing wind in its wake. 

Ishit sensed the danger closing in on him. He raced up, before him the hillocks laid barren. 

A good place to play hide and seek in the night, but before this, he had to tackle the arrow. 

The spirit had locked his position, so the only way was to face it head-on. 

Ishit hurriedly visualized shields and placed them between him and the arrow. 

The blazing arrow breached the first shield like it was nothing but flashy film. But the cunningness of Ishit started working, the fine threads began to enlace around the shaft of the arrow as it moved inwards.

Ishit watched the furious arrow coming towards his heart, holding his breath. 

The shields crumbled one by one, so did  Ishit's hopes. The arrow clearly exceeded his calculations. 

Ishit hurriedly summoned his blade and with both hands, he struck the blood-thirsty arrow. The spirit Astra didn't change its course nor did it stop the arrow.

It pierced Ishit's skin, setting it on fire. Ishit screamed with pain. As he tried to yank out the arrow from his chest. His heart had narrowly escaped.  The blood-stained arrow was still burning. Ishit gave a furious glance to the young man who was walking over there leisurely, enjoying his prey's struggle. 

He formed a complex camouflage shield and vanished from sight. 

****

                                          -----Power system ---

This story happens in the multiverse, so there is no unique set of power systems for the entire story.

Each universe has its own unique power system. So as the story progresses the power systems will change. 

Currently, we are in Mazia, where mysterious energy called  'spirit' is a prime source of magic or power. One who could use this power is called a spirit wielder. 

To become a spirit- wielder a child must visit a spirit shrine and have an awakener to awaken one's nadis (spirit paths) unique to oneself. The ceremony called 'awakening ceremony is held each year during Phalgun month ( Feb-march in our world). 

After having awakened his nadis, the child has to join an elementary academy to learn the basic uses of spirit such as telekinesis, fighting skills, communicating with other species, divine tongue to cast spells, forming various shields, etc. 

Depending on the child's ability, he passes out of the elementary academy in five to six years. 

Based on his performances in the exam, he is allowed to take trials for various apprentice academies, or guilds. 

Where he learns advanced uses of spirit.