The Last Rudra

After taking a good bath and a hearty meal cooked by his mother's hands, Ishit didn't take a rest. In fact, his tiredness vanished as soon as he stepped into his empty chamber like a bagger's shack, with only a carpet lying on the stone floor. 

Despite his stay in Glassia for over a month, not a single day had passed in the present time. And thus his lord father's punishment was still on. Ishit cursed himself for being so stupid as to destroy his own bed. 

He couldn't sleep on the floor, not with the broken windows and the maids roaming all over the place. If any of the girls saw him lying on the rugged carpet, he should forget ever passing them without hearing their annoying gigglings. They might even leak it to other noble houses and thus giving his rivals one more reason to mock him. Ishit was sure Durjaya, Trishanku, and Karna etc. would love to hear it. 

He had to do something about the room. Ishit pondered.  But what? He couldn't have the windows and door fixed as his lord father was adamant that he had to live in this wrecked room for a week. 

Suddenly, Ishit's eyes shone brightly, as a smile crept on his face. His lord father had only forbidden him from sleeping on a bed and having the chamber refurbished; he hadn't said anything about using yantras etc. 

Ishit knew what he had to do. He swiftly left the castle, ignoring the grumbling of Amora, the house spirit. Her mother must have set the old fellow to keep an eye on him. 

As flying in the city was not permitted unless it was an emergency, Ishit took a carriage and left for the smithy guild. 

Looking at the bustling city, the crowd of people from all walks of life, Ishit's face lit up. He used to sit on the roof of the city square building and watch people coming and going. How peaceful it was! 

***

The smith guild was in the western part of Minaak. A black building, sprawled like a hunched beast. A metallic statue of an old man with a hammer in his raised hand and a blade in another was standing on the dais just before the flight of stairs, leading to the giant gate of the smithy.  Ishit with eyes filled with reverence looked at the legendary man who had forged the mighty sword "Kalghosha'' for Ankha, the vanquisher of Mora. It was said Kalghosha could even cut an indestructible soul, thus making it possible for Ankha to destroy the unkillable minions of the Evil Lord. 

"You can rest assured now. Your bow will be in your hand before Inna's feast.. " A voice broke Ishit's stupor. Ishit turned around. At the gate,  A burly boy clad in a black cloak was talking to a girl clad in an olive-green cloak. The girl's pretty face was fraught with worry. There was a hammer sigil on the boy's chest and a bow-arrow sigil on the girl's cloak.

It took a moment for Ishit  to recognise the familiar faces. The boy was none other than Durjaya. As for the girl, she was Nandani, the girl he wanted to marry as a child.

Of all the people he had to run into them. Ishit thought about how he had thought about him just before coming here. 

"Hey, what are you doing here? Don't you know commoners are not allowed here.. "

"Ishit?" Nandani's surprised voice cut Durjaya off. He frowned as he scrutinized Ishit's face, and then his eyes widened as recognition dawned on him.

"Hi, Nandani! Congratulations on becoming an apprentice archer." Ishit said with a bright smile as he started to climb the granite stairs. Nandani had always been nice to him, a good friend. Of course not like Guha. 

"Thanks! I had heard about you from my father and wanted to visit, but couldn't make time. You know all these trials going on and with Inna's feast coming, it's really draining...' "

"Where are you coming? Can't you hear? It's not a place where you can run amok." Durjaya glared at him, stepping forward.

"Durjaya , he is Ishit," Nandini said, looking puzzled at his companion's rude behaviour. 

"I know who is, but it doesn't change the fact he is a cripple and can't be allowed in the smithy," Durjaya said, his eyes glittering. 

"How can you say that , Durjaya? He is our friend. and he isn't a cripple. He's just ..just ill. " Nandani said, giving Ishit a pitying look.

"Do you really buy that bullshit?"

"It is not bullshit. Nimohi said that Ishit's nadis are fragile so he can't wield the spirit. However, Once they get the cure he will be like us."

Durjaya laughed, "Nimohi said so, for they know Lord Oman, especially Lady Padma, can't bear the disgracing truth. " 

"It's not true," Nandani said, sounding less sure. She scrutinized Ishit's body. There was no ripple in the spirit. 

" Didn't you hear what I said just now? You can't enter the guild. " Durjaya climbed down to block Ishit's path. His eyes glittered menacingly. 

"Move aside, I have no time to play with you, Durjaya," Ishit said in a serious tone. He couldn't make out how anyone could bear a grudge against someone so long. He had hoped these three years would have mollified Durjaya's hatred for him and Guha. However, it looked like he hoped too much. There were things you couldn't change no matter how much time had passed. 

"Ishit! You shouldn't. It is really harmful to health." Nandani also came down. She placed her hand on Ishit's shoulder and said, her pretty face filled with concern. 

"It's okay, Nandani. I will be fine."Ishit said with a smile, feeling warm in his heart, seeing his friendship with Nandani didn't change. 

"No. You won't. The ripples of astras are not something you can bear. " Nandani refused to let him go. 

Ishit didn't know what he should say. There was something strange with his body. His nadis were invisible, and the spirit didn't leave ripples when it seeped into his body. No one could tell if he was a spirit wielder unless Ishit used some spirit skill. He had talked to his father. He said it might be because his spirit-body had been forged with Osric's Tears, something concocted by Bhadra. 

It was a good thing though. It had helped him escape Izidor on Glassian beach. 

"Yes! You should go now and hide in your hole.If you love your puny life. " Durjaya said, looking a little disappointed. With Nandani present here, he wouldn't get a chance to teach  Ishit a lesson.

"Durjaya! I don't know why you hate him so much, even after his sickness." Nandani said, glaring at Durjaya. 

"It is none of your business. Bring your friend away. I will not see you off. " Durjaya said and walked away, up the stairs towards the gate. 

"What about my bow?" Startled Nandani asked, looking at his disappearing back at Durjaya.

"None of my damn business." was all Durjaya replied. 

Nandani seemed baffled at the sudden behaviour change of the apprentice smith, who was so cordial towards her a little while ago. 

"Did you come here for a bow?" Ishit asked, looking at his friend, who couldn't make out why she had been dumped so soon. Durjaya would never help anyone who had any liking towards him and Guha. 

Nandani looked down and sighed. 

"I needed a good bow for the coming Inna's feast. So I placed an order a week ago,  but this morning, I got a message from the smithy guild that they are too busy to finish my bow on time. I rushed here to meet Durjaya to see if he could help me out. He said he would talk to master smith Viswa, and assured me to get my bow forged before Inna's feast. And the rest you have seen. It 's all because of my ill luck. " Nandani said dejectedly. 

Ishit couldn't help but shake his head. There was no way Viswa would agree to forge the bow If he had rejected the order. He had heard of this prideful smith from his lord father. The man had once refused even him. So Durjaya's promise to Nandani was nothing but a fluke. As to why he had lied to the girl, it was nothing new to him. 

Ishit thought for a minute  and said, "Maybe I can help you." 

Nandani looked at him with a complicated look, 

"Thanks! Ishit, but you can't…..HOW? WHEN?" her small eyes widened seeing a spirit orb glowing in Ishit's hand.

"I'll tell you some other day. But let's first solve your problem." Ishit said, giving his slack-jawed friend a mysterious smile, and climbed up the stairs 

Rooted to the spot, Nandani opened and closed her mouth two or three times. Her eyes stared at Ishit as if he was some oddity. 

"Come on!, Don't you want to have your bow forged?" Ishit said, looking at his dumbfounded friend from the smithy gate. 

"Ah! Yes. I want to " Nandani said, coming out of her shock. She rushed up, too shocked to think how a boy, who had just gotten to his feet after a long sickness, could help her. 

.