The Last Rudra

Mahipal was sitting in his chair, which today felt full of thrones. He knew it was not the chair but the two message- scrolls laying before him on the table causing him distress. 

One was from the lord of Garuna, Oman, and the second was from Lucas, a man of King Aslan, sent here to keep an eye on Oman. One wanted him to pass the lad, who had never attended even a single class, with a good score while the other wanted him to fail the boy. 

Since when did his post as a lowly headmaster of spirit-school become so brambly? 

He couldn't afford to offend any of them.  Mahipal was in a dilemma when someone knocked at his office door. 

"Come in," He said, burning the scrolls into ashes with a fire spell. 

The wooden door opened creaking, and a boy, well past 12 springs, stepped in. His ebony-black hair was falling around his conch-like neck. His black eyes had a gleam rare in his age. 

"You are early, young man"  Mahipal said, as per the codes of school he didn't have to greet the boy, who had come here as a disciple. 

"I've other matters to attend, Sir. So I want to finish this test as soon as possible. Shall we begin?" Ishit said, looking directly into the middle-aged man's eyes, which had no wrinkles around them. 

"Haa, you're really in hurry. I can see why.  " Mahipal said, amazed at the lack of fear in the boy. In his 10 -year-long career as a headmaster, he had seen a fair share of young ones–boys and girls. None of them had looked so casual about the school test, treating it like a walk in a back garden. After all, it would decide their future, dictate the course of their lives. 

Maybe, the lad didn't know the gravity of the test.

"Take a seat first.  We will start once all the masters are here. You don't expect me to walk you around from one trial ground to another. " Mahipal said as a parchment flew off the piles stacked on the nearby table. The yellow paper came and spread over the table before Ishit. It followed by a quill of the dove, and inkwell. 

"However, I'll not waste your time.  We can finish the written test before everyone gets here. Here is everything that you need to attempt one." Mahipal said, looking at Ishit's face, hoping to see awe. What he had done just now was the result of his mastery over the telekinesis. 

And Ishit didn't disappoint the headmaster. He widened his large eyes and seemed impressed with the little show-off. 

"In the scroll, there are 20 questions you need to answer any 18 of them. Keep in mind, you've three ghadis (72 mins) to attempt the test. " the headmaster said, pleased with Ishit's reaction. 

Ishit, whose eyes were already on the yellow parchment, nodded. If Illium was his fantasy, then it was Ishit's first exam since he was born.  Ishit was feeling a little nervous. After looking at the vidya parchment, he regretted his rash decision of rejecting Udolf's company. On his father's order, the wizard wanted to accompany him to the school, but Ishit declined his good intention. If Bhadra were here, he could give him an encouraging pat or something, at least he wouldn't be feeling so edgy. 

What puzzled Ishit was his family's odd reaction. They all seemed confident of his passing the school test, despite knowing too well he hadn't got the time to practice all the spirit -diagrams. (of course, he had practiced them in Glassia, but, it was  known to him and the wizard only.) And then this, uncanny incident, which he couldn't wrap his mind around. They said he had woken up a weak ago, before falling asleep again. 

Ishit shook his head to get rid of puzzling thoughts. It was not the time to dwell over them.

He read the first question.  It consisted of five parts. 

"(a.)How many Mahajanpadas are in Varta? Write their names and their lords with a short comment on their family history. 

(b.) What are the nine wonders of Varta? Write a short comment on each 

(c.) Comment on Geography of Varta in 500 words. 

(d.) What are the five death zones in Varta? Write a short note on each.

(e.) Write a short note on His majesty Aslan's achievement. "

  Ishit had been told about these general knowledge questions by Esha last night. 

(The girl was too cunning. When she saw him lying in his comfy bed condensed of spirit, she hurried to their lord father to tell on him. 

And his lord father, who was too busy to attend dinner, came and tore down his shield. He confiscated his yantras and left, leaving behind giggling Esha. Of course, he didn't forget to give him a long lecture on the need for discipline. Ishit had to sleep on the rug all night, what was worse,  his punishment had been extended from one week to a fortnight.)

Ishit formed a mental link with the quill and dipped it into the ink well. He sat back comfortably in his chair as if dozing off. 

Before the awestruck eyes of the headmaster, the quill ran on the yellow parchment, penning down his answers, one by one.

(a.) There are nine Mahajanapadas (provinces) in Varta. 

Ahom, ruled by Queen Ambika Kuwori. 

Sursena, governed by Senjit. 

Okala, ruled by Amarto

Vatsa, ruled by  Mansa Musa 

Druk-Yul, (land of a dragon)  ruled by Queen Jestun Pema 

Kalinga, ruled by Vasu 

Matsya, ruled by Nala

Kambhoj, ruled by His Majesty Aslan himself.

Kirat, ruled by Illa -Illi 

(Note: As description to all kingdom would lengthen the story. I would keep it short here. Of course, you will come to know about each one of them as the story will unfold; some of them are main characters. I'm creating a map of Mazia, as soon as it is ready I will give you a link to have a look) 

Seeing how dextrously Ishit was guiding the quill, Mahipal felt ashamed for his little show-off . The boy's mastery over the telekinesis was on par with his. Or there was no way, he could control the feather so well.

What the headmaster didn't know was that Ishit had used this spirit-path so much, when he was in Avida, that he could control the quill while sleeping.  It had become his involuntary action. 

Ishit went on scribbling the history of each province.  It was not difficult for him. As a child, he had spent his long summer days, listening to Suta's tales. And these tales were his source of knowledge. They were really fascinating, filled with uncanny mysteries, rituals, and folklores. 

Like Nala, the king of Matsya was the son of Naiad ( royal water nymph), the young daughter of Soma, the lord of the living sea. They said, Lord Ivan, the father of Nala, had eloped the water nymph from the water -castle, for the ocean lord was not in the favor of their marriage. This incident enraged Soma so much, that he had banned all humankind from the living sea. 

Of course, Ishit didn't write this incident in the answer, nor did he write about the lord of Kirat's secret. 

According to Suta's tales, king Illa and queen Illi both were one like two sides of a coin. 

Suta said he was cursed by a kinnara couple (Half bird, and Half-human creature of Mazia) , whom he killed when the two lovers were making love to each other. 

Due to this sinister curse, each month for one fortnight, Illa turned into a female. This female form of him was Illi, the celestial queen of Kirat. 

Ishit didn't know how much truth was in Suta's tales. Though, the old librarian had told him to keep these tales between the two of them. 

After finishing the first question, Ishit jotted down the nine wonders of Varta, though he personally disagree with some of them. 

They were as follow

The Blue Lake of Nemariya 

The Magical Court of Aslan 

The Wishing Tree of Vaisali 

The Chamelion Temple of  Kasi 

The Trikal Mountain of Ahom.

The Tower of Memory of Kirat 

The Fire River of Druk-yul

Princess Grace of Atlantia ( The youngest daughter of King Aslan)

The Throne of Vikramaditya ( It got stolen from the royal museum two years ago) 

After writing down the nine -wonders, Ishit scrawled down the five death zones…

The Nagin Ravine 

The Ghost Village of Ulapi ( The Ghost Town of the Howling desert was different) 

  The Mayavan Forest 

The Mrityum Moutain range of Ahom 

The Well of Patala 

Apart from these five, there were other places where if a spirit-worshiper stepped in, he wouldn't be even seen in Nysa, let alone in Mazia. Temple of Hara was one of them.

However, for Aslan, the king, the above five were the most sinister places. The reason was not a secret. His three brothers, one sister, and five other distinguished figures had perished while venturing in these dark places. 

  As for what the hell they were doing there, knowing fully well, that stepping in these five zones was sure death.  It was a mystery. Of course, like always, magsmen had weaved tales about them, too. 

(Note: if readers are interested in these gory tales let me know in the comment box, I will cajole some magsmen, and bring them for you.  Sutas are always eager to tell their tales.,) 

Describing the Geography of Varta was also not difficult for Ishit, for with his father and his cousin Drona he had traced the globe hundreds of times.

He knew its rivers, mountains, valleys, mines, and all like the lines of his palm.

The most difficult question for Ishit was the wiring down King Aslan's achievements, which was more so, after watching the Empyr scroll last evening. 

Aslan was the youngest of the five sons of Rigal, the great, who unified the Varta, a century ago. After the enigmatic deaths of his three elder brothers, Aslan inherited the throne from his moribund father, in samvat 2983, as his last elder brother, after his brush with death, decided to join the spirit shrine. 

The first thing Aslan did as king was to unify all the guilds and academies of Varta. (there were some exceptions readers will come to know of them in the future) He banned all the faiths that prevailed in the land. He formed the royal society of the best spirit-wielders in any field. He connected prominent cities by sky routes. 

He married off his two younger sisters (against their wills)  one to Amarto, the lord of Okala, and the other to the lord of Vatsa. 

Ishit was not a fool to show his hatred in the answer. He used the way of bards and churned down a long essay in the praise of His Majesty Aslan. 

In this test, you will know what a common spirit-wielder can do with spirit -paths 

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