The Last Rudra

The door opened into a hall with a stone floor. 

A burly man was waiting for them inside the building. He had put on a long cloak just like Mahipal. The man had a medallion in his hand. 

"Is everything ready, Master Ugra?"  Mahipal asked, as soon as they stepped in. 

"Yes, headmaster. I have reset everything. It's just that Luna is angry for being disturbed so soon. And the zizi plants haven't recovered completely. " Ugra said while eyeing Ishit, who was standing quietly, reading the trail chambers' name. 

"I will talk to her. Let's start then,"  Mahipal said as he turned to Ishit, 

" Follow me, young man. I have decided to preside over your test. One doesn't get such an opportunity every day. After today, I can boast to my grandchildren that I have presided over the Lord of Minaak 's test." Mahipal said chortling. Ishit looked at the headmaster with an interest. 

He was surprised at the sudden change in the headmaster's behavior. After it was he who said he couldn't walk him from one trial ground to other. 

Mahipal ignored  Ugra's surprised look. As he walked over to the door. 

"Chamber of Serpents " was written over its door. Ishit followed him, leaving behind Ugra in the hall. 

The headmaster open the door and they stepped in.

The sight in the chamber made the chill run down Ishit's spine. Hundreds of serpents of all colors were coiled in their respective bewitched cages floating in the air.  A wooden rack, filled with labeled jade bottles, was set against the wall. 

"Haha!  this test really unnerves the students, especially girls. But you can't blame me for this  " Mahipal said noticing his unnatural expression." Cleansing of the poison is one of the most important spirit-path. Mazia is filled with all kinds of poisonous creatures; these serpents are just basic ones."

"Anyway, you didn't have to worry, we have got antidote of every snake here," Mahipal said pointing towards the wooden rack. 

Ishit was aware of it. Yet the perspective of poisoning himself couldn't be pleasant. 

" Have you any idea of your immunity level? We can  start from the level."  Mahipal asked, 

The snakes were graded according to their poisons' potency. And as for immunity level, if you could cleanse third-grade snake, your immunity was of third grade. Most of the students who came for the trial knew about their immunity. Because they had cultivated it grade by grade. However, Ishit had no clue of his immunity level. 

All he knew was that the first-grade serpent could burn a commoner with its poison. 

"You don't know?" seeing him quiet, Mahipal said, "Then it will be torturous. You have to start with first grade."

"What's passable immunity level?" Ishit asked. 

" Third grade or above. " Mahipal said.

"Then we can start with that," Ishit said. 

"But, you know if you don't have third-grade immunity, it will leave paralyzed for at least two or three hours even after I feed the antidote.  After all, we are talking about a third-grade poison, which can burn down a whole banyan tree. not to speak the agony, you will have to go through"

"It's okay. I can handle "Ishit said. He refused to believe that he wouldn't even have passable immunity.  After all, he had survived the poisonous arrow of Izidor in Glassia. 

Mahipal noticed Ishit's determined expressions and decided not to oppose the boy's decision. 

He sent a telekinetic link to the nearby cage, containing a third-grade snake of Vriti species. A fiery color animal, with a golden tongue. 

The cage was sealed with a sealing spell. Of course, Mahipal didn't know the unlocking spell, however, he did have the master key spell. With just a few syllables, the black-barred snake opened with a click and the shield around it vanished. 

The fiery Vriti hissed loudly. 

"poke it with your finger, let it bite you. "  Mahipal said as he summoned the antidote jar, in case boy didn't have required immunity. 

Ishit looked at the enraged snake. Its fiery skin was glowing faintly in the dim light. Ishit felt his throat going dry just by looking at it. He ignored his rising pores and slowly reached out to touch the snake.

The snake unfolded its hood sensing his hands, however, What happened the next moment dumbfounded him and Mahipal. 

The snake did the weirdest thing the headmaster had ever seen. It didn't strike the boy's hand, instead, it folded its hood and flickered its golden tongue, and started licking the hand. 

What the hell was it? 

Ishit too didn't know what the snake was doing. He pocked it, but the animal seemed to mind it. 

He looked at the headmaster for guidance. 

"take out your hand first. Let me see. " Mahipal said as he reached out his hand to touch the snake. 

The animal hissed as it came for the headmaster with lightning speed. Mahipal didn't snap back his hand. The vriti's steel hard hood hit the headmaster and injected its venom in his hand.

Though Mahipal was not a yoddha, yet his immunity was above five grade, a good immunity level four a civilian spirit-wielder. So he just had to circulate the spirit and the venom disappeared. 

The two people were speechless at the snake's strange behavior. 

"Maybe something is wrong with it. Let's try with another beast. " Mahipal said as he resealed the snake and sent it back in the air. 

The other viper was dark as the night sky, skin dabbled with dark blue spots.  Ishit again reached out his hand. However, the same thing happened again. This serpent even went further, he could itself around his hand. 

Now Mahipal didn't look at the viper;  instead, he gave Ishit's a scrutinizing look. 

There was nothing wrong with the animals. It was the boy who was playing with him. 

" I didn't do anything. " Before Mahipal could say anything, Ishit said hurridly.  He really had no clue why the snake was acting so friendly with him. 

Seeing the boy's expression, Mahipal decided to trust the boy. He sent back the snake and decided to try with a fourth-grade viper. 

The next serpent was really terrifying. It had fiery eyes and lightning blue skin. Its tongue was a bolt of white lightning.  Ishit could sense a terrifying aura around it. He had recognized the viper in a single glance. It was a vijuri serpent that could dry a large pond in a strike. 

Ishit's face turned serious, as he reached out his hand. As soon as his hand went near. The serpent unfurled its hood with a lighting speed. Ishit lightning crackling around it as Its hood came towards his hand. Seeing this a relief washed over his face. However, it seemed he had counted his eggs too early. 

The snake retracted its hood before it could touch Ishit's raised pores. it looked at him for a while and folded back its hood. And the same thing happened again. 

Ishit felt crying as he noticed Mahipal's accusing look. There was no way the headmaster was going to believe him. 

"You surely know how to make fun of this headmaster, boy," Mahipal said.

"I ,..I " Ishit didn't know what to say. 

"You don't have to say anything. " Mahipal said, smiling as he sent back the serpent. "I think it was something you learned from Nyx." 

"From who?" The unexpected question startled Ishit, 

"From the queen of the dreamland," Mahipal said, as he examined the boy's startled face. Sure enough, the boy knew the dream fairy. 

"yes! " Ishit said, feeling relieved the man had bought the rumors.  However, what he didn't know by accepting it, he had brought new trouble for him. 

"In fact, Nyx gave me the blessing." Ishit decided to make the story more believable, so added some seasoning, "As you know snake is her favorite animal. it is her symbol."

The headmaster nodded, trying hard not to give away his feelings.  His heart was jolting like a maiden who was going to see her lover. 

Perhaps, only dwizas could understand the pain, Mahipal and his lots were going through since they had lost their status in society.

Mahipal decided to wait for the trail to finish. 

"Ah! How you're going to evaluate my cleansing path now." Ishit asked. 

"Don't worry. It was a minor matter. I will give a perfect score. Anyway, you don't need it."  Mahipal said, shaking his head. He decided to win over the boy. 

"Thank you a lot, sir. I will remember this favor." Ishit said, feeling really grateful.  Though it seemed a simple thing, it could cost Mahipal his post if anyone ever found it out. 

"No mention let's head over to another chamber. " Mahipal said, waving his hand.

They walked out of the chamber with beaming faces. 

"What was young lord's score? " Ugra asked as soon they came out. 

"fourth-grade immunity. "  Mahipal said, patting Ishit back "He is really worthy of his title. I'm sure he would outshine even Lord Oman"

"Congratulations young lord. Lord Oman also scored fourth-grade immunity. I was his junior then " Ugra said, with a bright smile.

"Thanks." all Ishit could say.. He was feeling ashamed now.