The Last Rudra

At the time of registration, Ishit had received a token with his name and number etched on it. As soon as he walked over to the ground floor, where all the other participants were waiting for the gate to open, a new name appeared on the copper coin-- Tahir from  Tripoli.  Ishit had heard of this city. Tripoli was in Matsya. He searched for his opponents in the crowds, and it wasn't too difficult as like all Matsyans had dark black hair with a blue hue. Sure enough behind a dark-haired Sursenian boy, standing a young man. His olive skin tone and dark eyes were giving away his Matsayan ethnicity. As if sensing his gaze, Tahir glanced at him. He noticed the darkness churning in his opponent eyes. Ishit couldn't help but recall the ancient lore about Matsayans. Suta had told him that Matsyan worriers had fae blood running in their veins. That allowed them to borrow nature's power apart from spirit.

Ishit couldn't but curse his luck for having such a great opponent in his first match. Tahir's Astra was a javelin with the shaft of adamantine and a sharp-pointed head. 

Ishit couldn't help but praise the fineness of the weapon. 

Ishit walked over to an empty spot beside an Okalian girl and stood with his newly forged long sword called Kalnemi. This weapon was forged using Glassian smithy and could merge with his thoughts. 

"You're Ishit, the crippled young master of Minaak," said the Okalian girl, giving Ishit an appraising look. Every eye turned to Ishit. 

"Yes!" Ishit didn't ignore the jibe. Within these two days, he had met too many arrogant to care about them anymore. They all wanted good trouncings and he didn't have that much time.  He glanced at the Sumerian young man. The boy averted his eyes. The glowing spotless face, arched nose, big almond eyes. Ishit couldn't help but be amazed at the beauty of the young man.

Were all the Sursenians this handsome? He wondered thinking of the beautiful Idol of his late aunt. 

"They said you were taught by the dream queen. Is it true?" asked another boy.

" He is fibbing." before Ishit replied, the Okalian girl chimed in.  "Only a fool would buy this nonsense. " 

Ishit looked at the girl, and smiled but said nothing. He couldn't make out why she was so interested in his matters. Of course, he was aware of his family's conflict with the Okalian lord. 

"Then how does he know all the spirit paths without even attending the school?" asked another boy. He was from Garuna. 

"Someone must have instructed him at home. "

"But he couldn't sense the spirit. "

"Who said? He could always sense spirit, and that was how he had messed up with his spirit paths." The girl said, sneering. "I think he must have mixed up spirit diagrams or forgotten them altogether. You southerners are famous for your dull heads "

"You!" said the boy, his grip tightened around his Astra. 

"What? I'm telling the truth.  Just ask anyone, they will tell you what the world thinks about your folks."  The girl said, raising his arched brow while stealing a glance at Ishit. 

" Brother, do you really care about the opinions of people who have abandoned thier ancestors and now calling someone else's grandpa thier grandpa. We, descendants of Ankha, don't need others' opinions." Ishit decided to intervene. He could see the boy's respect for him, to speak precisely, for his status as a young lord of Garuna. 

"What do you mean by that?"  The Okalian girl snapped at him. Apparently, she didn't get his jibe. Others also gave him puzzled looks. 

"Look! Who is dim wit now?" said Ishit with a smile, "I'm not your instructor. "

"Haha, Just ask your grandpa. He will tell you, who is his real granddaughter?" the boy chuckled. 

"What's your name? " The Okalian girl glared at him. 

"Ajaya from Ambra. " The boy replied smile.

The Okalian girl looked at her token. But her face told that Ajaya hadn't been paired with her. 

"Who is his opponent? " She asked the others, "If you break his legs, I will give you this." She took out a sparkling white pearl. 

The contenders couldn't help but gasp. It was the fabled spirit-water pearl. Legends said that pearls were created when a rainbow met the earth after a storm. Imperfections in a pearl's appearance were the result of thunder and lightning. 

The spirit water pearl could detoxify even a seventh-grade snake's poison. They were rare commodities even to royals. 

"Ok, I will. But you'll have to give your payment first." the Sursenian young man said. 

"No problem! you can keep it." said the Okalian girl as he handed over the pearl to the handsome boy. 

Ishit was amazed that the girl's wealth. 

It was then the giant barred gate clanked open, and the participants rushed in. 

"Be careful, " Ishit warned Ajaya as they stepped into the stadium. He could see his parents watching him. Guha and Nandini shouted excitedly. 

************

At the time of registration, Ishit

had received a token with his name and number etched on it. As soon as he walked over to the ground floor, where all the other participants were waiting for the gate to open, a new name appeared

on the copper coin-- Tahir from

Tripoli.  Ishit had heard of this city. Tripoli was in Matsya. He searched for his opponents in the crowds, and it wasn't too difficult as like all Matsyans had dark black hair with a blue hue. Sure enough behind a dark-haired Sursenian

boy, standing a young man. His olive skin tone and dark eyes were giving away his Matsayan ethnicity. As if sensing his gaze,

Tahir glanced at him. He noticed the darkness churning in his opponent eyes. Ishit couldn't help but recall the ancient lore about Matsayans. Suta had told him that Matsyan worriers had fae blood running in their veins. That allowed them to borrow nature's power apart from spirit.

Ishit couldn't but curse his luck for having such a great opponent in his first match. Tahir's Astra was a javelin with the shaft of adamantine and a sharp-pointed head. 

Ishit couldn't help but praise the fineness of the weapon. 

Ishit walked over to an empty spot beside an Okalian girl and stood with his newly forged long sword called Kalnemi. This weapon was forged using Glassian smithy and could merge with his thoughts. 

"You're Ishit, the crippled young master of Minaak," said the Okalian girl, giving Ishit an appraising look. Every eye turned to Ishit. 

"Yes!" Ishit didn't ignore the jibe. Within these two days, he had met too many arrogant to care about them anymore. They all wanted good trouncings and he didn't have that much time.  He glanced at the Sumerian young man. The boy averted his eyes. The glowing spotless face, arched nose, big almond eyes. Ishit couldn't help but be amazed at the beauty of the young man.

Were all the Sursenians this handsome? He wondered thinking of the beautiful Idol of his late aunt. 

"They said you were taught by the dream queen. Is it true?" asked another boy.

" He is fibbing." before Ishit replied, the Okalian girl chimed in.  "Only a fool would buy this nonsense. " 

Ishit looked at the girl, and smiled but said nothing. He couldn't make out why she was so interested in his matters. Of course, he was aware of his family's conflict with the Okalian lord. 

"Then how does he know all the spirit paths without even attending the school?" asked another boy. He was from Garuna. 

"Someone must have instructed him at home. "

"But he couldn't sense the spirit. "

"Who said? He could always sense spirit, and that was how he had messed up with his spirit paths." The girl said, sneering. "I think he must have mixed up spirit diagrams or forgotten them altogether. You southerners are famous for your dull heads "

"You!" said the boy, his grip tightened around his Astra. 

"What? I'm telling the truth.  Just ask

anyone, they will tell you what the world thinks about your folks."  The girl said, raising his arched brow while stealing a glance at Ishit. 

" Brother, do you really care about the opinions of people who have abandoned thier ancestors and now calling someone else's grandpa

thier grandpa. We, descendants of Ankha, don't need others' opinions." Ishit decided to intervene. He could see the boy's respect for him, to speak precisely, for his status as a young lord of Garuna. 

"What do you mean by that?" 

The Okalian girl snapped at him. Apparently, she didn't get his jibe. Others also gave him puzzled looks. 

"Look! Who is dim wit now?" said Ishit with a smile, "I'm not your instructor. "

"Haha, Just ask your grandpa.

He will tell you, who is his real granddaughter?" the boy chuckled. 

"What's your name? " The Okalian girl glared at him. 

"Ajaya from Ambra. " The boy replied smile.

The Okalian girl looked at her token. But her face told that Ajaya hadn't been paired with her. 

"Who is his opponent? " She asked the others, "If you break his legs, I will give you this." She took out a sparkling white pearl. 

The contenders couldn't help

but gasp. It was the fabled spirit-water pearl. Legends said that pearls were created when a rainbow met the earth after a storm.. Imperfections in a pearl's appearance were the result of thunder and lightning.