Aaaaah!~
Jarda screamed as Asumia forcefully healed his dislocated neck.
"That man!"
"Lie still." Asumia ordered him.
"Aaah! Why don't you use some Dayans?"
"No, those are for ceremony. Rather than it would be a waste to use Dayan over some bones and bruises."
Asumia used a wet towel and poulticed a paste of herbs on his back.
"Did master Gaardan return? "
"No. But many disciples return. Fahiya is helping to draw that man's face. Just in case, higher masters order us to start a hunt for him."
"Good. This year started with an unholy. I am afraid more will come."
"Anyway. I can't think old man Dante sheltered a protester. Is he starting that all again?"
"That ? What is that?"
"Oh. This kingdom is not too familiar to you. I understand. It would be better if you don't try to hear about that."
"About what?"
Asumia didn't reply.
"Hey Asumia. What is that?"
She stood up and went to another room.
The night was already darkened with an Unholy. Yet the wind heated up as Gaardan reached Dante's house.
He stood before the half broken door.
*Knock *knock
"Who is it?" From inside the old man replied.
"It's Gaarda. Just passing by your house. I thought about asking how you are. Have a moment to talk?"
"Yeah yeah. Wait."
The door opens.
"How are you old man?"
"Just living by this old age. Here I have a seat."
Gaardan sat on the chair.
"So the alms collection didn't go in a peaceful way."
"Yeah..."
Gardaans hand forced up a little.
"But I gave them everything I had. Fortynine dayans was it. But they asked for more. My grandkids sacrifice."
His hands loosened.
"What? They forced you to pay alms?"
"Yes. But I apologize on behalf of that man. He was just sheltered here. Any punishment of his misdeeds over my grandkids would be unfair."
"No no. I am sorry on behalf of the fire temple. As a master it was my fault that I failed to teach them."
Gaardan stood up and lowered his head to the old man.
"No no. They are young. In young days we also made mistakes like these which taught us a huge lesson...."
"Didn't we?" Dante's voice became a little heavier.
Gaardan's eyes wided.
"Yes, you are right old man. I will request my masters to show a little mercy on that man who extinguished the holy fire."
The old man smiled.
"I hope the heat will not come to this part of the village."
"Why worrying? Your grandkids have an old man with them."
Gaardan turned and walked out of the door.
As he went. The room's temperature came down to normal.
Gardaan walked on the path which led to the temple. Siri and Damo were watching him.
"Hey Damo. Can we go back home? The bugs are biting."
Damo stayed silent for a moment.
"Look. Grandpa is waving his hand to us. Look, it is normal now."
The old man was waving his hand at them. They were hiding behind the well.
In the middle of the jungle, a fire was burning. Zinor was lying under a tree.
"So where should I go now?" He asked himself.
A murder of crows was flying over the jungle. They were carrying a roll of paper in their feet.
"Did you send Crows out? I told you to wait until Gardaan comes back." Asumia raised on a disciple.
"Aah... Asumia... The master told me to.."
The disciple was staggering.
"I ordered him."
As Asumiya turned. A man with white hair and a burning hand was walking toward her.
"Taizo. I think we agreed until Gardaan came back."
"Don't talk like child Asumia. It's the holy time of the ceremony. If the news of forgiving this type of sin comes out. It would be a huge shame for Fire Temple Sangha."
"But won't Gaardan be angry for making a decision without his consent?"
"Gaardan is not a child like you. He is older than you and me. On the other hand a protester can never be satisfied by the system. The example is before us now."
"So you know about the Raiser Brother."
"Of course. But that incident occurred 100 years ago."
"Yes. Maybe I should go to check the progress of tomorrow's ceremony."
"That's our Asumia right there. I am free for a while. So ask me if there is anything for me to arrange."
Taizo walked away to the other room of the temple.
The night was fading. The blue faint sky was visible as dawn came.
Zinor was sleeping. The fire he lit was outfired.
Wsssh! Wsh!
The bushes were shaking.
Zinor's eyes twitched.
Fwoosh!
A arrow came flying toward Zinor's face.
Zinor opened his eyes and grabbed the arrow.
Whoosh!~
As he grabbed the arrows vanished.
"Aaaah!" He looked at his palm and got burned.
"Hahhah!! Haha! What level of fool would grab flame arrows?"
A boy with reddish hair and a laugh in his mouth came out of the bushes.
"Who are you?"
"The hunter. Who's gonna bring your head to the temple."
"Haah? So you are one of those disciples?"
"Disciples? Sheee... Zal is a proud bounty hunter." A boy with black hair came out behind a tree. He looked younger than the other.
Dhaam!
Zal punched his head.
"Oww!!."
"Was it necessary to tell him my name?"
"Sorry. Oww."
"Anyways... Prepare you.."
As Zal faced Zinor he found he left.
"Wait, did he run?"
Zal got angry.
"Look what you have done. Orlando!"
"Sorry. I didn't think it would happen."
Zal froze for a moment. Behind Orlando it was....
Hacchoo~
The old man sneezed.
"That man took away the axe. Now how can I buy another for the woods."
"Don't worry. He brought us too many logs. It won't last any time soon."
"Maybe you are right."
Haaacho~
"Looks like I caught a cold."
Haacho~
* * * * * *
It was Zinor, and was about to strike Orlando with his axe.
"Watch your back!"
Dhaaaam!
A huge sound occurs.
Orlando was panting.
"Hey Orlando are you ok?"
"Zal y-your leg."
"Don't worry."
That devastating blow crushed Zal's left leg. It was only attached by some flesh.
"Hoye kid! You are a nice archer."
As smoke cleared Zinor appeared.
He was grinning. Yet on his back. Three flame arrows stuck.
Zal smiled in pain.
"It isn't even half. Just wait a moment."
Whuish!~
The fire arrows become real fire.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"
The burning sensation was chewing the inner flesh of Zinor.
"Just a couple more."
Stanghs!
Zinor shot the ground with his axe.
A dust hid him from Zal. As it cleared...
"Again? Aren't you tired of running away?"
Zal tried to stand. "Aagh!"
He was just on his one foot.
'Run as you like but I know you are nearby.'
"Above your head!" Orlando screamed.
Zal forced the middle finger down, pinning them with the base of his thumb until his hand formed a strain.
Flames came out of his hand and made the bow held by his index and ring finger while his middle finger stretched the string.
Stah!
As he released a fire arrow shot.
Stungh! Whuish!
The arrow stuck to something metallic and deflected it.
Stungh!
It was the axe, stuck on the ground. The smoke was coming out.
"His axe?"
"How naive are you?"
Zinor appeared right behind him.
Zal was about to shoot but before that..
Dhaam!
A hard punch in his guts made him fly away and he crashed with a tree.
"Zal! " Orlando rushed toward him.
Zinor walked to his axe.
"Zal are you okay?"
"Ggh! So you are gonna finish us off ?"
"Why? Your skills were nicer than most archers I have seen in my life. But you lack the experience of what a real battle is."
"Haah?"
"Despite that fire you can generate by some sort of spell or something there was nothing threatening to me. In short, The thing you called hunt i called it play."
"Hoye. Just stuck the axe into my head and went away. I don't want a lecture from you."
"I would. But that is what I do only in war. Bring your soldiers with you then I would think about that."
"Who do you think you are?"
"You wouldn't understand."
Zinor turned and walked over.
"Don't you think showing your back to an archer is bad. I can pierce it from her."
"Try then."
Zinor kept walking and went deep in the forest.
"Marvellous. You got me." Zal lost his senses.
The sun was shining brightly. Gaardan came back to the temple.
"Oh master Gaardan." Disciples lowered their heads as they saw him.
Gaardan raised his hand.
"How are the preparations?"
"All are good. We collected Seven Thousand Dayans last night."
"Well. Divide that in three parts. Send one of them to Fire Sangha and we will return one to the existence."
"And what about the third part master?" A new disciple asked in curiosity."
One of his fellows tried to lower his head.
"It's okay. We will use that to make some improvements in the temple. The kids who will become the new future of your law shall learn in a better temple."
"As your wish master."
Gaardan went inside afterwards.
"Are you mad? Questioning the Masters decision?"
"I just got a bit curious."
"Tie that curiosity inside. You are new here. Go and see if the big censer is ok."
That disciple went lowering his head in shame.
"Taizo! Taizo!! Come here!" Gardaan raged.
Asumia came running.
"What happened? Is everything okay?"
"No it is not. Where are those disciples? And where is Taizo?"
"Taizo went on an errand. Those disciples are in the Censer room."
"Call them here. Now!"
The jungle was glowing with life in the daylight. Orlando opened a pouch. There were several silver coloured coins.
"I hope these amount of Dayans will be ok."
He held them tightly. Soon they started glowing and the glow transferred to his palm.
He touched Zal's body. Soon that glow vanished and Zal's leg started to recover.
Zal woke up. "Whaw! I thought i was a goner."
"You would. You were too casual there."
Zal poked a finger on Orlando's forehead.
"Yes. Cause I was saving a sixteen year old baby."
Orlando became angry. "You maniac!"
Orlando was hitting Zal's head.
"Whow! Whow! Sorry. Not baby but a big baby. Hahaha!"
A bush moved in the jungle.
"I think these should be okay." Zinor pasted some leaves by hand and stamped them on the wounds on his back.
"I am not very fond of these leaf things."
He was sitting beside a pond in the jungle.
"Looks like we met."
"Huh."
Zinor stood up in a jerk as he heard the voice.
"I was wondering how far the unholy bringer would run."
"Who are you?" Zinor pointed his axe at him.
"Your punishment."
Taizo's blue eyes shined in the amazement and anger.
Orlando sat beside Zal. He was trying to make his hand sign like him.
"It's not that hard. But these bow and arrows I craft are mine. So my trust makes my aim accurate."
"Ooo.. So what do you think? Zal. What now?
"The air. It changed isn't it? You know what it says?"
"What is it? Zal."
"The hunt isn't over yet. This one will be legendary."
"Haa!..." Orlando wondered.
In the fire temple Gaardan angrily stood before those five disciples.
"Say. What punishment should I offer you?"
The air was really becoming dense. Away from here, on a big mountain peak a person was looking at the village.
"Damo, Siri, Old man. I am coming back!" He waved his hands high in the air in enthusiasm.