"The Jivatshavas."
Guru Guru Srujan repeated the name, then fell silent for a moment as he looked around at the four people accompanying the Yuvraj. His gaze lingered briefly on Ashwini and Wong before the two exchanged a glance, nodded, and quietly withdrew from the garden. Hamsa immediately understood what the old Guru was implying and turned toward Rajkumar Garuda and Ranapala, giving them a small gesture toward the exit. Neither needed to be told twice, and they followed the others out without question.
Once the four had left, silence settled over the garden. Guru Srujan seemed ready to speak, but Hamsa raised a hand.
"One moment. I assume even those two do not know what you are about to tell me."
Guru Srujan gave a small nod.
"Then let us make this even more private."
Hamsa raised his left hand and slowly rotated his wrist. To an ordinary observer, and even to most people with only a modest understanding of mana, little seemed to happen. The air around them stirred strangely, and a dense Mana Zone spread outward through the garden. In reality, Hamsa had done considerably more. His Mana Zone now encompassed the entire inner garden, while a thin dome of compressed air formed around its boundaries. It did not merely block sound; the controlled currents ensured that anything spoken within remained inside, while noises from beyond continued to enter without obstruction.
"Impressive," Guru Srujan said after sensing what Hamsa had done.
"It's nothing special." Hamsa lowered his hand. "Now, back to the matter at hand. What are they?"
"We don't exactly know."
Hamsa's expression betrayed genuine confusion, but before he could ask further, Guru Srujan continued.
"I was born and raised during the years before the Surya Empire, under Chakravarti Surya Gupta I, had even come into existence. That was several generations after the Great War." Guru Srujan's expression grew distant as he spoke. "My Guru, however, was a man who had lived through that war and fought in it. The Jivatshavas began appearing only a few years after the war ended."
"At the time, there were no states capable of dealing with them. The kingdoms that survived the war were too weakened, and those that eventually rose afterward had neither the knowledge nor the means to confront creatures of that nature. The temples, however, had retained much of their strength and knowledge, and because of what had happened during the war, they were among the few institutions trusted enough to deal with the problem."
Guru Srujan folded his hands over the head of his staff.
"Over the years, the system for training and managing Mana Users changed. The states gradually recovered and began rebuilding their armies and administrations, but the temples retained responsibility for matters such as these. Even now, we monitor Mana Zones across much of the continent, including regions beyond the lands directly ruled by our kingdoms."
"And you still investigate them?"
"Of course. Every few years, expeditions are sent into affected regions to observe the Jivatshavas, document their behaviour, and learn whatever we can. The frequency has decreased over the centuries, however. As the great empires and kingdoms returned and began competing for power once again, the temples found themselves dealing with other problems as well."
Hamsa nodded slowly.
"And what have those expeditions actually discovered? I assume you participated in some yourself."
"I have." Guru Srujan's expression became more serious. "The most certain thing we know is that the creatures are composed entirely of mana. They do not possess ordinary bodies in the way living creatures do. Yet each one possesses its own distinct mana signature."
"That tracks with what I observed."
Hamsa paused before continuing.
"And I assume your current theory is that they are the remnants of dead people."
Guru Srujan studied him.
"That was always one of the more troubling possibilities. Living people possess distinct mana signatures, but these creatures are not simply projections produced by a living Mana User. Their signatures are completely independent and remain stable without a living source to sustain them."
Hamsa was quiet for a moment.
"Before we continue, I'd like to ask you something else. Are there any living people, or documented cases of people, who are like me?"
"What do you mean, Yuvraj?"
Guru Srujan's tone was innocent enough, but Hamsa could tell from the slight shift in his expression that the question had been understood.
"I believe Acharya Ram, your former student, would have sent you a letter about me. Lady Ashwini has also spent enough time around me to tell you quite a bit."
Guru Srujan gave him a knowing look.
"So you believe you are special, Yuvraj."
Hamsa sighed.
"Guru Guru Srujan, I believe you have reached a point in your life where entering your own mental space should be as easy as breathing."
The old Guru considered that.
"I would not go quite that far. Among my peers, however, I have what I believe to be the finest control over my own."
"You sound disappointed."
"I am, a little." Guru Srujan's expression softened. "Despite all the time I've spent teaching, none of my students have come particularly close to achieving the same."
"Why from what I have observed Acharya Ram at the very least has the mana to enter and maintain it. Forget mana, even an ordinary person if they gain total control over their minds." The Yuvraj spoke though his tone was more relaxed and also like a child asking questions.
Guru Guru Srujan was about to reply when his expression suddenly changed. The garden around them seemed to disappear in an instant, replaced by an endless white void with no visible walls, ceiling, or horizon. Only the two men, the clothes they wore, and the cousin stone seats beneath them remained, suspended within the otherwise empty expanse.
"You really do stand up to everything I have heard." Guru Srijan spoke with a hint of surprise in his voice.
"I do like to keep my skills polished." The Yuvraj spoke. "So are or were there people like me." He added as he let his mana leak to its almost half his actual natural leakage.
Guru Guru Srujan tensed for a moment.
Ram was right. This child is special.
The thought crossed his mind as he continued studying the Yuvraj, who still wore a somewhat joyful expression despite what he had just been told.
"There were people during the time of the Great War who might have been able to stand against... this," Guru Srujan said carefully, his tone turning serious. "But no one living even comes close."
"Is that so?" The Yuvraj spoke though he had a some what sad expression on.
Though sadness that had briefly appeared on Hamsa's face faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression.
"Well, that completely rules out the possibility that those things are simply mana projections."
"You speak as though you've already reached your conclusion," Guru Srujan observed.
"Well, it's better if I show you than tell you."
Hamsa snapped his fingers.
In an instant, several figures appeared around them, each one bearing the appearance of Raj—the Yuvraj's past life. Making the figures appear as though several versions of his former self had suddenly been placed within the white void. Though to the Guru this was someone random in common civilian cloths, though extremely good looking if he might add.
"Do you sense any difference?"
Guru Srujan did not answer.
His attention had already been drawn to the nearest figure. He slowly reached out a hand, his mana extending toward it as he carefully examined what stood before him.
For several moments, silence filled the endless white space.
Then Guru Srujan withdrew his hand and seemed to regain himself. He turned toward Hamsa, his expression considerably more serious than before.
"I see what you mean, Yuvraj."
----------
Royal Quarters
While the two men continued their private discussion inside the garden, the four who had left them went their separate ways, each remaining with the companions they had arrived with.
Rajkumar Rajkumar Garuda and Ranapala had found an open section of the training grounds and were comparing their techniques, discussing the differences in their approaches and occasionally demonstrating a movement for the other to correct.
Ashwini and Wong, meanwhile, had taken the opportunity to wander through the portions of the Royal Quarters that were still undergoing renovation.
"Don't you think this is a little excessive?" Wong asked after looking over the materials being brought into the complex. Much of the better timber had been imported from the south and east, while sheets of glass, polished mirrors, and various unfamiliar tools were being brought in under the Yuvraj's direct orders.
To someone from Hamsa's previous world, most of it would have looked ordinary enough, but here such things represented some of the finest materials and craftsmanship available.
Ashwini glanced around before answering. "Perhaps. But I suppose that isn't really our concern."
"I just hope the Yuvraj doesn't come asking the temples for money like the governors before him," Wong replied with a faint grimace.
He looked toward Ashwini before continuing.
"Though, on a different matter, are you really sure you don't want to work for him? From what you told me, he offered you a rather ridiculous arrangement."
Ashwini didn't answer. Instead, her attention had already been caught by a collection of objects arranged on a nearby table. She slowed, then walked toward a woman who appeared to be overseeing the work.
The woman was Padmavathi, who was talking to a foremen for seconds ago.
She wasn't directly responsible for the renovations themselves, but she had come to gather information on the new materials and tools being produced by her team, to collect data on them. Ashwini, of course, knew none of that.
"Excuse me."
Padmavathi turned toward her.
"Yes?"
"Do you happen to know who made these?" Ashwini asked, pointing toward the glass, mirrors, and several of the specialized tools arranged nearby.
"These?" Padmavathi repeated, glancing over them. "The work was carried out under the Yuvraj's sanction and with his assistance, but my team is responsible for producing them."
Ashwini's interest immediately increased.
"Really? Then might I ask how you made them?"
Wong closed his eyes and lowered his head into his palm.
There she goes again.
Padmavathi, fortunately, seemed accustomed to such questions.
"The mirrors aren't particularly complicated. We produce a sufficiently smooth sheet of glass and coat one side with silver before allowing it to set." She gestured toward the larger sheets stacked nearby.
"As for the glass itself, we have several glassmakers from the far west working with us. They already possessed the necessary skills, and we've simply been refining the process and improving the consistency."
She picked up one of the smaller tools before placing it back down.
"The other instruments are more specialized. They're meant for handling delicate materials, so the construction is more involved. I'm afraid I can't explain how those are made."
Ashwini's eyes lingered on the tools.
Among them were several strange devices that looked almost primitive at first glance, including what appeared to be small leather cups designed to grip smooth surfaces from her perspective.
She studied them with growing curiosity.
"Those too?"
Padmavathi gave her a polite smile.
"Especially those. But might I ask who you are?"
Ashwini realized that she had been asking questions without ever introducing herself and felt a little embarrassed by the oversight. "My name is Ashwini, and this is Wong. We both work at the university."
"Oh! So you're Lady Ashwini." Padmavathi's expression brightened slightly. "Sarasvathi has spoken to me about you. Oh, forgive me, where are my manners? I completely forgot to introduce myself. My name is Padmavathi, and I work under the Yuvraj."
"Work under him?" Ashwini asked, clearly intrigued.
"More of a student and assistant when it comes to the matters I am most capable in, such as research and overseeing experimentation. These materials you see before you are the result of the work I've done under the Yuvraj's guidance."
"When you say you work under the Yuvraj and under his guidance, what exactly do you mean? Does he actually give you the ideas while you carry out the work, or..."
"Well..." Padmavathi considered her answer for a moment. "It isn't quite as straightforward as that. He usually gives me a general direction, along with the necessary resources, and I handle the rest myself. Though whenever a major problem comes up, the Yuvraj will usually step in."
Ashwini was about to ask another question when the sound of approaching footsteps came from behind them. More than two pairs, judging by the rhythm, and the group instinctively moved aside to let whoever was coming through. Instead, the footsteps stopped just behind them.
"Padmavathi. I told you to rest. Send one of your people to collect whatever data you need. You have to be prepared to leave tomorrow," Sarasvathi said as she approached, accompanied by Ranapala, two other Royal Guards, and Rajkumar Rajkumar Garuda.
"I wa—"
"No ifs or buts." Sarasvathi cut her off without hesitation. "Ranapala, take her and make sure she gets some proper rest. If the Yuvraj becomes too busy, everything eventually falls on her shoulders."
Padmavathi opened her mouth as though she intended to protest again, but Ranapala was already stepping toward her, and she wisely decided not to waste her breath. The two began walking away together.
Ashwini and Wong had moved a little to the side during the exchange and were quietly murmuring to one another.
"Hey, Ashwini," Wong whispered, watching Padmavathi leave. "Is that the really hot one you were talking about? Because she definitely fits the description."
Ashwini gave him a light hit to the abdomen.
"Do you want me to tell Lu about this? Besides, she clearly holds far more authority around here than you seem to realize, so don't start saying nonsense."
Wong rubbed his stomach but wisely said nothing.
Once Padmavathi and Ranapala had departed, Rajkumar Rajkumar Garuda approached the pair while Sarasvathi remained behind, speaking with the mason who had previously been discussing the renovations with Padmavathi.
"Lady Ashwini, I never got the chance to thank you properly for saving my life back there," Rajkumar Garuda said. His voice carried more of a royal bearing than the Yuvraj's, though there was still a strangely calm seriousness to it.
"Rajkumar, it was my honour to be of help. And the Yuvraj has thanked me more than enough during our last audience," Ashwini replied.
"Even so." Rajkumar Garuda gave a small nod. "Is there something I can do for you?"
Ashwini thought for a moment before turning toward Wong. The two exchanged a few quiet words, their voices too low for Rajkumar Garuda to make out, before Ashwini turned back to him.
"In that case, Rajkumar, I would be honoured if you and the Royal Guards would consider training with the temple forces stationed at the university," she said.
Rajkumar Garuda considered the request before shaking his head lightly.
"That won't be a problem. Once I return from the expedition through the province in my brother's place, I was actually planning to ask about doing something similar myself. But it won't come to fruition for at least another month." He looked at her. "So, please, ask for something else."
Ashwini fell silent again, this time thinking much more carefully about what she could ask. Nearly a full minute passed before she finally spoke. By then, Sarasvathi had finished her conversation with the mason and joined them, standing a short distance behind the Rajkumar.
"The Yuvraj offered me a position under him, which I declined," Ashwini said. "I'm not asking you to give me the same offer, but... could something similar be arranged?"
Rajkumar Garuda looked slightly puzzled by the way she had phrased the request, but he did not press her for an explanation. Instead, he turned toward Sarasvathi. She gave him a small nod.
"Very well. I'll speak with my brother about it." Rajkumar Garuda turned back toward Ashwini. "In the meantime, why don't you stay in the Royal Quarters? I'm sure you'll find it more comfortable than returning to the university immediately."
Ashwini gave a small bow.
"I thank you for your generosity and humbly accept."
Rajkumar Garuda nodded before turning toward Sarasvathi.
"Sarasvathi, please make the arrangements. I'll speak to my brother myself."
"As you command, Rajkumar."
With that, Rajkumar Garuda departed. A guard approached him almost immediately with a report, and the two left together soon afterward, while Sarasvathi remained behind only long enough to give Ashwini a brief nod before excusing herself to attend to her other duties.
Once they were alone again, Wong looked sideways at Ashwini as they resumed walking through the palace grounds.
"You said you weren't that interested in working for the Yuvraj. What changed?"
"Nothing, really." Ashwini shrugged. "I just had a change of heart, that's all."
Wong gave her a suspicious look but decided not to press the matter.
They continued through the Royal Quarters until they reached the training grounds outside the main residence. Several groups were already training there under the supervision of Mena's people. To anyone watching casually, they looked like ordinary members of the Royal Guard, wearing the same clothing and equipment as the soldiers stationed around the Yuvraj's residence. It was deliberate. Their true identities were concealed, and the agents had been divided into small groups of three as they practiced their techniques.
Wong slowed as one of the groups began an exercise.
"Impressive."
One of the three practitioners stepped forward and, with a few precise movements, shaped the earth beneath them into several small projectiles before sending them forward in rapid succession.
"They're doing everything in a single sequence," Wong said, watching closely. "Not like us, where we usually prepare the mana first and then launch the attack."
Ashwini nodded, studying the group as well.
"It is impres—"
"Damn, even water and fire," Wong cut in, his attention shifting toward the third group farther across the training grounds.
Ashwini followed his gaze. The practitioners there were using fire and water in their techniques as well, moving through their exercises with the same controlled precision as the others.
A few moments passed before Ashwini frowned.
"I think I understand why you asked to train with us," Wong said as the two continued watching the exercises below.
"I don't remember any of them," Ashwini replied a moment later.
Wong frowned.
"Then why did you ask the Rajkumar that?"
Ashwini didn't answer. And before she could, however, a familiar voice came from behind them.
"It doesn't matter. You did well, Ashwini."
Both of them turned to find Guru Guru Srujan and Rajkumar Rajkumar Garuda approaching.
"Guru Ji."
The two bowed slightly.
Guru Srujan raised his free hand in blessing before joining them at the edge of the upper floor. For a moment, all three stood looking down at the training ground.
"Impressive." the old Guru remarked.
"They can stand to do better," Rajkumar Garuda added.
Before either could say anything more, every men and women training below suddenly came to a halt. The groups moved together with practiced coordination, forming up before standing at attention. Mena took position at the front of the formation, waiting.
Ashwini looked toward the far end of the upper floor and found the Yuvraj approaching, Gopal and Sarasvathi walking a few steps behind him.
Once Hamsa reached the front of the formation, the soldiers offered their salute. Each raised the right arm diagonally forward, keeping the arm straight and the hand extended, before returning it to their side.
Mena stepped forward to deliver his report.
Hamsa listened for a moment before raising his right hand and snapping his fingers. A barrier immediately formed around the training ground, separating the soldiers from the surrounding area.
"At ease," the Yuvraj ordered.
The formation relaxed almost immediately, the rigid lines loosening as the men and women returned to a more natural stance. From the upper floor, Guru Guru Srujan watched them for a moment longer before turning toward Rajkumar Rajkumar Garuda.
The barrier surrounding the training ground continued to hum faintly with mana, cutting off the noise from below and leaving the small group on the upper floor in relative quiet.
"Rajkumar," Guru Srujan said, his eyes still on the soldiers below, "tell me something. What exactly are they doing to achieve... this? Your brother and I had a rather productive conversation earlier, but we spoke very little about combat. I have seen enough to know that what they are doing differs from what the temples teach, but I would like to understand how."
Rajkumar Garuda followed the old Guru's gaze toward the training ground before answering.
"Before I explain that, may I first ask how the temples traditionally approach it? I have seen a few examples over the years, and I have had the opportunity to spar with my father and uncle, but most of what I know about combat has been taught to me by my brother. I would therefore prefer to understand precisely how your methods differ before I attempt to explain his."
Guru Srujan paused at that, his expression turning thoughtful.
It was not Rajkumar Garuda's lack of knowledge that caught Guru Srujan's attention, but rather what that lack implied. The Rajkumar had been trained by members of the Royal Family and had access to the finest Gurus and Acharyas that a prosperous kingdom like Valangar could provide, yet most of his understanding of mana-based combat had ultimately come from Hamsa. That was unusual in itself, but perhaps not because the royal teachers had lacked the ability to instruct him further. Throughout the continent, most accomplished Mana Users were products of the same broad tradition: they had either passed through the temples themselves or had been taught by Gurus who had emerged from that system. The methods of controlling mana, understanding its principles, and applying them in combat had consequently developed within a largely shared framework, refined over generations and accepted almost as common knowledge among those qualified to teach it.
Perhaps because of that, the Gurus and Acharyas of Vala had seen little reason to expose the young Rajkumar to methods that fell outside what they already considered the proper way of learning mana and combat. They may even have believed that doing so would hinder rather than help him, introducing ways of thinking that conflicted with the foundations they were trying to establish. Guru Srujan could not know whether that had truly been their reasoning, nor whether Hamsa's methods were genuinely superior to what the temples had spent centuries refining. But looking at the results before him, he could not help but wonder whether the royal teachers and even the people at the head of the world of Mana Users at large had been too quick to assume that anything outside the established tradition was a hindrance rather than something worth understanding.
"Then perhaps it would be better to show you rather than explain it," Guru Srujan said after a moment. "Come with us to the university. I can introduce you to the methods practiced there, and you may judge the differences for yourself."
Rajkumar Garuda considered the suggestion while looking once more toward the training grounds. "I would be honored to accompany you," he replied. After a brief pause, he added with a faint smile, "Though I would suggest that we find some means of traveling there rather than walking. The university is roughly an hour away on foot, and I doubt any among us would gain much from spending that time merely making our way through the city."
That earned a quiet laugh from Guru Srujan.
"Very well. How do you propose we get there?"
Rajkumar Garuda's smile widened slightly.
"For that..." He glanced toward the lower grounds, where Hamsa had already begun walking away from the soldiers with Gopal and Sarasvathi nearby. "...we'll need my brother."
He excused himself before heading toward the stairs. A moment later, however, he changed his mind and simply vaulted over the railing. As soon as his hands were free, he rotated his wrists and thrust both palms toward the ground, directing a strong current of wind downward to slow his descent and ensure a smooth landing. He touched down lightly before straightening and jogging after Hamsa, leaving Guru Srujan watching the display with a mixture of amusement.
A short while later, the two brothers returned together. This time Hamsa ignored the railing entirely and came up the stairs with Rajkumar Garuda, though the latter looked as though he had expected his brother to take the easier route through the air.
"So, whwere exactly are we going?" Hamsa asked as he joined the others.
Rajkumar Garuda began explaining the situation while Guru Srujan filled in the details, and within a few moments Hamsa understood what they wanted. He opened his mouth to ask about a suitable place to depart from, but before he could finish, Ashwini spoke.
"There is a large open area that I use for taking off and landing," she said. "It should be more than enough for whatever you're planning."
Hamsa looked toward her, then toward Guru Srujan and Rajkumar Garuda.
"That should work."
With the decision made, the small group began making their way down the stairs. The two Royal brothers walked alongside Guru Guru Srujan, Ashwini, and Wong, who followed as they made their way toward the open grounds. To the others, it seemed like an ordinary walk through the palace, but only Guru Srujan and Rajkumar Garuda noticed that Hamsa had already begun extending his Mana Zone around the group, quietly establishing a connection with each of them as they moved.
-----
University
The group eventually made their way back to Takshashila University, entering the facilities on the northern side of the campus where the armed forces associated with the university were stationed and trained. Hamsa had dropped them off and departed for the palace soon afterward, taking care to remain unseen by the people below as he had on the way there. He still had a considerable amount of work waiting for him, and there was little reason for him to remain when Guru Srujan and Rajkumar Garuda already had one another to speak with.
The three guests and the Rajkumar continued deeper into the university grounds, passing through one section after another as the ordinary life of Takshashila unfolded around them.
In one courtyard, several Acharyas sat with their students while going through scripture. The lessons were frequently interrupted by students questioning their teachers or arguing among themselves over the meaning of particular passages. Some debates concerned the proper interpretation of a verse, while others focused on how those teachings should be applied to matters of conduct, governance, or daily life.
The next section was devoted to dialectics. Students gathered in small groups, with a few Gurus moving between them and occasionally joining the arguments themselves. They debated definitions, challenged one another's assumptions, and examined the consequences of different interpretations. Some discussions were concerned with philosophy and ethics, while others dealt with logic, law, and the nature of knowledge itself.
Beyond that, they passed through several halls where students studied language and literature. Some were reading and comparing old epics, poems, and histories, while others practiced composition under the guidance of their Acharyas. In one area, students recited passages aloud and discussed the use of metaphor, rhythm, and structure. In another, scribes carefully copied manuscripts while their teachers corrected errors in grammar and script.
There were also sections devoted to medicine and the study of the natural world.
Students examined herbs, prepared remedies, and discussed the workings of the human body according to the knowledge preserved by their seniors. Nearby, others studied plants, animals, the properties of minerals, and the changing seasons. Their lessons were based on observation, inherited knowledge, and the careful recording of what had been learned before them.
Farther along, they came across a section devoted to mathematics and astronomy.
And just like in the ones that came before, the older students took an active role in teaching those younger than themselves under the supervision of the Guru in charge. Some worked through arithmetic and geometry, while others studied measurements, calendars, the movement of the stars, and the paths of the planets across the night sky.
The university did not feel like a collection of isolated classrooms. Instead, it seemed more like a community of scholars, where knowledge was expected to be passed down by those who had already learned it as much as by the teachers formally responsible for each section. Students were not separated entirely by age or rank, and those with greater understanding were often expected to assist those still learning the foundations.
As they moved farther north, the character of the university gradually changed. The discussions of scripture, mathematics, and philosophy gave way to the more practical study of mana.
The first training ground they passed contained practitioners of almost every age, provided they had already developed their mana circuits and possessed the ability to use mana.
They sat in meditation with their eyes closed, hundreds of individual flows of mana settling into a single organized field as the group maintained a collective Mana Zone. Some were young enough to still be learning the fundamentals, while others were old enough that their experience was obvious even in the stillness of their movements.
Further on, they found smaller groups practicing basic mana manipulation. Those with greater experience moved among the less skilled, correcting their posture, adjusting their mana flow, and occasionally demonstrating a technique before having the student repeat it.
Age seemed to matter remarkably little here. A young practitioner could be correcting an elderly student in one group while the situation was reversed several paces away, competence rather than age determining who taught and who learned.
The next sections became increasingly focused on manipulating mana outside the body. Some practitioners were learning little more than how to reinforce an object they were holding or subtly alter its shape.
Others had progressed to elemental manipulation, drawing small quantities of earth, water, fire, or air into controlled forms before dismissing them.
Beyond them were more advanced exercises in which multiple principles were combined, though even these remained at a level Rajkumar Garuda recognized as foundational rather than exceptional.
Rajkumar Rajkumar Garuda slowed as he watched one of the groups complete an exercise. He had seen forms of mana manipulation before, but never presented as a progression quite like this. The university had organized the learning process into increasingly difficult stages, each building upon the previous one, while teachers of varying levels guided students according to their ability rather than their age or position.
Guru Srujan noticed Rajkumar Garuda's expression and smiled faintly.
"Now you understand what I meant when I said it would be easier to show you."
"I do," Rajkumar Garuda replied, watching another group begin their exercises. "And for some reason, I can feel a distinct hatred for my brother growing inside me."
Guru Srujan looked at him with some amusement. "And why is that?"
Rajkumar Garuda sighed as they continued walking. "I cannot properly explain what I felt then, and I am not entirely certain I could explain what I feel now. But I can at least tell you how I was trained." He glanced toward the practitioners around them before continuing. "What you see here is already far more orderly than what I experienced. There were days when my brother's training made me wonder whether I had somehow offended Yama in a previous life and this was his way of making me pay for it."
Guru Srujan laughed softly at that, but Rajkumar Garuda's expression suggested there was at least some truth behind the exaggeration. As they reached another open training ground, where groups of practitioners were sparring and practicing their techniques under the supervision of the temple's field units stationed at the university, Rajkumar Garuda began explaining.
"For most of my training, the only things I learned from the traditional system were the initial stages. I was taught meditation, how to stabilize my mana, and how to properly use my mana circuit. After that, almost everything else came from my brother. He would teach me the fundamentals, demonstrate what he expected, and then leave me to practice until I could reproduce it properly. If I failed, he would explain what I had misunderstood and make me do it again. There wasn't much in the way of shortcuts."
He watched one of the practitioners manipulate a small stream of water before continuing.
"Take fire, for example. It was the most difficult element for me. From what I have seen here, the usual method is to take fire from an existing source and then manipulate it. The complexity of what can be done with it depends on the practitioner's experience, control, and natural ability."
Rajkumar Rajkumar Garuda raised his hand, gathering a tiny spark of flame above his palm.
"For me, my brother approached it differently. He didn't begin by teaching me how to move fire. He first made me understand what fire actually was, how it came to exist, what allowed it to keep burning, and how all of those things related to mana. Then I was expected to use that understanding when manipulating it. Once I understood the principles well enough, I could eventually produce a flame myself when the surrounding conditions allowed for it, rather than always having to begin with an existing fire."
Guru Guru Srujan listened carefully before responding.
"It is not as though the temples teach their students to blindly manipulate what they do not understand," he said. "We study the nature of fire, its properties, and the conditions required for it to exist. But I admit that using that knowledge as the foundation for actually manipulating it is... unusual." He glanced toward Rajkumar Garuda. "And I suspect your brother has taken the idea considerably further than we have."
Rajkumar Rajkumar Garuda gave a small smile.
"I suppose he has."
Their conversation had drawn the attention of several practitioners training nearby. At first, they had paid little heed, but as Rajkumar Garuda continued explaining how his brother had taught him to approach mana, a few had gradually slowed their exercises to listen. What they were hearing was not merely a different way of performing a technique; it challenged some of the assumptions many of them had been taught from the moment they first learned to use mana.
One of the men finally stepped away from his group.
He was young, though clearly no longer a beginner, and the expression on his face made it obvious that curiosity was not what had brought him over. Frustration burned in his eyes, mingled with the unmistakable desire to prove himself.
"Forgive me for interrupting, Rajkumar," he said, bowing briefly before straightening again. "May I ask you something?"
Rajkumar Garuda turned toward him.
"You may."
"You say your brother taught you to understand mana differently from the way we are taught here." The young man glanced toward the training grounds before returning his gaze to Rajkumar Garuda. "That your methods are better because they are built upon understanding rather than simply following established forms."
Rajkumar Garuda's expression remained composed.
"I said no such thing."
"You did not need to."
The young man's voice carried more weight now.
"You said you could accomplish things that most of us cannot."
Guru Srujan watched the exchange without interrupting. Ashwini, meanwhile, had already recognized the look in the young man's eyes. She had seen it before in students who had spent years perfecting something, only to hear someone casually suggest there was another way.
The practitioner stepped forward another pace.
"Then, Rajkumar..."
He lowered his stance slightly.
"...would you be willing to demonstrate how different your training truly is?"
Rajkumar Garuda regarded him in silence for a moment before glancing toward Guru Srujan. The old Guru said nothing, though the faintest trace of amusement remained in his eyes.
Rajkumar Garuda returned his attention to the young man.
"If that is your request, I shall oblige."
A smile slowly appeared on the practitioner's face.
"Then let us see what the Yuvraj has taught his brother."
-----
Several Minutes Later
The training ground was a mess.
Large sections of the earth had been torn apart and reshaped, some of it piled into uneven mounds while other parts had been flattened as though something enormous had passed over them. Fire had left blackened patches across the field, while water lay scattered almost everywhere else, some of it slowly evaporating into the air and some of it frozen in smaller stretches across the ground. There were only a handful of places left untouched, and those had been spared more by chance than intention.
On one side of the field stood the four temple practitioners who had entered the spar together, three men and a woman, while Rajkumar Garuda stood alone opposite them. A barrier surrounded the temple group, its surface glowing faintly white with a blue tint, almost as though a portion of the sky had been stretched into a wall.
No one was moving.
Not the four inside the barrier, not Garuda, and not the spectators who had gathered around the training grounds.
The feeling had settled over everyone almost at once, leaving their bodies caught somewhere between instinct and thought. Every living thing possessed the urge to flee from danger or to fight when cornered, yet neither response seemed possible. Legs refused to move, hands would not rise, and breaths came shallowly as though even the body understood that there was nothing it could do. It was not simply fear. Fear still carried the possibility of escape or resistance. This was the sensation of standing before something so far beyond one's ability to comprehend that the instincts themselves had nowhere left to go.
Then their attention was drawn upward.
A single figure hovered high above the training ground.
Yuvraj Hamsa.
He remained suspended high above the earth, far enough that even those standing at the edges of the facility had to tilt their heads slightly to see him clearly. He looked down over the ruined field and those gathered within it, his expression not one of anger so much as quiet displeasure, the sort that required no raised voice to make itself known.
Around him, his Mana Zone stretched across the entire training ground and into the surrounding structures where the spectators stood.
And beneath that pressure, no one moved.