Elements of Fire

56. Of Two Fire-Borns -2

"That doesn't answer my question" she called to him, fumbling at some drawers in a large cabinet, while muttering to herself, "Wherever does Aarya keep his emergency medical supplies?"

Dhristyadyumna gulped. How he sustained the wound was not a very pleasant story but to delineate it to his sister was not particularly something he wanted to.

The ambience was silent and stiff with a wait-neither tense nor pleasant. The few souls in the training arena were waiting for their King and his younger brother in law to complete their friendly duel, unusually timed under the hot late afternoon sun

Dhristyadyumna launched with his sword with the ferocity of an impatient lion. Karna blocked it with an effortless swipe from his own, sending Dhritysdyumna spinning behind. Swords had always been Dhristyadyumna's favourite weapon, having been born with one.

His swordsmanship was renowned but this mighty archer before him had been giving him a hard thirty minutes with his own specialized field of weapons. And his stamina was wearing down heightening his irritation and thus lowering his competent handling of the long shining iron blade.

But his opponent continued undaunted with the sword as well as with his words. Each blow directed at him was accompanied by some cutting remark cleverly veiled under a layer of polite generalization.

"Dhrityudyumna you need to work on your energy and stamina" Karna said sprinting aside from Dhristyadyumna's attack, at the last moment making the latter nearly tumble down.

"You see anyone can have sheer strength, bet them humans, ghosts, rakshas(monsters) but only a few amongst them can hone their power into proper skills and talents" Karna continued "And this ability discriminates only on the basis of a person's perseverance, hard work and dedication and noting else."

Dhristyadyumna stood up quickly and this time embarked on a tirade of criss cross attacks as his sister's words on her swayamvar resonated through his mind.

'Don't ghouls, rakshas (monsters), tribals, also have skills but they have not come here to attempt to win my hand. This is a princess's swayamvar and it has its own restrictions and boundaries of respect.'

"You are right Angraaj" he managed to say, breathless but persistent in his blocks and attacks.

The then rejected and insulted suitor at his sister's swayamvar and now his brother in law smirked in his direction, his eyes glinting not with murderous zeal as they had on that eventful day years before, but with a contemptuous pity.

"Hmm. If you don't make yourself stronger how are you going to take your father's revenge on Guru Dronacharya" Karna said, his voice laced in sarcasm.

A clank of metals resonated through the air followed by a pained yelp and another. Dhristyuadyumna sat on the ground his face contorting in pain as he clutched at his arm and knee simultaneously. He looked up at his opponent who was gazing down at him.

Karna bore a strangely calm look, neither gloating nor modest, as he threw aside his sword and bent down near his brother in law.

In Karna's eyes there was now a softness and quiet concern, similar to although not as much as what Dhrityadyumna had seen with great satisfaction as he had helped his sister out of the chamber.

"Dhristyadyumna, I don't think it is anything serious, but if you want I will have the Raj Vaid (royal doctor) called" Karna said examining the wounds.

Dhristydyumna shook his head smiling lightly. He knew then that his sister's husband had been taking off his frustrations and anger-some from old times and some added a few hours ago- and had successfully cleared his mind of those negative emotions.

The Yuvraj (crown prince) of Panchal felt oddly good about this particular defeat of his.

"It is just a minor injury, Draupadi" Dhristyudyumna said, "Angraaj and I were fighting a friendly duel with swords."

"But one doesn't draw blood in a friendly duel" Draupadi retorted, gently cleaning the drying blood from around the cut, her eyebrows raised at her brother pointedly.

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Hello everyone

So, what did you like best from the chapter? What do you think of the conversation or rather the duel between Karna and Dhristyudyumna? Where do you think things are headed to?