Abode of Vishwakarma;
"Grandfather, when will I get to see the weapon?" Little Karna asked Lord Vishwakarma as he stood before a giant door that was closed. There was a trace of yearning in his eyes.
"Not yet, Karna, you will get it when it is time." Lord Vishwakarma answered him with a smile.
More than three years ago, at the request of prideful Surya, Vishwakarma started to make a powerful double-edged broadsword for the adopted son of his daughter. It took him about six months to make it.
He gave it to Surya so that the latter may present it for Karna during the latter's 16th birthday, but a couple of months before Karna's 10th birthday, Nandi visited his abode with a message from Lord Shiva.
And so, he became busy with creating another weapon. This time it took nearly 18 months, successfully completed about 3 months ago.
However, this one, he didn't hand over to Surya. Following the orders of Lord Shiva, Vishwakarma decided to keep it a secret until the time was right.
Lord Surya thought that Vishwakarma was trying to keep it a secret for his sake, and so, he played along until now, feeling pity for his son and wife, believing that they were being fooled.
Little does he know that he was the one who was kept in darkness, and Vishwakarma was really speaking the truth.
Back to the present, seeing the look on her son, Goddess Sangya asked Vishwakarma, "Father, can't you let him take a look?"
In the past 13 years, Sangya rarely saw her son's desire for materialistic things. So, she too urged her father to open the door and let Karna at least glimpse at the weapon if he can't take it.
"Have patience, my daughter." Lord Vishwakarma patted her shoulder. "Even Lord Shiva cannot grant the wishes until the tapasya of his devotee reaches its peak. Wait until the right time. And when that will be, the fate decides it."
"It's just a weapon, you know. Why so secretive?" Sangya complained, but still took her son away to the armory to distract him.
As Karna stepped inside the armory, his eyes fell on the dozens of exquisite weapons lying around.
The armory of Vishwakarma's palace is truly a haven for weapon lovers. There are various kinds of swords, like flamberge, scimitars, broadswords, machetes, long swords, rapiers, claymores, etc... Not only swords but other types of weapons are present.
But Karna's attention wasn't on them. He was attracted to the unpopular weapons of the gods, the bows. Almost no god or the soldier of Swarga Loka uses a bow.
Unlike the melee weapons, the bows needed an unlimited supply of arrows, which can run out at any moment in battle. As for the divine astras, they needed blessings from the Supreme deities and gods.
Unlike humans, it's very difficult for soldiers in the realm of the gods to acquire such things, and the gods don't want to get the blessings and powers of fellow gods.
That's why there are only two bows in the armory. But they are enough for Karna.
Of course, before touching them, he didn't forget his grandfather's permission.
As Vishwakarma gave a nod, Karna rushed towards one of the bows placed on a table. Sangya followed behind. "Careful, son."
Reaching the table, with a wide smile on his face, Karna raised his arm and grabbed the bow.
Vishwakarma's facial expression changed as soon as he saw that. He warned him, "Karna, don't try it. It will be too heavy for even adults... Eh?"
He fell into a daze as he saw the little Karna dispel his worries by lifting the bow without any effort.
Even as the 13-year-old Karna raised the bow above his head, the bow stayed stable.
As a lover of music, Karna wanted to hear the sound the string makes when released. So, he tried to pull it back as much as he could. Unknown to him, his golden earrings glowed, and a streak of divine energy released from him, enveloping the bow.
Before he pulled back to his full capability, the bow's handle started burning. Karna left the bow in reflex.
"Son..." Sangya screamed in worry and pulled him towards her as the bow fell on the floor.
Very soon, the bow turns to ash, taking everyone by surprise.
"What just happened?" Karna looked at his arms. This is the first time it happened.
"No wonder..." Vishwakarma mumbled as if he realized something.
*Ahem*
Clearing his throat, he said, "Karna needs to train his divine energy, my daughter. If it goes out of control, then the result would be far more devastating. It can only be trained by Lord Surya."
"Just like you said earlier, time will decide everything. When he's ready, he will train too," Sangya said in rather a serious tone.
"Then, you need to keep an eye on him so that nothing harm befalls others." Vishwakarma suddenly made a shocking statement in front of Karna.
Pointing at the ash, he further said, "This bow, Vaisana, was given as a gift to the king of Talajungha by Lord Indra. However, King Bhuvarsena handed it to the Great King Kartavirya Arjuna to form an alliance. Kartavirya Arjuna held this bow for many decades and slew many enemies. After his demise by Lord Parashurama, the latter returned it to my armory. But, now, such a weapon was burned with a tiny amount of Karna's energy. Unless he learns how to control it, his divine energy will turn more chaotic in the future, and maybe, perhaps, even you will be harmed."
"Chaotic? Mother, my divine energy will harm you? What is Grandfather saying?" Karna asked her. A trace of confusion appeared on his face. He was also worried at the same time.
"You don't need to worry, my son. Your Grandfather was just shocked that such a great bow couldn't hold your power." Sangya looked straight into his eyes and tried to convince him that Vishwakarma is just overreacting, that's all. "You go and look around the palace. I will come in a minute."
As Karna nodded and left the armory, Sangya sharply stared at her own father, "Why are you discussing this in front of him? Do you think Lord Surya doesn't want to train him? The moment he starts training divine energy, his childhood will cease to exist, Father. I want to fill his childhood with happy memories as much as possible, not stuff like training and struggling. So, please, don't bring this topic again."
Remembering the words from Nandi, Vishwakarma let out a sigh, "All of us have several plans for our kids, Sangya. But, it only happens as time decides it. We only do our job and let nature take its course."
Soon, they returned to Suryaloka. Karna was just himself at that time, but when the night fell, and everyone was asleep, he left his room and went to the balcony.
"Previously, on several instances, I felt the surge of some strange power inside me, but I have never unleashed the divine energy like today." Karna was in deep thought. He wasn't a naive brat who just takes his parents' words for granted. He was observant in nature, too. He knew that his divine energy was somehow an issue, not just a normal one, either.
"Okay, I have identified the problem, but what is the solution?"