The iron gate to the school was adorned with ribbons and glowing prana balls. Three lower-grade boys wearing the school uniform's white and black had climbed halfway, tying more of the decorators to the curved grills. From the gate, a ten-foot-wide paved pathway stretched for about five hundred meters to the semi-circular stairs leading into the main building. Both sides of the path were fields of trimmed grass with empty benches scattered randomly.
The school occupied more than ten acres of land, as evidenced by the sheer length of its boundary.
A teacher oversaw the activity. He became visibly disturbed on seeing him and flinched a few steps back as his eyes fell on Shri.
"You!" he hollered, barging into Karnar's way. He wore blue robes, the uniform of an assistant teacher. A pointed white cap covered his pate and was strapped to his face with an elastic string. A pencil moustache gave his juvenile face the required weight to be taken seriously. Karnan thought of replicating his style, but abandoned the idea as the image made him cringe.
He stood before him, palm thrust at his face. Karnan forced down his rising annoyance and put up a smile. "A nice morning. Isn't it?"
The man coughed into his fist before speaking gravely, "No animals allowed inside." He said, stealing glances at Shri. She appeared the least perturbed and was lost in the twinkling lights from the prana balls hung from the gate.
Karnan sighed with relief. As he was expecting to be thrown out of the outer gate itself. He knew the treatment doled out to the students who had been selected into minor constellations or were declared as pathiks, the lowest stage.
Like a candle being snuffed the moment it wasn't needed anymore, the school refused to acknowledge them.
The worker district in which he was currently residing was testimony to the cruelty towards the downtrodden. A pathik wasn't fit for anything except serving the higher-ups.
Master.
I heard him. I will wait here. Moreover, I see what you see. So, even being here. I can select the art for you. Just get to the library and be careful. Shri said and sat facing the gate directly. The three boys decorating it licked their lips while exchanging nervous looks with each other. Until Shri sat there, they weren't coming down.
Yes, Master. Karnan said and bowed to the teacher, "Respected sir. Shri will wait for me. May I go in?"
The man nodded, stroking tufts of an imaginary beard. He appeared lost in thought. Karnan guessed that he might be trying to recall his face. Before he could succeed, Karnan decided to hurry inside.
He swerved around the man and took a step. The teacher's voice boomed, "I said no animals are allowed." Karnan halted and turned; the man turned his head towards him. "I believe those who can be of no service to society should be grouped with beasts," he snorted.
So proud of his own intellect, he looked. Like he had just solved poverty with a single statement.
Can I bite his head off? Shri made little effort in hiding her anger.
After I get what I came here for. Karnan wasn't jesting. Shri growled at the man. He turned and backed away for a few steps.
"Keep your beast in check, else I will burn her," he warned and raised his palm. A flame engulfed it.
Shri snarled and dug her legs for a lunge.
Master! No! Karnan yelled at her.
Her face softened the next moment. She looked away from them. Back to the trembling boys.
"Master Nimhans! How can you say that?" A shrill voice pierced his ears from the school's direction.
Karnan turned towards the stairs. The horror of the realisation of the source made him want to run off. She stood there. Hands akimbo and a scowl on her face. With deliberate effort, she stormed towards him. Her very steps felt snobby. As if she owned the school. Although that wasn't false either. She was Meera Ma Singha, the youngest daughter of Vikramaditya Ma Singha, patriarch to the lion clan and the owner of the land where the school had been built. Meera was one of his toughest competitors and his old classmate. She had been accepted into clan Jupiter, thus making her one of the three jewels of Paras, besides Nina and Ravim.
As clan Jupiter administered the institution. She was being groomed for the head master's position. She wore a palazzo beneath a snugly fitted shirt that exposed her navel. A large ring on one side of her nose made her petite face look smaller, even, and she wore long chains of gold on her neck. Her dusky skin gleamed like steel as she stood before him. Her head barely reached his chest.
She looked him up with a disgusted expression, as if smelling something foul. Then she leaned and looked past him.
Meera paced towards a clueless Shri. Her heels clicking over the stones. She bent to Shri's level and, without a thought, began stroking her chest, throat, mane and even the top of her head. She then stretched her arms and hugged Shri, whose eyes went wide.
Karnan. Take her off me! Shri pleaded in a fearful tone.
Karnan cleared his throat. She didn't listen. So, he called her out. "Meera. Stop touching her. She doesn't like that," he sounded hoarse. Although he hadn't planned on that.
She spun at him, face contorted in fury. "How low can you fall, Karnan?"
"What?' he blinked.
She stood and came close. She wore a scent, rose mixed with sandal, as she looked up at him with her enlarged eyes.
"How dare you. A man who cannot earn for himself, keep such a beautiful creature? What will you feed her? Hmnm? How will you clean her? Where would she be sleeping? My heart aches even thinking about the cruelty your destitution must be doing to that voiceless dog."
"She is a wolf," he corrected her.
She froze for a second, then turned to glance at Shri before facing him again. "How much?' Meera asked.
Karnan furrowed his brow. "How much, what?"
She blew a strand of her hair off her eyes and rolled them exasperatedly. "How much for her, you dummy. I know you brought her here to sell her to me. So, cut to the chase and tell me your price."
Karnan shook his head, "She's not for sale."
Meera narrowed her eyes. Being the daughter of the city's lord, she was a stranger to being denied. But Karnan couldn't care less. He crossed his arms in defiance.
She sized him up again and said in a formal tone, "Why are you. A beggar, here then?"
The term 'beggar' was to rattle him. Karnan answered as coldly as he could. "I seek a martial art, invoking the rights of being a former student. I have lifelong access to the library."
Her palm went to her lips. She giggled, looking at him. Karnan's patience gave in.
He snapped, "Look, I know all this seems funny to you. But, I am in a hurry."
She nodded, tears streaming through half-shut eyes. "Hmmm, hmmm. Yeah," clearing her voice, she stood upright and wiped her cheeks. "So, yes. You want a martial art from the library. Duly noted. I will," she clasped a palm over her lips to stifle another chain of laughter and continued after a long exhale, "I will put your application to the head master. Okay? Come back next year," she said with an exaggerated sweetness. Her eyes were shut and palms conjoined, and a mocking smile stretched on her lips.
Karnan was about to say that he was going inside with or without permission when she opened one eye and swung it at Shri.
"But, I can hasten the process for you. If you agree to do a demonstration for me."
"Demonstration?"
"Yes. Follow me. Nimhans, she comes in. Okay?" Meera raised a finger at the man to her left.
"As you say. My lady," the young teacher bowed.
She spun on her heels and trotted towards the school. Karnan followed with Shri along his side. He was glad. His nerves were on the verge of bursting, and her presence made him feel safer.
I have a bad feeling about this. She said.
Me too. Master. But we don't have any other option.
She harms you. She will die. Shri's tone was cold, like she was already thinking of ways to kill Meera.
Walking into the main building brought back memories. Every day, for the last seven years, he had walked through these doors. Basked in the cool air ventilating inside the great hall. Felt the warmth of the soft muslin carpet underneath his shoes and marvelled at the eight grand stairs twirling around each other like coiled serpents. Students grouped here and there and turned to look. Murmurs echoed around him. Karnan tried his best not to let his ears catch any of what was being talked about him. The stares thrown at him were already insulting enough. He hummed a tune, thinking about what to play at the tavern tonight. Soon, they crossed straight into the corridor across the stairs.
The noises died as they had crossed through worlds. The corridor wasn't open for students and was lined with humongous paintings and intricate chandeliers burning with prana bulbs.
She led them through a door at the end of the long hallway. A courtyard stretched wide before him. Karnan had been there many times before. The school's sparring ground. Paved with polished white limestone cut into perfect octagons. A circular dias was raised at the centre with rows of chairs forming ten rings around the stage for the audience. Near the structure stood a few seventh-year students. A year short of graduating with the choosing ceremony.
She looked back at him, "Have you heard? Nina is now engaged to Shan li Mangal. A martian! He is part of the main branch, not like the main branch, but a third cousin of Princess Leya. Which, for the owl clan and our city, is a big, big win. I have heard he is the most handsome guy ever. With long golden locks and beautiful red eyes, and about six and a half feet tall!" She stretched her hand above her head in affirmation.
Karnan's heart ached as if it were being clenched from within his chest. Tears blurred his vision. Why did it hurt so much?
Shri nudged him gently from his side with her head. I don't know what history you had with this Nina. If she broke your heart because of what happened at the choosing. Then she doesn't know the vastness of her loss. You needn't hurt yourself with her memories. Grieve, yes. But don't let that grief turn you.
Karnan heard her. She made sense, too. Still, his pain didn't go down a bit, as something deep inside him had broken, and he didn't know what.
They stopped near the assembled students.
Meera turned to him. Karnan quickly tried to clean his face, but she had caught a glimpse. "Tsk, tsk. Have some dignity. You are standing before your juniors!" she said well aloud for everyone to hear and turn at him.
Shri growled. All eyes shifted to her in fear. Meera shook her head, "My, my. What a loyal dog she is. You are far, far undeserving of her, Karnan."
Karnan snorted in the mucus, squeezing away the last of his tears. He hardened his tone, "Tell me what I need to demonstrate. I can't spare time for this frivolous gossip."
Meera half-smiled and turned to the students. "My beloved juniors. All of you here are the selected toppers of your respective clans. So, today, before starting the training. I would like you to watch a small demonstration." She stretched out both arms like wings, "A demonstration of what true strength is, and even more, I want you all to see the perils of weakness. So that for this upcoming year, until you all lie under the golden scope. You will so dread and abhor the weakness that you'd have it thrown out of your bodies through arduous training. In simpler words. If you don't up your game, you will become like him."
Karnan held her by the arm and turned her to face him. "What are you doing?" he hissed.
Her smile transformed into a grin, she yelled. "Today, Karnan Al Veera duels me, Meera Ma Singha. Watch him and learn not to be like him. He has to stand through at least three of my strikes. If he manages that, I will myself escort him to the library. If he can't-"
She closed in and whispered, "I get the dog."