Page 34 of Lost and Stolen Gods
Araz spun on his heel, sword swiping the air parallel to the ground. He came to stop in a crouch, gaze drifting across the arena to meet mine. My heart shot into my throat then plummeted when a sneer painted his lips.
I dropped my gaze, and when I glanced up, he was walking away, Pashim by his side.
“What about you?” Dharma asked Padmini. “When is your centennial?”
“Me? Oh, I don’t?—"
“Potentials, follow me!” Umbra called from the glass doors. “It’s time to prepare for the Shaktis.”
Padmini inclined her head in farewell. “I shall see you at training tomorrow.” She walked onto the arena and toward a group of people on the other side.
They were looking our way, probably as curious about us as we were about them. I’m sure the demigods of this world had a lot to teach us.
I raised a hand in greeting as I trailed after Umbra and couldn’t help but smile when one of the demigods returned my wave.
Guru Chandra’s words came back to me.There’s power in unity.
I added socializing to my to-do list for tomorrow.
Chapter 13
AN UNEXPECTED TURN OF EVENTS
It quickly became evident that we were not only going to need a map of this domain but also of the complex. The place was a convoluted maze of corridors that connected buildings and stairs that spawned more stairs. High ceilings gave way to low ones, and arches opened on to balconies held to the ceiling with ornately carved pillars. This place was an architect’s dream.
To me, it was simply pretty.
Umbra navigated with ease, but my mind boggled at all the turns, and it wasn’t long before I completely lost track of where we were.
We finally exited the main building onto a road that led to a circular platform surrounded by lush green and gold fields. A cabin sat to the right of the road, and Umbra led us inside.
It was a cozy space with a couple of hardback sofas,a large table, and chairs, enough for all of us to sit at. The windows were shuttered, and two floor lamps lit the space in a warm amber glow. There was a small room leading off the main one, and a quick peek showed it to be a changing room, housing a rack heavy with white outfits, which turned out to be loose-fitting tunics and pants made of the softest material.
Umbra had us change into these, then handed out maps of Prashikshan domain and Aakaash Sansaar. Finally!
The Prashikshan domain map had two places marked with a cross—Surya Forest and the Empire Bath Caves—places Umbra said we’d find useful once our training started in earnest.
The main sky world map was more complex, and staring at it made my head hurt.
“You mustn’t worry too much about the Aakaash Sansaar map,” Umbra said. “You won’t be traversing it until you ascend or complete your training. If you ascend, then you will move to the Shahee Kshetra which is the royal domain.” She held up a spare map and pointed at one of the many land masses. “You’ll belong to one of three houses: Pavan Ghar, Paani Ghar, or Dharti Ghar.”
“What about this blacked-out area?” Remi pointed at a blob on the map Umbra held.
Umbra’s mouth pinched like she’d sucked on a lemon. “That is the Danava domain, and there will be no need for any of you toevergo there.”
Intriguing. Because if we ascended to gods, then shouldn’t we be able to go anywhere we wanted?
“You won’t be permitted to leave Prashikshan domain until after your first test,” Umbra continued, “but you’ll be allowed to visit Vidya to see the sages if you wish. The library of knowledge is a favored haunt for seasoned demigods.” She tucked the map into one of the pockets of her voluminous robe and folded her hands in front of her in a demure gesture. If I hadn’t witnessed it with my own eyes, then I’d be hard-pressed to believe she’d kicked some serious revenant ass yesterday.
“You’ll stay here for the next few hours,” she said. “You can pass the time playing cards or chaturanga.” She indicated the chess board on the coffee table by the window. “I’ll be back before sunset. Donotleave this cabin.”
“Like, where would we even go?” Eve muttered, but only after Umbra had left the room.
Joe huffed loudly. “Does anyone else feel like we’re still in that vortex thing, having information slapped in our faces with every rotation?”
“Ooo, nice metaphor,” Eve said. “And yes. It feels like we’re on a conveyor belt being prepped for…something.”
I wasn’t a fan of this woman, but she had a point. “There is a lot of information to take in. Asura and Danava and Deva, and then these drohi…”
