Page 67 of Lost and Stolen Gods
A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE CAN GO A LONG WAY
Morning training was canceled with no explanation, so most of the jodis headed to the gauntlet to get some extra practice, but Dharma and Chaya offered to accompany me to the Vidya Tower. Chaya explained that the wordvidyameant knowledge. An apt name for a library.
It was our first time leaving Prashikshan domain since our arrival, and I’d forgotten how vast Aakaash Sansaar was. I was reminded now by the many bridges and land masses hanging above gray churning clouds which hid thedhartibelow us. The earth was a battleground, and so was the sea, according to Chaya. Although Aakaash Sansaar was the safest place in Svargana, nowhere would be truly safe until the devouring force was dead.
The towering spires of the Shahee Kshetra were lit by shafts of sunlight so it stood outlike a jewel in a crown of mist and fog. We caught glimpses of majestic castles and vistas as the haze shifted, and at one point, a thunderbird burst out of the mist and flew up and over us before diving into the clouds.
We took a bridge to our right that sat on an incline, walking at a leisurely pace. The sun was out, the breeze was cool but not cold, and the air was crisp and revitalizing as it filtered through my lungs.
Dharma and Chaya were subdued, so I had to ask, “Are you two okay after this morning?”
“You mean Jasha?” Dharma made a disgusted face.
Chaya tutted. “I won’t sully my breath speaking of him.”
“They were a thing for a while,” Dharma said. “It’s been over for ages, but Jasha still carries a torch.”
I guess jerks were the same in every world.
“When do we get to see the other domains?” Dharma asked Chaya.
“Once your training is complete and you ascend, you’ll be allocated to a house in the royal Asura domain, dependant on where the strength in your blood lies. You’ll be free to travel to Aakaash then.”
“Houses like the ones on the other side of the complex?” Dharma asked.
“In a way. Yes. The houses on Prashikshan are split by affinity, same as the ones in Shahee Kshetra. You both have the blood of gods in your veins. And the gods have abilities. You won’tmanifestthem unless you ascend, but your potential will be revealed at the nextsolar eclipse in a few weeks’ time. That’s when the nobles that head the houses will claim you as mentees. You will be moved to the barracks on the other side of the complex and housed with demigods of the same affinity as you.”
“Nobles will attend? You mean gods?” Dharma asked.
“The nobles are gods, yes. Asura not Danava. Nobles reside in the royal domain but will be present for your affinity ceremony. The Asura have their own hierarchy with the royals at the top and the ascended Asura at the bottom. The nobles are somewhere in between—a mixture of born gods and ascended gods who are claimed as seedborn. And before you ask, seedborn means that the ascended god has been recognized as belonging to a particular Asura bloodline.”
“So we get to find out who spawned our mortal bloodlines?” Dharma said.
“Not always. It is up to the born god to claim you. Some are never claimed.”
There was so much to absorb, so much to learn that it made my head spin, and yet I was hungry for the knowledge. “What kind of abilities do we get?”
“Oh, there are many. The ability to communicate with plants or animals. To breathe beneath the waves or fly, but theaffinitiesare elemental. Earth, air, or water.”
“No fire?”
She shook her head. “Fire as an affinity for the gods has been obsolete for centuries.”
The dream I’d had about Nani came to mind. “What about premonition dreams?” Chaya threw a curious look my way. “Back in my world I dreamed of the pishacha coming for my grandmother before it happened.” I knew now that the thing had been hunting me, that my going to my nani’s house had caused her death. That nugget of information would continue to bore a hole in my soul for eternity.
“I’ve not heard of premonition being an ability,” Chaya said. “But you can ask the sage.”
“What if wedon’tascend?” Dharma asked. “Like, if we fail the labyrinth.”
“Then you remain on Prashikshan or are allocated homes elsewhere in Aakaash Sansaar. I don’t know much more, I’m afraid.”
“Then maybe we can find out from the sage. What was her name?”
“Bhoomika,” Chaya supplied.
We were almost at the top of the staircase, and the air should have been thinner, but it didn’t bother me. I guess my bodyhadchanged.
We stepped onto a second bridge with stone barriers wreathed with flowering blooms. It ended in a stone arch and an iron gate, beyond which sat a glistening white tower with turrets jutting off it and way too many tiny windows. It reminded me of a fairytale castle from a storybook.
