- The Ephemeral Joy -

Lothar, Traetos Province, Southern Avestria

Herios and Mythra were wandering through the woods along the banks of the tributary of river Nelam. The weather was cold and moist. The parent star Seros could be seen shining in the sky but occasionally shrouded by the clouds. A faint glow of Arkā could be seen with the waxing gibbous phase. People were performing their quotidian activities of the day like farming, harvesting, mining for stone, and collecting wood.

"Let's see who runs faster. We will begin from this tree and run parallel to the river till the edge of the lake Lush," challenged Mythra. Although Herios would mostly reside at his home and spend his days reading books, today he wished to wander the milieu. Maybe he was tired of following the same routine every day. Lake Lush was a prominent source of water to the kingdom of Lothar and Mythra's and Herios's homestead was near the lake.

"All right then. But you have to promise me that you won't cheat," said Herios. Mythra disgruntled. "I never cheat!" he exclaimed.

Herios took the stance for beginning the run. Mythra snapped. Suddenly, both of them launched themselves into the run. Herios took the lead but Mythra was nearby. They ran through the sticks and stones and the muddy paths towards the lake. The river flowed along with them as they hurtled along its banks towards the lake Lush. The rustling sound of the river water and wind brushing against their faces were the only things they could hear. Herios jumped over a huge boulder which was a hurdle in his path. Mythra was astonished at seeing his jump.

He had never known that Herios had been so agile. Mythra slide left as he saw a small pond on his path. Herios was still in the lead but Mythra was closing in as both of them hared off between the trees. Dodging the woods and jumping over the woods, they were running through the canopy. Mythra and Herios were running at the same speed and both of them rushed towards a broad and long reclined bark that had collapsed between the two trees. Herios glanced to his right towards Mythra as they ran towards the bark.

Both of them were hoping to slow down but none of them wanted to lose the race. Panting and gasping for breath, they were closer to that bark. Intuitively, Mythra slid his way from below the horizontal bark while Herios went over it by jumping on the bark and resting his hands on its surface to push farther. Both of them efficiently passed the bark but with wounds.

Mythra had skinned his knee while Herios chafed his palms because of the scabrous surface of the bark. They could see the Lake Lush in the front and there were no more obstacles to impede their scamper. The limpid water of the lake was shining like the rays of Seros fell upon it. The wind had never been so strong to oppose their motion.

Both of them were sweating and gasping for breath. The lake was still farther but they tried to cut the distance by running with longer steps. Herios somehow proved to be the strong one among the two as he took the lead but Mythra's gusto was stronger. As Herios glanced to his left he saw the sprinting figure of Mythra running past him.

Herios was befuddled and he engaged with all his might. Just near the edge of the lake, Herios had taken the lead and his feet touched the edge first. Mythra's foot stomped a tad bit later but he knew that he had lost.

To slow down, they kept on running into the lake, and the viscous water dragged against their limbs to slow them down. Water splashed all around them as both of them collapsed into the lake. The water hardly reached their thighs. Even though Mythra had lost, he was still jubilant that today he had someone to play with. Herios enjoyed it too and coupled with his victory, he gloated about it.

"See...I-I told you," he spoke as his voice faltered from being out of breath. "I told you I would win," he added. He was crouching into the water and so was Mythra.

"Fine!" snorted Mythra and he splashed some water over Herios. Herios giggled and returned the favor. Finally, when they stopped panting and were completely soaked in water, they gradually returned towards the coast of the lake. Herios threw himself over the mushy sand along the coast.

Mythra was exhausted as well and lounged there beside him. Both of them were lying there recumbent and stared up at the blue sky with hands stretched outside. They saw the waxing gibbous phase of Arkā. Clouds had shadowed the entire milieu.

After a while, Mythra lifted his back and his hand touched a rock nearby. He nudged Herios and showed him the rock that he held in his hand. "Oh, you wish to lose again?" Herios taunted with a grin. "No, this time I am going to win!" exclaimed Mythra.

"But I am hungry now," replied Herios and turned the other way.

"Then let's drop the fruits from the treetops!" suggested Mythra exuberantly.

"You are quite sprightly today, aren't you?" said Herios as he levered his spine to sit erect.

"It's not every day that you come out here to play with me," replied Mythra and shrugged.

Herios stood up arduously, being tired from the run. Mythra handed him one of the pebbles while he took one for himself. "You see the Pepan fruits?" asked Mythra pointing at the maroon colored fruits hanging down from the branches.

"Let's see who drops more fruits," he said. Herios nodded, accepting the challenge.

Mythra pulled back his right arm which held the pebble. He closed his one eye to fix his aim and in the next instant, launched the pebble by swinging his right arm in a smooth curve. Herios was astonished on seeing the ferocity of Mythra's throw.

Somehow he could sense that Mythra was exceptionally strong for his age. Unfortunately, all that strength was into vain as the pebble didn't even hit the branch on which the fruits were hanging, let alone dropping them.

Herios guffawed on seeing Mythra's laughable throw which hit the bark. Mythra stomped his foot ferociously.

"That was a horrible throw!" Herios said as he continued to chortle.

"I will get better with practice!" exclaimed Mythra in gritted teeth.

"At least I know I am better than you. Since all you do is sit at home and read books," he taunted. Herios snorted. He pulled back his arm but not as flashy as Mythra's throw.

Herios launched the pebble and flew straight towards the branch, hitting it at the stem. Herios's pebble had missed the fruit as well. Mythra offered a rejoinder. "See! I told you yo__" but before he could complete his sentence and taunt Herios, the branch collapsed on the ground along with four Pepan fruits attached to it. Mythra was flabbergasted and nettled.

"You were saying?" said Herios with a grin on his face and his hands folded.

"That was a lucky shot! Let's do another one," urged Mythra and collected more pebbles.

Finally, after a long while of throwing rocks, Mythra had assembled one Pepan fruit and Herios had fifteen. Mythra sat there, disgruntling and annoyed at the loss. Herios enjoyed his victory of fifteen fruits. However, Mythra still rejoiced in his one Pepan fruit as he held it in his hand to savor its sweetness. But as soon as he chewed on it, his face contorted. He immediately spat the morsels of the fruit. Herios guffawed boisterously.

"I get one fruit and that too is decayed?!" he exclaimed as he cursed his luck.

"Well. It seems I am the winner," said Herios gloating about his victory. Mythra snorted. He hoped that Herios would give him some of his fruits but Herios denied blatantly.

"Oh come on. How are you going to carry those?" he asked Herios hinting at the number of fruits that wouldn't fit in Herios's hands.

Herios took them one by one and stuffed them into a fold of his lower garment. "These fruits are for Aerytha and granny. Do you want one? Get your own!" replied Herios. Because of stuffing the Pepan fruits in his garment, Herios was looking like a pregnant woman carrying her inflated belly all around the town.

"Anyways, I think I am going to take off, Mythra. I am quite tired and hungry," Herios said as he waved his hand towards Mythra.

"Remember. Don't be late. Granny isn't going to be that lenient, twice in a row. Don't get into trouble with the boys again," instructed Herios as if he was the elder brother except that he was elder to Mythra, by two Seron. Mythra shrugged and dusted his hands.

"I know," he replied. The brothers diverted their separate ways. Mythra headed for the river banks again. He was back to his loneliness. As he walked towards the river, he put his hand in the right pocket to find his broken top and the winding string. He sighed. He was back to his trite activities of the day.

On reaching the banks of the tributary of river Nelam, he was stultified due to their exhaustive games and the long run. He sat there at the edge of the river, staring into the water. The tributary was more like a ford at the edge but its flow was brisk, due to which Mythra's reflection could not be seen.

The limpid water, however, revealed the river bed beneath. Bio-luminescent sediments were deposited on the river bed at the edges and it was home to some timid aquatic life forms with tentacles. They were called Dohrini. Mythra observed those life forms in awe, intrigued by their glowing tentacles.

Suddenly, he heard some commotion in the background. As he looked back over his shoulder, he saw two warrior clad figures storming towards him in rage. They fulminated at him and pushed him vigorously. Mythra was startled and he fell into the river behind him. His clothes were all wet and he was petrified on seeing these infuriated men berating him.

"You bloody Caligor! You are the reason they were slaughtered!" yelled one of the men loudly. The other one bent down and clutched Mythra's clothes near his collarbone and lifted him. Mythra was hanging in mid-air with the warrior's hands firmly clutching his collar.

He was completely demented by their allegations. His throat was parched and his body was shivering. The man tossed him away like a discus. Mythra was thrown over and he tumbled on the ground. He was dragged away by the ferocity of that throw and in turn, he grazed his back over the muddy surface. He moaned in pain for incurring those wounds.

The men stormed towards him for yet another assault. Mythra was terrified with the thought that they were going to strangle him to death or behead him with their sword. As it is, he was always abhorred by the village folks, so why should these warriors be any different?

On the contrary, people would have rejoiced if Mythra was dead. To his trepidation, the same man drew his Rener from the scabbard with the malicious intent of killing Mythra there and then. Mythra struggled to run away but his foot was twisted when he collapsed earlier. He was vulnerable.

But just when the man holding the Rener was about to behead Mythra, a voice yelled from the vicinity. "Halt!... Or I shall see you both dead!" said the voice. Mythra and the men glanced in the direction and saw the brawny figure of a man. The Rener dropped from the man's hand and his comrade was equally terrified. It was their chief. Ramusa Vorcerus*, an Ashra Primus by rank and the commander of Lothar's forces. Ramusa walked briskly and fiercely towards them.

He was irked at this heinous act that his men were about to commit. The two men cowered and stepped behind as Ramusa walked towards them. He was taller and staunch as he stood in front of them with his right arm pulled back. His ripped muscles could reveal the strength that he possessed. Ramusa landed a punch over the man who was earlier holding the Rener.

The man stumbled over the ground with a possibly dislocated jaw, bleeding terribly. Ramusa glanced at the other man, his gaze perilous and punishing.

"Apologies commander!" said the man as he went down on his knees. His head was lowered in fright and his hands were quivering. Mythra somehow mustered enough strength to get back on his feet. His foot was still impaired because of the twisted ankle. Ramusa glanced back over his shoulder.

Mythra looked up to see this sinewy and giant figure which stood in front of him. He had never seen Ramusa up close but now he felt the fright that Ramusa's rivals must be feeling when they battled with this formidable warrior.

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Footnotes

• Nelam is a river in the Traetos province

• Pepan is one of the sweet fruits found across the continent

• Dohrini were small aquatic life forms similar to jellyfish found on Earth

• Vorcerus is a tribe from the Traetos province

• Rener is a type of sword used by warriors at the Sanek rank