I was so pumped.

I had my brunch and was now impatiently waiting for Makara. I wasn't able to sit straight without fidgeting. My curiosity was reaching its limits for I wanted to know what heck of a challenge it was going to be. I noticed Nazira looking at me with a laughter dancing in her eyes. Certainly, she didn't ask me the reason for my restlessness.

Unable to watch me with my growing agitation, Nazira began to talk with me for a while and I had to tell her that it was her brother's Constellia who I was going to meet. I was so immersed in telling her about Makara that I even blurted out that this was the challenge where Second Cornelian user was never able to win.

She stiffened briefly, for a moment to realize what the outcome was going to be if my fate turned out to as identical as that of my predecessor's, and surprisingly she gave me the kind encouragement, although out of innocence, it was something that I had not thought of it before.

"The First passed through the challenge, did he not?" she signalled, questioningly, "So, it's not that there's no way to win, right?"

The sudden knuckle rapping sound on the door did not even let me thank her for sharing the noble thought with me. And had I not put my glass of hot chocolate on the table, it might have tripped all over me by now. The knock was too thunderous and insistent.

I jumped from my chair and quickly opened the door. First, like anyone, I looked straight and then frowned. There was nothing as I have been expecting. And then as I gazed down, I found the Constellia in his usual awkward pose-legs stretched apart and one hand on the floor for support.

"Hayden Mackay, we are up," Makara said enthusiastically.

The gentle but icy breeze blowing inside the hut did not let me forget to put on the jacket. I braced myself, taking a long breath before I stepped out into the severe weather. Makara had asked me to follow him. My heart was hammering, as I walked side by side with him to reach the open-air atmosphere. Currently, there wasn't any storm, but dense ashen clouds had covered the sky, promising a torrential downpour any minute.

As soon as we reached the middle of the valley, Makara spun around speedily, in a dramatic manner. "It's good to see you, Hayden Mackay."

I nodded, faking a smile. "Same here," I replied, my voice sounding abnormally gruff, "Wh..what's the challenge?"

"Simple," he said, his small spiky beard wavering with the wind. He lifted his hand and pointed upwards. "Race me to the top of the mountain. The first who touches the trunk of the Vrindahina tree is declared as the winner."

I knitted my brow, staring daggers at him. These Constellia must really stop explaining these challenges sounding as a child's play. Or perhaps I shouldn't be judging it so soon, without hearing the terms and conditions that definitely were the reasons that the Second had never won. I looked upwards slowly, all through the way on the snowy mountain that I intended to take to reach the tree. Running didn't seem to be a problem, but running over the snow was something I was totally concerned about. Chances of slipping off the mountain for several times were simply too high.

"Anything else?" I asked, in an indirect way.

"You are allowed to use your stone over me and I am going to throw my earth attack on you. So basically we are allowed to create hurdles for each other."

"Fair enough," I nodded, mentally thanking him for giving the permission, "So looks like we both have an advantage here."

"Exactly. Everything else depends on how intellectually we use our powers."

"Alright," I said, beginning to concentrate on my stone, "I am ready."

"We stand at either side of the cave," he continued, "That way we shall have equal distance from the tree. And just to make you aware, this is the challenge where Second Cornelian user lost."

"Thanks for reminding me," I whispered.

Thanks for putting me on guard.

We parted ways, walking in either direction to stand beside the mouth of the cave. It was hard enough to walk on this heavy, thick, solidified snow and I had no idea how I was going to manage all the way to the top. The only idea that popped into my brain, was to attack Makara with my fierce commands and to slow him down.

"On three," Makara shouted, as soon as I stood bracing myself, "One, two and go!"

Whoooooosh!

"What the..!" I shouted when Makara suddenly disappeared within a snap.

"Hayden Mackay!" I immediately heard his voice, from far too away. I turned my head at all sides in search of him but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Up here!"

I took a few steps back and looked up to have better clear sight. My mouth fell and so did my heart deep down to my knee. Makara was standing nowhere else but beside the tree, having his hand touching the trunk.

"You lose!" He declared, pointing his finger at me.

A high current of wind drifted dangerously upon me, making me blink and causing me to shiver from my head to toe. I felt the obvious tension growing within me like there was a hurricane whirling inside my stomach. I wanted to breathe, I wanted to calm myself down, but the negative thought immediately accelerated in my brain.

Makara had the skill to run in the speed of the light. How could have I not known that? The time I took to place just one step was probably proportional to his total time required to cover the distance.

I didn't know how I was supposed to react. I just kept staring at him, mouth open, icy air filling in my lungs. Probably on finding me utterly stupefied and immobile, Makara returned to his original place in a jiffy and stood the other side of the cave.

"Hayden Mackay, I hope you are alright," he said, raising his voice to let him hear clearly from the distance.

"Do you usually run so fast?" I asked, feeling the pulse pounding in my temples.

"This is a challenge," he replied, "It is designed as it is. Constellia can sometimes show a skill they might not actually possess. For instance, my speed automatically doubles as soon as I start running."

I rubbed my palms together and cracked a few knuckles, in order to pacify myself. But it did not help me in any way. Makara was asking me to get ready for the second trial. I was neither hurt nor tired, heck I did not even have had moved an inch from where I was standing. There was just no reason to tell him otherwise and nodded at him. The truth was, my mind was completely blank, none of the idea popping into my head whatsoever.

"Ready?" Makara shouted positioning himself, "On three. One, two..."

Whoooosh!

"Fire Explosive formation!" I shouted, and it came out in an impulse.

A maximum amount of intense fire shot out of my hands, as soon as Makara zoomed up. Nazira, in my mind, was asking me to come back, and I had to shake my head to divert my attention from the most beautiful person, to stay focussed on the humanoid goat running like a cheetah.

"Hayden Mackay, you lose." I heard Makara shouting from the top of the mountain.

My heart sank. I bend my head a little low when Makara came back running down the mountain to get back to his initial position. Losing was never a choice, not even when I was a normal person. Hearing someone declaring my defeat was hurting my self-esteem.

The third round started. Makara raced up, and even before I took a step, he was already there, at the top, touching the truck of the holy tree. But as soon as Makara had sped up, I did not forget to use my stone over him, with different formation command. It was all I could do to slow his momentum down.

The fourth round, fifth, sixth...eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth- The number kept increasing until I deliberately gave up to keep a track but the result has been consistent and so were Makara's declarations.

"Hayden Mackay, you lose."

"Hayden Mackay, you lose again."

"Hayden Mackay, better luck next time."

"Hayden Mackay..."

Shut the hell up, I know what my name is!

Dismayed, I dropped my eyes, feeling my heart heavy and felt even more disappointed noticing that I haven't even had moved an inch from the position of my stance, my feet were rooted to the snow layered ground right from the beginning of the challenge. My legs remained stock-still even for the next few rounds, it was just too useless to move anywhere. The only thing that I was freely able to do, was to throw a few powerful formations at Makara. Unsurprisingly, it was a complete vain attempt to create any sort of adverse effect on Makara.

Occasions where Makara merely had to dodge my attacks were far and few between. At times, he flipped back to get away from my scorching fire but instantly picked up his speed. It was then I noticed when Makara slightly diverted from his usual track of running- the thick mass of snow accumulated over the mountain began to turn watery on contact with my regular fire attacks.

I took a step forward to keenly notice it and raced my mind. Last evening it was different when Nazira and I had come out for a walk. My heat of my fire was only able to take away the humidity out of the snow, reducing its thickness, but it had never changed its state. But now, the snow was actually melting forming a thin glossy layer of water.

Thanks to all the deities, forces and my extraordinary fortune that these challenges were repetitive and there was no time constraint. I took a long breath, relaxed my nerves and let Makara run as many times as possible. I changed my thought process. My target wasn't the Constellia anymore, it was the snow. Melting it thoroughly became my priority since it did had the trait and hoped this technique to work.

It was probably the fiftieth or sixtieth time Makara was racing, whatever it was I just couldn't be any more care less about it. I decided to stick to my plan and it was to direct fiery blasts of fire towards the part of the mountain where Makara had chosen to run. It took me an inordinate amount of time, but I was sure that I was able to melt the snow down, creating a shiny runoff.

Makara skidded and slipped as snow gave way under his feet.

It was the chance I was looking for and I decided to risk it, albeit I had no high expectations that this would lead my way towards the victory. Gritting my teeth, I kicked my heels and ran upwards on the hard glacial snow over the uneven surface of the mountain, and this resulted in the uncertain placement of my foot. My balance wasn't steady and not to mention, I had to keep my hands up pointed towards my opponent.

Makara quickly steadied himself, leaped over my fire and quickly surpassed my speed. He yet again won the round.

Next few rounds, for about more than an hour or so, I stayed put, without being too hasty to run and only concentrated on melting the frigid snow.

The pain was obvious. It was deep in my arms, slightly pricking the wound that hasn't completely healed yet. But endurance, without a doubt was all worth it. The glacial hard snow finally surrendered to my attacks. It cracked right before where Makara was running and divided into two. The force with which the immense amount of snow glided down, it seemed like a white tsunami. The sound felt more stimulating than a thunder. I watched Makara stopping dead, he bent down covering his face with his hands when the snow leaped over and stacked all over him.

My heart double flipped. Seeking the second opportunity I began to run as fast as I could, the runner in me demanding to prove my capability. Only for about a second, I put my fire off, to save the energy I needed, and that was the moment when the snow dump fell on Makara suddenly shook up and blasted like a violent gas explosion.

"Lava Rage Formation!" It shouted and to use this command was a part of the plan.

As soon as Makara successfully escaped out of the dump, I commanded my stone with the formation that required most of my energy and immense concentration. An unfettered thick reddish fire crackled out of my hands and raced aside towards the wrecked powdered snow.

It did what I intended it to. The massive amount of snow blanketed all over at his side of the mountain, turned into a heavy stream of water. The surface beneath my feet shook up when the flood gushed down towards Makara. It was so demonic, that it made me worried if it, in turn, might create the sort of hurdles stopping me from proceeding.

Makara was running comparatively slowly, but his speed was still unimaginable. It was possible only for him to run against the water flow that had the power to tore down everything that stood in its way. He must have noticed that I was slightly ahead of him when I heard him performing a formation Pruthvi had hardly ever used.

"Plain Elevator Formation!"

The snow right in front me jerked and as if a missile was hidden beneath the underground, snow shot up in the air with the stony surface of the mountain protruding up, forming a giant-sized wall.

I grunted with frustration. I was doing well until now but this interference was turning into a reason for slowing me down. Impulsively and quickly I diverted from my path to get away from the wall.

I used my lava rage once again to keep the water flooding down and Makara, as well, kept creating a chain of stone walls as a barrage of obstacles. I fell in dilemma. If I kept running in a zigzag manner, then in no way I was ever going to lessen the distance between me and Vrindahina. Instead, I might just be doing the opposite. I have come too far now. Losing here and repeating the challenge sounded not only strenuous but beyond the bounds of possibility. Reason- my stomach suddenly began to hurt, as if a balloon had popped inside my gut.

I looked sideways at him, and my heart skidded to stop in my chest. Water stream had reduced its intensity to flow down and Makara was running faster now, slowing picking up his usual speed. I had to stop him anyhow. I wasn't even having time to think of the suitable command. And I simply used the one because of which I won my challenge against Kanya.

"Fire Streak Formation!"

Thin cables of fire flew out of my fingers, zipping and zapping towards Makara. I missed him twice, for his running speed was turning into something that was out of the world. Despite feeling nauseated, I concentrated hard and my cables. Then it successfully hit him, whirling around his legs.

Makara shrieked and fell aside. This gave me an opportunity to cover some distance.

As I was getting closer to reach the top, I sensed the shift in chilliness of the weather. It was negative infinite temperature here, that began to freeze my blood. It was because of it I changed my command, creating a blast of fire watching Makara stand up.  I was glad that I was a Samagraha to form fire, that gave me minimal heat to keep proceeding in this temperature. In addition to it, the remaining of the snow beneath Makara's leg melted forcing him to slip and fall on his back on the icy runoff.

"Earthquake Formation!"

Makara's voice boomed and at once the whole mountain shuddered, creating waves of vibrations.

I cried out loudly as I tripped and collapsed in the snow. To my horror I was slipping down the mountain to a certain distance I had successfully covered. I quickly sought for a grip over myself and stood up, tightening my muscles and clenching my jaw.

Makara and I were beside each other, maintaining equal distance from the tree. He tried his best to knock me down, but I didn't let him surpass me. I kept melting the snow, creating the water streams that he found difficult to pass through it. My stomach was growling immensely. I could feel my speed reducing and Makara paced ahead of me.

My strength was diminishing and I was having this irrational feeling that I was about to go unconscious. I had to do something, somehow, and my mind was indicating me to not to delay any more. Makara was pushing himself through the water flow. If I took a risk to go ahead with it, the result could be too detrimental to my health but it could also help me finish this thing once and for all.

Health could just sod off. I needed to win this damn challenge.

I commanded my stone, it didn't work. I commanded again, nada. And I knew very well why it wasn't happening.

I irrevocably and profoundly thought about her, about the one who was waiting for me in that small hut since hours.

"Roaring Fire Ablaze Formation!"

The command flew out of my mouth and it really happened. I was never able to form this command until I met Nazira and now it has happened again only thinking about her. I knew it- she was special, she made me powerful. My feelings I had on her were real.

Thousand degreed, dangerous fire erupted out of my hands and roared loudly in the air. The rumbling sound reminded me of Singh, mocking me for my speed against Makara, and bellowing at me do better. The fire I created was searing and even the snow at my side of the mountain cracked with its intensity. Thankfully Makara again tumbled completely down. This gave me the time to seek a better way to run upwards. I pushed myself more and more, not caring about my stomach, and the ache that shot up in my leg bones due to running over the cracks.

Finally, I was in a position that I thought was impossible to acquire. I stepped up and stood at the zenith of the mountain.

I was clearly able to see the tree of Vrindahina, tall and wide, covered with snow. It was only a few feet away from me and my hopes to win this overtook all the pains I was enduring. I didn't know when but Makara was already stepping up to reach the top, probably the time I took to catch my breath was enough for him to cover the distance.

For about a few more seconds we both stayed halted. Makara bent low holding his knees taking deep breathes. Then as he looked up at me as if he was willingly trying to give me a signal that he was about to resume running.

My legs might cut off from my body if I pushed myself any harder but it was the deciding time that I couldn't let it go in vain.

I was almost there and so was Makara. I spotted his eyes were upon me as if he was telling me that was going to knock me down. I understood his intentions and before he could do it, I commanded my stone.

"Flame Formation!"

He was having his hand extended, he was about to touch the tree. But I threw a few flames over his hands to burn them down, making him unable to extend his hand anymore. He yelled in a slight pain and dropped his hands. This was my chance. I barged forward, extended my hand and before any more interruptions could stop me, I hit the trunk of the tree.

I did not wait to know if this was over. I couldn't afford to remain conscious anymore. As soon as I acknowledged that my hand has touched my hard trunk, I fell on my knees over the glacial snow and found peace in completely blacking out.

-x-