Nirantar: The mark of Trinity

The bright light... such brilliance everything swathed in brightness. Still he was not at peace, what is he even doing there? He tried to look around but his view only stayed ahead. He was bathed in the warmth coming from the light on his body. His vision shifted towards a spot far from his view. he squinted his eyes for a better view.There was something not right. in all that brilliance there was a spot not larger then a speck, but it was there. He focused his view on it and he could see it was a dark spot amidst all that blinding warmth of the light. He willed himself to reach there and tried moving in the direction of that spot. why he was not moving after all the efforts? he tried to lift his hands but they feel like they are bound, like the warmth was keeping him under its weight. he struggled to get free and to move to examine the spot, but was unable to make any progress. "Thud" he heard it first before feeling the pain shot through the back of his hand. "Thud".. the sound is clearer this time, and the pain more excruciating. "Wham".. he cried out loud and with a jolt he was sitting on his bed. his hand has crashed through the bed post and he cradled it with his other hand and brought it closer to his body. he felt like the warmth has escaped his body and he is back in his room. feverish and spent. He looked around and his senses start to register his whereabouts. his threadbare quilt was crumpled and thrown on the floor. His pillow was nowhere to be seen may be it has fallen behind the headboard, he hated it when this happened coz now he have to spend so much time to fish it out from there and not to mention the muck that would stuck on his only pillow. He went to the table situated next to his bed and touched the mark on it, the lamp illuminated and he could see now again clearly. he opened up the drawer and fished out a bottle filled with bubbles and applied the last of the healing salve on the back of his hand. "I really need to discuss this with Guruji in the morning. If I continue to hurt myself like this I won't be able to move my body anymore." Karn thought out loud. it was the ninth bruise he is nursing today, his body was decorated with them now. he fished out a small mirror from his drawer. and begin counting the bruises, there was one on the back of his shoulder when he fell off from the bed and hit the bed post in the process. "One, two, three.. Gods above why am I counting them, it's not like some great battle wounds, they are just proof of my stupidity that I can't even sleep normally." With a sigh he shoved the mirror back in his drawer and went to his quilt on the floor. he picked it up gingerly and placed it back on his bed. there was a large patch right at the top of it. it was the softest material he have ever came across. and rest was of assortments of pieces of Fabrik that he got from his time as a help for the quilt maker of the town. he made this one himself and used that bright red patch of Fabrik that he use to possess since he was a kid. he smothen his quilt and his fingers lingered to that bright patch on his quilt. he hugged it and lay down again on his bed. the bed creecked in protest. "May be I should start sleeping on the floor from now, if I keep on doing such damage to the bed it will also run away from me." he chuckled. "No more bright light please, let me sleep now. I've seen the light now let me just rest for a while" he mumbled to himself and slept. "Wake up loosers, crawl out from under your beds and let the day begin." somebody was shouting and banging at his door. "Go away Mahu" he yelled back weakly. there was another bang this time louder and another voice "Come out Karn we will brighten you up, my dad says nothing is more relaxing than a pat on the head." "As if we call that a patting when you bash someone's skull under your club you call a hand you big oaf" Karn said louder this time. Suket was unfazed by his remark and kept banging and yelling "come out" like a chant. he was not that bright when it comes to witty remarks but he was good at heart and easy to understand for Karn. then suddenly the voices outside his door become silent and Karn clutched his quilt tighter around himself. his door slid open by itself and he prepared himself for the invasion of his privacy. "Wake up sleepy head and come downstairs for breakfast. I don't want Suket to eat all your meal and get sluggish. I will not tolerate him snogging off in class again and let Guruji think we all are uninterested in his teachings." Manika was standing at his door. "Like you really know what He teaches us." Suket made a face with wide eyes and pursed his lips towards Manika. "I know more than you, you dumb Tarak" and smacked Suket on head. Karn smirked seeing Manika smacking Suket's head when he is a hand taller than her and get off from his bed. "I'll be down before you guys reach the pantry." with this the trio started towards the stone corridors leading to pantry. Karn went to his small dressing cabinet and picked up his clothes and started to change into them. it was hard for him today to undo the bindings of his night shirt as his hand throbbed with the newly acquired bruise and his body aches from the previous ones. "That was easy, now comes the hard part" he held his breath and redied himself for the sensation of leather and padded shirt to slither over his bruised body. as the material slithered over his bruised body his held breath escaped from his mouth with a groan. the padding is chaffing over his bruised skin. with shakey fingers he clasped his brown leather shirt and with much effort he slid one leg into his trouser. his other leg stuck in the hem of his trouser and he tumbled, his back hit the cabinet wall and a shrill scream of pain shot out from his lips. with teary eyes he straighten himself on one leg and his ankle gave with that effort. Wham! he landed on his back and stayed there writhing in pain. his whole body is a mess. he bit back tears of pain and slide his other leg into the trouser. he clasped his trouser around his skinny waist and tied it with the cord while laying down on the ground. by holding the door of his cabinet he stood up. his body is protesting against it but he is stubborn. with a groan and aching body he got out from his room. closed the door and start toward the pantry. taking every step is a challenge for him. he walked the same corridor his whole life but today it seem like it has grown in length. the light on the wall is pooling on the floor in shapes and the swirls of the water held underneath the light in clear glass orbits, is making it move in lazy textures. it looked like the hoods of snakes to him watching him patiently as he progress towards the pantry. the smell of food hit him even before he stepped inside the large stone arch addorned with a symbol of spoon and a laddle on a background of a fish. he stepped in to find today they have set a large table laden with assortments of dishes. the serving staff was present there in their official uniform of a blue tunic and white apron tied with a red sash around their waist. with shining silver buttons and white gloves on their hands. he wonder how they keep these gloves clean amidst all the stain causing food around. but they handlled it with such florish that shows their expertise in their profession. he wondered why so many of the royal servers are here and why today is such a spread on the table. "you are going to burst your fat tummy out if you keep on eaiting like this Suket." Manika was trying to get a large piece of fish from the hands of Suket, which he was holding as his life depends on it. on the otherhand Mahu is sneaking a wrapped small condiment inside his tunic's pocket. as he entered the pantry the eyes of seated there rose to see who has arrived. some smirked, some dismissed him completly and went back to their feast and some stole a glance with each other. Karn strode towards the empty seat next to Manika and sat there grinning at the trio. they were as close to as friends to Karn. A female server placed his plate in front of him and he thanked her, which got him some sneers from the other wards present in the pantry. he shrugged it off, it was not bad to be polite. servers are deemed as a valuable position with quarters inside the palace and with their closness with the royal family and the officials, they are above the wards eating here today. Karn does not beleive in the disrespecting anyone based on their appearance or social standing. Karn chose some cuts of roast from the table, some greens tossed with butter and spices and a piece of sweet honeyed bread and started his breakfast. the roast was cooked till perfection with charred and crispy outside and juicy and soft inside, seasoned with just salt and pepper. and the bread I really fresh and gives a rich and appetizing aroma with a hint of honey and mint. Karn was halfway with his meal and he felt a gaze upon him, he peeked from between the lavish spread of feast in front of him and found the pair of eyes looking at him. She was tall and when Karn smiled toward her she was shocked first but quickly recovered and gave back a smile to him, a smile that deepen the wrinkles around her eyes, a smile of pure kindness. Karn went back to his food and shifted closer to Manika. "Do we have a Royal with us today?" He asked her while keeping his eyes on his meal. "Wh... why? do you find anyone new on the table today?" Manika replied after finishing the mouthfull of Sweetcake, with two questions for his one. He rolled his eyes and said "we have an elder server at the table, they only serve the royals." he pointed with his eyes towards the dish where the tall woman was standing. Manika looked at her and said "She seems pretty normal to me." "Look at her sleeve of right hand, she has a band of red above the wrist and two gold buttons on her cuff. She is an elder server, I am sure about it " Karn tried to explain. "How could you see her gold buttons and red line on her sleeve, she is far from us and there is so much food and colour in between." she asked him squinting towards the person of interest. "Because i pay attention" he said triumphantly "let's finish the meal and go to class and then we will ask Guruji what todays feast was about. He slipped some candied fruits and some wrapped condiments in his pocket too. people are getting up from the table and moving towards the exit in groups. Karn was sitting with Manika, Suket and Mahu at the far end of the table stayed there for the crowd to thin out. His eyes were searching the place where that tall elder server was standing but she was nowhere to be seen. "May be she left early" he mumbled under his breath and stood up from his seat, grabbed the seat for Manika to stand up. "Always the gentleman, Karn" Mahu shot from across Suket grinning. He tried to imitate the gesture on Suket's chair but was unable to move it under his immense weight, and. Karn suppressed a laugh, but the laughter came out from Manika's mouth. Suket was staring at Mahu's struggle with his chair so he stood up and Mahu was thrown on his back and stayed sprawl on the pantry floor. he went to Mahu and offered him his hand while looking the other way so that Mahu won't see him trying very hard to stop himself from laughing on the poor guy. They came out last from the pantry. Suket and Mahu are walking ahead both on each side of the stone corridor while Manika and Karn are walking a little behind them, Karn's mind was still processing the Royal Server's eyes on him and her kind smile, he was trying to remember where he has seen that face. Manika was talking to him "And that's how in the last exercise we both landed atop Suket as he was too sluggish to keep up behind us. Hay are you even listening to me." she asked Karn which brought him back to his companions. "I am sorry I was wondering why that royal server seemed familiar, i felt like I knew her somehow but couldn't put my finger to it." Karn said "Do you know the reason of today's feast, because I can't recall if today is something important." "Oh that! I totally forgot the old chef told me something about a coming feast that he was ordered to prepare from the Palace itself. He was unaware of the occasion though, I didn't knew untill I stepped in pantry today that it will be this morning " She said. "The food was great though, we don't mind such occasions whatever they may be if they keep providing such tasty food." He said with a smile. "My point exactly" she agreed and they kept on walking. Suket on one hand is banging his shell covered fists on the wall with every step and Mahu was jumping under every light to try and reach the orb of floating water underneath it. This was their daily routine Suket placing punches on the wall while walking and Mahu trying to catch the floating Orbs. Everytime his fingers reaches the Orb they jus glided away and Bob out of his reach but Mahu is relentless and tried on every given opportunity. "Why don't you give up Mahu, seeing you jumping up and down so much make me light-headed" Manika retorted. "you will see, I will catch one someday and will hang it under my lamp in my room, and who knows may be I could open it up and drink the magic inside and become powerful " Mahu said by flexing his skinny arms. Another round of laughter echoed across the stone corridor. this looks like the normal day Karn thought. He had eaten a feast and with some good people and heading towards the classroom. For the moment he forgot his bruised body and aching mind. Echo of their laughter is filling up the silent stone corridor. From behind a tapestry a pair of eyes was watching him having a good laugh with his friends. Those eyes were shrouded in darkness and the body of watcher is stood unmoving blended in the surroundings. Karn caught a glimpse of movement on his between two lights a few steps back. He stopped in his tracks and tried to look, Manika bumped into his shoulder which shot a jolt of pain through him. "huh. I am sorry I stopped suddenly " he said while massaging his shoulder. "I am sorry too I was looking at their antics that I bumped into you. Sharing my time with them is making me clumsy." she said with a apologetic smile. "At least you have the other two, what I wouldn't have given to get even one with me." Karn said with heavy heart. "You can keep them both if you want, I am too tired to put up with these two clowns" Manika replied with a grin to lighten up the mood which has darken suddenly. she could feel the sadness and disappointment within Karn for not having his team. He was the only one in the class who is without any team. "Hay we are not some trading chips that you can hand us over Mani, but I would gladly join Karn as he will scold us less." Suket said joining them. "Yeah I know why you are suddenly so eager to join Karn, so that you will eat all his meals and he will even let you." Manika said with a smile. "I only eat what He don't want to, Right Karn." Suket said trying to sound as matter of fact as he could. "I sometimes wonder how you leave the plates intact with the way you devour all the contents She said mockingly. The jibe went harmlessly over Suket as he is not that good with wits. but he smiled his big toothy grin nontheless. The glimpse of movement that he caught was forgotten in the conversation and they carried on their way to the class. Mahu was asking if they find the water orbs strange. "The water inside make strange shapes it looks like a feather sometime and like a meatroll under the swirls. if only i could catch the third orb on the left from the classroom, maybe I could show it to you ". "You and your obsession over the water orbs Mahu. one day you will get us in trouble if the warden founds out that you want to steal his prided orbs " Manika said. With this, they entered the classroom door and from behind the tapestry the tall Elder Server stepped out and hurried toward the Palace from the secret door that has appeared right in front of her on the stone wall of corridor.