A warm breeze swept through Agnigriha as the sun cast slanted beams across the training grounds. Students gathered in the central fire arena, where the blackened stones still bore the marks of intense training over decades. Tejodhāra stood at the front, his robe flaring gently, like it too breathed fire.
"Today," he announced, voice deep and unwavering, "we begin the first Intra-House Trial for new initiates of Agnigriha. This is not combat. This is expression. You will demonstrate your command over fire through control, creativity, and composure."
Gasps and murmurs ran through the line of younger students. Maarun felt his stomach tighten. Around him, students lit flames in their palms or ignited sparks that danced across their fingers.
"You may create forms: birds, walls, whips, wheels, anything that shows your grasp. Or try long-range precision, or defensive fire barriers. It is not victory you seek today, but growth."
He gestured toward a training circle.
"Begin preparing."
Meanwhile in Bhūmigriha...
Dev squinted up at a massive stone wall. Instructors explained the test: students had to summon rising stone platforms, leaping from one to another, until they reached the top. It sounded easier than it was.
Dev slammed his foot into the earth and raised a shaky stone lift... which collapsed as soon as he jumped. "Stupid rock! Stay up for once!"
Nearby, another student tumbled into a patch of moss, grumbling.
"I feel you, bro," Dev muttered.
In Jalāgriha...
Roshan's trial was no less tricky. A shallow pool had several floating metal rings suspended midair. Students had to form a controlled water loop to carry a pebble through each ring without touching the edges.
"Oh no... Not again!" Roshan cried as the pebble shot out of the water loop like a cannon and pinged off a ring.
The instructor sighed. "Control, not power. Again."
Roshan wiped water from his face. "If I survive this, I'm never drinking water again."
Back in Agnigriha...
Maarun stood at the edge of the training circle, holding Dviprakāsha, the dual-crystal lighter given to him. His thumb struck the twin stones. A flame appeared, faint and wavering.
He exhaled and tried to arc it forward. The flame sputtered. He focused harder, shaping it into a whip—which lashed weakly before dying.
Tejodhāra appeared behind him, voice like distant thunder. "You fight the flame as if it is your enemy."
"I'm trying to control it," Maarun said, frustrated.
"Control is not in the wrist," Tejodhāra said, his eyes narrowing. "It is in the stillness between your thoughts. Until you still yourself, fire will only mirror your chaos."
Maarun closed his eyes. Listened to his breath. Listened to nothing.
Then he tried again.
This time, the flame held longer. Shaky, imperfect, but alive.
That Evening in Devakunta...
The trio met again in the garden under the moonlight. Rajyashrī had brought sweet berries and cool fruit water.
"So," she said. "First trial done. Still alive, I see."
"Barely," Roshan mumbled. "I think I offended an entire school of fish today."
Dev mimed falling off a rock. "I made more stairs fall than I climbed."
Maarun sighed. "I made a baby flame whip. It drooled."
They all laughed.
Roshan turned to Rajyashrī. "Hey, that book—Bhūmisāgara. You ever figure it out?"
She shook her head. "Not yet. But I'm training with it for the upcoming Inter-House Duels. I want to defeat Sānvalī from Vāyugriha. I lost to her last year."
"Sānvalī? That senior from Air House?" Dev smirked.
"Don't underestimate her," Rajyashrī said. "She made a cyclone shield and threw me thirty feet."
"Can you understand what's inside the book?" Roshan asked.
"Not fully," she admitted. "But I will."
Dev bumped her shoulder. "We'll help. We'll study and train together."
Rajyashrī smiled. "Good. Because if we master this, we'll make history."
Then she turned to Maarun. "You want to impress Aksharā, right?"
Maarun turned red. "What? I mean—I didn't say that—I just said she's good at fire training—and she's pretty—I mean—shut up."
Rajyashrī laughed. "There's another book. Like Bhūmisāgara. It's called Vahnivātamārga."
"What does it do?" Roshan asked.
"It teaches combined Fire and Air elemental techniques. Deadly stuff. Legends used it in ancient battles. Just like Bhūmi and Jala work together to control terrain and rivers, Fire and Air create blazing storms and flame arcs."
Maarun gaped. "How come no other elements have combos?"
"They do. But those are the most natural pairs. Some force, some flow. Some destroy, some build. Fire and Air are chaos and speed. Water and Earth are weight and adaptability."
Dev let out a low whistle. "Imagine summoning a fire tornado."
Maarun grinned. "Imagine Aksharā noticing."
Roshan chuckled. "Imagine not blowing yourself up first."
Rajyashrī raised her drink. "To insane goals and impossible books."
They clinked their cups together, laughter echoing in the night.
And somewhere, in the silent corners of Agnyagranthakosha, the sealed spines of Vahnivātamārga shimmered faintly—waiting for those bold enough to open them.