Chapter 4: Bonds of Friendship

The first morning in the Brahman Society was a whirlwind of new sights, sounds, and experiences for Anuj.

 The sprawling grounds were a hub of activity, filled with warriors honing their skills and young initiates like him, all eager to prove their worth. Yet, amid all this, he felt a twinge of loneliness—until he met his soon going to be friend of life Indra.

Indra was easy to spot, even in a crowd. He had an infectious energy, a mischievous glint in his eyes, which looks good on his 11-year-old face. And a smile that seemed permanently etched on his face. Anuj noticed him right away, practicing with a weapon unlike any he had seen before—a sword that crackled with blue lightning.

The Vajraastra was a weapon type astra unlike any other—a sword crafted from the bark of ancient, mythical trees and imbued with the lightning itself.

 The blade, almost two feet long, had a pale, almost ivory hue, giving it a ghostly appearance in the daylight. Its surface was etched with intricate patterns, resembling veins that pulsed faintly with electric energy. When held by indra, the sword crackled with blue arcs of electricity dancing along the blade's edge as if alive.

"Hey! New kid!" Indra called out, noticing Anuj watching him. He twirled the sword effortlessly, the lightning dancing along its blade. "Like what you see? This is Vajraastra—pretty cool, huh?"

Anuj nodded, intrigued. "Yeah, it looks amazing. I'm fascinated and name is Anuj, by the way."

"Indra," he replied, sheathing the sword with a flourish. "Nice to meet you, Anuj. So, what's your Astra?"

Anuj hesitated, still a bit self-conscious about his relatively modest Astra. "Garudastra," he finally said. "It's a... necklace."

Indra's grin widened. "A necklace? That's awesome! Bet you can fly, right? That's like every kid's dream! Don't worry about the power isn't always about how flashy something looks."

Anuj smiled, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Indra clapped him on the back. "Of course, I'm right! Now, how about we explore this place? There's a lot to see, and you're going to need a friend to show you around."

The two boys spent the day together, exploring the grounds of the Brahman Society. Indra's playful nature was a perfect counterbalance to Anuj's more cautious demeanor.

They laughed, joked, and swapped stories about their lives before the Society. By the end of the day, Anuj felt like he had known Indra for years.

He often marveled at how quickly Indra adapted to the Vajraastra, seamlessly merging lightning with swordplay. Watching Indra wield the Astra with such skill made Anuj wonder if he could ever reach that level with Garudastra.

The next morning, they were heading to the training grounds when they encountered a group of older initiates—Raghav, Veer, and Karan.

 The trio was known for their arrogance, often picking on the younger or weaker students. As soon as they spotted Anuj and Indra, they moved in.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Raghav sneered, crossing his arms. He was the leader of the group, tall and broad-shouldered, with a perpetual scowl on his face. "Two little birds who've lost their way?"

Indra, never one to back down, stepped forward. "What's it to you, Raghav? We're just heading to training."

Veer, the lanky one with a cruel smirk, snorted. "Training? With that shiny little necklace of yours? Looks like a trinket for a girl!"

Anuj's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but he tried to keep his composure. "Leave us alone. We didn't do anything to you."

Karan, the quietest of the three but perhaps the most dangerous, stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "Maybe you didn't, but we don't like newbies acting all tough. You need to learn your place."

Before either of them could react, Veer grabbed Indra's arm and twisted it behind his back. Indra winced but didn't cry out. Anuj felt a surge of anger—this wasn't fair. They hadn't even been at the Society for more than a day, and already they were being targeted.

"Let him go!" Anuj demanded, his voice shaking more from fear than confidence.

Raghav laughed, clearly enjoying the situation. "Or what? What are you going to do, little bird?"

But before the situation could escalate further, a voice cut through the tension, sharp and commanding. "Enough!"

Everyone turned to see a girl about their age standing with her hands on her hips, her expression one of fierce determination. She had long, dark hair tied back, and her eyes flashed with anger. Everyonr other than Anuj recognized her —She is Amrita.

"Let them go, Raghav," Amrita said, stepping forward. "Or you'll have to answer to me."

Raghav's confident demeanor faltered. "And why should we be scared of you, Amrita?"

Amrita didn't hesitate. She raised her hand, and suddenly, water began to swirl around her fingers, forming vortex. "Because I'm not in the mood to deal with your nonsense today," she replied calmly. "And we all know you can't swim."

She has already been here for few months and had basic control of her powers

Raghav scowled but backed off, signaling Veer to release Indra. "Fine," he muttered. "But this isn't over."

The three bullies retreated, casting dark looks over their shoulders as they went. Amrita watched them go, then turned to Anuj and Indra with a smile. "You guys okay?"

Indra rubbed his arm where Veer had twisted it. "Yeah, thanks to you. That was awesome, by the way. What was that—Varunastra?"

Amrita nodded, a hint of pride in her smile. "Yep. Water Astra. Pretty handy, huh?"

Varunastra was elegant and subtle, taking the form of an intricately designed armband that wrapped around Amrita's upper arm. The armband was made of a metal that looked like liquid silver, constantly shifting and rippling as if it were alive.

 The band itself was engraved with wave-like patterns, giving it the appearance of water frozen in motion. At its center was a large, oval-shaped blue gem that shimmered with the deep hues of the ocean.

Anuj was still processing what had just happened. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "I'm Anuj, by the way. This is Indra."

"Nice to meet you both," Amrita replied. "And don't worry about those jerks. They like to act tough, but they're all bark and no bite."

Indra grinned, already liking Amrita's feisty attitude. "You should hang out with us more often. We could use someone with your skills around."

Amrita laughed. "Maybe I will. But if you're going to be friends with me. Let's go I will take you to my other friend Dev."

At the mention of Dev, Anuj's heart skipped a beat. He knew who Dev was—he was supposed to be the future antagonist, the one who would rise to power and wreak havoc.

"I've heard of Dev," Anuj said carefully. "Isn't he the one who got Agniastra?"

Amrita nodded, her expression softening. "Yeah, Dev and I have known each other since we were kids. He's... different, but he's a good person. Just a bit serious, that's all."

Anuj wasn't sure how to feel about meeting Dev. The idea of befriending someone who was destined to become an enemy felt strange, almost wrong. But at the same time, Dev was still just a kid like them. Maybe things wouldn't turn out the way he feared.

"Come on, I'll introduce you," Amrita said, leading them to another part of the training grounds.

As they approached, Anuj spotted a boy sitting alone, focused intently on a small flame dancing on trident.

He was of medium height, with dark hair and a sharp, thoughtful expression. Even from a distance, Anuj could feel the heat radiating from the flame—this had to be Dev.

"Hey, Dev!" Amrita called out, waving.

Dev looked up, extinguishing the flame with a quick flick of his Trident. His eyes were intense but softened when he saw Amrita. "What is it, Amrita?"

"I want you to meet someone," Amrita said, motioning for Anuj and Indra to come closer. "This is Anuj and Indra. They're new, just got their Astras."

Dev nodded politely, though his expression remained serious. "Nice to meet you," he said simply.

Indra, ever the joker, tried to break the ice. "So, you're the guy with the Agniastra, huh? Heard you lit up the whole Ashram when you got it!"

Dev's lips twitched, almost forming a smile. "So they say," he replied, his tone neutral.

Amrita laughed, nudging Dev playfully. "Don't be so modest! It was amazing. The entire Ashram was glowing—it was like the sun had risen right there in the middle of the night."

Dev looked away, slightly embarrassed. "It was just the Astra's power, not mine."

Anuj, who had been quiet until now, decided to speak up. "It's still impressive, Dev. I mean, Agniastra is one of the most powerful Astras out there. You should be proud."

Agniastra was as imposing as it was awe-inspiring—a trident forged from a dark, nearly black metal that seemed to absorb the light around it.

The three prongs of the trident were razor-sharp, tapering to points that could pierce through steel. Each prong emitted a faint, fiery glow, growing brighter when the weapon was wielded with intent.

 The most striking feature of the Agniastra was the large, blood-red gem embedded in the center where the prongs met.

Dev glanced at Anuj, his eyes searching for something. "Thanks," he said after a moment. "But it's not about pride. It's about control."

There was something in Dev's voice—an underlying tension that Anuj couldn't quite place.

"Well, we're all going to need control," Indra said, trying to lighten the mood. "Especially if we're going to survive this place. So, what do you guys say? Friends?"

Amrita grinned, holding out her hand. "Friends."

Dev hesitated, then reached out and shook Indra's hand, followed by Anuj's. "Friends," he agreed, though his voice held a note of caution.

As the days passed, the four of them grew closer. Indra's playful nature brought out the lighter side of Dev, and Amrita's adventurous spirit kept things lively.

 Anuj found himself enjoying their company more than he had expected. Despite his initial reservations, he began to see Dev not as a future enemy, but as a friend—someone who, like him, was just trying to find his way in this strange, new world.

Yet, there was always a part of Anuj that remained wary, a small voice in the back of his mind that reminded him of the stories he knew.

 Dev might be kind and serious now, but what could push him down the path of darkness? It was a question that lingered, even as they laughed and trained together.

During their downtime, the group often gathered near the old banyan tree on the edge of the training grounds. The tree's thick, gnarled roots created a natural seating area, and it became their unofficial meeting spot.

 It was here that they shared stories, dreams, and fears, each of them revealing more about their past and their hopes for the future.

One evening, after a particularly grueling day of training, the four friends sat by a small stream that ran through the edge of the Society's grounds. The water was cool and clear, reflecting the last rays of the setting sun.

Indra skipped a stone across the surface, watching it bounce before sinking. "You know, I never imagined I'd end up here, wielding a weapon that shoots lightning. Life's full of surprises na."

Amrita splashed her hand in the water, creating ripples. "Tell me about it. I always thought I'd end up back home, living a quiet life. But here we are, chosen by Astras, training."

One afternoon, as they sat beneath the banyan tree, Amrita playfully teased Dev about his seriousness. "You know, Dev, if you smiled more, people might actually think you're human," she said with a wink.

 Dev gave her a half-smile, shaking his head. "And if you caused less trouble, Amrita, we might actually get some peace around here," he retorted, earning a laugh from the group.

Dev then remained silent, staring at the water. Anuj watched him, wondering what was going through his mind. Finally, Dev spoke, his voice low. "Do you ever think about what all this means? About what we're supposed to do with this power?"

Amrita shrugged, lying back on the grass. "Not really. I mean, yeah, we have powers, but we're also just kids. We'll figure it out as we go."

Indra nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Dev, don't overthink it. We've got time to grow into our powers. For now, let's just focus on not getting our butts kicked in training."

Anuj smiled, but inside, he was more conflicted. Dev's question echoed his own doubts. What did it mean to be chosen by an Astra? What responsibilities did they have? And what would happen if they couldn't live up to them?

As the stars began to appear in the night sky, Anuj felt a deep sense of camaraderie with his new friends. They were in this together, and whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them side by side.