Chapter 117 - The Sun Stone

"Believe me; I'm really ashamed of myself, " Ishit replied, shaking his head. His reply caught the boys off guard, who wanted to humiliate him. 

As for his status as the young lord, Karna couldn't care less unless Oman declared him the inheritor of the throne. 

Karna gave him a puzzled look, 

"Are you?" Durjya sneered. 

Ishit ignored him as he went on, " I'm ashamed of believing the royal academy is a prestigious institute. How foolish I was! Even you've got accepted. " 

Karna's knuckles crac

kled.

"Your tongue is as viperous as before. I wished you had the power to back it up. My friends from Atlantia couldn't believe that a random boy thrashed the young lord of Garuna."  said he.

"I reckon you friends must be

cataracts, or they wouldn't call Tahir a random guy. Tell them to visit the Nimohi guild; I have heard Madam Netri is specialized in such ailments," replied Ishit. He didn't have time for these snobby boys. He had thought the time would have matured them, but he was wrong. There were things that even almighty time couldn't recast. 

"Do you know who my friends are? "  The arrogance was exuding out of his face. 

Ishit looked for Esha and Karuvaki in the crowd. The girls had told him to accompany them to the market. Karuvaki wanted to purchase something from Nimais. 

"I really don't care, Karna," Ishit said in a dismissing tone. He didn't want to take with them anymore. 

"You should if you want to join the Royal Academy or any other renowned institute. " Karna smirked."Or you believe that your lord's father can buy you a spot. Let me tell you he can't."

"Thanks for your concern. But now you can leave. I have other important things to do." Ishit said as he spotted the two girls jostling their way to the entrance.

"Like playing with the commoner's girl. What was her name, by the way? " 

"Champa," Durjya chimed in.  Ishit glanced at him. Durjya's face had turned sullen. 

"Yes! Champa. She mu

st be a blossom now for you to become so impatient." Karna said, mocking.

Ishit felt disgusted. It was what he hated about these silk pants. He couldn't make out what sort of parenting had raised Karna and Durjya for them to talk about a maiden like this. 

"No, she is still a bud. I saw

a few days ago in the market. But a bud of a rose, you know what I mean. " giggled Ahi; he was the youngest son of the head of the falconer guild. "And by the look of her hard ass and inebriating smell, I can assure you her cherry hasn't been eaten yet." 

"You should all stop when you still can. " Ishit said, calming his boiling blood. He knew they were doing this on purpose. 

"Or what will you do? Will you drown me in a gutter? Don't think that you can beat us now. " Karna said us clenching his feast. 

Ishit looked into his fierce eyes and sighed. He didn't want to revisit the past. 

"Excuse me; I'm leaving." Ishit decided to leave before things got out of hand. Minaak was already in a mess. And he didn't want to make it messier. 

"Did you get scared?" Ahi jeered from behind, but Ishit strode away towards the girls, ignoring him. 

Karuvaki's eyes brightened as she saw him, but then as if recalling something, she glared at him. 

Ishit ignored her. All the nobles and the spirit wielders were the same, thinking themselves above all, treating this world and other creatures as if everything were created by almighty Andajah  ( The creator's name in Old Ways) to serve these conceited beings. And the girl was a product of such toxic mindest. 

"You did well. " Esha said, her beautiful eyes filled with pride. 

"Thanks," Ishit replied with a smile. "Let's hurry up. I'm starving." 

"We are not going to the market today. Karuvaki is having dinner with Prince Tissa, along with Uncle and all. So it has to wait. " Esha said as they picked their ways to the carriage waiting for them. 

"Fine by me. I, too, have to meet Bhadra. I have some questions regarding my coming match." 

Ishit said as they got in the carriage. Karuvaki didn't speak anything as she sat beside Esha, turning her face away from Ishit. 

"What's wrong with her?" Ishit asked Esha telepathically, 

"no idea. Maybe she doesn't want to attend the dinner. " replied Esha. 

Ishit didn't doubt that. Nobody could stand the prick, especially his lecherous eyes, roving over the body of every female he met.  Though Ishit had met the prince only twice since he had landed in Minaak, he was sure that all the rumors he had heard about this royal snot were true. 

"Don't worry, Karuvaki.  Nimais will stay for a month and they have plenty of Night's Tears. So you can attend the dinner without worry. " Ishit said with a smile. And that was a mistake, for Karuvaki snapped at him like the mum of the winged lion. 

"Why are you grinning like a baboon? And I don't care about Night's Tears anymore. You can go to hell with them." 

Ishit was dumbfounded.

What the hell! It was not my fault that you had to attend the dinner. and If you didn't want the pearls, said so. There was no need to cuss him so loudly. 

"I'm sorry. I wasn't smiling at you.  " Ishit said, suppressing the urge to give the girl a good tongue lashing. If the girl complained about him to his mother, he would have to sleep without dinner. 

Esha giggled. Ishit gave her a furious glance.  They all had made his life miserable. 

Because of Esha, he had been sleeping on the floor for nearly a week now. And Karuvaki's whining had made him sleep with a grumbling stomach for two nights. 

Ishit had realized he was alone with no one to lean on. He couldn't afford to mess with the girls. 

"Then were you dreaming about your minx? " snarled Karuvaki. 

At this, both Ishit and Esha gave her a puzzled look.  What the hell was she talking about? 

"What minx? " asked Ishit.

"The girl who was caressing your cheeks." She said, irritatingly.

"Who? You mean Nandani." 

"So her name is Nandani. " Karuvaki said to herself. "What slutty  girl. "

"What the hell are you talking about? Don' ever call her that. " Now it was Ishit turn to snap at her. 

"Oh! So you really love her. " Karuvaki smiled nastily.  "I doubt Aunt knows it. I wonder what she will feel when she comes to know of her pious son's perverse deeds. " 

"Stop it immediately. " Ishit freaked out as he realized where the evil girl was going. "I'm not like your brother and your dad.  She is my friend only and nothing else. "

"Haa ha They all say so. " Karuvaki laughed menacingly. 

"I'm warning you, Karuvaki. Don't feed this nonsense to my mother. Or you will regret it " Ishit warned. He was really worried. Ishit didn't know why his mother trusted the wicked girl so much. 

Yesterday, even a fool could tell he didn't pull the girl's dress, but she believed her niece and chided him for no reason. 

"What will you do? Do you ravish me too?" Karuvaki looked straight into his eyes. 

"Common Karuvaki, let go of the poor boy. " Esha chimed in. "I know Nandani she is really his close friend and nothing else.  She is a very nice girl.  I will introduce her to you tomorrow."

"Ok! I believe you. I will let you go this time. But If I catch you again, you know what I will do. " said Karuvaki threateningly. 

'What do you mean by "let me go this time"?' Ishit said, "I didn't do anything wrong." 

"AH! come off it, both of you! " Esha said frustratingly. 

Karuvaki gave him another annoying smile and started to hum. 

Ishit wanted nothing but to leave the carriage as soon as possible. One more moment with the lass and he was sure he would go mad. 

What he couldn't understand was how Esha and Karuvaki became so close. While he and Ambhik hadn't even had a proper chat till now. 

Ishit shook his head.  Maybe it was one of the many secrets of ladies. They said even fabled mindreaders couldn't tell what was going on in a woman's mind. 

Ishit looked out of the window. They had got to the castle. 

Ishit didn't wait for the chauffeur to open the carriage's door. He opened it and got off.

"How was your match?" Amora, the house anima voiced greeted him as soon as Ishit stepped into the castle. 

"Fine. I passed it. " Ishit replied as he strode in. 

"I think tomorrow will be falconer's matches." the old anima's voice resounded in the empty corridor, well lit with moonstones. 

"Yes!"

Ishit replied.

It was then he heard someone crying. Startled he looked back. There was no one. Puzzled Ishit activated his spirit senses. And he soon discovered the source of the sobbing. Oddly they were coming from a stone pillar.

*********

Ishit