So far, they had crossed many rough and paved roads, drains, canals, and both small and large forests. The next two days were also spent walking across flat, green fields that were soothing to the eyes. Vidhan and Sattu had never seen a proper road in their entire lives.
They had not traveled far. At most, they had gone west to Kichcha village, where Vidhan bought the best quality honey, and Sattu had the chance to show off his spinning Top-making skills in a crowd of boys who considered themselves the greatest spinning Top masters of Kundar. In the same village, Vidhan also saw a girl named Sukanya, who performed amazing feats with her flexible body. Sukanya and her father were acrobats by profession, but Vidhan called her a dancer.
Far away, a faint yellow dot appeared on the horizon where the green land met the blue sky. The dot seemed to waver due to the heat rising from the earth. As they moved forward, crossing two narrow canals along the way, it became clear that the dot was a mountain. There were many other smaller mountains around it, but none were as high or as visible as the yellow one. Vidhan asked Rupak, "Are there yellow mountains as well?"
"No. That mountain is normal, but because of the flowers growing on it, the entire mountain looks yellow," Rupak explained.
"Why only yellow? Flowers come in many colors," Sattu asked.
"Yes, they do. But this mountain is covered only with sunflowers."
"Any specific reason?" Vidhan inquired.
"The people of the village at the foot of this mountain are devoted worshippers of the Sun and consider the sunflower to be its representative. As an act of devotion, they have grown sunflowers all over the mountain," Rupak explained.
After a few hours, they reached the foothills of the yellow mountain. There, they found houses made of stones joined with mud. This was the first time on their journey that they had passed through a village; until now, they had traveled while avoiding common settlements.
Hearing the sound of horses' hooves, children playing nearby gathered on both sides of the road. These children, of various ages and statures, with chapped lips and cracked heels, expressed their joy by making noise and waving their hands. They did this for every horse rider passing through. They were unconcerned with what was happening in the kingdom, who the king was, or who the enemies were. Their only delight was waving at every rider and playfully pushing each other.
The excitement reached its peak when they saw Raaga riding with Sattu. Some children pointed at Sattu and shouted, "Frog with a dog!" Sattu couldn't understand why they were calling his horse a frog. Vidhan smiled, while Sattu grinned broadly, accepting the special welcome. Raaga, too, barked loudly as if acknowledging the respect.
Leaving the children behind, they began climbing the yellow mountain. Here, Sattu dismounted Raaga and ran ahead of everyone.
As they ascended, Raaga would sprint far ahead, then stop, panting, and look back before sniffing around and rejoining them.
Vidhan observed that everything except the road was covered in sunflowers. There was hardly a patch of land untouched by the unpleasant-smelling flowers. The road was so clean that Raga couldn't find anything to scavenge. As they climbed the winding road, which twisted like a snake on the ground, Rupak came beside Vidhan and said proudly, "Get ready to witness a great sight. We are about to enter the capital. The tallest structure you see ahead will be the Arth Palace."
Vidhan and Sattu's curiosity grew. After a while, they reached the top, and their eyes were met with a breathtaking view. Vidhan immediately realized that Rupak had not exaggerated—this sight was truly awe-inspiring.
Three massive mountains stood side by side. A vague outline of an enormous palace was visible atop the middle mountain. Between the middle and left mountains stood a colossal statue of a muscular warrior, as tall as the mountains themselves, facing the sun. The impressive middle-aged warrior was sculpted with both arms outstretched, his hands gripping the mountains on either side. An identical statue stood between the right and middle mountains, mirroring the pose. The warriors' outstretched arms acted as bridges, connecting the three peaks.
The statues bore deep cracks on their chests, faces, and hands—scars left by years of enduring the sun, rain, and storms. From a distance, countless green creepers coiled around the statues' legs like snakes, struggling to climb beyond their knees. Because of these creeping vines, the statues appeared only five feet tall when viewed from afar.
At the foot of these towering mountains lay the capital of Arthala. A massive stone wall encircled the entire city, including the mountains, providing security. Thousands of houses, scattered within the enclosed area, appeared as small and large dots from this height.
It was a sight beyond imagination, a scene so grand that it overwhelmed the senses, stirring visions of even greater wonders in the world.
Their curiosity heightened, Vidhan and Sattu began descending the slope along with the rest of the group. Before long, they had reached the plains below.
The rocky road they traveled on led straight to the eastern gate of the capital. On either side, shepherds grazed their cows and goats, while buffaloes and sheep roamed here and there. Crows perched atop the livestock, pecking at insects clinging to their hides. The air had grown noticeably cooler.
Upon reaching the eastern gate, the sheer height of the wall enclosing the capital became apparent. It stood as tall as five elephants and had been polished smooth, leaving no footholds for intruders. Above, numerous archers stood on high alert, while large drums were stationed at intervals—most likely to sound an alarm in case of danger, Vidhan guessed.
Above the gate, a two-triangle flag of Arthala fluttered in the wind. The upper triangle was five times longer than the lower one. Made of white cloth, the flag bore a red lion's footprint on the upper section and a banyan tree symbol on the lower. Rupak explained, "The lion's footprint represents courage, while the banyan tree symbolizes knowledge."
Regarding the longer upper triangle, he added, "Courage is the most essential trait for any task. Without courage, all the knowledge in the world is meaningless."
Welcome to the Arthala