Arjun Mehra stood on the ghat of Prayag Ghat, the Arrow of Dhanur tucked into his kurta, its bow symbol warm against his chest. The river before him glowed blue, its prana sealed by the Ward of Narayana, but the water churned violently, like Kerala's backwaters during a monsoon squall. The sadhus' chants faltered, their clay lamps flickering as a massive shadow rose from the depths—a naga king, its serpentine body coiling across the river, scales glinting like the paddles of an Onam snake boat. Its human-like torso bore a crown of emeralds, and its eyes glowed with hypnotic swirls, like the rangoli patterns his mother crafted for festivals. The Vedic System flashed: New Quest: Confront the Naga King. Warning: Asura Influence Detected. Karma Points: 520. Prana Gauge: 45%. Arjun's throat tightened, the memory of his past-life vow to Vishnu—Protect my realm—stirring resolve but also uncertainty, like facing his father's stern gaze after a failed exam.
Priya gripped her trishul, her armor reflecting the river's glow, her braid steady despite the rising wind. Her eyes, sharp as a Kochi fisherman's net, scanned the naga king. "He's under the asura prince's sway," she said, her voice firm but laced with camaraderie, like his sister Dipti planning a prank. "His hypnosis can cloud minds. We need to break his spell with the ward." She glanced at Arjun, a nod of trust. "You sealed the river. You can handle this."
Arjun managed a half-smile, his fingers brushing the amulet's Om symbol. "Me? Handle a giant snake? I'd rather haggle for fish in a Kerala market." But her confidence steadied him, like sharing Onam sadya with family. The system's Ward of Narayana pulsed in his mind, a protective spell he hadn't yet tested. No rakshasas this time. Just a mind-bending snake. Great.
The naga king's voice slithered through the air, melodic as a flute at a temple festival. "Mortals, surrender the arrow," he hissed, his eyes swirling, pulling at Arjun's thoughts. "The asura prince demands it, and I obey." The river churned, waves crashing against the ghat, and the sadhus fell silent, their eyes glazed as the hypnosis took hold.
Arjun's vision blurred, the ghat morphing into a Delhi street, his sister waving from a rickshaw. Not real, he thought, shaking his head. His Vedic Insight skill kicked in, revealing prana threads linking the naga's eyes to the sadhus. "Priya, it's his gaze!" he shouted, dodging a wave that soaked his kurta. "We need to block it!"
Priya nodded, her trishul spinning like a Vallam Kali paddle. "Use the ward! It'll shield us!" She darted toward a sadhu, pulling him behind a stone pillar carved with Kerala's banana leaf motifs, snapping him from the trance. "I'll free the others. You face the snake."
Arjun's heart raced, like racing kites on a Bengaluru rooftop. He focused on the Ward of Narayana, picturing his mother's Onam flower carpet, its patterns a shield against chaos. "Om Namo Narayana," he chanted, the amulet flaring. A translucent barrier shimmered around him, deflecting the naga's hypnotic gaze. The system pinged: Ward Activated. Hypnosis Resisted. Karma Points: +40. The sadhus stirred, their chants resuming, strengthening the river's prana.
The naga king hissed, his tail lashing, sending a wave crashing over the ghat. "Foolish reborn!" he roared, diving toward Arjun, his emeralds glinting. Arjun dove behind the shrine, its Hoysala-inspired carvings pulsing with prana. "Priya, any tips?" he yelled, his voice sharp with urgency.
"Keep him talking!" Priya called, freeing another sadhu. "His hypnosis weakens when he speaks!" She moved like a Kathakali performer, her trishul deflecting a tail swipe, her armor clinking like temple bells.
Arjun gripped the arrowhead, its warmth grounding him. Talk, like haggling in a market. "Hey, snake king!" he shouted, stepping into the open. "Why's the asura prince so obsessed with me? What's this arrow to him?" The naga paused, his eyes narrowing, the hypnotic swirls slowing.
"The arrow is Dhanurveda's legacy," the naga hissed, his voice softer, almost reluctant. "You wielded it once, Arjuna, and failed Vishnu. The prince seeks it to break the devas' power." The system glitched: Past Life Clue: Dhanurveda's Arrow Bound to Vishnu's Command.
Arjun's breath caught, guilt surging like missing Dipti's birthday. Failed Vishnu? Another vision flashed: the warrior Arjuna, kneeling before Vishnu, promising to guard a sacred bow against asuras. A woman's face—familiar, fierce—stood beside him, her trishul gleaming. Priya? The vision faded, but the naga lunged, its jaws wide.
"Om Namo Narayana!" Arjun chanted, the ward flaring brighter, pushing the naga back. Priya joined him, her trishul striking the naga's scales, drawing a hiss of pain. "Together!" she shouted, her voice fierce with determination. They moved in sync, Arjun's ward shielding them, Priya's trishul striking, like dancers at an Onam festival. The naga recoiled, its hypnosis fading, and the river calmed.
The system chimed: Naga King Weakened. Karma Points: +60. New Reward: Prana Bond with Ally. A faint blue thread linked Arjun and Priya, pulsing with shared prana. She glanced at him, a smile breaking through her focus. "We're stronger together, market boy."
But the river trembled, and a crimson rune glowed beneath the water, the asura prince's voice echoing: "You delay me, Arjuna, but the arrow is mine." The naga king rose, weakened but defiant, its tail coiling around the shrine. The system flashed: New Quest: Banish the Naga King. Warning: Asura Rune Detected.
Priya's eyes met Arjun's, her determination mirroring his own. "We end this," she said, her trishul ready. Arjun clutched the arrowhead, its glow like an Onam lamp, resolve burning despite his uncertainty. I don't know Vishnu's vow, but I won't fail Priya. The river roared, and the naga's eyes swirled anew, promising a fight that would test their bond.