The first light of dawn spilled over the fortress-village, softening the jagged shadows left by the night's attack. Smoke from smoldering torches drifted through the air, carrying the faint scent of pine and charred bark.
Ansh stirred first, blinking at the pale glow slipping through the temple's wooden shutters. For a long moment he lay still, listening. No roars. No trembling earth. Only the low murmur of villagers cleaning and rebuilding.
Daav twitched awake on his shoulder, letting out a tiny crackling chirp.
"Morning already?" Ansh whispered. The little firebird bobbed his head, sparks flicking off his wings.
Across the room, Ashwini stretched and sat up, her hair a dark tangle. Vijay rolled onto his back with a groan, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Still alive," he muttered. "Guess the walls held."
Ansh grinned faintly. "Maybe those giant trees finally got tired."
Before anyone could answer, a small knock tapped at the door.
The door slid open and a round face peeked inside—wide brown eyes, a shy but eager smile.
"Good morning!" the child said brightly.
"Raushan!" Ansh hopped to his feet, his weariness forgotten. "You survived the night too, huh?"
The boy giggled. "Grandfather says the mountain ents don't come in the daytime. But we still have to be careful."
Ashwini crouched to his level, offering a warm smile. "Did you sleep well?"
Raushan nodded. "Mama let me stay in the inner hall. It was loud, but I wasn't scared… much."
Daav fluttered down to the boy's shoulder, earning another delighted laugh. "Fire bird friend!" Raushan exclaimed, stroking the tiny creature's glowing feathers.
Soon they were outside, the morning sun painting the courtyard in gold. Villagers worked quietly, repairing walls and gathering fallen stones. The air was heavy but calmer than the frantic night before.
Ansh, Ashwini, Vijay, and Raushan settled near a shallow well where the cobblestones still held traces of soot.
Ansh crouched beside the boy, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Race you to that tree!" he challenged, pointing toward a lone cedar near the temple gate.
Raushan's eyes lit up. "Okay!"
They both bolted forward, feet pounding the worn path. Daav darted overhead, trailing sparks like a tiny comet.
"Wait for me!" Vijay shouted, leaping after them despite himself.
Ashwini shook her head but followed, her long strides graceful and sure.
Raushan was quick for his age, darting past stones and barrels. But Ansh poured on a final burst of speed—until his toe caught a loose cobble.
"Whoa—!"
He tumbled forward with a loud thud.
Raushan skidded to a stop, eyes wide. Then he burst into giggles. "You fell!"
From behind came Vijay's triumphant laugh. "Some hero you are, Ansh!"
Ashwini reached them and knelt, hiding a smile. "You okay?"
"Perfect landing," Ansh insisted, brushing dust from his knees. "I was just… testing the ground."
Daav landed on his head, chirping a sound suspiciously like laughter.
After the race they settled beneath the cedar's shade. Raushan sat cross-legged, eyes bright with curiosity.
"Why are you here?" he asked. "You're not from our village."
The three exchanged glances.
"Well," Ansh began, scratching his cheek, "our teacher brought us here. But he didn't say why."
"Your teacher is the quiet man who came with you? The one who stayed in the temple?"
Ashwini nodded. "That's Rajyugas."
Raushan tilted his head. "He didn't help last night?"
"No," Vijay admitted. "He… never even came outside."
The boy frowned. "That's strange."
"Yeah," Ansh agreed, a touch of frustration in his voice. "He drags us into a place where giant tree-monsters try to smash everything—and then just sleeps through it!"
Daav flared his wings as if echoing Ansh's complaint.
Ashwini hugged her knees, thoughtful. "Maybe he has a reason. He always does."
"Still," Ansh said, "it's too dangerous here. We could've—" He hesitated, then lowered his voice. "We could've died."
Vijay nodded quietly. "Feels like we were left on our own on purpose."
They fell silent, the weight of the night settling over them once more.
Raushan's small voice broke the hush. "You were brave. You helped everyone. My grandfather said so."
Ansh blinked, surprised.
"You carried water and saved little Tali when the wall almost fell," the boy continued earnestly. "Without you, more people would have been hurt."
A shy pride warmed Ashwini's chest. Vijay looked away, suddenly awkward.
Ansh scratched his head, a crooked smile tugging at his lips. "Well… someone had to help."
Raushan grinned. "You're like heroes from the old stories."
Ansh puffed his chest, teasing. "Did you hear that? Heroes."
Ashwini rolled her eyes. "Don't let it go to your head."
But even she smiled a little, the boy's words easing something heavy inside her.
As the morning passed they played simple games: skipping stones across the well, teaching Raushan to whistle (a task that ended mostly in giggles and spit), and watching Daav chase dancing motes of sunlight.
At one point Raushan tugged Ansh's sleeve and whispered, "Can your bird really breathe fire?"
"Of course," Ansh said proudly. "But only when he wants to. Show him, Daav!"
Daav tilted his head, then spat a tiny spark that popped like a firecracker. Raushan clapped and laughed, eyes wide with delight.
Vijay leaned back against the cedar, watching them with a faint smile. "Careful, Ansh. You'll have the whole village thinking Daav's a good-luck spirit."
"Maybe he is," Ansh replied, grinning.
Ashwini observed them, her mind still circling the same question: Why here? Why us?
When the sun climbed high and the villagers called Raushan back for his midday meal, he lingered, reluctant to leave.
"Will you play again later?" he asked hopefully.
"Of course," Ansh said without hesitation. "We're not going anywhere… yet."
Raushan beamed and scampered off, Daav giving a cheerful chirp of farewell.
The three friends remained beneath the cedar, the quiet of the strange fortress-village pressing in once more.
Ashwini finally voiced the thought they all shared. "Rajyugas could have taken us anywhere. Why bring us to a place attacked every night by mountain ents? A place where children could—" She stopped, the unspoken word die hanging heavy in the air.
Vijay rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know. But he never does anything without a reason."
Ansh lay back on the grass, staring at the shifting clouds. "Whatever his reason, I just hope it isn't more giant tree monsters. I'm still sore from last night."
Daav settled beside him, feathers warm against his cheek.
The three of them sat in companionable silence, wondering when—if—their mysterious teacher would finally emerge, and what trial awaited them next.
For now the sun was bright, the cedar's shade was cool, and the laughter of a new friend lingered like a promise that not every day in this strange journey had to be filled with fear.