"But General Aryamitra, where exactly are we going?" Incharge Daksh asked seriously, to which Aryamitra simply replied,
"To the Protector Hall."
Hearing this, Incharge Daksh was startled and turned to look at Aryamitra.
A storm of questions stirred in Daksh's mind—questions he wanted answers to. Where had Aryamitra been all this time? And now, after so long, why was he heading straight to the Protector Hall without a word? But something about Aryamitra's silence made Daksh hold back. He knew now wasn't the right time to ask.
After a long journey through the skies, Aryamitra landed gracefully with everyone at the grand main gate of the Protector Hall. As he landed, the black cloak around him fluttered in the wind. On his left shoulder shone a symbol—a blue dragon—that had once made every Protector proud.
Behind him, the seven young recruits—Ansh, Nandita, Ishan, Siya, Ayra, Nayra, and Vedant—walked slowly, accompanied by Incharge Daksh.
Two guards were stationed at the gate, and when they saw Aryamitra approaching from a distance, their eyes widened in shock.
"Gen... Gen... General Aryamitra?!"
Their mouths hung open as if they had seen a ghost.
Without any expression, Aryamitra spoke to them,
"Are the Five Protectors inside?"
But the soldiers continued to stare in disbelief, as if they had just witnessed a miracle. When he received no reply, Aryamitra clenched his teeth in irritation and spoke again,
"Did you not hear what I asked?"
Seeing Aryamitra annoyed made the guards nervous. It wasn't that Aryamitra was known for his temper—on the contrary, he was often seen smiling—but when he became serious or angry, it felt like a different being had awakened, someone unstoppable.
"Yes sir! All five Protectors are inside, General Aryamitra," one soldier stammered.
Aryamitra turned to Daksh and said calmly,
"You kids rest for now. Take them to that moody healer of yours—she'll fix them up."
Without waiting for a response, Aryamitra walked straight toward the Hall of the Protector Council—where the five great Protector Leaders resided.
Daksh had completely forgotten about the young recruits the moment he saw Aryamitra.
"Forgive me, all of you... for a moment, I forgot you were even with us. What happened to you is my fault. If I had known there would be a demon stronger than even a Level D class, I would've brought a full team."
Daksh looked at them with deep regret in his eyes.
Vedant stepped forward and said in a mature tone,
"It's not your fault. If we had known there would be not just one, but three or four horned wolves, we would've come better prepared."
Daksh was impressed by Vedant's calm maturity.
Just then, Ansh, who had been standing quietly at the back, suddenly collapsed. The group panicked, and Daksh immediately picked him up and rushed him to Vaidya Isha, the top healer of the Protector Hall—known to heal even the gravest wounds in mere moments.
"Vaidya Isha! Please look at this boy—he suddenly fainted!"
Daksh entered her chamber urgently, concern clear in his voice. The rest—Nandita, Ayra, Nayra, Ishan, Siya, and Vedant—followed, visibly worried for Ansh. During the battle with the wolf demon, it was Ansh who had kept the creature busy the longest, leaping through the air and striking with fierce energy.
"You all wait outside. I'll check him and try to heal him," said Vaidya Isha in her calm, melodious voice. Not only was she the highest-ranked healer, she was also a beautiful woman, appearing to be in her late twenties.
"She's... stunning," Ishan whispered under his breath, only for Ayra and Nayra beside him to hear and glare at him instantly.
Meanwhile, inside the Council Chamber, the atmosphere was tense. Every person present was stunned to see Aryamitra standing there. All five Protectors, as well as the other generals present, were silent.
Suddenly, one general broke the silence, his voice filled with contempt:
"So you finally returned, you deserter."
Aryamitra didn't respond. He kept his eyes locked on the Protectors, ignoring the man completely.
That only angered the speaker further—he clenched his teeth in frustration.
This man was Armaan, another Fire-class general like Aryamitra. For reasons unknown even to Aryamitra, Armaan had always held a grudge against him. Tall, strong, and handsome, Armaan was a formidable warrior, his power rooted in lightning.
"Enough, Armaan," said a calm voice.
Everyone turned to see a man standing in a blue and white suit, his ocean-blue eyes steady and filled with wisdom. His name was Vyom, a Water-class general who could shape waves into sword-like weapons.
Back outside, Daksh waited anxiously with the others for Vaidya Isha to emerge, worry clearly written across every face.
...?
Writer – 🕉️