Temple of Triad

Memories and Pickles

 Rivayudh found himself following a mass of seniors down a marble stairway. He had hastily donned a Temple cape glad to cover his bared upper half against the invading chill of Aonese night. The cape and a Golden wheel was handed to every newcomer before they were ushered through a trapdoor that opened up from the grass ground they stood waiting to be bonded. Through that Rivayudh found the marble stairway, Aparna and Ayu following close behind. Few passerby gave them a wide berth eyeing Aparna with distrustfully. Rivayudh glared at them for good measure. None of them voiced their opinion mindful of the sword he was discreetly fingering.

'Wise decision.' he thought disdainfully, holding back a snort. People were stupid like that.

Aparna seemed to have noticed the looks they gave her. The poor girl was hunching in on herself. She was in pain. Rivayudh bit back a curse when he noticed her left hand was bare, the tiny half crescent mark was a swollen red. Rivayudh quickly glanced at Ayu. He was staring off at distance oblivious to his twin's suffering. Rivayudh sighed in relief and caught her wrist in his hand hiding the bite mark from sight. Aparna gave him a tentative smile leaning on him slightly.

"You are the best." she muttered and he instantly hated how weak she sounded.

"And you are ugly." Rivayudh replied, forcing himself to sound nonchalant. He felt a surge of satisfaction as her smile grew and the familiar fire alighted in the night blue depths.

"And you smell." came the instant reply as Aparna sniffed about, nose wrinkling dramatically.

Elders! How he had missed their familiar banter and teasing. It was easy to fall back into it like he always did, like that horrid night never happened. Like they were still as carefree. Like they haven't lost anything. Rivayudh was snatched from his thoughts by a light smack on the back of his head and a hand snaking around his shoulder.

"Too much honey, too much honey." Ayu chanted at his ear all too cheerfully as if he hadn't just smacked Rivayudh on the head.

"I thought it's pickles and chocolate." mused Aparna diplomatically.

"Pickles? Just who is the pickle here?" Rivayudh asked frowning slightly, he could almost sense where this was going.

"Who do you think?" Aparna teased wriggling her shapely eyebrows.

"You."

Rivayudh delivered without missing a beat and smirked when her twin nodded in agreement. Aparna cast a wounded look at Ayu then proceeding to glare at them both for good measure. She gave up when confronted with two unrepentant grins and broke into a smile. They fell in to a comfortable silence as they reached the final steps.

The end of the stairway revealed spacious pentagonal hall, awash in the silvery glow of floating paper lanterns. Each of them bore a picture of a red lotus etched to them. The symbol of Rhakshasa kings. Temple used to be one of the strongholds before the empire fell hundred years back. All five corners held a door way each the last of the old comers disappeared through one of them. A pond with shape of a half a circle stood at the center abound in koi fish and white water lilies. The other half of the circle was covered by a traditional Sandakada Pahana- the Halfmoon Stone gracefully curved into granite. Its finer details were lost in the distance. Lotus shaped paper lanterns lined the walls. The much renowned Pentagon of the Temple was a surreal sight, it drained away some unknown tension in him. Rivayudh drew in a covert breath when all he wanted was to inhale deep and heartily.

"Sorry lads. "

Prince Yunsu shoved past them in a very un-princely manner shouting a laughter filled apology. The silver eyed youth then proceeded to glide confidently through the hallway, determined to join the older students who disappeared through one of the doors to elders knows where. The youth seemed exceptionally happy and at home. He almost envied the lucky sod. Rivayudh heard Ayu's muffled laugh to his left.