Son of Fire, daughter of the Sun

hapter 9: Krishna's New Multi-Move

Karna would not admit to anyone now that a dream come true can bring great pain. All his life he asked for the body of a man and today he received what he wanted. That's just - "a mockery of fate!"

- at the moment when he first came to terms with the idea that he was a girl, for the first time without hatred and hostility he looked at the weak body, noticing with what love the teacher looked at him on their wedding day. Now it's over. Nothing will happen. Nothing can happen now.

“I need to stop torturing myself with useless thoughts and focus on the future duel with Arjuna!” But how to do it, if the head is completely different? After all, just this afternoon, he walked seven circles around the sacrificial fire with the person to whom he decided to devote his life, and suddenly ... A blessing came! Worse than the previous curse.

How to live if nothing has changed for him with the acquisition of a male body? All the desires remained the same: to caress the teacher's lips with their own, to hug, feeling how he responds to his touch ... This never happened between them, but Karna always dreamed about it before and, like a great sinner, continued to dream now. Several times during his apprenticeship, he accidentally happened to see the teacher naked while bathing in the river, and the memory of this always threw him into a fever. He did not sleep at night, suffocating from feelings incomprehensible to himself. And now he was again doused with a hot wave from head to toe ... Cruel, terrible mockery! It was that night that they could finally be together as husband and wife. What he dreamed of for ten years would come true... Why did Durvasa lift the curse today? Why didn't you wait at least one day?! But then a new thought stopped Karna. What if, after that one night, the soul of a child entered him? Then he would have to stay in the body of a woman forever. The duty of the mother would not allow betraying the baby after his birth, because it is impossible to imagine what it would be like for a child if the mother turned into a man after childbirth? No, sage Durvasa did the right thing.

"If I was born a man and only because of the curse looked like a girl, no doubt this wedding should not have been allowed to take place!” He has no right to complain and suffer, because he still has the old dream of becoming a great warrior, and now nothing will interfere with this dream. Yes, he will have to train again to get used to the new body. To learn anew to shoot with my own bow, because the eyes and hands have become different and require a different adjustment to them. There is still a duel with Arjuna ahead, and the rest ... Everything else should be forgotten as soon as possible!

***

"Son… Arjuna! Vasudeva Krishna came to the palace. He wants to see you..." Arjuna raised his head and looked at his mother with no small surprise.

“Vasudeva wants to see me?” But why?

"I don't know, son, but... Talk to him." He is wise and wants the best for you. After all, he sent you those five stones that told you how to deal with Drupada. You yourself told! Do you remember? He's our friend."Arjuna reluctantly laid aside the bow on which he was stringing and stood up to meet Krishna. He entered in his usual golden robes with the same mysterious half-smile on his lips. Arjuna folded his arms at his chest and bowed restrainedly and intensely. Kunti left the room, dragging the curious twins with her, who were staring at Krishna with delight and adoration. The curtains closed. Arjuna straightened up, waiting for what Vasudeva would say to him.

"I have come to you, son of Kunti, to inform you that an important mission awaits you soon. I would say superhuman, unbearable for anyone else."

"And for this purpose I was chosen?" Arjuna asked doubtfully.

“You five Pandava brothers have been chosen for this purpose!”

"Together you will establish a kingdom of justice in this adharma-soaked land, but for this you will have to fight a lot."