Son of Fire, daughter of the Sun

Chapter 10: Emerald Earring

Two warriors stood on the banks of the Ganges opposite each other, clutching their formidable weapons in their hands: huge bows almost in human height. "You still think I'm a girl and that's why you spare me?" Karna asked angrily.

-"In vain. I want a real duel, not these humiliating attacks! Until you start fighting at full strength, I will not show you the power of my weapon." Karna shook his bow over his head, throwing furious glances at Arjuna, who for the first time in his life found himself unable to calm down and concentrate. An inexplicable whirlwind of emotions raged in his soul, his hands were weakening by themselves, but Arjuna believed until the last minute that it all comes from excitement for the fate of his brothers. Today in the palace Dhritarashtra, Bhishma and Vidura decided the question of the division of the kingdom. Arjuna should have been there, next to the brothers, but it must have happened that on this very day Karna demanded the promised duel. However, as soon as Arjuna saw Karna in front of him, thoughts about the kingdom and about the brothers disappeared at once. But the inexplicable excitement has not subsided.

“I spare you because I know it takes more time to get used to fighting in a new body,” Arjuna said, trying to be restrained.

“Like a new weapon, the body needs to be trained for a long time, and you haven’t had enough of such training yet."

“Soon you and your brothers will leave to reign in your new lands. You will have to deal with a bunch of important things, you will not be approached, and then our duel will be postponed for another year or more. I can't wait that long, so stop sparing me!"

“Then don’t blame me,” Arjuna raised his bow, pulled the string and began to shoot arrows one after another. There were more and more of them. Tens, hundreds, thousands. They soared into the sky and rained down like hail. Karna knocked them down with the same incredible speed, but one leaked beyond the exposed protection. Arjuna involuntarily stopped shooting and lowered his bow in horror, realizing that Karna would not have time to close himself from this single arrow. And she flew into the heart of Radheya. A wide palm with gold bracelets on the wrist darted between the jagged tip and Karna's chest, and an arrow pierced exactly in the center of this palm.

—" I caught it," with a relieved exhalation, Duryodhana looked at his pierced palm, from which blood flowed profusely, staining the grass and earth in a crimson color. Firmly grasping the feathering of the arrow with his other hand, Duryodhana pulled it with force, pulled it out and threw it away, not forgetting to break it in half with an angry roar on the knee.

“There is a contest or a murder going on here?!” he said furiously to Arjuna, who, frowning, looked at the son of Dhritarashtra who suddenly appeared before him.

“You know best about murder,” Arjuna retorted.

“Remind me about the assassination attempt on my brother Bhima and about the palace in Varnavrata that burned down by itself, built of resin and wax?” Duryodhana just gritted his teeth.

"Why did you intervene, prince?" he heard Karna's calm voice behind him. Duryodhana turned around in surprise.

-"From the arrows of the enemy, I myself am able to protect myself with my skill, in addition," he pointed to the golden armor covering his body,

-"one of the devas gave me such protection from birth."

" But still,"-here his look softened,

-"you were injured because of me, so take it," he tore off part of his cape and carefully bandaged the prince's bleeding palm.

“We were interrupted, so we will continue the duel another time,” he said, turning to Arjuna.