Chapter 12. Stairs Made of Arrow’s Reaching The Mountain’s Top (Part 1)

Samay was deep in thoughts, with a tension between eyebrows he was circling on the small cliff that was attached to the mountainside. The intense wind was hitting his whole body, making it a little difficult to stand still. It was in a split second when an arrow with lighting speed came his way which he didn't see.

He sensed the current change in wind and thanks to his quick reflexes he bent himself down while covering his head with his arms. He saw the arrow swiftly cut the air and stuck itself on the mountainside. The kid slightly flinched when he saw the arrow on the mountainside. His eyes were wide and shocked. 

It took him some seconds to understand what happened. He blinked twice before scanning the arrow once again. He could tell at a glance that the arrow was made of a special wood called Devakastha. It was a kind of wood that was used to make various types of spiritual and magical weapons for the highest-ranked immortal cultivators. It was not a wood anyone could find and make an arrow or any other weapons from it whenever they wanted but he did see the famous Devakastha trees in the forest.

Still, seeing the wood in front of himself glued on the mountainside looked questionable.

Full of disbelief, he frowned, "How the hell this arrow made of Devakastha is here?" He was more than shocked, maybe a little scared altogether, it was not an everyday thing to see an arrow made of divine wood: Devakastha, here in the Lost Soul's Realm!

He gathered his thoughts, putting some effort just to stand after barely saving himself from the arrow. He was half-bent when another arrow came his way with the same lightning speed as the last one. Again his quick reflexes saved him when he crouched down covering his head with both hands again. He chose to stay still, afraid to be surely stabbed by the third arrow if it came by. 

One by one shower of arrows came towards him or the mountainside. Every single one was as brisk as the wind which was swiftly blowing there for quite a while. Those arrows were cutting the wind like hot knife cut butter - elegantly but rapidly.

The strange thing was that every arrow was sticking itself on the mountainside like someone was making them do it intentionally. The kid was still confused but not at all scared like a while ago. His heart stopped thumping like before. The storm of the arrow abruptly subsided. He felt no more arrows would come so he looked at those mountains that were far away from him.

"I think now those arrows won't come anymore," he pursed his lips, doubtfully staring at those far away mountains. "That guy, where is he? He said he will help me but I know he has left." He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the familiar voice. 

The brat turned and looked upward. His startled eyes saw the idiot waving at him with a large grin that was going from one ear to another. His heart twinged.

The idiot was still carelessly smiling and waving with both hands, "Hey! Did you miss me?"

Samay raised his eyebrow, "Huh…? Who do you think you are? Why would I miss the likes of you?" He glanced at the man but averted his eyes when he saw Advik looking at him with a pure soft smile.

Samay's expression softened. The kid was undoubtedly glad but too prideful to show it in any manner.

"Okay! Okay!  I know I am no one but let's not fight right now I'm dead tired of everything." Advik sat down. The smile on Advik's lips was gone in an instant yet it was calming to see him. "Just listen to me this time if you don't want to stay here forever." He frowned,  "Look at the mountainside of the mountain I am standing on," he pointed his finger downward.

Samay was again rude like before, "Whatever," he rolled his eyes and looked a little down at the mountainside. He was so astonished that his eyes extended quite a bit. Ahead of him were two parallel lines of those arrows stuck on the mountainside which was going to the mountainside's top. He lost his words but somehow managed to ask, "Wh-what is this? Did you do it? But how?"

"Yup! I did this. Don't you think I am amazing?"

"You did a good job," Vismay praised serenely and Tara buzzed with happiness.

"Hehe… Thanks! Thank you for showing me the way," Advik acknowledged.

"Hey… Don't you dare to forget about me," Samay snarled. "I am also here! Tell me what I'm supposed to do now?"

"Just climb the mountainside using these arrows as stairs, it's as easy as climbing trees. Believe me, the wood is very reliable and strong, they won't break while you climb," he smiled and continued, "Don't worry they are tightly stuck deep in the mountainside they won't fall off. However, be careful and stay as close to the mountainside as possible. It will be more secure."

"Are you really sure these arrows are reliable? Do you think they can handle my weight?" Of course, Samay knew how strong and heavenly powerful those arrows could be because they were made of the divine wood: Devakastha. But knowing that this idiot had shot them made him become unsure about the whole – climbing the mountain by arrows - thing.

"I could have given you the whole time of this world to think thoroughly if I had any but right now we are running out of time," Advik knitted his brows.

The kid walked towards those arrows and touched the one which was glued to his eyesight's level. He tried to pull out the arrow but it was indeed tightly attached to the rock. His right eyebrow lifted before he put his left leg on one of the arrows which were lower and near his legs. He firmly grabbed the arrow on his right-hand side. He sighed before putting his other leg on the arrow while he tried to catch the arrow on his left side. 

Samay shifted his eyes upward and instantly felt disgusted by the stupid grin on Advik. Again he focused on his current situation. Now he was balancing his whole body on the arrows. He didn't even dare to think about how he would be looking to others just now. 

"I don't ever want to remember this after I climb up somehow," Samay stopped thinking much of his situation and tried to ascend using the arrows. Slowly but steadily he was putting his legs one after one while always making sure his grip over the arrows. 

Soon he was near the top of the mountainside. Samay once again sighed when he saw Advik who was always smiling. The idiot gave his hand and he took it without much thought, "I don't like saying this word but… Th-thank you."

Advik held his hand tightly. He beamed hearing that and pulled the kid up. 

Both of them were standing against each other. Now the difference between their height was so much that Samay had to look up just to see the man's face. Advik was indeed towering over him. Not that muscular though he had a toned and fit body. The man was so handsome that he could steal many women's hearts at a glance. However, Samay was immediately irritated seeing the grin on his face. 

It was the same for Advik, he had to look a bit low to talk to the kid who was looking at him with scanning eyes. The kid appeared fifteen or sixteen years old to him. He thought the brat was good-looking even when he had that annoying face. Anyway, he gave a comfortable and gentle smile again, "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Samay looked as if he was not used to people's gentle nature. He gazed at the tall man with puzzled expressions.  He stepped back a little before stuttering, "…Th-thank you, I-I am fine."

Advik thought the kid seemed a bit different just now when he backed down. He docile-ly smiled at Samay and looked at the Fireball, "So, now what? Do you know any place where we can rest? I am dead tired and hungry."  He carefreely put his arm on the kid's shoulder, "This kid also needs food to charge himself, right?" Advik glanced at him who did not seem to be happy with his over-friendly behavior. The boy was making an obviously disgusted face. 

Sensing the sharp glare of Samay he put away his arm.

The kid was trying to stay calm for a while when unexpectedly erupted, "No! I don't need food but I want answers. I want to know why a wandering soul like you is helping me." The kid scowled with suspicion gathering in his eyes. "And tell me what is your relation with this Fireball and that Firefly. Are they your pet?" He was suspicious as he stared at Vismay and Tara.

Advik scoffed, "Woah! So many questions in a go. Well first, they aren't my pets." He put his palm ahead of his eyes and Tara reached it in a flash, it sat down on his palm. His lips tilted upward. Samay had an expression between perplexed, angry, and disgusted. "You can think of them as my friends. Today they helped me a lot."

With a grimace, Samay stared at Tara who was comfortably sitting on the palm, "A-are you sure they are not harmful?" He was not taking his eyes off the Firefly. A hint of fear accumulated in his eyes. 

Advik added, "I am sure they are as harmless as rabbits, and what a fireball or a firefly can do to us?" 

Samay glanced at the Fireball who was floating beside him. He first didn't think but now when his thoughts were collected he found it strange to see a Black Fireball. Even if he had seen many various creatures and studied about them for months, he still had never seen anything like this Black Fireball next to him.

He felt some discomfort standing right beside it. However, he was not at all afraid of it.

Advik was giggling while staring at the Firefly which was sitting on his palm. He changed his focus to Samay who was silently staring at Vismay. "Are you in love with him," he chuckled.

"What!!" He snapped out of his daydreaming. 

"No? I mean…" Advik joked while having a playful smirk, "I said that because you were staring at the Fireball with so much intenseness filled in your eyes." 

Samay shot daggers from his eyes once again, "Shut up,  you are just too free to assume any-f**k**g-thing! Why the f**k I would fall for a mere Fireball?" 

The boy moved away from Vismay. 

Tara flew away from Advik's palm. He looked at the kid, "So now it's your turn to introduce yourself." He came closer to put both hands on the small shoulder of Samay, "Please! Tell me you are… what was his name… What it was… Ugh?" He looked up while trying to remember the name with a frown. 

"Samay," Vismay said slowly. 

Advik beamed, "Yes! Samay!" He looked at the kid, "…Are you Samay," he was troubled, he thought what would he do if this guy wouldn't be Samay.

Actually even he didn't know why he came to find this boy when he was just trying to escape from the palace. When in the palace he found someone was missing he thought that it would be a good excuse to leave the place. Helping to find this boy was just an excuse he said to the emperor to let him go. He had no plan to rescue the boy but it was just on a whim or because Vismay told him that he genuinely started helping him without even noticing.

He began thinking that if he would be able to safely bring this kid back he would ask them to free him in return for giving Samay back to them. If he could make a peaceful deal by just giving back a boy then he wouldn't recklessly make the gods his enemy. He knew that the gods were looking harmless yet his heart was trying to tell him that something was wrong in the palace which didn't let him entirely believe their words.

With a twisted face, Samay put Advik's hands down from his shoulders, "Yes, I am, so what?"

This time Advik over-excitedly cupped the brat's cheeks. He shook the kid's whole face up-down, "Yes! Yes! Yes! I-I am so happy. In the end, I've found you. Now they won't waste their time searching for a brat like you. Instead, they'll help me to go back to Shwet's side… Yes, I did it!" Advik put away his hands. The kid was in a daze, his mind was spinning around. Samay was holding his head to settle it down. 

Vismay was still floating beside Samay, "Aren't you too obviously showing that you are not at all happy to find him."

Samay was still holding his unsettled head, with a commanding tone he said, "Did Svapn send you to find me? If he did then I'm not going back with you."