6: REALISATION

Yashvanth and Devrath looked really happy seeing those two Fairys.

"What a pleasant surprise kids!" Yashvanth hugged them.

"So unexpected!" Devrath said

"We got deer meat!" The young kid said.

Keshav internally cringed. He loved the forest but knew he wouldn't get used to their weird eating habbits.

"Amaamama Thank you so much!" Yashvanth said. "BTW Idon't think you've met Keshav?" He pointed to Keshav. "He's a friend, he's stayng with us for sometime" He said.

"Hello" Keshav said.

"Hi" The older guy said. "I'm Raghav, and this is Nikkita or Nikki, we are their Mama's Kids" Raghav said.

Keshav looked surprised at Nikkita, he was so sure that she was a boy.

"They're here all the way from the West." Yashvanth said. "You must be tired, let's have some tea come" He dragged them inside.

"So how's everyone at home? Mama and Maiju?" Devrath asked.

"All is great. Aama was asking you guys to come sometime, she wants you to try her new mutton recepie." Nikki said. "She makes these amazing Mutton with lots of masala that you'll have an explosion in your mouth, oh and it's so tender that it feels melt-in-mouth" She said.

"We will come someday!" Yashvanth said. "I love the view from there"

"I KNOW" Nikki said.

"When the sun shines on Mt. Kaunchenzunga, it looks so amazing, specially during twilight" Keshav said.

"You've been to the west?" Nikki asked.

"Yeah my grandparents live there." Opposite of the dense forest with a long waterfall!"

"That's OUR forest! That waterfall has a cure to all diseases!" Nikki said as she and Keshav has long conversation about the west.

Yashvanth was staring at them. "Bhratashree, don't you think Keshav is getting a bit too close to Nikki?"

"They seem to get along well" Devrath said.

"A bit too well?" Yashvanth said, seeing Keshav hand over a box of sweets to Nikki.

"Isn't this how you normally were to people around the camp?" Devrath said.

"Something's fishy" Yashvanth said as he went out.

Keshav bonded well with the cousins.

"Won't you be going home?" Raghav asked him one day.

"I will" Keshav said. "Yashvanth says I need to get fully detoxed from the acro-something Venom, You know that giant spider!"

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Acromanim!! Yeah!" Nikki said.

"It's Acromantuala, not Acromanim" Raghav lightly flicked on her forehead.

"Da!"

"I told you to focus while studying in the camp"

"Acro-MAANN- Taula! Now happy?" Nikki said. "Anyways, that, well It's very poisonous! And humans have no cure."

"So I'll be here for, like, a long time" He said. "And my legs need to heal too!" He said pointing to his still bandaged leg. "I've been here more than a week, I can stay for longer" he said.

Yashvanth came back home holding two large chickens. "What's going on?" He asked putting his arm around Keshav.

Devrath came back carrying firewood.

"Bhratashree, you came early!" Yashvanth said. "I think we all can go for a flight!" He said.

"OOOOHHH YEAHHH!!" Raghav and Devrath said.

"Nikki?" Yashvanth said.

"Actually..." She said. "I was thinking of going to the coffins."

"Why do you wanna go there?" Devrath asked.

"That's where the vampires live!" Yashvanth said.

"I wanted to meet this friend of mine" Nikki said.

"Why couldn't you meet them during the day?" Raghav asked.

"Exactly. Come with us right now, you can go tomorrow" Devrath said.

"Or Never" Yashvanth said. "Nikki, it's not safe,what if-"

"I can take care of myself pretty well, da" Nikki said.

"Yeah whatever" Yashvanth eyerolled. "You're coming with us and that's final"

They went out to fly. Yashvanth carried Keshav on his back. Nikki and Raghav were flapping their wings swiftly wheras Yashvanth and Devrath just glided through the air.

Yashvanth flew near a Mango tree. Keshav plucked up the Mangoes.

"Keshav da here!" Nikki reached out her hand.

Keshav threw one mango at her.

"Aaaahhhh got it!" Nikki said.

Suddenly something just hit her.

"Aiyaa what's that" she turned back.

It was a Griffin. Yashvanth found it strange, they were not usually that aggressive. Especially not in front of the Price of birds

"Aaichh Kyakpa" Nikki dashed towards the Griffin.

"Nikki sto-"

The Griffin kicked her on the wings with his strong talons. She went flying down. Devrath caught her right on time and carried her on his back.

Yashvanth held his hand forward and conjoured a sword, so did Raghav and Devrath took out his bow.

Yashvanth placed Keshav on the branch of a large tree nearby. Nikki was sitting on the branch below him.

Yashvanth and Raghav sliced the Griffin left and right with their swords, getting a lot of bruises. Devrath also shot his arrows at it. But Griffins were really strong.

More Griffins came while they were battling. One of them scratched Yashvanth right on his wing. "AAAAAHHHHHHH" He grunted.

Nikki had weakly conjoured a mace.

"Gimme that!" Keshav snatched the mace from her. He hit it at the Griffin that had scratched Yashvanth.

The Griffin cried and hit him on the face.

Keshav hit it on the eyes, only to loose his balance and fall down.

"KESHAV!" Yashvanth dropped his sword and rushed to pick Keshav. "PLEASE STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" He shouted as he placed him on the branch.

It was really hard fighting three Griffins at once.

"How dare you behave this way to your Prince?" Devrath stabbed a Griffin on his loin body. There was a mark on it's back. A snake.

It was getting harder and harder to control when suddenly some dark, spiky things hit one of the Griffins. It was wooden spikes that vampire used.

"Vampire?" Yashvanth shouted. There was only one vampire that could fly in the forest

Surely , he came and started fighting the Griffins. He was floating in mid-air

"Are you boys just going to watch or-" he said, making them all join.

With his help, they were successful.

Kaalesh, the immortal prince of Vampire and Yoor Dev's right hand

"Thank you Prince Kaalesh" The boys bowed

"What are you boys doing here?" Kaalesh said.

"Ooh, we were just flying about, Prince" Yashvanth said. "The Griffins, I don't think they're ordinary Griffins. They aren't that aggressive."

"They could be sent by Naagraj" Devrath said.

Naagraj, the King of snakes. The biggest enemy of the forest, and the decendants of Garuda in particuar. The one who was punished by his powers getting taken by Yoor Dev and banished about a thousand years ago.

"We have to stop him, Prince"

"Yashvanth , Nagraj keeps sending troops to the jungle, it's been going through centuries."

"So let it happen? Like about the time the horned serpent killed about 10 elves?" Devrath said.

"We cannot put our hands on Mortal affairs, it's not our business. As long as he does not directly harm the forest I know our Manwars are strong enough to defeat his troops" Kaalesh said. "And Yashvanth , care to explain why is there a human with you?" he glared at Keshav.

"He's injured. And sick" Yashvanth said.

"You know humans are not-"

"-Actually-"

"Devrath, don't interrupt me when I'm talking"

"Sorry"

"And Yashvanth , you sure know that humans are not allowed in the forest"

"Yes I do, Prince Kaalesh" Yashvanth said. "But I found him injured"" Yashvanth said.

"You know what to do after that right?" Kaalesh said "Don't try to break the forest rules." He said staring at Devrath.

"I know what I'll do" Yashvanth said.

"What a pity you wouldn't let me taste the human" The Vampire glided away.

"Let's go back home" Yashvanth said and they flew back.

They were treating their wounds in the bathroom, and Nikki's too, since she had almost fainted from the pain.

"HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO START ATTACKING ANY BEASTS UNARMED!!" Devrath said while bandaging her wings.

"Nikki, can you use that brain of yours?" Yashvanth said. "Even a 5 year old kid knows not to attack a large beast unarmed" He said.

"Sorry Da" Nikki said tearing up.

"You shouldn't be so careless Nikki" Yashvanth said.

"Don't be so harsh on her Yashvanth" Keshav said, while rubbing the blood of his face. "You guys made her cry, look" he said.

"Nikki always cries" Raghav said. "Aama and Baba treat her like a Princess" He said.

"I'm pretty sure her broken wings are already hurting her" Keshav said.

"Keshav, I don't get why you're defending her so much!" Yashvanth said. "What is it about her? You're giving her sweet and goodies, yu're defending her"

"Nothing much, it's just that I am the youngest in my whole family, even among my cousins"

"And she's the youngest in our family?"

"And she's younger than me!" Keshav said. "Look, I've never had a younger sibling"

"So you think of her as a younger sister?" Yashvanth said.

"Well, yeah!" Keshav said. Yashvanth sighed.

"And you're spoiling her" Yashvanth said. "See I was just scolding her because I care about her. She needs to be careful" Yashvanth said.

"I know but you were being a bit more harsh" Keshav said, applying some medicines on his face cut. "Damn this burns!"

"Keshav! Let me do it!" Yashvanth said, as he started tending to his wounds.

Devrath, Raghav and Nikki moved out.

"Why did you get yourself involved?" He sounded really worried. "What if I hadn't caught you?"

"I couldn't just see you guys getting injured like that!" Keshav said.

"Keshav, we can defend ourselves quite well" Yashvanth said. "Although I haven't really seen a human make a griffin flintch" He said.

Keshav leaned on to Yashvanth's gentle touch, which felt soft and nice on his face.

He also started to heal the wounds on his face. His touch felt so gentle and nice.

Yashvanth's hands moved to his lips, which had been injured. He gently touched his pulp, soft lips and they healed. But he couldn't leave his hands from his face. He brushed his fingers against his lips. His face started moving closer to the latter's. Closer and closer

Untill their lips touched.

Before Keshav could react, Yashvanth pushed himself back. He now looked at him shocked. He touched his lips.

Keshav was a bushing mess.

"Oh my God" Yashvanth said and went out quickly.

"Da where are you going?" Raghav asked but Yashvanth left in a hurry.

The Centaur's cave

"Yashvanth! You are in love!" Dhruv patted Yashvanth's back.

"What? Noooo!!" Yashvanth said. "I'm NOT!"

"Yashvanth!" Tejas said. "You've been coming here since yesterday and talking about him!"

"Well, yesterday I was concerned for Nikki!"

"You sounded more jealous of her than protective!" Tejas said

"You almost said his name in the rapid fire!" Dhruv said

"THAT WAS A SLIP OF MOUTH!"

"Yeah like Ross saying Rachel"Dhruv said.

"I dont know any Ross stop bringing them!" Yashvanth exclaimed. "It could happen to anyone!"

"And kissing could happen to anyone?" Tejas asked.

"His lips are so soft and pulp! Anyone could get the urge to-"

"YOU ARE IN LOVE PAKSHRAJ YASHVANTH !" Dhruv back-hugged him.

"Yeah you're making me a boy with love!" Tejas started teasing Yashvanth.

"Oh my my my, oh my my my

I've waited all my life

네 전부를 함께하고 싶어" Dhruv also started teasing.

"Stop it!" Yashvanth said. "Firstly, I can't understand what you're saying and secondly, I'm not in love with him!" Yashvanth said.

The couple chuckled.

"What? I mean yeah I do find him like super cute and attractive, but that doesn't mean I'm IN LOVE! Like maybe do have feelings for him and he does make me feel butterflies, but that doesn't mean love right!"

"Yashvanth you sure?" Tejas asked.

"Yeah, I mean I do want him to be mine and I love him but I don't-" Yashvanth stopped, realising what he just said, and started blushing.

"Yashvanth! You just said that you love him!" Tejas said.

"No I didn't"

"Yes you did!" Dhruv said.

"No... What I meant is... I love him but.... Well... Okay okay! I am in love with him!!!" Yashvanth finally admitted.