Chapter 373 - 341: Two Years Time Skip... 4th Guru...

(A/N):

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Two years had passed since the birth of Gandhari’s one hundred sons and her daughter, and the kingdom had changed considerably during that time.

The children had grown from newborns into lively toddlers who seemed to have discovered an endless supply of energy, while the palace had become considerably louder than it had ever been before.

Yet beyond the walls of the capital, another change had begun to trouble the kingdom.

Devara sat upon his throne inside the royal court, a scroll unfolded across his hands as he carefully read the report that Shakuni, his Mahamantri, had placed before him.

The normally composed expression on the king’s face gradually became more serious as he reached the details concerning the forests surrounding the kingdom.

"The animal sightings are decreasing?"

Devara asked, looking up from the scroll.

Shakuni stood several steps before the throne and nodded.

"Yes, Maharaja. The forest guards have been reporting the same pattern for several months."

"Deer herds that once travelled near the eastern borders have moved deeper into the forest, several varieties of birds have disappeared from their usual nesting grounds, and the number of elephants visiting the northern water sources has also fallen."

Devara lowered his eyes toward the scroll again.

"And the tigers?"

"That is the most concerning part,"

Shakuni replied with a serious look.

"Their sightings have reduced considerably. The hunters and forest scouts who once regularly encountered them have gone weeks without seeing even a single one."

Devara’s brows furrowed.

The disappearance of predators was not necessarily good news.

A forest had its own balance. Every creature had a place within it, whether predator or prey.

If one species suddenly vanished, something else would eventually fill the space left behind.

Unfortunately, the report showed exactly what had happened.

Shakuni continued,

"The wild boar population has increased dramatically."

Devara slowly looked up.

"How dramatically?"

"Enough that they are no longer behaving like ordinary herds."

Shakuni’s expression became grim.

"They have begun moving in large groups. They are entering agricultural areas, destroying crops and attacking livestock. More recently, several villages near the forest have reported attacks on humans."

Devara’s fingers tightened slightly around the scroll.

"How many?"

"Several dozen attacks have been recorded. Some people survived with injuries. Others did not."

The court became quiet.

Devara read the report again, his eyes moving across the descriptions provided by the forest scouts.

The wild boars were no longer simply wandering into settlements because of hunger.

Their behavior had become increasingly aggressive.

Groups as large as several dozen had been observed surrounding isolated travelers, attacking from multiple directions and pursuing people who attempted to escape.

One report particularly caught Devara’s attention.

A hunting party had been attacked while travelling through the forest.

The hunters had managed to climb trees and escape, but the wild boars had remained beneath them for hours, waiting.

"They are hunting humans deliberately,"

Devara murmured.

Shakuni nodded.

"That is what concerns the forest guards. Without the tigers keeping their numbers and movements under control, the boars have multiplied. But their recent behavior seems to be more than simple population growth."

Devara leaned back against his throne, thinking.

Two years earlier, his kingdom had celebrated the birth of one hundred princes and a princess.

Now, the forests surrounding that same kingdom were becoming dangerously unbalanced.

And Devara had learned enough about nature from his mothers, Bhudevi and Ganga, to understand that such a sudden change rarely happened without a reason.

"Send more scouts," he finally said. "Not hunters. Scouts."

Shakuni raised an eyebrow.

"Maharaja?"

"I want to know where the tigers went before we decide what to do about the boars."

Devara folded the scroll.

"If the predators disappeared suddenly, I want to know why. Perhaps they moved deeper into the forest. Perhaps something drove them away. Or perhaps..."

He paused.

His eyes narrowed.

"...something happened to them."

Shakuni understood immediately.

"I will arrange it."

"And tell the village guards to stop allowing travelers to enter the affected forest routes alone. Until we know what is happening, nobody should underestimate those animals."

Shakuni bowed lightly in respect.

"Yes, Maharaja."

As the Mahamantri turned to leave, Devara looked toward the enormous windows overlooking the distant forest.

The trees appeared peaceful from the palace.

But somewhere beyond them, the natural order was changing.

The tigers were disappearing.

The wild boars were multiplying.

And now they were hunting humans.

Devara’s instincts told him that there was more to the story than a simple imbalance in the forest.

Something had changed.

And he intended to discover what.

After Shakuni left the royal court, Devara remained seated upon his throne for a while, his thoughts still lingering on the strange changes occurring within the forest.

The matter of the disappearing tigers and rapidly multiplying wild boars had not left his mind, and he was already considering whether he should personally inspect the forest when a sudden radiance began to fill the throne room.

Devara immediately looked up.

A brilliant golden-white light appeared several feet before the throne, illuminating the entire chamber.

The intensity of the radiance forced the nearby attendants to shield their eyes, but Devara remained still, already recognizing the divine presence emerging from within it.

The light gradually condensed into a familiar figure.

Lord Vishnu stood before him.

The moment Devara recognized his father, he immediately rose from his throne and bowed respectfully.

"Father."

Vishnu smiled warmly.

"My son."

Devara straightened, looking at him with curiosity.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong,"

Vishnu replied.

"In fact, I have come because something you have been waiting for is finally about to begin."

Devara’s expression changed.

"My training?"

Vishnu nodded his head.

"Yes."

Devara’s eyes widened slightly.

The memory of the peacock feather Vishnu had given him at his wedding immediately returned to his mind, along with the promise that Vishnu himself would become his Guru.

Vishnu continued,

"You have spent these past years building your kingdom, caring for your family and learning through your own experiences. But there are certain things that cannot be learned simply by ruling a kingdom or fighting enemies. The time has come for you to begin learning directly from me."

Devara smiled.

"When?"

"In three days."

Vishnu’s voice carried the quiet authority of a Guru who had already planned what lay ahead.

"I will come here personally and take you with me. From that moment onward, your training under me will begin."

Devara nodded respectfully.

"I will be ready."

Vishnu smiled.

"I know you will."

Devara looked at his father thoughtfully before asking, "So you are my fourth Guru?"

Vishnu nodded his head.

"Yes. The fourth."

Devara’s mind briefly wandered through the path that had brought him this far.

Each Guru had taught him something different, shaping not only his strength but also his understanding of responsibility, discipline and the consequences of wielding divine power.

Vishnu stepped closer.

"My training will not simply be about making you stronger, Devara. Strength is already something you possess in abundance. I intend to teach you how to understand the forces you carry, how to control them completely, and when to use them and, more importantly, when not to use them."

Devara listened carefully.

Vishnu’s expression became slightly more serious.

"You have gathered many powers during your journey. Some are gifts, some are abilities you have earned, and some are forces that even the gods treat with caution. If you are to carry them into the future, you must learn to understand their deeper nature."

Devara nodded.

"I understand, Father."

Vishnu smiled again.

"Then prepare yourself. Three days from now, I shall return."

The divine radiance surrounding Vishnu began to intensify.

Devara watched him carefully.

"Where will we go?"

Vishnu’s smile became mysterious.

"You will know when the time comes."

Before Devara could ask anything else, the brilliance surrounding Vishnu expanded throughout the throne room.

A moment later, the light disappeared completely, leaving Devara standing alone before his throne.

He remained silent for several seconds.

His fourth Guru. His father.

And in three days, his next Chapter of training would begin.

Yet as Devara slowly sat back upon his throne, his gaze drifted toward the windows overlooking the distant forest.

The kingdom already had a problem with its changing wildlife.

An unknown enemy had warned of a coming war.

And now Vishnu had arrived to begin his training.

Three days suddenly seemed very short.

The words of Lord Vishnu remained in Devara’s mind long after the divine light had disappeared from the throne room.

After all these years, the moment had finally arrived.

His fourth Guru was going to begin his training.

Devara had already walked through countless experiences that had shaped him into the king he had become.

He had learned from those who had guided him before, faced enemies that had pushed his strength to its limits, built a kingdom from the ground up, married the women he loved, and watched his family grow far beyond anything he had once imagined.

He had become a husband, a father and a ruler, carrying responsibilities that reached far beyond his own life.

Yet despite everything he had accomplished, Devara knew there were still vast portions of his own power and potential that he did not fully understand.

And now Vishnu himself had come to tell him that the next stage was about to begin.

Three days.

That was all the time he had before he had to leave.

The realization immediately turned Devara’s thoughts toward everything that needed to be arranged before his departure.

He could not simply walk away from his kingdom without preparing for his absence.

There were ministers to brief, commanders to instruct, royal affairs to organize and, most importantly, a family that had grown considerably since his last journey away.

He would have to speak with Shakuni.

He would have to inform Bhishma, Karna and the other trusted members of his court.

He would need to ensure that the kingdom remained secure while he was gone, especially with the strange situation developing in the forests and the warning left behind by the creatures who had attacked him.

But beyond all of those responsibilities was one thought that remained at the center of his mind.

Gandhari.

His wives.

His children.

One hundred sons and a daughter who were now old enough to recognize their father and would certainly wonder where he had gone.

Devara slowly rose from his throne and looked toward the palace windows.

For years, he had been the one watching over everyone else.

Now, for a brief period, he would have to entrust them to the people he trusted most.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Three days," he murmured.

Then his expression became determined.

"If this is the next step in my journey, then I will be ready for it."

Outside the palace, the kingdom continued its ordinary rhythm, unaware that its king was preparing for another journey into the unknown.

And somewhere beyond the realms familiar to Devara, his fourth Guru was already waiting.

In three days, Lord Vishnu would return.

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(Author note:)

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