Arasu directed me to a door on my right for me to exit and get my imprint weapon- whatever that was- when Krishna grabbed my shoulder gently. I still don't know why he did it, but I shoved it aside and got up in his face to ask, "Why won't you people tell me anything? You think I have a clue what's going on? Do you? I get carried here by a freaking eagle and them I'm told I'm going to die and-"

My voice cracked at that word. Die. It sounded so foreign and bitter in my mouth. I'd never really thought that I'd live that long, but to have it shoved in my face as a constant reminder wasn't helping. 2 months. I've been given an expiration date like I'm some sort of disposable items to these bastards.

"-and my dad who I haven't ever seen is a God and tell me one thing buddy do you have any idea how that feels to have that spewed at you in the space of a few hours?" I stepped back and breathed heavily. That outburst was a long time coming, but immediately I kind of regretted it considering who exactly I was talking to.

At that moment, I wouldn't have been surprised if I disappeared on the spot courtesy Krishna's wrath. He didn't say a thing though. That smirk stayed on his face, although it softened a little. His dark eyes peered into my soul in a way that calmed me slightly. He looked away for a second and nodded, "You're right Ajay. Forgive me, us I should say. I was a little baby when I learnt about my destiny as a saviour of the people… but I had the infinite wisdom. You know, the kind all avatars receive from birth. I'm sorry, I really am, that we expect every 16-year-old with the blood of the gods in their veins to act like the brood of Shiva,"

Oh, tell me about it, man. You come in here with the big plan to send a bunch of young adults into a suicide mission. Only Shiva can do that kind of stuff. If these Gods were as wise as they seemed they would know this.

"I would be lying with omission if I said I didn't care. But I'm telling you the truth here. You bunch of kids are the best shot we have of cushioning the blow of the apocalypse. You get what I mean? Look, go get your weapon, I promise I'll sit down with your squad and sort out this confusion, okay? Go now. Let's not keep our man Suryakapoor waiting."

See, this is the thing about Krishna. One little monologue and he makes me go from wanting to wipe that smirk of his face to being in utter shock at the measure of the man. The scriptures were right, he is pretty charming. I walked away quietly towards the curtains on the other side of the room. They had sunlight glinting through the fabric, so I braced myself for a burst of light when I stepped through. What I didn't expect was to hit my head on a wooden beam wrapped in tarpaulin. I had entered a tent? From outside the curtains, you wouldn't think you were entering a tarpaulin tent. In the centre of the tent sat a bald, portly man in a saffron with sacred ash across his forehead. He grabbed a bowl with red dust in it and looked up at Arasu and I. He must have been at least 70 years old, but he spoke with a firm and bass filled voice

"Sit. You are Ajay Krishnakumar, yes?"

"Yeah, yeah I am. I was just in a hall how-" Suryakapoor waved my question away, "Environment Link enchantment. Simple spell, really. As a child of Brahma, it's my sole responsibility to facilitate the creation of imprint weapons and maintain the link between the weapons tent and the hall. Now, let's get a good look at your Dharmic Body."

He stood up and tossed the red powder around the tent while muttering incantations. I was able to pick up on a few, but it sounded like nonsense to me. When he was done, he settled back on the floor will his eyes closed. He hummed slightly and spoke almost like he was chanting, "A branched son of Vishnu… a common warrior, but you have something rare about you. Something I haven't seen in centuries… You are destined to go down as a special case in our camp. And… how odd. The rest is foggy. Like something is blocking me out. Let me see-"

"Hold on hold on hold on," I sneezed loudly, and my eyes burned. Why was that? "What did you sprinkle around this tent?" I broke into a coughing fit like a chronic smoker.

Suryakapoor took a deep breath and muttered, "Kash-Kashmiri Chili powder. I ran out of saffron about a week ago."

I looked at him in disbelief, "Then why would you sprinkle Chili Powder? Did you have nothing else to- Cough Cough – Sprinkle?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, you think I wanted chili powder around this tent? Okay, I did. I like the smell. But that's beside the point! Point is, you have a great destiny ahead of you. A lot of your Dharmic Body is still being blocked out, but I now have enough to craft an imprint weapon."

I wiped my nose and eyes and choked, "What do you mean by an 'imprint weapon'?"

"Well, you are going to need a weapon if you have any hope of staying alive. Being a child of the Gods is a dangerous profession Ajay. We've fought countless wars against the forces of evil and I've seen a multitude of good people lose their lives for this camp. Too many good people…" He trailed off as he turned around to grab a hammer and metal smithing equipment. He then pulled a cloth off an anvil and began crafting a weapon for me using bits of metal.

I was bored so I decided to engage in some small talk with Suryakapoor, considering he was the only one there. I decided to ask him a question plaguing my mind since Krishna's speech, "Hey, how do you know I'm the child of a God? I mean, that's a pretty bold claim to make, isn't it?"

"It is quite a bold assumption; I'll give you that." Suryakapoor admitted, "however, we at Camp Mahadev examine you long before you enter the camp just to make sure. As the head rishi of this fine establishment, I monitor every hero: their background, their lives, all before they step foot into Adirondack. I knew you who you were long before you knew yourself, Ajay." He left me with that cryptic last statement and continued to hammer away at the sizzling metal on the anvil.

I wasn't a particularly violent human at the time. Sure, seeing reddit arguments made me want to sock a 9-year-old in the jaw sometimes, but nothing beyond that. I wasn't sure how I'd do with a lethal weapon in my hands, so I asked about that as well.

"Hey, how do you know I'll be some fine warrior for you people? I've never even picked up a weapon how will I be able to fight and kill?" I drifted off.

Suryakapoor looked back at me, momentarily stopping his hammering of the anvil, "Every single child coming through this tent has asked me this question. I must confess that my answers have always been different. In your case, I see you are confused about the will of a warrior."

I cocked my eyebrow, confused even further, "How am I confused? Have I said anything wrong?"

"Well, you suggested that the will of a warrior is to fight and kill, correct?"

I nodded, still not seeing what he was getting at. "Isn't it?"

Suryakapoor smiled slightly, "Of course it is. A warrior will always be called upon to fight and kill for his country, his home. But why does a warrior fight? Why does he kill? To save those around him. To save his people. That is why you will wield this weapon with valour. Because you… you will vanquish souls off the face of this earth to protect the ones you love. Am I correct?"

I sat quietly, the message of his words dawning on me. I nodded slowly and thought about what Suryakapoor said. Was he really correct? Would I be able to kill someone just to protect the ones around me? I knew the answer already.

Suryakapoor poured water over the sizzling steel and dusted off some filaments. He held it up to the light and smiled at his work. I craned my neck to get a good look at what he was holding. I'll give him props, it certainly looked cool. It looked like two broad swords strapped together by a common hilt. Two wicked blades on either side of a sturdy hilt.

If this was the blade – sorry, blades – I'll be using to lop the heads of any would be force of evil, I wasn't complaining too much. As long as they swung first. The guilt of killing a person, no matter who they are, is something I'm not ready for yet.

Suryakapoor brushed off the ash on the hilt and sharpened the blades further before turning around and looking me in my eyes. He scanned me up and down for so long I thought he was considering not giving me the weapon.

"Ajay Krishnakumar, branched scion of Vishnu, I bestow upon you the double Khanda. A weapon mastered by Rajput heroes of yore. A weapon perfect for your Dharmic self. Average in direct combat, demonic during counter attacks." He sounded like this was something he's been saying for centuries. Made me wonder how old all my campmates really were.

"Th-Thanks I guess, Suryakapoor… sir," I edged closer to the beautifully crafted and extended my hand out to grab onto the wrapped-up hilt of the double Khanda. Suddenly, I gasped as Suryakapoor clutched my wrist and looked directly into my eyes. I was surprised as I could see tears welling up in his large dark eyes.

"I have seen so many exit this tent clutching my weapons. I have seen so many die fighting for what they believe in, clutching my weapons. So many have killed the ones who trusted them, while wielding my weapons. I pray to my father Brahma that you fall into neither category." He choked and closed his eyes in sorrow. I sat in silence processing his absolute breakdown of composure in front of me. At that point it was better to not say anything.

Also, chalk that up as the second mental breakdown today!