Chapter 10 - The second contest (Pearls of wisdom)

Bhairav leaned against a snowy boulder. The chilly air felt like little needles on his exposed cheeks. He had been trekking for hours. It was not always like this.

Long ago before the ice age, Kailash was full of greenery, tropical trees, and plants. However, it changed along with several other things on Earth. At least it did not have wild animals now, only snowy emptiness.

Peering through the fog he tried to ascertain his location. The Citadel would be right after the giant Shivling.

Shivlings were representations of the infinite, with no beginning or end. The Shiva himself.

He clutched his staff and started further.

*******

Rudra was waiting for Toshani at the stables. He hoped he was in the right place. She did not precisely stipulate where.

A young stable boy of about 15 approached him and asked him to accompany him.

Rudra nodded and followed the boy.

The boy took him through a labyrinth of walkways, finally arriving at what looked like a haystack somewhere in the stable.

He stopp