The forest was darker than Tez had expected.
The tall sal trees blocked most of the moonlight, leaving only thin silver lines on the ground. The lantern in Arvan's hand was now the only clear source of light.
Tez kept his distance.
Every step had to be careful.
Dry leaves covered the forest floor, and even the smallest sound could reveal his presence.
He remembered one of Rishi Anand's lessons.
"A patient mind reaches farther than hurried feet."
So he slowed his breathing and matched his steps with the sound of the wind moving through the trees.
Ahead of him, Arvan continued walking without looking back.
Just as Tez rounded a large banyan tree, someone suddenly caught his arm.
Tez almost cried out.
A hand quickly covered his mouth.
"It's me," a familiar voice whispered.
Tez turned.
"Naman!"
Naman removed his hand and smiled nervously.
"I saw you leaving the gurukul."
"So I followed you."
Tez sighed with relief.
"You nearly frightened me."
"I could say the same about you."
The two boys crouched behind a thick bush.
Naman looked ahead.
"Is that the traveler?"
Tez nodded.
"I think he's hiding something."
Naman frowned.
"Then we must be very careful."
The two friends continued together, moving silently from tree to tree.
After nearly half an hour, Arvan stopped.
In front of him stood an old stone shrine, hidden beneath thick vines and hanging roots.
Time had almost erased it from the forest.
Its broken walls were covered with moss.
Half of its roof had collapsed long ago.
An ancient statue lay broken on the ground.
"It looks abandoned," Naman whispered.
Tez shook his head.
"No."
"Someone still comes here."
Fresh footprints surrounded the entrance.
The vines had recently been pushed aside.
Arvan looked around once to make sure no one was watching.
Then he disappeared inside.
Tez and Naman slowly crept closer.
The broken wall had a large crack running through it.
From there, they could see inside the shrine.
A small fire burned in the centre.
Three cloaked men stood waiting.
As Arvan entered, they bowed respectfully.
One of them spoke first.
"My lord."
Tez's eyes widened.
"My lord?" he whispered.
Arvan's voice changed.
It was no longer warm and friendly.
It became cold.
Sharp.
Commanding.
"Did anyone follow me?"
"No."
"The gurukul suspects nothing."
Tez looked at Naman.
Neither of them spoke.
The truth was beginning to appear.
One of the cloaked men removed a cloth bundle.
Inside was an ancient palm-leaf manuscript.
The Scroll of Agni.
Tez immediately recognised the red thread tied around its edges.
His heart began to race.
"So he really stole it," he whispered.
Arvan carefully unrolled the scroll.
The firelight danced across the old writing.
"The first key is finally ours."
Another man smiled.
"Then we can find Agni-Kshetra."
Arvan slowly rolled up the manuscript again.
"No."
"Not yet."
"The scroll reveals only half the path."
"The second key still remains."
"The leather pouch."
Naman looked towards Tez.
Without speaking, both boys understood.
Everything had been connected from the beginning.
Suryanagari.
The attack.
The leather pouch.
The Scroll of Agni.
It was all part of the same mystery.
One of the cloaked men asked,
"Should we attack the gurukul tonight?"
Arvan shook his head.
"No."
"Not yet."
"The teachers are alert."
"Especially Rishi Anand."
Another man looked worried.
"The old monk defeated our warriors."
Arvan smiled calmly.
"Every person has a weakness."
"We simply haven't found his yet."
He looked towards the scroll.
"And when we have both keys..."
"...no kingdom in Bharat will be able to stop us."
Tez felt anger rising inside him.
His hands formed fists.
"They destroyed Suryanagari for this."
Naman quietly touched his shoulder.
"Not now."
"We have to tell Rishi Anand."
Tez nodded.
They slowly began moving backwards.
One careful step.
Then another.
Suddenly...
Crack!
A dry branch snapped beneath Naman's foot.
The sound echoed through the silent forest.
Inside the shrine, every man turned instantly.
Arvan's eyes narrowed.
"Someone is outside."
He blew out the fire.
The shrine fell into darkness.
"Find them!"
Tez grabbed Naman's arm.
"Run!"
The two boys raced through the forest.
Behind them came the sound of running footsteps.
Branches broke.
Leaves rustled.
The chase had begun.
"Split up!" one of the pursuers shouted.
"They can't escape!"
Tez and Naman jumped over fallen logs and pushed through thick bushes.
The forest that had seemed peaceful during the day had become a dangerous maze.
Naman stumbled on a tree root.
Tez caught his arm before he fell.
"Keep moving!"
They reached a narrow stream.
The water rushed over smooth stones.
Without stopping, Tez jumped across.
Naman followed.
One of the pursuers landed in the stream and slipped, crashing into the water.
The delay gave the boys a few precious moments.
Ahead, Tez noticed a fallen tree lying across the path.
An idea came to him.
"Help me!"
Together they pushed against the dead trunk.
It rolled down the small slope.
The heavy log crashed across the narrow trail just as two pursuers reached it.
They were forced to stop.
"Go around!" one of them shouted angrily.
Tez and Naman did not wait.
They ran until the lights of Gurukul Tapovan became visible through the trees.
Only then did they slow down.
Both boys were breathing heavily.
"We have to tell the teachers," Naman said.
"Immediately."
When they reached the gurukul, Rishi Anand and Acharya Vedant were waiting near the entrance.
The old sage looked at Tez's muddy clothes.
"You followed him."
Tez lowered his head.
"Yes."
"I know I disobeyed you."
Rishi Anand looked at him for a long moment.
Then he asked,
"What did you discover?"
Tez told them everything.
The ruined shrine.
The cloaked men.
The Scroll of Agni.
The leather pouch.
Arvan's true voice.
Every detail.
Neither teacher interrupted.
When Tez finished, Acharya Vedant's expression became grave.
"So..."
"The Raven has been living among us."
Rishi Anand nodded slowly.
"And now he knows someone was watching."
Just then, one of the senior disciples came running toward them.
"Acharya!"
"What is it?"
"I found fresh footprints near the western wall."
"They lead into the gurukul..."
He paused, breathing heavily.
"...but they do not lead back out."
A deep silence followed.
The teachers exchanged worried glances.
If the footprints ended inside the gurukul...
Then one of the enemy's men had not escaped.
He was still hiding somewhere within Gurukul Tapovan.