And with Karthikeya too, Rudra started from the basics. Where Ganesha had begun teaching him about the deeper aspects of his spirit, his mind and the energy that existed within him, Karthikeya would teach him about his body.
For a spirit without a body could not walk the path of the living, and a powerful body without proper control could become nothing more than an uncontrolled weapon.
Rudra had to learn both, for his mind, spirit and body needed to grow together, and now that his spiritual training had begun properly, it was time for him to understand the immense changes that had taken place within his physical form.
The lesson began when Karthikeya took Rudra towards a lake that had been frozen solid. The entire surface had turned into a vast mirror of ice, stretching from one end to another, while the cold air moved gently across it.
Karthikeya looked towards the frozen surface and explained that
the ice was almost as thick as a normal book and would be easily breakable under ordinary circumstances. Then he looked at Rudra and told him that they would begin from there, that Rudra would learn how to walk upon the frozen surface.
Rudra looked at him somewhat strangely, wondering why walking was supposed to be a part of his training, but Karthikeya continued and explained that Rudra had undergone immense changes in his body, his powers and even in his connection with the elements.
He could see them around Rudra, the elements that had accepted him and now leaned towards him, as if they wished to kiss him, embrace him, remain close to him and perhaps become one with him.
He especially mentioned the Earth element, which Rudra had recently started learning about with Lambodar, before adding one more condition... Rudra would be walking barefoot, without the use of his divine sandals.
And so, the training began, with Rudra being completely confident in himself. After all, how difficult could walking possibly be? He had walked his entire life and never once had to consciously think about how much force he was putting into his feet or how much strength was required to take a single step.
But that confidence disappeared almost immediately when he removed his divine sandals and stepped towards the frozen lake.
It had been easy for him to walk upon the soil of Kailash because the land itself was divine and could withstand the force of his body, the immense changes he had undergone and the weight carried by his new physical form.
But this lake was different. Although it existed in the divine realm, the water and the ice itself remained natural and mortal, and while the frozen surface was thick enough to easily carry an ordinary person, Rudra was no longer an ordinary human being.
The moment his bare foot touched the ice, a web of cracks spread beneath it, and before Rudra could even properly understand what had happened, the surface broke apart, and he fell directly into the freezing water with a loud splash.
For a moment, Rudra found himself completely submerged beneath the broken surface, but the water around him immediately responded to his presence, and before he could even think of swimming, the currents curved around his body as if they had already decided that there was no need for him to struggle.
One stream moved beneath him and gently lifted him upwards while another curved around his shoulders and back, carrying him towards the shore, until finally the water itself rose beneath him and gently placed him upon the ground.
Rudra landed upon one knee and one hand, remaining there for a moment as water continued falling from his body.
His white Shavet Chandra Vastra Dhoti, carrying its natural silver sheen, had become wet and clung lightly around his lower body, while his upper body remained bare, revealing the changes that had taken place within him more clearly than before.
His shoulders had become broader and stronger, his arms carried defined muscles, and his chest and abdomen had developed naturally with his transformation, his athletic frame now far more powerful than the one he had once possessed as an ordinary human.
His slightly longer hair, now reaching close to his shoulders, had become completely wet, and strands had fallen across his forehead and face while droplets gathered at their ends before falling one after another upon his skin and the ground beneath him.
Rudra slowly pushed himself upright and looked towards Karthikeya, expecting perhaps an explanation or some correction, but Karthikeya simply smiled and encouraged him to begin again.
"Go on... start walking."
Rudra looked back towards the lake.
"Be in the flow with yourself, just as you are in the flow with the water. You have spent your life learning how to move a human body, but that body no longer exists in the same way. You must learn this one now."
Rudra remained silent for a moment, looking down at his own hands and then towards the frozen lake. His body had changed, his strength had increased, and even his connection with the elements had become deeper, but his mind had not yet learned how to completely understand and control everything that his new body was capable of doing.
So, he stepped forward once again.
This time, Rudra placed his foot upon the surface more carefully, paying attention to the force travelling through his body and the way his weight moved from one foot to the other. A small crack appeared beneath his foot, but Rudra immediately shifted his weight backwards, and the crack stopped from spreading.
His eyes widened slightly as he began understanding that the problem was not simply his weight, but the immense force that his body carried behind even the smallest movement.
He took another step, then another, but after only a few moments, his body unconsciously placed more strength into his movement and the ice broke beneath him once again.
Rudra fell back into the freezing water, but this time, he did not struggle or become surprised. The water curved around him, carried him towards the shore and gently placed him upon the ground.
Rudra remained upon one knee for a moment before taking a deep breath and standing again.
Then he returned to the lake.
At first, the training continued in much the same way. Rudra stepped onto the surface, tried to walk, lost control and fell into the water, only to be carried back by the very lake he had fallen into before beginning again. But after some time, his frustration slowly transformed into concentration and then into curiosity.
Every time he fell, Rudra began questioning what exactly had gone wrong.
Was he placing too much force into his feet? Was he shifting his weight too suddenly? Was he tightening his muscles when there was no need? Was his body unconsciously strengthening itself even when he was simply trying to walk?
Slowly, he realised that the answer was a little of everything.
Rudra had gained immense physical strength, but strength did not automatically bring control. His body had changed far more quickly than his mind had learned to understand it, and the muscles within him could now produce strength that his previous self would never have imagined.
His legs could push harder, his body could move faster, and every simple movement carried more power than before, yet he was still trying to use that body through the instincts of his former self.
He understood that he did not need to completely suppress his strength, nor did he need to be afraid of using it. He simply needed to understand it, to know how much strength was required for a particular movement and how much force was unnecessary, to learn when his body was moving naturally and when his power was overflowing without his awareness.
And so, Rudra truly began from zero.
He first focused upon a single step, then two, three and more, falling again whenever his body lost control, only to be carried back by the water before standing up and beginning once more.
Gradually, his progress began increasing. He reached ten steps before losing control, then fourteen, then fifteen, and each time he fell, he returned with a slightly better understanding of himself.
Eventually, after many attempts, he managed to take thirty-six steps across the frozen surface without breaking through.
The number itself was not something extraordinary, but Rudra understood the importance of it because those thirty-six steps had been taken through control rather than confidence.
From there, he continued.
He walked slowly at first, but with every attempt, his movements became more natural. His shoulders relaxed, his legs stopped carrying unnecessary force, and his feet began touching the ice with a controlled rhythm.
Gradually, he reached a point where he could simply walk across the frozen lake without constantly thinking about every movement.
What had once been the easiest thing in his life had become something he had to learn again.
And once walking had become natural, Rudra began jogging.
Immediately, he discovered that this required an entirely different level of control.
Walking allowed him to keep one foot in contact with the ground for longer, but while jogging, his body constantly shifted its weight forward, and there were moments when the force of one step had to be controlled before the next foot touched the surface.
His first attempt lasted only a few metres.
Perhaps one...
Then five...
Then seven...
CRACK!
The ice broke beneath him again.
Rudra fell into the water, and once again, the currents immediately curved around him and carried him towards the shore. By now, he had almost become used to it. He was placed upon the ground, took a deep breath and stood up before returning to the lake.
He began again.
One metre became three. Three became five. Five became ten. Gradually, Rudra began travelling further without losing control, learning the rhythm of his legs, the movement of his body and the amount of force required to move forward without allowing his strength to crush the fragile surface beneath him.
At first, he had to stop himself before he lost control, but with time, his jogging became smoother, lighter and more natural. He could travel across greater distances, turn slightly and shift his body without breaking through the ice, and eventually, jogging became as natural to him as walking.
After that came running, but Karthikeya did not allow him to immediately use the speed his new body was capable of. Rudra first had to learn how to run like an ordinary human being, at an ordinary pace, because even that had become difficult now that his body naturally wanted to move faster and push harder.
He began with a slow run, controlling every movement, but after a few attempts, his body unconsciously released more force and the ice broke beneath him once again. The water carried him back, and Rudra stood up without wasting much time.
He began again.
And again.
Slowly, Rudra learned the rhythm of his breathing, the movement of his legs, the position of his body and the way his weight shifted with every step. Eventually, he could run normally without falling or damaging the surface beneath him.
And only after that...
Did he finally begin increasing his speed.
The moment Rudra began running with his actual physical power, the difference became clear. His body shot forward, and the wind moved around him as thin cracks began appearing beneath his feet, spreading behind him while he crossed the lake. But the ice did not break.
Rudra continued running, increasing his speed before suddenly stopping and shifting his weight. More cracks spread beneath his feet, but again, the surface did not collapse.
Then he turned.
He ran forward again, before suddenly shifting towards the left and then the right, moving backwards for a moment before shooting forward once again. His movements changed rapidly as he experimented with his speed, his balance and the control of his own body.
At first, the ice continued showing fractures beneath him, but as Rudra repeated the process, the cracks slowly became fewer and smaller. His body stopped fighting itself and began moving with greater smoothness, allowing him to shift his weight, change his pace and alter his direction without allowing his immense strength to overflow into the surface beneath him.
Eventually, there were moments when Rudra could run across the frozen lake at high speed without leaving even a single visible crack behind him.
Then came the next stage.
Jumping.
Rudra bent his knees and pushed himself upwards, but the force of his own body immediately surprised him. He rose higher than he had expected, reaching almost the height of the taller trees surrounding the lake, before beginning his descent.
He was unable to properly control his landing.
The force travelled directly through his feet.
CRACK!
The ice shattered beneath him.
Rudra fell into the lake again.
The water carried him back to the shore, and Rudra looked towards the surface before beginning again. This time, he understood that jumping was not simply about controlling the force with which he rose. He also had to control the force with which he came down.
His next jump was better.
Then another.
Gradually, Rudra began jumping higher, first reaching the height of a eucalyptus tree, then twice that height and eventually even more.
At first, his landings continued creating cracks across the ice, but he slowly learned to bend his knees, shift the force through his entire body and allow the impact to flow through him rather than forcing all of it directly into the ground.
And once he had learned that...
He began combining everything.
Walking.
Jogging.
Running.
Changing direction.
Accelerating.
Stopping.
Jumping.
Landing.
The training continued for a long time, and Rudra's body gradually became more responsive to his own will. He no longer had to consciously think about every movement in the same way as before. His control slowly became instinctive.
That was when Karthikeya increased the difficulty.
The frozen surface that had initially been almost as thick as a normal book was reduced until it became as thin as approximately seven sheets of paper layered together. Rudra stepped upon it and began again, combining everything he had learned.
Walking.
Jogging.
Running.
Changing direction.
Jumping.
At this stage, even a small loss of control could cause the ice to break. Rudra still fell once or twice, especially when he tried to run at his real speed and allowed more force than necessary to enter the surface, and sometimes he broke through while landing after a particularly high jump.
But every time the water carried him back to the shore, Rudra simply took a breath, understood his mistake and began again.
Then the thickness was reduced further.
The ice was now only as thin as three sheets of paper layered together.
At this stage, Rudra could no longer rely upon instinct alone. Every movement had to be consciously understood.
The shift of his weight, the rhythm of his breathing, the strength in his muscles, the movement of his feet and the force with which he landed all became important.
He still fell.
Once.
Then perhaps again.
But each fall became less frequent.
And each return to the surface made his control better.
Finally, Rudra could move across the surface smoothly, combining everything he had learned without allowing the ice beneath him to break.
Then came the final stage.
Karthikeya reduced the ice until it became as thin as a single sheet of paper.
Rudra looked towards the surface for a moment before beginning again.
His first attempt failed.
Of course, it did.
The moment he tried to move with too much speed, the thin layer beneath him broke, and Rudra found himself inside the water once again. But by now, he no longer felt frustrated by falling. He had begun understanding the purpose behind every failure.
Each fall showed him exactly where his control ended.
And so, Rudra returned.
He walked.
No damage.
Then he jogged.
Still nothing.
He began running slowly, gradually increasing his pace as the thin surface trembled beneath his feet but remained intact. Rudra shifted his body, changed direction, stopped suddenly and accelerated again, moving left, right, backwards and forwards.
No cracks appeared beneath him.
Then he jumped.
Rudra rose high into the air, and for a brief moment, his entire body seemed weightless against the vast sky of Kailash. He then began descending, controlling every movement as his feet approached the surface.
He landed.
For a moment, Rudra remained still.
He looked down.
The thin sheet of ice remained completely intact.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
He had finally completed everything Karthikeya had asked of him. Walking, jogging, running, changing direction, accelerating, stopping, jumping and landing... all without damaging even the paper-thin layer of ice beneath him.
And standing there, in the middle of the frozen lake, Rudra finally understood that the training had never truly been about walking upon ice.
The ice had simply been a mirror.
A way for him to see the immense strength that his body carried, how little control he had originally possessed over that strength and how much further he still needed to go.
Rudra stood quietly for a moment, his body now moving naturally with the rhythm he had slowly learned for himself, while beneath the thin layer of ice, the water continued flowing silently and remained ready to catch him if he fell again.
But this time...
He did not fall.
He had started from zero, with a body he barely understood and a power he could not properly control, and step by step, fall by fall and attempt by attempt, he had begun making that body his own.
And this was only the beginning of his training with Karthikeya.