For children: A teenaged prince Ram stumbles upon a secret plot to steal a divine weapon

“Well, that looks inviting!” Lakshman said with a nervous smirk.

Ram chuckled. “Only crazy people would go into a black pit like this.”

Lakshman punched Ram on the arm playfully. “Well, I don’t have anything else to do tonight.”

“Are you two always like this?” Ishir asked.

“Always!” Ram and Lakshman replied at the same time.

Ram poked his head inside the tunnel. “It’s too dark in there, and we don’t have a fire.”

“Maybe you can’t make fire,” Ishir said with a grin. “But I can.” He opened his cloth satchel and pulled out two flints, special fire-making stones. “We Koitur never travel without these.”

Lakshman hugged Ishir. “I think I know why Ram likes you so much.” While Lakshman collected a handful of dry reeds, Ram drew his sword and cut a branch. He then wrapped some dry reeds around one end. They held their breath as Ishir banged the flints together. Bright sparks flashed into the tunnel.

“Yes!” Lakshman cried out as the reeds caught fire. The ignited reeds served as a torch, driving away the darkness. Suddenly, the tunnel didn’t seem as threatening anymore.

Ishir looked at Ram and Lakshman’s bows. “There’s no room for arrows in such a narrow tunnel.”

Ram smiled and extracted his khanda, its blade gleaming in the flickering torchlight. “I always...

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