A vast plain stretched beyond Hastinapura, its golden grasses rippling under a blazing sun that scorched the earth dry and hard. The horizon shimmered with heat, a endless line of red-painted wooden targets dotting the distance—some near, others miles away—each a silent challenge baking in the glare. The air was thick and hot, carrying the sharp scent of dust and sweat, a sprawling battlefield trembling under the noon sky, ready to push the princes' stamina and skill to their limits in an epic test of will.
Drona stood at the plain's edge, his lean frame steady in the harsh light, his tattered white robes fluttering faintly in a dry breeze. His gray hair was tied back tight, sweat beading on his brow, and his dark eyes gleamed with a stern, unyielding fire as he faced the Kuru princes. In one hand, he held his staff, its tip planted firm in the cracked soil; the other clutched a waterskin, ready for the long haul. The princes gathered around him, their tunics already damp with sweat, their quivers heavy on their backs as they squinted down the endless stretch, sizing up the marathon ahead.
Bhima rocked on his heels, his massive frame casting a shadow over the grass, his broad grin flashing wide as he wiped his forehead with a meaty hand. "A run today, guru?" he said, his voice booming across the plain, loud enough to stir the dust. "This is huge! We shooting and sprinting? I'll barrel through!"
Drona turned to him, his expression calm but unyielding, his voice cutting through the heat with steady force. "Not barreling, Bhima," he said, his tone deep and firm, steadying the air despite the sun's glare. "Enduring. You'll run this plain, shoot those targets as you go. Five miles, ten targets. Pace yourself or fall."
Bhima's grin faltered for a heartbeat, then stretched wider as he laughed, the sound rumbling like thunder. "Five miles?" he said, his tone bright and eager, hefting his bow with a grunt. "I'll smash it! I've got the legs for this! Let's charge, guru!"
"Charge less, last more," Drona replied, his voice dry and patient, pointing down the plain. "Start when I say."
Arjuna stepped up beside him, his lean form quiet and composed, his sandals scuffing the dirt as he studied the distant targets. His tunic clung with sweat, his breath even, and his dark eyes traced the course with a steady focus. "Endurance," he said, his voice soft but clear, shouting just enough to carry over the wind. "This is a beast, guru. Any tricks?"
"Pace it," Drona said, his gaze settling on Arjuna with a flicker of warmth, his tone firm. "Ten targets, one shot each. Keep your strength."
Nakula and Sahadeva slipped forward together, their lithe forms weaving through the group, their twin grins flashing as they stretched their legs. "This is ours," Nakula said, his voice quick and light, nudging his brother with a grin. "Right, Sahadeva?"
"Built for it," Sahadeva replied, his tone swift and bright, rolling his shoulders with a nod. "We'll run it smooth!"
The princes lined up, their boots crunching the dry earth, the plain stretching vast and merciless before them as they gripped their bows. Bhima took off first, his massive frame pounding the ground, his laugh booming as he drew his bow mid-stride. "Here we go!" he shouted, his voice ringing loud, dust kicking up in his wake. He aimed at the nearest disc, his muscles bulging, and fired with a grunt. The arrow thudded into the dirt a yard wide, and he laughed, sprinting on. "Missed!" he said, his tone bright and unbothered, wiping sweat from his eyes. "I'll get the next!"
"Slow it, Bhima!" Drona called, his voice steady and firm, jogging to keep pace at the edge. "You'll burn out!"
"Burn?" Bhima said, chuckling as he pounded toward the second target, his breath already heaving. "I'm a fire!" He fired again, the arrow veering off into the grass, and he slowed, his grin fading as he bent over, panting. "This sun's a killer! Give me a sec, guru!"
"Sec's not the test," Drona said, his tone dry but kind, waving him on. "Keep moving."
Arjuna started at a steady jog, his bow drawn, his breath slow and even as he eyed the first disc. He fired mid-stride, the arrow striking clean with a thud, and he smiled faintly, running on. "One," he murmured, his voice soft and lost to the wind, aiming at the next. His second shot hit true, pinning the disc, and he called back, "Two," his tone calm and steady, his pace unwavering.
Drona's eyes gleamed, his voice warm with pride as he shouted over the plain. "Two already?" he said, his tone lifting slightly, steady despite the heat. "Solid, Arjuna! You're pacing it!"
Nakula and Sahadeva darted forward together, their steps light and synced, their grins wide as they drew their bows. "First one!" Nakula said, his voice quick and thrilled, firing as he ran. The arrow struck the disc with a thud, and he laughed, glancing at his twin. "Your go!"
"On it," Sahadeva replied, his tone swift and bright, loosing his shot mid-stride. The arrow hit true, pinning the next target, and he grinned, calling out, "One!" as they kept their rhythm, swift and steady.
"Good!" Drona said, his pride clear, his staff tapping the ground as he jogged alongside. "Keep that flow, boys!"
The plain thrummed with their efforts, the air thick with dust and the whistle of arrows—Bhima's heaving misses, Arjuna's steady hits, Nakula and Sahadeva's swift strikes. Bhima lumbered on, his chest heaving, his tunic soaked as he aimed at a third target. "Come on!" he roared, his voice loud and ragged, firing wild. The arrow sailed wide, and he stumbled, dropping to a knee with a laugh. "This is brutal!" he said, his tone cheerful despite the strain, wiping his face. "I'm melting out here!"
"Melting's not hitting," Drona called, his voice steady and patient, stepping closer. "Up, Bhima. Push it!"
"Push?" Bhima said, grinning as he hauled himself up, his legs shaking. "I'm pushing a mountain!" He fired again, missing by a mile, and flopped onto the grass, laughing loud. "I'm done, guru! This heat's got me!"
"Heat's got everyone," Drona said, his tone dry but fond, waving him to rest. "Sit there."
Arjuna kept his pace, his shots cutting through the miles with clean thuds, his strength unwavering. He hit a fifth disc, then a sixth, his breath steady as he called back, "Six," his voice soft but firm, jogging on through the haze.
Drona jogged beside him, his voice warm with awe as he nodded. "Six?" he said, his tone ringing clear, his eyes gleaming. "You're relentless, Arjuna! Keep it up!"
Nakula and Sahadeva struck three more each, their arrows flying true, their rhythm tight and swift. "Four!" Nakula shouted, his voice quick and triumphant, wiping sweat from his brow as he ran. "We're rolling!"
"Four!" Sahadeva echoed, his tone bright and swift, matching his twin's stride. "Halfway there!"
The sun beat down harder, the plain a furnace of dust and grit, and Bhima sprawled in the grass, his chest heaving as he waved his bow. "You lot are machines!" he shouted, his voice loud and teasing, laughing through the heat. "I'm cooked! No hits, but I ran a mile!"
"Ran and missed," Drona said, his tone dry but amused, glancing back at him. "Targets, Bhima. Not miles."
Arjuna hit three more, his arrows pinning discs with unwavering precision, his legs pumping steady through the final stretch. "Nine," he said, his voice soft but sure, aiming at the last target in the distance. He fired, the arrow streaking through the haze to strike clean, and he slowed, breathing hard. "Ten," he said, his tone calm and bright, turning to Drona with a nod.
Drona stepped forward, his voice warm with awe as he clapped Arjuna's shoulder. "Ten?" he said, his tone ringing clear, his eyes wide. "All hit, all running? That's endurance, Arjuna. Unmatched!"
Nakula and Sahadeva finished strong, each hitting a fifth disc, their steps slowing as they grinned at each other. "Five!" Nakula said, his voice quick and thrilled, bending over to catch his breath. "That was a haul!"
"Five!" Sahadeva added, his tone bright and swift, brushing sweat from his hair. "We kept it tight!"
Drona called them in, his voice cutting through the heat, his staff tapping once, twice. "Enough," he said, his tone warm and final, the plain settling under the sun. "Arjuna, ten hits, relentless drive. Nakula and Sahadeva, five each, swift and steady. Bhima, none."
Bhima laughed, hauling himself up, his chest heaving as he shook dust from his tunic. "None's my score!" he said, his voice loud and cheerful, grinning wide. "But I've got the best collapse! This sun's a monster, huh?"
"Monster's not the test," Drona said, his tone dry but fond, shaking his head as sweat dripped from his brow. "Will is. You'll build it."
Arjuna set his bow down, his breath steadying, his smile warm and quiet as he wiped his face. "That was long, guru," he said, his voice soft and honest, flexing his legs. "Felt every mile, but it held."
"It did," Drona replied, his pride clear, nodding at him through the haze. "That's your strength, Arjuna. Skill and stamina."
Nakula nudged Sahadeva, his grin wide as he stretched his arms. "Five's solid," he said, his voice quick and light, brushing his hair back. "We flew out there!"
"Next time, six," Sahadeva replied, his tone bright and swift, mirroring his twin's stretch. "We'll chase Arjuna yet!"
"Chase away," Arjuna said, his voice calm and teasing, smiling at them both. "I'll be running."
Bhima lumbered over, his laugh booming as he clapped Arjuna's back with a thud. "Running?" he said, his voice loud and teasing, grinning through the sweat. "You're a wind! I'll stick to smashing next time!"
"Smash with hits," Drona said, his tone patient and amused, waving them off. "Rest now. You've earned it."