The air was shattered with the sound of gunfire and blaring horns. The Rakyat warriors snatched up their weapons and made for the front entrance to the temple. The heavy gates were secure and more than a dozen warriors waited for anyone foolish enough to force their way in. Citra strode among her people with the air of a war goddess.
"See to the cliffs. We can not be sure they are not trying to climb them."
A voice called out once the chaos of bullets and horns died down. Citra knew it instantly and took a deep breath to steady herself, anger welling thick and black in her heart.
"Sister! My dear sister where are you?"
She moved swiftly up the ancient stone steps, her bare feet silent as she reached the top of the wall. Here more of her Rakyat warriors were stationed with guns and even bows aimed down at the assorted trucks and jeeps that sat outside the temple. Stepping to the edge she looked over the crumbling stonework to see her brother standing brazenly in the back of a truck.
Vaas scanned the length of the temple wall before locking eyes with Citra. With a wide smile he threw his arms open towards her. "Ah there you are huh? Looking fit as a fiddle." He scratched the side of his head that wasn't scarred, resting his other hand on his hip. "What the fuck does that mean anyway? Fit as a fiddle. How the fuck can a fiddle be fit? See these are the questions that keep me up at night." he chuckled loudly, shaking his head suddenly as if to clear it, before staring back up at his sister.
"Soooo." he began in a sarcastic tone. "How have you been?"
"What do you want traitor?" Citra bit the words off sharply.
Vaas gripped his chest with both hands, looking around at his men, the pirates that ravaged Rook island without mercy. "Family huh? They really know how to hurt you don't they? It's ok though. Ok Ok. Yeah. Cause you see my dear sister. You see I come bearing gifts. Well just one gift really." With a nod of his head two of the pirates pulled something out of the back of a truck, dragging it towards the temple.
"Close enough!" one of the Rakyat warriors warned as he took aim with his rifle.
Vaas hooked his thumbs into his belt and rolled his eyes. "Please hermano. You aren't going to do shit. Just stand there like a good little boy and shut the fuck up ok. Let the grown ups talk."
Citra saw the warrior tense, but she lifted her hand and he held his tongue as well as his trigger finger. Vaas stuck the tip of his tongue out with a big grin, knowing it would infuriate the warrior.
"What game are you playing now Vaas?" raising her voice to be heard, the command in her tone clear to all.
Vaas pointed at himself. "Me?" then lifted that same finger to waggle it at Citra. "No No No No. Me, no. I am not the one playing this game. You. You dear sister. This is your game huh? One you play so well, but you never learn do you no no, you never fucking learn. I always win." The green in his eyes danced with mirth as he stared up at her. "You keep sending these little play things of yours to me and I keep breaking them, but you just don't stop do you?" He pointed up at her, his hand mocking a gun as he pretended to pull the trigger. "Did I ever tell you the definition of insanity?" His laughter was sudden and booming. He doubled over and nearly fell out of the truck bed, but he caught himself, wiping a tear from his eye. "Fuck that never gets old man."
The two pirates drug what was clearly a body now almost right up to the temple gates, then turned and walked back to the gathering of pirates and vehicles.
Citra craned her neck to see the body and felt her heart fall at the sight below. Vaas saw the flicker of sorrow that crossed her face. Gesturing with his hands as if presenting her with a grand gift. "There you go huh? Your little warrior has returned to you sister. Snow White sleeps and only a kiss from his one true love can wake him." Vaas hopped down from the truck and moved to stand at the forefront of his men. Crossing his arms over his chest as he stared up at her. "Tell me sister is that you huh? You going to wake Snow White up with a little sugar?" Laughter from the pirates behind him and Vaas smiled all the more. "Maybe you can't though. Come to think of it I remember a certain pretty little thing I had the pleasure of entertaining for a while. Your Snow White he had a real hard on for her yeah. Real fucking hard. He went through Hell and back to get her too. That was some real knight in shining armor shit let me tell you. You have to respect a man willing to die for his true love."
Up on the wall Citra did her best to steel herself against her brother's words. He was lying. Twisting things. Trying to get under her skin. That was all it was. Jason loved her. Citra knew this to be true. They had sealed their love with passion before Jason had gone to finish things with Vaas. Their lovemaking had been true. It had been foretold. Jason was the one that would finally bring the Rakyat to power. So then why was this happening? Why was Jason lying below dead and Vaas standing triumphant? Her visions had been true, everything had come to pass as she'd seen it. How then could this part be so wrong? Jason was the one to bring power to her people. Together they were destined to lead the Rakyat to glory. Her vision had shown them in the throes of passion and then the golden light of her people spreading over the island. How had she been wrong?
Vaas cut into her thoughts with his mocking tone. "I can see you are so very torn up about this. Yet another of your would be warriors comes to me and finds nothing but death. When are you going to stop this sister? When are you going to stop sending men to their deaths? I promise if you will be patient I will come for you all." Vaas stared down every set of eyes he could find atop the wall slowly, his head going back and forth to make sure he didn't miss any of them. "Each and every one of you putas. In time. My time. You got that motherfuckers? Eh? You're all fucking dead. I'm just extending your time here while I deal with more pressing matters. You know like finding a matching pair of socks or shit like that. Make no mistake though when I'm ready...When its time." He locked his gaze with Citra's and there was not an ounce of warmth even in the furthest depths of his green eyes. "The Rakyat will be erased. Every bastard and bitch. Every child. Even the goddamn dogs and cats or whatever the fuck you keep as pets. You hear me Citra?"
Her own fury stoked the fires in her and she climbed atop the wall to glare down at the lot of them defiantly, her fists clenched at her sides. "You have no place here anymore traitor. You are nothing. A loathsome thing that slithers under the boot of Hoyt. You are little more than a pet yourself. A slave to his drugs and his whims. You will never find peace. Never freedom. Only a traitor's death awaits you."
Anger washed over him and Vaas threw his arms wide. "Here I am bitch c'mon! Let's see if any of your pussy Rakyat can kill me or...or wait, let me guess. You have to find another white boy to ink up and bullshit into your little cult so you can throw him at me? Let me tell you this one, Jason, man he got the closest of any of the others. Maybe you're onto something with this one huh? The local blood is too weak to kill me so you gotta out source that shit right. Like they say. Cheap labor right? So I tell you what I'm going to do for you sister dear. I tell you what." Vaas began backing away from the temple. Keeping his arms spread and his eyes on Citra. "I'm going to go back and wait for the next dumb shit you send to kill me since we both know you can't do it." here he traced a finger up the scar that dominated the left side of his shaved head, then ran the finger into the mohawk atop it. Looking for all the world as if he was grooming himself before a big date. "This was fun little sister. Real fun. No I mean it. Jason...Snow White there. He put up a Hell of a fight, but just like you he couldn't get the job done. So fucking sorry." Laughing he turned swiftly and slid into one of the trucks, slapping the top. "LETS GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" he commanded. The pirates all loaded up and soon the air was full of the roar of engines as the vehicles cleared out.
The Rakyat waited, keeping their guard up until they were sure the pirates had really gone. Once things died down Citra headed down towards the main gates. Jason had failed. How had she not seen this coming?
The sound of running steps brought her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see Dennis coming towards her. His face was bright and he waved his hands in the air joyfully.
"He lives!" he proclaimed. "Jason Brody lives!"
When he reached her he paused to catch his breath. Citra took hold of his shoulders and looked deep into his eyes. "What are you saying Dennis?"
The former Marine could not contain his glee. "My words are true. Jason Brody yet lives. He is not in the best of shape to be sure, but the breath has not left him."
Citra could not help but feel hope rising and a tightening in her chest. "What has been done to him?"
Dennis looked back over his shoulder to where several Rakyat were gently carrying Jason into the temple while others pushed the heavy gates closed. "He has been stabbed, deep, but not fatal. Most likely it was Vaas and his arrogance that made him think Jason dead at his hands." Dennis looked back at Citra and could not help the pang of jealousy that bit into his heart at the sight of her eyes and the tears she now shed at the news her lover was alive. Why could she not look at him in such a way? He could not change that, but what he could do was support her in any way he could, even if that meant helping the outsider who had taken his place in the Rakyat. Jason Brody had become the symbol of hope that he once aspired to be. It was Citra's will and that of the gods so who was he to question it.
"Dennis we can not send him after Vaas again." Citra said quietly so only he would hear.
"What do you mean? He must kill Vaas."
She shook her head. "No I was too careless with him. He is not ready. Vaas was raised to lead the Rakyat. Traitor he may be, but he is still a warrior of great power." Citra hugged herself and half turned away from Dennis. "At one time he was the strongest of us."
Dennis didn't like seeing her like this. "You know he abandoned the path. Vaas is no longer a man, but an animal. Even the Tatau has left him. You have seen his arm Citra. It is bare. The jungle has forsaken him just as he has forsaken us."
"All you say is true, but still he remains. Vaas remains. Perhaps as an animal he is even more dangerous. Animals have no qualms over the spilling of blood. They do not regret the taking of life. They hold no place in their hearts for spirits or gods. Animals care only for survival. Pain is only proof they are alive. If Vaas is an animal now then he is all the more dangerous and for that reason I can not send Jason against him again."
"Because you fear his failure." The statement caused Citra to flinch. "Is this fear for yourself or your people?" Dennis dared to ask.
Citra turned her gaze upon him fully and he felt the full weight of her authority, instantly regretting his words. "Everything I do is for my people. You, one welcomed in as one of the Rakyat, would do well to remember that you are now one of my people and be all the more thankful for it."
He held up his hands in surrender. "Yes. Yes. You are right. I am sorry Citra."
"Good." Lowering her arms she tapped her fingers lightly against one bare thigh. "Jason must grow stronger. Once he is healed we will send him to the Southern island. Keep him and Vaas separated. Let my brother think our warrior dead until Jason is ready to deal with him. We will cultivate him, nurture the warrior inside him until he is truly ready."
"Of course. What do you wish me to do?" Hoping to placate her after stumbling over his previous words.
Citra lifted a finger to her chin in thought. There had been something that her brother had said that struck her still. A ring of truth that she did not like at all. "Dennis I want you to find Jason's friends. Find them and bring them to the temple."
His eyes widened behind his glasses. "You wish for me to bring outsiders into the temple?"
"Yes I very much do." She nodded slowly. "Especially the one Jason was close to."
Dennis was quick to remember the first outpost near the Amanaki village. It had been the first time Jason had fought along side the Rakyat. He had been frantic to find a woman then. "Liza! Her name is Liza." her offered.
Citra smiled, but it was not a pleasant thing. "Yes be sure that you find her. Her I want to see most of all."
"It will be done." Dennis promised and spun around, calling out to several warriors to follow him on his new mission.
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Jason did not wake for days. He lay on a cot within the recesses of the temple. Torch light illuminated his sweat covered body and Citra sat by his side on a low stool. Now and then she would dip a cloth into a bowl of water and wipe at his brow. His wound had been tended and he would recover. Vaas had stabbed him with a poisoned blade. It was the poison that was running it course through Jason even now. His fever was bad, his body like sitting close to a fire. Citra had used every bit of her healing arts to keep him alive, but the rest was in Jason's hands now. Only he could determine if he lived or died. Even as she tended to him he would twitch and seize up as if he were in some struggle with unseen demons. Perhaps he was she thought. It could be that Jason was being tested by the spirits of the Rakyat who had come before him. He was an outsider after all and he had fallen at the hands of Vaas, a man who spit in the face of everything he had been born into. Could Jason overcome such things and rise to be the warrior she knew he could become? It was not like her to doubt herself. Perhaps she was letting things with Jason get out of hand. She had to keep her eyes ever on the horizon, for her people.
Jason coughed and almost sat bolt upright. Citra took hold of his shoulders and pressed him back down onto the cot. His eyes were wide open, panic written clearly in them. They were green like her brother's, but so very different too.
"Jason you must not move. Your wound will open if you struggle so." she tried to sooth him.
"Vaas...I..." Jason began to mumble.
She nodded her head. "Yes I know. It is ok." He must feel horrible for failing her.
"...he's dead." Jason coughed a little, throwing an arm over his head and wincing when the movement pulled at his wound.
"What?" Citra asked in confusion. One hand holding the cloth just over Jason's forehead.
"Yeah...I...I did it." A silly smile made its way across his lips. "He...he got me good at first. Surprised me." His voice was weak, but his eyes clearly were seeing memories that were not true. Citra kept quiet and only listened as he went on. "I killed them all. Then he hid like a fucking coward and...stabbed me...bastard actually said peek-a-boo when he did it." here he tried to laugh but the pain in his gut stopped him. "Didn't matter though. Cause...I did it Citra. I...I got him. I finally got him. He must have done something to me cause I was tripping balls, but it didn't matter. I got that motherfucker and I made him pay for killing Grant. I made him pay for everything."
Citra processed what Jason said and then reassured him with a warm smile. "Yes Jason, my warrior, you did. I was amazed when you returned to us. You were almost dead, but you were strong enough to come back to us...to me." The lies falling easily from her lips.
Jason turned his head to look at her and smiled, though he was already fading back to sleep. "...for you..." he said softly.
"Good Jason. Remember that. That is all the truth you will ever need."
This could not have worked out better Citra thought to herself. Jason believed he'd killed Vaas and Vaas thought he'd killed Jason. It was perfect. Now she could steer Jason to the Southern Island while she promised to help him rescue his friends. Once everything was in place she would be proven right. Her visions had not failed her, only she had not understood their true meaning. In failing to defeat Vaas, Jason had shown that he was not the warrior that would lead her people into the future, but he was a key part in the creation of that warrior. There was only one way Citra could think of that happening. Her hand absently fell to her taut belly and she eyed Jason up and down where he lay sleeping.
"Soon Jason you will help create a glorious future for my people. When you are ready I will take you into me once more, only this time I will fully welcome your soul into me. Your warrior's spirit will fill my womb and from our union a truly unique warrior will rise. One that will deliver the Rakyat unto glory. Until then sleep well Jason. Heal. Grow strong. For me."