Author's Notes:
I try not to make every short story in POV style. They'll all be following the main story but giving you a bit more detail at the same time.
….….
Take me into your hearrrttt! Accept me as your savior!….. Nail me to the fucking cross!… and let me be REBORN!
He heard voices in a cold dark void echo in which he resided in.
-You are powerful, strong!-
A path illuminated before him. Seeing no way out of this void reality he got up and walked forward. As he did so, the path extended further into the darkness.
-Walk the path of the warrior.-
A familiar voice rung in his head guiding him forward. He walked careful steps forwards as not to be caught off guard by any sudden appearances.
- With the Rakyat, you are powerful like those who came before you.-
-I see….. this is all a dream.-
Further up, some steps appeared a platform which he walked up slowly carefully scanning the surroundings but not thorough enough as he turned his head back to the front he encountered-
"Citra?"
It was exactly who he said it was, but as the figure of the person got closer he could see something impaled in her stomach, blood flowed like a river out of her yet she wore a gentle smile seeming unhurt but that critical wound. The sight caused him to recoil back quickly as the walking corpse of Citra raised her hand to reach out to him.
"Let me love you as I should have.… Be with me again….. Let me give you-….." She placed her bleeding hand on his left tattooed hand.
"... The final Tatau….."
He wanted to pull away from the hand but the grip became like a steel vice making removal impossible for him no matter how he struggled.
Her hand begun to heat up and started to sear his skin on his forearm. (SSSSSSSSSS) "AAAArrrrhhh!" He screamed in pain, but the hand stayed where it wanted to be. Then suddenly her hand burst into smoke and her entire body disappeared. But his forearm was glowing from the burn like molten metal, the molten metal formed the shape filling in the gap within his Tatau that was left unfinished by Citra.
Hahahahaha! (Sigh) You can't run from fate, Hermano.
He looked up from his kneeling position which he adopted after fighting the agony of the branding. Standing before him was another person who had been influential in what he had become, but the name wouldn't come out from his mouth. No words could form from it in fact, he was rendered mute in this reality that was not his.
I've always lived within you, alway have always will…. but…
The familiar person reached backward and trusted a glowing cyan dagger into his chest, he was helpless to prevent it from happening. His body was no longer responsive to him.
That's not good enough! There's one final barrier that keeps you from accepting me…. one last one….. here.
"Ah-….Ah-…..Arrghh…." He was dealing with the blade impaled within him rather than pay attention to the monologue of this fellow. He fell back motionless, feeling his grip on the world fade slowly.
….…
….…
You are me…..
…...
…...
"…...And I am you."
….….
….…
….…
Jason woke in a cold sweat, if it had been just that then it would have been great. But it wasn't.
"Brody! Put down the knife!" He found himself in a dilemma, he was seated against the tunnel walls were he last took a nap. But before he was Mohan who had a blade to his throat, his blade.
"Uh-…. Sorry! Just an old reflex." Very quickly removing the knife from Mohan and sheathing it back in its scabbard on his kelvar vest. That was the best excuse he could come up with at the moment, he hoped that it was good enough for the rest of the Golden Path fighters that he accompanied on this expedition.
"Lower your weapons, brothers. It's just an honest misunderstanding, the fault is on my end for startling him at the wrong time." The fighters who were on edge lowered their rifles after the situation cooled off.
"Apologies, Jason Brody. I merely wanted to show you something up ahead that was all."
"Um-… Sure, lead the way." Jason got up and followed Mohan closely behind.
"Walk with me, it'll be quite a while so please chat with me." Jason nodded and walked next to him at the same pace as Mohan. The Golden Path fighters watched them walk off before returning to the fires that kept them warm in the chilly mountain cave.
The supposed secret two-way passage to and from the Uttar Region and Pacchim Valley.
"Willis has indulged me on your history in this Rook Island where he had been exiled by the CIA."
"Its a history I'm not proud of."
"Indeed, yet doing it to save your ignorant friends is noble in itself."
"I don't think I returned from that Island entirely, or perhaps I came back with more than that." Jason placed his hand on his chest, as if this other self were physically part of him.
"Then let's not deny, it has evidently forged you into something better."
"Killing doesn't make me better than others."
"And neither does idle. Something Kyrat has seen too much of these pass two decades. Of course killing indiscriminately makes you no better than animals, but. Sometimes, there is always a need for a person to get their hands dirty in whatever world of clean justice and morality. Because there will always be those sick curs that no longer behave like human beings. They need to be taken out of the picture so that the rest of the pure and innocent need not know or feel the fear, pain and despair of the things that lurk outside."
".….."
"I believe, that is your purpose in this world, Jason Brody."
"I'm just a person that wants nothing to do with the hell I was in."
"And yet, here you are, in hell. All for the sake of your friends. I'm not certain whether we'll find them in Rajgad Gulag, but I'm certain that when we retrieve who we're all hoping is there. That Badala will be the first to arrive."
Jason recalled the image of the demon that tore through the ranks of fighters to get to him after he had set him off somehow. There was no logical explanation to that event, neither was there one for his split personality.
In any case, the feeling he gave off scared him that his first instinct was to run. It showed just how brave that Battalion really was in the face of imminent danger and for him, a foreigner.
If he backed out from this, he couldn't do their spirits justice after the sacrifice they made for him. Jason steeled himself for the fight.
"You look ready."
"I'm working on it, this party'll stand a better chance if I buy time for you."
"Doing what might I ask?"
"Fighting Badala." Jason answered with resolve. Mohan raised his eyebrow and scanned Jason's expression and read it.
"I've heard rather disturbing rumors about Badala myself. Particularly in one incident Willis had coordinated with a defector and actually captured Badala once."
"He did?" Mohan nodded.
"The story went that this American officer in the Royal Army, De Pleur whom switched allegiances and is currently with us still had sent him to the Shanath Arena. There, he threw him into the arena to battle non-stop without protective provisions or weapons of his own. Badala fought throughout the arena's five-round sessions and emerged victorious."
"And?"
"This is where the unnatural part begins. Disatisfied with the result, De Pleur sends in his elite guard and that of the arena master's into the arena to kill him off. He'd already fought non-stop for five whole rounds and was definitely exhausted by now. They were dispatched to close in for the kill. De Pleur even released a Rhino into the pit much later. With all these opponents around what do you think happened to the Northern Demon Badala?"
"Well he made it out didn't he?"
Mohan shook his head. "He died." Jason's eyes widened in shock.
"The spectating crowd was there that day to bear witness to it. The captured Rhino Alpha proved too much even for him and killed him with its horn."
"So what's he doing here?….. Don't tell me-…"
"It would have been the most logical explanation, a double acting in his place or the double was the one that was captured and died… Unfortunately, it was neither. The words the spectators used, what De Pleur used that day was Resurrection."
Resurrection? Though Jason could somehow picture it. He'd "died" on the island several times and yet somehow comeback from all of it unharmed and without explanation. Was Badala like him?
"Then what happened after… his-… you know?"
"He massacred everything that breathed in the arena, including that Rhino."
Jason's heart pumped rapidly, it was safe to say he was feeling scared now after hearing this and how he had been this fortunate to be alive after their encounter.
"He even chased, De Pleur that day though he managed to escape which was fortunate for him. I believe the Sanskrit name they coined for him that day was Yalung ke Vashaj."
Jason wasn't fluent in Sanskrit so he wasn't sure what it meant.
"It means "Son of the Demon God, Yalung" or in your european equivalent-."
"Son of the devil." Jason complete the sentence for Mohan.
"Do not be to discouraged, Jason Brody. I will assure you one thing, you have nothing to worry about."
"How can you even say that?" Jason stopped walking and left him behind, Mohan stopped and turned to face him.
"I once had eight generals that fought alongside and on my behalf. They were know by many as the Eight Devas for their incredible feats they could achieve on their own. I'm putting my chips in betting that at least six of the members are incarcerated within Ragjad Gulag stronghold are still alive."
"What makes you so sure, Pagan'll keep them alive?"
"He will, because they were all members of nobility from their respective Houses. Their families support are what keeps them alive and fed. But in total agony they are in right now."
"Like how good are they?" Jason was curious about their strength, he had no way to gauge their ability to stand up against Badala by themselves or together. Even he was on the losing end of their engagements. Jason knew he didn't just lose touch with fighting whereas Badala was fresh in it. Badala may not be as quick and nimble as him, but he compensated with experience. Jason quickly wore out in their fights where Badala looked as thought he did concentrate but had a reserve of energy to fight or chase him still. Because he fought smart.
Why did Mohan have so much faith in these eight devas? Was he still underestimating Badala's strength, but then why did he bother to tell him that ridiculous story?
"Are you aware of what Deva means, Jason Brody?"
"A deity or something right?"
"It means divine. And what was divine about them was their abilities. When we were fighting a losing battle against the superior quality of troops and weapons at Pagan and Yuma's disposal. The one's that equaled the odds were the eight of them. To give you an example of their ability, one had held the Royal army at bay in a choke point. He fought over two companies for two days alone while we desperately tried to reinforce him. When we arrived, he stood in the centre of a mound of bodies all belonging to the Royal Army. Another example was one that I am particularly proud of, he had negotiated with the populous at Tirtha to help build the stronghold Varshakot where we tried to weather off a major Royal Army offensive. It allowed us the time to organise and counter attack, freeing Pacchim valley from Pagan's influence. Until as of late."
So some were good at fighting, some at strategy. Jason still didn't see the possibility of them winning but gave Mohan the benefit of doubt. The older man knew them better than him.
"You said six, what happened to the other two?"
"Sabal says they vanished when the six went to seek vengeance alone. They come out when they know of my return naturally. Which comes to the second agenda of our excursion here."
-So he has a plan does he?-
"While the assault on the stronghold progresses, a small detachment and myself will head to a relay station and hijack to main frequency. Then, I will let the whole of Kyrat know I am back to finish what we have all started."
The second coming of Mohan Ghale, Jason now understood what he was doing.
"We've arrived."
Mohan had led him to the end of the cave, where a bright light daunted them. Coming through the harsh light, they exited the cave they had been traveling through for two days. Lo and behold, before them stood a lush green and river stream, far ahead at the mountaintops was a waterfall and a palace right next to it. Although it was significantly farther away from them than it looked. At least ten kilometres.
"I'm glad this beauty hasn't changed all these years, the one thing that Pagan hadn't sullied with his treacherous hands yet."
"It is quite lovely…"
"I'm glad you enjoy it. We've come all the way here, I thought to show you this view before we arrive at our destination on the otherside of this mountain back through the cave."
".….. Thanks, Mr Ghale… I guess. You really helped me a lot."
"Don't mention it, think of me as a friend. I would very much like it."
"Sure, we'd better get back. They looked kinda worried leaving me with you just now."
"Alright, you can go ahead I just want to savor the moment here for a while longer first."
"Ok. Don't stay too long, or they'll suspect my ass!" Mohan chuckled.
"Don't worry, I'll save you in the nick of time if necessary. But if possible, I'd like to ask a favor of you, Jason Brody."
"Um- Yeah! What'll it be?"
"When you are fighting I want you to give your all for yours and our sake. Can you do that?"
"I've got no problem with that, I'll do my best. Promise Mr Ghale!"
"A promise it is then."
"I'll be off now."
"Alright."
Jason hurried off back to where the Golden Path fighters were resting in the cavern.
"Yes, please give us your all, Jason Brody. Bring out your full potential even if it means the complete dissolution of yourself to release that demon upon our common enemy. I'm expecting great things from it, let's hope even it doesn't let me down in defeating that troublesome youth Badala. It took me awhile to redo the hex formation but I managed it."
Mohan monologues to himself.
"Don't let me down."
Jason runs back without any caution to what his other self had advised of him. Without him knowing there had been a change that had taken place with Jason. Something shouldn't have missed but still did.
Upon his left forearm where his tatau remained grafted to his skin…
The unnoticeable gap had been completed.
Author's Notes:
Jason is losing the internal war.
