Author's Notes:

Daring, perhaps. To put actual mythology into the story. Again, i'll say it was planned from day one. It was just the worry that my writting style was insufficient to protray it in an enjoyable way to you my beloved readers. We'll see how it goes, no reason to worry if i haven't even released it yet.


The snow had piled up to the waist but for the first time in a month, the winds had died down. While it was still the season of the blizzards it was a moment of rest for the weary people who watched the windows rattle for almost a month. But for the first time in years, no one had died of freezing or hunger. Pagan had spent considerable amounts from his own pocket to procure dry foods and fuel, the people knew this and were grateful to his charity for the first time in a while.

The children came out to play in the snow, the adults shovelled their pavements to gain access to the main roads.

Ajay and Unit 58 had their own way of playing in the snow.

A simulated battle between the blue forces and the red opposing forces. The Tiger, Eagle and leopard battalions commanded by the Tiger Field Commander, the Snow Guard Major and Yang Er Hu represented the blue party. While Badger and Bear stood as the ambushing red opposing forces.

Made as real as possible by the use of MILES equipment, Multiple integrated laser engagement system. It reminded Ajay of the laser shooting gallery back state side. Sensors were attached to the soldier's combat harness and helmet to simulate his body, while his rifle had a special device attached to the muzzle. When he or she fired the rifle loaded with blanks, a short IR laser burst would be sent to simulate actual gun fire. Depending on the weapon they were using and what was the setting they could have various probabilities of hit on a target wearing the sensors. When a person was 'hit' the alarms on his sensory gear would trip and go off announcing he or she was 'dead' or 'injured' depending on the area targeted by the laser. Ajay and the Condotierri stood around as referees to the combat scenario.

The soldiers were carrying the earliest example of the MH-15 family of small fire arms, affectionately called "Hurk" by the design team. Somehow that rumor passed along the ranks and they were now calling it that, much to Ajay's annoyance.

Were they saying the weapon was like a clumsy ditz?

"Nothing."

Said the Snow Guard commander who was actually the Sandesh Ajay knew from the Valley of Yetis in another timeline. Peering through the thermal imaging binoculars issued to him.

"Could it be the snow masking their signatures?" Asked the Tiger Commander.

"I don't know."

Much had happened during the first four weeks of their intense officers training by Ajay and Samson De Costa. They had developed a great sense of camaraderie with one another which surprised the men from every army. Now the officers treated the men from other groups with greater care and respect as if they were their own men. Receiving instructions from their own commanders to do the same. Unit 58 had effectively merged all its joint elements.

"Why don't we march out and find out?" Er Hu said gungho as ever.

"Hey!"

"Er Hu, stop! It isn't as easy as they make it. Remember, they have Badala on their side now."

While Ajay waltzed around in plain sight at their intended target a village with a flag at the centre they had to retrieve to win the game. Ajay was in fact, wearing the MILES equipment himself. But to boldly walk around the village where everyone could see him made them feel something was not right.

"We'll attack at dusk when visibility is low. How bout that?" The Tiger Commander suggested to Er Hu.

"So what do we do now?"

"Badger and Bear are nowhere to be sighted. But it doesn't mean they're in the village either. Tsk! Golden Path tactics have always been troublesome." The tiger commander complained despite being one before.

"Why are you two shivering about, that boy obviously wants you to have second thoughts about attacking the village with his presence there!" Er Hu also pointed out a good point. What if it was all just a ruse? That's what Badala was best known for, playing mind games with his enemies.

"I'll send out my group first to test the waters." Er Hu replied before leaving them, they made no attempt to stop him as they knew once he was dead set on things he'd stick to them. But that didn't mean he was a fool.

Nine hundred of his soldiers walked cautiously towards the simulated village. Ajay had already begun to take notice of him from a distance and smiled.

The men moved from street to street with utmost cautionand great coordination, scanning the blind areas and sweeping their weapons. The flag lay before them, and so did Ajay who sat drinking from a flask.

The men returned to Er Hu to report an entirely empty village with no signs of the enemy. Er Hu calmly walked towards Ajay who was minding his own business and happily drinking.

"An objective left completely defenceless and a lone soldier to guard it. It hardly seems like a strategy that helps them. Did they really think your presence was enough to keep us away from here?" Er Hu asked.

"Nope! But it did divide a third of your forces from the main force which was all they needed to reach their objective."

"What?"

(BOOM) The village began exploding with smoke dischargers and the sensors on every of Er Hu's soldiers in the village went off including Ajay's.

"Some times, the sacrifice of one is all it takes to grasp victory." Ajay told him as he looked into the distance where muzzle flashes could be seen from the opposing forces attacking the remaining blue forces.

Er Hu chuckled deeply. The Army commander and Commander Loken had out played them all, they barely got the chance to fight directly with the opposing forces and were instead wiped out by hidden 'explosives'.

Meanwhile, with their forces evenly matched. The opposing forces fought with the element of surprise on their side and attacked the rear which was the most vulnerable of the formation. The Blue forces struggled for a while but were defeated when Sandesh and the Tiger Commander's sensors went off.

Ajay passed the liquor flask over to Er Hu as a reward for his initiative in volunteering to go and spring the trap, although it wasn't like he expected it to be. In the end, all of them had gained great insight from the battle.

That was all Ajay and the Condotierri wanted them to learn. You only live once but that didn't mean you get stuck in your own beliefs thinking it can't be done.

*Opposing forces, Badger and Bear victory. The war game ends.* Sounded Maya's voice from the microphone on the watchtower not far from their location that overwatched the entire field.

Er Hu accepted the flask and drunk deeply as he always did.

"Maybe one time, you should come to the mountains. Then I'll show you what real drink is!"

He smiled fearlessly. Throwing the flask back to Ajay could caught it.

"Perhaps. But I don't like crushing a man's pride."


The war games ended with a Victory to Badger and Bear battalion, led by the Army Commander and Loken Kaji. With the initial odds of 2 against 3 with them as the lesser, he'd won the respect of all of the officers and men in Unit 58. They were assured that he would be able to get them out of a tight spot should the Golden path try anything similar. All the vibe and rumors that he was a Golden Path spy vanished into thin air and the Unit were never stronger in their unity.

Ajay dismissed them all to their temporary housing to get some rest but not before handing out the awards. The losers also received consolations for their effort and good show of collaboration. He gifted them mastercrafted kukris made by an old forgemaster that was still residing in the quiet Nadi village. As for the winners, he gave them the rights to use the third arsenal forge and request emergency resupply at any given time.

Some things happened and he ended up being dragged up to the mountain abode of the Huns by their Chieftain Er Hu.

It was partly his fault for provoking the pride of the mountain warrior at a game of drink. He sighed. The drinks didn't matter but he was being asked by their tribe shaman to pay a visit which he withheld for almost a month. He also wanted to meet her as she was the actual power of the tribe and he had not seen her even once and neither did she. Er Hu was more of the tribes protector and figurehead. But the heart and wisdom of the tribe was Shaman Shili. The Huns were a very spirited people, their culture was deep rooted into Tengrism. Simply put it as shamanism not to dissimilar to the cherokee Indians. They reached the plateau of the settlement on top of the mountain, ajay was astounded to find an entire complete village neatly arranged stretching up towards the top with decent pavements and all. Hardly the landscape he imagined but what did it matter. The returning warriors numbering at a hundred also came back with them to rest and visit their families. Maya tagged along with the mention of liquor. She had a strange liking towards strong alcohol which was strange to note being she was taught by Yuma etiquette. Then again, at the secret cave she drunk the entire bottle and two more at the inn during dinner.

"The chief is back!" One tribesman announced their return and the whole community came out of their houses and stopped their outdoor activities to greet him. To their amazement, he invited two lowlanders along to visit. Not being well aquainted with the Kyratis they kept their distance but acknowledged them as Er Hu's guests.

"Not what you were expecting?" Er Hu asked as they walked up to his abode.

"Better." Was all Er Hu needed to hear from Ajay and patted him on the back like he was already his good friend.

They reached to top of the mountain face where Er Hu's house was overlooking the rest, talk about show of power. The Huns took it seriously and so did Er Hu, the moment he stopped showing this someone else would fight with him from his place.

Although that wouldn't happen in the foreseeable future. He managed to land the alliance with the Kyratis through Ajay and they were receiving funds to develop their living standards. The deal might not stay if Er Hu wasn't in charge to regularly meet the Northern Demon.

Regarding his status, only the Huns seemed unaffected by it and it was quite refreshing not having someone other than his friends not look at him like a monster.

"Have you lived your entire life up here, Chief Yang?"

"I did go out when I was a little younger than you. Back then I was a stubborn bastard."

-Aren't you still one?- Both Ajay and Maya thought at the same time as they looked at one another.

"Wouldn't move an inch, that was until we encountered an intruder. Now he's our friend."

"An intruder?"

"Well, to be precise he was injured. You should ask Shili, she has better memory than me about it." Er Hu said as they neared the door.

The patting of feet could be hear on the cold stone surface inside and the door flung open.

"Father!- ah-." Leng Yue expected only her father and not two visitors and not especially Ajay. She avoided eye contact and turned to her father.

"Good to see you're well, daughter." He scruffled his hand on her head and walked in.

"Hello, the names-."

"She knows your name very well. Don't you, Leng Yue?" A cold glint passed Er Hu's eyes. She knew what he was referring to and so did Ajay. The day she attacked Ajay without reason and with lethal force.

"What's this about?" Maya asked curiously.

"His grace had a little chance encounter and he played around with her."

Instantly, Ajay's warning lights went off, it wasn't wrong but the way he phrased it sounded almost sexually harassing.

"F-Father!-.." The girl said highly flustered with flushed cheeks as she too interpreted the other meaning.

"Hmmm? Is that so." Maya said deadpan and already view Ajay as a sex offender.

"I believe the words fighting and playing are the same thing in the Hun's vocabulary." Ajay knew that if he stumbled in his speech it was declaring he was guilty as charged so he replied calmly.

The Leng Yue hit her father hard for causing a misunderstanding, to which he laughed and carried on inside.

"I'm terribly sorry for my father's insensitive words. He sometimes fails understand there can be dual meanings depending on circumstance." She bowed apologetically.

"So what he was saying just now-."

"No such thing took place! I merely attacked Sir Badala and he acted on self-defense. Once again I apologize for my own fault."

"He's just a little too straightforward. That's all, no harm done. You're alright too." He said before entering the roomy house.

Maya entered smiling to the younger girl who blushed slightly, mesmerized by Maya's beauty.

"I'm Maya." She raised her hand. Leng Yue was shocked for a while but made an effort to raise her hand to shake it.

"Yang Leng Yue… Ah!" Maya grasped it firmly and shook. Her expression showed she was extremely pleased to meet her. It made wonder why she had hated these people not to long ago for their interference with her interactions with a certain someone.

"I was the child all along….." She murmured.

The door shut behind them.


"Right! Bottoms up!"

"Cheers!"

(Gulp) "Whoah….."

The baijiu liquor that Er Hu handed to Ajay and Maya instantly entranced them. It wasn't like the expensive and complex taste of Pagan's chateau red wine nor was it like the fresh taste of Shangri-lager. The import liquors weren't as "Delicious" as this, it was almost addictive. It was a shame to end with merely a single jug so Ajay got the wiser.

"Right, down to the wager." Ajay exclaimed.

"Ah! Yes! I'll go get another few jugs! Hehehe! It's not too late to back out now, Badala." Er Hu teased.

"Getting cold feet are we?" Ajay responded.

"Humph! You wish, it's your loss!" Er Hu went down to his cellar to retrieve more.

Maya leaned over to whisper.

"Sometimes I just want to kiss you." She had the same thoughts about the liquor or maybe stronger but didn't dare bring it up.

"Then why don't you."

"Because you're a womanizing leecher and I'm afraid you'd take advantage of me when I'm drunk." She cooed as she hugged her body protectively, perhaps the liquors effect was faster on her.

"So, don't drink then."

"No!" She responded almost immediately. It was inevitable that Ajay would laugh.

Leng Yue watched them from the corner of the room where she wasn't noticed. She was not of the drinking age as her father told her, not that she was into drinking. She merely wanted to have a closer look at Ajay because he seek to resemble a certain someone sixteen years ago.

"Here! Five of my oldest brews. I dare you to try it!" Er Hu came back with a crate of the exact amount. They weren't small jugs either.

"So what are the stakes?" Ajay asked.

"If I win Chief Yang hands me an annual supply of the brew."

"Haha! Only if you can handle it!" She then turned to Ajay.

"And I'll have a favour from you like always."

What were favours from him worth now? Like hell, he'd make it worth his while this time.

"The same thing from Chief Yang as Maya. And from you…."

"Hmmm?"

"Keep me company for one night." He said with a sleezy grin.

"Pffft!" She spat out her liquor which she later regretted.

"You really are a womanizer!" She said with a cold glare.

"You've been saying that ever since we met but clearly my actions have yet to prove likewise. So I decided to make use of my status as a 'womanizer' as you said. What? To afraid to take the bet now?"

"Bring it on, pervert!" She grabbed up her cup contrary to Ajay's expectations. His intentions were to keep her from overdrinking as it always lead to something difficult for him to manage. He took this from the numerous accounts he had with Maya returning from the inn after drinking. Bhadra dutifully reported her from puking at the side of the patio or messing the toilet. Why she drunk that much unregulated was beyond him. But he needed her to stop, unfortunately she prized this particular liquor so highly that she ignored his ridiculous demand.

Even Er Hu was a little sceptical about the twos' relationship. At first, he thought they were good friends but now, it seemed they were lovers but in a rough relationship. Leng Yue was no different and she was feeling a bit tight in her chest hearing such a thing even if she barely knew Ajay. Why did he have to share the same face as the man she loved?

Ajay had a serious problem where if he backed out now, Maya would drink equivalent to his share without consequence.

"Then mine is quite simple! Badala increases my wage by 20 percent."

"No more than 5, you're been payed alone ten times an officer of your offices wage." It was non-negotiable. And was Er Hu getting greedy. This liquor was bringing out the worst in each of them, showing their darker sides.

"Fuck off! 15, you stingy miser!"

"10."

"…. Fine, deal! As for you, hmmm… become my wife? (Hick)"

"What?!" Leng Yue shouted from a distance.

"Excuse me?"

"Badala obviously sees some value in you, you're beautiful, strong and confident. Almost reminds me of my dear wife bless her heart. I just feel like competing, you're ok with it right, Badala?" He smiled like a geezer. Ajay's eyebrows twitched but he maintained a friendly face. It seemed that he wasn't the only one being cheeky and using the wine as an excuse to talk shit.

"Sure, be my guest. You'll finally take the first step towards marrying such a hotty, wonder what her guardian would think? The last suitor that crossed her got thrown in Durgesh and his family lost their title and wealth. But don't worry, I think it's fine now if you tell her you won fair and square through a drinking game!"

(Gulp)"O-O-Oi! I was just kidding, see!" Er Hu begun to sweat, he was aware of who her Guardian was, the most powerful monarch in the country. Equivalent of starting a war with her.

"What? You were just joking all this while? Come on, be a good sport now, Er Hu." Ajay said with a hint of sarcasm and annoyance.

"Uh-… i-…" Even though he was usually blunt and it had gotten worse because of the alcohol he heavily regreted what he said.

"I think I'll include taking from your salary about fifty percent." Ajay forced him into a corner.

"Uh- wait, can we-." Er Hu's expression became pale, Leng Yue giggled at her father's due punishment.

"Right bets are in! Let's dance!" Ajay denied them the right to revoke their actions making them have no choice but to win or lose terribly to him.

And from Ajay's depressing history, he was not a light drinker.


The Fourth jug was barely finished when Er Hu collapsed after 20 cups then followed by Maya with 27 cups.

-Such lightweights.- Ajay shook his head as he took another leisurely drink from the ever pleasant liquor, his thoughts not yet clouded. It made him realize his liquor threshold increased considerably without him knowing. Or rather he was barely feeling drunk.

The hell was going on, was his blood breaking down the alcohol in his body faster than the normal human body? He turned to the shadow by the doorway that his sharp senses picked up early on.

"Hey kid, could you fix a meeting with the shaman for me while I tuck these two away?"

"Uh- yes!" Leng Yue responded and went off and wondered why she responded to his request without a second thought.

Ajay carried Maya up to the guest room to placed her in the bed and threw the blanket over her. He attempted to do the same for Er Hu but the man weighed a ton, so he grabbed a few sheets and covered him on the couch. Er Hu didn't seem to mind as his comfortable expression showed it and attempted to kiss Ajay out of a sleeping fantasy he had with a woman. He smacked the man on the cheek and the man chuckled sleezily. Ajay's opinion of Er Hu was rapidly dropping. He heard a quiet giggle from the corner again.

"Um….." He was caught red-handed hitting her father.

"It's alright, he deserved it. Come, Shaman Shili awaits you." She smiled brightly.

He walked with Leng Yue out of the house and on to the Shaman's hut.

"I've never seen my father drunk till he slept." She expressed her surprise to the end result of their drinking contest which he won. Not that he'd press those penalties onto Er Hu and certainly not that demand on Maya as it was asking to be a fugitive in Kyrat on the account of now-Queen Min.

But as she mentioned that, he started to feel less human for out drinking someone like Er Hu who was already the pinnacle of what a man could achieve in physique and endurance. Leng Yue was also having the same thoughts, he was just as demonic as the lowlanders below bragged, but they weren't rumors at all.

"Maybe he was just too enthusiastic today." Leng Yue chuckled as he tried his best to be modest and defend her hopeless father.

They arrived before the hut where Leng Yue told him to wait for her to announce his arrival.

"Enter." A voice called out before she even stepped in, it was obvious he was expected.

Ajay entered like he was told. Inside the hut was covered with strong herbal scents, and apparently something was brewing in the cauldron in front of him. Sitting crosslegged was a woman in her early forties, hardly the age he expected of an elder shaman, he pictured more of an old crone.

"Don't let my youthful appearance deceive you, Ajay Ghale."

Ajay reached for his knife the moment she mentioned his name. The glint in his eyes filled with killing intent frightened Leng Yue stiff and the Black Leopard previously dozing away jumped to its feet growling at Ajay for releasing a dangerous aura.

"Don't be alarmed, I swear on the heavens your name shall not leave this abode as long as you desire it to be that way." The shaman declared.

"Then pray tell, how did it get here in the first place I wonder?" He said with sarcasm.

"Darshan tells me much of what goes on in Kyrat."

"Darshan? Darshan?"

The hell was the bastard doing all the way up here?

"Before you go about making your own assumptions, Darshan has been a friend of ours for decades. Since this one had barely left the cradle." She pointed to Leng Yue.

"…Shili is it?"

"That is what my friends call me."

"You'd better start explaining to me some things pertaining Darshan or that will be what your friends use to call you." Ajay planted the most oppressive aura onto Shili, Leng Yue who had previously thought it couldn't be worse saw first hand what made the Kyratis shiver in fear before him. Shili was a little affected by it as well but maintained a calm disposition.

"Have a seat and I shall begin."

Ajay sheathed his knife and sat down. The leopard lay down but faced Ajay's way in case he did something to its mistress.

Shili begun her story on Darshan. But it was more like her story than a fact account.

Darshan, real name unknown. He appeared before the huns wounded and at the brink of death. A younger Shili, the next in line to become the tribe shaman nursed him back to health. His name he would not say. So she gave him the Sanskrit name Darshan for the forest she found him in. Darshan begun a simple life with the Huns, assisting in their chores when he could. There was of course distrust of him as he was a foreigner and they had a poor impression of anyone not Huns especially Kyratis. The monarchy indiscriminately attacked them decades ago and it was only by the intervention of a certain General by the name of Bibek Khati that they remained in peace for so long.

But that distrust was wiped away from their books as a raiding party of Royal Guards from a nearby outpost in the Valley of Death came raided them for some profits. Mainly to sell the women and children into slavery.

The young chieftain, Er Hu proved his worth to his ancestors and beat them back. But there was trouble. Two children were taken from their cribs. One was his own daughter and the other was that of his cousins, his own niece. The Royal Guardsmen threatened to kill the babies if they didn't offer up their women to sell. Er Hu was put in a tough situation, he desperately wanted to save his own daughter but at greater cost to the tribe, how could he do that. But his prayers were answered as Darshan went down the mountain seeming to know his way to where they were and attempted to rescue them on his own.

He came back bloodstained but with the two babies sleeping soundly. When the scouts returned to investigate, what became of the Kyrati outpost, they reported it was torched. All the Royal guards were gutted and lay on the floor with horrified expressions. A single man killed his way through fifty men that gave them difficulty and returned with their offspring, such a deed was not to be forgotten. But he had stained his hands with the blood of the Royal Guard, something they wouldn't take too kindly. So he proposed he would go down to become a Royal Guardsman instead to waver the charges with the prowess he had to offer.

Since then, the respect for Darshan had reached a point where they ignored strict rules on outsiders and treated him as one of their own. The children he rescued Leng Yue and Yu Bao developed a special bond to him. Leng Yue's grew more than it did with Yu Bao.

And that was the history of Darshan with the Huns. Sixteen years. Coincidentally the year he sealed away the Devas in Rajgad Gulag and slew one. As Gary informed him. Why Gary defected, the one Darshan killed, Jaswant Rajput was insane. He wanted to burn the villages for supporting Pagan's regime, that man was another crazy zealot. But Gary told Ajay he shouldn't be so surprised, it was Sabal's elder brother.

So Gary leaked his location to Darshan. Darshan hadn't been long in the Royal guard when he entered under the recommendation of old Bibek. Something the Royal guard academy would certainly not refuse. Darshan took on Bibek's surname and his blessing as his legacy of the house Khati. How he met Bibek was another story all together.

"Let me first say I'm sorry for overreacting."

"Apology accepted. I was expecting that response anyway, but I was a little startled by that aura. It holds such bloodthirst. The thick miasma of blood that came from you, it must have been a bloodly road for you." Her words tried her best to be as least offensive as possible.

"You have no idea."

"This concealment of identity must be very important then."

"My real dad is the arch traitor of Kyrat, the very man I'm fighting now. It' both good and bad for both parties. The Royal Army doesn't need another earth shaker."

"I see, the situation is more delicate than I perceived. It was as Darshan foretold."

"Since when was Darshan a shaman?"

"He's not. But that doesn't mean he can't read divinitations or the threads of Karma. He's something else entirely that is out of our understanding." So even Shili didn't fully understand him. Ajay rubbed his head and sighed.

"I won't ask anymore about Darshan, I came here to meet you not talk about him."

"Quite right. Your reputation proceeds you Ajay Ghale."

"Don't call me that if you want the King's assassin cadre to raze this settlement." It was a serious issue that Pagan enforced heavily. So those that knew were sworn to keep their mouths shut.

"Alright, Badala then." Shili was quite understanding of the situation and the caution Ajay gave her on this sensitive information.

"Why did you accept my proposal if the Kyratis had constantly treated you as an external threat?" Ajay asked curious as to why the accepted his offer in the beginning.

"Because you didn't, for the first time in a thousand years your letter was an acknowledgement of our inhabitance and heritage in Kyrat."

"You were an offscorn village in the virgin mountains in my territory, there was no way I could ignore that." Shili smiled as she saw that Ajay was a different sort of person to the Lowlanders.

"If you will allow me, I would like to perform a divinitation for you." She held out her hand for Ajay to lay his on hers. He rolled up his sleeve and placed it on her cold hand. She placed her second hand on his wrist and down to his palm, studying the lines.

A frown appeared on her face as she read deeper.

"What?" Ajay was inclined to ask.

She didn't reply as she took out charts to cross read with his hand.

"Three destinies once separate, binded into one. It involves good karma from all three, but it also invites bad karma from all three."

"What in the world are the three destinies?"

"No… perhaps I'm not phrasing it correctly. It's souls, three souls binded into one being."

"You have an enormous amount of Karma threads upon you, it's like they were piled upon your existing ones from a past life."

-What?-

Ajay couldn't make clear sense of her divinatation but she was close to guessing his arrival into this timeline though not quite.

"The path ahead will be more treacherous than it ever was for you, child. Even so, proceed on without hesistation as what awaits you at the end will be endless rewards."

"So I follow the rainbow to the end to find the pot of gold."

"I'm not familiar with that phrase."

"Alright, don't hesistate, soldier on. Is that what it meant?" Shili nodded.

His meeting with Shaman Shili wasn't what he expected and it left him with a sour mood.

"If you're fellow tribesmen get into a critical state don't hesistate to bring them down to the Hospital or give us a call so that we can help you."

"I'll take that into account. You sow good karma with me so I shall do the same for you. If you even face difficulty with anything you don't understand do not hesistate to come to me for council. Any friend of the tribe is my friend, and so are you Ajay Ghale."

Ajay nodded and left, returning to the house to retrieve Maya and head back down the mountains home.

Shili looked to Leng Yue who stayed behind. "I know what you want to ask."

"…." Leng Yue looked to Shili anxiously.

"There are things you are better off not knowing, child."

"Even so, I want to know."

"You want to know why Ajay Ghale bears the striking resemblance to Darshan, no?"

Her eyes danced as she waited for Shili to tell her.

"The blood of Kalinag flows through them both. But they aren't related to one another in anyway."

Shili picked up a medallion she received as a gift from Darshan all those years ago, in the icon of a wheel.

"The same and not the same. The flipside of a coin." She murmured softly.


The Royal Army and Tigers weren't the only ones taking advantage of the halt in wind. The Golden Path took every opportunity to distribute their supplies to their outposts that were isolated. The month of snow and wind had taken toll on the frontline outposts. About fifteen fighters froze to death, but this was normal in the coldness of Kyrat. The food supplies and fuel were a limited commodity. Vasu and the Devas did their best to distribute their unit's resources to the people as did Mohan.

Jason Brody kept the renegades in order through fear and incentives. The incentives were raiding the Tigers for loot and supplies which they had little trouble with him as their boss taking the lead.

The Golden path had increased in numbers and quantity of officers but so did its upkeep to maintain it.

Solomon did his best to requisition more arms and ammunition through the mountains. They managed to enslave a nearby Sherpa encampment to workhorse the materials over from the borders of Pakistan. No one cared if a few Sherpa went missing, they were simply nomads that came and went as they pleased.

But today was the date that Willis informed them was of great importance. They were going to bring in their most powerful ally yet. Paul Lynch and the pmc group of CNS corporation, an emerging defense contractor with the United States that was quickly monopolizing that industry. The private military contractor group was a relatively new entity of that corporation but well funded.

The Golden Path assembled by the flat land where the Main recruitment camp was near the City of Pain. And watched the sky as several large airlift cargo planes flew by and out their backs, more than three dozen parachuted cargo containers fell to the ground. The ground wasn't suitable for their airlift capable cargo jets to land as there wasn't sufficient landing strip length and the path wasn't gravel. But it didn't matter to them.

The parachute connected containers landed with a thump and the doors opened. Immediately over a hundred men poured out of some of the containers and approached the other containers to unload their cargo.

The Golden Path watched all of this with astounishment to type of equipment they carried out and the gear they wore. Donned in ash-white pixel uniforms with visored helmets, ballistic pads and plates that made them seem more dangerous than even the well-equipped Royal Guard. Armed to the teeth with rockets, assault carbines, machine guns and precision rifles that the fighters had never seen before.

Aside from the many ammo and supply crates that they took out from the several containers were the vehicles they packed inside the many crates. They drove out light utility vehicles, armored personnel carriers, even helicopters when they undid the canvas covers and container sides on some containers were stowed away inside.

It was like an entire pocket army had assembled to crush the Royal Army on their behalf.

Willis snorted. "Still a fucking show off as ever." He cursed under his breath.

Four men walked in their direction, Willis and Mohan could already make out the familiar features of one. Dressed in a business suit and attire like he was from Wall Street in a winter coat, was Paul Lynch.

When Lynch saw Willis, he scanned him top to bottom he let out a complacent smirk. Willis had obviously changed a lot since their last encounter. The only identifiable feature was his signature ray bans on his no-bull face.

"Just as I imagined, a gritty and paradise lost version of the partner I knew."

"Yeah, well who do you think is to thank for that fuckface, pardon my French!" Lynch chuckled at the rage his incurred. As he turned to the other person he was more than familiar with as Willis.

"You haven't aged a day." He held out a hand which Mohan accepted. "What's your secret?"

"Making sure my secrets were buried." Mohan caused him to trip on his sentence as he stated Lynch's mistake. Willis chuckled as he now knew who's side Mohan was really on.

"Humorous as ever, Mohan Ghale. Any luck with your son?"

"Oh, you need not worry yourself over the trivial. Pagan has my boy under tighter security than I ever could afford, his link with the whore is his own weakness."

"Quite, I'm sorry to hear that, friend."

"Don't be, now I've never felt more liberated. Just me and Pagan."

"Why don't I introduce some of the fellow to you? Although they aren't to talkative sort to begin with."

On his left was a grizzly looking man, a clear shaven one and a bearded on with a scandinavian heritage.

"From my extreme left is Dominic-."

"Executive Lynch, I will remind you not to openly announce our real names as per our contract and yours. The old man doesn't take things seriously as is this op." The Dominic fellow who was the grizzly looking fellow announced.

Lynch chuckled. "Well, you heard him. Again, this is Field Commander "Crow", next to him is Lieutenant "Hank", and last but not least is Captain "Dane"."

"That's fantastic and all, have your boys get out of the open before they become icles." Willis told him but Lynch laughed.

"You don't worry your socks off for others Willis, that's so unlike you. My boys are equipped with temperature controlled insulate suits under their armor. Unlike you and the Zulus, we'll begin operating if you don't mind."

There was a hidden insult with Lynch's comment despite their technological superiority. Willis and some of the Golden Path officers grit their teeth, but Mohan was not the least bit offended. The officers that Lynch introduced went off to direct the men around the containers to set up camp where they were for the imminent storm coming. To secure all of the equipment while unpacking them for use.

One patrol party was already assembled to recon the area.

"Quite a dick ain't he? Hi, I'm Mitchell, Mitchell Reeves. I'd like to learn about your geographics if you don't mind." But this operative seemed to be the exception in his humble attitude so the officers gathered and assisted him in providing ground intel.

The others did not even interact with the Golden path fighters and stayed to themselves. They didn't trust the natives and for good reason, they were interfering with somebody elses war. They were just paid to do a job and that was it. Lynch didn't matter, Kyrat didn't matter. Only their commander and themselves.

Mohan could already read all of this from their attitude and conversations. He laughed disdainfully of the CNS operatives. He could see the peril they were already in bound for with the complacency that Lynch was leading them into. But he chose not to interfere and have Lynch come running back with a desperate look on his face. Willis could see this on Mohan and chuckled himself.

Lynch was about to learn dread from Kyrat's Northern Demon.


Author's Notes:

Sometimes you my readers might worry i'm going in an undesirable direction with limited plot or just insatisfactory. Just have a little faith in Lord Havok, and believe that he'll deliver.

I.e. Just because Ajay is willing to spare Jason, doesn't mean he'll forgive him for the things he's done and is about to do. rage can blind us from reason sometimes.