Author's Notes:
Sorry this took so long. Course work see, lab reports and assignments kept stacking. But all handled now, including the next batch.
To be responsible for someone's absolute loss was a feeling that washed over everyone, no matter how cruel or self-righteous a person was. Under normal circumstances, she should have had her emotions under control. Yet when those words came out, "For every time he calls upon the demon's strength, it eats away the most precious memories of the past." In that moment, she knew how shitty Ajay's life had been. How many treasured moments did he have, she knew best of all. Daisy knew, as she'd also learnt from Mama Tinashe and Ishwari so long ago. There hadn't been a moment till she came along, it only meant one thing.
He would inevitably wipe away all of his treasured moments with her and his own newer memories, and it was all because she had forced him to indulge in her selfishness. But what did she get out of spending two months with the Golden Path? Nothing. Just lies and deceit, and something far more terrifying than anyone but Ajay could imagine.
And now…. He was no longer around to protect his people from these monsters.
Daisy knew the weight of her actions, she had jinxed their growth and prosperity out of a horrid life into an upcoming nightmare. Even so, these were little in comparison to what she had forced upon Ajay.
"Stop running around, you're only making things difficult for me." Came a voice behind her, belonging to none other than the woman that almost stopped her from proceeding with her naïve plan but had second thoughts to allow her to go with it.
"…." She wanted to say something along the lines of "sorry", but no words could form in her mouth. Like she had unconsciously written into her psyche that her words caused catastrophne.
Instead of talking, Maya leaned against the railings of the balcony that she'd run off to for some quiet time to herself. Only speaking on a different subject.
"I've never seen Saraswati that scary before, hopefully it never happens again, and I won't be the one to provoke it."
"… This is my fault." She came clean with her thoughts.
"It is." Maya agreed without showing any remorse.
"Can't you just leave me alone?"
"No."
"Why are do you have to be so annoying?! If I'm an eyesore just shoot me and be done with it!" Daisy said to her angrily as she grabbed hold of her shoulder.
(Slap) Maya delivered a fast one to her cheek that shook Daisy up.
"Even after returning, you're still as selfish as ever. Did Ajay not pay enough for your mistake?"
Daisy grit her teeth, while she held her hand to her redden face.
"But I won't deny that the thought didn't past my mind." Maya said as she tapped her holster.
Daisy backed away slightly frightened at the prospect of dying for real.
"Still, I don't like to waste effort over something that gives me no gain." Maya relinquished her hand from the handgun on her belt.
"Ajay certainly saw something valuable in you that he would go almost immediately when your tracker went off. Just because I can't doesn't mean there isn't."
Daisy found this not at all comforting, it was saying the same thing that everyone else thought as well as her.
"To kill you here would be… wasteful."
"How could you even say something like that!?" Daisy questioned her moral compass.
"Because Ajay has left it to me to watch over Kyrat and you, just like everyone else. From everything that Noore has said, we're up against an enemy that we might not have a defense against. And it seemed that Noore was hoping that you would chip in."
"…" Daisy could not refute this, Noore had included her in the disclosure, did this mean she expected the same from her?
"So instead of walloping you should be taking care of what you have left to protect."
"… Even after what I've done?" She laughed sarcastically.
"You aren't the only one to made them, you know. To make mistakes that put lives at risk or even cause their deaths indirectly. I've caused more than my fair share. Ajay…. Huh! You couldn't even begin to imagine. That's why he never quits, because if he does it'll be rude to all those souls he failed just by sitting by to watch as their friends and family get torn to shreds. This is Kyrat, Daisy Lee. You need to stay on your toes less mother earth and its other inhabitants devour you. That is why Kyratis have a stronger will than most people."
Again, she was reminded that there was a job for her to do just like everbody else. Her friends were depending on her. When she had failed to retrieve Jason she fell into despair, thinking of no alternative to draw him back, she betrayed Ajay's identity to the one person she should never have given it to and to think that she had been played the entire time. When Ajay came which she had wished he didn't, it led to him nearly getting beaten to death and landed him in the comatosed state. Yet he never once put the blame on her despite his fath- no, Mohan's insistence of her betrayal. Even in the last legs, he stood between her and the ravenous Golden Path monsters. When that older man pulled her and Ajay out it left her in a state of idle, she had no idea what to do given the length of failure she'd amassed. Kyrat depended on Ajay and she'd just caused the sheperd looking after the sheep to get mortally wounded, leaving the sheep ripe for the bounty.
-How long am I gonna wait to make the same mistake again?- She questioned herself to strengthen her own resolve. Daisy slapped her cheeks to wake herself out of that negative stream of thoughts.
Seeing her restore the light in her eyes, Maya smiled wryly.
"Tell me, Miss Maya. What are mine and my friend's options?" She looked ready and willing to go through anything now. Maya got up from leaning against the railings.
"The way I see it , you have two options. One is to take the next flight to Russia, India or Israel and disappear off the grid for good."
"Why is that?"
"Why is that? You five are no longer on the US registry, chances are that immigration will catch you entering the states. You might plea your case of being citizens but you'll only make things worse, then the authorities will turn you over to government agencies like FBI, NSA or if you're ready unlucky, the CIA will appear to wipe their mess clean. Then, it'll be a game of how long can you withhold intel on the developments in Kyrat while they beat you half to death in a place where the law cannot protect you, but then again you aren't officially citizens so-… I guess they'll dispose of you once they're done to clear loose ends."
Daisy closed her eyes and sighed. Things had really become horrid for them, it almost encouraged them to runaway from it all. But she would do no such thing.
"What's the other option?"
"Option two, hide out in a secure location until we find Willis and ply intel we can use against the CIA by threatening to turn it over to their Commander-in-chief whom I'm sure wouldn't want such a scandal to happen during his term of presidency. When that happens, some heads in Langley will roll, and everyone will be back to their normal lives." She said with a grin.
"Why are you going through so much to protect us?" Maya almost felt like laughing.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not doing this for you or even him for that matter. You have no idea how much your very presence and story in Kyrat affects us all." Daisy wasn't sure what she meant.
"One does not simply make an enemy of the United states and China without expecting repercussions. And both parties will be searching for things they can pin on us to justify an armed intervention. Imagine five tourists, held against their will and tortured without anyone answering their pleas, escaping certain death or prospers of being sold into slavery. How big the outcry to put down that system that allowed this to happen. A board of inquiry will open demanding for "facts" on the Kyrati regime and then "Yes, we can!" Announces the highest authority to bring that corrupt system to justice without even clarifying the details of whom were the kidnappers. And soon, warships will arrive off the Gulf of India, indiscriminately firing cruise missiles upon our infrastructure. "And oh!- So there is an armed resistance that opposes this government! Golden Path you say? Let's aid them in the rebellion!"." Daisy was shocked that their mere presence would incur such a outlandish development, yet she couldn't shake off the prospect that it could happen. That their own country would use them for such a manuever, for the advancement of their war economy and rare earth metal deposits found in Kyrat.
"We would never-." She wanted to pass her case that they would never betray them. She would ensure it, after all she owed this place too much. But Maya cut in with a raised hand.
"You don't need to. They just need to show pictures of you, you are just a figurehead. In the end, the world only wants to see culprits for their daily injustice. Nobody is gonna ask who those five were and where they are now. "Probably in good hands." Some might say if the government gave this much of a damn to their citizens being tortured. Then you'll have the blood of eleven million on your hands." Maya didn't even need her intellect to figure that out.
Daisy had trouble steadying herself to the kind of impact she could create with just her and the rests' presence in Kyrat. They were safe nowhere save for here. Then, there was really only one option left.
"We'll take option two. We will take option two."
"Fine by me. Let's go." Maya nodded and led the way downstairs.
"And-…. thank you. Miss Maya." Daisy said as she figured there was no better time.
"No… thank you."
"Huh?" Daisy was baffled about what she meant, Maya was doing a lot just by protecting them.
"For not being a hassle to me." She said smiling wryly.
"…Pfft!-.." Daisy couldn't hold back her laughter as she heard something that was over the top unbelievable. Maya shared a few laughs with her before leading her on to the jeep where they would make preperations to go to the safe spot.
"Where do you plan to take us then?"
"A place that no one has heard of."
"Are you sure we can't be found? What if Mohan-… I mean, wasn't he an officer of your Royal Guard once?"
"Not even he will know this place. In fact, no one save for the King and Queen knows."
"Then how do you know?" It would defeat the secrecy, wouldn't it?
"You need to be part of the clans to be allowed entry into the village."
"Clans? Village?"
"A clansman of the Royal Army Hunters."
….
….
It felt like days had went by, even weeks. Ajay began to realize that defeating his inner demon made in flesh was a lot harder than he imagine, and he was the type to take precautions into account regularly. His earlier enthusiasm had been all but diminished, while the demon chuckled to itself in mockery of Ajay's naivety in believing it was a simple affair.
He forgot one important fact about the demon. That it was still a part of him.
It meant that skill, every ability he had mustered over time, everything that he'd learnt or experienced. The Demon had access to all of these and could use them as well, how well? As if it was something it had learnt on its own.
The quiet and hollow red world rung with the clashing of blades. Their exchange was an expression of the phrase, "Survival of the fittest".
Either Ajay would emerge on top and reign over the demon. Or the inner demon would step onto the real world to reign destruction upon everyone and everything indiscriminately just as its true self had thousands of years ago I a history forgotten in time.
But it appeared that the latter seemingly had more chance of succeeding as Ajay had to learn in their spars. Because it knew every move he would make and possessed every fighting style that he did, on top of its insanely demonic strength. The fighting odds were no better to when he fought the three Devas on his own. But this time, he had no firearms. Though, not all hope was loss. He had attained the Summer Form of the Royal Martial Art, which was very effective when his opponent was stronger than him as it would use the opponent's strength against him, just like Tai Chi.
While it did not bring him any closer to wounding the demon or defeating him, it did give him the opportunity to collect his thoughts to figure a way out of this mess. But there seemed to be only one option, he had to force the demon into submission for this burning world to recede.
He didn't know how long he'd been in this world, in this state for. Days?... Months? It certainly felt that long, he'd been sparring with his inner demon ever since. Curiously, in this world, he felt not a single shed of fatigue. So he just kept on fighting, this either meant he was likely in a comatose state or he was truly dead and this was some sort of purgatory.
"Looking for a way out?" The demon said temptingly to him.
(Clang) Ajay mitigated another clash slash away from him.
"You can see the stacking odds against you, you know how this will end."
"I'm destine to lose against you no matter how I try…."
The demon seemed glad he understood that at least instead of stubbornly cling to the glimmer of hope that he could best the demon.
"But, so what!" Ajay responded in defiance.
"I can't possibly kill you with what I have, but I can keep you locked away in here indefinitely." The demon frowned with the mask visibly bending with its facial outline.
"And what of your friends?" The demon began to exert more strength and ferocity into its swings and stabs.
(Clang) (Clang)
"What of Kyrat then, without its demon?"
The demon tried to shake him to draw some hesitation out of him.
"What of Saraswati?"
Though it was subtle, the demon noticed a general pause in his stroke being weaker than usual. The Demon used this opportunity to counter attack with a brutal force sending him flying into rubble of a razed building.
"Typical, so strong against everything, but women. It's always been that way! Your mother, your foreign lover, that klutz of a girl….. If you let me take the reins, I'll be sure to do your part in warming the bed with her." It said with a gleam of lust and licked its lips in a sadistic way.
"Ptt!... If you win, Good Luck. Saras's a progressive type, so don't become her bitch. But if I win, you'll instead be mine." Ajay spat the blood that cogulated in his mouth as he stood up. The Demon laughed at his vulgarity, he was playing the demon's game of spats.
"You know best of all what your enemy is capable of, you've seen what even a single grunt can do. What are the chances of your mire little nation surviving against the Rakshasa on your own?"
"What?" This was another shock upon the mountain of shock. He never would have thought that demon would openly admit the existence of otherworldly creatures.
"Oh? Did you not even know what your enemy was? But of course, if it were just any lowly Rakshasa even you could crush it. No, you're dealing with someone much much worse, Ajay. Something that only a true Deva or an Asura can singlehandedly crush." Demon glanced at him with a mocking smile.
Ajay struggled to his feet as the Demon took its time to converge on him. He shook off his hesitation as it would get him killed if he took things too lightly. The demon sighed at his futile attempt to stop him from rising up.
It lunged forward to steal the initiative of the fight against Ajay, preventing him from countering properly. Such that all Ajay could do was block and parry, yet he still received wounds in the form of mere grazes. But each cut stung with a hint of the demon's cruelty and unshakable bloodlust.
(Clang) Their blades came into locked, but it was more like the demon was holding his swing at bay with an effortless motion. Ajay knew what this meant, the demon enjoyed playing with its food.
"Just what are you really? Why the hell do you know so much?!"
The demon stopped all seeming movement to pursue him as he let him retreat and smiled to him.
"Then. What do you think I am, Ajay?"
"A splinter from the Relic that hid like a refugee in my soul as I travelled through time." The demon sighed exasperatedly as Ajay didn't fully understand yet.
"You're part right, and part wrong." Riddles, Ajay hated that the most. But he was forced to listen.
"I am just as you thought Mohan was on this earth. I am the hollow will that echoed that last cry of vengeful hatred upon Golden Path and all that it held dear… I am the will of Ajay Ghale."
"Nonsense! I never-."
"You never?- Hahahaha!-….Never what? Held anyone else besides Golden Path in animosity? And what makes you so sure? Are you sure that deep down it was truly only Golden Path? Was in not only them, but what they held most dear…. Kyrat itself-."
"Shut up!" It laughed so hard as it had never seen something so pitiful.
"You can't even remember certain parts of your own memories. But then again… are these really your memories to begin with?" The demon continued on with its taunts, but the most it spoke the more it shook him. Ajay stepped back visibly shaken by the demon's attempts to shake him in the core of his beliefs.
"That's right, Ajay. What makes you think that you are the genuine Ajay Ghale of that era of time or this time for that matter? How could an Ajay from that time exist in this era without interfering with the Ajay of this era? You have eluted yourself in thinking that your consciousness had passed over, that might be so, although you forgot to include me. So gullible in your thoughts…. But who's to say, that consciousness had genuine control over this Ajay."
-What-….. What are you saying?!- Ajay said in his mind that raced to piece together the parts it had lay there for him.
-I'm saying, I'm more like Ajay Ghale than even you.- The voice resounded in his thoughts like it could read and channel its voice in his head.
A streak of terror rushed through Ajay as his head was flooded with thoughts that the demon planted in him.
He might not be the real Ajay. Of this time or the past. Then what was he, and why did he possess only the memories of Ajay Ghale.
"Then….. what am I?" Ajay's hand around the grip of his knife loosened.
"Beats me. But if I'm Ajay Ghale's last expression of vengeance. I guess, maybe…. Our perceived roles are reverse."
-Reverse?... But that would only mean-.-
"Yes, Ajay… Or should I call you by what you are meant to be, the fragment of Yalung that stowaway in Ajay's soul?"
Ajay's entire body shook at the revelation of things that had formed in his mind, even if he would deny that it was true. There was a small possibility that he was in fact… a hoax. That it had in fact been his consciousness that had stowaway in Ajay's psyche as he travelled here with the demon. That was why he could see those weird dreams and hear those weird archaic mumbo jumbo, it was because it was meant for him.
-Does it matter who you are…. Your actions have always spoken louder than any words this thing spews at you. Remember?-
All of a sudden, a woman's voice called out and broke the spell of despair as the Demon was just about to deliver the final blow whilst he was being distracted with his thoughts. Ajay parried just in time as the blade passed over and grazed his cheek but didn't decapitate him as the Demon had envisioned. For the first time, the Demon visibly frowned.
Ajay backed away for breathing space. That voice had saved him not just from a certain death but had also given him an encouragement that had solidified his hold upon reality. Ajay turned the flat end of the kukri in his hand to face him. He looked upon the reflection of himself upon the blade, all he saw was Ajay Ghale.
-That's right, it doesn't matter who I am. I can be anyone, so I chose to be Ajay Ghale!-
The Demon laughed as it heard his inner thoughts. "That's right! It wouldn't be fun if you didn't put up a fight for dear life! Now it's my turn to say, come at me, Ajay Ghale! Will of the Demon!" The Demon roared with a booming laughter as it pounced toward him. Ajay readied his kukri to take on the demon a second spar. Strangely, in this world he felt no fatigue at all. Like it was infinite, if possible, with the use of the second form he could literally keep the demon held back indefinitely. He could fight the demon for all eternity, assuming his mental state could hold that long from fighting non-stop.
But why be satisfied with that? If he really wanted to beat the Demon despite its knowledge of him like he was an open book, despite its demonic strength that contended with the Devas. If he didn't try now, he would never know. However, there was a way for him to defeat it.
And that was to surpass himself. Some way the Demon had yet to comprehend itself among his memories.
Beyond what the Demon knew about him that he had not known yet. There was only one thing the Demon didn't have that could trump over Ajay, provided he use it.
He would have to comprehend the third form of Four Seasons Pandemonium, the Autumn style.
…
-Be you Ajay. Badala or Soren. I will always watch over you.-
…..
…..
There was a time when he wished that there would be some action to return to Kyrat, perhaps an exercise or even an uprising just to get away from the desk. If he knew what would happen nearly two weeks ago, he would never had wished for such a thing to happen.
He had been busy signing the documents to approving some of the member nations' Armies' requests on procurement of weaponry and technology such as heavy excavators or cranes and such that would contribute to the growth of their cities development. He was an army general, yet he was made to deal with all these affairs in place of the King and his ministers. What were those damn geezers even holding those posts for anyway? Especially the Foreign Minister, this was supposed to be his job. He was gonna file some charges once things went back on track.
Kumsa was in demand for its abundant food supplies, but it lacked the infrastructure and road to bring them to its neighbours to sell at affordable prices. Something their more responsible Ministers of Infrastructure and Transportation were working on.
Papir Republic wanted facilities to train and educate its population, some bright and energetic students and officers had been sent over to Kyrat to study in the vocation school, hospital and Royal Academy on an exchange.
Yinke was all about the supply of foods via Kumsa which required the new route to build a more improved road system, that and their armour units supply. Because they were no longer supplied with logistics for their armoured force from China or Ukraine, Arjun arranged for them to receive the next best thing, from their neighbour India and Russia via Kazahkstan.
Russia in particular had a vast armada of armoured vehicles from the Cold War that they kept in storage because their army could not maintain that fleet. So there was a large quantity of modern vehicles still relevant in todays battlefield that they couldn't repair or upgrade because of their poor economic situation. Often, some of these vehicles were sold to third-world forces to keep their armies in the current loop, so there were examples of these post-soviet hardware found in many surprising parts of the world. T-80s, T-72s, BMPs, BTR armoured vehicles, the systems which the Yinkian Army tankers were familiar with. He could have the Indian defense industries refurbish, bringing them to condition zero or overhaul them with modern equipment. A bit of contribution to their more powerful neighbour's economy by providing more occupations.
These procurements were justified besides Kyrat's recently shaky relation to their neighbour since Yinke faced the most serious threat from its former ally, the mighty Dragon. Humiliated by that crazy boy, the Central Chinese Committee will never forgive and never forget that insult he gave to them. He had just watched the news the other day on netcase from Indias CNBC broadcast. The PRC had been accused of intruding the Himalayas with a substantial military force by the Indian authorities in a UN board of inquiry meeting. The Chinese countered with their attempt to intervene with a regional war that had broken out with their neighbour but had failed to garner attention as the world objected to the People's Republic of China's mobilization of troops as a perceived pretext to conduct an exercise over the Himalayan borders to ready their troops for a possible outbreak of a second Sino-Indus War. He heard from his colleague in Maharashtra that Badala was now the talk of the parliament behind closed doors. He had shaken too many waves and caught the attention of too many world players that would affect Kyrat.
And now, that said person had just went out and got himself wounded and worse still…. Layak tells him that the boy went into a coma. Was he intentionally trying to make his life a living hell? He could still recall the horror, when he had to make the Palace Guard bar the King from leaving the Palace. Had the Queen not been there, he would have to deal with dead guardsmen lying at the doors and a king missing from his own palace. Either to see the boy, or to requisition some of the troops to go to Yinke to find Mohan. Kamran had left the site with his helicopter upon receiving the news from him so that the King would not hijack his helicopter to do something on his own. The King could not afford to go out especially now when the boy was not in action. He had tried his mightiest not to let the news leak of Badala's apparent mortal wounds, yet it was Manisha who informed him of the rumour mill going around the echelon estates. His censorship had failed, and now the internal enemies would plot with no looming threat of Golden Path or Demon.
He had dispatched orders to loyal troops to remain in their stations with more autonomy to their facilities to counter what would likely be a second civil war if that ever happened. The staging point to repel the rebellion sympathy would be none other than Super Fortress Lanka.
A Palace Guard had informed him yesterday that the King had locked himself in his room depressed, refusing to leave or eat. He locked himself away from so that the Queen wouldn't be affected by his presence. Gary had managed to sedate him and gave him liquid fluids against his will so that he wouldn't starve. For these two loyal subjects, he was ever more grateful.
"(Sigh)"
"This is the eighteen time you've sighed, are you trying to expend our family's fortune and good luck on needless reflex?" said the ever-critical Manisha.
"It would not have come to this if certain people were still there to do their jobs instead of falling ill. Have you even had a look at the King's face? Have you even seen mine? Look! All these black spots under my eyes!" Though he never said who, Manisha rolled her eyes knowing who he was criticizing… as usual.
"From what I've heard, I don't think that boy has ever taken a break without the King or you urge him to. And you can't even accommodate him for a sick leave?" His wife snorted at his usual antics of pettiness.
"…. Hmph!"
This was the first time in four days straight that Arjun could return to the comfort of his abode in Roka Mansion. A comfortable villa with a magnificent view just like the rest of the echelon estates but with an interior that spoke of character. He had his wife to thank for her great sense of fashion and aesthetics. And yet, even with this lovely home with a wonderful ambience. There was still one other person that was in no condition to return to her post. Not that 3rd Kshatriyan Lord position ever had anything to do besides what he/she thought was good for the state and the people. That much autonomy for a single person under the king, he wouldn't say he didn't oppose to this idea when the King did this for his usual acts of showmanship and propaganda purpose to know that he and his retinue were busy doing good work for Kyrat. But it was mostly to spite his old Canton comrade in arms to show that his trust was with someone else if there was ever an emergency.
"How is our daughter?"
Manisha looked at him with a rather subtle annoyance that he took so long to ask that question or to find out for himself.
"You have the gall to ask only two weeks later after she literally cried herself to sleep, how do you think I feel as a Mother about her and about you not being there for her?" She said annoyed.
Arjun was taken aback, it had always annoyed him that Manisha always chose to side with the boy. Was it because he brought up his displeasure to her so often that she used this to get back at him? If so, then where was his once sweet darling of a wife?
"You know that I wasn't home since that boy landed up in the hospital! My god, woman! What did I ever do to deserve this?" He got up from the sofa and stomped out seemingly angry with his wife's picking on him.
"Arjun, dear." Arjun halted in his footsteps when he heard his wife call out in a concerned tone.
"Yes?" He turned back and asked, thinking she was sorry for being so harsh.
"Buy those pastries on your way back." She said in a sweet affectionate voice.
Arjun was so torn between retorting and obliging that he mumbled in dissatisfaction with her overbearing attitude. That being said, he would still go to buy those confectionaries. After all, he loved his wife.
Manisha chuckled thoughtfully as his silhouette disappearing dutifully from the courtyard whilst in her seat next to the fireplace. Arjun was quite forward and straight in his delivery of words that it often caused conflict with those he was less familiar with. Manisha was more than used to it, she knew how to counteract it on her own. Manisha got to her feet to check on the other inhabitant of the house who they had insisted she come back from the Homestead she lived in.
That younger girl staying with her was helpful enough to pack her things to be brought along, it was a joy to see such a sweet girl, this Bhadra.
Manisha had gone to the hospital with her husband to assess the situation of Badala where she and Arjun found Saraswati in that solemn state. She sympathized with her daughter for having to deal with this sort of thing even if it was common that a husband or lover failed to return during war or peacetime for that matter. It seemed that the invulnerability that Badala had been boasted for had come to an end, not that he was ever invulnerable to begin with. Manisha understood that from her conversation with him once.
But this was the first supposed defeat of Badala by the Golden Path, it meant the rise in their morale and drive to take back Kyrat for themselves. Even if she wasn't of military background, Manisha was smart enough to see that Mohan would return to take what was his. He had always been that sort of overly ambitious type, she pitied Ishwari for having to deal with his unrelenting attitudes sometimes. But that wasn't to say he wasn't a good husband, so it baffled her why he had sent her to the palace in the first place.
Why was she thinking about Mohan all of a sudden? Somehow, recalling back to when she met with Badala at his coronation party to Duke and again in the hospital, she saw the same desire in his eyes to push for something he believed in. She just hoped that the boy wouldn't end up like that poor betrayed man and hurt Saraswati in the process.
"Daughter. I've come to check on you." She knocked on Saras's room.
There was no answer after a few times even after she let herself in, fearing the worst for no immediate response. But when she entered, there was her little girl though not little at all. Seated at the window, gazing out into the open air.
Manisha sat next to her on the chair next to her at the coffee table that was part of her old room furnishings. It reminded her of the days when Saraswati was just a little girl, playing social parties with her invited. It was a distant memory, at some point her daughter became more adventurous and tomboyish that she often worried for her future. What sort of lady climbs trees and plays soccer with the boys? It made Manisha chuckle at the thought, because in the end her daughter turned out more than fine. It was a wonder what some makeup, styling of dress and hair could do. Soon the boyish girl that no one wanted became the swan.
But she knew that Saraswati was still of a wild and free spirit, she had a nasty habit of playing pranks and teasing others that still clung on till today. That was why as a mother, to see her so torn in emotion, it hurt to see this kind of flip in her attitude.
"….. I was just thinking, about how fortunate I am…. To have both of you as parents."
"As we are to have a daughter like you, my dear." Manisha placed a hand gently on her cheek.
"I just thought about all the wonderful childhood memories that I had, playing, laughing, the good and warm moments…."
"I was just thinking about the same thing, dear." Manisha chuckled.
"….. But what about-…. Him?"
Manisha knew she could only be referring to one person. She was completely unaware of Badala's history, only that he was raised in America and that life wasn't as how many would imagine in the land of the free. Was it torturous? She had no clue. But perhaps her daughter had a better understanding. After all, Manisha had received weekly reports on how her daughter was doing.
It was only Arjun who didn't approve of this relationship due to stubborn beliefs and the boy's closeness to the King. Usually, it would be an honor like none other. However, he had always complained and warned of Badala's ruthless and manipulative tendencies that outstripped the King in action. He was more dangerous than the King and Queen because unlike King Min's highhanded methods and the Queen's use of capable individuals, Badala went hands deep into the problem himself and made that culprit a bloody example of so that it would not happen again.
But it had proven effective, he was responsible for many major tide pushes in Kyrat and its premier military. Manisha chose to see the good side of a person. He didn't discriminate on class, religion or culture, that was why the Sherpa, Huns and minority tribes always visited his territory freely.
And why the people were only thankful to him for introducing jobs for them in the defense industry and construction sectors. There wasn't a day that went by that a civilian ever bad-mouthed him on her trips to the market and bazaars with her lady friends. Many inquired about his status, wishing to get their daughters to be acquainted with him for their family future's sake. Manisha felt a bit of pride stir up when her friends chatted upon that subject, that her daughter might be the one. Although she knew that Saras's intentions were solely her own rather than for family prestige.
"I'm sure that deep down, he does too."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because if he didn't, why would he do all of these wonderful things for the country? Your father talks day in and day out about how much of a monster he is on the battlefield, that one day that boy would become the likely monarch he would serve. But that's merely asking for things to suit his style, that is just one of the flaws in your father sometimes. If that boy didn't have memories and cherished experiences, he would bear no love for anything." Manisha stroked her head gently.
Saras looked as if she was about to burst into tears, her mother embraced her tightly to let her know she was here for her.
"Say if you were to lose those memories, what would become of you then?"
Manisha was puzzled why her daughter had asked this question as she thought the response. If she knew what was the response her mother would have given, she would never have asked. As it haunted her for the rest of her days.
"….. Then perhaps, you will truly lose your humanity."
The ride was a bumpy one for the five of them, it was even more so because of the cloth bags over their heads that increased their perception of touch and feeling. This was a precaution so as to prevent them committing the route to memory and earplugs to block out the sounds.
Then, the bumping stopped after an hour and a half of driving. The cloth bag was removed from Daisy's head first by Maya, while the rest had theirs taken off by the two accompanying hunters sitting with them on the truck.
This was one of the many supply trucks that made a routine stop at the village to resupply them with everyday necessities as well as bring back fresh recruits to train with the Military Hunter Cadre camps.
What beholded itself before Daisy was a rainforest, which puzzled the hell out of her to see this type of habitat in the mountains of the Himalayas. Kyrat was truly a place full of mysteries. Her friends were equally amazed at the scenery as Maya and the escort hunters unpacked the provisions to bring to the village on foot. It appeared that vehicles were not permitted within the villages premise, Daisy thought. The rest seemed content with the sights. Not to be outdone by the hunters, the boys chipped in for carrying the goods. Although they realized quickly the disparity in their threshold of strength and endurance. Carrying boxes of provisions like they were just a box of papers, they had shearly underestimated the hunters for their physical proportions. Maya was no exception, she was slender and fit, yet was carrying more than those hunters with ease. Do you even lift?
It was easy to forget Maya's qualifications as a Military combat officer, who was a second-in-command to the para commandos in the field. And lastly, was one of the hunters, the deadliest group of reconnaissance soldiers cum assassins within the ranks apart from Pagan's spies. Apparently, all of the hunters came from the same village and were born amongst the clans there, no Kyrati was allowed to join. With the exception of Maya, the protégé of the villages' benefactor Yuma. As it was envisioned, that Maya would succeed her in the years to come.
If the scenery was impressive, so too was the four-metre high palisade wall that isolated the village from whatever wildlife lurked the forests. But it didn't stop there, as the palisade gate opened and revealed a homely looking settlement with character. It was enough to ignore the general appearance of everyone, from old to young. All wore a hood of sorts which gave them a bit of concealment to their features whom the group had only noticed after their spectation of the waterfall that dominated the centre of the village into a lake for washing and drinking. Clean, sparkling water. Bishal seemed to have been here before, as it walked ahead of them as if it were its home to have a dip. The villagers noticed its presence and politely clasped their hands and bowed. Daisy wasn't sure what it meant, but it seemed that the White Tiger had a respectable presence here.
"Ohmygodohmygod-…. Dudes… this feels like we're in a village of assassins." Oliver commented with much enthusiasm based on his video game knowledge.
"Or a shinobi village." Steve added.
"Shinobi?" Riley asked.
"Japanese Ninjas, heard these charming fellows have the same job range too." Clarified Steve.
As they walked in, the villagers turned from their daily routine to gaze at them. It was a sight they had not seen before, which was the access granted into the village to clear foreigners. Where even high-ranking officials in Kyrat weren't permitted to enter.
"Not a lot of friendly stares." Oli noticed.
"Say, Miss Maya. Where are we headed?" Liza asked not to be too quiet within.
"There's only one authority in this village, and she's the one who agreed with sheltering you lot."
They reached a structure that had a wafer of herbs brewing in the smoke, it was wooden like all other houses but was the size of a hall. The two escorts left them as they relieved the boys from the supplies to distribute to the settlement. The villagers began to gather where they were to do what they did routinely in receiving their ration necessities.
Two hunters stood guard at the entrance. When Maya walked forward, they parted to the side to allow her to move through.
"They're here with the Matriarch's blessing." She pointed towards Daisy's ground.
But the hunters didn't seem to move even when she commanded it as they stepped forward to intentionally block them.
(Whistle) A whistle from inside the village matriarch's abode sounded and the guards immediately parted way with their bows holstered.
The door opened and out came the person that Daisy immediately recognised.
"Ah!-." So he was a Hunter too, she thought. It made sense, how he had snuck up into the camp and kept the Golden Path fighters at bay. But there was something else about him that Daisy couldn't put a finger on.
"The Huntress Matriarch is expecting you." Darshan said before returning inside.
"Specialist Major, a moment please." But Darshan chose to ignore.
"Specialist Major, wait!" Maya called out again.
"What is it Major Kadayat?" He asked in a dull tone.
"That gun….." It was easily recognisable, Ajay's slayer did not accompany him to the hospital. So it was in fact in Darshan's possession all this while. She pointed to the gun slung on his arm as he had come out the assist in their entry.
Darshan was a clansman who held the rank of veteran warrior, which garnered a ton of respect among the ranks. Although, he presence among the hunters was a dubious one.
Their old group, her, Darshan, Anish, Prayan. Were a group that had been given special privilege to enter and work within the ranks of the Hunters. Their destination in their career was to be Commanders that had exclusive rights to command hunters which no one save Yuma and the King could. Hunters only worked alongside the army officers, not serve under them. So Maya's group was a pretty prestigious party of promising Royal Guardsmen.
But Darshan was at least nearly twice her age, which was not someone they'd recommend for future command posts. In fact, it was only recently when Ajay mentioned it that she became aware of the secret nature of his relation to Yuma. In other words, Darshan was her secret weapon of clandestine activities.
"I'll return it to its owner when I'm done. The Matriarch is expecting you, don't make her wait." He said before moving onwards to a door to the room he previously occupied.
She was just about to move off when a slip fell to her feet. "Hmm?" She reached down and picked it up. It was a slip of fabric with ancient words written upon it, she had previously not noticed it upon Darshan but a few were placed upon the gun.
-What the hell is he doing?-
Maya wasn't here for him, but he promised to return that to Ajay so it didn't matter. She was aware of how powerful that thing was. It was the number one crowd disperser from numerous accounts of Golden Path prisoners and Royal Army alike. They were even surprised he could use that beast of a gun so frequently.
"Come on." She told the rest as they moved on through the corridor without further hindrance.
They reached the end of the corridor where a large wooden engraved door separated them from the Matriarch. Maya was just about to knock when a voice answered from behind the door.
"I've been waiting for you, child."
Upon opening the door to the room, a fragrance of herbs that had been lingering in the air rushed out to indicate that this was the probably origin point. Sitting on a straw mat in front of a cauldron was an old woman so old that she would either make the perfect reference for a witch crone or she would fall over and die any any moment.
Maya walked up and sat on the other side of the Cauldron.
"Matriarch Jayama." The Matriarch turned to memorize every one of their faces.
"Please, sit." She waved to the straw mats uniformly placed next to Maya in a straight row.
The group were busy looking around the inside of the room with fascination.
"Are you intrigued?" She asked in a grandmotherly tone.
"Uh-no. Just- I mean yeah!" Riley fumbled with his sentences as he somehow felt guilty when the Matriarch was facing him in particular.
"It is quite alright. No harm learning something new every day." She said with a hospitable smile.
"You speak English." Liza said before Steve nudged her for saying something unnecessary.
"I've had more than enough time to learn it. I cannot be expected to be unable to receive the words of my liege and not give him an answer."
"Um….. Matr-."
"Jayama will do, dear." She said to Daisy to skip formalities.
"Madam Jayama, thank you for agreeing to shelter us. We're in your debt, if you need a few spare hands, we won't mind a bit helping out with the daily routines." The Matriarch nodded with a smile, glad that she understood manners.
"Nonsense, child. You and your companions are our village guests."
"Um-…."
"No need to be so reserved, this is merely sowing Karma with the Duke. And at this one's request, the village council will not object." She looked warmly at Maya, indicating that she had a part to play in their protection.
"I see.." Daisy was beginning to see a whole mountain of debts she had to pay in good will to these people.
"But perhaps, you might be the first foreigners not of Kyrati kin to have stayed her in decades."
"Who was the first?" Oli asked out of curiosity that there might have been other foreigners.
"During my time, it was the outsider named Pagan Min. Whom we called our benefactor when he arrived and our liege today."
"Pagan?"
"You might not be aware, child. But the lowlands of the Himalayas was not always a place of peace even before this civil war had begun and ended." The Matriarch begun to indulge a bit of history.
"For as long as the scriptures once said, there used to be one kingdom over the Himalayan lowlands. What is now modern Yinke, Papir, Kumsa and Kyrat. And seated at the throne was the Devi dynasty."
Daisy had heard that the previous royalty had been of the Devi bloodline as well, although it had now ended.
"So Kyrat use to be a lot bigger?"
The matriarch shook her head smiling.
"The names of these kingdoms are of the splinters of nobility that remained after the Devi bloodline was destroyed over a five thousand years ago to run the domains."
"Destroyed, so what about the former monarchy here?"
"They were mere branch members of the main family, or so they used to proclaim. And the best way they thought was to prove that the Kyrati kingdom was better than all of the native tribes that have been inhabiting these lands for countless generations."
"Then that would mean that-."
"Yes, child. We, along with many other local tribes had been hunted for centuries by the Kyrati Kingdom."
The blackest history in the annals of the Kingdom of Kyrat.
"But of course, in vain. The Kyratis have always underestimated the tribes understanding of the terrain better than them, let us not even talk about prowess. Although the other Kingdoms have not been as charitable either. This string of stagnancy ended for us when King Min reached out. And for ensuring peace throughout our generations, we owe him tremendously."
The conversation became far strafing so Daisy tried to change it.
"So how long has this place been around for?" Jayama smiled at her good intentions.
"I don't know."
The rest felt like dropping. As she broke her own veil of mysticism with an honest remark.
"But from what my grandmother used to tell me as she brought me to the sacred grounds where cave paintings portray the beginnings of our tribe. "We have been in these lands for as long as there has been life that flowed into this valley paradise and our ancestors first learnt to overcome themselves and develop a way to harness nature."."
(Whistle) She made a bird call and through the window came in a huge majestic eagle that landed on a perch built just for it.
"All that we are, and all that the King wants from us has been in our tribe before we even began to write it down." She added as she stroked the eagles head and blew smoke into its face to cast a sleeping spell over it.
The boys watched with utter excitement at the trick she just performed as if it was normal.
"Ma'am, I have a request." Oliver raised his hand.
Jayama laughed heartily as she immediately knew what he wanted without him saying it.
"You want to learn? But will you have the patience to understand? Maya took five years to apply and yet even she cannot be called a beastmaster." Hearing her describe the duration made Oliver retract his statement from his lips. He wasn't intending to be out of civilisation just to pick up a rather unusual parlor trick that could earn him big bucks if he played it right. But unfortunately, he had no patience for that. Unless they could give him a regular supply of weed and other fantastic concoctions that Kyrat's brewers had yet to show him.
"Argh. Forget I asked."
Jayama chuckled to herself at the boy's frustrations in life that he showed from his posture and attitude. She then had a one to one talk with each and everyone of them to better understand their social norms and personality.
It was a surprise that such an old lady could process info so quickly where their grandparents struggled. But for the Matriarch who was regularly coordinating the movement of the village and of the hunters in the army, this was no challenge. She had an outstanding memory to back her despite her advance age preventing her to carry out more rugged tasks which were left to the younger villagers.
"Which reminds me, child." She switched to Maya after speaking to Liza who was the last. The latter had surprisingly enjoyed her conversation with the Matriarch. The group felt quite assured of their safety and hospitality offered by the Hunters highest authority that living here for the time being wasn't so bad.
"That flute you spoke of, would it trouble if I could have a look at it?"
Maya sighed. "Forgive me, Matriarch. It was in the Duke's possession until he traded it for Former General Khati's son." The matriarch was a bit disappointed but could not fault him, Bibek Khati was one of the Kyratis that all minority tribes deeply respected as an adversary or as a friend.
"Understood, forgive my selfishness then." The rest had no idea what they were on about, some artefact, they figured.
"Well, I've at least been able to get acquainted with all of you. I will have a guide allocated to you to tour the village as well as manage with your stay here in our home. So once again, on behalf of the village, we welcome you our honoured guests." The matriarch bowed with humility.
"Likewise, madam."
"Oh-Thank you."
The rest bowed or clasped their hands in the same way that she did to return her compliment at least.
Just then, a hunter bursted into the room with a sense of urgency about him.
"This must be important for you to barge in, young one." Although he was at the prime of his life, the hunter huffed to catch his breath. Whatever he was delivering, he had sprinted here non-stop to relay it.
After recovering his breath, he looked around at the foreigners in the room with a hint of surprise. But he walked up to the Matriarch to whisper the details into her ear.
As the hunter dispatch retracted, the Matriarch visibly frowned and sighed in annoyance.
"My child, you'd better return quickly to your post." She said with all the seriousness overwhelming her previous light manner
"What is it, Matriarch?" Maya asked slightly worried with a bad premonition.
The concerned look in the Matriarch's eyes said it all, yet it was only hearing it that May truly found it a disturbing piece of news.
"The Canton Lords are rebelling."
