Author's Notes:

Experimental Super long chapter. Three times normal size. Just seeing how it feels that's all.


(BANG) Another vacuum struck the Rakshasa square in the centre, only this time it was harder. Armoured feathers were blasted apart revealing the softer inner flesh also made out of an unearthly metal.

[REEEAAAHAAAAA!] It wasn't able to see the strike even as the attacker was standing perfectly still in front of it. Following the hit was the sonic boom of the strike sounding off only after a time delay, until there was nothing louder than these hits. People stopped what they were doing as they heard a sound of metal being banged followed by an agonizing inhuman shriek. The Rakshasa sent out a fury of metal feather projectiles at random, hoping to hit something but scored no hits.

Arjun had woken up to find himself inside of a burnt house instead of the chopper which had crashed. The loud bangs had stirred him from unconsciousness and he peered out of the charred window. There he saw the source of the racket.

The Rakshasa monster which had still not been killed by that trap explosive was being pummeled by a shadow. It transitioned to casting its flaming breath indiscriminately for area of effect to hit his untraceable attacker. He also noticed the unfamiliarity of the blood red sky that covered the area, he looked for both Ajay and Kamran back at the charred helicopter but only found the remains of a burnt body in the pilot's seat where Kamran used to fly from. Ajay was nowhere in sight.

(BANG) Arjun watched a black flaming figure attack the Rakshasa in a relentless melee assault and wondered if he could be thinking and seeing wrongly.

(crash) As the Rakshasa tried to fly away, another hit dropped it to the ground, slamming into a crater carved from the impact of that formidable force that struck it. A shadow phased between Arjun's sight and where the Rakshasa had crashed.

Arjun carefully peered at the figure to make out the appearance and in his shock, he found behind the translucent black flames was the uniform worn by Badala.

The figure of Badala appeared over the Rakshasa in a single blink of an eye. Stepping over its body laying to the side gasping in pain, oozing with blood from its wounds. Staring down into the orb for an eye that looked up in terror.

"How did it feel to be above everyone? How does it feel to have be beneath someone?" Cold words were spoken to it, whether it understood human language or not, he didn't care.

A hand reached down and pushed the Rakshasa against the gravel, causing the earth to shatter under the already humongous Rakshasa Griffon.

(crack) The harder he pushed down, the more the armoured body of it began to crack and damage it further than any weapon had.

[IEEEEEEEEEEEE!] The Rakshasa cried out in a genuine agony unlike before.

The hand of its aggressor dragged its wing and body against the pavement before tossing it up into the air. And at the same time- (rip) (gush) Tore the metallic wing off it as the rest of the body flew towards Garud Durbar and created a long trail of blue-purplish blood.

(BOOOM) (crumbled) Smashing upon the roof.

The embodiment of Yalung tossed the wing casually aside and kicked off the ground under him which created an instant crater from the amount of force that was applied. In an instant he flew in the air and landed hard onto the tiled roof of the palace near the Rakshasa.

The red domain was carried with him, emulating only around where he stood. From one of the many panicked civilians' perspective, there was no red sky unless he were in its range. But those inside suddenly experience a terrifying projection of a blood red sky that horrified them.

The Rakshasa lifted its head as if beaten so badly that it could not walk again, he approached the Griffon step by step at his own pace.

(Swipe) Seeing its chance, the Rakshasa ended its feint and swept its tail horizontally to smash him.

(Slash)(Crush) A vacuum slash decapitated the tail portion and rendered it without another limb again.

[IIEEEEERRAAAAAAAHH!]

It used its remaining wing to attack with everything it had, but at this point it was just desperate to keep him from it.

He leaped directly above it and shot out a clenched fist, containing forces that transcended human and inhuman limits. What Purushartha knew during his encounter as the Paragon Fist.

Flattening the Rakshasa Griffon against the tiled roof which could surprisingly hold both its weight and their heavy blows.

Staring down at the Rakshasa, about to finish it off. A sudden build up of stormclouds and ethereal presence gathered over the Capital City of Papir. Lightning instantly danced around from the instant megastorm that materialized.

The Natural Law of the mountains had come once again to judge those upon it.

The one that it had come to destroy for exceeding the natural limit was none other than the Embodiment of Yalung himself. Lightning struck down in a chain of powerful lashes from above, striking the roof of Garud Durbar without regard. And yet, it did not strike him despite standing close to another being that should have been against nature. In fact, it deliberately avoided striking near the Rakshasa at all costs. The Embodiment of Yalung was no fool to the Tribulation Lightnings intent, since the beginning of his onesided pummeling of the Rakshasa he had observed the nature of the Rakshasa. It had no obvious Karma to the Rakshasa kind despite its current form, but within it where the heart of its host was. There was an incredible destiny, this providence was what the Tribulation Lightning could not smite.

For if it did, it would not have the right to exist for destroying one with such a fate to the Mountains. The Embodiment of Yalung was unaware of that importance, he however learnt something else. That the soul pattern was similarity identical to that of an old deceased adversary, it matched that of Sabal.

Here he was escaping death in another form, giving up humanity to live on. Another disdainful act that the Embodiment of Yalung loathed. But there were more pressing concerns for him at the moment. For the embodiment of Yalung felt his power waning, the Karma it chose to burn was less than when he'd sacrificed the childhood memories of Ajay Ghale.

The Karma of a friend named Kamran.

Against his final wish, Ajay Ghale had given up his karma to Kamran. His encounters with the helicopter pilot had been almost inconspicuous, yet the importance of Kamran's abilities to bring him to battlefields quicker than any other was a deciding factor of victory. So it was Kamran's contribution to the turning points that defined the fate of Kyrat and in turn the strength of Karma sown between him and Ajay. The Embodiment of Yalung basked in one of the last few memorable moments as it was about to shatter and burn.

A memory of Ajay and Kamran in the carpool of the Palace having themselves a smoke break. Kamran shared a thought of his wish in Kyrat. That there would be more pilots like him to fly and compete against. He chose the life of a helicopter pilot because he could be free of burden in the sky and he could go wherever he wanted.

"Would be nice to have a race."

"I thought you didn't like competition for airspace."

"Yeah. But at least it ain't as lonely as before. If there were more people in the skies, I'd still be at the top. I'd let them know that these are Kamran's skies."

This memory entered the voracious appetite of the demon as it kept his state rolling. The Embodiment of Yalung's fury reached new heights. The tribulation lightning would judge a fragment of Yalung that exceeded natural boundary, himself. That was fine by him. But it wouldn't kill this bastardized version of a mixed entity that Sabal had chosen to exist as even when he'd taken the futures of others within the bounds of nature. Those with amazing destinies ahead of them like Kamran and Kamala.

The Tribulation Lightning and Natural Law were frauds! They weren't justice, they weren't fair! They were biase unrelenting tyrants! The Natural Law wasn't protecting the inhabitants of its domain.

It was oppressing them.

The angrier he became, the greater the concentration of Blacken flame grew. The more fuel he burnt and in turn, Prana and Karma. The tribulation lightning could feel the burning presence even greater than before, it did not hesitate to destroy him and struck down with its mightiest blow. But he did not want to banish its existence as he had before. It would only reappear when he chose to release all restraints once again. Continually reminding him these was a heaven over his head and a god he should be fearing.

The Embodiment of Yalung wanted to put the Natural Law in this place. In a way that it understood that it was no longer in the boundary to suppress him.

"8th Demon Banishing Hex. Seal!" Called out without the complete enunciations, a powerful banishing spell struck not the Tribulation Lightning, but the Rakshasa.

Freezing it in place, helpless to everything. He reached down, grabbing hold of the Rakshasa's remaining limb and tossed it into the air towards the incoming bolt of lightning. The lightning bolt saw what he had done and tried to divert itself away from the one with the powerful fate no matter what form it took.

He pointed to the sky between where the Tribulation Lightning tired to avoid the Griffon and shouted out-.

"4th Demon Banishing Hex, Karmic Severing!" Again, without the complete spell being enunciated, the karmic blade flew true to its target with the intent to sever.

The Tribulation Lightning was astounded by his actions and unsure of the intent, as the Rakshasa clearly had no Karma which could be severed. But then, the immaterial Karmic blade passed through the Rakshasa and went for its true target.

The Tribulation Lightning.


Hitting the bolt and causing it to distort slightly. But it did not sever the Karma between the Tribulation Lightning and the Embodiment of Yalung as one would have expected. It severed the Lightnings Karma to the Rakshasa. Its belief in the host's destiny and its vow not to strike any semblance to the Son of the Mountain.

The Tribulation Lightning now saw what the Embodiment of Yalung had done to it in such a cunning way. With no restraint to hold it back, the tribulation lighting followed its default nature. To destroy all against Nature. And that included the Rakshasa in the form of a mighty Garuda before it.

Seeing an imminent danger, the Rakshasa flapped its remaining wing to try and get clear of the Tribulation Lightning's wrath. That's when he punched out his hand and sent the Paragon Fist technique. A vacuum resembling his fist fired off at the Rakshasa, slamming it towards the Lightning with greated momentum.

(BOOOOM) Contact between the lightning and the body of the Rakshasa Griffon created a blinding light that resembled a second sun.

[IEEEEEEHHAAAA!] Screamed the Rakshasa Griffon, bellowing a death cry.

The Rakshasa was burning to the Tribulation Lightning power that was meant to kill the Embodiment of Yalung. Its armoured scale-like feathers turned to a crisp and broke off brittely as ash from a dying fireplace. Leaving its charred featherless body to rough the remaining elements of the Tribulation Lightning that had not finished. Even when it was reluntant to smite it, the laws of the Tribulation Lightnings nature was absolute.

The Lightning of Natural Law gazed down at the Embodiment of Yalung and remembered its appearance, for it knew that the encounters with this demon were far from over. A new thread had formed a link between the Tribulation Lightning and the Embodiment of Yalung, a thread of Karma.

When the lightning had depleted, the stormclouds dispelled and returned the sunshine to the City. Levitated in the air as it received its unjustly punishment, the cracking form of the Rakshasa dropped to the roof. Much of its charred remains gave way and vanished in the winds.

"Huh! No! NOOO!" Roared the black-sotted figure of a man that emerged from the ball of ashes that were the remains of the powerful form, staring at his form in disbelief.

"One should be content that you even recovered a human appearance even after that deal with the devil."

Sabal shuddered as he turned to the burning entity who was talking to him. He was aware throughout his rebirth which could not have been called one if he reverted back to a human and a live on at that. But to think that Ajay Ghale was a genuine fragment of the Devil known as Yalung, the way he fought and the way he called upon these godlike powers. There was no mistake.

Ajay Ghale was a Son of Yalung. An existence that made the Mountain and Valley tremble.

"No…. Please-…"

The Embodiment of Yalung closed the distance in a flash without him even blinking and wrapped his hand around his arm and yanked ever so slightly.

(Rip) Tearing his arm clean off.

"AHHHHHAA!" Sabal screamed into the skies, echoing throughout the city.

"That was for Kamala." (Rip)

"AAAAAAAAHHH!" Another hand was ripped off.

"That was for Kamran." (Crunch) A powerful kick smashed the leg of Sabal and turned into a bleeding mess. He'd lost his ability to scream from the mounting pain. Falling against the tiles of the roof with an expression of great agony.

"This is for Lanka."

A hand jabbed down and dug into his last remaining leg from the thigh. The embodiment of Yalung swiped his hand and tore off the last of Sabal's limbs. "aaahhahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-….." A silent scream emerged from his mouth, yet Sabal was still alive where others hand simply died from shock. His will to survive was stronger than anyone else.

"And this is for all the lives you used as a stepping stone." Even after the cruel act of severing his limbs till he was nothing more than a limbless handicap, the Embodiment of Yalung's anger could not be sated nor reeled in.

From his new comprehension through the Demon and understanding of the essence through the Demon Banishers' scripts. He was able to discern that Sabal represented the morning star of the lands. What was oftened called the Son of the Mountains, there had only been two other entities that bore than name. One was Rakshasa King Ishaan, the former King of the Mountains. The other was his usurper Eternal Heaven. Making Sabal equivalent to the "chosen one".

For this, the Mountain and valley's natural law would allow this monster to hurt its own people. He was not going to stand by and let that happen. He wanted to know, even with this knowledge, what was it that defined a Son of the Mountain.

The Embodiment picked up the bloody heap that was Sabal, struggling with every breath and helpless to his raising of him. The embodiment of Yalung glazed with amber irises into the frightened eyes of the Son of the Mountain.

"You forced this upon me. I paid a nasty price to render you in this form, so in return….."

Terror gripped and overwhelmed his own anger of Ajay Ghale or his pathetic state, all that mattered is that he would live. But this demon would never allow that to happen again. He would kill him again, and make sure that he wouldn't have a soul to recover or revive once more.

"Let me devour you!" Before any response was given, the embodiment sunk his tear into his neck. Tearing out chunks of meat that added agony over and over, the Embodiment continued to gouge out flesh and devour it in a way that no meat was left. The embodiment didn't care if it was inhumane nor if he was seen doing it. He would make sure that not a scrap of Sabal would be left.

While being devoured, the blackened flames of his body lashed out and crisped Sabal's flesh till it was white, the victim himself had his eyes turned up in white feeling more pain than ever before.

But in his pain and waking moments of death eternal, an ancient memory unlocked within him. A memory of a past life, rushing into his thoughts clouded in pain. Mixing with his current experiences and life as Sabal, he realized all that had been happening in the background.

-So that was it! ESHAAAAAA! You are disgusting deceitful whore! I curse you and the Rakshasa! The day you enter Shangri-la will be the day of a repeating nightmare! He will stop him! He wouldn't let you take his kingdom from him!... HE WILL STOP YOU!- Sabal roared in his mind in hopes that the one he cursed would hear.

For through these past life memories, Sabal realized the significance of his birth. He was a Son of the Mountains, the most blessed of all creation under the Mountain and Valley. Second to none but the King of the Mountains himself. He was in fact an equivalent to a crown prince, and the mountain his throne in time to come. The Tarun Matara, his vessel to cultivate and achieve a higher plane to stand on equal ground to the Lord of the Mountain himself and succeed him. That was the purpose of those maidens for generations.

But that was not all he saw, he witnessed a vision of a reality where Ajay Ghale had been aiding them, the Golden Path against Pagan instead. The terror of Kyrat used against the forces he fought alongside. Destroying everything in his way, wiping every obstacle that stood between him and his ally Sabal. De Pleur, Noore, Yuma, even Amita and finally Pagan. And so what happened in the end? That version of him turned on Ajay Ghale at his most vulnerable and claimed it all. He won.

It was at these images and the speed of his mind processing due to the closing curtains of death that he suddenly came to an epiphany.

That version of Ajay was this one.

The resentment of Ajay against him, his distrust of Golden Path, his allegiance to Pagan and his knowledge of Kyrat all confirmed it. And by coming here, he'd taken everything away from him in revenge.

A cold dark laughter rung in his head in a more diabolical tone than before when he ascended to that freak form of the Rakshasa. When he was still ignorant.

-Now you know the gravity of the circumstance, Son of the Mountain. Your despair is equal to "his" despair. He will take everything from you too, Eternal! Just as you did before, the cycle shall be complete! That Karma may never be erased so long as it has yet to be repaid. The seers have already foretold, Eternal Heaven fears the Asura!- Her voice spoke to both Sabal and the other one.

[Yet he relishes the Demon.]

An eternal ethereal voice from the depths of Sabal's waning mind answered back by completing the prophecy. Implying that their war had not ended, and there was still a possibility of reverse fortune. It had happened before when they failed to save Kalinag from becoming the Demon.

Sabal knew that he was done, there was nothing that he could do at this point. Only hope that the voice that had answered would at least do one thing for him.

-My lord….whoever you are… Make him suffer…..- The last of Sabal's conscious mind amidst the devouring faded, his soul and body had taken too much damage beyond repair. A consequence of the Embodiment of Yalung tearing out and beginning to eat his heart, where the richest blood existed, and the purest memories were stored. By doing so, the embodiment of Yalung also absorbed the memories of Sabal past and present via Blood read. Sabal was truly dead.

The embodiment of Yalung sensed the presence of Sabal's soul devoured and destroyed, there was nothing left of the body worth salvaging. He also felt the presence of the demon's power fading, the last of the Karma was burning to its very end. He reverted back to his human state, as Ajay Ghale. Filled with exhaustion and burning muscle fibres from overworking.

Ajay could barely get up and felt his consciousness fading slowly. But he hung on, he still had one more thing to do before he could close his eyes easy. Taking out the knife, he cut his arm and engraved upon it the initials of a name.

Taking satisfaction that the next time he woke, something could remain even when he couldn't remember.

(plop) Ajay finally hit the deck of the roof and went into unconsciousness.

By the time the authorities came to retrieve him, the civil unrest would have been qwelled and actions taken to aid Papir Republic in its active recovery. Among other concerns.

Such as a religious unheaval.


….

Battles raged on throughout the mountain and valley, there was no peace to be found anywhere. Because no one was at peace, all were bent on vanquishing the tyrant King and liberating the Crown Prince of the Yakshas' bride-to-be. Stolen at the last moments of the nuptials, he charged in on his own and shrew the bride's parents, fought and wounded the Yaksha King and diminished a bulk of the Yaksha warrior ranks singlehandedly.

They were justice, they were the alliance of man, Vanara and Yaksha. But the road towards freeing Princess Esha of Jalendu lay in defeating all four Pillars of Akaash. The Western Gate Army fought the Vanara. The South Gate Army led by Purushartha fought the dreaded Demon Banisher Order as the Humans' vanguard. The Eastern Gate Army had the pleasure of fighting the Yaksha head-on, the bastards that coerced the inhabitants of the Mountain and Valley into confronting the Rakshasa.

Ishaan trusted his most loyal friend and General to show the Yaksha their place. Even if they could not withstand the assault, the Northern Gate Army still stayed in reserve. Commander by the King's youngest sibling.

The biggest battle was waged in the lushest forests to the West where mountains of the Himalayas lay, inhabited by all manners of creatures, with fruit and berries ever so bountiful. It had also provided the Vanara sufficient protection against mounted units forcing their infantry to face the powerful Vanara warriors in hand-to-hand, one on one. Due to the confines and denseness of the forest.

"Burn that forest, let the apes decide whether to stay hidden and die or come out an die." The dispatch to Narmada saluted and left to inform his Commander of his orders.

"Now all will know, how precious the Princess truly is." The Regent of Akaash lamented.

"To us."

"Only if we reign, however this alliance has struck a nail in the keystone. They know that this forced situation where we rule can be undone. If this alliance falls then another will rise, and so on and so on."

"That is for the future."

"Our former liege, the old King. He made the error of believing we could speak of peace, even equal terms with these treacherous parasites!"

"Lord Rakshasa is never wrong. If indeed it was a mistake, then our presence here too is one." The King still remembered to call him respectfully as the liege of the Rakshasa, retired or not.

"Order will eventually return as it always does." He affirmed to the Lord Regent.

"Only if they are put in their place." But the Lord Regent would not back out.

"Why do you not call upon the Mountains to smite them instead of sending good lives to waste on the battlefield?"

"They came looking for a fight, we will answer them with the same."

"Then why did you depend on the Mountains to rescue Esha? Why did you smite Lord Yaksha, slaughter his companions and kill her father and mother?"

But the King remained silent.

"I can never understand you! Why do you insist on traditional ways? They are animals, slaughter them as they are!"

"And prove them right?!" The King shouted back.

"What do you think they want? To be righteous in their cause! I will not have them in the right!" The King walked up to whispering distance of the Lord Regent as this war council.

"I am ashamed to have even heard this from you, esteemed father."

"How can you even say of such? They stole our daughter, your sister from our own city and forced her into marriage! Those two ingrates that ran and left their child in our hands to kill in their place! Then, they stole her again to sell her for their advancement! If that is not behavior of animals than what is?! Would the Mountain and Valley tolerate such parasites?!"

"I am the Mountain and Valley! What matters deciding their end fate is mine and mine alone!" Roared the King once more, his father the Lord Regent was taking this matter too personally. Esha was after all his precious daughter, adopted or not. The Lord Regent finally stepped back.

"I am King of the Mountains, Royal Father. While there are subjects under the protection of these mountains, this includes them. Then I will act as a King would."

"You are naïve…" His father mumbled away not believing in his ideal. His father, the Lord Regent was a firm believer in Rakshasa Supermacy over the Mountain and Valley. Was it not the Lord Deva who built it for them to begin with?

"You have a daughter to attend to, see to it." The King dismissed him with that answer. The Lord Regent shook his head and mumbled in frustration. His own son had the power to destroy them at a flick of a finger and he does not. What more could displease him?

He was a decorated war hero himself, a battlefield terror, but not magnanimous in victory as the Old King noted. The former General of the East Gate always despised the Yaksha in all their vanity. Now too old to fight out in the front, he gave his advice based on his experience and left. He passed a glance at the young General next to him, also of his blood, before departing.

"Maybe esteemed father is right. These Yaksha are so bold they would break the age old pact."

"Are we better than them? Brother?"

"Are we?" the King chuckled at his answer.

"Not sure yourself, how can you call yourself Lord Father's son?" The King said laughing in a friendly and casual way to his younger brother.

"Alright, we are better." He answered.

"Then we should show them we are. If there is no one left, then who would we affirm this to?"

"….." The King rested his hand on the North Gate General's shoulders.

"No one wants to be wrong, but there need not be only one right. We will work together one day."

"Who would work together with us?" His brother answer half-believing it was possible.

"I have a feeling, man."

"Man?" He instantly broke into laughter.

"The lowest of them all, were it not for those vile Demon Banishers they would be nothing. Their mortality is lesser than my coming of age trial."

It was easy to look down on man, the weakest of the Gods creation yet favoured most. Time and history had proven so.

"Yet, they have progressed this far on their own. The lower valleys reign cities of theirs appear in the blink of an eye. They achieve so much in such short lifespans. Truly, if we were the same, we might not show the same brilliance." It was weird to hear the Mightiest King under the mountains praise the weakest of the inhabitants.

"Humanity has a fickle nature."

"Then, we should teach them a nature they can accept wholeheartedly, guide them in a likeminded path. Their journey here was for Shangri-la after all, was it not?"

"(Sigh) If you love them so much, why not marry one of them?" It was merely a jest on his part, but the King decided to play along.

"If it would make them realize we stand on equal ground."

"Do not joke around! You would break Esha's heart!" He said in a stern manner, he knew his sister's feeligns better than any. Even their brother the King.

"So I should be a king without consort then?" He said smiling.

The Northern Gate General could not answer, it was a king's duty to continue his line after all.

"Why did you not take her as one?" It was a question that rung in everyone's mind. They knew his affection for her was the strongest of all, if not he would not have done what he did to Jalendu.

"You ask quite the obvious question."

"What is it then?"

"I have never once seen Esha as not family." The barrier of moral that he placed between them, because he was her brother and she was his sister. His brother understood it was because that was their relation since the beginning.

"Even if she happily would not refuse, I cannot take myself away as a brother who loves her to become a husband that loves her." The General of the North Gate had no choice but to agree, no sibling should become spouse. Or the foundation which civilization was built upon would fall. Perhaps if civilization and society were different then it would be in another reality, but this was this reality.

Even so, the General of the Northern Gate felt that no crueler fate had befallen them. A fate even of their own choosing.

"However, I will not take any consort before her, so I will take none."

"You cannot, Brother!" He knew that a king had a duty.

"I am the King of the Mountain, brother. I may do as I please until I am no longer King. When the time comes, I hope the Mountain and Valley will pick another young and brave warrior to wield this and led our kind forward." He patted the sword in his sheath.

"Urgent report!" A limping dispatch with a blood trailing behind him knelt before them gasping.

Bearing the flag of the Southern Gate Army.

"What has happened?"

"The Yaksha attack Lord South Gate and after pincering him with the aid of the apes!"

"Some managed to slip past the Eastern Army, did they?" The King nodded for his brother to move in to aid the Southern Army.

"M- My Liege!-." But the dispatch seemed to have more bad news, or he would not be hesistating to tell it.

"Speak!" His brother demanded.

"Th- The Eastern Gate Army-… They-….. They aid the Yaksha!"

Not even the King could hide his disbelief. The unexpected had occurred, where not any General had turncoated but, he had. His closest companion and ally throughout his campaigns, his brother by bond.

"Lord East Gate has betrayed us."

….

….


[From now until the end, you shall be Son of the Mountain]

His awakening was slow but without ailment. He found himself in a rather comfortable bed, judging from the layout and design of the room he was in a medical facility. He looked under the sheets, he was still in his tattered armour. Worn by the formidable power unleashed upon a certain individual.

It meant that he had no injuries they needed to treat, just a cot to give him a place to rest up. Climbing out of the bed was not issue, he wondered if he was still in Papir or back in Kyrat.

Ajay flexed his arms and legs to make sure his body was ok, he also did a check of his mind. By browsing through the diary of his, that's when the memories of the event that transpired hit him. This included the stolen memories of Sabal.

"Son of the Mountain….."

The ambiguous title given by the Priest of Jalendu to the Rajput family, a title confirmed by Esha and his own understanding of the occult. Sabal's fate had been predestined, to lead Kyrat. Or so the priests were made to believe from divinitations. His role in Kyrat was just as prominent as the Tarun Matara. And Sabal was aware of this lineage. Which implied the reason the former Sabal in his last reality tried to kill him was because he was a potential obstacle in his rule. Ajay felt that he'd truly let down everyone in that reality including himself, he created his own nightmare.

The Son of the Mountains had the qualification to become the King of the Mountains, effectively the ruler and the one who controls the Mountain and Valley and its natural law. That was why the Tribulation Lightning dared not strike Sabal, but it had not expected the power of the Demon Banishing Hex, a strand of an equally powerful Astra of Yama to disable it. Fueled by Yalung's fragment putting it on par or even greater.

There was some kind of invisible war going on between the ruler of the Mountain and Esha. They were playing cards against one another or building up trumps, and his people were being caught in this crossfire.

Ajay looked down at an itch on his arm. The door opened and in came Kyrats highest ranking officer.

"Marshal."

"Badala…" Arjun walked over and sat on one of the chairs on the side of the bed with he'd risen from. Staring at him whilst Ajay checked himself and equipment.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine."

It was clear to see that he was, Arjun was here for another reason.

"What was that?"

"What day is it?" Ajay asked instead of answering his question.

"The 11th November." It was next morning.

"What's the situation with the City?"

"That can all wait, I want answers first. So tell me, what in the world was that?"

"I won't have a clue what you're saying if we don't follow the same picture."

"How did you beat that monster?" Hearing this from Arjun, Ajay laughed freely at his expense.

"Monster? I thought the Marshal of Kyrat only acknowledged one monster sitting before him now."

It silenced Arjun in the most awkward of situations.

"… It was my fault to judge and distrust…. I'm sorry." He said in the most humble and sincere of apologies.

"Apology accepted."

"So will you tell me what that was and how did you do what you did?"

Ajay rubbed his chin, to be honest he had not indulged Arjun on these matters of occult precisely because it would be detrimental to his focus in managing the Army. He was running it and could ill afford to micro-manage.

But Ajay figured that this far, he shouldn't keep Arjun in the dark or he would ill prepare the troops to the actual calamity. So he revealed the existence of the Rakshasa, their purpose and collaboration with Golden Path, the Ressurection of Mohan and the new nature of the Golden Path. He also told Arjun about his own nature, a fragment of Yalung.

Arjun was greatly stricken by the truth that was told by Ajay, the incident today had supported it. But to have affiliation to the Demon God that everyone knew, it worried Arjun more than before. The folklore was told to him as a child and it ingrained into his thoughts that Yalung was a Devil through and through. But Ajay completed one secret that undid all of these thoughts.

He told him of how Kyrats greatest hero of legend was also the Demon God or became one. When Ajay had finished his story he walked to the door and left Arjun to ponder and absorb what he'd learnt today.

"When I return to the Royal Fortress, meet me at Yakshini's Peak complex. I've something to show you."

He stopped at the door as he remembered something.

"Do you know anyone by this name?" He held out his arm with sleeves folded to show him a name inscribed on it with a knife.

Arjun casted a look of disbelief on him.

"If you could do me a favour, will you find his family and tell them for me that Badala remembers Kamran?" Ajay said with a smile before leaving a stunned Arjun.

And so, Ajay wandered out into what appeared to be Sagarmatha Airbase, he was back in Kyrat. Nearly three days had passed since the battle of point 2153, what was now being called the North Valley Invasion. On international news, this was a Bay of Pigs-like invasion sponsored by the CIA that ended in tragedy for the US forces involved. Including one freak detonation of a nuclear device upon a Carrier Strike Group. Officially, they had bumped into the exercise forces of Russian, India and the Himavana Alliance and engaged them. Questions were being raised why the US forces were there without declaration and the use of active military force to invade the less-known state of Kyrat. The US government was faced with a deadlock and eliminated from the playing field in Central Asia due to Pakistan removing rights to bases in their lands. UN could not protect them as they went against every principle it stood for, having no choice but to condemn its own Permanent Security Council member. The Russians were clearly relishing the feeling, the Chinese watched as the avoided a possible disaster themselves.

But for how long before the United States acted in their new approach, an approach of even greater military might. They were the most powerful force on the planet, that title couldn't be stepped upon by an insignificant military power and one dictator. Ajay just needed to show them the error of their ways. Was it possible to survive US intervention? Present history proved it was all a matter of powerful friends, military might, and international and local appeal. Cuba prevailed in the '60s, Vietnam repelled US and the pro-American forces, the ongoing urban battles in Iraq and Syria showed a stubborn resistance that said they would not yield to foreign powers. If Kyrat and the Himavanas didn't fight for theirs, they would be pushed around and forced into a state of sub-servience.

He needed to commit one more act to show that no treaty could save them, could stop him from doing what he would do and they'd better stay away from the Himavanas. He had to show that attempts to exploit them would result in consequence that even International pressure could not save them from. He was the Demon of the Himalayas, he fully embraced that fact. But he would have them do the same as well.

Arriving at the Air Command Centre where the Chief of Air Force was filling away his reports. When he was seen by the staff officers, they gathered the relevant documents to the table for him to process. Ajay browsed swiftly through the papers provided to him and got a better understanding of the picture.

The commanders of the operation were awaiting his instructions. Ajay put down the final report and they became eager to hear from him.

"I won't be able to partake, I have another business to sort with our domestic enemy." Was not to their expectation from. It honestly worried them to not have him at their mens' side fighting.

"Sir, I do not want to discount this but if you aren't with them-." Rohan wanted to dissuade him from attending to other affairs.

"I won't let them go alone. I'm leaving all three Kshatriyan Lords to accompany the ground forces."

The officers discussed this change in strategy by means of switching out strategic figures. The absence of Badala at their mens side where his presence often associated with victory was a huge favor.

"Vasu will accompany 6th Mechanized to link up with YLA Republican Guard at the border. Han Feng will stand by with Lieutenant Colonel Nagash for the paradrop to neutralize their Airbase. Jeevan will go one day in advance to establish contact with the local resistance." They agreed that having those three would be an asset, from the reports they heard about their feats.

"Jason Brody- no. Snow White will storm the US embassy and capture its ambassador." The staff broke into protest.

"This will be a test to Brody to prove himself to the Army. I'll have a group survey him."

"My lord what if he rebels, he is after all an American. He could disclose sensitive information all together and no one could stop him." Their fears were justified, but Jason would do no such thing. He would ever be unable to go through with it or he would do it. Because Ajay had a link to Jason, he could tell when he was up to no good and before he could lay a hand on one of Ajay's men. Ajay would sever his Karmic thread and kill him instantly.

"Jason brody won't, on this I'll swear to you. He'll die before he even thinks of turning his gun towards our soldiers. I have an assurance."

"My lord, if I may. How sure are we the Chinese won't act in favour of their allies?" Another officer asked.

"I've already had a side deal with them, they won't act and they'll even persuade their friends not to interfere. Whether that advice follows through is another matter entirely." That underhand deal, he was honestly not surprised. The Chinese were a voracious and ambitious lot, if not for the stubbornness of Indian military might, they might've continued their expansion throughout the Himalayas besides Tibet.

But beyond forced friendships, there was one thing that the Beijing wouldn't mind. Which was another party punishing the United States and Western powers in particular. The Chinese might be friendly on the surface to the Western world but it still held animosity for events like the Boxer Rebellion, similarly it resented Japan for Nanjing. It may have been ancient history, but they never forget deeds, good or bad. When they reached a state of power to rival the West, they would strike back and make them feel the same despair their ancestors felt long ago. The sweetener to their deal? Ajay handed them full custody to the wreckage of Aurora. Thirty years old, it still held basic roots to stealth and advance aviation technology that wasn't available to the Chinese. For a Hypersonic stealth bomber was a strategic asset they couldn't turn down. Kyrat had no use for it with their level of aviation industry amounting to zero. However, this still didn't make them friends. Beijing respected that and would think twice about an invasion of Yinke in future.

Ajay observed his officers' expressions for doubt, there could be none for this sort of mission.

"Sir, to clarify. Are we not taking prisoners? Does this not go against human right?" Ajay smiled, but the officers got a more dreadful impression which was not his intention.

"I'm glad that you still ask that, Major. But we are at war with United States….. War. The pleasantries of sympathy and humanity only come after a peace treaty. We've not received word from any embassador, so its safe to assume Washington still wants to continue where we left off."

"…"

"But if you want to take prisoners, then I'm fine with that." He said to the officer with a moral conscience.

"Sir?"

"What war has no spoils? If any of those Americans surrender, you're free to take them back as… well, spoils of war." They were shocked to hear him say that, their magnanimous and righteous lord was insinuating the legality of slavery.

"Sir, I must protest. No democracy-."

"No democracy? Have you ever read history? Greece, the founding nation of Democracy had slavery. America itself a democratic nation had Black Slaves, even till this day there is still a form of slavery. The world just calls it by another name to hide the sham of it. So when you tell me about what's right based on the world's opinion, you don't know what the fuck you're even talking about!"

The officer was chasted for angering him.

"Pass it down to the men. Men, women, children, whatever. If you don't want to force others against their will then just kill them like you're supposed to, Major!"

The Major looked reluctant as ever.

"Let's have a bet then, shall we Major? We'll conduct as social experiment for our men and see what they think." He looked up to Ajay.

"We'll see how many of our soldiers bring war trophies home. If I'm wrong and not a single one brought one home, then you can have the pleasure of saying that I was wrong."

Once again, Ajay had left the staff shocked by his atrocious actions against fellow humanity. This was not the first, the North Valley Invasion was the same. Some officers watched as their men fervently followed his ideal of being cruel to the enemy. Even when fighting the Golden Path, there was a modicum of respect for them as rebels. But to foreign invaders, the Demon was truly a demon.

So concluded the brief update on the plans of Operation Hai Ba (Two Sisters). The significance of the name stemmed from the Vietnamese Trung Sisters, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi who rebelled against the Chinese Empire to gain independence for their Indochina state. Motivated by revenge against the Chinese parent officials of their land who murdered their husbands. Kyrat was in a very similar situation when the CIA, a lackey of the US government had intentionally plunged Kyrat into Civil war twice.

"I have another matter to report to you, sir." Rohan came over to whisper to his hear as the other officers were discussing amongst themselves on how to prepare for this. They were willing, but they would hear each other's opinions first.

"It can wait."

"I'm afraid not, sir. With no disrespect." Ajay turned to hear what Rohan had to say. And listened to the story of how Pravindra took an enemy pilot for a "joy ride".

Ajay rested his palm on his face. "Release him. The penalty will come afterwards."

Rohan didn't argue, he dialled the phone to the brig officer to do as Ajay had said. "Where is that pilot?"

"In the brig, sir."


The Brig MPs let him through with no questions asked, no logbook signed or any other formal security check or procedure. There was no mistake on who he was. He both built and owned every brick of this place after all.

Ajay made a turn through the corridor to one of the cells led by an interrogator flanked by MPs. He entered the corridor cells and spotted two figures conversing between bars. One spotted him right away and called out.

"Big bro!" The prisoner opposite was wondering who secured his release. The MPs moved forwards and opened Pravi's cell and uncuffed him.

"Geez. You didn't have to come all the way here to see me out."

"I'm not here for you, clean yourself up. And get briefed, or did you forget who Commander Singh put in charge of Eagle Squadron?"

"Uh- Hey! Then who are you here for?" Ajay answered him not, but pulled out a chair and placed it in front of his cellmate's cell.

"Olivia Lowde."

"It's Lieutenant Lowde. Service number 91-433-." The US pilot answered.

"Makes no difference if you're a grunt or flag officer. I am Badala."

"You are… Badala?" She seemed stunned to hear him speak in a Brooklyn style of accent, implying he was American or at least used to be.

"So, Olivia Lowde. How shall we execute you?" Ajay dragged a chair from the back and placed in out in front. Pravi was standing stunned by his first sentence to Olivia.

"Bro. What are you-."

"Your sentence has been revoked, it's time for you to leave!" The MPs grabbed him and tugged him out. But he managed to slip through.

"Let me stay and listen." He pleaded to Ajay with a seriousness in his eyes that was rarely there.

"Then sit and listen." Pravi just gratefully sat and listened to the conversation that would take place as Ajay spoke to the Prisoner of War.

He turned back to Olivia with a gaze that shook the enemy pilot's psyche of mental defense.

"Perhaps I should list down the options then. Option one, the least painful and only a moment of agony. A cyanide pill, Pagan's spies always leave some lying around. The greatest show of mercy I can provide."

Olivia wanted to open her mouth, but the pressure he released had made her meek.

"Option two, a firing squad. You can enjoy the last request for any meal you enjoy, a hamburger, a steak. Even a three-course dinner."

The second was no more "merciful" than the first. Olivia kept quite for the time being to seek options to live.

"But if you're really afraid of death, then option three might be considered." There was something wrong with his smile that was ever so frightening.

"You can spend a lifetime locked away in Durgesh Prison, a charming spot high in the winter mountains the Snow Guards there call "Little Siberia" If you aren't in the mining camps, then you'll be placed with a first-class view on the penthouses. A place where the Warden stashes away all those criminals and exiles worst than humanity itself, your fellow Americans Agent Willis Huntley and Director Paul Lynch are enjoying themselves right now." Ajay got up from the seat and placed his hands on her cell bars.

"Where you'll have only the cold winds to accompany you, truth serum regularly pumped into your body just because. Not even Rats want to be there, soon you'll turn to yourself for company. But if you can still reason and understand your own despair before your mind breaks, freedom is just a leap of faith away. Four thousand feet down into an icy abyss, because Durgesh has no walls, no railings or bars." He placed his finger to his head.

"Its here that keeps our inmates locked up."

"Th-That's against treaty! I'm being held against my will without proper treatment! You can't do this!" Olivia sudden broke from the spell of fear and voiced out expressively.

"We are far from recognizing treaty as we are under accordance to it. United States foreign policy is now in the gutter, and Lieutenant Olivia Lowde along with every Pilot and soldier within the Expedition has been disavowed by the US armed forces."

"What?!"

"Did you not read Operation Switchblade's contingency procedure?" Her mind raced as to how he knew the details of the operation better than she or her superior officer did.

"In the event of a failed assault, all personnel are to be disavowed/charged with treason against the Commander-in-chief for acting out without orders." Ajay recited one of the paragraphs that indeed existed in the mission folder read by the US Ranger colonel he absorbed memories from. How much of their intel had been leaked, she wondered?

"It's not all that surprising since this was a black operation. You aren't the only soldier your government has betrayed here in Kyrat. A little while ago, Force Recon was here as well. Half joined us and returned back home alive, the other half that stood against us… well you get the idea."

Olivia was quiet as she was not sure of what to do, she constantly cast her eyes towards Pravi hoping he'd speak up since he showed some kind of influence to the Demon of Kyrat.

"Consider your choice of poison my highest regard for your position as an enemy officer." He said sitting back in the chair. Death, was not an easy word to accept when presented as a choice. Olivia felt the despair pressuring her into relinquishing her loyalty to country.

"…I-… I have valuable information." She said painfully.

"I don't need your intel. And I don't need your interference, I'm only here to give you the respect to choose your mode of execution." She looked up wearily and afraid as the interrogator already stepped forwards to unlock her cell.

"Wait! Please! I-….. Your mercs….. let me join them!" Olivia had learnt much from Pravi's big unconfidential mouth as Ajay could understand without looking at him.

"No thanks, my company doesn't accept renegades anymore." After what happened with Coriolanus and the turncoating of 2nd Squadron, the Air power had taken a massive toll. Even Pravi was silent, he lost Arun during that sortie.

"Give him something, Olivia!" Pravi said frantically. "I know him, he'll really follow with his words!" Ajay remained silent as he noticed Pravi had some sort of influence over her with intrigued him because he wasn't exactly charismatic even amongst his fellow IAF pilots.

'My lord, if I may…..."

The interrogator leaned over and whispered to him the details of Pravi's regular trips here. Hearing about this, Ajay couldn't help but want to chuckle.

"Heh! That's cute."

"So, Pravi. When are you intending for the wedding to happen?"

"Big Bro! Please, I beg of you." Pravi went on his knees in front of him much to his surprise.

"Need I not remind you, Pravindra Kumar. That this is an enemy pilot. I've had a little look at the flight logs, do you know what her previous flight record was?"

Ajay squatted down in front of him to be at the same level as Pravi.

"Confirmed kill of a Su-30MKI wandering fifteen kilometres within the Pakistani border airspace. 5th October."

"That-…" Pravi was frozen solid as he realized the significance of that date. It was the day of the Canton rebellion. The day he destroyed 2nd Squadron by himself and when returning home from finishing off Winnefred Coriolanus, he was attacked by two F-22s. They had been dispatched because of the commotion of the dogfight between him and 2nd Squadron caught on the Pakistani radars.

Pravi turned to Olivia. The one that had been directly responsible for the death of his co-pilot and friend with conflicted thoughts.

"Ironic, you nearly allowed Arun's killer to escape. The one you swore to kill in air-to-air."

"Pravi…" Olivia looked at the mess that was Pravi's expression.

"Even so…." Pravi spoke.

"I forgive her." Ajay crossed his eyebrows at his words.

"Will you do the same? Will you give her a chance to live?"

Ajay's silence didn't mean he didn't agree, he was merely reflecting on what he said. In truth, he was surprised by the reckless Ace Pilot's growth, he was sure Saras and Commander Singh would have been happy to hear.

But now, he was left with the problem. The life of this pilot determined the resolve and eagerness of his Air superiority trump. A woman had once again been the reason for this. How weak men were to the natural wiles of the opposite sex. Then again, so was he to Saraswati and Maya.

"Olivia Lowde."

"Y-Yes?"

"The decision is yours, chose my options….. or his alternative." Hearing his agreement to his pleas brought excitement back to Pravi who thanked him incessantly, even though it wasn't his life that was on the line. But he would give up his pride for someone else, that was still admirable to Ajay. So he couldn't hate Pravi no matter the case.

Olivia was not ignorant to this and she understood her own situation as Ajay had stated. Operation Switchblade did have this contingency in effect if it failed. She stubbornly refused to accept that the military would also accept a failure till the newspaper arrived. She knew that the CIA and US government would do all to remove all loose ends. If she returned to the country, whether escaping or returned, she might be gunned down or imprisoned for life in a maximum security to silence her for good.

"Please…. Let me work with you." Her said bowing her head.

"Ok. But I have a few company rules."

"Ok?"

"You are a part of Lupus Caelum, but you will be subjected to the Military Law of the Army here." That was number one indicated by his first finger.

"You will respect the Ranking officers of the Royal Army like they are your superior officer." That was number two.

"…."

"If you mutiny or murder a fellow colleague, I will make an example of you."

"I accept."

"Hang on, don't go accepting so quickly. I haven't listed out all of the things so don't sign a contract without reading terms and conditions." He chuckled at her sense of urgency.

"You will be under suspension for 48 hours so that Chief Khalid may screen you and assign you a unit. Everywhere you go, if you don't call in with him every two hours. Khalid is going to consider you a hostile and I'm going to dispatch the Hunter Cadres upon you. And believe me, there's nothing they couldn't track down for me."

"So… it's like a parole then."

"In a way. In consideration of your fighter pilot career-.."

"She can join me!"

"Easy there, tiger. You're more excited than a boy who got his first Nintendo. She might fly American series of jets, but whether she can transition is another question. Chief Khalid will decide that." Olivia got the impression that Badala was like Pravi's parent than an older brother. Their relationship was not very clear, but it seemed that Badala still depended on Pravi in some way, most likely to assert air superiority.

"Let's consider after that suspension the start of your career, so the mode of payment will be fifteen grand of American Green equivalent monthly wired to a Swiss account. You get an allowance of eighty thousand rupees to spend on basic necessities and such."

Olivia was shocked by the amount, nearly thirty percent more than her pay grade at her commission rank. Considering her forced option, this was unreal. Almost too good to be true.

"I want to hear it, Olivia Lowde." Ajay said to her.

"Please… let me join?" She wasn't sure what he meant.

"You know what I mean, I want to hear you renounce your allegiance."

Olivia stepped back shocked and silent.

"Bro…. don't you think that's a little harsh?"

"As it stands, she's working for us but also working against us. I'm not gonna tell you it's easy to abandon a country that gave you your wings, you need to decide between loyalty to the death or shame in living. If you want any comfort from knowing, your country has the liberty to discard you and eleven thousand other soldiers at a mention of a word. You're free to remain loyal to that sort of bureaucracy that sends its soldiers out for war profittery."

Harsh words of reality hit her in her predicament.

"I tell you what. I don't need you to say it, I want you to show it." Ajay whispered to the interrogator and he nodded. Leaving the cell area to carry out Ajay's orders.

For fifty minutes, they sat in the cell not talking to one another. Olivia prepared herself mentally for what Ajay had in store for her.

The door slammed open and in came a cuffed individual with a bagover his head. Two MPs threw him onto a chair and cuffed him on it.

Ajay got up and walked to the bagged prisoner.

"Pravi, wait outside. She won't be long."

"But I-."

"Wait outside!" Pravi cast a look of worry towards his friend before leaving. Ajay had given her the opportunity to live, all she had to do was take it.

Ajay rested his hand on the prisoner's should as the MPs opened her cell and made her sit on the seat parallel to the Prisoner and Ajay.

"This is Paul Lynch. Director of the East Asia Theatre in Langley. He had a bright and colourful history in Kyrat before his leapfrog career in the CIA. He and his friend instigated Civil War in our country not once but twice. First with the Nationalists leading to the assassination of our previous monarch and Royal family. The second time when they supplied Golden Path terrorists." Ajay took off the cloth bag to reveal a heavily scarred face from all the torture he'd been made to go through over the week.

His mouth, however, remained tapped as Ajay didn't need him to flap it. Ajay waved his hand to the interrogator who took out his sidearm, a .44 magnum revolver. Olivia suddenly had vibes of what he was going to ask of her.

"You want me to kill him?"

"No, dear." Ajay dropped one bullet into the chamber and spun it.

"I want you to gamble your lives."

"MMMMHH!" Lynch screamed behind the tap as hard as he could. Olivia shuddered, he wanted her to play their chance of living against each other.

"Why?..."

"You have a fair chance of surviving as much as he does. Regardless of whose sins are greater, that's what I call fair."

He stood between them and held out the gun.

"So, who goes first?"

Olivia's mind was in a chaotic state, she never imagined how terrifying Badala was. Much talk amongst the expedition was on to what sort of person a category L was. Some had seen one, but the descriptions they gave were nothing like this.

Paul scream was muffled but implied he wanted to go first, his hands were cuffed forwards, so Ajay placed the revolver in his hands. He bent down and whispered into his ear. "Be careful where you aim, alright?" He patted him on the shoulder again making him flinch and pulling the trigger. (click)

Olivia's heart jumped as the trigger was pulled.

"Your turn." Ajay pulled out the gun from Lynch's hands and placed it in hers.

"Don't waste your shot."

Olivia had the gun in her hand but no matter what, she couldn't point it at Ajay because somehow deep down she felt that he was hoping she would.

Then she surprised even him with her choice. (click) The gun sounded an empty chamber which meant that she would not die, as she had placed it against her chin instead of at Lynch like what he did instead.

"Let's make this interesting, shall we?" (rip)

"Aaahhh!- God!" Ajay tore the tap from Lynch's mouth to let him speak.

"Paul Lynch, this is Lieutenant Olivia Lowde of the 27th Squadron. Olivia Lowde, Former-director Paul Lynch. Lynch as you've heard, the one that survives gets to go scot-free." Ajay left words of encouragement for the other party.

"I have friends in high-places! They can reinstate you!" Lynch immediately declared to her.

"I'll make sure your name is wiped clean of charges! But this requires your sacrifice!" Ajay didn't need to say anything as he watched the drama play. He did however put his revolver back in Lynch's hands.

Olivia was beginning to see where this was going. This was how he would put her strength in loyalty to the test. If Lynch only pointed at her and she to herself, then it was sure that she would die. The chamber was clicked twice, meaning there was a five-probability chance at least that it would go off.

"Oh, by the way. I didn't check if it was a six-shooter or a five." Ajay corrected himself.

(Click) "Damn!" Lynch unhesistantly pulled a shot at her without any further justification, he only cared for himself.

"Right, you now." Ajay put the .44 into her hands.

"Do it, Lieutenant! For your country!" Lynch insisted, ignoring the stress in her face.

"By the way, is it true that in Langley they kidnap your spouse and make you chose between shooting them or not?" Ajay asked to sidetrack the horrible vibe he created between the two American officers.

And to his surprise and Lynch's shorten delight, she did the same by putting the gun to her chin and squeezing it.

(click) Twice was the devil's charm.

"God fucking damn it! How lucky are you?!"

"Alright, here's to you." Ajay placed the magnum revolver in Lynch's hands again.

"Sir, I-…." (click) Again, he didn't let her say a word and fired the gun again. But was rewarded with a dry click indicating another empty chamber.

"Wow. Four empty, I've not seen this much luck since Yogi and Reggie!" Ajay said with an impressed expression.

The gun was now in Olivia's hands, the pressure was harder as it could be a possible shot in the chamber. Ajay had purposely misled them in their idea of whether it was a six-round chamber or a five-round one.

"Come on! Do it! You'll be a hero, I guarantee it! Your family will hear the story of the woman that saved my life!" Lynch encouraged her, but her reaction was different. Deep down, she desired life more than anything.

"I think I left one part about Lynch's biography. You see, Operation Switchblade was the ultimate contingency in the event someone, moi…." Ajay pointed to himself. "..Intended to reveal the scandal of their failure. Or rather the failure that Lynch pushed on Willis while he ran home and framed Willis."

Olivia was shocked to hear that.

"Th-That's not true! Lieutenant, do you believe me or a monster like him!? He's lying! Lying I tell you!"

"Spooks are always complex fuckers. None of that James Bond level of espionage any day. So, Olivia Lowde. Will I get a new employee, or will the United States get another nameless hero among their hundreds of thousands who didn't even get a medal for their bravery or 21-gun salute?"

Ajay patted her with a warm smile. "Remember, this is what you'll choose."

"Lieutenant, listen to me! I carry vital intel that determines the fate of Central Asia! The White House needs to hear this or they'll face imminent doom! You know what needs to be done!"

"I was pretty sure I got everything out from you, Lynch. I can't say I'm surprised at all. Hmmm… hey, Olivia. Did you know he was selling military secrets to a military hardware corporation, so they could stand a better chance in the bid for the next generation weapon systems? How much big bucks did you make on the side, Lynch? I'm curious, better tell me while you still have one chance."

"Shut up!" (slap) Ajay responded to his demand for silence with the back of his hand.

"We're waiting, Olivia." The person who had the revolver fiddled around with the gun as she contemplated her decision that decided her life. She had three tries all together, two of which she had proven her loyalty under adversity and risk of death. But her fingers were losing their strength as it reached her third and possibly last round.

Her face had an expression of absolute pain and suffering in a single minute, her hands trembling heavily. Ajay had pushed her to a point where she would decide on what she would do instead of him forcing her.

"What the hell are you being so indecisive about!? There's only one thing you need to do! Point the gun at yourself! So I can get out of this fucking place!"

After all, she'd felt and heard, Olivia sighed and laughed to herself. She now understood the hypocrisy of her resolve. She wanted to live, but she also wanted to remain loyal to the organization. This was what Badala was trying to make her realise.

"Would you do me one favour, Badala?"

"Sure." He responded without hesistation to her smile.

"Please tell him that it was my choice." As she said to him, Olivia placed the gun to her chin and pulled the trigger again.

(click) The third time, fate had saved her from death. It made her feel so lost why she survived up to this point.

"Ho? Quiet the lucky devil you are Olivia Lowde. But it appears that luck has nothing to do with your fate. Please remember that it was your decision that this happened."

"Mn." She nodded, understanding it.

"Hurry up and gimme the gun!" Lynch demanded.

"And what makes you think it has another chamber? What if I made you think I put a shot inside?" Ajay questioned Lynch's eagerness despite the five consecutive clicks of an empty chamber.

"Huh! That's a Smith and Wesson .44, of course there are six shots! Hurry up and hand over so I can finish this bitch!" Olivia looked at the spook in front of her with some disbelieve at his character.

"S-Sir?-…"

Ajay took the revolver out of her hand even before she could react in reluctance.

"Your loyalty to your country is admirable, even if its just blind." Ajay gave her his last words and he walked over to hand it to Lynch.

"I have a question for you, Lynch."

"Mmm? What is it? Just say it!" All he really wanted was the gun.

"Were you really going to follow through with your word, I mean when you said you'd put her name for a recommendation?"

But instead of answer yes, he laughed maniacally.

"Why would I deprive our great nation of more meat for the grinder?"

"Uh- sir…" She was shocked by his total betrayal in promise.

"You have a sister or brother, right Lieutenant? I bet when the report comes in they'd despise your existence. One of them might even join the military, maybe as a pilot. So that they can wipe that name clean from the family. And I always have a soft spot for earnest folks like those, I'd welcome them with open arms!" He laughed.

"Lynch, you bastard!" She shouted angrily, but only made him laugh even louder.

"What do you think, Badala?"

"I think you're beyond cruel." He said calmly.

"You mean like you? We're not so different if you look at it from another perpsective." He cackled.

"The only difference between you and me is that I'm cruel to my enemies. But you…. Allies and foes have little in common to your advancement."

"Heh! Whatever! Hand me the gun will you? Or are you gonna go against your word for a useless grunt like her?"

"No. There's no reason to protect her. Here, enjoy your victory." He held out the revolver to Lynch who laughed as jubilant as could be. Olivia felt the strength in her body and in heart fade, she'd chosen honesty and courage. Yet she was still cast aside. Why?!

A chance to live had been with her so many times, fate had protected her in equal measure. Yet she still chose integrity over betrayal. Because she believed that everyone was just as good at heart as her. She got her just desserts.

"Yunno, I really regret killing a woman like you. Wonder if anyone else in your family is like that? I'll soon find out."

He raised the revolver at her and pulled the trigger. She didn't even shake or scream, she'd lost all hope in the high-ranking officer.

(Click) "Wha-…" (Click)(Click) "Wh-What the hell!" He frantically squeezed the trigger several times to rechamber that one round to fire but after several revolutions, it failed to fire.

"Well, what do you know. A misfire." Ajay chuckled to himself.

"Misfire? You've gonna be kidding me!"

"I guess that's the fault of my Arsenal employees for not seating the primer properly." He said after investigating the bullet with the primer struck but didn't go off.

Olivia couldn't believe what kind of experience she had to survive the entire six chambers.

"Well Olivia, seems lady luck shines upon you."

"I-….. I don't want this anymore!" She could hold back her tears as she cried.

Ajay pressed a handkerchief onto her hands for her to wipe away the moisture.

"So what will it be now, Olivia Lowde?"

She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked resentfully at Lynch with redden eyes.

"Kill that bastard!"

"What?! This is mutiny! Treason I tell you! You'll have to answer for this, Lieutenant! I swear it!"

"Pipe down." Ajay jabbed his throat to make him cough gasping for air instead of pollution the confines of the cell with his noise.

Ajay turned back to her.

"Do you know what you're asking of me, Olivia Lowde? You're contracting me to kill a high-ranking case officer in the CIA. Who has affiliation to military defense industry contractors that literally own the Military logistic infrastructure. The department of defense, and officials in the Special activities division."

"….."

"When he dies, you will automatically be rendered enemy of the state."

"If they know."

"They'll know. My company has several undercover agents from DGSI, MI6, DMI, Mossad, FSB, some branch agency to the CIA and many many more. And you'll be working with them, so there's more than a chance that they'll whisper back to their Directorates and Langley or NSA catching wind of it." Ajay confirmed, some were obvious and working with him. While others were tight lipped, some were feeding their agencies false intelligence on his orders.

"No. Let me kill him."

Hearing this from her made Lynch tremble.

"Are you sure?" Ajay asked for the last time as she closed her eyes to reflect on it and then flashed them open after making her resolve.

"I'm sure." Reaching into his holster, he drew out his trusty 1911 Shadow Custom and handed it to her.

She took the gun and checked the chamber by pulling the slide. It was a gun of American Lineage so there was no way she didn't know how it worked.

"Lieutenant. Lieutenant! Look at me- look here! This is what Badala wants, see? He wants you to make this call! Don't let him fool you!"

"No, Director. All this while, the fool was me."

He pointed the business end of the gun at his forehead, Lynch's eyes widen with horror as he screamed his last.

"NOOOOOO!-(Bang) (plop)" The bullet pierced his forehead with a .45 diameter hole and blasted the back of his skull. His body slumped down while tied to the chair.

The gun dropped from her weakened hands as Ajay caught her.

"You're one of the bravest soldiers I've ever seen. Hell, you're a fool. But so is everyone else in my outfit."

"Heh!..." She laughed dryly while still unable to recover some of her bearing.

"Welcome to Lupus Caelum, home of the Sky wolves." Ajay raised her up to support herself.

"I'll let you go out to tell Pravi the good news. Don't let that idiot worry about you that much." Ajay showed her to the door that the interrogator opened for her and allow her to leave the brig on her own.

The interrogator was alone with Ajay now, he had watched the entire drama play out and was amazed with the end result.

"So? How was my act?" Ajay smiled as he picked up his gun and the interrogator's revolver piece.

"Madarchod. No wonder you broke De Pleur." He said as he received back his gun and emptied the cartridge and handed it back.

"Why are you giving it to me?"

"I dunno, maybe you want your dud bullet back." The interrogator said as Ajay had told him previously about the bullet that wouldn't fire. Because it had no powder inside.

This gig was staged from the very beginning, because the end result was all he really wanted. Instead of a a forced recruitment, he'd earned the full cooperation of a US pilot almost if not as good as Pravi. Albeit at the lost of a valuable captive, but with a mentality of survival like his, Lynch was least likely to give up any intel worth noting.

"Keep it, I've taught you this trick. When an opportunity like this shows itself you're free to copy what I did today." As Ajay had said, he had schooled the interrogator in the art of non-aggressive persuasion without the use of direct threatening.

The interrogator accepted the bullet back and placed it in his revolver, swirling it in his finger cowboy-style before holstering it.

"You look nothing like a cowboy, try losing some weight first." He slapped the interrogator's potbelly as a joke.

"My lord."

"Yes?" He seemed to have an inquiry.

"What was the sacrifice of the spook necessary for this plot?" He asked like a diligent student on the craft of interrogation.

"I improvised, Lynch had just the right amount of cowardice and weak mentality. If it was anyone else, it wouldn't have worked. Never give your prisoners hope, because they'll take advantage of your kindness. Leave them a trickle without being directly related to it, and let them find their way on their own." Just like how he didn't give options of survival to Olivia Lowde, yet she soughted it out desperately. If he had given her accommodation, there was no telling when she would rebel and run with sensitive intel back to the states which would royally screw them.

"Let me give you an example, when you suffocate what do you do?"

"You desperately try to get a breath?" He replied without much difficulty.

"Same principle, you're suffocating her for intel and she's trying to find air to breath her freedom. Do you tighten the noose around her to give discomfort or do you let her hang with limited oxygen?"

The interrogator understood it, he also understood another fact. Which was that Ajay was a scary individual to have ever been crossed. He was truly an enigma to him, that he would earnestly engage with the ranks of soldiers as if he was one of them while conversing with the officers as well. It was just the level of charisma he had in him, the interrogator was not a popular job yet someone needed to fulfil it. The fact that Lord Badala, the second highest ranking commander of the Army and one of the last nobles of Kyrat would cooperate and share craft with him on equal grounds was a memory he would carry with him to the grave.

The interrogator bowed as he left, calling for the MPs to remove the body for disposal. Ajay remained behind for one last deed. Drawing his kukri and stabbing the corpse's chest where the heart was, he retracted the blade covered with the purest of Lynch's lifeblood and absorbed it through his trait of Blood Read.

The memories poured into his head as clear as he'd been wherever Lynch had been. It was in these memories that Ajay found his accessment of their purpose to be spot on with his assumption. Lynch had a fair amount of dealings with CNS and other military industrial corporations, including one Krieger Corp, some bioweapons research conglomerate that was destroyed by another category L by the name of Jack. Lynch had dozens of off-shore accounts under different names but all to him, billions of dollars worth of valuables including conflict diamonds from a certain African country. Ajay have every intention to withdraw and transfer the money over to Kyrats growth and investment of the future. He had everything planned out, all he needed was to finish with this Rakshasa business and the Himavanas debut into the world would be set.

He was not going to let the Rakshasa ruin this for the Kyratis. He had about two more days till retrieval of the Kalinag Thangkas, time was of the essence.

Ajay left the building to find Pravi comforting his new employee with a hug, from the traumatic experience she had endured for a new perspective it was difficult. He nearly lost the resolve of his own ace pilot with Pravi's distractions of her. The sun was setting and signaling the end of another daylight. The last lights casted down on their silhouettes.

"Quite a romantic setting, ain't it." The person that came up behind him had just read his mind.

"Happy the idiot isn't chasing you anymore?" Ajay poked fun at her.

"A little envious he can be so free spirited."

"…" Ajay and she were tied down not by duty but by their own beliefs.

"I spoke to your father this morning."

"He didn't respond well I take it." She said sighing.

"No. Some part of me thinks he wanted to believe me, it's just difficult to accept when your world gets invaded by things that should stay in legends."

"How are you holding up?" She inquired about his condition, especially since the reports told the story about a flaming deity overpowering the unknown Garuda entity and the unnatural stormclouds.

Ajay reached out and took her hand.

"Now, never better." He said with a warm smile and Saraswati followed him off to where they needed to go next.


The morning reveille was at the crack of dawn. Ajay and Saraswati loaded their equipment and weapons for a journey around Kyrat and then to the windy cold mountains of Akaash. Where an abandoned temple was said to be, that was the final point of their destination. He imagined it was swarming with Golden Path camps and Rakshasa.

Honestly, he wanted to just give her the Thangka and tell her to sod off to Shangri-la bringing them with her. But Sabal's awakened memories showed some very disturbing stuff. There was currently going to be a three-way conflict about to erupt, Ajay had to ensure it was just between the two factions fighting over Shangri-La and the Mountain and Valley.

They left the homestead to find three individuals seated and waiting for them, not to their anticipation.

"Maya?"

"There you go again, doing something all on your own. Haven't you learnt from the last time with Daisy Lee?"

"But I'm not." He pointed to Saras next to him who chuckled away.

"Don't argue with me, I am the king of argument and you'll lose without dignity." Ajay raised his hands in defeat. If she said so then, she was definitely prepared to accompany them. To be honest, having extra help might be useful in shortening the time to retrieve those Thangkas around their equally annoying natural obstacles.

"And you two?"

Sitting on their packs were Anish and Bipin, having a little puff of an old blend of smoke from a pipe.

"Some time away from the desk and back to what we used to do wouldn't hurt." Explained Bipin

"Ha! And you were telling me about how your mother-in-law invited Brody for dinner!" Anish laughed and earned a deserved kick to the shin.

"The boys can manage without me for a while. Need to stretch those Royal Guard Hunter muscles again." Anish gave his reason.

Ajay sighed chuckling, they just wanted to accompany him but made all these excuses.

"You should really try this stuff." Anish held out his pipe. "He always smoked this, but after taking a puff. I'm like a new man."

"He?"

Anish looked over to his left and motioned with his chin. Ajay turned to that general direction to find who he was referring to. Said person walked up to Ajay face to face.

"Did you find it?" Darshan nodded.

"There is a slight problem, I'll need your help to get it out."

"Fine by me."

"I heard what you intend to do from Saraswati. And to be completely firm with you, I'd object against it." He said from the intensity of his eyes to Ajay.

"…."

"But….. If she doesn't get what she wants, Kyrat will suffer her wrath. Giving her the Ghale legacy should give her forces more priority to Shangri-La. That will allow us time to resolve our affairs before they turn to us."

"Agreed." So Darshan too was coming along

"You still haven't forgotten our objective, correct?"

"You mean your objective to kill her, mine to safeguard Kyrat."

"….."

The rest watched as these two eyed each other down, it hardly resembled a student-master relationship at all. But two of them staring down one another. Darshan's eyes wandered to Ajay's arm, spotting the changes upon it.

"Let us discuss along the way." Darshan showed he was willing to hear Ajay out.

"Sure." Ajay accepted.

They loaded their equipment onto the jeeps which was not their final mode of transportation but still good enough to bring them to the nearby locations to visit first. Bishal and Vajra leaped onto one of the two assembled jeeps, sitting obediently and not barking or growling at one another. Darshan's presence had a factor to do with it.

With the vehicles loaded and the group ready as they'll ever be for another adventure, Ajay went into the homestead and left a note for Bhadra telling her he was sorry to leave her alone once again and she should stay at Pagan's or Khati's where she would be safe. Ajay went to his workshop to retrieve the damaged parts of a weapon he treasured greatly and mourned the lost of. With Darshan around, he hoped to repair it. He'd had the gunsmith apprentices build for him stock parts to modify on his trip. If time would lend itself to him, then perhaps the Slayer could be reborn.

Outside, they were all waiting for him to board as the jeeps engines were already warmed up. Taking his seat next to the driver who chuckled as she drove off.

"What?" He asked Maya as she rarely ever smiled so naturally.

"Nothing…" She tried to hide it.

But Ajay wasn't convinced so he stared at her, hoping she would give in. Maya couldn't hide her smile with him staring at her funny intentionally. So she shared her true thoughts and those sitting with them agreed with her wholeheartedly.

"It's just like old times."