Dragon's Reverse Scale (Chinese Idiom);

A thing, person or place upon the individual which one should never touch, less they wish to incur an unsatiable wrath. A madness that cannot be stopped.


The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

So which is my enemy? And which is the enemy of my enemy? Rather, which is more of my enemy than the other?

One one hand, the Yaksha. Usurpers and hidden rulers of the mountain and valley realm we know as the Himavana lowlands. Both the mortal, spiritual and immaterial realms were theirs. They sat on their asses growing fat in gluttony and limbo. Their haughtiness and arrogance stems right down to their throne. Thousands upon thousands of years of Vanity.

If they were the rulers of the mountain, why didn't they save their subjects, my people? Why did they continue to let them suffer in ignorance and the cruelty of nature? Why didn't they share Shangri-la with the others like the Rakshasa did? That was a forgotten past and I initially want nothing to do with them.

So why are they here now, why do they block me on my mission to save Kyrat? Send an army and threaten to kill me? Even before meeting them I already hated them, and that isn't my nature as a Demon Banisher or as a bearer of Yalung's blood and Kalinag's will talking.

Every time I see their smiles or indifferent expressions, it makes me think of the Vanity they've enjoyed at the suffering of my people. They fed Varish's will with Human souls. Human Souls! I know what I saw! They handed it over like it was water in a bottle, meaningless.

I want to drink their blood!

I don't need the Medallion to remind me….. I want to know what makes them tick! What is their known culture and history to compare to ours? Where Shangri-la is and how to get there! I want to burn down their cities! Trample on their pride! Slaughter every last one of their wretched offspring!

Despite their control over the will of the mountains…. In the end-

"YOU ARE JUST THIEVES GALLIVANTING AS KINGS!" Ajay roared his intentions and thoughts on them to the Shangri-lan Army that had barely managed to keep it to together in their combined assault of ten thousand over warriors. Their reward was just being able to restrain him under the weight of overlapping spears and tower shields against his frame to prevent further build of momentum which would further their casualties. Though insignificant to their ranks, were devastating to whichever units had taken the blunt of his new weapon. And psychologically, the damage could have been worse if he had been let free.

They sighed in relief, as he had only just acquired the weapon and did not fully master it, or it would have been a very different saga. They were troubled greatly by the weapon's primary ability to cancel magic, making them extremely vulnerable to his physical attacks. While in proximity to the Darkstone, none of their illusionary and inferior Natural Law magic could function properly outside of their bodies.

Chains were swung around the mace to hold it in place, although they could never ply it from his hand. No one was willing to risk their lives further after the deaths of over forty warriors all missing faces or body parts. The strike of the mace ensured that no protective armour or magical boon would save them from the ancient weapon's bite. They had taken losses which had not been rivalled since the first War of Shangri-la.

[Hold him down, until the Prince dispatches justice!] Their general ordered as the Yaksha collectively held him down.

Even as he struggled, he spat in loathe as at the shamelessness of the Yaksha. There was nothing great about them, even their win over the other races was an empty one that only they would appreciate. But it didn't change the fact that he was the one suppressed and they were about to deliver a killing blow. Specifically, that spoilt whinging Prince, the entire time he was fighting the Army that little bastard was stumped in a corner walloping in self-pity. The Army had to serve him on a plate to that useless bum.

If there was any consolation Ajay got was that he managed to lead the rest out before things became dicier. Sealing the exit with explosives, the only problem was that he didn't see the Elder Yaksha with the Prince, and that worried him as to where that cunning geezer was. Hopefully, they would have caught up to where Darshan was and the later would sense their distress.

The Prince marched up with the General alongside him to where Ajay was held suppressed. He was strong, but not that strong to overpower an Army on his own, especially the Shangri-lan Army which he knew next to nothing except appearance till today.

The General held out an ornate dagger respectfully to the Prince who took it with zero appreciation like it was his birthright in the first place. And Ajay had ruined the moment and stole what was originally his. Their eyes met and said all of that to Ajay.

Ajay didn't know why he even bothered to verbally abuse this stubborn self-righteous mule.

Although he was in a bit of a pickle, he really didn't want to, but the situation was calling for him to sacrifice more memories to wield Yalung's power and access to that wellspring of prana. Now it was a question of whether he would be forced to use the power of his blood.

[I must admit. You exceed my expectations for a Demon Banisher. Eka painted a far different epic of that troublesome order. But you have-… you have reaffirmed it amongst us all.] He motioned to the Shangri-lan Army, expressing who "us" meant. The Prince reach a face to face distance from Ajay, placing the knife against his throat. The likely victim to a slit throat stared back without fear or any visibly surprised emotion, making it difficult to read and ominous to the Prince and his warriors deep down. Ajay understood more about the Yaksha from just this. They always sought to affirm their actions with themselves and others through meaningless talk and false bravados. Like a little kid telling tales to his peers, if he didn't he'd just be a lonely and alienated child. That was what the Yaksha of the Himavanas were.

[A wonder how long you will hold that façade of bravery for, will it be till this blade runs through your skin?]

"Boo!" Ajay's only response was a cheap scare.

And in response, the Yaksha Prince had actually stumbled backwards in front of his Army, the knife fell from his hand with a thang, hitting the floor. Despite the thousands that held him down, the General to protect him. His reaction showed his inner cowardice to not just to Ajay, but his army and most of all himself. Furthermore, he was made to acknowledge it before the whole Army. Wouldn't his Royal Brothers' like to know of what happened here today. He had just lost his own dignity.

And in his humiliation, was a ravenous smile from his supposed-to victim. The warriors began to tighten his restraints and raise their spears to plunge into him.

[Stop! Do you want to deprive our Prince of his belonging?!] The General raised his hand to halt their actions. If they killed him instead of the prince, there was no telling who the mace would fall to and be killed by the Prince for it. Upon meeting that belittling smile, the Prince could feel his inner spirit forming a cloud of doubt that would affect his road to ascension to newer heights of enlightenment.

[I end your life for the greater good of the mountain! Be glad that it was I who gave you peace!]

Ajay was at his wit's end, not his state but the Prince's vanity and condescending attitude. He didn't even feel like answering anymore. He only looked at the Prince was a sharp and disdainful look, all the while chuckling at in ridicule. And so, Ajay's silence became more of an insult to the Andhakan than him opening his mouth.

The Prince honed his patience to his very limits, performing a proper stance to lob off Ajay's head in one clean swipe, when the air suddenly went quiet and- (BANG)

A violet whirlwind appeared behind him and the Army, a rift. The Army was caught by surprised and stared in confusion, but the General had his wits about him and quickly ordered his elite guards to surround and protect their Prince. Even when he shouted threats for removing him from his acquisition of the mace, they shielded him in a phalanx of tower shields and spears.

(Awwwwwwooooohhoohoooo) A collective howl of wolves daunted those nearest to the portal rift.

The legions shuddered at the powerful cries as if they recognised it as something of a legend. (Growl) Warriors near the rift were hurled into the air by the dozen, and those numbers doubled then multiplied further with every second. The warriors in the middle of the formation reformed into their front as those out where their surviving comrades were being tossed, trampled and torn in mid-air retreated with haste.

The area which had been obstructed from his view was now clear for him to see. Who had come to disrupt the Yakshas' operations?

[By his name-… L-Lord Tarakeshwar!….] Somehow by chance, he managed to catch what one of the warriors had murmured.

"Tarakeshwar?" Ajay murmured under the weight of the spears and shields. His eyes strained to see in the distance who those individuals were. He saw a dust cloud approaching from that violet rift and also what was making that mini-sandstorm.

Wolves.

Rakshasa riding upon wolves. But there was something already wrong with that picture, for Ajay roughly knew the height and size of a Rakshasa. But their mounts were twice as big as them, it was deceivingly tricky to tell from a distance where only silhouettes where visible. Although they were getting closer and appearing bigger than originally speculated.

Riding in a cavalry charge wedge formation, were the Akaashian Wolf Riders, mounted upon the near-mythical giant Ash Wolves. At the tip of the wedge was a very familiar face, but more Rakshasa than before.

Where the wolf riders went, Yaksha warriors were being flung from their ground stance and formations. As they were being trampled upon, cut down and devoured by their great wolves.

"Hey!" Ajay called out to one of the spearmen who turned back from the rest that had been enchanted by the recent arrival of the Rakshasa Wolf Riders led by a certain someone mowing down their retreating brethren. Yet all they did was watch as they refused to go up and meet with this grizzled enemy, veterans of a thousand campaigns. These Yakshas were born in the new era while these Rakshasa were already full-fledged warriors who fought in wars of unimaginable scale.

"Catch." He threw to the warrior a cylindrical object with a strange handle. Out of reflex, the warrior dropped his spear and caught it in an unsteady grip. (ping) The handle was string-loaded and so flung off.

(BOOM)

The explosion of a mixture of Composition B and iron fragmentation blasted the Yaksha containment formation and shook their hold over him.

(Clang)

With the grip over him loosened, he swung the Darkstone Mace in the angle of opening. Breaking many of the spear heads of their lances, and denting their tower shields.

(ping) A second grenade was flung at them as they tried to lock him down again. Witnessing what the first one did, they

(BANG) Instead of explosive mix, a bright flash instantly blinded and deafened their keener senses. Making the entire unit stumble on their knees as the flashbang completely crippled them.

He had no time to cover his own eyes or ears to prevent their spears from piercing him, so he was exposed to the flashbang's effect just as much as they were. He was disorientated, and a ringing sound persisted in his ears. However, he could hear a faint and muffled disorder happening around him. Shouts, screams and the constant thunder of cavalry circling around. The brightness dissipated from his eyes as he rubbed them a couple of times. Large blurry figures encircled him with an uneasy calm to their strides. To restore his eyesight quicker, he closed them and meditated standing. The sounds of low growls could be heard now as well as the scoffing of large-sized men.

When he opened his eyes, his full vision was restored and lo and behold. Who had come before him but none other than the Rakshasa General himself.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, General?" Ajay gave a bloodied smile, hiding his fatigue from his combat.

The Rakshasa he knew as Bhaskar looked down from his mount, staring at the mirth of the reckless soul that brought them here.


Bhaskar stared at him unusually long, or rather not at him but at the weapon he was holding. His companions were in an equal amount of bewilderment as him, though the General of the North Gate failed to show it on his expression.

For who could forget the cursed weapon that defeated their lord. Bhaskar was being unusually analytical as compared to his brethren by virtue of his calculative methods. He didn't spend twenty years incognito as Golden Paths former-scribe for nothing. In a way, Ajay had to be the most cautious around the North Gate General. He felt that Bhaskar was sort of a strategist than a meat head like Purushartha was. Narmada was more of a balanced General between the two. What about the yet-unheard of East Gate? If there was one more General held in reserve, he could never tell what their true strength was not that he could tell even now.

Ajay raised the mace and leaned it on his shoulder. "Are you gonna stare at it all day or are we getting on with what you came here for?" He said to break their stupor.

[We have come to escort you to her Highness] Bhaskar said while his eyes were still on the Darkstone mace. His face did its best to conceal it, but Ajay could read his eyes clearly. He had once again thrown the Rakshasa General's expectation out of the window. It was no secret that the Vanara hated just about everyone. But they were especially cautious of the Demon Banishers who used their skin as leather armour, their souls for soul stones and their organs for other life-enriching tonics. The Human exorcists didn't regard the Vanara as equals even though they were physically weaker. To them they were just game animals. The vessel, Ajay had just about every known trait of each of the races they despised into a cocktail that was his very being. Kaalapatthagada was the symbol of their existence, to have gained possession of it, what did the vessel do?

"I've had a change of plans. I'm going to leave this place on my own, and there's nothing you can do about it." Ajay's tone was cold yet undaunted.

[Change of plans? You are bound by vow to meet her highness. And in this kind of situation? Huh! I would like to see you try!]

Then an object came flying the Rakshasa's way, too slow for it to be missed by a being of his level. Bhaskar caught it with reflex and looked down at the cylindrical object that was clutched between his pale blueish fingers.

At first, he didn't want to believe it. But then he could smell a scent upon it he hadn't for a very long time. The aromas of the hide of an animal which had come from only one place, Shangri-la. Bathed in those scented waters. What lay in his hands was the Kalinag Scroll. The closest aide to Esha looked up in bewilderment and stared into the pair of strong eyes as he said another absurd thing.

"I'm not meeting her at Akaash anymore. From here on out, it's all out war with you." Ajay said without a care in his cold voice.

The General of the North Gat nearly lost his composure to what Ajay had been implying from this statement.

[After all she has done for you-….. You would break a promise that you made with her-.]

"YOU BROKE IT FIRST!" He shouted back to the former's surprise as Ajay exhibited how short a fuse he was at this very moment. And a face of one being betrayed.

"A week we agreed, fine! You think I don't know, huh?! That you Rakshasa would attack Kumsa?"

[You would consider mere breakaways as your own?]

"They're all my people, Rakshasa! Not just Kyratis, but everyone who calls me their Lord! And- hehe….. Here I thought Rakshasa always kept to their words. But in the end, you're just as much of liars as those damn Yaksha!" The Rakshasa did not expect to be criticised by the very person they had been dispatched to save.

"I'm not owing you anything today, and from now on, she owes me nothing. Tell Esha, I will kill her if I ever see her on the battlefield. You had better keep her away from me, Bhaskar. You'd better keep her away! Even if its against her will." When spoken in a low threatening undertone, Bhaskar stared into Ajay's eyes with every bit of seriousness in those black orbs.

The vessel was declaring war upon them. There was no hesitation in his ideals any longer, he won't let sympathy for their cause infect him and his resolve. He was their enemy through and through.

"Good day to you… Rakshasa." The General would never have believed it if he didn't turn to face the might of the Shangri-lan Army himself.

And he did.

Without batting an eye, once he was lined up he charged at the Yaksha Army all on his lonesome. Shocking both the Rakshasa and the Yaksha who believed he would have sought protection from these ancient enemies of theirs.

[Have not learnt your lesson, have you?] The Prince taunted.

[Archers, to the front!] The Army began to form itself as commanded, bowmen answered the call and strung their bows with jaded-tipped arrows.

They were poised to let fly, yet the lone human continued to run their way. Some felt he was seeking death, but the Yaksha General felt uneasy. The will of Varish wouldn't chose such a regrettable figure to be its inheritor.

[Fire!] When the command was given, a stream of whistling arrows launched from their bows.

-Why does he continue?- Ajay made no preparation to evade or block, he just kept running towards them. The howl of the arrow feathers against the wind grew closer and closer to their final destination. Why was he letting a single human scare him?

[Fire at will!] After their first volley, the archers fired at their own time.

He was continually advancing but released his grapple anchor in his free hand and began to twirl it with great force.

(Ding)(Dingdingdingdingding) The arrows either deflected off or broke when colliding with the anchor. He managed to ward off the first wave, and then the stream of arrows came non-stop.

Raising the Darkstone Mace, he struck those that would impale his torso. Breaking them into harmless pieces. His strides seemed slow and patient, yet he travelled ten steps every second.

[Javelins, ready!] The frontline infantry locked their shields and raised their heavy armour-defeating javelins. Waiting anxiously as the human reach an unsafe range for the archers to continue and not yet in their throwing spear radius. All the while, he seemed unhurt and without breaking a sweat.

Their comprehension of humans had always been narrow, yet this single human had done things as of recently that shook the Army. It was by the virtue of their General's patience and experience in battle that enabled his suppression at first. And now the human was trying again to attack them, even fools knew he wouldn't fall for the same trick twice. Disregarding the aid of the more fearsome Rakshasa to fight them alone. Where did that confidence come from? What kind of hidden trump did he have hidden away? What was his purpose in attacking?

He was just seconds away from reaching that point where they would first send the wall of spears towards him. And there was no change in his actions, only a frighteningly piercing gaze that shook those right in front.

[Fire- hold!] The front deputy commander was in the midst of ordering the release of javelins and actually changed his last order.

(Growl)

[Ahhhhh!][Gaaarghh!]

But it was too late. As the frontline warriors fell victim to the giant ash wolves that leaped into the air and landed their paws upon them, crushing them to death. No phalanx nor shield wall could be erected in time to hold against the onslaught that Ajay had provided with their focus on him. The Rakshasa riders exploited this to take them by surprise, already the first column showed signs of breaking as warriors were being hurled in the air by the giant wolves and a swinging mace that echoed an eerie wolves howl. Causing the giant wolves themselves to howl in a unified orchestra.

(Aaawwwwoooooohhh)

Ajay pulled his mace out of a bludgeoned skull as the gallant figure of the General of the North Gate casted a glance back without saying anything. But actions had been transmitted in place of words here. Here, if he went into the thick of it, the Rakshasa will follow until their mission was complete. They had no power over him to make him return to Esha, but the could ensure his safety. Ajay had his misgivings about working with the Rakshasa even now, but to have them keep the Yaksha Army off his back for even a brief moment made this uneasy truce worth its weight. If they wanted to be used, he'll use them till they expired.

Even if it meant being in the most inhospitable area to be at the moment. Ajay gave a curl nod to respect their decision as they had of his then turned to look pass the many layers of Yaksha right at the rear line where the General of the Shangri-lan Army lay. Although he wasn't looking at him, but next to him.

Where the 4th Prince of the Shangri-la could not help but feel slight dread at those pair of glowing yellow irises gazing upon him…..

Hungrily.


Dies Irae, in Latin, translates to Day of Wrath, the hymn of an impending oblivion. The destruction of our world, the self-destruction of man. The day sinners were sent to hell and the faithful risen to heaven en masse.

No matter how the world tried to stitch itself back from chaos, wars would always spark. Differences between fellow man would be pointed out, the innocence of one's ignorance of the other would become sacrilege. For it would allow sins of greed, obsession and tyranny to prevail. Innocence, once a virtue became limbo.

The nation of Pakistan was beginning to spark the very flames of these hostilities between nations and itself. First were the demonstrations and strikes by workers and various institutions of the vast industry. Then came the riots, and threats to the government to act out according to their desires.

The tragedy in the annihilation of 10th Carrier Fleet was not solely felt by the families of seven thousand sailors, but nearly every port city inhabitants facing the Arabian Sea. Signs of radiation sickness were already showing, fish stocks contained unsafe levels of radiation. To make matters worse, the West winds blew these clouds containing radioactive matter inland. The ports of Karachi and Keti Bandar had been forced to close their seafaring activity, affecting overall sea commerce within the nation itself.

Many an industry were forced to close or layoff their workers causing greater unrest. Wages could not be earned, families could not be fed and with the radiation setting in, no money to afford medication. The people had to direct their rage and dissatisfaction somewhere, the government? Or the main culprit? Why was a nuclear device brought to this region and who was it actually meant for? They asked themselves deep down, they had been tolerant of western foreigners for so long. The latter's biaseness and silent bigotry. But now, not only did they want them gone, if they every saw one roam their street they would tear the clothing of him and parade him under a barrage of stones and dirt as they did to great sinners of their god.

By the time, the Himavanan Army units had been granted access covertly to raid the US bases. Intelligence reports already indicated sixty percent of US owned facilities and sites were being attacked. It didn't matter to the disgruntled local populace whether it was military bases armed to the teeth or housing reserves inhabited by American citizens. Angry mobs were the least serious of these attacks with the worst being suicide truck bombings by unidentified terrorist cells who took advantage of the disorder. It appeared that despite different beliefs, all of Pakistan was hoping to purge the foreign menace. During the entire period of the week since the nuclear detonation, the government dispatched no orders to its armies to enact martial law, their soldiers stayed in their camps, the civil police authorities concentrated solely on domestic crime prevention.

Pakistani Government tried to exhibit themselves as neutral but showed indifference to those they thought were allied nations. While their rival India, unhesitantly dispatched medical relief and aid. China sent experts in decontamination to help contain the situation at the port cities. All of these actions were noble in their exterior but were intentionally shown to spite the US and their inability to contain the act as responsible members. Casting further doubts of the United States among the international community and to a large extent the UN.

So by the time their attack begun and Operation Hai Ba commenced, they had no element of surprise. The US forces were already by then at full operational capability. 8th Armour Brigade formerly the Yinkian Republican Guard clashed with a US Army Stryker Regiment and supporting Marine Infantry elements. 38th Mountaineer Regiment formerly one of Yuma's Snow Guards went in to raid US Military Depots with the support of air cover. If there was one group that had the element of surprise in the method of deployment and their targets' unsuspectance were the Jatayu Commandos. Who had the most difficult job of all after their paradrop amidst active air defences and fortified positions of the Air bases. Flying in on appropriated C-17s with falsified IFF and clearance codes to cheat the Air Defense and loitering Air Force long enough to release its payload of killers. While the US Airforce assets had been denied to friendly forces in need of their aircover by virtue of the Jatayu bombing their runways and squadrons of Sukhois and Migs battering their warplane in the air bingo on fuel. The small scattered brigade of five thousand were outnumbered by the presence of not just the stationed US specops groups, US Army expeditionary forces to Afghanistan but the Special Activities Division operatives under the umbrella of the CIA. But the Jatayu were no longer ordinary as they once were.

Over the period of eight months since its conception, the mix-mash of soldiers and fighters had undergone a drastic metamorphosis. When the tribal Huns joined, they imparted the value of close quarter combat techniques, strength through camaraderie and constantly evolving critical thinking for adapting to environments and situations. The former Golden Path scouting commanders of Loken shared their original traits of mountain combat and street-fighting. The improvisation and logistical efficiency of the Royal Army attach ensured all were well-equipped no matter the strain. The Hunter Cadres operating with them allowed them to experience what superior pathfinding and irregular combat tactics were over supposedly superior weaponry. With each force and discipline joining their outfit, their strength grew. Their leader was renowned for strength and charisma only further solidifying their prestige and fortitude as warriors. They fought Golden Path on many an occasion, innumerable in size and resilient before and after exaltation with Mohan's appearance. They fought Yinkians, Chinese, Americans, PMCs, and not forgetting Rakshasa. Beings that could not be harmed easily by small-arms, with reaction speeds surpassing human limits, and utilized a wide array of weapons and magically abilities that put one-on-one combat in their favour. So their combat experience was nothing to laugh at, so much as they had fought on par with monsters the likes of which the modern world had never seen.

The only flaw of the Jatayu was their evergrowing pride, pride in their mastery of special operations and unconventional warfare against opponents' human and otherworldly. What the US expedition fell helplessly to was what they survived and lived to tell the tale of.

But the American forces were quick in adapting as they always were. Han Feng was left to command the entirety of the Jatayu in the absence of Badala, Maya and Jeevan, the primary officers. Yet, his composure, balance and ability to lead the officers in the field were said to be like he had been touched by the "Bear's unrelenting". His undaunted expression kept the morale of the troops steady and confident in his strategy.

Vasu was somewhere on the outskirts of the Capital City of Islamabad with 8th Armour Brigade led by Dema's successor. The Yinkian and Kyrati tankers had travelled a long way from home via train and their T-80 tanks were all warmed up to begin devouring other armoured units. Providing a presence of an unearthly warrior not seen in thousands of years. "Unstoppable as a Rhino" Armour met with Armour, Warriors fought against Warriors.

Jeevan accompanied the teams of combat engineers and computer experts to raid the CIA black sites using the intel gathered by the local partisan sympathists. To destroy all of the intelligence agencies assets in Pakistan and steal information from their military servers with the codes Ajay absorbed from one of the earlier Expedition Officers. One who works in the dark, "Dragon of the shadows."

"This shouldn't have happened!" All Former Marine Captain David Goh could do was stare at the aftermath of the carnage wrought by the Jatayu on Shahbaz Airbase in horror and despair. They were late to the scene, but the air smelt of fear and disbelief. Vehicles and aircraft were burning wreckages, bodies riddled with holes lying all over and the stench of blood so heavy it almost suffocated them. Curious Pakistani citizens entered the once guarded compounds to start looting the place and corpses of valuables. Until the Pakistani Army arrived only to do the same. David watched coldly but could do nothing unarmed against a Battalion-sized group of armed soldiers.

"But it did." His friend Perkins had an expressionless face, but his grief was just as great.

For their friends were now their country's latest enemy on the highest priority.

"We should've been there…" David lamented the fate of the first Expeditionary Force.

"To do what?"

"Something."

"There was nothing we could do."

"There is always something! Always a choice!" David screamed into his ear whilst pointing accusingly.

"Yeah! Washington made their choice, and now our boys are paying for it!"

Perkins knew of the hypocrisy in his words, but like his old superior, they both had a clearer picture of what really went on in the obscured nation of Kyrat now-Himavana Federation by CIA intelligence reports. They saw the suffering of the people at the hands of brigands armed by their own military, powerful conglomerates invading to attain riches of the land. Their own country's bureaucracy responsible for the deployment of thousands of troops to Kyrat only to be utterly crushed. And a nuclear weapon? They didn't even want to know how it went for Badala or how USS Harry S. Truman had a live thermonuclear weapon detonate on its deck.

Now Badala has manipulated the world into demonising the US, affecting the balance of order. Who knows, without them as a major player in the world events things would spiral out of control and they might have themselves a world war again. But Badala certainly didn't care, in fact it was fair to say that was what he wanted. To show to the world that rules meant nothing. An insignificant power such as the Himavanas would dare to challenge the might of the US, what would the world come to? That was the message he had just pointed out. And knowing his temperament, there was a high chance he would use the last nuclear device as the "final touch" in fanning the flames of war. Why would he do that? He had plenty of reasons. But the strongest would be that the Himavanas would never be bothered by anyone in future. In other words, in the interest of the Himavana Federation. Everyone would be too busy fighting each other for their own excuses. And the Himavanas? To try and take from the Himavanas was to await the same failure as the United States and People's Republic of China.

Perhaps Washington already knew. To retaliate would mean they would have to stick by their principle once quiet but now loud and clear, in a world where the strong oppressed the weak. To bypass these two contradictions, they had to suppress the Himavanans here in Pakistan now! So that "peacekeeping" could begin in the Himavanas. Because if they lost, it would mean total chaos. Winning would mean they lost the right to influence the world any further. The doomsday clock would be another strike from oblivion. Badala had the power to start a world war in his hands, as revenge? David didn't really know.

"The Pakistani Governments been acting really weird recently." David couldn't get it out of his head. The only way the Himavanan Army could come through was if the government authorised it. If that were the case, then it meant that they were really losing their grip over this theatre of operation. Friends were now possible enemies. This implied a mass evacuation of US forces somewhere, Washington would have known even before the two of them. David and Perkins were back here by virtue of helping their jarhead friends' families pack up ahead of time to leave, as Pakistan was becoming a hotpot. Though there was no evacuation notice, they knew the reality in the Himalayas better than most. The United States had disturbed a sleeping tiger and paid dearly enough. But this tiger had a voracious appetite and wasn't the kind which knew how to control its hunger.

"Dave…" Perkins could see David deep in thought. His captain had felt a great responsibility for the events that had transpired. In a way, it was their fault that such things occurred in the first place. David believed there was a way to end what Badala sought. They couldn't kill him, David knew that from day one. It just wasn't possible, their efforts to do so again would be fruitless. But they simply couldn't let him have his way.

They had to do the unforgivable. To beat Badala's atrocity upon the US, it needed to be outweighed by an even great action. So how does one beat Badala in terror?

"We're gonna make Badala the hero."

"What?"

Perkins could not believe even half a word of what David was saying. When the later gazed into his eyes with deepness and meaning.

"Gregor, have you made your peace?"

Even without asking, Perkins had already guessed. What David asked for was to voluntarily sign himself for hell with him. To be branded traitors. But even still…..

"All day every day." He would still follow him there.

The question was, how many others would follow them?


How did our ancestors fight these monsters?

It was the question that rolled through every one of the soldiers of the 7th Autonomous Brigade that were still alive and kicking. Even with Bipin's unorthodox tactics, it only seemed to push them back a step as they took two more on the next turn. Did they take casualties? Even at the proximity they were to the Rakshasa in the firefights, they couldn't tell how many they killed.

Because after sustaining a certain amount of damage, they seemed to melt back into the shadow and smoke of the intense fighting. On the other hand, the brigade sustained heavy casualties that was stacking higher and higher as time went by. Two hundred had perished in the first hour they engaged the Rakshasa. It was now the fifth hour, they had lost a total of four hundred soldiers in that short time. Worst of all, the Rakshasa kept coming like stamina was not a big issue.

Another issue took root which dampened the morale of the brigade even more, they couldn't give their fallen a proper burial in the time to come. Because the dead were rising against them. A general order was issued to destroy the corpses of their dead immediately, some took to donning vests strapped with explosives to take Rakshasa with them to their grave and leave an absence of a body to further endanger their living comrades. The situation was reported back to High Command in Lanka who were reluctant to send any further support. Until the King intervened, personally promising a Helicopter Battalion to provide gunship support and relief infantry on the comms. Providing a smidgen of hope for the Brigade in such dire times.

Bipin refused to be taken off the field to be substituted in order to rest. He knew his adversary was still testing him. This Narmada, General of the East Gate. A Rakshasa Pillar whom was largely responsible for the demise of the US expeditionary forces. A full-strength Rakshasa, yet the will of the Mountains wasn't clamping down on any of the Rakshasa after such a long time. Their boon couldn't have lasted this long. Bipin read all the accounts and reports on the Rakshasa, but it seemed all the complied knowledge on the Rakshasa were either incorrect or incomplete. New understandings of their methods and abilities were costing him more and more men. He'd already lost the first frontline company along with two companies in worst order. Bipin was finding it hard to believe it, but the Rakshasa were just too quick adapting to modern weaponry. During the battle of point 2153, they were still relatively new to ordnance larger than hand-held firearms. But now, they seem to understand that their mortars, anti-aircraft cannons and other heavy weapons were what gave the soldiers more confidence in fighting them. They devised tactics to get closer to these weapons to disable them.

The "slugger" single shot anti-material weapon was one of the few weapons they underestimated and became highly valued among the soldiers for its solid power at hand. But ammunition was becoming scarcer and scarcer even as they did their best to conserve it. They were standing between the annihilation of the Kumsa Capital and its salvation, and by extension their own salvation as Cantons redeemed in a shared struggle of the Himavanas.

(Boom) [Raaargh!]

A Rakshasa that had slipped through their ranks to take his head was shot in the chest where the heart was, the assailant popped into smoke and his silhouette vanished. Wounded by said weapon that was on a tight logistical burden.

"Argh…." But the Rakshasa did not entirely fail.

"Sir!" An adjutant officer came to catch Bipin, as the latter fell to his knees. A red bloom of thick blood appeared on his left where the ribcage was. The rest of the men wanted to get him out of the field to receive medical treatment, yet he pushed them aside.

"Let go of me! Let go!" He slapped away the hands that tried to help as he struggled to get up and balanced upon the rifle as a crutch.

"But, sir!-."

"I'm not dead yet! Have 4th Company and 7th switch places now while the left flank is relatively light!" They dare not slow down or waste even a single second of his time.

"Word on reinforcements?" He turned to the radioman who shook his head.

He didn't want to get their hopes up but still bothered to ask. The 152mm artillery batteries had been quiet for some time now, the report was that they'd expended all of their ammunition, not even illumination or training coloured smoke was left. Ordnance was what kept the Rakshasa from advancing without a problem, so the loss of artillery was serious.

"Sir, orders from staff. You are to return to the command post." Another dispatch officer came to the scene and demanded the same as the other few before.

"Officer Pang He, remove this idiot from my sight!" He told one of the officers in his command staff.

"Sir! This is an order from the Brigadier!" The dispatch officer retorted and waved a group of MPs attached to bring him out by force.

In response, he raised his slugger at the MPs.

"Take me off and I'll be the one that kills you!" He stared at them with blood-shot eyes, all they could do was stare helplessly as they could see blood actively flowing from his wound. The dispatch turned to his command staff instead with a look of a plea.

"Help him!"

"What are you doing? Get your hands off me!" His command staff grabbed hold of him and plied the weapon from his hands, someone delivered a strike to his head in an attempt to knock him out cold but only angered him further as it hurt to have his head bludgeoned by a rifle butt.

The Command staff left a trusted officer behind as they assisted the MPs in bringing him off the field back to the city.

At first, he struggled for a while and cursed at them for being cowards unable to face what was in front of them. But as they passed by the roadside which was filled with wounded soldiers and pieces of dead ones, his aggression died down. He only watched as they took him through a gauntlet of horror. Those surviving the blunt of the Rakshasas merciless assaults were screaming in pain or fainted from blood loss and a missing limb or two. And they were the luckiest of all the soldiers now to have any sort of rest.

While he was being carried on and tied to a stretcher, the combat medics quickly poured coagulating agents to clot his blood and seal the wound. He still had the luxury of medicinal treatment; their medical supplies were officially gone. The civilians were doing all they could to hospital the wounded soldiers with whatever they had, but there was a limit of care they could give as rural villagers.

He was brought into a two-storey residence where the higher-level commanders were. Before entering their sight, he shrugged off the MPs grasps and went up voluntarily.

His strides were fierce from the tempo of the battle raging on as were his eyes frozen in an ever-intimidating look. Just five hours of continual tug of war with the Rakshasa had done that to him.

So most of the senior staff were taken aback by their desire to reprimand him faded. The only ones that seemed unaffected were Sam who was more of concern than anger, Sun Kwan and the uninvolved to military matters Manendra.

"You have better have a good explanation for taking me off the field-."

"ENOUGH!" His initially calm composure was overwhelmed with a visage of a fiery deity in a single instance.

"You may lead in the field, but I command here, Major. Don't ever forget that!" He had to put his foot down on this to Bipin as much as the young person held materially more power and sway over the brigade than him.

"You might think that your absence will harm the overall struggle, but so is your deteriorated state! What you show to your men harms their morale further! Not all of them are as hard-boiled as you!"

"Sir-."

"I'm not done, Major!" Sun Kwan swiftly silenced him.

"When I first called you to return and you denied, I took it as a brief struggle. The second time I sent for you, I gave the benefit of doubt. But by the third, it became clear to me you were still prioritizing company-level tactics over the entire strategic thinking of the Brigade!"

"With respect-…sir….. The men are dying in the hundreds!" He countered.

"And I'm glad! They are at least performing their duty and doing their heritage proud! But you shame them with your insubordination!" Sun Kwan was so angry that he exaggerated with a throw of his helmet lying on the table at him. Even while Bipin might have been right to stay, it was still wrong to go against his superior.

"…. Don't ever question my authority while I command, is that clear?" Sun Kwan had said his part and awaited Bipin's answer.

"…Yes, sir. Crystal."

"Good, sit." He ordered Bipin as the latter cast a glance to the battlefield that continued to rage on, helpless to watch. He turned back to see Sam smile at him in an assuring way that his time would not be wasted here.

"As it stands, we cannot hold the Rakshasa at bay." Sun Kwan made it very clear to all of them, Bipin knew this fact even before arriving. Yet he stubbornly tried to stay there to fight to the end, he reflected upon his stupidity. He didn't know if it was a characteristic of his passed down from his father or just him. An unrelenting and ferocious behaviour that didn't regard superiority of others or enemies with the due respect. Almost like a particular ferocious beast of Kyrat.

"The time his royal highness replied was 1600hrs, this puts us around fifty minutes till their arrival, the soonest."

"Should we really be relying on that?" One of the field commanders was ever-doubtful they would come in time.

"Whether they do or they don't we will still hold. Someone still needs to come and evacuate His Highness Kumsa and the Royal Family out of here." Manendra suddenly looked sullen from Sun Kwan's next agendas.

"My family can go, but I will stay."

"I agree, no good will come out of leaving the Crown Prince here." Bipin joined in on Sun Kwan's side to which the Prince looked on upset.

"But the people-."

"Let's evacuate them, sir." Bipin proposed both to Manendra and Sun Kwan.

"There is nowhere to go, Major. As His Highness as already pointed out, there is no route other than the one where the Rakshasa is out of this valley."

"Precisely!" Now all of the officers looked at him like he was crazy.

"… Explain." Sun Kwan demanded.

Bipin walked up to the maps and pointed down at the river that went down towards the North where the next town city was.

"If we take the river, it should speed up their evacuation. Maybe build several rafts for those who cannot walk long distance. Meanwhile, our forces will move progressively in a line that shields the exodus trail."

"That would leave us susceptible to flanking and the civilians will be at our backs, we cannot haphazardly turn to engage." Countered Fang Wei.

"For a moment, you mean." Once again, Bipin seemed to have concocted an idea out of this.

And so, he shared his plans with them, awaiting their endorsement to begin the evacuation as soon as possible. Manendra did not disagree this time after Bipin asked his permission for a massive evacuation, truly to leave the capital city behind. For his father's words rung deeply in his mind. The people are his kingdom, so he would go where the kingdom was, land was nothing in comparison without people to inhabit it. Kumsa will be where its sovereign and people go.

On the other end of the field, the enemy commander observed a sudden drop in combat effectiveness within the ranks of the humans. Tenacity was not a word that could fully describe their ability to hold them off for so long and incur such damage upon them continuously. The vessel had turned them into something else both in quality and fighting spirit. Their ancient predecessors were never this robust and ferocious.

Narmada instantly knew that the Human commander had been temporarily relieved from the frontlines because the defences did not incorporate as aggressive counterattacks. Despite her absorption of modern military tactics and strategy from the outsider commander of a foreign land. This commander seemed to utilize tactics that had a combination of new and old incorporated into them, making it an entirely different kind of strategy and combat that Narmada and the Rakshasa of her Army were used to and had learnt.

These Himavanan Humans were of a different class altogether, and to neglect their status as an equal would be foolish of them. Narmada truly regretted having to kill off such people, even now as the villagers of the city seemed to be preparing for a mass exodus, the army was still protecting them at great cost even though they weren't of the same lineage or clans. They were true warriors.

But there was a master plan in order. If she could not mass murder this entire population, then somewhere else would have to pay in the same amount of blood. They had just not expected the humans to defend such a backwater region so direly. Her Highness was right, the humans were changing. And they, the Rakshasa?... Were already running on borrowed time to be here.

(pop)(BOBOBOBOOM) (pop)(BOBOBOBOBOOM) The sound of the light artillery weapon known as the mortar crept a barrage. The left and right flanks of their forces had been the targets, and yet the shells were still off by a barn from their positions. Another strategy without straightforward logic behind it. Narmada could not help but grin widely, she had not had this much fun since she sparred with her lord. As the General of the East Gate, her responsibility in the past was to watch the Vanara. The sentient apes however weren't the type to indulge in the complexities of strategy or tactics. It was purely martial prowess and strength that dictated their actions.

[What are you doing?...] Narmada pondered the meaning behind the human's move.

The human soldiers began to leave their fortifications under the protection of their heavy weapons mounted on trucks and technical utility cars. Divided into two parts, one to reform a wall to safeguard the fleeing villagers and apply pressure upon her right flank forces.

While the other half were doing something they hadn't done before. Heading towards the central commitment of her forces. Even in their initial stage, the humans had never been bold enough to try a head-on attack. So why were they doing so now? Desperation? Narmada doubted that was the case, the Human commander might be fierce, but he still kept his reserves in check.

They even brought trucks with them as they moved up to confront the main units of her army.

(BOOM) The dirt next to her blew up as a shell from a Bofors gun landed right next to her, but not enough to kill someone like her. It still indicated how close they were to the rearguard where she was. It was still a fluke nonetheless, the dirt caked her face which she proceeded to wipe it off quickly.

[Mmm?] As she wiped her face and picking off a lump of dirt which simply streamed out of her hand, indicating high moisture. For a moment, she looked down at the crate the shell caused. Noting a lack of puddles despite the high moisture content. Narmada gazed back at the Human contingent that were still charging dangerously close to them. Scanning each of their vehicles and persons with inquisitive scrutiny.

Then, against her initial thoughts about the convoy of trucks heading her way. They halted and formed a line of defence again. But to be so far from their supply units and too near to the Rakshasa to employ artillery at danger close proximity, it was almost too provocative.

A Rakshasa messenger appeared before her and knelt as he conveyed his information.

[Adjutant wishes to accept the enemy's foolishness.]

[By showing them the same in turn?] She scoffed at the temperament of her brethren, too willing to meet challenges head-on like real warriors should. Perhaps that was why the King had put her in charge of the East Gate Army, knowing that physical strength and combat ability was not enough to hold off the Vanara tribes.

[He can personally charge up at the enemy if he so wishes.] Was her reply.

[Adjutant also wishes to inform your ladyship, the Adjutant has already left to do so.] Narmada sighed shaking her head, they were just too predictable.

In the distance, she could see her adjutant commander of the vanguard meeting the human's attempt to test their frontlines. Narmada had her suspicions about the vehicles with them until they parked them in a defence line instead of proceeding towards this area just below the cliffside at their backs.

Narmada waved to have her composite bow brought before her, a carrier brought it out and held it up for her to take. Which she did so along with pulling out an arrow with a bulbous tip containing something. With a murmur, the rag caught fire as she strung and drew the arrow back on her heavy bow.

Once her target had been marked, she let loose the arrow from the bow with a powerful twang that sounded more like a ballista than the simple bow she used.

The high-velocity projectile arced through the air and landed upon a covered-canvas truck which she had been eyeing for some time. At first, there was nothing as it struck against the hull of the truck, but then-

(BOOOOOM) In a massive eruption of high explosive, engulfing many of the soldiers nearby. Their comrades could only hear them scream instead of helping put out the fires because the Rakshasa were too close. The explosive-tipped arrow revealed the true nature of their intentions of coming here.

If she was correct, that truck was meant to detonate right where the vanguard was. But its purpose wasn't to damage her central forces who would take measures to ensure it didn't hurt them. It was to trigger a massive landslide where the soil was close to eroding. But her adjutant had stopped them from getting close enough.

[All forces, we will crush this group and then move on to the next.] With a word, the entire force committed themselves to eliminating the contingent that had separated themselves on their own accord.

Narmada felt it was time for her to move as well. Once this contingent force was gone, the other half wouldn't have enough to protect its flank. Her opponent had just expended a move and failed miserable, costing him everything. But perhaps not the memory of their five-hour play, she'd never met a man that could hold out that long.

[To the General!] The Rakshasa roared ferociously like a pack of hungry wolves as they followed her in the charge towards this force.

Narmada became the tip of the vanguard that formed around her taking point for the army.

She and her brethren were about five hundred metres from the contingent when they brought out those tower ballistic shields. The ones lined with explosive reactive armour (ERA). When they first encountered it, the shields had the ability to kill the momentum of their charge which was the primary concern of the Humans since Rakshasa were extremely fleet-footed.

With a raise of her hand, the spear wielders took point ahead of her, the ends had the same explosive compound as the arrow she fired prior. A field modification they made to counter the shields as once the explosive reactive armour detonated, there was nothing left to stop them. Having it detonate from a spear length distance would reduce casualties and prevent the charge from losing power.

That was till she caught sight of her strategy opponent standing in the middle of the shield wall with a composure that hardly resembled his previous angst and desperation to keep them away from the city.

The canvas of one of the trucks unravelled and the back seemed to turn on an axis to face them with 127mm tubes. They hid a rocket artillery battery from their plying eyes! From her stolen memories, she instantly discerned the firepower of the BM-21 multiple rocket launcher systems. They were sufficient in pinning down her entire army which had bunched up together in this single swarm, but they weren't faced at them. She knew that it was part of the original plan.

His expression said it all in one look.

"Checkmate." (Click) Down he pressed the solenoid wire which actuated the launchers to send a screaming symphony of "Katyusha" at the base of the cliff behind them.

(BOBOBOBOBOBOBOOOM….) (Rumble)

A tremor followed as the 127mm high explosive rockets had softened the cliff soil beyond its load to keep the top part stable and upright. Thousands of tons of rock, soil and vegetation were forcefully uprooted and began to tumble down kilometres of cliff and mountain towards the exposed rear of her army.

The Rakshasa fell into a stupor just as she had. The lower warriors did not anticipate the humans to bring down a cliff which would, in turn, destroy their crop fields. But apparently, the human commander had made that resolve for all of them.

Narmada turned back to the human commander and gave a light smile that confused the young man a little and robbed him of his victory expression.

The landslide came like a tidal wave, sweeping the Rakshasa into its mixture little by little. Soon, it engulfed their General and vanguard in the front as well and was now heading for the contingent of a thousand that Bipin had brought with him to undertake the daring offensive to buy time.

He and the soldiers went into foxholes dug hastily and anticipated the arrival of the landslide to their wall of ERA shields and other trucks carrying explosives. He had not anticipated that the Rakshasa Pillar would actually fire an arrow all the way here and nearly uncovered his plot. But now, their patience had paid off.

(click) The detonator linked to all of the explosives was pressed the moment the landslide arrived at the shields.

(BOOOOOOOOM) An enormous explosive wall of controlled destruction blasted in the direction of the landslide. Sending tons of pulverised rock and dirt a few kilometres into the air as if a volcano had formed right where they were. The ground rattled like the deity of the earth was enraged with the wanton destruction of nature around them in their endeavour.

But to their relief, the landslide changed its direction towards the East, away from the city and river where the people evacuated. But towards the rice fields that had been tended for generation by the Kumsans. The evacuees could not help but sigh in disappointment, their way of life will never return to what it had once been. And the one who permitted it was none other than Manendra Kumsa, the Crown Prince of Kumsa. When Bipin had finished explaining his new plan, Manendra was in a constant battle with himself. This was a turning point with no return, this decision would mean they could not go back to the way things were ever again.

But in return, the destiny of four million Kumsans had been altered for the first time and on their own accord. Kumsa would never be locked in normalcy again.

When the landslide ended, and their heads popped up to look around seeing no sign of the Rakshasa.

"Bijjooooo!... Bijjoooo!... Bijjooooo!" A cheer rose out from the contingent which grew in tempo. The word they shouted, was a name. His name.

"""Bijjoooo!... Bijjooooo!... Bijjoooooo!""" The cry had infected the rest of the brigade standing guard by the rivers. Until the Kumsan people heard the name of the warrior that fought and defended them against monster.

Bipin sighed as the contingent was using his ridiculous army pet name as a joke to remember if they survived. Which meant…..

… Honey Badger.


Author's Notes:

I will try to bring the next story up within the week. Have been trying to get settled back in school, to be honest, I'm enjoying it more than these past few years.