04

Karma walked on the muddy ground of the outskirts, inspecting the place. The place was quiet. The farmworkers were asleep in their small huts. Still, he had stolen a ragged cloth to hide the mayastone's glow. He had somehow escaped the palace and came here to find Ahinara. He last saw the prince run toward this direction atleast. Then what after he found him?

Where would he go?

What would he do?

All of Karma's work to be the commander-in-chief had come to nought. He would not be taken back. The very empire he fought for had thrown him out. All because he stayed true to his belief.

A sigh escaped his mouth. Clouds had come and hidden the moon. He found himself lost in this darkness. Before this, he used to pray to Rosani to guide him. But if she was a lie, was there really no light that guided men?

A figure shifted between the huts.

Karma darted his gaze around, fully alert. Hand tight on the spear. A boy with shaved head wearing grey robe came out of a corner. He inspected Karma and gazed his expectantly. The boy seemed to know something. He turned around and began to walk in a direction. Karma followed him.

The boy led to a faraway hut with Ahinara inside. The prince was unharmed, Karma exhaled in relief. There was also a middle-aged man and woman who seemed to be the parents. The father also had shaved head. Karma understood. Mahasita's people. Giving refuge to their beloved prince.

"Thank you," Ahinara said to the boy as Karma entered. Then he turned to the family. "May I talk to him alone?"

"We will be in the bedroom," the father said with a bow and retreated.

They stood in silence, lightened by the firepit of the room. Karma had so many things to say. He was relieved. But also angry. He wanted to demand why Ahinara did this. At the same time, he wanted to help.

"You should not have gotten yourself involved," Ahinara said.

"Excuse me?" Karma sputtered. "I just gave up my position in the empire. I fought my friend and called my teacher, who brought me from nowhere and taught me everything I knew. For what? You!"

"That's why I said that you should not have done this!" Ahinara said, seemingly equally angry. "I tried to keep you out of this. You are with them. You think like them. I am an enemy to you!"

"If I saw you as an enemy, I wouldn't have gone so far to save you."

"I did not need your saving."

"And what amazing plan did you have? Get yourself imprisoned? Thrown out into the wilderness? Assassinated in the dark?" Karma glared. "Don't tell me… you actually wanted it!"

"No, look- argh!" Ahinara rubbed his forehead. "This talk is getting nowhere. Sorry for reacting like this, I am supposed to thank you. But there is still time. You should return back."

"I already have an oath to you," Karma said, arms folded. "That I will protect you with my life. Besides…"

The oath was an excuse, he did not say it. Ahinara did not know that Karma no longer supported the empire. After listening to Helen. After what happened at the hall. No, ever since Ahinara began to change, he strayed Karma too. He trusted this man before him more than anyone. He fought for him, not the empire.

He wanted to know the truth.

"What I want to know is," Karma said, "what made you change?"

Ahinara sat on the ground, his eyes lost in thought. Karma sat beside him.

"All I wanted was to be capable as you guys," Ahinara said. "You and Druva were the best students of Aryasita. And I, despite being the heir, was pathetically weak. It hurt my pride. When the lessons were over and no one was looking, I used to practise by myself. I wanted so badly to know how you two were doing it.

"Aryasita saw me struggling. He came to me and said that if I wanted to be accepted by the world, to be honoured and admired, I needed to follow his every word. Little did I know, it was his way of shaping me to achieve his ambitions.

"Whatever he told me to do, I did it without question. He told me to pretend to be strong, I did. He told me to look at lowborn people as tools, I did. I mimicked his words to my subject. I waged war on his wish. People lost their family, soldiers lost their life and yet he convinced me that it was all done in honour of his gods.

"It worked. You people looked upto me. I was this ideal prince with most wealth and power between the mountains and the sea. But the times I was alone, I felt nothing but an empty shell.

"The very idea of refusing Aryasita scared me. I would lose everything that I worked so hard for. The conquest to the east and my meeting Mahasita changed everything. He came to me again and again and preached about the Guided One. And with time, the shell of Aryasita's lies crumbled down around me. My eyes opened to reality. Everything I strove for held no value. The revelation both saved and destroyed me.

"What did I strive for? Was there really no god that accounted my actions? I felt cheated for my life. I wanted nothing other than to take down the man who played me. Who keeps fooling everyone.

"Even though deep down, I knew I was powerless. Aryasita holds the reign to power through lies and manipulations. He could easily outsmart me. I resolved in my heart - even if I lose, even if he gets me executed, I would still fight him."

The two sat in silence after Ahinara stopped talking.

"I cannot believe teacher did this to you," Karma said, enraged by Aryasita.

"It doesn't matter. I lost. The empirical soldiers will eventually find me and I should let them before they kill innocent men in my name."

Karma shot up to his feet. "I will not let you die!"

Ahinara was going to argue back. They fell quiet as someone knocked the door. Karma went and opened it carefully, anticipating soldiers. But he was left surprised instead. There was the monk, Mahasita with the boy who had brought Karma. And behind him stood Helen, red hair peeking out from her white veil. The edge of her face glowed from the fire behind.

As they entered, Helen's green eyes darted at Karma first, then Ahinara. She walked to him. "I am so glad you are safe!"

"What are you doing here?" Ahinara asked, his tone worried.

Helen nodded in the monk's direction. "I searched him out and told him everything. We left fearing the soldiers will come for him when the boy found us and led here."

"It's safer for you to be with your father," Ahinara said. Karma nodded.

"No way, I will just be held captive. If not, I will definitely be forced to marry someone this time," Helen said. "Let me come with you. I want to see how this ends with my own eyes."

"Convince him not to surrender first," Karma said.

Helen looked shocked at Karma. Then turned to Ahinara and said, "But there is no telling what will happen to you."

"I have no other choice," Ahinara said, his gaze dropped. "Perhaps this is the price I pay for my deeds."

"Listen Ahinara," Helen said, "you realize what will be the future of this empire, right? Your father will not back down. He will prepare troops to defend his throne to death. Druva is under Aryasita's influence. He believes he has all the right to be the new ruler. Conquered chiefs will see it as an opportunity to rebel. Pahrya Empire will likely fall.

"When that happens, it will be chaos. Trade and craft will be lost. Libraries will be burned. Farmlands will be raided for food. If it comes to that, it is important for atleast one kingdom, one city to stand strong and maintain order."

"The girl speaks wisdom, prince Ahinara," Mahasita said. "There is a small kingdom near my homeland. Their king is old and without an heir. I suggest we go there and talk to him into giving you command. Their people follow the Guided One. They will happily accept you."

Karma looked around the small group. Although Mahasita had suggested a way, no one seemed confident. Questions lingered in everyone's mind. Should they leave? How would they make it there? Could this all work out?

And then there was Ahinara, whose face shadowed in despair. Like every second he stayed in this world brought doom. He stood distant from others. Like a leaf about to be blown in the wind.

Karma had to do something.

"Alright, we have a plan!" he said energetically. "It's not much but we will work it out."

Helen brightened up in response. "With you, I am sure everything will turn out just fine."

"Indeed, if men on the right path walk together, nothing can stop them," Mahasita said, giving a rare poised smile. He thinks I have left my old belief, Karma thought blushing at Helen's remark. He had not. He… was not sure yet.

What seemed to occur after ages, Ahinara finally relaxed. His face back toward the light. And nodded in affirmation.

They would be alright. On Karma's honour, they would be alright.

--

The humidity made Karma wake up in a sweaty mess. There was no wind passing from the window. He hated when this happened. This season often snatched a good sleep. He set aside his cover and sat up. Then realized where he was. Oh right. Yesterday felt like a bizarre dream.

The sky outside was barely lightened. It would be dawn soon. There were others wrapped in cotton covers. Helen and the mother of the family were asleep in another room.

Wait. As Karma's senses came to alert, he looked carefully. Ahinara's cover laid crumbled without him. Where was he?

He must be refreshing himself, Karma thought. I need to wash off my sweat too.

The air was cooler outside. Karma looked around after leaving the hut. There was a sound of a stream flowing nearby, across the wheat grown field, he made way in that direction. Ahinara should have been careful and told someone before leaving.

He pushed past the long green stems. He stopped when sounds of murmurs came from the other end. One was Ahinara and the other…

Aryasita.

With a pounding heart, he carefully neared them without getting spotted. He appeared out enough to look at the two from among the crop. What was the priest doing here? Since when had he known their location?

"I am genuinely hurt by your betrayal, child," Aryasita said.

"Cut your nonsense. I only agreed to talk to you because I want it to settle between us. Others do not need to get hurt," Ahinara said.

"And what is your proposal? What can you possibly do to redeem this?"

"I will divide the empire between Druva and me. With a peace treaty. You will have full liberty of power and influence of doing whatever you want under Druva. Leave me alone in peace."

Aryasita considered.

"Sadly, this is not good enough for me. You should understand the heart of other men by now, child."

The priests raised an arm. Arrows zipped through the air and hit Ahinara in the back.

A hoarse cry erupted from Karma's throat. He leapt to his direction but his arms and waist were trapped. Soldiers held onto him and pinned him to the ground. Mud blew in air from the force. He reached out an arm at Ahinara's falling body.