The Epic of Kautilya : Born To Be King

by Deepak Thomas

  Kautilya walked up to Yama. “Was this escape always planned?”

  Yama shook his head. “They came for me unbidden. But if you had waited…”

  She began to choke up. Her attempted escape with Renuka … It had been for nothing.

  Suddenly Ādi halted. “Uh oh.”

  “What happened?” Yama asked.

  “We have company,” Ādi said. Immediately the whole squad pulled out their weapons.

  Kautilya saw a flash of red fur and suddenly a tiny animal was on Ādi. It had the head and body of a tiger cub, red fur with black stripes and a tiny white mane that extended along its neck and back.

  The cub rubbed its head all over Ādi, much to the former’s delight and the latter’s annoyance.

  “Get off me, you idiot,” Ādi said. He pulled the cub off and put him back on the ground. The cub ran to Saira who was waiting with her hands open.

  “He’s a barong,” Saira explained to Kautilya. “He’s still a cub. Ādi couldn’t come up with a name for him so we call him Barong.”

  Kautilya nodded. She’d read about barongs. They were rare creatures found in Trikuta. They could grow to the size of a horse and were known to be very dangerous. But in Saira’s arms the cub was as friendly as a puppy.

  “Go ahead,” Saira said, “you can pat him.”

  Kautilya politely declined. If what she had heard about barongs was true she didn’t want to risk it.

  “Yama.” Kautilya heard a voice deep like a lion’s roar.

  She gasped as she saw an asura with the head of a snow lion walk out of the clearings. The asura had the power of resurrection, but their body parts could not grow back so many asura would replace body parts with those of another creature when they lost their original ones. It was common for asura to choose the heads of fierce beasts to intimidate their enemies. Yet a snow-lion head was especially fearsome.

  “This is Druma,” Yama said. “He’s a friend of ours, an asura who’s been kicked out of the Asura Republic. They probably hate the fact that he’s missing a funny bone. Couldn’t you have got one from the snow lion whose head you borrowed?”

  “I did,” Druma said. “It just doesn’t work with your jokes.”

  Yama winced. “Druma, this is Princess Kautilya. She doesn’t like to be called a princess though.”

  “I see your mission went well,” Druma said. He was suddenly enveloped in a hug by Ādi.

  “How are you, Druma?” Ādi said.

  “I was doing quite well without you,” Druma said.

  “Of course you weren’t,” Ādi said. “You were probably up at night crying and waiting for me to be back.”

  “Don’t accuse me of things you do,” Druma said. “Wetting your bed when I’m not around.”

  Ādi’s face went red with rage while everyone else had a good laugh.

  Kautilya smiled, but the warm feeling faded when she remembered Jay.

  Their destination was the citadel of Rishyamukh, which had been built by the forces of an ancient ape king, during his rebellion against his elder brother. Its location was unknown to those outside the ape circle.

  Now it was base camp for the rebel apes. The sheer slopes of the peaks meant that only apes could climb up to it. It was impossible for the humans to attack the base.

  “Do you want to rest for a while?” Yama said to Kautilya.

  Yes, we do have a long way to go, Kautilya thought. “You should get horses,” she said aloud.

  “It offends the apes’ sensibilities,” Yama said. “They find it disrespectful to ride another beast.”

  “But we could ride,” Kautilya said.

  “We will not have a lot of ape support if we start disregarding their beliefs,” Yama said.

  “Oh,” Kautilya said. “I thought that they needed your support. I didn’t think it was the other way around.”

  Yama laughed. Once he got back his composure he said, “That is a fair point, you know. But sometimes helping someone isn’t a favour. Sometimes it’s a duty.”

  “It’s a long journey,” Kautilya said.

  Yama looked at Druma. “I had heard that the princess was a meek, silent type. She seems emboldened today.”

  “Once you face death, what is there to fear?” Druma asked.

  Yama nodded. “Everyone is making good points today. I am surrounded by sages. In any case, let’s rest.”

  Druma scouted out a meadow. Soon the whole squad was lying on the grass.

  Kautilya took out the amber pendant and turned it around in her hands. She felt like the damselfly inside, trapped in circumstances beyond her choosing. For so long she had wanted to get back at Dhanush, but now she wondered if the vengeance was worth it. What if it caused others pain? But then again, who else did she have to lose?

  “I’m getting bored,” Ādi said, and leapt to his feet. “Let’s play a game.”

  “I’m already playing a game,” Nina said. “It’s called ‘Who can snore the loudest?’” She snored loudly, said, “I win,” and she dozed off.

  “Saira?” Ādi asked.

  Saira shrugged and got up. He handed her a dagger.

  “Let’s see who can hit that tree over there,” Ādi said.

  Saira nodded. She flung the dagger and it narrowly missed the tree.

  “Three chances,” Ādi said, handing her another dagger.

  Saira flung two more daggers and missed the tree both times.

  Ādi smiled. “Now look at me,” he said, and threw the dagger straight into the trunk of the tree. “Perfect,” he said with satisfaction.

  Saira turned to Kautilya. “Do you want to try?”

  Ādi laughed. Kautilya glared at him, and he shrugged.

  “You’re such an idiot, Ādi,” Saira said to him.

  “What? She’s a princess,” Ādi said. “She’s not used to wielding weapons.”

  Just wait and watch, Kautilya thought. She stood up and snatched two daggers from Ādi. Staring straight into his eyes, she flung the daggers one after the other. Then without a word she sat back down.

  She did not need to look to know the daggers had hit their mark.

  Saira laughed. “Looks like you have a rival in knife-flinging, Ādi.”

  Ādi’s mouth was still agape from the shock.

  Kautilya stifled a smile. That had been fun.

  ***

  The next seven days were a much-needed opportunity for Kautilya to relax. The death of Chandra, and Renuka’s torture, were fresh in her mind. But she tried her best to divert her thoughts by observing the squad. She was fascinated by the mixture of races. Yama was obviously the leader, but he tended to spoil the children. He also spent most of his time goofing around. He was the wisest, but seldom took anything seriously.

  Druma was the stern one. Though he never raised his voice or made threats, everybody obeyed him.

  She wondered how Nina and Saira got along.

  The yaksha had ruled the island of Lanka. That was until the rakshasas defeated them and they had to escape to the hills on the other side of Bharat. This new kingdom called Yaksharajya was soon conquered by demigods and yaksha became slaves.

  Demigods were supposed to be arrogant and yaksha were supposed to be servile. Saira and Nina did not fit this image. Saira was a kind, gentle soul. She loved the animals that surrounded her and she was the one of the squad who was friendliest to Kautilya. She was obviously smitten by Ādi, and Kautilya realised she was the one who kept his brutality in check. Nina was the loudmouth. She didn’t answer to anyone ... except Druma. Her feistiness was entertaining. She was also supposed to be the leader of the squad, and Kautilya saw why. She could make anyone do anything.

  But it was Ādi who fascinated Kautilya the most, although she couldn’t understand why. Maybe it was her fixation on demigods. Or maybe it was the fact that he didn’t fit
any race. He wasn’t like Yama, who didn’t exhibit any racial traits at all; instead, Ādi exhibited the distinguishing traits of several races.

  He had the red eyes and pointed ears of a rakshasa. He also had their powerful sense of smell and hearing. But then again he had the blonde hair and tan skin of a demigod. He was also much faster than Saira. How had a being like him come to be? She wanted to know his story. But he stayed aloof, which made her even more curious.

  After seven days the band had crossed the forests, scaled the mountains and reached the cavern entrance to Rishyamukh.

  A large boulder covered the entrance and the moss around it gave the impression that the rock had not been moved in years.

  Ādi sniffed the air to make sure that no enemy was around. Then he nodded to Yama.

  Yama shouted, “I come to see the rightful ruler of the apes.”

  A voice boomed through the rocks. “Who are you?”

  “I don’t know if you’ve heard of me. My name is Yama. Some people call me Yama the Undying. It has nothing to do with dyeing clothes though.” He turned around as if searching for approval. Druma slapped his forehead.

  “Hey,” Yama said, “it was a fairly clever quip.”

  There was silence for some time and then the rock began to roll aside, revealing the cave. At the entrance were apes wearing armour and holding maces. This was something that Kautilya had never seen before. According to human law, only humans who belonged to the warrior caste could hold weapons.

  “Welcome, warlord,” the leader of the apes said to Yama.

  “Good to see you again, Angad,” Yama said.

  Angad! Kautilya remembered. This was Renuka’s brother. He did have the same bluish fur has his sister.

  Angad nodded to Druma who nodded back. He scanned the squad that was waiting behind Druma and Yama. Finally he laid eyes on Kautilya. “You brought a human to our doorstep!”

  The guards who stood beside Angad began to growl and bare their fangs.

  “A friend,” Yama said.

  “A human is your friend?” Angad asked.

  “A girl, actually,” Yama said, “and she is my friend.”

  Angad stared at Kautilya. Kautilya felt sweat forming on her temples. Images of the night Renuka and her had attempted escape flashed past her. Should she tell them about it?

  “We will need the Lord Chief’s permission to bring her in,” Angad said.

  “That is exactly who I propose we take her to,” Yama said. “We are so alike, you and I.”

  “You do realise that if my mother refuses to grant permission, your friend here will be executed?” Angad said. “We cannot have the humans know our location.”

  “Oh,” Yama said. “That’s a bit of a complication.” He turned to Kautilya. “Are you really attached to your life? There might be a risk of losing it inside.”

  “I will go in,” Kautilya said.

  “There you are,” Yama said to Angad.

  Angad turned to one of the guards. “Mira, guard the entrance with your apes. I will escort them personally.”

  The guard nodded. Angad gestured to the squad to walk after him.

  Kautilya followed him into a long tunnel. As they neared the exit, she began to hear the murmur that precedes the loud noise of a thriving community. Sure enough, as they made their way out of the tunnel and into the citadel Kautilya saw thousands of apes.

  The whole citadel was covered in mist. There were several hundred stone buildings dotting the peak and in the middle was a giant tower which Kautilya inferred was the court or the temple. On top of the tower was a statue of the Ape God.

  The citadel was full of apes. Some were practising battle moves, others grooming each other. Kautilya was fascinated. She had never seen apes so full of life before.

  They soon reached the main tower. Several giant apes guarded the entrance but they parted and then raised their hands in greeting as they saw Angad approach. He returned the greeting. The squad silently followed him, avoiding the gaze of the seven-foot-tall apes.

  Kautilya had never seen apes so big in Bharat or even in Kishkinda. Where had they been hidden?

  Angad led them into the main chamber of the tower, where several apes were seated in concentric semicircles. All discussion immediately came to a stop as the squad entered. Kautilya felt the cold stare of the apes bore into her. She wondered if anyone would recognise her from her previous foray into their country.

  Angad halted when he neared the centre of the semicircle. He raised his fist in salute. Yama and Druma took positions on either side of Angad, blocking Kautilya’s view.

  “Lord Chief,” Angad said, “the warlord and his squad have arrived.”

  “So I see,” a husky feminine voice said. “Welcome, Yama.”

  “They have a human with them,” Angad added. He stepped aside to reveal Kautilya.

  A female ape, lean and groomed, sat on a serpentinite throne. She was a spitting image of Renuka, with the exception of her eyes which still possessed black irises.

  “What have we here?” the Lord Chief asked. “A hostage, I presume?”

  “An ally,” Yama said.

  The Lord Chief’s eye ridge shot up quickly and then came down just as fast. Someone in control of her emotions.

  “Since when did the humans become our allies, warlord?” the Lord Chief asked. She scanned Kautilya from head to toe. “Especially those from among the nobles.”

  “We share a common enemy,” Yama said.

  “The enemy of an enemy is a friend?” the Lord Chief asked.

  “Precisely, my lord,” Yama said.

  “My experience says that maxim rarely holds true,” the Lord Chief said. “I hope you have better reasons than that to bring this creature here. Her presence will greatly aggravate my tribes.”

  “Yes, my lord, but this girl is special,” Yama said. “She was in the tutelage of a friend of mine, Guru Akrama. She is also the daughter of the late King Chandra.”

  Suddenly the hall was filled with murmurs. Many apes bared their fangs at Kautilya.

  “You are not making your case stronger, Yama,” the Lord Chief said. “My apes would happily see the daughter of that tyrant dead.”

  Tyrant? Kautilya fumed inside. He’d had to fight so that the apes could own their hills, and they dared to call him a tyrant. She calmed herself. This was no place for an outburst.

  “Her strategic insights might save the rebellion,” Yama said.

  The Lord Chief began to laugh. The whole cave was silent when she finished. “A girl will save the rebellion.”

  “This is a smart girl, my lord,” Yama said.

  “She’d better be. She doesn’t look like a fighter,” the Lord Chief said.

  “You have to trust me, my lord,” Yama said.

  The Lord Chief narrowed her eyes. “What is your interest in bringing this girl here?” she asked.

  “She has learned human strategy and tactics from the best, my lord,” Yama said. “Her insights could help us take on the human forces.”

  “You have already said that,” the Lord Chief said.

  “You have to trust me, my lord,” Yama said.

  “You are frustrating me now, Yama.” the Lord Chief said. “It would be a great motivator for my tribes to see a human executed. It could be a salve on the wounds we are accumulating in the campaign. Or we could give her back to her brothers in exchange for a few of our own.”

  All the apes murmured in agreement.

  “Think ahead, my lord,” Yama said. “The strategic advantage we gain through her is massive.”

  The Lord Chief closed her eyes and clenched her fists. Kautilya felt a chill descend on the assembly. They did not want to see the Lord Chief lose her temper. She opened her eyes, and her rage was apparent.

  She began to speak. “Yama, there will be man
y apes out for human blood and I cannot spare guards. If you believe you can mine her for intelligence then you should have done that before you brought her here.”

  She gestured and immediately some apes stepped towards her.

  “Lord Chief, please,” Yama said.

  “No, Yama,” the Lord Chief said. “No human is a friend of the apes.”

  Nina and Saira reflexively took a stance to protect her.

  “Get away, you monkeys,” Nina said.

  The apes grew angrier.

  “Wait,” Kautilya said. She held out the amber pendant.

  Even from a distance, the Lord Chief recognised it. She leapt to her feet. “Halt!”

  The apes stopped.

  “Where did you get that?” the Lord Chief demanded.

  “It was a gift,” Kautilya said. “If you’ll let me talk to you, I’ll explain.”

  The Lord Chief snapped her fingers. “Everyone leave. Angad, Yama and the human stay.”

  All the apes bowed their heads and raised their fists. They turned and left the hall. The squad made their way out of the hall too.

  “What a miserable monkey,” Nina said as she left. “Are we the ones helping her or is it the other way round?”

  “They’re sensitive about humans,” Saira said.

  Kautilya knew why.

  The Lord Chief walked to Kautilya and put out her palm.

  Kautilya handed her the pendant. She observed it.

  “Tell me how you got this,” she demanded.

  “I am a friend of Renuka’s,” Kautilya said. “I met her in prison. We were cellmates.”

  “How do I know you did not steal it?” she asked.

  “I know that she can’t sleep when there is a storm,” Kautilya said, “she told me how you pampered Angad and her though you were tough on everyone else.”

  “Renuka!” Her long lost daughter’s memory immediately broke the Lord Chief’s hardened veneer. “How is she?”

  “Not good,” Kautilya said. “She has lost her sight and the humans have not treated her well. But she never lets it show. Her love for Angad and you keeps her strong.”