“It’s hard to imagine elephants in war. They seem so gentle,” I reflected.
“Elephants were quite formidable in battle,” Mr. Kadam explained. “They were heavily armored and carried an enclosed structure on their backs to protect archers. Sometimes we secured long daggers dipped in poison to their tusks which proved very effective in a direct assault. Just imagine facing an army with twenty thousand armored elephants. I don’t believe we have that many elephants left in all of India now.”
I could almost feel the ground shaking underfoot as I visualized thousands of battle-ready elephants descending on an army.
“How awful for you to have to be a part of all that bloodshed and destruction, and to think that was your whole life. War is a terrible thing.”
Mr. Kadam shrugged. “War was different then than it is today. We followed a warrior’s code, similar to Europe’s code of chivalry. We had four rules. Rule One: You must fight with someone who has similar armor. We wouldn’t fight a man who did not have the same amount of protective gear. This is similar to the concept of not using a weapon against an unarmed man.”
He raised a second finger. “Rule Two: If your enemy can’t fight any longer, the battle is over. If you’ve disabled your opponent and rendered him helpless, you must stop fighting. You don’t finish him off.
“Rule Three: Soldiers do not kill women, children, the aged, or the infirm, and we do not injure those who surrender.
“And Rule Four: We do not destroy gardens, temples, or other places of worship.”
“Those sound like pretty good rules,” I commented.
“Our king followed Kshatriadharma, or the Law of Kings, which means that we could only fight in battles that were considered just, or righteous, and that had the approval of the people.”
We both fell silent for a while. Mr. Kadam seemed wrapped in thoughts about his past, and I tried to understand the time he lived in. As he smoothly switched lanes again, I was impressed with his ease at driving in heavy traffic while he was so quietly reflective. The streets were crowded, and the drivers were zipping past at frightening speeds, but that didn’t seem to leave any impression on Mr. Kadam.
Later, he turned to me and said, “I’ve made you sad, Miss Kelsey. I apologize. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I’m just sad that you had so much warfare in your life and that you missed out on so many other things.”
Mr. Kadam looked at me and smiled. “Don’t be sad. Remember that it was just one small part of my life. I have been able to see and experience more things than would normally have been possible for any man. I have seen the world change century after century. I have witnessed many terrible things, as well as many wonderful things. Also, remember that, even though I was a military man, we weren’t constantly at war. Our kingdom was large and reputable. Though we trained for battle, we engaged in serious warfare only perhaps a handful of times.”
“Sometimes I forget how long you and Ren have been alive. Not that I’m saying you’re old or anything.”
Mr. Kadam chuckled. “Indeed not.”
I nodded and picked up a book to study more about Hanuman. It was fascinating to read the stories surrounding the monkey god. I was so immersed in my study that I was surprised when Mr. Kadam pulled over.
We grabbed a quick lunch, during which Mr. Kadam encouraged me to try some different types of curry. I discovered that I was not much of a curry fan, and he chuckled as I made faces at the spicy ones. I loved the naan bread though.
As we settled back into the car, I pulled out a copy of Durga’s prophecy and began reading. Snakes. That can’t be a good thing. I wonder what type of protection or blessing Durga would give us.
“Mr. Kadam, is there a temple of Durga near the ruins of Hampi?”
“Excellent question, Miss Kelsey. I had the same thought myself. Yes, there are temples to honor Durga in almost every city in India. She is a very popular goddess. I have found a temple near Hampi that we will visit. Hopefully, we’ll find our next clue to the puzzle there.”
“Hmm.”
I went back to my study of the prophecy. Mr. Kadam had said a gada was like a mace, or a club, so that means it’s a weapon. Hanuman’s realm. That means the ruins of Hampi, or Kishkindha. And then hunt the branch that’s bound. Maybe it’s the branch that holds the fruit. Thorny dangers and dazzling dangers? The thorns could be rose bushes or thorny vines maybe.
“Mr. Kadam, any idea what dazzling dangers might be?”
“No. Sorry, Miss Kelsey, I can’t think of anything. I’ve also been pondering, ‘Lurid phantoms thwart your route.’ I’ve found no information on this, which makes me think we might have to interpret it literally. There might be spirits of some kind that try to stop you.”
I gulped. “And what about the uh, serpents?”
“There are many dangerous serpents in India—the cobra, the boa, the python, water snakes, vipers, king cobras, and even some that fly.”
That didn’t sound good at all. “What do you mean fly?”
“Well, technically, they don’t really fly. They just glide to other trees, like the flying squirrel.”
I sank lower in my seat and frowned. “What an exceptional variety of poisonous reptiles you have here.”
Mr. Kadam laughed. “Yes, we do indeed. It’s something we’ve learned to live with, but, in this case, it sounds like the snake or snakes will be helpful.”
I read the line again: If serpents find forbidden fruit, and India’s hunger satisfy . . . lest all her people surely die.
“Do you think that what we do could somehow affect all of India?”
“I’m not sure. I hope not. Despite my centuries of study, I know very little about this curse or the Damon Amulet. It has great power, but as to how it could affect India, I haven’t figured that out yet.”
I had a slight headache, so I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. The next thing I knew, Mr. Kadam was nudging me awake.
“We’re here, Miss Kelsey.”
I rubbed my sleepy eyes. “Where?”
“We’re at the place where Ren wanted to stop.”
“Mr. Kadam, we’re in the middle of nowhere surrounded by jungle.”
“I know. Don’t be afraid. You’ll be safe. Ren will protect you.”
“Why do those words always precede me wandering in the jungle with a tiger?”
He laughed lightly, grabbed my bag, and walked around to my door to open it for me.
I stepped out and looked up at him. “I’ll have to sleep in the jungle again, won’t I? Are you sure I can’t go with you while he gets whatever it is he needs?”
“I’m sorry, Miss Kelsey, but in this case he will need you. It’s something he can’t do without you and may not even be able to do with you.”
I groaned, “Right. And, you, of course, can’t tell me what it is.”
“It’s not for me to tell. This is his story to share.”
I muttered, “Fine. And you’ll be back to pick us up when?”
“I will go into town and purchase a few items. Then I’ll meet you back here in about three or four days. I may end up having to wait for you. He might not be able to find what he is searching for on the first couple of nights.”
I sighed and glared at Ren. “Great. More jungle. Okay, let’s get on with it. Please lead the way.”
Mr. Kadam handed me a bottle of bug spray with sunscreen, placed some items in my backpack, and helped fit it onto my shoulders. I sighed deeply as I watched him pull away in the Jeep. Then I turned to follow Ren off into the jungle.
“Hey, Ren. How come I always have to follow you into a jungle? How about next time you follow me to a nice spa or maybe to the beach? How about that?”
He snuffed and kept on moving.
“Fine, but you owe me after this.”
We walked the rest of the afternoon.
Later, I heard a rumbling noise ahead of us but couldn’t figure out what it was. The farther we walked, the louder the noise grew. We
walked through a grove of trees and into a small clearing. Finally, I saw the source of the sound. It was a beautiful waterfall.
A series of gray stones were spread out like steps onto a tall hill. The water foamed and flowed over each stone, plummeted down, and spread out like a fan falling to a wide turquoise pool below. Trees and small bushes with petite red flowers surrounded the pool. It was lovely.
As I approached one of the bushes, I noticed it looked like it was moving. At my next step, hundreds of butterflies took to the air. There were two varieties: one was brown with cream-colored stripes and the other was brownish-black with blue stripes and dots. I laughed and twirled around in a cloud of butterflies. When they settled again, several landed on my arms and my shirt.
I climbed a rock that looked out over the falls and studied a butterfly perched on my finger. When it flew off, I stood quietly watching the water tumble down. Then I heard a voice behind me.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? It’s my favorite place in the entire world.”
“It is. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Ren came up to me and nudged a butterfly from my arm to his finger. “These are called crow butterflies, and the others are blue tigers. The blue tigers are brighter and easier to spot, so they live with the crows for camouflage.”
“Camouflage? Why do they need it?”
“The crows are inedible. In fact, they’re poisonous, so other butterflies try to mimic them to fool predators.”
He took my hand and guided me a little way along a path by the falls. “We’ll make camp here. Go ahead and sit down. I have something I need to tell you.”
I found a flat place and set down the backpack. I pulled out a bottle of water and settled myself against a rock. “Okay, go ahead.”
Ren began pacing back and forth and started speaking. “The reason we’re here is because I need to find my brother.”
I choked on my mouthful of water. “Your brother? I assumed he was dead. You haven’t mentioned him at all, except that he was cursed with you. You mean he’s still alive and lives here?”
“To be honest with you, I don’t know if he’s still alive or not. I assume he is because I am. Mr. Kadam believes that he still lives here in this jungle.”
He turned and looked at the waterfall, and then sat down next to me, stretched out his long legs, and picked up my hand. He toyed with my fingers as he spoke, “I believe he’s still alive. It’s just a feeling I have. My plan is to search the area in ever-widening circles. Eventually, one of us will cross the other’s scent. If he doesn’t show up or if I can’t catch his scent in a few days, we’ll go back, find Mr. Kadam, and continue our journey.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Wait here. I’m hoping that if he won’t listen to me, meeting you might convince him. Also, I hope that—”
“Hope what?”
He shook his head. “It’s not important now.” He squeezed my hand distractedly and jumped up. “Let me help you set up camp quickly before I begin my search.”
Ren went off to look for firewood while I unrolled a small easy-to-set-up two-person tent strapped to the outside of the backpack. Thank you, Mr. Kadam! I zipped open the tent bag and spread it out on a patch of even ground. After a few minutes, Ren came over to help me. He already had a fire going and had a nice stack of wood to keep it ablaze.
“That was fast,” I muttered jealously as I stretched the tent fabric over a hook.
He popped his head over the other side and grinned. “I was trained extensively on how to live outdoors.”
“I guess.”
He laughed. “Kells, there are many things that you know how to do that I don’t. Like setting up this tent apparently.”
I smiled. “Pull the fabric down over the hook on the stake.”
We finished up quickly, and he dusted off his hands.
“We didn’t have tents like these three hundred years ago. They look similar, but these are much more complicated. We just used wooden poles.”
He walked up to me, tugged on my braid, and impulsively kissed my forehead. “Keep the fire going. It scares wild animals away. I’m going to circle the area a few times, but I’ll be back before it gets dark.”
Ren bounded off into the jungle as a tiger again. I tugged on my braid, thought about him for a minute, and smiled.
While I waited for him to come back, I looked through my backpack to see what Mr. Kadam had provided for dinner. Ah, he outdid himself again—freeze-dried chicken and rice with chocolate pudding for dessert. I poured some water from my bottle into a little pot and set it on a flat rock that I had pushed into the coals. When the water bubbled, I used a T-shirt as a pot holder and transferred the hot water to my dinner pouch. I waited several minutes for it to reconstitute, and then enjoyed my meal, which wasn’t half bad actually. It sure was tastier than Sarah’s tofu turkey at Thanksgiving.
The sky started to darken, and I decided I’d feel safer in my tent, so I climbed in and folded my quilt up to use as a pillow.
Ren returned shortly after that, and I heard him place more wood on the fire. He said, “No sign of him yet.” Then he changed back to a tiger and settled himself at the tent opening.
I unzipped the tent and asked him if he would mind me using his back as a pillow again. He moved and stretched out as an answer. I scooted closer, laid my head on his soft fur, and wrapped my quilt around me. His chest rumbled rhythmically in a deep purr, which helped me to fall asleep.
Ren was gone when I awoke and returned around lunchtime as I was brushing out my hair.
“Here, Kells. I brought you something,” he said unassumingly and held out three mangos.
“Thanks. Uh, dare I ask where you got them?”
“Monkeys.”
I stopped in mid-brush. “Monkeys? What do you mean monkeys?”
“Well, monkeys don’t like tigers because tigers eat monkeys. So, when a tiger comes around, they jump up in the trees and pummel the tiger with fruit or feces. Lucky for me today they threw fruit.”
I gulped. “Have you ever . . . eaten a monkey?”
Ren grinned at me. “Well, a tiger does have to eat.”
I dug a rubber band out of the backpack so I could braid my hair. “Ugh, that’s disgusting.”
He laughed. “I didn’t really eat a monkey, Kells. I’m just teasing you. Monkeys are repellant. They taste like meaty tennis balls and they smell like feet.” He paused, “Now a nice juicy deer, that is delectable.” He smacked his lips together in an exaggerated way.
“I don’t think I really need to hear about your hunting.”
“Really? I quite enjoy hunting.”
Ren froze into place. Then, almost imperceptibly, he lowered his body slowly to a crouch and balanced on the balls of his feet. He placed a hand in the grass in front of him and began to creep closer to me. He was tracking me, hunting me. His eyes locked on mine and pinned me to the spot where I was standing. He was preparing to spring. His lips were pulled back in a wide grin, which showed his brilliant white teeth. He looked . . . feral.
He spoke in a silky, mesmerizing voice, “When you’re stalking your prey, you must freeze in place and hide, remaining that way for a long time. If you fail, your prey eludes you.” He closed the distance between us in a heartbeat.
Even though I’d been watching him closely, I was startled at how fast he could move. My pulse started thumping wildly at my throat, which was where his lips now hovered as if he were going for my jugular.
He brushed my hair back and moved up to my ear, whispering, “And you will go . . . hungry.” His words were hushed. His warm breath tickled my ear and made goose bumps fan out over my body.
I turned my head slightly to look at him. His eyes had changed. They were a brighter blue than normal and were studying my face. His hand was still in my hair, and his eyes drifted down to my mouth. I suddenly had the distinct impression that this was what it felt like to be a deer.
Ren was making me nervous.
I blinked and swallowed dryly. His eyes darted back up to mine again. He must have sensed my apprehension because his expression changed. He removed his hand from my hair and relaxed his posture.
“I’m sorry if I frightened you, Kelsey. It won’t happen again.”
When he took a step back, I started breathing again. I said shakily, “Well, I don’t want to hear any more about hunting. It freaks me out. The least you could do is not tell me about it. Especially when I have to spend time with you outdoors, okay?”
He laughed. “Kelsey, we all have some animalistic tendencies. I loved hunting, even when I was young.”
I shuddered. “Fine. Just keep your animalistic tendencies to yourself.”
He leaned toward me again and pulled on a strand of my hair. “Now, Kells, there are some of my animalistic tendencies that you seem to like.” He started making a rumbling sound in his chest, and I realized that he was purring.
“Stop that!” I sputtered.
He laughed, walked over to the backpack, and picked up the fruit. “So, do you want any of this mango or not? I’ll wash it for you.”
“Well, considering you carried it in your mouth all that way just for me. And taking into account the source of said fruit. Not really.”
His shoulders fell, and I hurried to add, “But I guess I could eat some of the inside.”
He looked up at me and smiled. “It’s not freeze-dried.”
“Okay. I’ll try some.”
He washed the fruit, peeled off the outside with a knife from the backpack, and sliced off segments for me. We sat next to each other and enjoyed the fruit. It was juicy and delicious, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how much I liked it.
“Ren?” I licked the juice from my fingers and took another piece.
“Yes?”
“Is it safe to swim by the waterfall?
“Sure. It should be safe enough. This place used to very special to me. I came here all the time to escape the pressures of palace life and to have time to be alone and think.”
He looked at me. “In fact, you’re the first person I’ve ever shown it to, other than my family and Mr. Kadam, of course.”
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