"You told me to be appreciative. I have been, and now I am a midwife to nearly every child born in Jaya. They are all as my own. No mother has an issue with this. But at night, I still feel empty. How do you cure that?"
"I remember you." He paused, thoughtful for a moment. "Hard to stay warm when your heart isn't. Find a man. Let him have a harem so he can still have children. Make those kids your own." Aavu shrugged. "That's what I'd do. That or find a man like you: barren."
"Dharma dictates I can only marry another otter. So then what? There are no fruitless men in the otter clan, especially none in the first generation."
"You live far away, don't you? Find someone discreet. No one will care." Aavu looked into her eyes and stopped his work. "I'm barren and sneaky." He licked his lips.
There was a kindness in his eyes that caused Ishku's heart to skip. "What if someone caught a leather maker at a midwife's house?"
"Not everyone is good, and you have a lot of attention on you. I'm a bodyguard in need of money."
Ishku thought on the idea for a while and nodded. "Be at my house tonight, then. I make good money and can pay you well."
Aavu’s eyes lit up. The tiger clan shunned Aavu. He was a fantastic leather worker, and the clan had exquisite armor for his talents. However, he was a sixth generation. Even if fertile, his children would be human.
The crowd at Ishku’s dwindled, and Aavu knocked on her door. Ishku answered immediately and said, "Come in, Aavu. I will have dinner finished shortly."
They ate fish. Ishku apologized. "I could not buy any other meat. My dharma doesn't permit it. If you would like anything else for dinner, you will have to buy it and bring it. I will cook it."
"Cooking it smears your path. I'll cook it."
"I can't have children, and I have a tiger in my home. I'm sure the universe can overlook me cooking chinkara." They both laughed. The entire night was filled with laughter and light touches. Ishku's skin prickled.
The last candle snuffed out, and they went to bed. Ishku put Aavu's arms around her, and she snuggled with her back to his chest. The tiger hummed, then asked, "Is this it? If we're going to get in trouble, we might as well go all the way."
"Yes. I am not ready for more. We are breaking enough rules as is."
Dinner and snuggling continued for weeks. Now and then Ishku would turn and kiss the tiger, and they would embrace with an appetite they didn't slake. She remembered Piv in those moments and was worried about being vulnerable.
People talked in those weeks. Her clients, past and present, asked why a tiger janaav always visited once they all left, and always left as they arrived. Ishku said she wanted security, and tigers made excellent protectors. While the women said they were happy with the answer, fewer people showed up until Ishku was only busy in the morning. No one ever returned with their children, and when Ishku went to call on those she delivered, the families were busy.
Then Rubek visited. Solemn faced, she said, "Ishku, rumors say you are spending your nights with a sixth generation tiger. Not only is he of the wrong janaav, but the wrong generation. Do you have a defense?"
"He protects me," she said. "Nothing more. My shack is old and creaks, and his presence makes it sufferable and safe."
"I'm sorry, but there are plenty of otters who could protect you. We will be back tomorrow with a decision on if we find your actions acceptable, and what we will do because of them."
Ishku told Aavu that evening, and the tiger became sullen. "They sent an elephant janaav to my house. They weren't so nice with the words. Though, I wasn't real nice, either."
"What will we do?" Her brows furrowed.
"Leave." Thoughts ran through his head on how to make it feasible, then he continued. "Yes, we leave. Tonight we find outcastes in the streets and invite them. We'll start a small village with the desperate."
Aavu and Ishku spoke to outcastes all night. The outcaste janaav were so grateful and found such sincerity and kindness in Ishku's eyes, that they couldn't help but follow. A few dozen gathered for the trip into the jungle.
When Rubek showed up the following morning, she had three warriors with her. She said, "Ishku, the council finds you walking away from your dharma. We must brand you an outcaste. You are to beg in the streets or be exiled." The priestess stumbled a little when she went around to the back of the shack, at the pool, and found the small army of janaav.
Ishku said, "Come and mark me. We leave in the morning."
Aavu also stepped forward. "I'm Aavu. They probably talked about me. Brand me. Burn it in there real good."
Rubek gestured for one of the warriors to mark Aavu. Then Rubek walked to Ishku. She whispered, "Stay safe. Dharma threw you from her path, and you abandoned it when she abandoned you. I pray in the next life she doesn't treat you so coldly."
Ishku embraced the woman, and both cried as Ishku was marked on the neck, a merciful place as it was easy to hide.
The small pack of outcaste janaav set out after the branding, and after several weeks wandering, they founded the city of Mibtha, where they were able to live away from the rules of Jaya and dharma.
Chapter Five
Tale of the Elephant Bandit King
Age of Men 807
Every morning Ishku woke up to the sun. The day started with her walking down to a nearby river, meditating, praying, and then going for a swim, which included nabbing fish. She meticulously blessed them, shifted into an otter, and ate them raw.
Next, Sugriva watched her go to the field, which started in a small mound of earth, then climbed up a massive tree truck which provided nutrients for a variety of mushrooms. She worked the dirt, took the plants, and brought them back to the shed. Others helped her, though she was the only one who went through the farming ritual day after day.
After a moon of watching this, Sugriva approached her, as she walked back from the river. "I want to help."
The otter woman cocked her head to the side. "Why? Stay on your path."
Hi bristled at the lecture. “I’m bored. Give me something to do."
She laughed, and it melted Sugriva's heart. "Follow me."
The pair went to the garden, where she leaned down and picked at a small, green plant. "This is a weed. Pull these and only these." She handed him the weed. "For reference."
He picked weeds, and before long he could feel a force burrowing into him. Bagheer stared at him from a distance. Sugriva continued, though after a few minutes, Ishku went to him.
"You foolish monkey. This is not a weed. It doesn't look at all like what I gave you." She pulled out the weed she gave him and compared them.
"They're both green.”
"This one is green with a white vein underneath. This one is green all the way through, except for a white tip at the edge of the leaf. Here it is ridged, while this one is smooth and waxy." She slapped the back of his head, though not hard. "Try again."
For a week he floundered at picking the right weeds verse flowers, until Ishku remained close to him all the time to make sure he didn't damager her herbs and mushrooms.
One day, after they finished Aavu approached Sugriva. "I know what you want. I wanted it too."
Sugriva flushed. "Are you threatening me?"
The predatory intensity left Aavu's eyes. "No," he whispered. "I just know Ishku." With that, the tiger left.
Another week passed, and Sugriva filled baskets with peaches and plums before Ishku woke up. He ate a few, then tossed the pits.
Ishku laughed when she woke up to the baskets. "Sugriva, we need to talk about boundaries, I think. When did you wake up that you had time to gather all this fruit?" She sat by the basket and bit into a succulent plum, juices running down her chin. "You picked them at the right time, too. I'm impressed, since I could hardly trust you to weed."
Sugriva, in his monkey form at the time, gave a pleased grunt and strode up to her, sitting in her lap. She pet behind his ears. His shoulder twitched and he cooed.
"Why are you doing this? We are
outcaste, but you seem drawn to our pathless labor."
He moved from her lap and shifted into a man. "My parents were outcaste. My uncle adopted me to be a merchant. He beat me because I'd rather fight—like my parents." He looked away, off in the distance where Bagheer trained on his own. "They don't understand. You are on the path or off the path. Sometimes the path is overgrown or disappears. Sometimes it splits. It doesn't matter to them."
"Take care, monkey." She touched his cheek, brow furrowing. "You blaspheme, and you have a lot to lose. You work with janaav of different species. You can explore all of Sankive's wonders." She looked up at the canopy, birds of brilliant colors flying overhead. "Don’t throw it away carelessly."
The ache of shame reverberated in Sugriva's chest. "I'm sorry. I get carried away."
She laughed, and it brought warmth to his heart. Her hand interlocked with his. "Passion is good."
MIBTHA BECAME A PART of Sugriva's life, as he became a part of Mibtha. First he helped with the garden, providing food for the people. Then he helped pass out food alongside Ishku and Aavu. The tiger janaav never ceased giving him disgusted looks.
After months in the village, Bagheer stood next to Sugriva while handing out food. The panther refused to hold the basket Ishku handed him. "This is not my work. My work is to protect the village, and I will stay with my dharma. Those confused on their path will master none of the skills they should, and will instead dabble in all the skills they do not need. Because of this, they will be made lowly in the next life."
Aavu scowled, but Ishku only laughed and touched the tiger on the shoulder to calm him. "That is your path to walk, then."
Bagheer turned to Sugriva. "You are giving up on your dharma. Train. You are not a commoner. You are not of the womanly dharma. Why do you prepare food and hand it out? Why do you garden when you need to fight? Picking peaches will not kill demons. Stop being a lovestruck child." He snorted at Ishku. "And what is the goal? To impress an otter outcaste? You cannot be with her, Sugriva."
It felt like someone punched the monkey in the chest, and he blushed furiously. "Not why I'm doing this."
"It is. We know it. She knows it. You seem the only one who doesn’t know it."
"There's nothing to fight. Should we spar? We train in the morning and night. Patrols are sent out regularly. What more should I do?"
Aavu piped up, "There are bandits nearby."
"Shush, Aavu. That is not their problem." Ishku slapped his arm. "That is our problem, and we will deal with it."
"No. They want to walk their path. The monkey’s path leads to killing these bandits." He turned back to the monkey. "They demand payment every season. Payment is usually food. Sometimes they borrow our women and send them back beaten if at all. I tried avenging them."
"A tiger janaav who cannot take care of his own," Bagheer scoffed. "Mibtha is truly forsaken by the Ashtadash. Why haven't you dealt with the bandits?"
Ishku said, "Pahto, an elephant janaav, leads them. He is always in his janaav form and swings around a stone stele from the ruins they live in. He killed several visiting warriors, along with hot-blooded men who thought they could solve this issue on their own. Aavu was given two broken legs. They recruit from children in Jaya, Mibtha, and other villages in the area."
Sugriva said, "It is our dharma. Bajjo will welcome a reprieve from the mundane."
"I'LL LET A DEMON BITE me before I help outcastes," Bajjo hollered. "A coward seduced our monkey, and now she wants us to take out the trash? They can do it. I want nothing to do with this." The badger crossed his arms and snarled.
"That settles that," Bagheer said. "I suppose it will be Sugriva and myself."
Labda shrugged. "I'll go. Why not? I get bored of watching these barbarians. I miss battle."
"I will go, too," Falak said. "I can watch the skies and remove snipers, but I will not fight an elephant. My bones are hollow and Pahto will be fat."
Aavu waited for them on the outskirts. "I'm going, too. I need blood for what he did to my legs."
"Come watch what warriors can do when they remain on their path," Bagheer said.
The trees were thick, and as they closed in on the ruins, the jungle did not thin. The bandits were careful to obscure any paths they used. Gnarled roots lumped up as if small hills, choking out the underbrush. Prey hid in the cracks of the growth, while snakes and great cats watched from above. Many of the creatures eyed Labda as a meal, but Bagheer and Falak gave off the aura of a predator which deterred hunts.
Bandits fell out of the trees. Bows, chakrams, and boomerangs fell beside them as they thumped into the roots. Snakes consumed the easy meals. The trees gave way to squared rocky outcroppings. The ruins were toppled, the large stones fallen from their once lofty heights. Pillars half sunk into the earth noted a building which had at least one story hidden under the soil.
Then they reached a slanted walkway, half-buried. The path led to a staircase that went up several floors until it reached the pinnacle, with a small stone hut on top. Three elephant statues perched on the roof, gazing down and judging those ascending the pathway. It was a place likely built by Ashtadash when they were well-known in the world. A sacred place.
Bagheer and Labda touched their lips and muttered a prayer to the elephant.
Several warriors appeared. Falak perched on a column nearby. Arrows fled his bow, piercing the bandits as they appeared. When Falak's quiver was empty, he flew back to Mibtha, his obligation fulfilled. Sugriva thrust his staff into a bandit's throat, jarring the Adam's apple, so he couldn't breathe. With a cry of mockery, Sugriva thwacked another man between the legs and made him crumple in pain. Bagheer slit the bandit's throat for good measure.
The panther growled. "Do not play with your foe, Sugriva. Put them down."
Three quick thrusts to a man's chest caused him to topple, gasping for air. Sugriva laughed. "If they can't defend childish attacks, why would I fight them like men?"
Just then, Bajjo broke the two out of their conversation as he charged out of the forest. In screaming glory he jumped on a man. Claws splashed blood across stone. Sugriva, Bagheer, and Labda looked at the badger, confused. Bajjo grunted, "What? Mibtha is really boring."
Bagheer sighed. "Sugriva plays with his opponent. Bajjo leaves them unrecognizable when judged for reincarnation. Now that man must start his journey anew."
Aavu laughed, thrusting his paw into a gut and sending the man to the ground. "If the Asthadash could recognize him, he'd come back as blades of grass in a flood plain where he’ll be drowned again and again."
"Will you fair better when the Ashtadash judge your soul?" Bagheer asked. "You proudly display the sins you live with. Sugriva becomes a disciple to your heresy, eager to learn more. You did not just fall off the path, but you drag others with you. If these bandits are drowning blades of grass, you will be a tree which is the scratching post of other animals, left there for centuries to be marred and pissed on."
The tiger growled but said nothing.
Four statues to the Ashtadash were at the top of the stairs. A waterfall pulled itself up and slid down stones, rocks floated around each other, a small twister kept twigs and leaves aloft, and a fire elevated above its pillar. The elephants had sapphire eyes and diamond tusks. Inside, jade monkeys hung from the ceiling. Swords smoldered, some with burning glyphs etched into their sides. No doubt they were the work of Yuvin, a Jayan smith who enchanted weapons centuries ago.
There was a staircase leading down deeper into the half-buried complex. At the bottom of the stairs there was a large chamber. Light came through high windows and holes in the roof. There were two fresh water pools on either side of the walkway up to the throne at the back. The pools were pristine green, with water lilies budding. Sugriva thought of how much Ishku would love the place.
Pillars lined the path to the throne, and on the outside of the pillars torches illuminated glistening treasure troves.
A large man, larger than General Humbari, sat on the throne.
He held a pillar in his hand. A sigh trumpeted from him. He only wore a loin cloth and a massive gold necklace which went down to his belly. Ivory tusks jutted out of his mouth. He bellowed, echoing in the stone chamber, "Welcome. Now die in this holy place sanctified by the god of gold."
Bagheer stepped forward. "As a priest and follower of dharma, I can see to it that you are given a worthy reincarnation in the next life. Surely you did something right in the last life that you were made an elephant janaav, creator of worlds. Do not diminish your path further. I will execute you honorably."
"Your dharma is a crock of dung. Come. Kill me if you can. I look forward to popping. Then I'll eat your heart to keep you from reincarnating."
"He welcomes the maw of the dark ones," Bagheer muttered about the dark ritual. "Distract him." He pulled out his dagger and put it in his mouth. The man shifted into a sleek black panther and disappeared into the shadows.
Bajjo grumbled while closing the distance between him and Pahto. "Bajjo, go stab the mean thing. Slash it with your claws. Keep its attention, Bajjo. Good Bajjo. I could at least get pet by a virgin born from lilies for my troubles. But no. It's just, heal up and get back in there." He snarled. "It's unfair. You know that, Pahto? It's unfair."
Pahto leveled his column and swung across. Bajjo shifted into a badger and hid under it, then shifted back in time to jump on Pahto's face. Sugriva jumped onto the stele and slid down it when it was high enough.
The bandit king shifted into an elephant so Bajjo's claws couldn't penetrate the thick hide. Pahto shook the column, and monkey used his staff to catapult into the air, screeching as he did. Pahto tossed Bajjo off with his trunk, then shifted back to janaav, smirking at the airborne monkey. Sugriva grimaced, and laughed nervously. "Can we work something out?"
The column swung as hard as Pahto could. Sugriva put out his staff as if it would help, and the column snapped it like a twig, then sent Sugriva flying into a far wall. Labda buffered the air to slow Sugriva. Stars still exploded in his vision as he rolled down a mound of chinking treasure. He looked up in time to see Labda move under the strikes to cut at the janaav's hamstrings. Bursts of wind agitated Pahto's eyes, making it hard for him to see the elementalist.
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