The men watched each other, waiting for something to happen.
Finally, Divyan said, "We are from Sankive to the west. What is your intent with such a large army?"
Of the three men, one stepped forward. He was older, with gray creeping into his swept back hair. The other two were youthful, strong looking. One of them was missing his right arm. The older man spoke, though Sugriva couldn't make out the words.
Dameneh said, "They are exiles."
Divyan cocked a brow. "Those are a lot of well armed exiles." Dameneh translated.
The man spoke, and Dameneh said, "They were warriors, but they lost their lands. They are the Dian clan and are looking for somewhere safe and fortified. They know of Yosheket."
"Do you trust what they're saying?" Divyan asked Dameneh.
"They look hungry and thirsty. There are several toward the rear with severe wounds. Why bring your wounded to a battle?"
"Is your God saying this is a trap?"
"You misunderstand. He said nothing on this, and I wouldn't expect Him to. He sends me in a direction, I get there, and then He expects me to follow His will. That will get me and my people where we are supposed to go."
Divyan glared and gritted his teeth. The three men across from them crossed their arms and started to grumble between each other. Divyan asked, "What does His will demand of this moment?"
"Their injured are dying, and they are all in need of rest. Yosheket will need an army, and here one is. I say we bring them home." The little boy gave an innocent smile, like a child trying to get something from his parents. Sugriva wondered if the kid was used to people underestimating him.
"Fine."
Chapter Twenty-Two
The Story of Corruption and Jaya
Age of Men 816
Sugriva bounced his boy, Chelan, for he was the water deep within Sugriva's heart. The child was four, the temple was renewed, and there were plenty of other spirits tending to the grounds. Ishva, Taro Taro, and Wuzi sought out other Ashtadash, and though they found numerous powerful and willing spirits, they found none of legend. So the Ashtadash trained who they found, and one day they would refill the ranks of the divine spirits.
The monkey hunted. He maintained the temple and created several other shrines. He trained in the elements, while helping his boy learn to use his innate water abilities. Sugriva worried about teaching the boy magic, terrified of putting him through the torture, but Wuzi, with a rare sincere smile, said, "Do not fear teaching this one. He knows who he is."
Water gushed from Wuzi to Chelan's mouth, entering his lungs before Sugriva could protest. The boy giggled and gurgled, breathing just fine.
Wuzi said, "See?" She raised him up and touched her liquid nose against his. "Aren't you just fine? Are you excited to learn more?"
"Please?"
Sugriva thought of how pudgy Chelan was just two years ago, and how old he looked now. It made his chest ache.
"They grow up so fast," he said.
Wuzi responded, staring at Sugriva with cold eyes, "Mortals grow up and die so fast. I don't understand why you wouldn't want to master an element and become an immortal spirit."
"Ishva can tell you. I'm sure she misses parts of her personality sometimes."
She gave out a chilling laugh. "Sugriva, you attempt to learn all the elements, so you will master none. I suggest you pick fire and stick with it. Stop poking around. Dedicate yourself." She smiled again and went back to the toddler, poking his nose. "You picked one, and I bet when you come of age you'll be better at it than your dad."
Wuzi wasn't wrong. Sugriva could sense through all three elements, but so far he could only manipulate fire and water.
That night, at dinner, Ishva was contemplative. Her food was burned and she kept smoldering it, paying more attention to the flame. The pained look twisted Sugriva inside. Finally he broke Ishva's thoughts. "What are you worried about?"
"Nothing," she muttered, until she shook herself out of the trance. "My apologies. I was lost in the flame. It happens."
"It happens when you have a lot on your mind. I know your moods and when your heart aches."
She shimmied. "This is true. I have something I need to tell you tonight. It is a choice you need to make, though I would love to make the choice for you."
"Why wait?" Personally, he never understood waiting. If it had to be said, say it. If it didn't, forget it.
She nodded, and she excused herself from the table, taking Sugriva with her into the jungle. Wuzi and Taro both looked concerned, though the rest of the spirits continued in ignorance, enjoying the meal and entertainment.
The jungle felt menacing that night, as if the trees had eyes, and they were staring at the couple as they walked. Sugriva wanted to hold her hand, to call upon the spirits to keep him from harm so he could feel the entirety of her heat as fingers laced together.
Ishva broke Sugriva out of his thoughts. "The demons have mounted in force behind Ravasha. He marches on Jaya and will crush it."
The news lanced Sugriva's chest. "We need to go and help them." He paused a moment, thinking of all the spirits they had, then he said, "Or better, we could assassinate Ravasha before he reaches them. It'll scatter—"
"Sankive is meant to fall. You know the stories of Bahimatt. That is where we are to go. Stay here, train with us, and send out for the villages. Bring the villagers here and we will strike out for Bahimatt." She took his hands, and he reflexively asked for the protection of fire spirits.
"You didn't say I can't kill him."
Ishva huffed. "You can kill him. Jaya will still fall."
"Prisha is there. I can save her. And Divyan and Amu who were kind to me."
"Maybe." She let go of his hand, and the evening coolness replaced her heat. A shiver rippled through him. Ishva said, "But I thought you loved me, Sugriva. The way you look at me. How you favor me with raising your child. Our walks." She let the thought trail off. Another lance through Sugriva's heart. The voice whispered in the back of his head, a sensation he hadn't felt in years. It wanted him to go to Jaya, another sign Jaya was the wrong decision.
"We would all go to Bahimat?"
She nodded eagerly, and Sugriva wondered when she fell in love with him. He never noticed until her earnestness in getting him to remain in Ramaswam. It hurt to know he would lose what he had for someone he could never have.
"Will you watch Chelan?" he asked, and her smile flickered, then faded.
"If you leave you will not be welcomed back. We will keep Chelan and train him, and you will not see him again. If you would trade that for a woman and kingdom which turned on you, then go. Do not wait, leave tonight. You only have a month, and it takes two weeks to reach Jaya."
Sugriva went in to kiss Ishva, but a wall of fire spouted up between them, and when it faded, she was gone. Tears streaked down his cheek, as he used his staff to fling himself toward Jaya.
SUGRIVA SAT ON A STOOL in a small village, sipping rice beer. He wore robes and a hat, remaining in his man form. "What's the news?" he asked the cook.
The man shrugged, pouring some rice onto his plate, then adding a few vegetables and a ladle of curry. "Almost a dozen demons killed around here. I guess that's news."
Sugriva nearly spat. "In the past few years?"
"No," the cook shook his head and served another customer. "In the past month."
"Who killed them?" Jaya didn't have warriors ready for so many demons, and if there were that many this far out of Jaya, he couldn't imagine what they were facing near the walls of the city.
"Demon hunters. Jaya said they trained numerous the past several generations, preparing for this." Lies, but the villages didn't care. Demon hunters showed up and killed the monstrosities, so they were willing to believe in the overreaching power of the Jayan Empire. "Some of them learned from demons and use the shadows."
This news caused a shiver to creep down Sugriva's spine, and his right arm suffered a tremor, then a twitch. "I see." He could feel the it
ch in the back of his head. If Jaya was okay with using Chaos, then why wouldn't Sugriva embrace its power?
The cook leaned on the counter. "Yeah, I just feel bad for them. We had one here that lost his mind. His band had to put him down right in the street."
A side effect Sugriva was all too aware of. After the war, he could gather the corrupted together so they could find peace through the Ashtadash—whether that would be purification or death.
It was another week before he reached Jaya dressed as a hermit in rags and a rice hat. He covered his face in mud and grass, then added some ash for effect. The guards let him through without question, as it was bad for the dharma to deny a hermit passage. Too bad for them Sugriva was a dharma-breaking liar.
Finally he slipped into the palace, still in the visage of a wizened hermit.
Prince Anka sat on his throne, rubbing his temples. His eyes were closed tight, as if not seeing the demonic threat would make it go away. Too bad he didn't have coverings for his ears.
General Humbari, in his half bear form, roared, "We need to tell the people it's okay. Then we can send an army and finish the demons. We don't need to involve them in this."
General Divyan nearly whispered his response. "The few scout reports we still get state the army is much larger than our own. Right now it takes five well trained soldiers and spirits to take down one demon. There is no need for a siege: if they attack in the morning, a demon lord will sit on your throne by evening. We need to rally the people, and preferably flee from here. There are neighboring kingdoms—"
Prince Anka rose his hand and Divyan was quiet. The prince acknowledged Sugriva, though the prince didn't know who it was. "Hermit, I'm sure your dharma brought you here to share wisdom," Anka sighed. "Please, grace us with the knowledge of the Ashtadash."
"Prince Anka, I come with news on the demons."
"How does this hermit know about that?" Humbari roared.
Divyan shook his head. "We do not have walls around the countryside, general. Between fewer merchants and missing villages, they can figure it out."
"The demons will be here in two more weeks. Ravasha leads them. This should not be taken lightly, and you should look to your wall and your warriors. Kill what demons you can, but make sure your warriors are here when the hour of shadows and blood comes upon you." He feigned prophetic language as best he could, feeling uppity.
Prince Anka stood and walked down the stairs from his throne to the common chamber floor. "Your words are a curse on my kingdom and make my heart weep. Is there any way to meet him in the open field?"
"It would be unwise. His army is as countless as the trees in the Sankive Jungle. They will flow like the Gangre River in summer and sweep away anything trying to stand in their way." His tail waved under his shrouds, and Divyan cocked his head.
The hawk walked down and stood beside the prince. "Who are you, hermit? Who sent you?"
Sugriva hid his hands and sneaked his tail back under the clothes. "I was with the Ashtadash, and they told me not to come. However, I am from here, and it would injure my heart to watch Jaya fall."
"You broke your dharma for us," the prince said sorrowfully. "I am sorry you were required to make that choice. It must hurt to know you are straying from the path laid out directly by the Ashtadash. Did they say we can survive with your help?"
Divyan interrupted. "Sugriva?"
Prince Anka crinkled his nose, eyes blazing. He went up to Sugriva and ripped off the rice hat. "You fiend! You liar and schemer! Why do you tell us this news? Why do you rile us to war and beg us to pull our troops close when the villages we protect are mercilessly slaughtered?" He shook, then pointed at Sugriva. "Arrest him. We will execute him tomorrow, as was the punishment for returning."
Divyan shook his head and frowned. The hawk approached Sugriva without hesitation and bound his arms.
The monkey begged, "Listen to me. I saw the Ashtadash. It's why I'm not a demon. You've seen it, how your chaos warriors turn. Ishva of the fire, Wuzi of the water, and Taro Taro of the earth train me."
General Humbari grunted. "Taro Taro? What a stupid name. You're more creative than that, Sugriva. I look forward to burning you tomorrow."
"Let me prove what I say. Tomorrow, have the soldiers stone me all day. The following day tie me to stones and keep me at the bottom of the Gangre River. That evening recover my body and on the third day place me in a fire you stoke all day and night. When the sun rises, I’ll be sleeping in the pyre, and you’ll see I'm trained by the Ashtadash."
The room fell silent, the generals both fidgeting side to side. Prince Anka stroked his chin, eying the monkey with suspicion. "Do it. Generals, have your men collect rocks until there is a massive pile. From there, ask earth spirits to continue creating rocks. Have the men throw rocks at Sugriva all day. Worry about the drowning only if he sees sunset."
THE EARTH WAS BECKONED to restrain Sugriva so he couldn't move. Three days would be wasted on the spectacle, but he needed them to believe, and he knew how the people loved theatrics like the old myths. Or were they myths? He thought on the fact he met Ashtadash and had a half-water son, as the first rock struck his forehead. It hurt, his head pounding. Blood dripped down his face.
The crowd laughed, and General Humbari bellowed, "Looks like we will have that execution. Throw the next stone."
Sugriva invoked the spirits and grinned. The earth spirit who summoned up the restraints flinched, then looked at the monkey, slack jawed. The second rock bounced off him.
Humbari shuddered at the ineffective stone. "Throw another. Draw blood." Another bounced off. Then another. Finally Humbari came down and grabbed a large stone, one larger than Sugriva's head. It was nearing the largest rock Taro threw at him. Sugriva closed his eyes, praying to the spirits this would be covered by the protection.
The rock struck his head, and Sugriva's skull left a large dent in the side of the rock. Sugriva laughed. "The earth protects me. Would you like to drown me for the rest of the day so we can move on with this?"
Humbari roared, spittle covering Sugriva and any others close enough. Then he went up to the monkey, ripped him out of the mound of earth, and tied him to a large stone. Several soldiers carried Sugriva to the Gangres River and threw him in.
It was soothing—cool relief against the hot weather. Monkey plunged down with a plunk. Sugriva could feel the water dragging him a little downstream before he hit the bottom and was anchored. Fish rushed by him, along with debris from upstream. He prayed for the water spirits to give him the ability to breathe water, and so he stayed there until evening. When the sun set, he used the water to free himself.
When he returned to the palace soaking wet, he bowed. "Earth and water are nothing to me. Should we try fire?"
Prince Anka's face sunk. "This is ridiculous. General Humbari, build a pyre. Keep it stoked. General Divyan, bind Sugriva so we can put him on the pyre, and he cannot run away like some clever little creature. I fear in the morning we will see you, and then we will hear you out about this demon threat. Now get him out of my sight until then. I want to rest, and he gives me indigestion."
Sugriva was tossed on the pyre, and as they lit it, he prayed, "Protect me, fire spirits. Give me immunity to your blaze." And so they did, and he laid down on the pyre, which was stoked tirelessly by Humbari himself. Sugriva fell asleep in the crackling warmth.
SUGRIVA RESTED THE following day. Even though he slept in the fire, his body was exhausted from channeling the magic. He woke up around noon, still sore and groggy.
He worked his way through the trees, going up to the canopy. As a janaav, he went into the hawk territory, where they all looked at him wearily. None knew that Sugriva learned his janaav form, so they let him be. Then he shifted into a monkey to hide and swing himself into General Divyan's nest. He searched Prisha's room, but she wasn’t there.
Amu came into the room, and, when he saw Sugriva, he let out a yelp. "Teacher, why are you here?"
Sugriva swung around and
sat lotus style, inviting Amu to join him. The boy did. "I am looking for your sister. I assume she is with General Ajit."
"They're married, so yes. You shouldn't go see them, but Ajit is a pompous jerk." Amu gave directions to General Ajit's nest.
Before Sugriva could leave, Amu said, "Because of you, I'm a lieutenant now. I work under dad's command."
Sugriva smiled. "Congratulations, Amu." He patted the boy's back. "You deserve many honors, this being one of the first."
GENERAL AJIT'S NEST was well guarded and in the center of a large cluster. It meant his family had a strong military history, while General Divyan was a first generation general.
Prisha sang in one of the windows. Lullabies. They had a child, and the thought made Sugriva's heart sink. The voice was soothing, and a part of Sugriva wanted to remain outside, listening to her. But he acted on his desire.
Through her window was an elaborate and large room. It was a nursery with a mahogany crib, several instruments for servants to play, and small war toys, though the child was still too young. The baby looked no more than a year old, if that, and Prisha swung the child in her arms, staring at the babe's face with adoration.
"Prisha," Sugriva whispered, breaking the moment.
The woman, once a girl, was ripped from her revelry and screamed. Sugriva hid when guards rushed in, praying Prisha wouldn't reveal him.
"Go back to your posts. I was startled by a spider." The woman flashed them a smile, and the men left.
"What are you doing?" she hissed at Sugriva. "Why in the name of the Ashtadash are you here? My dad said they were executing you yesterday."
"They tried." Sugriva flashed his boyish grin, but it did nothing to calm her.
"You are a fool. If they failed, Ajit will certainly finish what they started if he finds you here. Leave."
"I needed to see you." His body ached, pulsing with his heartbeat. The whole world moved on. Yet he remained in the same place. "It was a bad idea. I'm sorry."
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