Capítulo 113: Man Crumbles to Ignorance , Everytime ( Part 5 )
A symbol of great humiliation for a king, especially one that was about to undergo his coming of age ceremony. But the prince of the rival kingdom just scoffed, "I thought you would be brave enough to at least lose a finger if not a limb. You have only sheared off your hair…Well, never mind. I guess I can't be too harsh on my little brother-in-law."
"Why are you doing this?!" Varunapriya cried out in disbelief, afraid that her little brother might really mutilate himself. "Don't you even know the Aditya must be whole in body for the libation to ceremony to be successful?" she thought up an excuse quickly, for good measure.
Yuga-dheera saw her emotions go out of control again, so he held himself in check. It wasn't that he didn't want to persist in taking an arm or a leg of that bastard, it was just that he was actually in the enemy's home territory. Even the king of the land where Rta flows can lose his cool and flout the rules if he was pushed too hard.
So the prince just snorted, saying "If you are done with your goodbyes, then let's go."
The fourth princess's heart sank into her chest. She had a foreboding feeling that she had just committed a big mistake. Her head snapped around to look at her brother. Even if he cannot speak, his eyes would be enough for her to confirm it to herself.
But little Varuna was just a moment too late. By the time she turned, Vajra closed his eyes and fell sideways with a thud. He fainted.
She left in tears, under the scrutinizing, even hateful gazes of the king's loyal subordinates. She didn't even get to say goodbye to her favorite little brother who wanted to die just so he could stop her from leaving.
Oh no matter how stupid she had been, she got that one thing clear. If Vajra died in the duel, no matter what the rules of war say, the Yuvaraja of Pranaya will not be returning anywhere in one piece. She would probably be killed too if the death was unplanned…However, the princess just had a feeling that it wasn't.
Elsewhere in Manas. High terraces were built one over another in a building. Some overlooked lotus pools, some fountains, gardens, mazes and dance or music platforms. There was one though that did not have a view. The view was covered with thick woods that were as high as the terrace. At the corner of this terrace, a young adult stepped on to a thick but drying branch of a tree and was stepping on it with every intention to break it.
He was a smart looking young man with jewel like eyes, a small nose and sensual lips that were prone to many smiles. His agile limbs and general restlessness made him look like a monkey, especially when standing on that tree by the terrace.
"Where's that axe I asked for!" he yelled in impatience, "This branch is sucking all the nutrients for the young tree. It must be pruned!"
A servant standing at the far corner of the terrace turned around and quickly passed messages into the hall.
Meanwhile, a man in silver clothes with stately appearance and crescent moon earrings bowed and reminded the young man, "Your Highness, we must make a decision."
The boy stopped swinging. He looked at the minister from the Chandra faction. Yes, they have finally revealed themselves. And Chandra Kush was not happy.
"What's there to decide?" he frowned and waved in irritation. "I already told you Abhaya was once my ally. It helped me out in a difficult situation. How can I ally with its enemies now and help them take it down?"
The man smiled sagely. He gently said, "Your Highness, word has it that the dryland sage, Martanda of the Adityas has ascended to godhood at his coming of age ceremony. The drylands will soon become united under his rule if we don't do something immediately. They could even hinder the campaigns you plan to pursue in the south. It is better to divide them while they are still not united."
"Hinder my campaigns…?" the boyish young man smiled mysteriously. Can the same people who proposed the campaigns hinder them too? But then again, his private correspondence with the Martanda is a secret to everyone. "Tell me something," he asked the silver-dressed man. "By saying ascended to godhood, you just mean some ceremony happened and the priests declared that he ascended. Isn't that it?"
The minister from the moon faction took a deep breath. "I'm afraid not, Your Highness. Even if the priests speak in confusing terms elsewhere to appease the masses, they are very particular when it comes to the Adityas of the west. According to sources, the ceremony takes place in a small temple in the center of the royal enclosure of land where Rta flows. And the whole temple levitated along with the devotees within when the god ascended. It had been witnessed by thousands of people. Even certain dignitaries from the Deva factions of the Central Plateau attended the ceremony this time."
"Really?" Kush said doubtfully.
"Indeed, my Lord," the minister nodded. "However, I heard the process was not easy. I heard the boy nearly died…more particularly, the spymasters said he 'nearly drowned'. But I couldn't decipher what that meant. I suppose it has something to do with how the ceremony involves constantly pouring libations."
"Oh…" Kush jumped back down to the terrace with a thoughtful look. He was wearing a yellow garment that was beautifully folded into creases that wrapped both legs. A black cloth woven together with gold threads hung at the center of his hips, falling into sequential frills between his legs. His upper body was bare and he wore light ornaments here and there. His straight hair hung loosely to his back, the occasional wave in its texture swaying slightly in the wind. Despite the many wars he had been in, his body did not carry many scars. They were all healed perfectly with Ashangi's medicine, a source of great frustration for Kush who liked to sport some battle scars. He wasn't overly muscular either, he looked soft even, like the boy next door.
Only his lieutenants knew how formidable and fear-inducing he can be. If not, being monsters themselves, they would've never submitted to him. Of course, this particular minister facing him did not know anything about that. He simply thought of Kush as a boy yet to come of age and in need of counsel.
"So Little Cactus really became a god…" Kush frowned.
"I'm sorry?" the minister paused for a moment hearing the weird nickname. But he was a clever man, he quickly understood the nickname by translating Martanda's given name into common tongue. "Uh…yes."
"But aren't three generations of Martanda supposed to rule before someone ascends to godhood?" Kush asked impatiently.
"Indeed, my Lord. The last Aditya rules for not ten like the others, but just for three generations before Varuna returns to the planet to continue the cycle. But that isn't actually a rule. It is a goal. The goal is to ascend to godhood by the third generation. If it happens even sooner, then just as well. But if it doesn't happen in three generations, perhaps there will be more Martandas in this world. It's not very specific because this is actually the first Aditya dynasty of the present era."
"It's confusing…by the way what does it meant to become god?" the prince asked.
Feeling as though they were straying from the topic, the minister sighed. But he could only answer, "I'm not sure, Your Highness. I suppose it means he is very powerful…much more powerful than any divine sanctioned or divine awakened person in the world. In addition, he can also control the flow of Rta in the world."
"What is that?"
The minister frowned. The kid did not even know this? Just what did he learn all those years roaming the world with the princess?
"It's the difference between right and wrong, my Lord," he explained swiftly, "Right and wrong are often subjective in a human's life. Something that seems right for you may not be right for others. For instance, you may kill a person and his whole family in order to avenge a betrayal. But the innocents that died may not agree with your viewpoint. When you wage war, you may plunder a city and enslave all the citizens that live in it. But some may argue that a king must have mercy on those he conquered, he should allow them to live freely. The right and wrong in each situation varies. By allowing people in a conquered city to live freely, you may breed rebellion, by allowing the children of a traitor to live, you may breed vengeance. And yet, if Rta prescribes it, it is Dharma to let them to go…You have to do it no matter what you may face in the future."
"So by controlling the flow of Rta, you mean Cactus can prescribe Dharma that the mortal world must follow…"
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