part0022

General Takshak knocked on Lord Vasuki’s door. He had been away for the entire day and at night, but had been summoned at this hour nonetheless. As he stood idly outside the door, he could hear the moans that came from inside. Vasuki, a father of three, didn’t care about matrimonial fidelity. Pleasure, for him, came in a variety of ages and colours.

Since the pact had been made, Vasuki was considered a strong and influential figure of one of the mightiest Northern states. Initially, these cities run by Manavs were often the ones that would ridicule the Tribals, call them names, discriminate against them and speak ill. But now, they were all respected. Takshak had walked on the streets of the Mining Town, up till the Lotus Garden and everyone just watched him in awe. A Tribal being the head of security for a state? Manavs couldn’t believe it was even possible in this lifetime.

Though most of them didn’t know their history. Just after the Breaking, when the world had collapsed, and the plague had vanquished the remaining lands of the country and the tribes, the Tribals and Manavs had worked together. In fact, they were the same. The Tribal identity had been created due to pressure by the internal politics when both of them differed. Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma were the spiritual leaders of the Manavs after the Breaking. They supported the upper castes while the others didn’t. They realized the Trimurti was worried about them and decided to distance them. They called themselves Tribals and they built settlements in different areas. Soon, the evils of war hindered them from forging any lasting attempts at peace, and continuous warfare led to tremendous losses for the Tribals. Egos were tarnished. They hid in the rough terrains, the cold mountains or the forests. Many continued fighting while others kept to themselves, pledging for internal penance such as the vanars, who were the worshippers of monkeys. There were others who began cannibalism, such as the pisaches.

And now after so many years, things had changed.

The door opened and it was a girl barely in her twenties, with a naked frame. Takshak didn’t look at her and his eyes darted at the blanket wrapped Lord Vasuki.

“I apologize. I’ll come later.”

“Please enter, the girl was leaving.”

The girl nodded. She put on her clothes and stormed out of the room.

“Such a fine ass.” Vasuki laughed as he poured himself some wine from the side table, where a bottle and a goblet were placed. “In this town, there’s something about Manav girls. They are wild.”

“I’m sure, my lord.” Takshak had a straight face. None of these trivial things mattered, since in the culture of the Nagas, the warriors were supposed to have no distraction, but knowledge and strength. Austerity and penance were foremost.

“Oh I wish you would unwind a little and watch them, but you can’t, for to service me you paid a hefty price.” He looked down to where Takshaka’s privates were. “I wonder, do you ever regret it?”

“Never, my lord. Service for our Lord is my top priority.”

“Great,” he smiled.

Lord Vasuki had a very sharp nose, according to what Takshak had noticed of him.

“How’s our fat friend doing?”

“Not being suspicious, my lord,” he answered about Kuvera, the wretched man and the king of Yakshas; the rotten and dirty thieves and merchants. They were horrible in nature and Takshak hated them more than the Manavs.

“That’s grand. I don’t want him to shift alliances like the time he stole the mani from us.” He laughed. “What a pretty sight it was when Kali made him surrender the stone and made us allies even though I hated him. But hey, we needed to do all of this for a change, didn’t we?”

“Which makes me come to the main topic,” Lord Vasuki began with a thoughtful pose, the same he was sculptured in back at the Naagpuri. “I want you to follow Vedanta and see if he’s up to something. Leave our fat friend for the moment. He isn’t the person we should be worried about since he’s savouring in the glory of sweet victory right now. The Manav is being reluctant and frustrated, and frustration could lead to serious consequences. I want you to just spy on him. Take no more than two men with you and stay fifty yards away. He will be starting his useless journey around the city, promising everyone that everything is alright and helping them in their daily affairs. But I am certain he will be making arrangements with someone inside to topple us and I want you to poison them before he’s able to do it. Once he gives us a reason to betray him, Kali will carry out his execution.”

“But why wouldn’t he do it now, my lord?”

“Because Kali knows Vedanta’s useful now. He needs a face for the city to be calmed. After all, no one wants a people’s revolution on our hands just after a battle, am I not right?”

“Good.” Vasuki smiled. “Just don’t die on me. You are the only person I trust, my friend.”

Takshak smiled. He was just a soldier out of many for Vasuki’s army, but when Takshak had single-handedly protected Vasuki’s wife and children back in their lands; he was given a step up. Soon the post of a general turned into something warm and precious, for Lord Vasuki had become more than just a leader for him.