Paraedons: A War beginning

**Chapter 14: Kosh's Identity**

Kosh belonged to a tribe known for its bravery but also for its dark side. His origins were rooted in the past, tied to a tale of both love and betrayal. His lineage traced back to the one who helped everyone from Kargill to the Himalayas — a revered figure known as "Mayi Ji," who was the daughter of Henna, the chief of the Jaba tribe.

Back in those days, the Jaba tribe and the Paraedons lived in peace. There was no war, no animosity between them. One fateful day, while Mayi Ji was out hunting, she suffered a deep wound. As she struggled in pain, a young Paraedon warrior named Keino noticed some movement in the nearby bushes. When he investigated, he found Mayi Ji injured and bleeding. Without a second thought, Keino tore a piece of cloth from his tunic and wrapped it around her wound, then carried her to the Paraedon camp.

Keino was a compassionate soul, full of love and empathy, unlike the others in his tribe who had been corrupted by greed and ambition. At that time, the Paraedons weren't yet interested in war, but the lure of expanding their territory slowly led them astray. Their leaders began conspiring, drawing up plans to launch an attack on the Jaba tribe.

Despite the brewing conflict, a bond began to form between Keino and Mayi Ji. What started as friendship soon blossomed into love. Unaware of the growing hatred between their people, they got married in a quiet ceremony just before the war was to begin. Keino had hoped to keep the peace, but the Paraedon chief ordered him to prepare for battle.

Keino was torn between his duty to his tribe and his love for Mayi Ji. He tried everything to stop the impending war but failed. In despair, he confided in his wife, telling her everything. Mayi Ji, furious and heartbroken, said, "No matter what happens, if anyone attacks my tribe, I will forget that you were ever my husband."

But as they say, love sometimes must bow before one's loyalty to their land. Keino, with a heavy heart, marched to war. Days later, the news reached Mayi Ji that Keino had been killed in battle. Grief-stricken yet determined, she remembered Keino's last words: "Love holds no meaning in front of one's duty to their homeland."

Mayi Ji decided to put her personal sorrow aside to save her tribe. She rushed to the battlefield, only to find a horrifying scene. Amidst the chaos, she noticed a woman lying under a wooden crate, holding a baby in her arms. Mayi Ji knew that she could not save the woman, but she was determined to save the child.

She gently took the baby from the woman's arms. In her final moments, the woman whispered, "Take care of my child; he holds the key to bringing peace." Mayi Ji ran back, hiding the baby in a box for safety. When she returned to check on the woman, she found that she had passed away.

As the battle raged on, a Paraedon soldier named Vaesh found the baby. He, too, felt conflicted and decided to float the child down the river, hoping it would survive and find peace far away from the violence.

Years passed, and the war eventually came to an end. The Paraedons, with their new strategies, managed to gain control over not only the Jaba tribe but also vast regions of Asia, expanding their rule.

During this period, Mayi Ji gave birth to two children — a son named Kosh and a daughter named Shaheen Begum. Kosh, unlike his mother, carried the blood of the Paraedons, and that made all the difference. He grew up with a dark streak, showing early signs of ruthlessness and cunning, traits that would later make him one of the most feared leaders in the region.

Mayi Ji, who had once believed in the goodness of love and sacrifice, could never have imagined that her son, Kosh, would grow up to be a merciless tyrant. She cast a protective spell over her children to ensure that they would remain invincible, as long as no one betrayed them.

In 1920, however, a Paraedon soldier under Kosh's orders betrayed Mayi Ji and took her life. He intended to kill Shaheen Begum as well, but a miracle saved her life. The spell cast by Mayi Ji was so powerful that it protected Shaheen Begum from harm, even when the darkest forces tried to destroy her.

Kosh's true identity was that of a monster in human form, born with the blood of betrayal and ambition flowing through his veins. Unlike Keino, who had fought with love and honor, Kosh embraced the darkness within him. He became the embodiment of evil, a mastermind who could manipulate even the most loyal of soldiers to achieve his twisted goals.

Kosh’s thirst for power knew no bounds. He rose to become the supreme leader of the Paraedons, and under his rule, they expanded their reach across continents. He was feared not only for his strength but for his strategic mind, which was capable of turning any ally into an enemy and any enemy into ashes.

Rumors of Kosh’s cruelty spread like wildfire. He was known to say, "Victory is not enough; I must break their spirits too." His soldiers, loyal out of fear rather than respect, followed him without question. He would punish even the slightest hint of disobedience with unimaginable brutality.

The villagers whispered his name with dread, "Kosh, the heartless." He did not care for love, compassion, or loyalty. His only desire was to rule and to destroy anyone who stood in his way. And as he stood at the top, he never forgot the teachings of his father, Keino: "Love holds no meaning in front of one's duty to their homeland." But unlike his father, Kosh twisted this philosophy into his own dark mantra: "Love is weakness; power is the only truth."

Kosh's rise to power was not just a story of ambition but a testament to the darkness that can grow within a person when their soul is consumed by hatred and greed. He had become everything his father never wanted to be, a conqueror who knew no bounds, a king without a heart.

And so, the truth of Kosh's identity remained hidden from the world, locked away in the memories of the few who survived his reign of terror. He was a legacy of both love and betrayal, a symbol of what happens when a heart turns to stone.