Beyond {UNDER EDIT}

S1-7-Shadows

The King of Praveg took a deep drag of his marijuana, while all the other passive smokers in the hall waited patiently. Then he waved his hand.

The second force's commander, and also the youngest of all commanders, Sahay, stood up. "Lord Hira, Surya is vulnerable now. The eastern squad has been devastated, they are still freakin licking their bloody wounds. This is the best time for attack."

Hira thought for a moment. "Commander Garud, under your attack, was eastern squad's fall. What will be your views?"

Garud of the third force, the most respected commander and skilled warrior, stood up. "In my view, young commander Sahay, speaks right."

"I agree too." Added the commander of first force, Pradhyot.

Hira scratched his head. "No. We shall not attack now. We shall wait for the right time to come. The meet is shelved."

He stood up and walked away, leaving a trail of smoke behind.

Chief Commander Dalvik of all forces, was a quiet observant. He knew the reasons behind all decisions of Hira. Hira's judgments were peculiar and unexpected, but in the long run, he had always won, unlike the previous head of Praveg, Queen Ahalya, who became a victim to her own emotions.

Dalvik had counselled two generations of rulers, and his hard earned experience always told him where each decision was taking their fate. He stood up and started walking towards the training arena.

A great war was coming, and he would be most needed.

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The flame flickered, and its shadows danced on the wall. Panav cautiously flipped the page and wiped the dust with his palm.

Surya Town's laws and layout were laid down by Vashwanth the Great, eras ago. He truly is Father of Surya Town.

Panav sighed. It was peculiar that only little was known about the Father of Surya Town. He imagined how life would have been eons ago. Did the Pravegians exist back then? Was the Makara River as broad as it is now? None of that was given in the manuscript- History of Surya Town.

The boy had always found solace in reading, unlike Abhay, Rohak and Ojas. He flipped the pages and continued.

Time glided.

There was a rasping sound and the hefty wooden door was pushed open. Panav shuddered and spun.

"What're you reading about, young man?"

The boy puffed out his caught breath- "Oh, Sir Ashir, I was just going through the history of Surya Town..."

"In the dead of the night?" Ashir, the timeworn librarian sniggered.

Panav giggled and fetched a wooden stool. "Please be seated, Sir."

"So where have you reached, boy?"

Panav tilted the script and pointed at the verses.

The old man bent and read imprudently. "Oh!" He coughed. "Reading about Daha's exploits, are you?"

Then he looked at the wall and entered the unfathomable tracks of long forgotten memories, which were still running around his mind like shadows.

"I still remember Daha. Tough and ferocious he was. He wielded swords in both his hands. Chaos and despair, he had named them. He slaughtered farmers like cattle and looted them."

Panav trembled. Ashir took a serene breath and continued, "Daha was..." He exhaled. "He was wild...fearless and of course, evil. The fear of his name was spread throughout. He made the children watch their mothers get raped by him and then slaughtered them. Never had such darkness come to Surya. Up until ...King Hriju, who was still an uncrowned young prince back then, assassinated him and threw his body in Makara. "

"Which is why King Hriju is called 'the snake'."  Panav concluded.

"Yes, that is why King Hriju is called 'the snake'." Ashir agreed.

Ashir saw something in Panav. Something profound, something which he saw every time he spoke to him.

"Tell me something young boy, All great swords have unique names, what will you name yours if you get one?"

Panav pondered for a moment. Then he looked at Ashir and replied in a voice which wasn't his-

"Peacekeeper."