“Father, we need to take sides,” Herngya spoke to his father, clenching his fists.
“It’s not easy to side, I just can’t walk into death’s arms,” Agpti said, waving his hands in the air and avoiding eye contact with Herngya.
“This is our chance father. Long we have served Great Ndra, long have we been in his service and thats how it should be even after his death, we must side him. After all these many years since his death, our people spread all over Praleesi need protection. Though after Great Ndra’s death everything has changed, not helping our kind you thought would protect us from the foredoomed Valkan savages, but no, our spies have proof of these ghastly savages entering our lands. They provoke us Father,” Herngya spoke with concern.
Herngya and Agpti, the Odra Gan Pati1 and the only free Gan Pati, discussed the dire situation in the vacant vassal court of Odra, waiting for the rest of the councils. Herngya strode to and fro as Agpti sat on the traditional flame-moulded throne of noble metal, gripping it hard, as though someone would snatch it away from him. Herngya could not hide his restless soul from his father. Agpti, the great manipulator, had long avoided this conversation, but today he had to face it. The savages had an increasing presence in his lands. As much as Agpti wished to stay away, after all these years there was no staying away.
The court was brightly lit with lightning, the invention of a youth of the Odra-Danav clan. The Danavs were known for their use of fire, but Luksha, a talented youth, had created a method to hold lightning contained in glass: the epitome of fire. This invention had transformed Odra from a dimly lit town into a city that shone by night. It became one of their main trades with their neighbouring clans, the Gnyasa, Trakuta and Gaamini, and gave Odra the upper hand at Ndra’s court. Odrans were the most talented when it came to fire; with the right practice and purity, a few of them could create fire out of thin air.
This rare feat had coloured the clan with a bright status in ancient times, but barring their clan leader Agpti, no one had been seen harnessing this power in living memory. With fire this clan had moulded metals to any desired shape, becoming the metal powerhouse of Praleesi. Their metal weapons had no match, and no other clan could match their ingenious feat of designing complex machinery from moulded metal.
“I know Herngya, but I was hoping for the …” Interrupting his aged father, Herngya spoke: “No No! Not the legend again. It’s nice to boost people’s morale with the legend; we have done that for past many years. But we can’t fall prey to our own creation of myths,” and he stopped right in front of his father’s throne, staring straight at his father.
“Myth? No! It’s not a myth, it’s true, there will come a saviour,” Agpti said, fidgeting on the throne.
“Naïve you are Father, there is no saviour, I have searched and read all the legends in our book keeps. None speak of his or her birth, his or her form, or power. Just a few random obscure lines written here and there and they have become these myths. There is no he or she, it’s we who have to act,” Herngya spoke, visibly angered, as he resumed his stride. The court attendants were refilling the decorated smoke pots with coal for the councils, pretending not to hear the conversation.
“No my son it’s beyond our understanding, these legends, myths are not comprehensible to all. I do understand your concern but cannot accept your suggestion outright. Siding either of the sides is attracting war on my land,” Agpti said.
“Your land?” Stopping suddenly in his stride, Herngya turned towards his father; the questioning tone made Agpti even more uneasy in his chair. “This ain’t your land. Father you are so cryptic; hardly I your son can fathom your thoughts. Father what I ask of you is in accordance to what we were commissioned for,” Herngya tried to convince his father. “Your indecisiveness is costing us,” he added, keeping the utter disgust out of his voice, just so as not to insult the Odra Gan Pati.
“Stop patronizing me, I am your leader, I am Gan Pati,” Agpti spoke, angry.
“Gan Pati? You for sure don’t act like one. Father your aspirations are hindering you from your duty. When great Ndra fell we did not go to his rescue. Even then you avoided the decision to side him. The rest Gan Patis are rotting in those dungeons. The other clans carry the feeling of betrayal towards us. War is knocking on our doors. Srushti, Manav, Praani we have betrayed them all. This is our chance to undo it, wash our sins, the shame we have brought onto us. We have to rise against Valkan evil,” Herngya continued, ignoring his father’s anger.
The insinuation added to Agpti’s anger. “Herngya you are accusing me. I know what I must do for the people.”
“I apologize if I have offend you father, but our, your inaction has harmed us more. I fear scheming against Odra, there are people acting in your name in favour of those savage brothers. Also your desires are not invisible,” Herngya stated, cold but firm.
They heard voices approaching through the corridors. The recess had flown by. The council members were entering one by one. Herngya moved to his seat on his father’s right and stood there, waiting for all the council members. The aromas of sandalwood, musk and roses filled the air of the vassal court as the councils settled in one by one, attended by their servants.
These councils were members elected by the citizens of Odra. Simplicity was expected of them, but simplicity had been reduced to a mere virtue, and virtue was not for councils. They wore the best robes of silk and satin, and the expensive spider silk from Srushti; they were served by maids round the clock; they adorned themselves with the rarest jewels and wore ornaments of noble metal. Each seat was a display of riches. Herngya scorned such a vulgar display of corruption. He feared that, like the council, his father might fall prey to power.
“We can carve our own kingdom.”
Agpti, Gan Pati of Odra
Herngya stood at his seat, legs apart and arms crossed, as the councils settled in one by one. The first council, Shaak, the next oldest to Agpti, quickly settled in next to Herngya, helped by just a soldier. His was the only seat with no smoke pot, an addiction he avoided like poison. Council Shaak was head of the military and of intelligence gathering, the espionage activities. His fierce loyalty, and his oath to serve the seat of Odra until death, were well known even to the other clans. None questioned them; nor did they question his large size even for a Danav. The deep serrated scar on his forearm and the deep red starry-leaf scar gave him an intimidating appearance. It was not just the look: his ability, even at his age, to take down any opponent within a split second only accentuated his warrior stature.
Exactly opposite him, on the left side of Agpti’s throne, sat the second council, Akun.
A bony man, taller than the average Odra man, he had a squeaky voice and spoke with excessive hand gestures. Akun handled the treasury and dressed aptly to display his status. He was known for his weakness for women; he would easily fall for any woman, or for that matter anything akin to a woman. Rumours kept making the rounds about his hundreds of illegitimate children, but none could confirm them. To his right sat Hakun, the third council, in charge of relations with the other clans. Opposite him sat the fourth council, Kauni, who managed the internal security of Odra.
The fifth council, Shauni, sat to the right of Hakun; he cared for the supplies to the city: water, roads, and the prime invention, lightning. They had all settled in, but Agpti was still lost in his own thoughts. The silence in the court amplified the sweet clinks of the maids’ anklets, enough to irritate Herngya.
Herngya stood there watching the council and his father. The council was turning a little restless, all looking to Herngya in the hope that he would break his father’s stream of thought.
“Father, we wait of you,” he spoke mildly.
“Ahem! Councils, apologies to keep you waiting. Let’s start from where we left prior to our recess. Council Shauni you are of the opinion that our internal roadways, river-ways, their networking is weak right?” Agpti asked, waking from his slumber of thought. Shauni was the youngest of the councils. “Lord Agpti,” he said, in a gentle voice that suited his persona, “Yes, but weak is not the word I’d use. These work within the capital is towards end phase, with little support from treasury and work for another two months I can assure stronger network of roads.” Saying that, he adjusted his satin clothes to cover his baby-soft skin.
Though born into the rough Danav tribe, he was quite the opposite physically. There were rumours, certainly, that he was born of a union between a Srushti man and a Danav woman, but he never cleared any of them, and the absence of his father only fuelled them. Otherwise he was wise for his age and outshone the others in managerial ability and in completing tasks on time, even though he worked only from his home and rarely made a site visit. The council respected him for his work, but took digs at his effeminate appearance.
“Lord Agpti,” spoke Hakun, “If I may interrupt the homely plans, we have graver things to conclude,” turning from Shauni to Agpti as he spoke.
“Council Hakun, being a people’s representative does not authorize you to disrespect Agpti, and am sure you are aware of this,” Herngya said with authority, trying to suppress Hakun’s impudence.
“Dear Haregya,” Hakun spoke condescendingly, “we know what your wishes are but just we need to be sure what your father’s thoughts are on this matter.”
Saying that, he turned his gaze to Agpti, who sat still on his throne, with no expression at Hakun’s remark. Agpti stared at Shaak. “Council Shaak you seem not to partake in our discussion,” he said, trying to divert the topic.
“Lord Agpti, I have been a warrior all my life and will continue to be one. Our spies have information of certain undesired elements entering into our lands. Also we have for long known that the Gan Patis of the rest clan already are arrested by savage army. What we do not know if they live. If we join the dots even a child will figure out that you are to the next target. For me have I no option, I have to fight and I’ll fight when the war knocks on my door, later or sooner,” Shaak spoke in a flat tone.
“Ya right! Gan Patis been taken away is horrible horrible thing, I have sleepless nights. Herngya what about the Naags, what is their stand on this,” asked Agpti. The Odra Pati was jumping topics, changing the focus of the discussion; this had been his play all through the session before the recess, avoiding the issue of the Gan Patis. He gave the impression of being least interested, and his council followed suit.
The council superficially entertained the various unrelated questions and played along with their leader; it was all a well-versed ploy.
“Their stand is not vital to us. They are Naags, ever devious, filth ridden fallen ones, they shall side what benefits them. Since when do we bother of Naags, the shunned clan? We can’t expect them to manifest the principles like loyalty, morality,” Herngya spoke with disgust, angered by the change of topics.
“There there! Why we care for them either, if they serve only themselves why not we serve us. We can carve our own kingdom,” Agpti said to the whole council, with an evil gleam in his eyes. None of the members was taken by surprise; they had expected it from their Gan Pati. Only Herngya was taken aback. The words were still being processed in his brain, checking whether they meant what they meant. So far his father had never spoken his desires openly, and now that he had, the council offered no reaction at all. Herngya could not work out which was worse: his father’s unseemly desires, or the council playing deaf to them.
In that moment the indignant Herngya, shoulders heavy, walked to the centre of the court, pained and angered. His heavy steps, and his left hand moving towards his sword, made the council fretful. “Father is that your decision, or are you playing to the council,” he said, drawing the undivided attention of the council. “You mean to say that we continue not to side the other Gans, but rather indirectly support those bastard brothers in their evil plans? You decided that, even not taking your council in confidence.” He looked around at the council members, hoping they might stand by him. But it did not take him long to understand from their expressions that his father had already taken the council into confidence. What he was witnessing was a fake council session, a made-up meeting, just to fool him. His own father had betrayed him, his clan, his Odra. Unable to contain his annoyance, he drew his sword. “Before you all bring shame to our proud mighty Danav clan I shall slay every single of you here, right,” and pointing it at Agpti, “pick your sword father.”
“Hold it,” Shaak spoke loudly, drawing his sword. “It shall hurt me lot to bring you down Herngya, but to protect the Danav seat, a promise that I made, I SHALL bring you down!”
“Stop it!” Agpti said, leaving his seat. At once the rest of the council, who were readying to fight Herngya, also got up. “STOP IT! Stop this nonsense, he will not attack ME,” he said, stopping Shaak, and turned to Herngya.
“Son, the clan that you are so proud of, would you kill its top leaders, will that glorify the clan?” Agpti tried to calm Herngya. “We are the ones who have made you what you are. Our death at your hands will been seen only as greed for power, greed to take over the Clan. Do you want that?” Agpti tried to manipulate his son, whose weakness was loyalty to the clan.
He went up to his son carefully, judging him with each step, and slowly placed his hand on Herngya’s right shoulder. “My my, calm down, anger spoils you, haven’t I taught you that? Calm down. My decision to refrain from war comes out of deep contemplation, I want to see no blood shed in Odra. I have seen many wars, more than your age I have fought wars,” he said, studying his son carefully, to be sure what to say next. Herngya turned a little calmer than before. Sensing that, Agpti spoke very softly into his ear, “This is win-win, we do not answer anyone, I become the King and you after me, all we need is to…”
Herngya swiftly turned around, slashing off a lock of hair close to Agpti’s ear. “I shall never be part of your aspirations, it will only bring down our clan.” He moved a step back, sliding his sword in, and watching his shocked father, he spoke, “I can kill if I want to, for now I resist the urge but ..” The rest was conveyed by the anger and odium in his eyes. In a flash he dashed out of the court. The council rushed to the aid of the Gan Pati, who was still in shock. “My lord, here have some a drink,” Shaak said, as the others helped him settle in his seat. Visibly shattered, Agpti was quiet, still working out whether his only son had attacked him, threatened him, threatened the Danav Gan Pati.
