Aitzaz skimmed his face along Lyla’s neck, taking in the subtle scent of jasmine and citron. His arms reached under her kameez and ran gently up her back. She moaned quietly at his touch. Then something tickled Aitzaz’s ankle. He ignored it, and in a moment he was on her, his lips devouring hers. She responded in kind, grabbing his head and forcing him closer. A knot was rising in his chest, but something tickled his neck beneath her hands, lingering annoyingly and distracting him from the task at hand.
Spirits dammit, leave me alone.
He gently pushed her down, allowing her a moment to find a comfortable place on the wooden bench, all the while not letting go of her lips. She pulled him on top of herself, and Aitzaz’s hands fumbled beneath himself to remove her clothing. Her hands were at his chest, unbuttoning his top. He was hard, and he knew that she knew it.
It’s happening!
Suddenly, he felt a tingle under the bridge of his nose and an accompanying urge to sneeze. He ignored it and pressed harder against Lyla’s lips, his tongue intertwining with hers. Then, lacking air, he choked. Forced to pull away, he unleashed a deafening sneeze that covered nearby grass in mucus. This was followed by violent hacks and barks as his body responded to the sudden asphyxiation.
Aitzaz felt his face going hot from embarrassment, even as he tried to quell the incessant coughing. But Lyla laughed her chime-like laugh, softly pushed him off herself and swung her legs off the bench. The golden monkey, presently the object of all of Aitzaz’s rage, leaped up her shoulder to nest in her wavy honey coloured hair as if to say “mine.”
Still giggling, she reached up a hand, allowing the monkey to clamber down to her lap where she started tickling its belly. “I think Taz got a bit jealous there, ‘Zaz.” She said with a grin. The monkey looked at Aitzaz with an oblivious expression of innocence. He glared angrily in response, switching quickly to an awkward smile when Lyla turned to him.
“He’s a good boy.” Aitzaz said and reached over to stroke the back of Taz’s neck, pressing his fingers into it just a little bit harder than was necessary.
“Zaz and Taz...” Lyla began to sing.
Aitzaz groaned “Oh, please no.”
“Nothing rhymes with Zaz or Taz” she continued.
“It’s not Zaz, for the spirits’ sake!”
“Maybe I’m just not good at making rhymes!”
“Aey-teh-zaaz, it’s Aey-teh-zaaz!”
“But that’s okay, because they rhyme with each other!”
“'Zaz and Taz don’t even rhyme if you say it right.”
“So they’re going to be the best friends in the world!”
“Lyla…”
“But who cares, Zaz and Taz forever!!” She crescendoed and punched her arms to the sky.
“Eek!” Taz shrieked, and imitated her gesture.
Then Lyla burst into laughter and hugged her spirit’s animal tightly. Aitzaz watched for a moment, a smile playing on his face as he reminded himself of how lucky he was to be with the most beautiful girl in the city. Me, of all people. Not Rahul, or Mahit, me!
He pulled her close with an arm, and she stopped laughing to rest her head on his shoulder. After a moment, with a growing pit in his stomach, Aitzaz gently whispered “I love you.” And she responded by meeting his eyes with clear hazel ones. Before she could reply, Aitzaz’s lips found her, and they kissed. Not urgently as before, but passionately.
Taz, ever jealous, was quick to scurry out of his distracted master’s arms, and run across the ground to Aitzaz’s side of the bench, where he began to contemplate the most painful area to attack. He was just raising his arm, his eyes maliciously set on Aitzaz’s crotch, when a quiet growl sent him scrambling back to Lyla’s shoulder, shrieking defensively.
Khan, Aitzaz’s spirit animal, continued to lie lazily by his masters legs, ignoring the monkey’s shrieks and closing the one eye he had opened to observe the sabotage.
Taz tugged continuously at Lyla, and reluctantly she broke Aitzaz’s embrace. They looked into each other’s eyes, and Lyla seemed to hesitate, looking for the right words. “'Zaz…” she began.
“Yeah?” Aitzaz smiled encouragingly. Please, just say it.
“Never mind” She shook her head, put on a smile and turned her attention to the anxious monkey. “What’s wrong, Taz?” She cradled him in her arms, and the monkey guiltlessly pointed a finger at Khan.
“Oi,” She wagged a finger at Aitzaz, “keep your oversized house cat away from Taz!”
Damnit, not yet? Aitzaz felt embarrassed, maybe he’d said a bit too much too soon.
Still, he put on a grin. “Khan wouldn’t hurt a fly.” He got up from the bench and knelt by the tiger’s side, gently stroking its lustrous fur.
“Then what about that giant boar you were telling me about yesterday?” Lyla cried, half teasing.
“Well we were hunting for the city! And you had some of that too you know.” Aitzaz began rubbing Khan’s neck, and the large cat purred happily.
“Don’t worry Taz, we don’t need Zazzy and his fancy tiger. We’re fine on our own.”
Aitzaz laughed. “Khan’s the best tiger in the world, he’d never hurt Taz. Unless you know, Taz made me angry.” He gave the monkey a very pointed look.
“You heard that, Tazzy?” Lyla cooed. “We better not make the big fancy tiger man angry.”
When Aitzaz sat back on the bench, Lyla said “He’s gotten so big, so fast.”
“Yeah,” Aitzaz replied proudly.
“How long has it been, ten years?” Lyla said, smiling down at her monkey as her gentle stroking put it to sleep.
“Yeah. We finished training two years ago.” Aitzaz replied. Too close, I’d better change the topic. “Taz looks healthy, what’ve you been feeding him?”
“Ten years since the choosing,” Lyla continued undeterred. “Wow, look at us now ‘Zaz. We’re already all grown up, we have our duties now. Soon we’ll be the ones training the next children.”
“Yeah, spirits. Say, has Taz been interested in any other monk-”
“I can’t believe it.” She was shaking her head with wonder. “And today’s the day of choosing you know.”
“Because, I guess I should know about it if he was, to keep things open.” Aitzaz was desperate now.
“Wait a second!” Lyla looked at him suddenly. “Didn’t Indira turn ten last week?”
Shit.
“Well…”
“'Zaz!” Lyla cried, and punched him on the shoulder. “It’s your sister’s day of choosing! Why in the spirits’ name aren’t you there?”
“I dunno, I wanted to spend some time with you.” He mumbled weakly
“It’s the most important day of her life you idiot!” She punched him again. “Don’t you think she’ll be looking for you in the crowd?”
“Indira has enough people doting on her.” Aitzaz said stubbornly but quietly.
Still, Lyla heard, and she looked at him sympathetically. “‘Zaz, you’re going to regret it for your whole life if you don’t go…and what will your parents say?”
She shoved him lightly, and Aitzaz reluctantly stood up.
“Don’t worry, I’ll see you tonight. But spend time with your family, okay? Family is important…” Her voice died to a whisper, “and you never know...” She looked away for a moment, composing herself. Aitzaz noticed, and knelt down to embrace her.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, unable to stop the tears that were slowly making their way down her pretty face. “I’m so sorry. I’ll find you later tonight, okay? Don’t dwell on those things okay?.”
He kissed her forehead, then got up and began walking away. “Khan, let’s go.” He called behind him. The tiger stretched its back and trotted after him.
They had been sitting at a bench just outside the city’s edge, facing the jungle that surrounded it. Now, Aitzaz and Khan walked along tall grass, jungle to their right, the city of Baghadaar to their left. The circular city was surrounded by a wooden wall that deterred wildlife, with three gateways spaced evenly throughout. Aitzaz made for the closest one – The Monkey’s gate, which was situated on the South-West side of the city. As he approached, the air filled with familiar whooping, and he felt his face flush.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the host of this morning’s entertainment!” Rahul yelled to the mock cheering of three other tiger tamers. There had to be five tigers guarding each gate at any given time; Aitzaz had his weekly day off.
“Morning Rahul.” He said, as boldly as he could manage. Rahul was well muscled, and like everyone else in the city (as it seemed to Aitzaz), a fair bit taller than him.
Rahul grasped Aitzaz’s hand in a friendly gesture and pulled him in close. “What happened? I thought for sure you were finally going to lose your maidenhood there.”
“You’re a cock.”
Rahul laughed rambunctiously, “I have one, that’s for sure, and I know how to use it.”
As the tamers embraced, their tigers met in a display of domination. Khan growled at Rahul’s Sekar, who barred his teeth and loosed a roar that caused Khan, the smaller of the two, to shrink back and bow his head in defeat. Aitzaz reached down and rubbed his tiger between the ears, proud that the size difference was not as great as it had once been.
“Well that’s okay, you’ll get there eventually.” Rahul patted Aitzaz’s back in a brotherly way. The other tamers, all of whom seemed to have come from the year after Rahul and Aitzaz, had turned back to their game of Pachisi.
“How’re the new kids?” Aitzaz asked.
“Untested, but they seem decent.” Rahul replied.
“We’re untested too, you know.” Aitzaz said.
“Not for long…” Rahul replied absentmindedly.
“What?” Aitzaz was confused.
“Never mind. Say, I’ve been wondering for a while now. How in the spirits’ name did you end up with a looker like Lyla?”
“Shut up, you spineless monkey.”
“Ouch, look at you pulling out the big words.”
“Oi, is that Zazzy I see?” A female voice called out from the Eastern side of the gate.
“Maisa! You missed it, little Zazzy was finally gonna bone someone!”
“Oh shit! What happened?”
“He blew it!” Rahul laughed, winked and started making his way back to the other tamers.
Maisa was the only girl from Aitzaz’s class; and like everyone else, she was several inches taller than him. “Aww, poor Zazzy.” She patted his head like she would a little brother, causing Aitzaz to flush with anger and swat her hand away.
“Are you heading to the choosing?” She asked.
“Yeah. I guess I’m a bit late.”
“More than a bit ya know. Why don’t we go together?” And she led the way through the open gate and into the city.
Baghadaar wasn’t much as far as cities went. Most people still considered it a village. It was only ten years ago that High Shaman Vivek was given a seat on the Council of Indus, which cemented Baghadaar as a city with a voice in the nation. As such, a visitor could either see it as a newly sprouting city, or an ancient, flourishing village and he would be right either way.
Most families lived in wooden huts, made from the excess of jungle wood around them. But recent trade with Samundar to the south had given the city access to bricks. The tall temple in the center of the city had already been remade with the foreign material, and many of the older families, such as Aitzaz’s, had remade their houses with it as well. As a result, the city transformed from a landscape of dirt roads surrounded by wooden huts to dirt roads surrounded by brick houses. The dirt was important as it gave the tigers a more natural home than paved paths.
It was one of these roads that Aitzaz and Maisa started down. A bustling crowd of familiar faces surrounded them, a large portion of them heading in the same direction – straight to the center of the city. Spirit’s animals jostled amongst the people; tigers contented for space on the road, monkeys clambered around their master’s shoulders, and when you saw a person with no animal, you knew they had a snake wrapped around their neck, hidden beneath clothing.
“Shouldn’t you be at the gate?” Aitzaz said, eyeing the high cut leather tunic that revealed Maisa’s taut mid riff. He himself was in his casual clothing.
“Yeah, but Master Balbir sent for my help at The Choosing.”
“Dad did?” Aitzaz felt a knot in his stomach, I’m free today; he could have asked me!
“Yeah. Maya’s first litter are getting chosen today.” Maisa smiled an uncharacteristically affectionate smile, and reached down to rub her tiger.
“Wow, already? It feels like yesterday she had them.” Aitzaz replied.
“No kidding Zazzy. We’re getting old, and all the important moments just seem to fly by.” Maisa’s black hair, which had been tied in a chaotic, spiky mess fell loose for a moment to hide her eyes. She, like all tiger tamers, had three claw marks shaved into her hair to represent the size of her tiger’s claws. Aitzaz thought back for a moment about how small those marks used to be. As they carried on down the road, his hand subconsciously reached up to the marks on his own black bed of short hair.
Khan, who had started slouching over miserably after his confrontation with Sekar, had perked up instantly when Maisa joined them. Now, he had swollen himself to look as big as possible, and had left Aitzaz’s side to walk slowly behind an uninterested Maya. Every now and then, when he approached too close, the latter would turn with a growl and send Khan scurrying back a distance, undeterred from approaching again.
Aitzaz and Maisa both kept a wary eye on their animals.
“Maisa…Khan’s ready now, he’s grown strong and obedient.” Aitzaz said.
“Sure, but he’s not as big as Rahul’s Sekar, or Sachiv’s Mubali.” Maisa replied.
“Size isn’t everything you know…” Aitzaz said quietly.
Maisa burst out laughing. “You wouldn’t know would you?” She wagged a finger and winked, “remember Zazzy, size is important for ladies, really important.”
Aitzaz sighed in exasperation. “This is serious, Maisa.”
But Maisa continued laughing. “Not my choice, buddy. Besides, you know what it means for me and you if Maya chooses Khan, right?”
Aitzaz shrugged. “It’s just duty, meaningless really.”
“Really?” Maisa raised her bare arm, throwing it around Aitzaz and whispering in his ear. “Would Lyla be okay with that?”
“She understands, she’d be okay with it.”
“Oh I get it, you’d rather have me. Fair enough!” Maisa cried dramatically, gesturing to her tall, lean and muscled body.
Aitzaz stopped walking for a moment, crossed his arms and thoroughly inspected Maisa. He let his eyes linger at her tunic, where her breasts would be. “Flat chested.” He declared finally.
He didn’t even have time to catch his breath. Maisa’s leg hooked around his, her elbow rammed into his side, and then he was tumbling. He fell hard, her knee in his back, his arm locked behind his head. Squeezed against the ground, he could just make out a group of children giggling at the roadside.
“Come now Zazzy, you should be more courteous to a lady.” Maisa said.
“Oi, Khan, help…” Aitzaz managed to squeak, knowing from experience that struggling was pointless. His tiger however was used to it, and simply looked at Aitzaz with exasperation, as if to say “stop embarrassing me.”
Maisa laughed her maniacal laugh. “Oh Zazzy, you’re so cute, running to your tiger for help.” She dug her knee harder into his back. “Tell me, who got first in physical combat in our group?”
“Rahul…”
“And who got second?”
“You…”
“And who got last?”
“Me…”
“And don’t forget it.” Maisa laughed as she let Aitzaz go, and helped him up.
“Spirits damnit Maisa, stop doing that.” Aitzaz whispered, looking down to hide his face from the sniggering people on the street.
“I can’t help it though!” Maisa replied, and slapped his back playfully. “You’re just so cute when I’m kicking your ass.”
Aitzaz shook his head, cursing himself under his breath. If only he’d been just a bit more prepared, he could have turned the tables on her, he knew it!
“Now that I remember, you got last in everything in our group didn’t you? Kind of horrible, no?”
“No, I got first in Trapping.” Aitzaz replied, defending his pride.
“Trapping? Who cares about trapping? Tigers hunt, Zazzy” Maisa punched him in his shoulder, harder than was necessary. “You need to get some meat on these arms, ya know.”
Aitzaz cursed under his breath, pulling his arm away from her. “Anyway, stop avoiding the topic. Khan and Maya, he’s ready for it.”
Maisa turned serious fast. “Maya’s not in heat, ‘Zaz.” She shrugged. “And when she is, it’s her choice, not mine. I just get to go along with it.”
Aitzaz nodded, disappointed. “Alright then.”
“Well hey, you may still get to sleep with me, ya know.” She grinned.
“And you’d prefer Rahul, like last time?”
She pretended to be thoughtful. “He does know how to pleasure a woman...”
“Right.” Aitzaz looked away.
Maisa noticed. “Oh hey! I just remembered something funny.” She said, slapping her fist against a palm. “You remember how Mahit was the only one in our year to get a tiger of a different sex?”
Aitzaz nodded. Mahit had been a rare exception; spirit animals were almost always the same gender as the master.
“Right, so his Pia seems to have a thing for Sachiv’s Mubali.”
Aitzaz’s eyes grew wide at the realization, and he burst out in laughter. “Spirits! Do they? Does it still apply?!”
Maisa was just as giddy, jumping up with joy. “Oh man, they’re so worried. I went with them to Shaman Bala. He said that same old, “when two spirit animals copulate, so too must their masters. And they must inseminate the other with their own seed; else their animals will not succeed, or an abomination will be born.””
Aitzaz was teary eyed with laughter. “Wow, it never occurred to me.” Then, he suddenly stopped as a second thought dawned upon him. “Shit, Lyla’s Taz is male.”
Now Maisa had keeled over, laughing relentlessly. “Oh you poor poor boy.”
Aitzaz had his hands on his head. “Spirits!” He cursed.
Maisa patted him, still giggling. “Don’t worry, maybe they’ll let you join.”
“No,” He shook his head and grinned. “It’s better this way, I’d rather she lay with a woman than a man. Do you know how many men look at her?”
“Oh, Zazzy. Don’t you know that monkeys tend to be okay with either or?” Maisa burst out again at Aitzaz’s dismayed expression.
“How’s she holding up?” Maisa said a minute later, catching her breath.
“She puts on a strong face, but I know she’s hurting.” Aitzaz replied, thinking about the tears he’d had to wipe from her face.
“Yeah. It’s only been a couple of months.” Maisa said. “Still, I know you’ve always had a thing for her, and it’s good on you that you never took an advantage when others would have.”
Aitzaz turned away, embarrassed by guilt.
The crowd was getting noticeably thicker as they approached the temple, with more and more people crowding to get a look inside.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a choosing this busy.” Maisa commented.
“It must be because of that Anai-Kondra thing.”
“Oh shit! I’d totally forgotten. Spirits!”
“Mom’s been going crazy about it. She’s hoping Indira gets monkey like herself.”
“Figures. Still, this happens once in a thousand years. Can you believe it ‘Zaz? How lucky are we that we get to see it?! How lucky are we that it’s happening in Baghadaar?”
“Whatever.” Aitzaz replied glumly.
“No, not whatever man, I can’t believe I almost forgot!”
“How could you? The city’s been in an uproar since the egg hatched.”
“Shit, it’s hatched!? I was on hunting duty for the past two weeks so I missed all the gossip!”
“Yeah, a male.”
“Wow…And Indira’s already at her choosing?”
“Yeah.”
“Man, I remember at our choosing, she was so tiny.
“Well, she had just been born.”
“She passed the pre-choosing classes with flying colours didn’t she? She finished two years early and was spending time with the Shamans doing advanced classes right?”
“Yeah.” Aitzaz replied stiffly.
“Still, I guess that’s to be expected from Master Balbir’s daughter.”
Aitzaz didn’t reply, and for a moment Maisa didn’t say anything to prompt him. Then she smiled, and stopped to get on one knee and pat Khan. “Me, you, Rahul, Mahit and Sachiv…We went through so much together. And I know we gave you a hard time, but you’ve done a good job with Khan, ‘Zaz.”
Aitzaz had to smile. “He’s my best friend. I’m telling you Maisa, someday he’ll be stronger than dad’s Fang.”
“Right. I remember he was the runt. He was so tiny, I used to be scared that Maya and the others would just rip him up. But look at him now, he looks healthy. He’s already bigger than Maya and Pia, and almost as big as Mubali or Sekar.”
She stood up. “You know, Rahul’s noticed.”
Aitzaz was surprised. “He has? What did he say? Wha…”
“I saw him going to Shaman Bala, and he asked for some of those weird growth herbs that they give the tigers who stopped growing too soon.”
“He did? How do you know? Rahul wouldn’t…Why would he?”
Maisa placed a finger on his lips. “Hush, I didn’t tell you anything. I would never give Maya something like that, but he did and that’s his choice. I just want you to know, Zazzy that I think you’ve done a good job and you deserve to be a tiger tamer.” With that, Maisa walked away, joining in with the crowd that was shuffling into the shaded temple.
Aitzaz stood stunned for a moment, surprised at the warm feeling in his chest. Had Maisa just said something nice to him? Must be some sort of trap. He smiled inwardly, and made his way into the temple.
The open doorway led to the top level of a dimly lit underground auditorium. All of the dirt benches had already been occupied, so Aitzaz shuffled against the crowd to find a spot at the back of the room where he could see. People were still walking down the steps, bartering for seats or looking for relatives, but the crowd was thinning and it seemed The Choosing was about to start. Aitzaz spotted his mother, sitting near the front and rocking back and forth in prayer.
At the front of the auditorium was a semicircular clearing. Two large torches had been planted on either side of an altar behind which the four shamans stood. Shaman Bala, who was the tiger guide, seemed to spot Aitzaz and give him the slyest wink. Aanchit and Moni, who were the monkey and snake guides respectively appeared more reserved. In their center, High Shaman Vivek was watching the crowd, waiting patiently for it to settle down. The four shamans in their traditional, bare chested dress clashed with the wide range of colours that the city’s newest fashions coloured the crowd in.
Maisa had reached the clearing, and with Maya, she headed towards the wooden fence that contained a number of small tiger cubs. Aitzaz followed her with his eyes before looking up to see Balbir, his adopted father, looking at him impassively. Balbir was an immense man, with muscular arms and a thick beard. His fighting prowess had earned him the leadership of all tiger tamers in the city. Fang, his tiger, rested lazily behind him, protecting the cubs. The hulking beast was so immense, that even on its haunches it was as tall as Balbir’s shoulder.
On the other side of the altar were several cushions and a table, where baby monkeys were being nursed by elder women. On the ground next to them were five covered baskets. These surrounded another lavishly decorated one, which seemed to be the focus of most of the crowd’s attention.
A line of children had been formed directly in front of the crowd, and Aitzaz was quick to spot his sister. Indira was dressed in a red and golden sari, with her black hair tied in an intricate knot that still allowed much of it to fall past her shoulders. Despite standing slightly taller than most of her compatriots, she looked just as nervous and was fidgeting ceaselessly with her fingers.
High Shaman Vivek had raised his arms, and the crowds bustle slowly started to die down. With a groan, the temple doors shut, drowning out all natural light and allowing the torches to cast the auditorium in flickering shadows.
“Friends, as you all know, we have come to the most important day in the year for our city.” Despite his age, the shaman’s voice was powerful and carried well in the auditorium. “Today we look to the spirits, and ask them to guide the lives of these twenty six children that have lived ten years and turned the age of choosing. We ask the spirits to the find their second half, and see their true selves better than any man can. We ask the spirits to be true to their word, and to their choice, for today is the most important day in these childrens’ lives.”
“But before we begin the choosing, please let me recite the tale of Baghadaar…”
“Oh come on!” Someone shouted from the crowd.
“Just get on with it…”
“Show us the Anai-Kondra!”
The shaman raised his hands against the protests, quieting the crowd. “I cannot just get on with it, friends. In this modern day when we trade fashions and food with fellow cities, and call ourselves part of a great and rising nation, it is easy to forget. And if we forget the spirits, we will lose our way. So please, for the children, allow me to continue.”
“Once upon a time, many thousands of years ago, there was a tiger named Raj. Raj was no ordinary tiger. You see my friends, he was the king of all, not just tigers, but of all beasts for there were no men at this time. Raj was mighty and powerful. He was stronger than Balbir’s Fang, or even the revered Shakti; he could crush a tree with a swipe, or kill an elephant with a bite.
But you see, Raj had a problem. His front paw always hurt. He could hunt anything, and all animals bowed in his presence, yet he could not place his weight on that paw without suffering a sharp pain. So Raj asked his many mates, “tell me why my paw hurts.”
His mates would look carefully, and reply, “oh Raj, your claws are mighty and your paw powerful, but I do not see why it hurts.” And in anger, because they hadn’t made the pain go away, Raj would swipe and scar them for life.
So it continued, that for a hundred years Raj would live in pain. And he grew ever angrier, because he couldn’t see how a tiger as great as him could be brought to tears by something he could not see. Then one day, when Raj was walking through the forest, he stepped on something slimy and a hiss sounded from beneath a nearby rock. “Who is there?” He demanded.
“It is I, Kavi the Queen of Snakes.” Came the reply, and up reared Kavi, who was a cobra and dangerous.
“How can you be a Queen if you are so tiny?” Raj asked, for to him the snake was like an insect to us.
“I am a snake, and a snake need not be big to kill.” Kavi replied.
Then Raj said “Can you kill me, the mighty Raj, Kavi of the snakes?”
“Yes,” Kavi replied.
“So kill me, for I have grown tired of this pain in my paw.” Raj said.
But Kavi was cunning, and she saw a use for the king. “I know why your paw hurts, oh great Raj,” she said, for Kavi was close to the ground and she could see the thorn that stuck in the side of Raj’s paw.
Raj was surprised, and hopeful. “So heal me, Queen of Snakes. I demand it.”
“I will help you, oh great Raj, for a price. You see, Nevala, who is the king of Mongooses and immune to our sting, slays my brothers and sisters without mercy.”
And Raj replied to Kavi “Very well, if you can help me, I will slay all the Mongooses.”
So Kavi removed the thorn, and befriended Raj, and they hunted down Mongooses. For a hundred years, Tiger and snake were allied. When a tiger was injured, a snake could find the cause, and help to heal it, because snakes knew of the herbs in the jungle. Likewise, when a snake needed help, a tiger would come to the rescue.
But they were never truly balanced, for the snake was cunning and smart, and the tiger was aggressive and impulsive.
One day, Kavi and Raj were having another of many arguments. Raj said that Kavi had tricked him once too many times, and Kavi cried that Raj had not kept his promise to slay all the Mongooses. And during this argument, when they were about to fight, another voice interrupted from the tree tops. It was a cheerful laugh, which distracted the two.
“Who are you?” Raj demanded.
“What do you want?” Kavi added.
“Why are you laughing?” Raj cried, and let loose an immense roar. But still the voice kept laughing.
Until it finally stopped, and out of the trees dropped Harisha, King of Monkeys. “Oh Raj, oh Kavi, every day I sit in my tree and I watch you argue. And today I just had too much and could not help but laugh.”
“Why do you laugh at us?” Raj said, outraged at the insult.
“Oh Proud Raj, I do not laugh at you, I simply laugh because I laugh!” The monkey said with a chuckle. Kavi and Raj were confused, because the idea was foreign to them.
“Your problem my friends, is that you do not enjoy freedom and life.” And before they could question it, Harisha was gone. Yet his laughter still rang in the forest.
The next day and every day after, Raj and Kavi returned to the same clearing. They didn’t understand why at first, but eventually they realized it was to hear the laughter and mannerisms of the monkey king. Slowly, they learned that they too could laugh and enjoy the small things in life. Eventually they started imitating the monkey king and talked with him for many hours. And so, the three became best of friends and for a hundred years they ruled a peaceful forest.
One day, Harisha knew his time had come. So, he bade his friends farewell. Raj and Kavi were devastated, and it seemed to them that all happiness had been drained out of their lives. They realized that snake and tiger could not live without monkey. So, they followed him.
A thousand years later, the first men passed this way, and the spirits of Raj, Kavi and Harisha spoke to them. Raj taught some how to tame tigers, Kavi showed others how to tame snakes and heal the body, and Harisha guided many to live like their monkey pets - freely. Some of these people discovered the tale of Raj, Kavi and Harisha’s friendship, because the jungle always remembers its stories. These people sought each other out, and together they founded Baghadaar, a city of friendship.
And today, friends, is the day of choosing. A little bit of Raj, Kavi or Harisha live on as a part of each of us. And today, we unlock the second halves of these twenty six talented children, of the next generation of Baghadaar.”
“But this is not just any other choosing. No my friends, for today our city has been blessed by Kavi with the honour of hosting the Anai-Kondra. I will allow Shaman Moni to explain.” The High Shaman stepped back, allowing the other man to step forward.
The crowd, who had begun to murmur during the shaman’s story, suddenly went quiet.
“Friends,” the snake shaman’s whisper was snakelike in itself – quiet yet clearly audible in the silent room. “As most of you know, Baghadaar has been chosen to host the Anai-Kondra. What that means, I shall now explain.”
“The Anai-Kondra is a snake. But it is not just any ordinary snake, for it is the king of all snakes. Kavi herself took an Anai-Kondra for her mate. Snake legend says that in spirit, Kavi rules over the material land through the Anai-Kondra. That is to say that it is her direct link with our world. And as per Kavi’s will, no Anai-Kondra can be tamed while another lives. The snake is majestic, living and growing for a thousand years. As such, none has been tamed for as long.
“When the time comes for a new Anai-Kondra tamer, it is Kavi’s way of preparing us for great change. It is her method to give us a hero, someone to bring about a new age. The last time an Anai-Kondra was born, in the Snake lands to the West, its master did great things. The Snake tamers believe that the Anai-Kondra’s master was among the group of adventurers that brought together refugees of the first racial war, and formed the great city of Torst, thus bringing about a new age.
Now, a thousand years have passed, and that Anai-Kondra is reaching the end of her life. Her name is Sheila, and though we have searched far and wide, no snake tamer has spotted her for two hundred years. But then, a month ago, our tigers came upon an immense skin, that could have been shed by no other beast. Then we found an enormous fang, and more shedding. And then, two weeks ago, just before the choosing, we found Sheila’s last egg. And I am proud to say, that the egg has successfully hatched.”
The Shaman paused for emphasis, allowing the weight of his words to sink into the crowd.
“Friends, the time for change is here. Sheila chose Baghadaar to lay her egg. We did not expect it, because most of the Snake tamers are far, and Kavi’s influence is greater in the West near Naga. But we have been chosen. The Anai-Kondra has come here, to us, for the first time. And today, one of these children is prophesied to be the catalyst of that great change. One of these children is Kavi’s chosen, the one to guide us to our new dawn.”
The shaman ended dramatically, his hands held high in the air and the audience completely captivated. High Shaman Vivek stepped forward again.
“And with that, we shall begin this year’s choosing. The first is Aji Bopal. Step forward child.” The nervous boy at the front of the line, who was dressed up in stylish traditional clothes, no doubt by the hand of his over-eager mother, stepped in front of the altar. The High Shaman smiled at the boy, and removed the furred pouch from around his neck. This he began to shake over his head, mumbling a silent prayer. The crowd watched anxiously until the Shaman threw down the pouch, allowing a carved wooden figurine of a snake to fall out of it.
“Aji Bopal, the spirits have chosen and you are snake. The snake is death, and to tame death is to hold power over life. You will learn the arts of healing and medicine, and keep our city healthy.”
Shaman Moni stepped forward, a similar pouch in his hands. He shook it rapidly, and far sooner than the High Shaman, opened it to unveil another wooden figurine of a snake. It was a cobra, reared high and ready to strike. The shaman turned it upside down and read the inscription on the bottom. “Aji Bopal, your snake will be Sujay, the cobra.” He turned, and took the boys hand to where the baskets lay on the ground. He picked one up, handed it to the boy and hushed him to stand aside as the ceremony proceeded. The crowd, which had collectively held its breath upon drawing snake slowly exhaled.
“The next is Buji Johal, step forward child.” The High Shaman said, and the girl who was standing at the front of the line stepped forward, smiling broadly. The same ritual proceeded, and the Shaman drew a playful figurine of a monkey. “Buji Johal, you are monkey and a free spirit. As such, you may do as you please so long as it brings joy and happiness to the city.”
This time Shaman Aanchit, a chubby man at this age, stepped forward and broke his previously serious expression with a hearty laugh. He shook his pouch violently and produced a figurine of a monkey. “Buji Johal, yours is Sarala.” And he took the girl to where the monkeys were being nurtured.
The choosing continued, and slowly the anxiety in the room began to die down. It was four monkeys and another snake before the first tiger was chosen. When the boy named Darun was drawn a tiger figurine, the High Shaman said, “Darun Mahal, you are tiger, and the tiger is claws and teeth. Your blood will be sworn to protect the city, and your roar will render its enemies paralyzed with fear.”
Shaman Bala stepped forward with his pouch and announced, “Darun Mahal, your claws, teeth and life will be Camar, born to Maya.”
Aitzaz smiled broadly but refrained from applauding, which was uncustomary on this occasion, and watched the boy walk over to the pens and gently cradle the tiger cub. Maisa looked so different right then, like a mother, and Maya bent down to gently lick her cub for the last time. Aitzaz watched the child for a while.
You have many adventures and challenges ahead of you my friend. Your training will be hard. You will cry and hurt. But I will help you, and so will all of the tigers. And some day, you’ll come out of it with lifelong friendships.
And so The Choosing continued, with names being called and the audience waiting with bated breath as every child was given their Spirit Animal. The sense of tension in the room was palpable, especially when a child was drawn a snake. Yet, none were given the Anai-Kondra and some of the audience members slouched back on their seats – would any child receive the blessing this year?
And then it was Indira’s turn, and Aitzaz felt his heart speeding up. Somehow, he knew this would be it.
She walked up like any other child, and the High Shaman smiled his tireless smile. He shook his pouch, and out popped the figurine of the snake. “Indira Balbir, the spirits have chosen and you are snake. The snake is death, and to tame death is to hold power over life. You will learn the arts of healing and medicine, and keep our city healthy.” The rehearsed speech was getting old, but even the Shaman seemed to sense something different this time, and it showed in the sudden energy that now infused his voice.
Shaman Moni walked forward and shook his pouch. It seemed that he too sensed that something would be different, because he took longer than usual. Finally, out popped a figurine different than any other so far. Most had been cobras, vipers or kraits, but this was a carving of a thickly built snake coiled around itself, its head raised to reveal deadly fangs.
Aitzaz could hear his heartbeat, so quiet was the room. His fist clenched hard, but he did not notice. What he did notice, was the way his mother jumped to her feet, arms clasped around her mouth. And how his father, the unfaltering Balbir, stood stunned speechless and teary.
Shaman Moni stared wide eyed at the figurine. After an eternity, he broke the silence by picking it up and coughing to clear his throat. “Ind-Indira Balbir, your snake is Ka, the Anai-Kondra.”
And in a moment, the sanctity of The Choosing was broken as the entire auditorium erupted in applause.
Aitzaz stood overwhelmed for half a minute. “Let’s go buddy.” He whispered to Khan, and walked out of the temple. No one noticed the door open, or the crack of thunder from the storm that was quickly approaching from the North.
Edited by G.B.
Author's Note:
Hello!
This is the start of a new chapter in the Saga of Zammar the Great, and I'm really excited for where the story is going to go.
If you have decided to join in after the recent "recap" part, thanks a lot for reading! And also, no, these characters have never been mentioned before. I hope that you stay with the story and follow the adventure to wherever it may go! (I think it'll be pretty cool :) )
Please let me know what you think if you've read this! I'm always ready to talk about my story :)
Much love,
Z
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