Story Recap:
Indus is a land of people that live in close harmony with nature. These people tamed the indigenous animals, keeping them as lifelong companions. For thousands of years, different tribes warred amongst themselves. Now, though the nation has been unified under a council, those ancient tensions still linger.
The people of Baghadaar worship the spirits of Raj, Kavi and Harisha, the ancient kings of the tigers, snakes and monkeys. Aitzaz (Aey-teh-zaaz) is a young tiger tamer of the city, whose tiger is named Khan. Two years ago, he graduated from training school with his classmates Maisa, Rahul, Sachiv and Mahit. These are companions who he has trained with since the choosing ceremony, where he was chosen as a tiger tamer by the spirit of Raj.
Now, just a week has passed since Aitzaz attended the choosing ceremony of his sister, Indira. Indira was chosen by Kavi as the tamer for the Anai-Kondra, a mythical snake that lives for a thousand years and whose birth signifies the beginning of a new age.
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Aitzaz stood outside a small wooden house and peered through a crack in the curtains that covered the window. He could just make out a pile of boxes wrapped in colourful cloth on the table across the room. Welcoming gifts? But it’s been two months...
Aitzaz had helped Lyla move into her new house after her parents, both tiger tamers, were killed. He remembered the day well. She had cried, and he had been there to comfort her. With Khan outside the door, Aitzaz had made sure that he was the only one to do so. The memory was bittersweet; tainted by guilt but redeemed by the joy he would experience over the next two months. She’s happier now, with me.
He knocked on the door, crossed his arms behind his back and waited with a humble smile.
“She’s not there, runt.”
The voice startled Aitzaz, and he turned around to three monkey tamers standing a few meters away. Arms crossed, monkeys hissing furiously on their shoulders, the three glared at him. He recognized them as three of the tamers that had had their choosing with Lyla, the same year as himself.
“Esam, hi.” Aitzaz’s voice didn’t sound nearly as aggressive as it had in his head.
Esam, who was tall with a pockmarked and scared face, cocked an eyebrow. “What are you doing here?”
“I was just visiting Lyla…” Aitzaz mumbled. This is ridiculous, I’m a tiger. I shouldn’t be scared of these guys.
“Well she doesn’t want to see you.”
“What?”
“Just…leave Lyla alone you little shit.” Esam barred his teeth and swung his fist towards Aitzaz’s face. Aitzaz moved quickly; unlike the monkeys he’d been trained in physical combat. One hand blocked the attack while the other countered. The man’s abdomen caved behind the force of his blow.
Esam groaned and clutched at his stomach, but before Aitzaz could continue, he was hit hard from the right. He gasped and stumbled to the left. The other monkey tamers grabbed his arms and soon he was pinned between the two. Esam stood tall and glowered.
“I’ll fucking kill you, you little pig.” His fist made contact with Aitzaz’s stomach. Aitzaz braced in time, but the pain made him gasp. The next attack hurt even more. “Lyla doesn’t belong to you.” Esam spat on Aitzaz and punched him again. His monkey scratched Aitzaz’s arm and shrieked violently.
For a moment, Esam’s eyes flickered behind Aitzaz. Then he did a double take, turned pale and began backing away. “Let’s go guys.” The other monkey tamers followed his gaze and dropped Aitzaz, leaving him to wheeze helplessly on the ground. “Damned Tigers can’t even fight on their own.” The three broke into a run and, constantly glancing over their shoulders, disappeared around another house.
“I told you to stay out of my fights, Khan!” Aitzaz rolled over onto his back and calmed his beating heart. His tiger, who had been hiding around the house, padded over to his side and nuzzled against his chest. “I know, I know. They saw you by accident. That just means you should be better at hiding.” The tiger butted his head against Aitzaz’s chest. “Hey! I could’ve taken them, really. But that was three against one!” Khan purred softly. “Well, they started it! It’s not my fault they’re jealous.” Aitzaz rubbed his spirit animal’s head. “I guess I should have listened to your nose and not come here in the first place.” He clambered to his feet. “Come on buddy, let’s find Lyla.”
Following the tiger, Aitzaz walked through the busy city streets.
Since the Choosing ceremony a week ago, the city seemed to have come alive with energy. Merchants shouted with renewed vigor, blacksmiths forged their best iron, and ambitious construction projects had sprung into existence. The streets were a canvas of colours accentuated by the latest fashion – silk from Samundar. Spirit animals bustled amongst the crowds. Most were monkeys, though the choosing had resulted in a large influx of snake tamers on pilgrimage from Naga.
Unlike snake and tiger tamers, monkey tamers were free to choose whatever profession they wanted (barring medical and martial posts). As such, monkeys were the most numerous animals in the city. For example, Aitzaz had been part of five tiger tamers from his year. There had been six snakes and sixteen monkeys. In fact, Aitzaz couldn’t see any other tiger tamers nearby. I haven’t seen anyone on patrol all day. I guess they must be at the camp, if they’re not at the gates.
Khan walked away from the dense crowds and through side streets before stopping at a circular wooden hut that served as a community center for monkey tamers. Aitzaz walked up to the door, patting the tiger as he did. The voices of several women could be heard from inside. Recognizing his mother’s, he paused to listen.
“Ka is doing well. Actually Shaman Moni stayed at our house for the first three days to help Indira take care of him.”
“Really? The Shaman himself? I guess that makes sense since Ka is the Anai-Kondra.”
“Say, how big is Ka now?”
“Oh, he’s tiny. But it’s scary to think how big he’s going to be.” Aitzaz’s mother said.
“How’s Indira holding up? There must be so much pressure!”
“Indira is nervous. I think she was really overwhelmed at first but she’s been growing into it. She was taking it really seriously. It’s good that the Shaman is working hard to keep all of those pilgrims away from her.”
“Oh, Harisha bless her.”
“Amazing. I guess she’s leaving tomorrow with the rest of the snake kids right?”
“Actually she left three days ago. The Shaman took her to their forest training grounds alone to start the training.”
“Wow, that’s not fair! Aji’s going tomorrow and he’s already behind. Didn’t Indira have years of extra training already?” There was a round of laughter by the group of women.
“Oh Gati, stop comparing our kids to Indira! You’ll embarrass us all!”
“No, no, your children are wonderful.” Aitzaz’s mother said.
“But really, Indira is so special. I don’t think I’ve met someone so sharp at her age.”
“Well, it’s what you would expect, I mean look at her parents!”
“Oh really, come on!” Aitzaz’s mother laughed.
“You as a mother and Balbir as a father. I’d be surprised if she wasn’t brilliant.”
“That’s true! She really is Balbir’s daughter.”
“Actually about Balbir, are you worried…”
Aitzaz knocked on the door and the voices suddenly hushed.
“Come in!” Someone called.
He entered a circular room, brightly lit by sunlight through a high set of windows. On rugs and cushions, a group of older women, all monkey tamers, sat knitting clothes.
“Aitzaz! How are you, son?” Someone called.
“I’m good, thanks.” Aitzaz replied absentmindedly, scanning the room until he spotted Lyla. She was sitting to the side and looked up to smile widely at him.
“Wait, aren’t all the tigers getting ready? I thought you’d…” A lady began before she was hushed by someone else.
“Sorry, getting ready for what?” Aitzaz began.
“Aitzaz, do you need something?” His mother asked. Her monkey was lounging lazily on her head.
“Well, no…I just came to find Lyla. Sorry what was that about the tigers?”
“Hi!” Lyla was suddenly next to him, clutching his arm and grinning. Taz, her monkey, scurried hurriedly to her shoulder. Aitzaz stood straighter, and was still only just shorter than her.
“Hey,” he smiled at her. “What are the other tigers doing? I haven’t seen anyone today.” Aitzaz missed the awkward exchange of eye contact between some of the ladies and his mother.
“Getting ready to depart for the training camp. Aren’t there new young tigers that need to be trained?” Someone said.
“Yes! Are you going to teach them, Aitzaz?”
“Oh, they left yesterday. I don’t think I’ll be on training duty for a while, I’m still too young.” Shouldn’t they already know this?
“Actually Aitzaz, can you do me a favour?” Aitzaz’s mother said, standing up and trudging her way through the crowd of people to cross the room. She stopped beneath a window at the far end of the room and picked up a basket full of bread and fruit. “I need you to deliver this to your father.” She said, crossing the room again to stand in front of him.
Aitzaz took the basket awkwardly, since one arm was still wrapped in Lyla’s embrace. “Sure, I should probably drop by the camp and scare the new kids anyway.”
“No!” His mother cleared her throat. “I mean your father. Not Balbir.”
Aitzaz’s face fell, Lyla clutched his arm even tighter. Feeling the eyes of all the other women in the room, he knew that he couldn’t protest.
“Mom...” He whispered.
“Actually, why don’t you spend the day with him? I know he misses you dearly.”
“But…”
“He’s your father Aitzaz. Have you no shame?”
“Don’t worry Aunty, I’ll take him.” Lyla said.
“Thanks honey, now off you go.” Aitzaz’s mother said, turning around and making her way back to her spot.
“Come on!” Lyla said, tugging Aitzaz down the road.
He stumbled after her. “Okay okay, slow down would you!”
She stopped, causing Aitzaz to fall into her open arms.
“You’re always too slow!” she complained into his shoulder.
“No, you’re just too fast!” Aitzaz felt a painful tug of his hair. “Agh! Stupid monkey!” He cried, dropping the basket and reaching around to grab Taz. The monkey was too fast, and scurried quickly to Lyla’s shoulder where he stuck his tongue out at Aitzaz.
“No, bad Taz!” Lyla said, wagging a finger at Taz. The monkey looked genuinely guilt ridden. “Sorry Zazzy! I think he’s just restless from sitting around all day, and with all those old female monkeys too.”
“I think he just doesn’t like me.” Aitzaz said, pausing in the process of picking up the basket and its contents to smile goofily at Lyla.
“That’s not true at all! He loves you, really!”
Yeah right. I’ll kill that stupid monkey.
“Anyway,” Aitzaz said, standing up and taking Lyla’s hand as they started down the road. “How has your day been?”
“It’s been good! But kinda slow.”
“Why were you knitting today? I was surprised you weren’t at the kitchens.”
“Well we were making clothes for the new monkey kids…Kind of like an initiation gift.” She thought for a second. “Actually your mom asked me to help, I don’t know why though…because I’m really not the best at knitting.”
“Mom asked?”
“Yeah. Thanks for coming though, you saved me from those old ladies!” Lyla laughed.
That’s probably why mom got you to help. She knew I’d come if you were there.
“Don’t worry!” Aitzaz puffed out his chest. “I’ll always save you, even if it’s just from my mother!”
“Oh you!” Lyla slapped his chest playfully.
“I mean it though.” Aitzaz said quietly.
“I know.” Lyla replied, and squeezed his hand tighter.
The two strolled on in companionable silence. Taz, on Lyla’s shoulder, continued his stint of depression and was quiet. Khan, ever present on Aitzaz’s right side, walked unheard.
Gradually, the pleasantries of the city diminished. The road got dirtier; unlevelled now in many places. Muddy water pooled in front of old and broken houses. Colourful paints like those of the city’s central area had here given in to the elements. Chipped and flaking, they revealed rotting pieces of wood. Storeowners, once energetic, now sat lethargic, eyeing Aitzaz and Lyla warily as they walked by.
Aitzaz avoided eye contact. Many of these people were “Akela,” meaning their spirit animals had already perished. Without a Spirit Animal, one could lose his livelihood and be forced to change professions. Of course there was a social stigma; if someone couldn’t take care of their spirit animal until its old age, how could they be depended on for anything else?
Many others were simply monkey tamers who had never found a trade. Tiger and Snake tamers were guaranteed a position high in the city’s classes. As for monkey tamers, the freedoms granted to them by Harisha were often their own undoing.
The bad living conditions also meant that many of them could not afford to pay required registration fees. Their children would never receive a spirit animal, and thus continue the cycle of poverty.
Aitzaz stopped before a rickety wooden bridge over a dirty canal that served as the unofficial entrance to the slum.
“Lyla, I can go on alone.” He said, turning to face her.
She cocked an eyebrow. “No way, you’re not getting away this time.”
“No really, I don’t want you to go in there.”
“Zaz, I can take care of myself. And don’t lie, you just don’t want to see your father.”
“He’s not my father, Lyla.”
She pouted. “Yes he is Zazzy, and he misses you. You should be more appreciative.”
Appreciative? Of what? That man hasn’t done a thing for me.
“Lyla, please. It’s not the safest place in the city.”
“Come on Zaz. These aren’t bad people, they’re just in a bad place in life. And that’s just like your father.” She grabbed his hand forcefully and started walking across the bridge.
“Lyla…You don’t really know him, what he’s like.”
“I just wish you would give him a chance Zazzy. You have to love your parents! You wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for him! And I know that someday you will regret not spending more time together.” She said, and Aitzaz could hear her voice break slightly.
Aitzaz didn’t say anything, and allowed himself to be dragged into the slum. Lyla kept walking for a while before stopping in confusion, not knowing where to go and oblivious to the stares of men around her. With her colourful clothes and long wavy hair, she stood out like a flower in the desert. Aitzaz stepped forward, noting that Khan was staying close to Lyla. “It’s this way.” He said, and though Lyla smiled at his back, his expression remained hard and impassive.
He led her through dirty streets, past the busy market, where produce was swarmed by insects and noisy haggling mingled with the cries of naked children, to the quiet residential area where the noise of the market was replaced with ominous whispering and backstreet quarrels. Once again, people sitting outside their homes stared at the two. Old women paused their conversations and put down their work (from sorting fruits and grains to knitting clothes). Men eyed Lyla greedily, or Khan warily. Many even sniggered at Aitzaz. Some of the braver children tried to approach the spirit animals, but ran quickly at a look from Khan.
Finally, Aitzaz stopped in front of a decaying house at the end of a narrow alley. Turning around to face Lyla, he smiled at how out of place she looked. “You probably don’t want to come in.”
“I think you should talk to him alone, spend the day with him like your mom said…” Aitzaz noticed how nervous she was, and how her eyes kept flickering back to the entrance of the alley.
“Okay, Khan take Lyla back. He’ll keep you safe.” Aitzaz said, and hugged her.
“Zazzy,” she spoke into his shoulder.
“Yeah?”
“Give him a chance, okay?”
Never.
“Yeah, sure.”
Aitzaz waited for Khan and Lyla to disappear around the alley before turning to face the door. He placed the basket at the doorstep and walked away. He was halfway down the alley before he stopped.
“Spirits be damned…I guess I’m already here.” And he turned around.
His knock on the door remained unanswered, but with a light nudge the wood creaked as it slowly opened. It hit something after a few inches of movement and he had to brace his shoulder against it before the door gave way, followed by the sound of something shattering behind it.
Sunlight burst into the room as the opening door raised a thick cloud of dust that caused Aitzaz to blink several times before it settled. The room was small, and cubic in shape. He scanned the ground, and soon saw the reason for the blocked door. There wasn’t much in the way of free floor space. Broken pots and plates of rotting food covered the floor. A small stream of liquid was flowing from behind the door, and Aitzaz didn’t need to smell it to know what it was. The room emanated a stench that mixed alcohol with decomposing food and body odour.
At the far end of the room was a bed on which a figure lay unmoving. Aitzaz skirted through the trash to the window, and threw open the ripped curtain with another thick cloud of dust. Light surged into the room, revealing just how extensive the mess was.
The figure on the bed, a small scrawny man that had aged well past his years, groaned and covered his eyes. Next to him, an emaciated monkey did the same and curled tightly into a ball.
“Get up, it’s noon.” Aitzaz said coldly.
The man turned away from the sun. “Who is it?” He said weakly.
“Aitzaz.” Aitzaz bent down and began moving plates and pottery, making sure to be as noisy as possible. He had made decent progress on the stained and dirty floor, having cleared a path to the door, before the man on the bed suddenly sat up.
“Aitzaz! Son!” He jumped out of his bed, trying to hide the fact that he had wet himself in his sleep. Then, on two feet, he stumbled awkwardly, clutched his head and stifled a moan. A moment later he was back on the bed, cradling his head between his knees.
It was a few minutes before the man managed to recover. Sitting at the edge of the bed, he grabbed a dirty, discoloured blanket and wrapped it around himself to his hide his bare body and the stains on his undergarment.
“I…I didn’t know you were coming.” He got up, walking cautiously so as not to aggravate his pounding head.
He followed behind Aitzaz and when Aitzaz picked up a bottle, bringing it to his nose to smell the liquid inside, the man ran forward and grabbed it from his hands. He cradled it close, “don’t worry about the mess. Make…make yourself at home.” He put the bottle on a leaning shelf and indicated to the bed. “Do you want some…um I have some Assam leaves for tea…wait um, maybe…no, maybe…no I don’t know…maybe they were here somewhere.” The man kept mumbling to himself as he shuffled objects around on a wooden desk, oblivious to the items that fell off to shatter on the ground.
Finally he pulled out a black, crumbling tea leaf and grinned, revealing missing and dirty teeth. Then he began moving things around until he found a rusted kettle.
“Mom sent food.” Aitzaz said, and picked up the basket he had placed by the door.
“Oh, Harisha bless her!” The man cried, dropping the kettle and running to Aitzaz. He grabbed the basket, and greedily dug into a loaf of bread. He took Aitzaz’s arm and began pulling him towards the bed. Aitzaz broke his arm free, but followed reluctantly. When the man sat cross-legged on the bed and began on a second loaf of bread, Aitzaz stood by the side and stared at his sleeping monkey, remembering what Lyla had said to him.
He’s not the reason I’m alive, Lyla. And he’s not my father. I exist because mom’s monkey chose this one. And of all the monkey’s in the city too.
“How is your mother?” The man asked, his mouth stuffed with food.
“Fine.”
“Oh good…good…” And after an awkward pause, “tell her thank you for the food…from me.”
“Tell her yourself.”
“Oh…Well…you know I can’t, well I…” The man turned to put aside the basket and looked away from Aitzaz. After a minute of him mumbling to himself, he exclaimed “Oh, where is your tiger? Is he healthy?”
“Khan is outside.”
“Oh yes…of course…there’s no space, yes…I should have tidied up, I didn’t know you were coming.” The man’s voice died to a whisper as he kept muttering gibberish. Then he raised it again. “How are your classes going? I guess you’ve almost graduated now right?”
“I graduated two years ago.”
“Oh really? Wow, I didn’t even know…”
“You were at the ceremony.”
“I was? Oh, I was…” The man’s eyes suddenly changed, glazing over, unseeing and distant.
Aitzaz looked at him carefully for the first time then. He noticed the thinning hair and messy beard, both turning white, and the wrinkles that covered the man’s loose skin.
To think that he graduated in mom’s year.
Then Aitzaz saw the slightly purple hue of the man’s chapped lips. And the dark circles beneath his reddened eyes. Aitzaz’s hand shot out fast, grabbing the man’s scrawny arm and pulling him close so that Aitzaz was just a few inches from his suddenly shocked eyes.
“Wha-“
“You’ve been smoking Hazi again haven’t you?”
“N…No, No I swear it!” The man cried desperately, his mouth reeking of the herb’s smell as he tried to pull away from Aitzaz’s grasp.
Aitzaz let him go, causing him to drop back to the bed. “Damnit, you useless monkey. Who gave it to you?”
“I don’t…No…I don’t…I stopped, I swear it!” The man pleaded desperately.
“I said who gave it to you?” Aitzaz practically yelled. For over a decade the tiger tamers of the city had been desperately trying to fight the outlawed Hazi leaf trade in the slums, with little success.
“No, no Hazi…I swear I didn’t take any Hazi…Not since last time, not since then…”
“Spirit’s damnit!” Aitzaz exclaimed and looked around the mess in the room. “I should have you sent to the pit, that’s what I’m meant to do.”
“Aitzaz, son, please. I didn’t smoke Hazi, I swear on Harisha himself!” The man reached forward desperately and grabbed Aitzaz’s clothes.
I don’t see any leaves here; it’ll be hard to get anywhere without evidence. And besides, The Pit is too nice for him. Let him rot in his own filth here.
“Fine.” Aitzaz said, breaking away from the man.
“Oh thank you for believing me son! I swear, I swear on Harisha, and Raj and Kavi, I swear it!”
“I’m leaving.” Aitzaz turned and started to trudge across the room.
“Wait son! You…Oh…you’re leaving? Oh okay…I thought we could spend some time together, and catch up…”
Aitzaz paused at the door. “Don’t call me son.” And walked out.
Khan had returned from escorting Lyla and was lounging lazily by the small house’s door. He purred and followed when Aitzaz left the building, suddenly more aware of the slum livers’ wariness of the tiger and his master.
The two walked in silence until they were well past the stink of the slum and were now coming to the more familiar noises of the main marketplace.
“What should we do now?” Aitzaz asked.
Mom was definitely acting strange this morning. What were the ladies talking about? Did they really not know that the tigers had already left for the training camp?
Then Aitzaz remembered the behaviour of the city’s elder tiger tamers over the last week. The many hushed conversations, the physical practice sessions he’d walked in on, the distracted look in their eyes and the inability to focus during their duties. They must be hiding something.
“Let’s go to the camp.” The pair started walking through smaller roads to the city’s northern exit, known as the Tiger’s gate.
In the forest just outside Baghadaar, three separate training camps had been set up. Children were taken either to the tiger, snake or monkey training camps once their spirit animals were chosen. Aitzaz had received most of his own education in the tiger training camp. There he learned how to take care of Khan, basic survival skills, combat, hunting, the city’s law and everything else that pertained to being a successful tiger tamer. The camps had facilities for students and teachers, and both were expected to spend the majority of the year there.
The tiger training camp was north of the city, and both snake and monkey were to the south (outside their respective gates). Monkeys spent the least amount of time in the training camp, as all they learned was how to take care of their animals. Snake tamers spent the longest, because instead of combat and law, they had to memorize herbs and remedies.
Coming to the main road just outside the gate, Aitzaz heard a row of commotion and a familiar voice yelling.
“Hurry up you worthless monkeys, they’re getting late. Spirits! Idiots! Didn’t your parents ever teach you any responsibility?” An old but fit man was jumping and waving his arms in the air, all while standing atop a wooden cart loaded with pots and containers. The tiger claws shaved in his gray hair were thick and long; and his animal, large and hunched, growled aggressively in tandem with his yelling. Three young men were picking up containers from the ground a few meters away and loading them on the cart, evidently straining against the weight.
Another cart, loaded with spears and pulled by an ox rolled by. The man driving turned and cried, “Hurry up Jaya, Balbir’s going to be in a rage!”
“Spirits!” Jaya, the old man on the cart, exclaimed.
“Jaya uncle!” Aitzaz called, stepping onto the street.
“Ho, Aitzaz! Where’ve you been all day? Get on, quick.” He turned to the monkeys tamers. “Just leave it, that’s enough, scat, go, get out of my sight.” When they scurried away he reached out an arm and helped Aitzaz aboard the cart. “Spirits, monkeys are useless.” The man turned around to his reigns and snapped them hard, causing the ox at the front of the cart to slowly start lumbering. “Come on!” Jaya exclaimed, whipping the ox repeatedly until it picked up a trot.
“What’s going on?” Aitzaz asked, moving a pot over to sit at the edge of the cart.
“Delivery duty!” Jaya exclaimed, with another whip of his reins. “Can you believe it Aitzaz? Delivery duty! After forty years of service, Kishan and I are on delivery duty! When Rajistan and Hathirabad had their great war, where do you think it was fought? Well right outside these walls of course. Do you know how many elephants we took down? How many of those spirit damned bastards we killed? And now what? Delivery duty? Outrageous! I fought next to Shakti, the king of tigers! I swear it!”
Aitzaz couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh Uncle Jaya, you should find a nice home in Samundar and retire.”
“Me? Retire? Don’t be absurd. You younglings are useless, the new generation is hopeless! Just a bunch of monkeys in a tiger’s skin! Baghadaar…the golden days are gone!”
“Right.” Aitzaz reached into a container nearby and pulled out a dripping chunk of salted meat. He tossed it over the side of the cart to where Khan greedily lapped it up. “These supplies are for the training camp I suppose?”
“Eh? Training camp? Don’t even get me started on that so called training camp. I’m telling you Aitzaz, it’s the teachers; they ain’t got no clue what they’re doing. And you expect them to teach the younglings! I swear it, Baghadaar needs to use Rajistan’s system!”
Aitzaz sighed in exasperation.
“But no, these ain’t for the camp, spirits. Where’ve you been, did you forget they’re leaving today? Coulda really used an extra hand ya know.”
Aitzaz perked up instantly. “Wait, what do you mean they’re leaving? Who’s leaving? What’s going on?”
“Eh?” The old man looked over at Aitzaz for a few seconds. “Spirits, son. I knew Balbir didn’t want you to go but I had no idea you were so outta the loop.” Jaya’s voice was finally at the level of an ordinary conversation.
“What loop? Where doesn’t dad want me to go, what’s going on Uncle Jaya?”
“How could you miss it, this is all the tiger tamers been talking about. It’s huge!”
“Uncle Jaya, what’s huge?!” Aitzaz cried.
“Spirits! Calm down. Don’t you know a week ago, the day before the choosing ceremony we got a raven from Tenduan up north?”
“From Tenduan?” Aitzaz was shocked, that was big news.
Tenduan, a city in the north of Indus, at the foothills of The Dragon Peaks, had always been a close ally of Rajistan’s, and by extension of Baghadaar’s. The people of Tenduan tamed the indigenous Snow Leopards and Ravens.
“Aye. Now, I ain’t seen the message myself but Balbir told us that it was a call for help. He said that the message was hastily written, and didn’t tell us what’s going on or who’s attacking. Now, do you remember your history?”
“Yeah…” Aitzaz managed to utter, too stunned to say any more. They’re going to Tenduan…without me?
“Right, so Onayar. Those cursed wolf tamers have always been an enemy to us and Tenduan, eh? Balbir and the Shaman think Onayar is attacking, so we’re answering the call. It’s the first time Baghadaar’s been called to for help in a long time you know. Balbir’s angry. It’s taken us a whole week to prepare. Imagine that, a week! I’m tellin’ ya Aitzaz, when your city is under attack by a bunch of filthy hounds, you ain’t got a week to wait.”
“Spirits…” Aitzaz whispered.
“And look, they have me on delivery duty, delivery duty for spirits’ sake!” Jaya continued his rant, going on about all the wars he had fought and the enemies he had defeated.
The clearing in front of the city had given way to the thick forest that surrounded them now. The path, which had grown bumpier, began to level out. More sunlight breached the canopy, a sign of the younger trees near the campsite. They were close now, and through gaps between the thinning trunks, the camp itself could be made out.
Still, Aitzaz sat stunned, even as the forest disappeared and other tiger tamers called to the cart. And he sat in silence when they ran to it, greeted him heartily as they unloaded containers and yelled at one another to organize them.
How did I miss it? Dad doesn’t want me to go?
“Oi Aitzaz! What’re you doing? Get off the cart! They’re going to return it and restock.” Someone yelled, and Aitzaz hazily obeyed, stepping awkwardly to the ground. He patted Khan absentmindedly. The tiger had puffed himself large because now he was surrounded by other tigers.
What about the others? Are they going?
Even as he walked through the camp, Aitzaz knew the answer to that question.
The campsite was large. The clearing that had been cut out of the forest was circular and hundreds of meters across. Eight large wooden huts dominated the scene, and these were where the students stayed through the eight years of their education. Other wooden structures made up the mini village, including a collective eating area, stables for oxen and a medical facility where a few snake tamers lived.
Aitzaz finally spotted his four classmates standing in a circle near the fighting pit. As he approached, he noticed the tense atmosphere. They were laughing at something, as they often did, but their laughter rang with heaviness and didn’t reach their eyes. Maya and Sekar, Maisa and Rahul’s tigers both sat on their haunches behind their masters. Both were upright and uneasy. Mubali, who was Sachiv’s tiger was pacing behind Pia, who was Mahit’s.
All of the tiger tamers were dressed for combat, with leather jerkins cut away at the arms and knees to ensure easy movement. They had spears resting upright in one arm and a curved sword at the belt.
“But seriously, I mean if a tiger fought a wolf tamer one on one. It’d be an easy win right?” Mahit was saying.
“Have you ever even seen a wolf?” Sachiv asked, awkwardly avoiding eye contact with Mahit.
“Well no…But they’re not bigger than a tiger.”
“Don’t you remember class? In Onayar they don’t just tame one wolf. Every tamer has a pack.” Maisa said.
“I know I know…I was just saying that a tiger would beat a wolf.”
“You can’t underestimate the wolf tamers.” Sachiv said. “A pack of wolves is probably the most dangerous thing in Indus.”
“They are relentless. You need to get the upper hand fast; take out their alpha as soon as possible. Then try and go for the tamer. Don’t even try bidding your tiger against the entire pack. That’s a death wish. Get him to distract them while you kill the bastard.” Rahul said. The man had his muscular arms crossed, and seemed to be talking more to himself than anyone. He seemed even tenser than the others.
“Didn’t Balbir once take down a pack?”
“Yeah. Are you Balbir? Fucking dimwit.”
“Look, just stay together. Don’t fight them one on one. Remember what we learned. Wolf tamers often have conflicts with other tamer’s packs. So they usually fly solo. We need to look out for each other.” Maisa said.
“Onayar isn’t even our biggest problem. We’ll have to walk around Hathirabad to get there.” Sachiv said.
“Hathirabad shouldn’t be an issue. They’ve been in a ceasefire with Rajistan for years now. The elephants will probably let us through.” Mahit said.
Maisa started laughing. “Oh kiddos, there are so many other things you need to worry about going North. The North jungle is dangerous.”
Sachiv scoffed. “What’s so dangerous about a jungle?”
“All sorts of things. Haven’t you ever heard of the Nidorine?”
“What’s that?” Mahit asked.
“Tiny little bug, you can’t even see it. But if it bites you, it’s over.”
Mahit started laughing. “I ain’t scared of a bug, Maisa.”
“You should be. It’ll drop its eggs in you, and once they hatch those little buggers swim up to your head and start eating you from inside. They like the eyes a lot, so they usually go for that first.”
“What…?” Mahit looked terrified.
“Stop scaring him Maisa. The snake tamers have lots of the Periploca herb, which is toxic to those things.” Sachiv said.
“Well whatever. We’ll be okay. I just wonder if we’ll be too late.” Maisa said.
“I can’t believe it’s taken a week to prepare. That’s unreal! It’ll take us forever to get to Tenduan too.” Sachiv said.
“Don’t underestimate the snow leopard. It’ll take a long time and strong enemy to take them down. We’ll get there in time if we move fast.” Rahul added.
“Hey guys.” Aitzaz said, as he had reached the group. The other four all jumped with a start at his voice.
“Zazzy! Where’ve you been?” Maisa cried, her voice unusually high. Her eyes flickered quickly to Rahul before looking back at Aitzaz.
“Hey buddy!” Sachiv said, putting on an uneasy grin. “How’ve you been, I haven’t seen you since the Choosing!”
“Ooh! How’s Lyla, you’re still with that monkey girl, right?” Mahit said.
“Oh yeah! Wooooo, she’s a nice catch you know.” Sachiv whistled.
“Hey Sachiv, is Mahit a nice catch?” Maisa asked, breaking the tension with her laughter.
Sachiv and Mahit’s faces went red and they quickly looked away from each other. “Hey…That was…Come on you know…It had to happen.”
“Like uh…duty, that’s what Aitzaz would call it.” Mahit said.
“So…” Aitzaz said, willing himself to stand straighter and talk louder. “You guys are going to Tenduan I guess?”
“Yeah.” Maisa replied, looking at the ground. Mahit and Sachiv did the same, avoiding eye contact with Aitzaz. Rahul on the other hand kept his arms crossed, and his face impassive.
Aitzaz forced a heavy smile. “Wow! That’s great! It’ll be your first big mission right?”
“Listen Zazzy, it wasn’t our idea. We wanted you to come, really. But Balbir said he wants you to stay at home. You know defense is really important, we need good tigers back home to keep the city in check and make sure it’s safe.” Maisa said hurriedly, tripping over her own words.
“Yeah, I know.” Aitzaz said into the silence. He lost his smile for a moment, “I just thought that we were a team you know…I just thought…” He bit his tongue. “Never mind, I guess I won’t see you guys for a while huh? Wow. You guys are gonna miss out. Khan and I will just keep training. When you get back, we’re going to be so strong. You won’t even realize it, but I swear… really, by Raj.”
“Yeah…” Mahit grinned cheekily, one hand behind his head, and laughed awkwardly. “That kinda sucks eh? We’ll be too busy running around getting chased by insects and elephants and stuff but you’ll actually get stronger.”
“You’ll need to keep the two classes after us in check,” Sachiv said. “They’re staying too you know.”
“Yeah…Sure, I can do that. But anyway, I just wanted to say goodbye and stuff. So yeah, have fun and be safe I guess. Good luck guys.” Aitzaz turned around started walking away.
Aitzaz had only walked a few meters before Rahul’s voice thundered through the awkward silence he had left behind.
“Enough with this monkey shit.”
“What?” Aitzaz turned around.
“You know why you’re not coming.”
“Rahul!” Maisa exclaimed.
“No Maisa, someone needs to put him in his place.”
“What do you want Rahul?” Aitzaz said.
“What do I want? Spirits be damned. Stop strutting around here pretending you’re one of us.”
“Rahul shut up!” Maisa said.
“No!” Rahul turned to yell in her face. “Everyone’s always too scared to say something, just because he’s Balbir’s adopted son. Spirits! I don’t even know how he graduated with us.”
Aitzaz’s fists clenched, his heart rate sped up. Khan, sensing the change tensed and growled at Sekar, who had come off his haunches to stand behind Rahul.
“You know why we, why every tiger tamer in the city except the old and infirm and the youngest kids are going but you’re not? Why even the people you graduated with are going but you aren’t? Because you’re fucking useless Aitzaz. Balbir knows that. He knows it’s more dangerous to bring you along then leave you here. You’ll probably get us all killed.”
Aitzaz closed his eyes and breathed deeply.
It’s just Rahul being Rahul. I am the tiger. I will not succumb to hunger, I will not succumb to anger. My mind will stay clear, my claws will stay sharp.
But still, Aitzaz could not stop his hands from shaking.
“It pisses me off, seeing you walking around like you’ve achieved something. You’ve done monkey shit, Aitzaz. Nothing. Don’t be so proud of yourself. Don’t lump yourself with greats like Balbir.”
In the dark of the night, I will stalk my prey. I will not be heard, I will not be seen. My attack will be clean, my kill will be quick.
“Why did the spirits give you Khan? You don’t even deserve to be a tiger tamer.” The words sent a bolt through Aitzaz.
“Rahul!” Maisa yelled, and moved to tackle Rahul. Maya growled viciously behind her. Sekar leaped between the two and Rahul, and with a ground shaking roar, caused the two to stumble backwards and back away. “That’s going too far.”
I am the tiger. I will not succumb to hunger…
“Rahul, I’ll challenge you…right now. Let’s fight, if I win give me your place in the mission.” Aitzaz’s voice was much quieter, much shakier than he wanted it to be.
Rahul cocked an eyebrow and scoffed. Without a word, he turned around and walked to the fighting pit.
Aitzaz stood rooted for a moment. Then Khan gently nudged his back, and he willed himself to follow.
“Zazzy, don’t.” Maisa said as he walked by her.
When they reached the pit, which was a large circle of sand, Rahul turned around. “Leave the tigers out of this, I don’t want to wear Sekar out before our trip.”
The two stood facing each other across the pit, and the tigers stood behind their masters, upright and watching the other.
Rahul always starts with his left arm. I can block that, counter to his chest, kick behind his knees to get him down. He’s bigger, but I’ve been training to be faster.
Aitzaz had visualized this fight daily for years.
“Come on, monkey.” Rahul said, bobbing up and down on his toes.
Aitzaz charged.
Even as he ran, Aitzaz’s right arm unfolded to block the expected attack, his left coiled ready to spring like a cobra. Rahul twisted his body to the right, evading the attack. His knee flew high, smashing into Aitzaz’s abdomen and winding him. His right elbow struck Aitzaz’s back. Suddenly the knee was gone, replaced by air. As Aitzaz stumbled, Rahul’s leg appeared above him and came whistling down on the back of his head. Aitzaz flew fast, face first into the sand.
Before he could move, gather his breath or his wits, Rahul dug his knee into Aitzaz’s back, grabbed his arms and pulled.
To Aitzaz, there was nothing in the world but pain. His vision blurred and his eyes watered, his shoulders popped and his back cracked. But he stifled his scream. A tiger doesn’t cry…I am the tiger. Somewhere someone was shouting, telling Rahul to stop. They may as well have been on the moon. A tiger doesn’t give in. Rahul pulled harder.
“So fucking useless. Do you think you can take down a wolf tamer? Spirits, Khan is wasted on you.”
Just when the world was going black, a deep and thunderous voice pounded Aitzaz back into reality.
“What’s going on here?”
Suddenly Aitzaz’s arms and back were freed. He gasped desperately for air and curled into a ball. An immense shadow fell across him, and a roar shattered the earth under him. Aitzaz breathed quickly, and with every breath pounded his hand into the sand in anger. Spirits damnit.
“Rahul! Is this the time to fight amongst your allies?” Balbir’s voice roared above Aitzaz. Fang, Balbir’s tiger, slowly lumbered away from Aitzaz and was replaced with Khan who gently nudged Aitzaz’s back.
“No sir.” Rahul said submissively. “I’m sorry.”
Balbir sighed. “Spirits. I know you’re stressed, we all are. But save your anger and energy for Onayar. Now go, the whole lot of you. Carts need to be packed and I don’t want to see any of you twiddling your thumbs doing nothing.”
Footsteps shuffled above Aitzaz as his classmates and their tigers scurried away, all but Rahul looking back to check on him.
Balbir sat at the edge of the pit and rested his back against Fang, who had plopped lazily on the ground by the pit to lick himself clean. The tiger was so big that his shadow fell across the Aitzaz.
Aitzaz turned his head in the other direction and didn’t move from the ground. He stifled his tears. A tiger will not cry. Khan had sat down on this side and nuzzled against Aitzaz’s head.
It was several minutes before Balbir spoke.
“Are you my son, and a tiger?”
Aitzaz didn’t say anything.
“Did I not raise you like my own? Did I not give you what a father gives his son? And did Raj not bless you with Khan? Did Raj not choose you to be a tiger tamer?”
“Yes.” Aitzaz replied, quietly into the sand.
“Then sit up and face me, like my son and a tiger would.”
Aitzaz did so, sitting up against Khan across his father. He did not look the large, bearded man in the eyes.
“Why did you fight Rahul?”
“It…It was just an argument we had.”
“Why did you lose?”
“I…I wasn’t strong enough…I wasn’t fast enough…I couldn’t react to his movements in time.”
“What will you do about it?”
“Train…and get stronger.”
“Good.” Balbir got on his feet and turned to walk away.
Before he took a step, he paused and looked over his shoulder at Aitzaz. “Are you angry with me?”
Aitzaz shook his head. And the man turned fully to face him. “It’s my fault. I should have told you. Your mother told me it was better to hide it from you, though I did not fully see the point.”
“Mom did?”
“It doesn’t matter. Do you know why you’re not coming with the rest of us?”
“I’m not strong enough. I’ll hold back the team.”
Balbir didn’t say anything for a moment. “Strength comes in many forms. Raj embodies strength, but it’s up to us to look at him and learn what it means. If Raj chose you to be a tiger tamer, Aitzaz, you have strength. Though you may not understand it yet.”
“But…”
“What does it mean to be a tiger tamer?”
“To give our lives for those we protect.”
“Then listen to me, son. I need you in Baghadaar. I need you to defend the city and keep order. So many of the tiger tamers are leaving on this expedition that I worry about the safety of the city and its law.”
“I know…”
“But more importantly, Aitzaz. I need you to look after your sister.”
“Indira?”
“Indira is the master of the Anai-Kondra. She is the most important person born in a thousand years. You have to protect her with your life, Aitzaz. We’re only going north so that we can protect her with ours. Understood?”
Aitzaz nodded, eyes cast down.
“Good. I will see you when we return. But I have a feeling this will be a long trip.” Balbir turned and Aitzaz watched the man’s massive back as he walked back to the carts. It appeared that preparations were complete and the expedition was about to depart.
“I guess we’re not going, huh buddy.” Aitzaz whispered quietly and patted Khan. After a few minutes and without another word, he stood up. And with the tiger, he walked back towards the forest, back towards Baghadaar.
At some point, when the forest was thick around them, Aitzaz stopped. He punched hard into a tree, repeatedly until his fist bled from splinters. Spirits damnit.
You call yourself a tiger? A tiger doesn’t give in to anger. Calm yourself, restrain your claws.
He breathed deeply, and turned away from the unharmed tree to hug Khan. “I know you wanted to go too. I’m sorry.” Khan licked Aitzaz gently, and the two embraced lovingly. When they began walking again, the fight with Rahul played repeatedly in Aitzaz’s head. How could he have been taken down so easily? It was so short, he didn’t even have time to react. How was Rahul so fast?
Before he knew it, Aitzaz had reentered the city. He didn’t acknowledge the young tiger tamers that stood guard at the gate, and his feet carried him through the crowd and down the main road. He remained ignorant of the dirt that covered his clothes (unlike the other tamers, he was in casual clothing), and of the stares of other people. When he finally came to, Aitzaz realized he had walked across the city and to the large brick building that served as his family’s house.
Leaving Khan to pad around to the back, where his stable was, Aitzaz entered through the wooden door. He stepped into a spacey living space with cushions and rugs spread across ornate wooden furniture and the ground. He heard noises from the kitchen and followed the sound into the brightly lit room. His mother had lit a fire in the clay oven and was starting to knead bread. She jumped when she saw him.
“You’re back already? How was he?” Her eyes flickered over Aitzaz’s clothes. “What did you do?! I bought those last week!”
“I went to the camp.”
His mother’s eyes grew large. “Spirits! Aitzaz why can’t you ever just do what I ask you to do?”
“Damnit mother! Why can’t you stay out of my life?” Aitzaz yelled.
“Aitzaz…”
“You told Dad to not let me go! You told him to leave me here. Spirits dammit.” Aitzaz’s hand whipped out, knocking wooden bowls off a table to fly across the room and splatter food on the walls. “I’m the only one, damnit, the only one who isn’t going. And it’s your fault.”
“No!” His mother screamed in response. “I’m not going to let you go and kill yourself. Even Balbir knows you’re not ready!”
“What do you mean I’m not ready? Do you know how hard I’ve trained, do you know how hard Khan has trained?”
“I don’t care. You have duties at home Aitzaz, and I will not tolerate this behaviour from my son.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t have slept with a spirit damned hazi smoker.” In response to the yelling, Khan roared angrily from outside, causing Aitzaz’s mother to jump in fright. Aitzaz glared angrily, gritting his teeth. “I am twenty years of age, and a tiger tamer. I will not live my life on your whim. I will not let you stop me from achieving the things I want to achieve.
Aitzaz turned to leave.
“Wait!” His mother called “Where are you going!” Aitzaz didn’t reply. “Indira…”
“The spirits can damn Indira for all I care.” Aitzaz slammed the house’s door behind him.
Seething in anger, with Khan by his side growling at any who dare even look at him, Aitzaz left the city from the south-western Monkey gate and disappeared into the forest.
Edited by GB
Author's Note:
This part took forever to publish! Part of the reason is that my plan was to write it all during my trip to Saudi Arabia, but I ended up being too busy during the trip, and then even busier afterwards with training and less importantly, work. haha ;)
Either way, this is the second episode in the "Indus" arc, and I hope that readers enjoyed it! I'm pretty excited to continue with this arc and am truly a fan of the story and universe...But my opinion is a bit biased :)
Also. In terms of timeline, this part of Aitzaz's story is mainly happening somewhere before the battle at Candahar, but after the battle of Torst.
Next time in the Saga of Zammar the Great, we shall return to our heroes in Candahar, and see how Ren attempts to unify the nations.
Another note about this part is that I've decided to change the typeface the story was being written in. Previously I was using the default for blogger. The main reason for this change is that the story gets copy-pasta'd all over the place in its editing process, and it just makes it so much easier. For some reason Blogger really does not like pasting from Word, and refuses to let me use the default font if I did that.
Thank you greatly for reading! Please let me know what you think :)
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