03

"Wait this isn't the way to the women's feast hall," Karma said.

"I know. It's a fine night and now that I have a bodyguard, I can take a walk in ease," Helen said, leading them to the upper ground of castle's mountains. "Then take some of scrolls my father left in the records room."

Karma grunted, feeling lost. His mind kept wondering about Ahinara.

"Hmm? Are you hungry?" Helen asked, glancing back.

"Not really," Karma said. "Today was too eventful for me care about food."

"You were talking intensely with the prince before. I have seen you with him a lot."

"I am his friend and second-in-command," Karma said, hurt. He had always noticed whenever she showed up near Ahinara.

"Wait," Helen stopped and gaped at Karma. "You are the famous warrior everyone talks about. Karma! I'm so sorry I mistook you for a mere guard."

"It's okay." Karma smiled, folding his arms. "I have been mistaken for a lot worse on the battlefield."

"Why are you assigned as a guard again?"

"A warrior is not above guarding his friends. And their fiancées."

"That's very humble of you," Helen said. They resumed walking. This time, she placed herself beside him.

"One time I guarded my men when we were retreating. Some of them were injured. We were the only group surrounded in the enemy's land," Karma said. "I stood my ground until we reached to safety."

"So brave," Helen said, admiringly. Those words coming from made Karma swell with pride. No one had this effect on him. Stop, he told himself.

"So, Karma. What is your philosophy that you lead by?" Helen asked.

"Nothing."

"Really?"

"I live in a world of fighting, battling and training. Philosophy is not my turf," Karma said.

"That's it? So it's just a game of hitting each other and see who can do it the most," Helen concluded.

Karma frowned. "It's not a game-"

"I know," Helen interrupted. "I have been really cooped up lately. Maybe I should join your army."

"You!"

Helen smiled. "I just need some trick make myself appear like a man. Then I will learn how to use the mayastones and beat a lot of men around. I will be called the new top warrior in no time."

She studied Karma's reaction. "Isn't that how it works?"

"No, war is not just a competition of who beat more men. It's what you fight for. With men who share your belief. And you don't fight for yourself. You fight for God. For truth. For men who stand up to that."

'Aryasita or me. You will have to choose one now.'

Karma stopped talking. He badly wanted to go to Ahinara and talk to him. Ask him why he was acting that way. But he would probably shoo him away. Maybe he had to go to his monk, which Karma did not want to at all. What would if someone saw him?

"See, you do have a philosophy," Helen said, sounding satisfied and hopped before his vision. "Philosophy is something you use to find meaning in your life, your actions and goals. Most people keep it unconsciously. I love to dig it out of them. And then share it to everyone else, even when they don't want it."

Karma laughed. "I would like to listen to some."

"Really?" Helen said, surprised. "Men usually lose their confidence before my 'too intelligent' talks."

"My confidence is unhurt," Karma said. Helen met his eyes, perhaps to gauge his honesty, but they ended up staring at each other for more than a moment. A sharp voice in his head scolded him.

"I mean." Karma cleared his throat. "Ahinara is the same as you. He loves to incorporate meaning behind our every action. You two are great for each other."

Helen became silent. She looked at the palace grounds below. Men sat on the ground, feasting while dancers entertained them. Some stepped up to flirt with the serving girls. Fire pits brightened the scene. Then she said, "I am going to reject the marriage."

"What!" Karma burst out. This day sure was throwing a lot of surprises on him.

"Ever since I was a kid, I had this philosophy for love. It should be like nature. Beautiful and harmonious. Like stars in the sky," Helen said, gesturing upward.

"Like plants and animals. Like summer and winter. Otherwise it will create a harsh desert. Hard to survive. That's why arranged marriages make so many unhappy couples. Don't mistake me, I actually loved Ahinara. We used to talk a lot. He listened to everything I had to share, everytime I sought him out. I thought we understood each other."

Her voice broke with sadness. "But it was only me who thought this way. Maybe his time away to war made me grow more observant of our relationship. Now I only see emptiness in his stare. Perhaps I should have acted like a proper woman."

"Listen, Helen," Karma said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You are smart and charming and that is a very special thing about you. You evergoing pursuit of philosophy helps people understand things better. The problem is not you, it's Ahi."

"What do you mean?" Helen asked, her expression changed to confusion.

Karma sighed. They sat on the border as Karma narrated the whole thing, starting from Ahinara acquitting Mahasita to what he said before leaving.

"I knew," Helen said, "that he was inclined to the Guided One's philosophy. I should have realized that's what changed him."

"I want to know about this Guided One," Karma said.

Helen began to explain. "Ever since the mayastone came into the man's hand, every existing kingdoms competed over its possession fiercely. Competition led to constant war. To maintain order, society divided itself into classes. Each person's place in life came to be determined by birth. It did not used to be this way.

"Those who remained in the forest were remorseful not only because they suffered the most. But because they still held onto this knowledge of the past. And claimed that mankind had lost its path.

"Far in the east, a king caught a sickness that would soon kill him. He handed the kingdom to his young son and retreated into the wilderness to die alone. His people grieved still, he was well loved by them. But one day he returned, miraculously healed. He had travelled from the mountains to the sea, and observed the war-torn world. He claimed to have found the right path. He was called the Guided One.

"This was the core of his teachings - the materials of this world brings grief. The more you act according to your selfish desires, the more you will ruin your soul. To find eternal peace, you must free yourself from its clutches. Be kind, not harmful. Give, not take.

"He spread this message until the day he died. That day, the earth shook and the sun darkened. The monks who closely followed him, interpreted them as signs of the world destroying if they did not continue to spread his teachings."

Karma nodded slowly.

"Then Pahrya Empire came," Helen continued. "Claiming the will of their goddess to rule the world and began to seize the warring kingdoms one by one. There has been a philosophical clash between the empire's priests and the monks ever since.

"But the monks were weak and poor on resources. Their followers had resounded from holding riches. They had no chance of surviving against the empire. Until-"

"Ahinara met one and followed him," Karma finished the sentence. Helen nodded.

"Thanks a lot, Helen. You really helped me out here. I had no idea who to talk about it," Karma said.

"So, what are you going to do now? Ahinara is openly challenging the empire's stand through Aryasita. He is the most influential priest in the whole empire and twice as smart as the king. He will not just leave."

"I don't know," Karma said, shoulders slumped. He was lost again. "I thought I if I just talked with him… But the more I know, the more complicated this whole situation looks."

"Empty stomach does not help with thinking. Let's sneak some food and come back here," Helen said and hopped to her feet.

"Okay." He perked up.

On their way they found a lot of people going inside the royal feasting hall. Karma looked quizzically at Helen who nodded. They should go and check out. They joined the crowd inside listening to the king's speech. His son, nephew, royal priests and guards were present on the same stage.

The king was praising his army. Then his son who showed great leading skills in both battle and maintaining order. Who deserved to rule the empire in his place.

"Come forward, Prince Ahinara," the king ordered, gesturing for a servant to bring a new crown, larger and regal-looking than a prince's.

As his son placed himself near him, he announced, "As I retire from my place the Pahrya's king. I recognize you-"

"Hold it!" A voice from the stage boomed in the hall. It was Aryasita.

"I will not see Prince Ahinara hold the throne to Pahrya. He is a heretic!"

Gasps and murmurs rose among the audience. Ahinara eyed the priest silently.

"Ahinara has rejected the gods. He has broken his life's oath as a warrior-born. He is like a savage in the forest, not a prince."

The king gaped. Karma gritted his teeth, pushing himself forward. Why wasn't Ahinara rejecting the claim?!

"What the priest says is true," Ahinara said, turning to the crowd. "As your new king, I will bring change to this empire. It will tolerate all kinds of people, no matter who and what their belief is. Every man and woman shall be treated with equality and fairness. I will the peace our former ways have lost."

"Blasphemy!" Aryasita shouted. "You are no king. It is your cousin, Druva. You must be banished from the kingdom!"

"You are not the one to decide that," Ahinara said, frowning.

"Guards! Arrest him!" Druva ordered.

Ahinara ordered the guards to stand still, but they did not listen. They were picked out to obey Druva. The men held their spears and Ahinara stepped back with wide eyes. He was about to be cornered, chained and perhaps hauled to the prison.

Except Karma jumped on the stage and with a wide swing of his shortsword, clashed a spear away. Scaring back the guards.

Mayastones tugged on the guards wrists released red smokes.

"What are you doing?" Ahinara hissed, placed behind Karma.

"Protecting you," Karma said.

"Do not interrupt us," Druva said. "Or you will be demoted from you position."

"I swore an oath when I was a kid. I said I will protect the prince with my life."

"You owe no promise to a honourless man," Aryasita said.

Karma shook his head, his blade ready in his hand. "You are wrong," he said. "He is an innocent man cornered by your schemes."

He took Ahinara by the wrist and pulled him out of the stage to the side exit.

They ran toward the inner courtyard with the weapons room. Moonlight filled the room as Karma and Ahinara fished weapons and shields out. But they could not escape further. As soon as they stepped out into the corridor, Druva and his men had reached them.

"Why are you doing this?" Karma said hurt, placing a spear forward.

"You will not understand," Druva said, waving his men to stand back.

"Yeah, I don't understand any of this."

They clashed their spears. Druva moved fast. Usually, his opponents dropped by his swift tactics but Karma knew them like the back of his hands.

"Do you have any idea?" Druva shouted as they backed away, moving sideways while swinging his spear around his body. "How it feels like to be used as a weapon?"

He charged again. "To be admired, used, knowing fully well you will be thrown away eventually?"

"Who said you will be thrown away?" Karma said, after they backed away again.

"He was supposed to be the king," Druva said, pointing to Ahinara. "And you, no one did not say it out loud, would have been his commander-in-chief! And what was left for me? Even when I am the cousin of the crown prince. We were raised like brothers after my father died. I do not deserve to be disgraced like this!"

"Then take my position!" Karma said.

Druva responded with attack. For a moment the two stayed in one position, their spears struggling against each other.

"What happened to your honour?" Karma said through gritted teeth.

"No one truly has honour," Druva said.

They resumed fighting again. But Druva ordered his men to capture Ahinara. Karma shouted at him to run. Ahinara was not as strong as his two friends. But he could manage an escape. He had to.