White Horse

It's just that Munra didn't dare to refute the old hermit's words. Not a second time.

"Third," said the old hermit, his gaze fixed on Aryan. "And this is for you, O Candala."

"I'm listening to you, Great Rsi," Aryan said.

"Later, after you grow into a teenager, go to the Kingdom of Purbha in the east. I believe you will be able to enter that land and make friends with people who have been forgotten by the seven kingdoms. Find Vidyatama, and after that, you must find out where the Nine Dragon Gates is. When you have found the nine gates, then you will know the true purpose of your presence on this Earth."

It was quite difficult for little Aryan to be able to remember everything the old hermit had said.

However, Munra rubbed the child's back to show his support. Munra can remember all that. And he can tell Aryan whenever the child wants.

"You have to remember this carefully, Candala. Don't you ever come to this place again, or tell anyone about my existence in this forest. If our meeting was destined by the Gods, maybe you will be able to meet me again, Candala. I'm saying all this because you are an outcast of gods."

Munra was very surprised to hear the last words from the old hermit. He glanced at the boy who prostrating to his left with a gaze filled with big question marks. It was very difficult for him to believe that the baby he saved was a descendant of the gods.

While Aryan looked at his adoptive father with great confusion.

"Now, leave. Do not ever come back."

As he said that the old hermit soared higher and returned to be in the middle of a giant spider web with an upside-down body position, he did look like he was sitting cross-legged but with his head face down.

Without saying a word, Munra got up and grabbed the child's hand. The two soon passed from the place leaving the old hermit who returned to his eternal hermitage.

Munra and Aryan continued to run until they came out of the forest, the grass-seeker even forgot his scythe, he didn't care about it. All Munra cared about was to quickly bring Aryan home.

***

On the way home, on his pedati-cart pulled by the female buffalo, Munra did not talk much to Aryan. Although occasionally the boy tried to ask his adoptive father, Munra always asked Aryan to remain silent until they arrived home later.

"Why do you always tell me to shut up, Dad?" asked little Aryan. "I just want to know, why does that Great Rsi call myself an outcast of the gods?"

"Aryan!" said Munra, his eyeballs moving wildly. He was afraid that someone around the street would be able to hear the child's words just now. "Didn't you hear Rsi's words earlier, huh?"

Aryan lowered his head. But he was bored if he had to sit still, the buffalo's steps were too slow while the distance to their homes was still very far, he thought.

"Listen, son," Munra said but this time in a deliberately low voice. He rubbed Aryan's head. "Man has a thousand minds a thousand cunnings. We don't know what lurks behind the undergrowth, even the rocks can hear. And this could put you in danger, son. Didn't he tell us to be careful and not let others know who you really are?"

"I'm sorry, Dad..." Aryan then hugged the adoptive father tightly.

Munra smiled faintly and rubbed the child's head again. However, he knew enough that Aryan was certainly in a state of anxiety and fear as he felt himself at this moment. He wants to arrive at his house soon, unfortunately, the buffalo is moving too slowly, maybe later in the afternoon, they will get to their home in Vashara.

In the middle of their journey home, where the right side of the road is covered in dense forest, and on the left side there is only a barren field with some dead trees still standing and rocks at some points of its surface. Munra and Aryan meet two people who each ride a horse. The two of them seemed to be heading to the Maghariti Kingdom in the southwest.

Munra and Aryan immediately bowed their heads because the two were from a higher caste than them.

Both of them stopped their horses, this forces Munra to stop the female buffalo from pulling his pedati-cart. After that, Munra and Aryan immediately descended and knelt on the ground to the two horsemen.

One of them who rode a brown horse then came down to Munra and Aryan. The figure was a young man, 25 years old, perhaps. With clothes that are much more luxurious than what is owned by Munra and Aryan who are just shirtless.

Most likely the young man was an Adhigana—meaning: Superior Class. The term for the descendants of nobles who come from the caste of Waisya and some of Ksatrya.

Looking at the attributes that the young man brought, Munra thought that the young man might be trying to become a swordsman. On his right waist was tucked into a kris with a scabbard and the gleaming handle of the kris, seemingly made of gold. Also a sword inside the sheath on the young man's left waist.

With the fact that the second figure was riding a white horse, Munra was convinced by his thoughts.

A white horse?

In the former ruins of the great kingdom of Prayanagara, the white horse is highly neutralized by the community. Aside from kings and queens, only those from the Brahmana caste can ride white horses.

And if the white horseman was indeed a guru—someone who teaches martial arts and magic—to the young Adhigana, it was clear that the figure was a Garga. For in the Brahmana caste only that group can appoint a person or more to become an apprentice.

This group is quite a lot more numerous than the other factions in the same caste in the seven kingdoms of new lands.

TO BE CONTINUED ...