A moment later, the young man's gaze turned sharp. He rolled his tongue and issued a small and sharp whistle, causing a hidden guard to jump out from an unknown position. The bodyguards who everyone can see around Vajra were good warriors, but their mission status was only on a need-to-know basis. The hidden guards were not the same. They were also in charge of collecting and receiving intelligence from certain divisions that directly reported to the king.
The man who appeared was dressed in dull beige, the color of stone which all the fort walls were made of. He had a normal face and a simple appearance. Yet there was a quality in him which automatically made people stay away. Restrained and calm though he was, there was no doubt he would erupt in a storm at a moment's notice.
Vajra nodded a greeting at the silent man. "How goes the investigation into the suspicious activities of diplomats from Pranaya?"
The man didn't stand on courtesy and promptly replied. "We are still looking into it. Word is, someone prominent from that state has arrived in the embassy, yet it doesn't look like he has any intention to announce himself."
"Someone prominent?" Vajra raised his eyebrows.
"Could even be a royal, we are not sure My Lord," the hidden guard shrugged casually.
A fleeting thought touched Vajra's mind like a swallow touching the surface of a lake. But it quickly flew away. Still, the ripples it caused were disturbing.
"A royal from Pranaya…It's still a month from the ceremony. Why did they arrive now?!" he asked while hiding this disturbance from his voice. Although the states may have many disputes among themselves, they were still united in the important things. The rise of a Martanda was no trivial matter. The libation ceremony was of utmost importance to everybody in the drylands. Still, it was not a state event, but a religious one. True, he will also be marrying his sister-in-law during the same ceremony, but the rite of passage of a Martanda far eclipses such a mundane Earthly matter. Vajra was not expecting any guests until fifteen days before.
For some unknown reason, his thoughts kept going back to his fourth sister who stubbornly wanted to go out by herself just now.
"Who's on the fourth princess's detail right now?" he asked with a serious look.
The hidden guard promptly listed the names of her bodyguard. "Sheesha from the Shadow Clan is on the secret detail, My Lord."
"Just him?"
"Um…" The shadow clan was a mysterious clan that manages the hidden security detail for several of the royal clan members. They had their own way of doing things, so information about their activities is not always available to others. "He must have two other Shadow Clan members under him."
Vajra briefly nodded. "Tell him to come see me as soon as she returns from her outing."
"King's word," the bodyguard bowed as he acknowledged the order.
After the guard disappeared, Vajra walked back vacantly while mumbling to himself, "A royal from Pranaya…royal from Pranaya…"
Going over all the possible candidates in his mind, he could think of no one that would dare to cause trouble during this important time for all of the drylands. But for that one person…
During the war at the mountain strongholds of Abhaya, Vajra witnessed that man's splendor for himself. When two lines of enemies clashed with one going up and one down the mountains, he rose like a blazing sun at the horizon. He didn't give off any heat, he didn't set things on fire. He made people weak in their knees just by witnessing his raw splendor. Some threw down their weapons and surrendered right there. Some even prayed!
Vajra blamed the priests for that for a long time. It is they who ingrain in the common man that he may not confront the gods. Hundreds of warriors of Abhaya died unjustly because of such teachings. Because who would take prisoners in the middle of a raging war?! They were all cut down without remorse. To minimize damages, the Abhaya generals had to cut down their own, announcing that anyone who bends their knee to the enemy will be considered a deserter and will be instantly executed. Gods or devils, enemy is enemy. This is the rule of the battlefield. The soldiers normally didn't forget that.
But the splendor and glory of Yuvaraja Yuga-dheera of Pranaya is not something one can simply overlook. He had the sun's divine power and it was extremely dense. Sun is a giver of life, he is beautiful as a mother, harsh as a father. He is loving and kind, he is the one to show you direction, to give you growth. The Yuvaraja of Pranaya was a mysterious embodiment of all of these characteristics. It made it extremely hard to raise your sword against him. But sooner or later you are reminded that in this harsh arid land, Sun takes more life than he gives. Whether or not you are sapped of all your energy by then due to exposure is a matter of destiny.
This is what makes a divine awakened different from other warriors. They do not necessarily have destructive power like Bhargava or stealth like Ashangi. But they can make your every confrontation with them a matter of fate and providence. Take Agni for instance. Her fire doesn't really burn and she was weak as a chicken, but even Kush wouldn't dare to confront her easily. It was because what she upsets is not the material by combusting, but the element of fire within a person. Fire can power a person to deal with difficulties or it can run amuck in one's body sealing their senses to the outside world. It can even stop one's heart. It is a matter of fate whether you are able to cognize its effects and calm down at that moment. One can only depend on the fate of the circumstances. Inside a palace it is possible, but in a chaotic battleground? One can only burn. From the inside with no chance of putting the fire out.
If Yuga-dheera remaining stationary on his chariot itself is overwhelming, his momentum can consume the battlefield. There was no chance for anyone who was not divine awakened to take a step forward when he rides that chariot.
Vajra remembers being petrified as he stood on the walls of the stronghold, watching that enormous sun get closer and closer towards him. As an Aditya, the effects of the divine powers of other bloodlines were nonexistent on him, but hapless falling apart of the defensive lines was still so vivid. That man's strong features, his rigid face was still so vivid in his mind. There was only ambition written on that chiseled face, and it was straight as a Sun ray, coming straight for his throat. Even with his immunity to divine powers of others, Vajra was shaken to the core.
But then he felt a cool hand holding his. The element of water soothed him. He turned to see his eleven-year old sister with an awestruck look as she watched the battlefield. Evidently, she was so excited, she unconsciously released her divine powers even before they awakened.
A groan escaped from the king's throat as he relived the memory. A very unpleasant possibility occurred to his mind which also happened to be that fleeting thought from earlier. "Oh god, no!"
He broke into a jog immediately and swooped up the little princess once again.
She cackled loudly. "Uncle Cactus, you are tickling me! I am a big girl now, put me down."
"Yes you are a big girl. In just five more years, you are also going to bring your Uncle Cactus a shit load of headache, I understand that now!"
"He he he! Uncle Cactus, mom said she used to beat you when you were a kid for using bad language. I'm going to tell on you!"
"Sure!" Vajradandaka jumped on a horse and put the little girl in front of him. "Only women are allowed to swear in this family. I should be beaten into a pulp, really."
The horse was much better than the princess in sensing its master's mood. It broke into a run and quickly reached its fastest speed, effectively shutting up the little girl.