वित्तमेव कलौ नृणां जन्माचारगुणोदय: ।
धर्मन्यायव्यवस्थायां कारणं बलमेव हि ॥ २ ॥
In Kali Yuga, wealth alone will be considered the sign of a man's good birth, proper behavior and fine qualities. And law and justice will be applied only on the basis of one's power. ||2||
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The clouds rumbled indicating the initiation of another downpour, an unexpected seasonal anomaly unpredictable but not unsightly.
It cast a cold shadow on the green geography of the hilly landscape, overpowering the sun and refusing to back down throughout the day.
Yeonja spared a quick glance at the clouds and immediately collected the drying clothes from his lawn, he wasn't keen on letting his hard work go to waste.
The servants of Gods they were, even so, it did not give them reprieve from their daily chores. The life of a servant was to be humble and down to earth, and any sense of superiority was eliminated as soon as they were born.
Of course, Yeonja believed it wasn't as virtuous as it seemed, for their world was majorly predominant with narrow minded subjects who only did what was taught to them, the system was nowhere near as perfect and expressive as was said.
But who was he to speak his mind, he neither had any status in their society or nor the courage to support his ideals. Thus long back, when he got aware of his surroundings, he decided to just follow along the flow of the tide, there was no need to strive for something he could never have.
Despite that, he was enlightened in the right direction when he decided to investigate the Nipun, Ruan obviously did not know him, but his vigorous training of dance, the graceful mannerism, had Yeonja thinking whether he could be just as successful as him.
Even today, Yeonja wanted to go and watch Ruan dancing, but with the major discrepancy in the seasonal change, he wasn't sure if slipping out now would be of any help to him. So might just stay back and enjoy the nice weather.
His district was arranged in a gridiron pattern, with rows of single storey independent units, all of them topped with a pagoda roof and styled with simple geometric patterns on the walls and the openings. The units were color coded, and accordingly, the darkest color, the shade of tar, was allotted to Yeonja. The house was warm in the winters, the thick wooden partitions and the mud exterior helping curb the frost from seeping in, but in summers, the temperature was almost unbearable, since a dark shade of facade always invited the heat from the sun, so Yeonja had no option but to sleep in the lawn.
He never understood the mentality behind providing such unmanageable dwelling, but his complaints never made it to his shikshaks and kept repeating in his head tirelessly.
Closing the doors and the windows of his little unit, he sat in the middle of the only room which also had a small washroom at one corner.
Students like them ate at the mess hall, which was at the central plaza, and the need for cooking wasn't required, but Yeonja wasn't very liked in his community, and was picked upon on a daily basis. Everyday, either his seniors would comment on his looks, or his own batch would try to glare him down.
The treatment wasn't very severe, but even the smallest comments and glares would slap him rather harshly.
It was true that he wasn't very good looking, he had unusually big eyes, buck teeth and a shabby rough hair. He was also not tall or robust, his fragile growth made him appear pretty delicate.
He ate well, even meditated, and his legs were never resting, yet he was still small and timid, pale and frail. Taeyu would always worry about him, but the worry would only increase as the years went by.
Yeonja thought, he just wasn't meant to be a servant, his birth was meaningless and his presence was unwanted.
Sighing in the lonely dwelling, the boy decided to take a good nap, maybe he just needed a bit of more enthusiasm and a boost, and a little optimism wouldn't harm him. Because his master always said, "Neither 'I' nor 'him', and not even 'them', can decide for 'you', for your birth means life and a life will never forfeit you. It has meaning, it has a semblance of order, it is not meant to be exhausted without virtue."
Yeonja remembered every teaching and every word ever imparted for him to learn, his only complication was his nervous anxiety, which struck whenever he tried to talk or recite. His fear of stumbling or stuttering in front of a crowd always held him back. Because what if he said it wrong, what if he forgot mid sentence...? These thoughts always plagued him and he could never speak up which was even worse.
Even his best friend did not know what his problem was, he had tried to ask Yeonja, but being reserved and overly considerate, Yeonja would always make it difficult for his friend to care for him.
Alas, Yeonja wasn't without his own interests... his favorite hobby was to watch people, to take note of their imperfections and perfections, to conclude their lifestyle and their roles. That was the sole reason why he was eager to know Nipun Ruan, because he was the only person Yeonja had ever seen, whose thoughts he couldn't tell and whose demeanor and bearing had no imperfections.
Taking hold of the restless sleep, Yeonja figured he would take a quick nap and if the time was right, would go and look for the Nipun if he could.
~~
When Yeonja woke up again, the day had turned into night and the rain had passed, even the clouds weren't visible, and the stars had returned.
He was very disheartened, visibly lacking the motivation to do anything. Since roaming around at night was against the rules. Because nights were meant to sleep and the days were meant for work.
Pouting at his miserable state, Yeonja decided to take a bath, maybe washing in the lake would help calm him down, and give him the boost he needed?
He had broken the rules many times, so one more time wouldn't harm him would it? Giggling to his own mischievousness, Yeonja wore his wooden sandals and left the house silently, sneakily strolling on the street which he assumed was safe and not inspected.
He had full idea of every inspection round and which servant would take up which street at which time. Since early age his mind was quick to absorb facts which were often neglected by the others. It came in handy, to know the route and the obstacles, but it also did not help him with his low self confidence. Even during their assessments, he would get stuck in speech or in his thoughts and wouldn't be able to speak up when required. This unlucky attribute was saddening, and one could say Yeonja was tired of being mocked.
Looking in every direction, and taking in the positions of the burning lanterns, Yeonja quickly sped up his steps and hid in the shadows, lowering his mana and praying nobody would interfere.
The wind picked up as the minute passed, and Yeonja had to quickly cross the row of sleeping dwellings that littered the wide streets. The moon was still young and with its light, he was able to tell the time.
He observed the neighborhood and decided to run, in case any servant caught him red handed... so his feet raced across the lane and sooner than later, he reached the outer wall of the district, the gate in site.
A few minutes later, one could see a young boy trying to climb up the walls because the gates for the first time were being guarded. Which wasn't a very unusual sight at night, since the servants were vigilant against unforeseen epidemic all the time, but the surreal amount of servants standing by the gate were alarming.
Yeonja had been even more baffled to find out that these guarding servants weren't the usual officials who took up the inspection job, but they were the famed high class Sevaks, even if lower in status, they were unexpectedly powerful.
For them to be this prepared in the night, there must have been a great cause to arouse their suspicion.
This abrupt change made Yeonja panic, he hadn't thought over the consequences, but now that he was across the border and noticing the guards, he really did not want to go to the lake, because the lake was an endangered land which also acted as the gateway to the nether world during off season. So Servants would avoid it, most of the time, only Yeonja was curious enough to go there.
Mentally preparing himself to focus on escaping back to his house, Yeonja rubbed his cheeks to snap himself out of his fear. He wouldn't get caught, he thought to himself. Curling his fingers into a fist, he marched back to the spot he chose to crossover before, the roof here was less slant and the tiles were heavily fixed with good quality mortar, he knew this because the servants had prepared the roof not even a year back, and the walls below were slightly cracked due to old age, and they provided him with a good footing, in case he couldn't jump as high as he did previously.
Now the issue that was presenting itself wasn't his escape, he knew he wouldn't be caught if he was clever about it, but then what would happen if he somehow entered the domain of a Sevak?
Their domain was fleeting and in general hard to avoid since he knew after he had crossed the border, the Sevaks had decided to inspect while taking rounds. But maybe he could completely hide his mana... and cross back?
The whole process would be taxing, but he was not going to wait around to be caught.
So he climbed up, his little hands griping on the walls and feet sliding in the crack to support himself. He peeked up and having seen a clear coast, decided to jump.
But this time luck wasn't on his side, he almost let out a yelp when his foot slipped, and he felt his body falling down, the gravity doing its job effectively.
Yet what would have hurt very much, never came, and instead, two warm arms held him up bridal style, saving him from harm.
Yeonja would have been grateful for the catch, would have stammered a good amount of gratitude, however, if someone was holding him, then that meant he was caught. Red Handed.
Silently crying inside his mind, Yeonja almost puked on the person who saved him, his heart was pumping and supplying with too much blood, the nausea was real.
He was very sure he was trembling and no doubt his savior felt the cold sweat gathering on his limbs and back. Speaking to the person was almost a punishment from God, because even with all his might, he wouldn't be able to say anything, his vocals were almost gone.
"I am not your enemy, so please don't panic," the warm voice speaking to him was very gentle, and Yeonja almost melted under the person's hold. In the silence of the night, the voice felt even more beautiful, light and smooth, melodic and refreshing.
Yeonja had never heard someone speak in such a tone, nobody could even tell if the person was a male or a female, distinguishing the gender was difficult. But since Yeonja's eyes were closed, it was really hard to even take a look and tell.
From instinct alone, he thought the person was a male, it was just a guess, but female servants wouldn't go around catching culprits in their arms, that would be ridiculous.
"I am keeping you down, don't disrupt me, but be careful on your way back," the savior told Yeonja, as the little boy was shifted around before he was let down like one would a small baby, the action gentle and kind.
"No need to be scared, they cannot hear us or see us in my domain."
Yeonja was still trembling even when he was let go, however once he heard the person talking about domain, and its attributes, the hammering heart of earlier began to go off the rails, almost pumping out of his chest. He was aware how fast he was breathing or how unnatural his behavior might seem, but it wasn't because he was caught by some person with a domain, but because those attributes, they belonged to greatest of powers, and the savior must be a Nipun, only their domain were strong enough to cut off sound and vision.
The savior, upon seeing how bad the boy was shivering, he took pity, bringing his palm down and patting the boy's head, "It is not a grave sin to be moving about at night, and I won't punish you for it, so please calm down and breath deeply... yes, just like that. Keep breathing."
The slow pace of his speech relaxed the boy and the regular patting improved their situation.
Yeonja was still frightened of the consequences, he couldn't speak, his soul would leave him if he managed to do that, but being curious still, the boy peeked up towards the man who was being so gentle with him, nobody had ever treated him this way before, it felt warm and comfortable, like he could sleep right there on spot if he felt like it.
"Have you calmed down yet?"
Yeonja was half way into nodding, when he got the shock of his life, his eyes almost popping out and his body tensing, for the person he went to watch everyday, sneaking around so as to not be found out, the same person was standing before him, soothing his nerves, with a soft smile on his lips.
It was none other than Nipun Ruan, his pale hair rustling against his arms, since they were long and soft under the moonlight, almost like silk. Yeonja had always thought the Nipun had short hair, but what he was looking at was nowhere near short, since it reach below the waist. Had his eyes been playing tricks on him? And since when was the Nipun this tall, almost overbearing and intimidating. His eyes sparkling a deep blue and sharp.
It contrasted greatly with his voice, because the person standing in front of Yeonja was nothing like during the day. That lithe physic had turned slight more robust and empowering, the face cuts were more sharp and even the eyes held an edge to them which could pin the enemy in place with just a look.
Well Yeonja believed he wasn't the enemy, but he was stunned still despite that.
So this is a Nipun in his battle form, Yeonja mused, he had only heard that the battle form of every servant was different, yet he had never seen one with his own eyes, for every form was only utilized when there was a struggle, which happened often on the mortal land, but now having taken a glance at the form, he believed his wish had been granted prematurely.
"You are doing better?" Ruan asked the boy, uncertain for there was no movement and not even a sigh. Had he killed someone just by talking to them? That had to be a new achievement in his records, he thought sourly.
"If you are better, then I will take my leave," Ruan responded to the silent boy, whose wide eyes were staring at him with an unnerving amount of focus, almost amusing him.
"Come back tomorrow by mid afternoon, or else you will miss the dance practice."
Yeonja watched as the admirable Nipun jumped up the roof and vanished with a blur, and he was shocked to realize that his sneaky maneuver had been discovered since long, without even him knowing about it.
Grateful for not being punished, Yeonja climbed back to his district and secretly went back to his dwelling, the entire time wondering why he was able to meet Nipun Ruan, and what was really happening around their area.
Still, his excitement upon meeting the Nipun just wouldn't vanish, and it made him fidgety. He wasn't sure of what to make of it, or why the Nipun would invite him so readily, wouldn't that go against the rules?
Was Nipun Ruan also as mischievous as he was? That was the only reason Yeonja could come up with, for any other reason seemed odd and too fantasized.
While the boy was deep in thoughts, Ruan was struggling to find the left over manifis which had by chance entered their society through the lake. It wasn't conclusive of how it was able to enter the seal, but it was clear that the manifis was powerful, or else it wouldn't go undetected for so long.
Ruan hopped from roof to roof, going north, as the moon shown over the district, highlighting amassing poison, the dark glow from it hard to miss.
"The shishyas would be in danger if we don't hurry," his temporary partner, Ren, shouted from his position, as the two merged their domains to expand the radii and search for the evil remnant.
"I see the poison from the remnant but there is nothing around the area, do you think we are being mislead?"
Ren shook his head, landing on the same roof rib Ruan stood upon.
Ren and Ruan were brothers by bond, both of them pale haired, sharp and short in their servant form. But if Ruan was graceful and soft spoken, Ren was uncouth and ardent in his expression. His voice also held no regards for the others and he spoke without refinement.
But when both of them worked together, they were productive and strong.
Ren had made the visit when he received the notification from Ruan in regards to the agitated activity of the lake, the report had been made a week ago but nobody would have imagined how far worse the condition was around the seal to let slip a manifis from the nether world. Generally the manifis would only reside within the human heart, but such impurity if coming directly from the netherworld, would be more potent and harmful than normal.
"I see it!" Ruan exclaimed, snapping Ren out of his concentration as they both hopped towards the southern gate and stepped on the edge of the bell tower.
Below them a swirling and twisting mass of elastic black tendons whipped around the central courtyard, planning to expand and strike the hearts of the residents.
"It became twice the size in less then an hour, how is that possible?" Ren wasn't good with analyzing a manific, since his work field required him to strengthen seals, form seals and break seals. Never had he seen before such a huge manifis.
"It is 10 times the size Ren, how can you be this casual in your analysis."
Ren wasn't keen on receiving lessons from Ruan, so he ignored the words of his brother and jumped down on the pavement, taking a closer look at the creature. The appearance alone made his stomach upset. The wriggling slime was hard to look at.
"Use the mantra, we need to get rid of it. Quick!"
Ren agreed with Ruan on that, they really needed to seal the manifis and send it back to the nether worlds, because even destroying a manifis was taboo.
'Destroying the living isn't the will of mind, but of God who gave it birth and reason and the life which decided its fate.'
It was the teaching they were given since early on, and so every Nipun knew how to form small seals which could capture the manifis, not regarding whether they were strong in sealing or weak.
But when things got messy, Nipun like Ren, they were sent on the battlefield.
"Dushkarm viram tithi, (Time of ceasing the misdeed)" Ren repeated twice, rolling two rosary beads in his palm and throwing them at the manifis to seal it inside. The sealing process was carried out by containing one body in two beads, which would ensure full paralysis of the evil.
It was a very easy process, but what took the most time was searching the manifis. They were good at hiding from even the servants and if not vigilant, the servants might themselves get poisoned.
Ruan picked up the two beads fallen on the empty pavement, noticing the darkened bead which had previously been transparent.
"I will parcel it back to the main branch, thank you for your help brother Ren."
Ren nodded, "Just be more careful in handling it, or if the beads break, the manifis would escape."
Both brothers then opted to part ways, since the night had darkened and sleep was calling them.