Darsa let out a bark of laughter. "I thought you were a practical man, King Saudipta, and had the best interests of your people. Not an arrogant fool who only cares for his honor." The court had fallen silent behind them.
"One more insult off your tongue, ashwin, and I will have you thrown in prison," Saudipta cautioned Darsa with a razor-sharp edge to his voice.
The guards there had already taken a step forward, with their swords drawn threateningly, but Darsa took no notice of the warning.
"You hold your head so high, you don't see the opportunities below. If the immortals wish, they can tear down the border. They would not have the patience to ask. A wise king should not turn his back to his neighbors who can prove to be powerful allies."
Saudipta's left hand was curled into a fist. He snapped a glance at Nasatya, who did his best to plead silently on behalf of his twin.
"Knight Officer Rebha," King Saudipta said in a voice as stern as rock, "it is out of respect for you that I offered your cousins a chance to make their appeal. I would not subject my court to any more of their contempt. They will leave this city before the sunset and never dare to enter this kingdom again."
Rebha bowed dutifully to the king's judgment before shooting Nasatya a helpless glance.
"We can grant you a wish, any wish, my king," Nasatya uttered, as a final attempt for some reconciliation. "Or perhaps three. The realm calls us Eternal Saviors, and our assistance would be at your disposal."
Saudipta's look was guarded, but Nasatya noted the shift in his eyes. There was a glint of hope in its dark depths.
"My king favors the engineering and tools of the future. But the kingdom of Malay is small; it does not hold enough land, and so far, it has relied on its own resources. Perhaps, we can help you with raw materials or other needs in return for your patronage."
There was no certainty that Saudipta would respond to his offer, but Nasatya was sure the king would ponder over the matter, and ponder he did. King Saudipta's hands lay quietly on his thighs as he considered Nasatya's words. It was a long moment before he spoke.
"If I allow you a passage, what guarantee is there you will hold your end of the bargain, Ashwin Nasatya?"
Nasatya glanced at High Minister Haspal, who was intently watching the exchange.
"There is no guarantee, but the ashwins never betray their word."
The corner of Saudipta's mouth twitched. "Do they not?" The mock in his eyes was blatant. "I accept your offer in that case. You will grant me three wishes in exchange for passage."
Nasatya nodded, a certain relief warming his chest that he had not felt in a year.
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It had been seven days. In that time, the Ashwins made the journey to the coast, the Western Ghats. It was a great expanse of pristine sand along the entire shore that spread from the northern Polar region to the very tip of the south, where the three kingdoms of the Sun region met.
Beyond that was the limitless Great Ocean of the Sky, Akash Ganga. It was waveless, still as the ground, creating an immense mirror upon which the clear blue sky was reflected. Some said it was not an ocean at all but a lake for the gigantic Fish Avatar of Lord Vishnu to swim around.
Nasatya opened the piece of paper to read the message once again and took a long, deep breath as if that would relieve him of his worries. It had been seven days since they laid camp in the Western Ghats in hopes of coaxing Lord Shesha, the thousand-headed serpent, but so far, it was an utter failure.
They fed the sages and the poor, did severe penance chanting the lord's name day and night without a grain, even held a sacrificial ritual offering a cup of their blood in front of the holy fire. Yet, there was no stir in the ocean, no change in the wind. It was as if their prayers did not reach the lord. Now, they had only one recourse, sail into the uncharted sea.
"The mount is ready, my lord." The words pulled him back from his musing. It was a young hastyasura of his party.
Nasatya nodded and raised himself to his feet. The fine sand was sticking between his toes. He shook them away and slipped into his sandals before following the young asura back to their camp, not too far from the beach. The men at the camp were tearing down the tents and dousing the campfire. They planned to leave at the first light for the closest harbor, half a day's ride from there. The Malayan merchant had promised their ship would be all fueled and rigged, ready to sail.
Then came a rider at dawn, bearing a message. Darsa was still asleep. It took Nasatya two seconds to recognize Rebha's scrollwork-like letters. She had invited him to meet one last time before Nasatya left for his voyage, proposed they meet at the very dock where the merchant ship would be moored.
Nasatya took two of his knights with him. They left the beach and were soon speeding down a tarmac road southwards. They passed by a line of palm trees, the wind strong against his face. As he went further, he heard horns in the distance. The road took a sharp right turn, opening up into the crowded waterfront.
A hundred ships were berthed there, some high and enormous, with white sails snapping in the wind, others flat and long, carrying sand and timber. The road took a gentle descent into the busy wharf.
Nasatya spied a flag dancing high in the air, red with a conch shell in the center. He spurred along his mount, skipping through the clamor of the traders loading and unloading their goods into merchant vessels. Fishing boats floated on the water, their oars sliding against the hull, while their owners dropped off their catch.
Rebha was fitted in her red military uniform, with her sword on her side, her hair in a ponytail shimmering like snow in the morning light. She met Nasatya with a bright smile as if she was numb to the wharf's sharp, fishy odor.
"If you smile more often, you could almost hide your fear of sailing into the high seas," Rebha chirped once Nasatya pulled up beside her.
The corner of his mouth flicked with a smile. "It is impossible to deceive you, is it not?" He said adoringly. "But you did not bring me here to tell me that."
"No, there is something else."