The Eight Tribes: Paths Destined to Cross

ASURA (BOUNTY HUNTER)

CHAPTER 3 (ASURA) First Story

Asura saw the light of day in the northeastern Mandara highlands. The members of this tribe hardly cared for their newborn and most were left out in the barren wilderness. Thus, the unfortunate babies were left to their own resources and many infants perished due to this cruelty.

Asura was among the lucky few who survived in the wilderness. He taught himself the rudiments of swordsmanship and the martial arts. He would eventually become a skillful bounty hunter, the scourge of criminals at large.

When he was about to turn ten years old, he made a bold pronouncement to the tribe. He declared that he wanted to become a bounty hunter. The tribe just laughed off his proclamation and no one paid serious attention to it. Someone even jokingly dared him to hunt down a Nachal before they’ll believe his wide-eyed ambition.

Desperately wanting to prove himself, he wasted no time in hunting down the Nachal at the rainforest. No one dared believed that he will succeed with his improbable quest.

Legend has it that Nachals were beautiful and merciless ghosts wandering around the rainforest of the northern highlands. Nachals are female ghosts who slay men in a swift and brutal manner.

Asura probed further into the thick and lush rainforest. He was completely petrified by the deafening roars of the beasts in the forest but he eventually learned to overcome these fears. He was now deep into unexplored territories with the Nachals nowhere in sight.

The forest was a vast expanse of no-man’s land that he soon found himself completely lost. Feeling helpless and dejected, he was on the verge of giving up. Suddenly, he heard an echoing laughter that seemed to be that of a girl. She appeared before him, a girl with nice, tanned skin and a pair of shamshir in her delicate hands.

“You’re just a scared, little boy!” The girl blurted.

“I am Asura. Who are you?”

“My name is Rakshasa”.

And that was the fateful encounter that forever changed their lives.

CHAPTER 4 (ASURA) Second Story

Their paths crossed and neither would ever be the same again. Rakshasa was the princess of the feared Nachals, who were a tribe of mystic women living in the deep regions of the rainforest. It was in their laws to kill any male intruder who ventured into their area. She drew her shamshir and aimed it straight at Asura.

“You must die intruder. Prepare to defend yourself!”

Completely bewitched by her, Asura halfheartedly defended himself from the repeated attacks of Rakshasa. They fought on for hours.

Their battle seemed to dragged on forever. Asura was taken aback by her exceptional fighting skills. She was not even doing it at full strength and was toying with Asura. Insulting as it may seem, but he couldn’t bear to despise Rakshasa.

Finally, Asura fell exhausted on the ground. Rakshasa wasted no time and aimed her shamshir right to his throat. However, instead of slitting his throat, she burst into a hearty laugh.

“I’ll spare you, in return you are going to be my servant.” Rakshasa offered.

“Huh? Servant?” was Asura’s surprised reply.

“You heard me right. See me at the secret meeting place and all you have to do is to play with me.” Her eyes twinkled as she spoke.

“My elders don’t allow me to play. If you agree to be my servant, I’ll teach you how to fight like a man.”

Thus blossomed the special friendship between two disparate beings. Asura would be a fixture in the forests and soon got better with his sword fighting skills. The years passed and Asura was on the verge of manhood. His skills were further reinforced under Rakshasa’s tutelage, their friendship a shared bond that grew deeper.

Away from the forest, Asura would make his mark as a famous bounty hunter. No one was aware that his skills were honed in the forests of Nachal. Everyone was dumbfounded by his uncanny and swift sword fighting mastery.

Rakshasa soon emerged into a beautiful lady. Asura never failed to visit her at least once a month. One day, he got a very unexpected news from Rakshasa.

“I must leave this forest soon.” she said.

She spoke with a tinge of excitement in her eyes

“Why?” Asura was bewildered by her words.

“We’re going away for the “Hunt of the Nachal”.

A palpable sense of gloom descended over Asura.

The Nachals have a distinct way of propagating their generation thru their secret traditions. Upon reaching a certain age, their young warriors are unleashed into the forest of the Mandara highlands. There, they pray at the old temple for the gods to grant them their partner. She then copulates with her partner and kills him the moment she gets pregnant. This is the unique and brutal mating ritual of the Nachals, otherwise known as the “Hunt of the Nachal”.

“I was feeling glum here but now I have the opportunity to finally see what’s out there. Aren’t you happy for me Asura?” she asked.

She was ecstatic and completely oblivious to the emptiness Asura was feeling. He was in a state of belief. He asked her:

“Are you going alone?”

She casually replied:

“Of course not, you will accompany me in my journey. After all, you are my servant. Right?”

She had just sent a dagger to his heart, her words a cruelly-worded stab that further added to Asura’s pain. He accompanied her without a trace of bitterness. He was no longer a renowned bounty hunter but a glorified chaperone to Rakshasa.

CHAPTER 5 (ASURA) Third Story

After trekking through the highlands for days on end, they finally made it to the old temple. Dark and mysterious forces enveloped this sacred place. As soon as they were about to enter the temple grounds, a being jumped out from the darkness. It was a Mara. Asura instinctively moved to protect Rakshasa. But she prevented him.

“Stay back! I’ll be the one to kill it.”

Rakshasa was starting to dislike Asura’s over-protective ways ever since their journey began. He had no choice but to step back.

A Mara lunged towards Rakshasa and she was able to parry the attack. However, the Mara was tougher than expected and the battle went on for hours. Asura tried to help but he was stopped every time he tried to do so.

Sensing that she was getting exhausted, Asura drew his sword to try and slay the Mara. At that instant, a majestic and mystical voice stunned the Mara. It was the magical sound of Mantra.

Rakshasa immediately slashed the blinded Mara. Asura searched the surroundings for the source of the Mantra. Suddenly, a regal and noble figure emerged from the temple. He was none other than the vagabond prince, Deva. It was the start of another colorful chapter in the troika’s lives.