The Eight Tribes: Paths Destined to Cross

RAKSHASA (STEALTH ASSASIN)

CHAPTER 6 (RAKSHASA) First Story

The power of Mantra was emanating from somewhere. With that in mind, Rakshasa proceeded to slash the Mara. Then she went out to seek where the voice of the Mantra was originating.

When their eyes finally met, Rakshasa felt a strange sensation engulfing her. They had a long-standing rule against introducing yourself to a man unless he was destined to be their partner. She felt compelled to speak.

“I am Rakshasa. Who are you?”

The unarmed man forced a soft smile. He was very different from any man she had encountered before. Quite different from slaves and more so from the tough Asuras. His voice carried the magical charm of the Mantra.

“Deva”. He said emphatically.

Rakshasa was stunned beyond disbelief. Her eyes and her heart were consumed by a burning desire for Deva.

Rakshasa, Deva and Asura camped for a few days in the highlands of Mandara. Those moments were a time of unequalled happiness for Rakshasa and Deva. Few words were exchanged but they both knew that they were meant for each other. They cherished every minute they had and no one was around to disturb their blissful days. All throughout this time, Asura was just outside the temple door, vigilantly guarding Rakshasa from all possible dangers.

Rakshasa could not bear to part ways with Deva. She could not even dare fathom the thought of hunting down Deva in accordance to the law of Nachal. She had completely eradicated the memories of her forest homeland. No longer a being of Nachal, but just another woman hopelessly in love. However, Deva was more preoccupied with looking through the inscription of darkness in the temple. This strange habit completely puzzled her. It seems that the longer he stared into the void, the darker his eyes became.

CHAPTER 7 (Rakshasa ) Second Story

Rakshasa began to worry about Deva. He then spoke to her with a profound sense of mystery:

“Rakshasa, I’ve been hearing these strange voices from above since I was a little boy. Deep inside, I constantly hear two voices speaking together. I must triumph over these voices. But I need a greater power to defeat them. The inscriptions of the dark forces I’ve been seeking will grant me that power. Please try to understand.”

She had no choice but to place her complete trust on him.

For nights on end, Deva was obsessed with reading the inscription even with a dim light. One day, Deva was completely writhing in pain. Rakshasa came immediately to his aide but he brushed aside her hand. At that instance, she saw that his eyes were being taken over by the dark forces. With his last conscious voice, he shouted:

“Run! Rakshasa Run!”

Overpowered by the dark spirits, Deva started to manifest unimaginable powers even greater than Mara. He was no longer himself and began to attack Rakshasa and Asura. The two bravely fought back but they were simply no match for Deva’s strength. Asura managed to stall Deva before they were able to retreat safely.

Rakshasa was speechless and in a state of shock. The events that transpired was too hard for her to comprehend.  Asura never spoke a word. He was just there by her side, giving comfort to a crestfallen Rakshasa.

When she regained her bearings, she had this overpowering urged to hunt and kill Deva. She was not about to let the dark forces consume Deva. It was her way of freeing Deva’s tortured soul from the monstrosity that befell him.

Rakshasa went on with her tragic journey. She wandered around the world of Tantra, desperately seeking her true love. Soon, she had to kill that love to set him free. Asura was like a shadow following her every step as they embarked on a tumultuous trek.

They went through the various kingdoms and tribes in their quest to find Deva. Along the way, they faced countless Maras and Rakshasa mercilessly annihilated them like lambs to the slaughter. She was hell-bent on destruction and the mantra powers she learned from Deva further enhanced her powers.

She had butchered countless Maras but there was nary a trace of Deva. It seems that she was always a step slower than her prey. Rakshasa continued with her perilous quest that appeared to be hopeless. Little did she knew that her journey was about to take a sudden twist.

CHAPTER 8 (RAKSHASA) Third Story

One day, she heard news that was too perplexing to comprehend. Her tribe and Deva’s were set to engage in a bloody way. She was too dumbfounded and just stood there alone with her thoughts. Asura was at a loss as to what was going thru Rakshasa’s mind. He went on to speak to her:

“Why?” Asura asked.

“I have to go back” was her reply.

“Where?” Asura was taken aback by her words.

“To the forest.” came her cryptic answer.

Asura never bothered to question why. It was never his habit from the start of their journey. He was content to serve as the shadow that followed and protected her with every step she took.

When they made their way to the Mandara highland, they were greeted by the scorching heat and the sight of two tribes getting ready for war. The Nachal elders were ecstatic to see that Rakshasa was still alive.

Their impending war was sparked by a conflict in beliefs and muddled by the frailty of the human mind. Both tribes were adherents of different gods: Shiva was worshipped by the Nachals and the Devas held Brahma as their deity. The incident between the three gods further added fuel to the fire. Each side blamed the other for the deadly attacks of Mara. They began hating the other god more than the Maras and were soon despising the tribes who were worshipping them. This orgy of hate eventually led to the war between the two tribes.

The elders of both tribes tried desperately to prevent the war but their demands fell on deaf ears. All negotiations failed because of the deep-seated antagonism for the other gods.

Asura was eventually accepted into the Nachal’s fold. Soon, the other tribes worshipping Shiva came to the aid of the Nachals. Everybody was about to join the bloodbath.

The Deva’s were also busy laying the groundwork for the war. Tribes that were loyal to Brahma enlisted in the Deva army, tilting the balance on equal terms. At the forefront of this raging army was the possessed and diabolical Deva.

The great battle between Deva and Rakshasa was about to unfold with tragic consequences for the former lovers.