One Night in Bastat Part Three (special preview)

In the morning, Arjun arrives with the supplies he has donated as well as Imani’s men. Imani’s men start cleaning up and clearing out the ruins of Bastat and have even started building temporary shelters. Aksha, Imani’s heir, has come along as well. She is tiny and frail but she has the same ferocious spirit that her mother possesses. 

“Uncle,” she beckons to me. “How is Dhaval?” She asks, taking hold of my hands. “I know how gentle his heart is, he must be bearing this guilt with quite a lot of pain.”

I squeeze her small hands. “I am afraid he has taken all this upon his shoulders.”

“I see,” Aksha turns, looking out over the ruins. “Our land is still open to the Sabertooths who wish to stay with us. But I understand their struggle, home is home.” She sighs and shakes her head. “Mother says there are other colonies out there, vagabonds and nomads who follow storm clouds and shadows.”

“They are extremely unpredictable,” I tell her. “It would be more likely for the people of Bastat to join our kingdoms rather than join them.”

Aksha sighs, holding her head wrapping closer to her neck. “I hate to think of our people fading away so easily,” she whispers. “The Sabertooth have long been a symbol of strength and survival for the Rakshasa. It is so painful to see that symbol dealt this injustice.”

“They are still that symbol, Aksha,” I tell her. “Look at the survivors.” I cast my eyes around those who are still here. “They are still strong despite their pain. They will survive despite this malice.”

Tears slip down Aksha’s cheeks.

I gasp softly and put my arm around her. She tentatively puts her arms around me, hiding her crying face. She reminds me so much of her mother, my dear friend. “Was there someone here you cared about?” I ask.

“He used to sell to my father,” she whimpers. “He made such beautiful fabrics.”

I hold her fast. “I am so sorry.”

“I don’t know if he’s alive or dead.” She wipes her eyes and stiffens her jaw. She looks out again. “But knowing him, he died to protect his home.”

Bastat had been an untouchable gem in my youth. It had been a place of legend and myth where only few dared go. Now, it has become a place that has touched the lives of many. My wife and friends have all been affected by Bastat and the people within it. It is no longer myth but a reality that I have loved for decades.

I don’t want to leave, but I know I must to tend to my son. He has been working feverishly to assure Bastat is protect as well as seeking counsel as to what to do next. Now that Demir was dead and Sanguis Rex was back for sure, the next move had to be calculated expertly. 

Mila, Czarina of the North, has been with Dhaval this entire time. She had also been in Bastat during the attack and had protected a great number of children. The two had always been close, as children I had toyed with the idea of marrying the two and combining the Polar North and Rakshasa Kingdoms. But that is not my decision to make, I am just happy the two have remained strong friends.

When I come back home there is a silence to the castle. Everyone is in shock and mourning. Demir’s family is staying with us and while they wish to celebrate the birth of Orrick’s daughter, it is hard to find much more to be happy about. I find Dhaval and Mila talking with Dali as well as Habbar and to my shock, King Niran.