R’vag lay flat on his back, watching the stars in disbelief. Somewhere nearby, people were hollering. They sounded like the juiciest form of entertainment was being lovingly fed to them. What incensed R’vag was the fact that he could hear Jyevodirr guffawing amongst those people. Damned traitorous goat! R’vag knew that Rraos must be laughing too!

  “Ready to give up now, young man?”

  The voice grated on R’vag’s nerves. The damned old man sounded so cocksure, so irritating. R’vag wanted to get up and thrash the man. Not even Jyevodirr had beaten him so thoroughly!

  “Did you go to sleep under the open sky, little boy? First time?”

  “Get up! Get up!”

  “My ten-year-old son could put up a better fight than this little puppy!”

  “Don't mind, kid! This is the old man Dogan we are talking about!”

  People were running their mouth left and right, guffawing like a bunch of demented drunkards. Some probably were actually drunk.

  R’vag rolled up to a sitting position, all of his muscles sore with exertion. On top of that was the pain from the thorough beatdown.

  “Old man Dogan,” he began, “Maybe I can't beat you now. But mark my words, I will not lose to any other joker here. And once I am stronger, I will return to show you that I am stronger.”

  “Sure thing,” was Dogan's nonchalant reply.

  Jyevodirr walked up to R’vag, then offered him a hand. R’vag was almost compelled to smack away the offered hand, but in the end, he clasped it with a mighty clap and was pulled up by Jyevodirr.

  “Watch out,” R’vag whispered. “Something about the way he fights is too difficult to keep up with.”

  Jyevodirr nodded, then stepped forward.

  “Okay now, boy,” Dogan shuffled around in the sand, watching Jyevodirr with his keen red eyes. “Before we begin, I’ll have to ask you to not use too much power.”

  “Why? Because you think you cannot win otherwise?” Jyevodirr jested.

  “No, you fire-brained boy. It’s because I want to continue your lessons. Practical lessons.”

  “And why would not using my full strength help in that?”

  “Because you are a young lad with big ambitions, aren't you? So, when you meet people who have as much favor of the Gods and of Mayyux as you do, how do you not die?”

  The heat in Jyevodirr rose, and it wanted him to refute that he was the strongest. Despite this, Jyevodirr wanted to give the old man a chance and see what he could learn. He calmed himself down and simply nodded at the old man. It might turn out to be a tough fight.

  When Dogan had fought R’vag earlier, R’vag had not used his bow at first. He still had given his best otherwise.

  R’vag had moved through the sand like a storm, each of his movements fast and fluid, each strike followed up by the next. The pace of his strikes had only increased all the while.

  But no matter how fast he was, he could not get a single good strike in. R’vag was fierce, but he was never the best at conserving energy. He always fought fiercely and overwhelmed anyone standing before him as fast as he could. This had cost R’vag against Dogan.

  The old man had been deft. He did not move around too much. As R’vag had drawn more and more of his strength, Dogan had drawn only a fraction for himself. The first fight ended rather unexpectedly when the old man made his first rapid move and hit R’vag on his solar plexus, dropping the youth quite unexpectedly.

  The subsequent matches got worse and worse, with R’vag growing increasingly tired, frustrated, sloppy and open. He even brought out his bow at one point, and the old man only took a stone stick for himself – the kind that made the frame of the tuvudhana. It was a beatdown to say the least.

  On the last fight, R’vag had simply recollected the arrows he had gotten the chance to fire, then dropped off the bow and quiver-ful of arrows with Jyevodirr. The last fight was not a fight at all. R’vag fell quickly and for much longer than usual.

  Presently, Jyevodirr closed the distance between him and Dogan slowly. It was a sign of his strength that the people were keeping a hush now during his turn. There was nervousness amidst the crowd.

  None of that affected Dogan. He simply kept a measured distance, until he decided to close in.

  The old man’s movements were sudden and fast, tearing through the sand like an artillery shell. It was nothing Jyevodirr could not dodge. Dogan was not even as fast as that loquerron, Z’xalorr.

  Yet, Jyevodirr failed to catch the old man with his own retaliation. Strange.

  Jyevodirr was suddenly reminded of his inability to capitulate on Z’xalorr’s opening as well. But that was due to many people being there in the Arroxath estate, right?

  This time, Jyevodirr used a little more of his strength and jumped at Dogan faster than he had seen the old man attack. Dogan deftly sidestepped the attack, but Jyevodirr let the momentum carry him away, and was out of Dogan’s reach fast. The old man did not pursue Jyevodirr.

  “Come on, old man! If you want to teach me something, better do it now. Or we may be here till next morning!” Jyevodirr baited.

  The old man said nothing. He closed the gap between Jyevodirr and himself steadily. His gait looked like a guarded walk in a garden with how seemingly relaxed it was. Jyevodirr, on the other hand, decided to close in fast again.

  This time Jyevodirr did not overshoot. He did not intend to. He threw a heavy punch that was dodged, then using the momentum spun around, intending to use his elbow to bash Dogan’s skull.

  He was rewarded with a hard and fast punch at his side on the ribs. The force of the blow was so surprisingly enormous, Jyevodirr felt himself almost black out from the sudden loss of air and pain. He almost slumped to the ground, but managed to barely catch himself in time. Another punch, flaring with a tremendous momentary strength, smashed into Jyevodirr's head. He crashed on the sand and tasted blood.

  “Fuck off!”

  Jyevodirr’s outburst of power was reflexive.

  The old man immediately flew back, as did sand, air and most of the onlookers. A sudden hush fell over the area.

  By the time Jyevodirr salvaged his wits, horror had filled him up like a new well filling up with water. It was a sickening feeling.

  He should not have gone that far. This was just a spar!

  “You do not listen, do you?” Dogan’s voice thundered through the silence. “Looks like we’ve got a whippersnapper this time, folks! Better keep your distance!”

  First there was silence. Then, in that silence, there was a jeer. Then a boo. Then progressively, the entire crowd erupted into a cacophony of noises.

  That was better than what had happened years earlier in his village, but Jyevodirr himself could not ease up. He could not give up accountability because people reacted better. After all, he was the one who held a grudge over himself the most.

  “I lose.” Jyevodirr simply said to Dogan when the old man got close again.

  “Of course you did! Let's do this again!”

  Jyevodirr hated that he was feeling better after this beautiful reception.

  “No. I don't think I should,” he responded.

  “Bullshit! We should go again! Why do you think this happened?”

  Jyevodirr was getting annoyed, so he didn't respond. What was the point of this fight, even?

  “This happened because you are weak.” The old man, however, was heedless to Jyevodirr’s unresponsiveness. “I think I understand why you asked about grudges in the morning. But grudges over petty things do not make a strong person.

  You cannot let go of your strength, can you? That’s natural. Then train so you truly don't need to draw this deep. Fight! You don't need to depend on that power all the time!”

  Jyevodirr wanted to go back and sit down. He was not fully convinced.

  But the crowd was lively. It was expectant. Jyevodirr himself was not a person to mop around and do nothing. He had already decided to take control of his own strength, hadn’t he?

  Jyevodirr needed to fight. Strength, after all, was more than the capacity to destroy.

  He brought up his arms and shifted his left foot forward. He slowed his breathing down and controlled the heat rushing to his head. He was calm and in control. He was ready.

  “So, what did I do wrong, old man?” Jyevodirr asked.

  There was no point in just repeating the same actions all over again. He did not have time to just repeat things endlessly and hope to learn something. He could not try different things each time for infinite iterations. Time did not loop back for him.

  But collective knowledge was a great thing. So he would learn actively what he could.

  Dogan, though, did not answer. He only grinned.

  In an instant, he was upon Jyevodirr, hammering at the Youth. It was a surprisingly easy move-set to defend against this time.

  When Dogan finished his flurry of moves and disengaged, Jyevodirr did not pursue.

  “What did you notice?” Dogan asked.

  “You were using Mayyux differently. Somehow, it was more the way I do it?” Jyevodirr theorized.

  “Yes. And that was inefficient.”

  Jyevodirr narrowed his eyes. Inefficient? How?

  “Come at me, boy. You’ll see what I mean.”

  Jyevodirr attacked without being told twice. He went with a kick this time, which continued to a backhand. Then he chained the rotational movement to a kick, which was dodged as well. Jyevodirr tried to get closer to unleash a long chain of punches. Dogan kept his distance.

  Jyevodirr did not rush in this time. He was beginning to notice that the old man was particularly good at maintaining a proper distance and punishing mistakes. How exactly did he do it, when Jyevodirr was seemingly so bad at the same? Simply using more power to punish mistakes helped that much?

  “How do you do it?” He asked, backing off for a moment.

  “Do what?”

  “Dodge. Counter. And break through?”

  Dogan smirked, then vanished. He was in front of Jyevodirr faster than Jyevodirr could process. Dogan’s punch was heavy. It was explosive. Nothing like the earlier attacks.

  Jyevodirr barely blocked, but his bones were rattled and he was launched back. He managed to arrest his momentum before he reached the crowd. He leapt forward lightly, keeping his distance this time. He wanted to think.

  Was this old man really stronger than all the xamosa he had beaten at the Arroxath estate? Jyevodirr could feel Mayyux well enough to know that was not true. But if not, how did he seem so much more dominating? Was it because Jyevodirr was not fighting like he usually did? Because he was not using his Mayyux as commands? That was not the answer either.

  Efficiency. That was the only answer. But what was it even? Using more instantaneous strength and less continuous strength?

  “Good. You are using all your muscles now.” Dogan complimented. “Did you figure anything out yet?”

  “A few things. But I know you are pressing me harder than most xamosa I have met. Even if I were to keep my strength at their level, I hardly think they would trouble me like you do.”

  Dogan laughed.

  “No, they wouldn't. But you also wouldn't win against them had you only their level of connection with the Mayyux.”

  “Why do you think so?”

  “Because you and your friend are some of the most inefficient fighters I have yet met. You especially. He has a lack of experience. You, on the other hand, are too reliant on the gift the Gods gave you.”

  Jyevodirr paused to consider this. How could that be true when he had worked so hard to contain the heat within him?

  “Your body, boy,” continued Dogan. “Focus on your body. You are too focused on your Mayyux. Whether you are thinking about controlling it, or about using it.

  It may be because you are so gifted with Mayyux, but you mostly ignore the way your body works. You mostly see the world through the lens of Mayyux, so you have never needed to think about many things we conventionally would. What are your blind spots? How can you work with them? How can you anticipate?

  Living through the world of God is great. It is something people like me can only fleetingly glimpse. So maybe you’ll learn all about it yourself. But what about your physical existence? If you ever meet someone who lives with Mayyux as you do, has a connection as strong as you do, will you be able to counter? Maybe you would, but what if that person knows the world without Mayyux as well?”

  “What do I do, then? Ignore the world of God altogether?”

  “It’s not so simple. I am good at reading and countering. My strengths come from the way I see things. Someone may be better purely at attacking. Someone would be just frighteningly good with Mayyux. What I am telling you is not to ignore your strengths, but to also look at what you ignore. One thing you will find most warriors utilizing is ‘Pulses’. Remember how I control my strength during different moments? That instantaneous release is a pulse. We do this because of the way we perceive things. The way we live.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  We use pulses to conserve strength. To focus on other things, like the observing the opponents, when we are not using too much strength.

  This is a thing your friend has never considered because he has not encountered anyone who knows how to fight properly. He lacks the understanding that strength is not limitless. Probably that happened from sparring with you too much.

  You will have your own insights from the way you live.

  But there are equally important things to learn from the world without Mayyux. Like timing. Your sense of timing is rubbish! And so is your way of taking initiative!”

  “What do you mean?”

  “All you know is how to respond. You fall apart the moment you want to take initiative. Because you probably can get most things you want just by telling them to happen.

  So when you fight, this view gets in the way. You lose against anyone who has more sense of initiative than you. Which would be anyone who knows how to fight decently.

  When that happens, you probably overwhelm your opponent with Mayyux. Like you did against me when I exploited the gaps in your defense.

  If it were a planned tactic with more understanding, it would be terrifying. But this is just a response to your surroundings.”

  “Then what should I do?”

  “Think.”

  The old man suddenly attacked again. The jeers from the crowd, which were getting louder and louder due to the boring chitter-chatter of the combatants, suddenly erupted into cheers. R’vag’s boisterous voice was mixed in the cacophony.

  Jyevodirr sidestepped the attack, then suddenly, violently, increased the amount of strength he was using. The uppercut accelerated with a boom. Dogan’s eyes widened.

  He was barely able to tilt his head out of the way by using a pulse himself. He landed, then immediately scampered off.

  The crowd went absolutely wild.

  “That, my boy, was a pulse,” Dogan spoke shakily, “The foundation of timing for people like me.”

  Jyevodirr grinned.

  He didn't spring forward this time. He walked. Controlled and careful. Mirroring Dogan.

  Dogan moved. This time, the first attack was a feint. Jyevodirr saw through it. The next attack was heavy. Jyevodirr deflected it. The next burst of power came and Jyevodirr raised his leg in response, only to realize that the pulses were stacking up. Building.

  Jyevodirr tried to fix his posture. Too late. Jyevodirr sent an immense surge of strength towards his vulnerable leg. Not fast enough.

  Timing – Jyevodirr thought.

  The youth could only brace himself as he fell face first into the sand, after which a punch to the back of his head buried his head deep in the sand. Jyevodirr’s head swum, and he used a surge of strength to get out of the sand as fast as he could, hacking and coughing.

  The fight was over too suddenly.

  The crowd was loud, but the ringing in Jyevodirr's head was louder. He couldn't tell if the crowd was jeering or cheering. He couldn't even tell where Rraos and R’vag were.

  Jyevodirr raised his arms in surrender, signaling that the fight was over. There was no point of fighting anymore before Jyevodirr could absorb the old man’s teachings and ideas. He needed to think.

  Dogan might have clasped his hand and lifted him up, and R’vag and Rraos may have come over to him, but Jyevodirr was already far too deep inside his own mind to really notice.

  Jyevodirr felt both better and worse at the same time. He felt better because he had not resorted to using Mayyux commands. He felt better because he had learnt so much and had so much to think about now. But he felt worse because he had performed even worse than R’vag had.

  “Get used to your body, boy.”

  Jyevodirr nodded thoughtlessly. Dogan's words rang around his head, but he was still feeling dizzy.

  Despite that, his head was racing. He had never ever thought of feinting with Mayyux. This could change the way he fought!

  Gradually, the crowd dispersed. Even Dogan retreated at some point of time. But the three youths sat together on the sand, unwilling to return yet.

  “You both got beaten like silly little children,” snickered Rraos.

  R’vag glared at Rraos to make him quiet, but he ended up even more amused.

  “Did you see the way he fought at the end?” Jyevodirr cut in.

  R’vag became a little more somber.

  “Yeah,” he said. “I don't even understand how he did it.”

  “Was he that good?” Rraos was surprised. He had not really known there were such people amongst the Arroxatha in the desert when he was at Orron.

  “I think so,” was Jyevodirr's reply. “I’ve seen many more people stronger than him. But I've not really seen many who use what they have as well as the old man does. And he’s a thinker.”

  “Not even Z’xalorr is better?” Rraos raised his eyebrows.

  “No, no. Not at all!” Jyevodirr chuckled. “Z’xalorr’s touch is unbelievably fine. His timing is crazy too! But the old man is probably just as good at what he himself does. He just isn't connected as well with the Mayyux as Z’xalorr.”

  “Even when all is good, life is still not fair, eh?” Laughed R’vag. Though he was optimistic often, he could not stop the pang of desolation from skewering him.

  “Of course,” Rraos assented, “Life is hard.”

  Both Jyevodirr and R’vag were momentarily thrown off by Rraos' agreement. They pointed their gaze at him with such dryness, it left him feeling like a jester.

  “What?” Rraos exclaimed, incensed with their looks.

  “Nothing!” This was even more annoyingly in sync.

  Rraos grumbled and fell silent.

  “Anyways, did you learn something?” Jyevodirr asked R’vag.

  “I’m not sure. I think I did. He conserves strength well. I think I might practice that,” answer R’vag.

  “You really should. He called the whole system a ‘Pulse’. Conserve strength when you can. It not only helps with stamina, it also allows you to observe and think.”

  “Think what?”

  “Maybe plan your attacks and figure out your opponent’s patterns.”

  “I have never ever thought while fighting, you know?”

  “Maybe try? Start with simple observations. I mean, I’m pretty sure thinking was how he pulled of that last move.”

  “That last move happened because of thinking? How? What even was that?”

  “Timing.”

  “Timing?”

  “Yeah. That's something we both have to practice, theyi. I think our attacks are too monotonous.”

  “What do you mean?” Rraos finally butted in and made himself a part of the conversation again.

  ‘Let me think a little. I’ve never thought about it before either,” Jyevodirr said.

  While Jyevodirr fell into silent thinking, R’vag decided to elaborate a bit.

  “It’s about how fast you can attack and how fast you can defend. I mean, that’s the basic thing. Maybe not, but that’s what I know. I could be wrong, seeing what had happened today.”

  “That’s exactly the problem, R’vag,” Jyevodirr suddenly said, struck with understanding. “When you and I fight, we try to simply be as fast as we can. It works. But we don’t really speed up all the time. We are fighting, not travelling. That means, we would have a speed at which you attack.

  I’m not talking only about how fast is our punch, or kick, or slash, or shot, or whatever attack it is that we use. I’m talking about how fast can we do the next. How fast can we respond. How fast can we think.

  All of this means that we would have speeds we are comfortable with. We even use our Mayyux at a speed we are used to because we have never even thought about it. Most of the time, we would all have these patterns we are comfortable with.

  Do you understand timing now?”

  R'vag and Rraos both nodded thoughtfully.

  Satisfied, Jyevodirr kept speaking.

  “See, Theya, I realized in this fight that as we grow, our opponents are not going to care for such things. They would not stick to things we care about. They won’t just try to be fast. We are used to constant speeds. In fact, the reason I could go up against Z’xalorr so well is because he was not used at all to the way I fight. I got even the old man with my Mayyux commands today.

  We are comfortable with patterns. So we look for them. But when these patterns are broken, we just cannot keep up. That’s what happens when an attack is suddenly faster. And that can happen even if the attack is suddenly slower, actually.”

  “Oh, that’s what happened! That was so brilliant!” R’vag exclaimed, startling Rraos.

  “What are you yelling about?” Rraos asked nervously.

  “Don’t you understand?” R’vag turned to Rraos. “At the end, when Jyevodirr was fighting Dogan, the old man deliberately slowed down to his kick a little to both gather more power and throw off Jyevodirr’s timing! He crouched, then lifted his leg. Since he was attacking quite fast before, Jyevodirr lifted his leg in time to block the kick. But instead, the sly old man lifted his leg only to gather more power, then smash down at this idiot’s unprotected leg.

  It was so fantastic that the poor little goat didn’t even get the chance to do anything. Even if he would have been able to defend if he was not surprised, being surprised meant that he got jumbled up!”

  “Yeah. I couldn’t take a proper decision at that point,” Jyevodirr chuckled.

  “Wait, there’s so much thinking going on while fighting?” Rraos frowned. “I thought it was all about one person overpowering the other.”

  “That’s what we thought too,” said Jyevodirr gleefully. “I’m really thankful to this old man, you know?”

  “Of course we know,” taunted R’vag, “You’re picking up even his speaking mannerisms like a child copies his mother and father.”

  “Hey! Just because I said ‘you know’ once does not mean I’m speaking like him,” Jyevodirr protested, flushed red with embarrassment.

  “Well, I don’t think you two will lose the next time,” Rraos opined, choosing to ignore their banter.

  “Maybe,” Jyevodirr said hesitantly, “But he didn't even use his weapon. On the other hand, I use no weapons.’

  “What about the way you actually fight, theyi?” R’vag asked slyly.

  Jyevodirr grinned.

  “I’d win any day.”

  R’vag laughed and slapped Jyevodirr on his back. Rraos smiled.

  “But,” continued Jyevodirr, his voice changing back to a serious one, “That is not what my fight with him is about. If I don't win against people at their own level, how would I win against people who have been gifted by the Gods as I have been?”

  No one said anything.

  Jyevodirr was right. Becoming the Kraturr was not a thing that could be done just by anyone doing whatever they wanted. The Kraturr was the strongest person in the empire, after all.

  “You’ll learn.” Rraos replied after the silence. “I don't know what to do either. Not yet. But I know I still want the same thing I always wanted.”

  “What is it?” R’vag asked.

  “To have my vaults and purses bursting with money. To own an enormous palace. And to have the most comfortable bed in the whole world in my bedroom.”

  Jyevodirr and R’vag roared with laughter. It was such an absurd notion, they could not imagine anything like it.

  Rraos yelled in protest and smacked them both on the head.

  “Well, that does sound like you,” Jyevodirr replied, wiping his tears of amusement. “You know, I thought your goal was to become the man who controls the riches of the empire. I didn't imagine your dream would be something even more insane!”

  “Really!” R’vag concurred. “What a silly dream you have!”

  Before Rraos could protest, however, Jyevodirr interrupted, still giggling a little.

  “No, theyi,” he said, “I don't think it's silly. It’s just weird. But you never know how it could turn out.”

  “If you say so, you silly goat.” R’vag continued to laugh.

  Rraos was angry, but Jyevodirr’s assurance left him feeling conflicted. He too wondered what he would become.

  As R’vag’s laughter faded away, the three settled into a deep silence. It was only broken by Jyevodirr asking for the time, and by Rraos’ reply that it was four-four-fifteen.

  Five hours to midnight. Maybe food would be served at the settlement. It was around time to sleep for R’vag and Jyevodirr, but no one got up, nor said anything. They sat in the sand, silently gazing at the vibrant night sky. There was no moon to light up the world, and in this darkness, the bright stars were the only sea of light.

  Rraos quietly brought out a bottle of syagarr, an alcoholic specialty of Moyegan, and placed it in the sand.

  “Drinks?” He asked.

  R’vag’s nose twitched in distaste.

  “I don't drink. It’s bad for the body.”

  Jyevodirr was more curious.

  “Actually, I haven't ever drunk. Maybe I can try?”

  “Better not,” said R’vag. He was against this idea with an almost religious fervor.

  “Hey, I don't like some of your ideas either!” Jyevodirr defended, “But that does not mean I’ll stop you altogether! I’ll try this, theyi.”

  R’vag wanted to argue. He knew good from bad. But did he want to fight for such a thing right now? Couldn’t he keep the peace of the night? R’vag could anyways make him stop if Jyevodirr ever went too far with this drinking thing.

  So, R’vag kept silent.

  In the meantime, Rraos had already taken a swig from the bottle. The cool drink refreshed him. He felt much more boyish, and a sense of long-lost excitement bubbled up within him.

  Jyevodirr then took the bottle and gingerly took a swig himself. The bitterness made his eyes water, but he gulped it down anyway. The cool sense of freshness fought against the revulsion of bitterness.

  “Hey, hey! Take it easy…” Rraos advised. For once, he felt like an older person than the others.

  At the same time, he felt younger. He felt strangely free. Maybe it was just the alcohol.

  Rraos knocked back another gulp.

  “Where did you even get this thing?” R’vag asked. The smell made his head swim.

  “Well, I got it from the kitchen, of course. I asked and they let me have it.” Rraos answered.

  Before R’vag could remark on the situation, which he perceived as particularly absurd, Jyevodirr interrupted. He wondered aloud – louder than he usually would.

  “Whoa! This thing really makes you feel the wind!”

  Rraos and R’vag both stared at Jyevodirr.

  “Yeah…I think you shouldn't have a lot more of this,” Rraos decided, wondering if giving this to Jyevodirr was a good idea in the first place.

  “If you say so,” Jyevodirr replied, uncharacteristically meek. The person that drinks more must know better.

  Rraos let Jyevodirr have another gulp, then he drank alone in silence. The alcohol made his head clearer. Or maybe his heart. He couldn't tell.

  But the more he drank, the stranger he felt. There was something growing like a lump within him. It was a sense of disappointment. He realized that he was feeling like a failure.

  Compared to him, R’vag and Jyevodirr were both having so much fun. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he have fun anymore? These two country wildlings looked…. almost heroic when they were fighting. Even if they were losing.

  “How does it feel to be strong?” Rraos softly questioned.

  “Ask Jyevodirr,” R’vag answered.

  “You’re quite strong too, though,” Jyevodirr’s response was too loud again.

  “In my eyes, you both are strong,” Rraos put down his own opinion. “Compared to you two, all I did today was come here and sleep for the most of the day. You two…did whatever you did. You’re both having fun.”

  “Aren't you?” Jyevodirr asked.

  “No,” admitted Rraos. “But I want to. Maybe I’m slightly drunk, but I want to be strong too, you know? Somehow, I just lost this sense of wonder under so much pressure. I decided to focus on money. I ran away too much. I still want money, though.”

  He paused, sighing deeply. Then he tilted the bottle for another mouthful.

  “I want to have fun too, you know,” Rraos finished.

  R’vag suddenly stood up in front of Rraos.

  “Want me to help you get stronger?” R’vag asked.

  “Yeah. Maybe.”

  “No maybes.”

  “I don't like the way you’re pressuring me, R’vag.”

  R’vag crouched down to Rraos’ eye level.

  “What will you do when enemies attack and neither me nor Jyevodirr can protect you? At your estate, I had to run away with you just so that you wouldn’t get in Jyevodirr's way. Do you want to just repeat this your whole life?

  More than that, do you want to finish the journey together, only to be the one who never made it in the Kraturreni Om'na?”

  Passion bloomed within Rraos.

  It was long dormant beneath the piles of money and comfort he had buried himself under. Now it tore through this ceiling and reared its head.

  “Fine. I’ll work. But then, you both should get ready to leave tomorrow. We’re going to get to the mines as soon as we can.”

  R’vag grinned and sat down by Rraos.

  “Sure, we’ll go tomorrow,” agreed Jyevodirr, “But I'll get the books from old man Dogan first. And see how stone is made from wood.”

  Rraos scowled.

  “Get your books. You can see the other process in the mines. Ask about all that when we get there.”

  “What’s the problem with seeing that here?” Jyevodirr scowled back at Rraos.

  “It takes time,” Rraos’ finished.

  Jyevodirr wanted to retort that this was not a problem, but he was feeling too heated. He decided not to push too far.

  Before Rraos could drink again, R’vag stood up.

  “I’m really hungry now. I can't bear the smell and the hunger anymore.” R’vag’s eyes turned sorrowful. “And I did not even get to see any women in action today. I’m hoping to at least be able to see someone at dinner now.

  Are you both coming?”

  Jyevodirr got up as well. He looked a little unsteady on his feet.

  “I think we should go,” he said.

  Rraos wanted to stay a little longer. He wanted to drink a little more. Maybe down the whole bottle. The night was beautiful, and he hadn't been so carefree in a long, long time. It would be such a shame to just leave right now.

  Even so, Rraos got up. Maybe it would be interesting at the settlement too. And also, though the night and this place would remain, the time for dinner would not.

  The trio walked back to the settlement under the glimmering night sky, heading to the darkness of the riparian woods in the distance.

  Jyevodirr was not humming tonight - he was outright singing. It was a strange tune that was at times melodious, at times horrible.

  R’vag paced somewhat faster than the other two, getting a little further away from them every moment. Food and women at the end of the day were as elixirs to him. Maybe he could find a woman to whom the idea of men at the end of the day was as attractive as the idea of a woman was to him.

  Rraos, though, neither sang, nor walked fast. He walked just as he usually would – with long strides, eyes swiveling wherever he wanted.

  Tonight, however, he was not frowning. He had an unfinished bottle, and he was drinking.

  Feeling the strange stirrings of non-material joy in his heart, Rraos smiled.

  Maybe, he had learnt a little from the fight today too.

  Maybe, things in life were all about timing.