B2B 01 – Warriors of the Ape Kind

In a land of warriors, in a time long long ago …

This is not the start of a story but some considered this as the glorious end of one. A story which was being retold many a times, by myriad voices …

Some shouts, slightly loud, sometimes scary – asserting comfortable truths to tolling of bells
– And some whispers, very quiet, mostly scared – converting uncomfortable truths to something else

The shouts told stories of kingly, nay godly powers,
– Of great war, righteous bloodshed in the land of gilded (or were they golden) towers

Of a glorious yet evil adversary, hence even more magnificent and great champion.
– The whispers converted an uncomfortably strong ally to a mere minion. 

Converted earlier whispers of possible not-so-good deeds 
– To either falsehoods or better still just “punishments” for bigger misdeeds. 

This was the time that a prince whose mother was a queen though not so grand
– Met and befriended another prince whose father had been a king of a far-away land

The first was known as Bane-of-the-Foe. 
– Too long a name, let’s call him Joe.

The second known as Made-in-mold-of-his-Father. 
– For brevity, let’s call him Peter.

Now Joe and Peter were kindred souls, both named for their prowess, for their valour well known, 
– Yet always considered second, third or even fourth fiddle due to the accident of birth alone

FADE IN

Joe and Peter sit in a secluded corner of a palace. They seem to have been drinking copiously of fermented beverages. There is clearly an easy camaraderie between the two men.

JOE:
Buddy, I have to ask this. Don’t you find it demeaning that not just a few urchins, but even the court bards refer to you and your kindred as Monkey-Men?

PETER:
It does my friend, it does. When I asked our ambassador – who by the way will stay back at your brother’s court – he explained it quite interestingly. He said that this arises from insecurity and should be taken as a compliment.

J:
A compliment?

P:
Yes. Let’s follow the ambassador’s logic. First, your brother who is king started with a large army to subjugate the southern lands.

J:
(smirks) Better not say that aloud, as the accepted story now is Eldest went alone, with his wife and half-brother (my twin brother).

P:
(raises eyebrows) But, I was there when he picked his wife back from her father’s kingdom on the way back. They actually went through an interesting ritual. There was a ceremonial fire, and some talk of purity and stuff. In fact more importantly, I know there was an army. As those who trained our people told they had been part of bigger expeditionary force.

J:
Yes, I know. I was just teasing you buddy. Go ahead. What did the high chinned ambassador say?

P:
Ok, so your brother with his expeditionary force – of one brother or many hundreds – started long years ago and cleaved his way through the smaller kingdoms to the south. There was a small setback early on at the banks of a river

J:
That’s a story for another time my friend. The exaggerated stories of that “small setback” was the reason that our other half-brother claimed regent-ship after death of father, rather than send news to the Eldest.

P:
(testily) Your story or mine?

J:
(laughs while pouring drinks for himself and his friend) Yours, mine do not have Ten-Headed Demons.

P:
(takes a sip) OK. The progress of this force was slowed down to a crawl, as farther south they went, stronger was the opposition they faced. And as even victorious armies suffer casualties, the only way to continue was to get fresh recruits from the vanquished kingdoms

J:
Yes, I suppose. This is the way most long expeditions act, and will probably act in the future

P: 
The biggest addition was at my own country.

J:
The Land of Two Kings!

P:
Yes. The Land of Two Kings. It has been traditional to have two kings in our kingdom. One who rules over the high land and controls the produce from the forests and orchards. Another rules over the low land and controls the sporadic agriculture and trade.

J:
Your father was the ruler of the low land

P:
[hesitates] Yes, my Birth Father, The Strong One. The current king inducted my mother in his harem and made me his successor. He is my Name Father.

As I was saying, my Birth Father, the King of Low Lands, had become much stronger than the King of High Lands, my Name Father. And therein your Eldest won his biggest victory.

J:
Biggest, but I thought you helped him win his biggest victory over the Land of Gilded Towers!

P: 
May be. But the seeds were sown then. He and his half-brother spoke to the King of High Places, The One with The Beautiful Neck, that he should be the single ruler rather than co-ruler. And then my Name Father challenged my Birth Father to single combat. I was not there, but it is said my Birth Father, The Strong One, had almost defeated my Name Father, The One with the Beautiful Throat.

J:
And then the Eldest slew the victor.

P:
(looks around) Not so loud. The ambassador said that it is now accepted truth that it was done for a righteous reasons. When I asked him to elaborate, he shrugged and said that someday someone will decide what reason it was, I for one have to be satisfied that it was a good reason

J:
(trying to change the topic) So how was this the biggest victory

P:
(quaffs his drink) Don’t you see. In the earlier conquests the levy of new recruits was small and from the ranks of farmers and potters, as the best had fought, and died in combat. In my kingdom, as only my Name Father died, the levy of new recruits were seasoned warriors. These warriors ensured that the subsequent wars were decisive victories. These are the warriors who now form the majority of the returning forces.

These proud warriors, with their blood-curdling war cries;

These warriors, with their painted bodies;

These warriors, with their ceremonial long pieces of embroidered cloth your urchins call “tails”.

This *vanara-sena* your bards make fun of, won the war for you.

FADE OUT

Author’s Note: In case while reading the stories with a receptive attitude, you find some social commentary being surreptitiously inserted in this or future posts, then in my defense I shall repeat what a wise man once wrote: “The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.” and just a happy coincidence that the initials of the only two Dramatis Personae together spells “PJ”.