Around mid-day a loud trumpet sounded far off in the distance from outside the village. The nervous energy in the village had reached a crescendo by then.

"Why is everyone so tensed?" I asked Kishni who was standing next to me, also facing the village gate.

The two of us and Lolo were behind almost all the denizens of the village who had lined up alongside the street leading from the village gate to the central pond. As usual, I could see all parts of the village and beyond. But I wond­ered just what my diminutive, elderly companion could make out with the throng of humanity blocking her view.

"Hmmm... the Magistrate comes to collect the tithe every half-a-year. This year's harvest has been good. So everyone's hoping for the Magistrate's leniency. It will make everyone more comfortable for the next harvest."

I was puzzled.

“Why will the Magistrate's leniency make everyone comfortable?" I asked.

"Hmmm," answered Kishen in an annoyed grunt. "Stupid boy. The harvest is never certain. It's good to have some wealth saved for the hard times."

"Shhh!" a villager standing in front of us turned to look at us and shushed us loudly, looking exasperated. I kept my mouth shut after that.

I was undoubtedly the first in the village to see the dark blob surrounded by golden specks approaching the village from the south. As the blob neared, I could make out that it was in fact some sort of massive vehicle and the golden specks surrounding it were armoured people carrying spears and bows.

The vehicle drew my attention as it lumbered closer and closer to the village. It was roughly my height and shaped like a box. It's outer colour was a dark brown although at times I spied a red glow emanating from it. It had a series of massive wheels placed quite close to one another which looked like logs rolling together rather than cart wheels which I had become used to seeing. What astounded me was there were no horses or oxen pulling the contraption!

I noted this to Kishni who replied shortly, "Pridisher magic."

The armoured men surrounding the vehicle numbered around two dozen and seemed to be covered head to toe in the same gleaming golden scales. I also noticed that their armour and weapons also emitted a strange red glow.

One of the front-most armoured men blew a loud trumpet again as the party approached the threshold of the village. The village guards swung the gate open and the Pridish cont­ingent continued into the village unopposed.

As they passed through the thoroughfare, really the only street in the village broad enough to accommodate the girth of the monstrous Pridish vehicle, some of the villagers lining the street began showering flowers on them. The vehicle had to finally halt at the end of the thoroughfare as the streets became much too narrow further ahead. The Pridish guards seemed unper­turbed by the commotion around them and stood at rock still attention.

In the meantime the village elders had come to stand in front of the contingent of Pridish guards and were holding garlands in their hands.

There was a moment of utter silence as the entire village held its breath. And then, a creaking and groaning noise heralded the slow descent of the front part of the vehicle to the ground. As the metal facade hit the dusty village street it kicked up a cloud of dust that swirled and shrouded the view inside the vehicle.

When the dust finally settled, I could see two individuals emerge from the vehicle and descend down the impromptu ramp that had been created. The Pridishers were taller than the Kesi villagers by at least a foot. One of them was fatter than the other one but had the bearing of someone used to being waited upon. The other man was gangly and stood behind the first with a slight hunched-over posture.

The Pridishers were pale-skinned with blotches of red all over their faces. They were sweating profusely and constantly wiped at their foreheads. Their hair was thin and flaky looking and was also the colour of wheat rather than the dark black of the Kesi and me.

They were both wearing heavy, gaudy clothes that seemed absurd and uncom­fortable. Their arms and legs were covered in ruffles and their chemises were like thick jackets with different colo­ured fabrics emerging from numerous places in no discernible pattern.

The elders of the village, wide smiles plastered on their faces, stepped forward and attempted to lay garlands around the two Pridishers' necks. But the fatter Pridisher brushed the garlands aside angrily and shouted.

"It's too hot damn you!"

It took me a couple of seconds to understand what he had said. His accent was stilted and stressed the wrong s­ounds. He also sounded like he had a cloth or a whole lot of bread stuffed in his mouth as he spoke. But the effect of those words on the village elders was spectacular. The elders, normally used to obsequious respect from the villagers, folded their hands and bowed deeply, almost prostrating them­selves.

“We're sorry, we're sorry your Eminence. Please, please let us take you to shade and take care of your comfort," one of the village elders, a wizened skinny man with a long white beard wheezed.

"Tch!" the Pridisher, und­oubtedly the Magistrate made an irritated noise. "This bloody heat. We could have had this meeting in the comfort of my Velocicar but can't let unhygienic chattel dirty the damn thing. The stink would never get out."

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I noticed, as he was making this contemptuous remark, that his ears were not normal. Nor that of his aide. Instead of being rounded like mine or the Kesis’ they ended in a sharp point at the top and their earlobe was longer and more exaggerated. For some reason it reminded me of a phallus and gonads and I guffawed.

The loud sound reverberated and it felt like everyone turned to look at me. Quicker than lightning the Pridish armoured guard had formed up around their Magistrate and faced me with weapons drawn.

A part of me knew that there was a commotion all around me, but all I could see were the tips of the arrows and spears pointed at me. The sharp metal tips that glowed red as if foreshadowing the blood that they would extract from me.

A dull rushing noise filled my ears, my heart thumped painfully, my mouth was dry and my vision was blackening.

I raised my hands and began mumbling, “No…noo…nooo.”

I backed away. I was trying to tell them not to shoot. I was trying to tell them that I wasn’t a threat. But all I could see was the cruel metal. I thought I saw the bowstrings tighten.

I fell to the ground on my knees, screwed my eyes shut and covered my throat with my hands. I was breathing hard and fast but for some reason the air wasn’t reaching my lungs. I struggled in vain to gulp more air but it didn't help and finally blackness took me.

"We want to take him.'

I woke to the sound of a cotton-mouthed voice near my head.

"Take him for what purpose?" asked a voice I recognised somewhat.

"That is none of your concern! Know your place dog!" replied the cotton-mouth heatedly.

"But your Eminence, he's a free man. You can't just take him away."

"Hmph.."

I opened my eyes slowly and saw blue sky with a smattering of birds. I was lying on back, my arms rested on my stomach. I blinked a few times trying to get my bearings and then tried to touch my head with my right hand, only to real­ise that my hands were bound by some heavy manacles.

I was suddenly alert again. I tried to sit up but I could only wiggle helplessly as my legs were bound as well. Being bound didn't work for me. I began struggling with panic. I needed to be able to move. I didn't like being constrained. I thrashed around in vain and then tried to break my bonds.

I stretched my balled fists apart, as far as the manacles would allow and then some more. The manacles were some­how strong enough to contain me! But slowly, slowly the link connecting the cuffs strained. A whining noise emerged from them, that or I was delirious. The whining noise became like a siren as I pulled.

There was movement near me as a gold covered head appeared in my line of sight.

"He's awake!” yelled the Prudish guard who had appeared.

"Increase the alchemical power in the manacles. The beast is about to break free!"

All of a sudden it felt like a machine was pressing hard against my wrists and they were forcefully clamped together again. I didn't like what was happening at all. My mind had gone blank. All I could think was that I wanted to be able to sit up. So I gritted my teeth and resumed my attempts to break my handcuffs.. The unholy mechanism binding my hands whined again as I slowly pulled my fists further and further apart.

“More power in the restraints!" yelled my Pridish tormentor.

"It's at its peak! I've never seen anything like it!" yelled a voice that came from further away.

My fists had pulled the link between the cuffs as far as it would go. The whining from the mechanism was a constant shriek now. Adrenalin was coursing through me as I sensed victory over the mechanism that chained me.

And then suddenly the Pridish guard had moved and now held a spear to my face. The reddish tip of the spear was a few inches away from my eye. Instantly my adrenalin disappeared, replaced by heat-stopping terror. My fists opened and collapsed together under the mystery force and I brought them and the manacles to my face yelling “No!" repeatedly

“That’s right beast. Now you know who's your master," said the guard with a vind­ictive look on his face.

"Your Eminence!" I heard Dhanjay's voice from somewhere. "This is unaccept­able! Vaali has done nothing wrong, why is he being mistreated like this?”

There was a murmuring noise follo­wing this pronouncement. The part of me not cowering in terror was shocked that Dhanjay of all people was standing up for me.

"Silence! I will have silence! Rascals!" yelled the Cottonmouth Magistrate. The noise ceased instantly.

"Village elders, I will take this beast. I have said what I have to say."

There was murmuring again.

"Your Eminence. He is a free man, you cannot just take him away. It is against your own Pridish laws," came the soft voice of one of the Elders.

Silence

"Hmmm...you presume to tell me the Empire’s laws you foul-faced cowherd?”

“Not so your Eminence!”

"Silence! Do you not agree that I have been beneficent. I came here and immediately forgave the village's tithe for the season and have risked Pridish blood to take away this beast that has been threatening the village’s safety. Do you not have even so much civility in your wild blood to acknowledge this truth?"

There was much louder murmuring mow from the villagers. I was sweating. The villagers might like me now but I didn't trust their loyalty. The Magistrate had clearly offered them a very sweet deal.

"For shame!" came sweet, sweet Dhanjay's voice." He is our guest. He has prot­ected this village from certain destruct­ion. Have we forgotten our traditions completely!"

"Silence! Dhanjay I am bitterly disappointed in your attitude today," snarled Cottonmouth Magistrate. "If you continue your rebellious talk then I will have no choice but to arrest you for treason against the Crown."

But Dhanjay's words had done their damage.

"Respected Magistrate, "said the village elder who had also spoken earlier." Dhanjay is right. To betray Vaali like this would tarnish our honour permanently."

I would have felt grateful for the village elder's words had they not sounded so churlish and forced.

"Hmmm," said the Cottonmouth. I could hear him pacing on the dusty road. "Let me make the situation a bit more clear and compelling then..."

"Your eminence..."

“Damn Kesi swine…interrupt me again and I'll level this village."

"Your servant, your Eminence!” I could hear the village elder's fear.

"So the situation is... we shall take away this criminal who has been harassing this village and on top of that I will excuse the double tithe that you owe to the Crown this season.”

“Double tithe! That will doom us!” the village elder cried out in an anguished voice.

“No tithe is too small for the glory of the Empire,” replied the Cottonmouth. I could hear the smugness in his voice.

The decorum in the village completely broke down after this. Even Dhanjay did not speak in my favour again. I couldn’t blame him, I’m sure treason was a capital offence. He had family and a life after all.

When the hubbub died down, the village elder spoke softly, “Your Eminence, thank you for capturing this ruthless criminal for us."

Tears sprang out of my eyes. I didn't feel too strong an affection for the village but the betrayal hurt me more than any arrow could. Through my pain and fear, I heard a loud, clear, determined voice ring out.

"Vaali!"

I turned my head to the source. Kishni, with her unwavering eyes was staring into my own. She stood straig­ht, like a queen. Lolo was at her side and was growling. Then Kishni shouted again.

“Run!"