‘Muchuk Und?’ Asha persisted.

‘Yes, yes, victory!’ he answered dryly, half wishing he could race his stallion ahead and leave her promptings far behind. ‘Tired of this place yet?’ he asked in a pitiable attempt to change the topic of conversation.

Fortunately, Asha took the bait. ‘I don’t know... this world has been growing on me. Battles and wine aplenty. So many wonders to behold and cherish—Will you stop rubbing that powder on the dagger, you miser?! Now that we know how to make it, we can create it any time and drown in it.’ A pleasant thought, all things considered. Muchuk Und sheathed the dagger. ‘Now where was I? Yes. Hm...I like this place. Not to forget,’ her face split into a wide grin, ‘the Daevas are especially ravenous in bed.’

‘Just what a brother wants to hear,’ Muchuk Und sighed.

She lifted her half-helm, treating the world to her scarred face and long hair. The beaky nose did no favours for her flat face. She might have got their mother’s lush tresses in a cold bargain, but she looked every bit their father’s daughter. Men disappeared from her path. Soldiers obeyed her commands without question. Bards shuddered to sing in her presence. Envy filled Muchuk’s heart. Was there any warrior as fortunate as a truly ugly one? And Asha was as ugly as rain on a wedding day.

‘On the other hand,’ she continued as if Muchuk hadn’t spoken, ‘I do wish we could’ve taught those Nagas a cold lesson in manners. To usher in the Age of Man. And I’m sure you yearn for your wretched family too.’

Family. How long had it been since he saw their ungrateful faces? Now that he began to count the years, Muchuk Und could not believe he had been away from his world for a decade. Guess time passes swiftly when most of it is spent on battlefields.

‘Hopefully less than they crave for me,’ he murmured though he had his doubts. His daughter must be what, eleven summers by now? Would she even remember she had a father? He pushed away the dark thoughts before he tumbled down into the pit of melancholy again. ‘But I doubt your imperial interests will be as entertaining as we had imagined them to be, Asha. With the weapons we will carry back from here, it will be…too easy.’

‘Exactly!’ Her face twisted with distaste. ‘Where is the joy in that? Home will just be…disappointing.’

Muchuk sighed loudly. ‘But what is left to be done here?’

Asha turned to him again, her eyes quizzical as she studied him. ‘Ah, I see now. You suffer the staleness a man feels when he has achieved everything, Brother. The Daevic indifference has infected you. It will pass. You are too cocky to be crabby for long.’

I hope so. Because, like a homing pigeon pining for its humble cage, Muchuk Und was homesick.

II

They swung down from their horses. Seeing Asha’s clumsy dismount, Muchuk gave another deep sigh. For one who claimed to love riding, she was quite an embarrassment to the family name.