Tepin very well understood what his childhood friend was trying to say by the phrase, '....if you stay out of trouble.'
This was a clear warning on behalf of MM- Tepin was to either clean up his act or he would be dealt with accordingly.
The words cut the man deep, especially given it was uttered by his close friend.
However, he also knew this was Tayaca's last favor to him- ignoring this ultimate warning would not end for him.
"...." Tepin left his friend's house with a silent, thankful nod, and stepping out onto the streets, suddenly looked up into the sky to find that it was nearing dusk.
Darkness was beginning to fall like a rapidly descending curtain and people were hurriedly pacing across the roads, eager to return to their abode before they were plunged into complete darkness.
This was because the Helvati, like almost all other people of the time, did not have street lighting.
So at night, it became pitch dark and too hard to navigate without a light source if one did not want to bump into something every few minutes.
And Tepin too joined the 'fleeing' masses.
However contrary to what was expected, he was not rushing towards his home where his wife and children lived with his mother.
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Rather, possessing a sharp gaze that radiated a level of ambition unlike any time before, Tepin sped with hurried steps towards one of the main gates of the tribe, intent to cross it before it was closed off for the night.
'I must leave the tribe before the nighttime curfew sets in! There is no time to waste!' He said to himself with a clenched fist.
That's right!
Unlike his mother, Tepin was yet to throw in the towel.
He was instead determined to fight for the throne till the day he died, and no one was going to stop him.
But before he could keep his revolution going, Tepin first of all needed to flee.
The Helvati tribe was no longer a sanctuary for him.
His only hope was to take refuge in one of the other tribes that had supported him and hope they granted him asylum.
But even then, given the Helvati's power, this would be a big ask from those tribes.
Yet, Tepin was willing to gamble on that small chance.
Because as they say- it's not over until the fat lady sings.
Tepin tried to cross the fenced perimeter as soon as he could, hoping to leave before MM could wake up to his intentions.
Thus with dusk rapidly closing in, Tepin sped across the road with a brisque gait that nearly rivaled a running man.
It was an unwritten law among the Helvati that nighttime was a curfew.
Pragmatically it was because it was too dark to see or go anywhere. The curfew also effectively stamped out a lot of the crimes like thievery, robbery, murder, and even illicit relations. As a matter of fact, the crime rate among the Helvati was surprisingly low given its size and the time period.
While religiously it was thought that night and day were divided into the two opposing divine forces.
Daytime was said to be when good spirits amicable to the humans were active, while the night belonged to the evil and malicious avarice of the world, foul and degenerate, intent on bringing everlasting harm to living things.
In fact, the Helvati believed the sun to be the father of the 'friendly' spirits, while the moon was the mother of all chaos and filth.
When 'She' ruled, only selected people blessed by the shamans and carrying specially anointed torches could move around without being tainted by her corruption.
And these selected people were of course the guards on sentry duty up on the walls and those scant patrols on the streets.
Now, the guard's captain did not expect anything foul from Tepin despite not being one of them. After all, the man before him was the highest ranking shaman after 'Our Mother- Atzi'.
He was one of the main people who would bless others for their night duty.
So how could there be anything to suspect about him? The captain was only curious given it was so unusual for Tepin to appear here.
"Orders from the chief. Let me through!" Tepin only repeated this monotone sentence, before quickly brushing the man, not willing to extend any opportunity to chit chat.
Given their difference in status, there was nothing Tepin needed to explain to the man.
"Ahhhhh! My father... You are going out of the tribe all alone? At night?" However, before Tepin could shake off the man, the guard's caption once again called out from behind, this time out of the goodness of his heart.
And then without asking for an explanation simply offered, "Take a few of my men with you 'my father'. These roads are not safe. Especially now!"
The offer appeared very much resonate with his men too, as the chance to accompany such a revered figure was the opportunity of a lifetime.
Many were driven by pure religious zeal, simply wishing to be wishing to be in service of such a great man.
While others hoped this would given them an opportunity to form an impression on the man.
They could not even imagine where their careers would go if they could.
Perhaps they would be able to even get a post as one of the grand temple guards, the most prestigious position attainable to them, and usually reserved for the children of nobility and powerful families.
Thus they quickly took their captain's side and began to offer themselves as potential bodyguards, hoping to be chosen.
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