The Crossroads of Somon

[Fatal Dawn]

The Crossroads of Somon

Written by Fatal Dawn (Dawn)



There was a Village on the outskirts of Somon (pronounced “Sa-moan”). It was a sleepy, desert village with a population of around 1000. Thriving on agriculture, the small village prized itself on its great pastures located in Otawn (pronounced “A-tw-awn”). On the outskirts of the village lie crossroads where no citizen dared to venture past. In the heart of the city, the children in the village used to go to a government school in Somon. Two students - twin brothers Amit & Rahul - used to walk to and from school early everyday near the outskirts.



As Amit & Rahul grew older so too did they develop separate personalities. Differing like night and day, they viewed the world through opposite scopes. Like the peace-loving gentleman, Rahul grew to love nature and everything around him. He was a handsome young man and would spend his time on the outskirts of Somon watching the grandiose prairie fields of Otawn in all of its majesty. Amit was a different story - a rough and crude man who grew to question and reject the very ideals of peaceful world. Initially, Amit had lived his life like Rahul, but after much heartache throughout his turbulent life Amit placed security in violence and often reacted with aggression.



After walking home from school one day, Amit and Rahul enjoyed a bickering conversation on the ethics of peace versus violence. Among the crossroads of town, they came across a shady group of thieves whom had targeted Rahul for his easygoing nature. The ruffians surrounded and nearly beat Rahul to death, before Amit intervened and confronted the gang. Amit at first negotiated, usign Rahul’s peace-working methods which did nothing to scare away the gang. They rushed Amit for the money he had in his pocket, but Amit panicked and pulled from his pocket whatever he could find. A small dagger materialized in his palms before he could comprehend the situation and he slashed one of the boys. As the boy lie bleeding and convulsing, the two others in the group frantically signaled the village folk, pretending to be victims of Amit's rage. Afraid for his life Amit ran as the townsfolk approached the murderer in outrage. Shedding tears, the twins tearfully embraced as Amit ran to the hills and past the outskirts, leaving Somon as a wanted murderer…

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As nearly a decade passed, Rahul never caught a single glance of his fugitive brother. The incident brought paranoia and paralyzing fear to the villagers. Some days Rahul visited the pastures of Otawn, never finding a nuance of peace or closure on the events of that day. Now a fully-grown man, Rahul questioned the very ethics of his past. With the coming of age brought to Rahul’s life a silent pain, a hollow ache, and disillusionment.



Rahul had managed to attain a name for himself as the messenger of peace. He rose to the ranks of a true leader in his village as its protector and guardian. He championed the white flag of peace and was loved by his citizens. But none of the adoration or status redeemed what was really burning him inside. One day he had sharpened his blade and told the townspeople to wait for him as he would bring back the true evildoers. He embarked on a journey to kill the gang which took his brother from him and to restore peace to his village. There were three members, but of course one died that very day. The other two were older brother Edan and younger brother Ethan. Rahul set out to the hills of Jozoun (pron. “Yo-zoo-‘n”) where his brother ran to that day. The hills were known for their harboring of criminals and Rahul knew - undoubtedly - that he would find Amit there … and the brothers.

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Upon arriving, Rahul caught sight of older brother Edan with no trace of the other brother. A terrified Edan ran upon seeing Rahul, but Rahul caught up to the man and slashed his ankles. Crippled, Edan pleaded for his life and atoned for his mistakes that fateful day. Uninterested in hearing this, Rahul pressed his cold blade against Edan’s neck and demanded the location of Amit. A smile soon spread across Edan’s face as he remarked on how much things have changed.



“Amit lives in the further in Jozoun, about a little ways away from here. He’s a peaceful sheep herder who has nothing doing. Your brother is a reformed, changed man. The events of that day only awakened him to your ideals of peace and nonviolence. You on the other hand have embraced his ideals of the past.”



“I have to ask. What is the real reason you want me dead” Edan continued



“That’s easy. To bring peace to my village from thieves and murderers like you who’ve escaped justice.” Rahul replied



Edan’s smile grew to a chuckle.



“Justice? As if you even know the meaning of the word.



History’s greatest fools have coined revenge as justice. Peace creates dialogue, understanding, and equality for both sides. Justice creates only a monologue of winners and loser; it breeds misunderstanding and leaves both sides wounded and injured. The scored will never be settled this way. Seeking justice on me will leave you …”

Rahul stopped Edan’s words.



But Edan continued, saying:

“Between what happened with us and your brother and the roars and howls of the crowd,, I thought no one was innocent that day. No one … but you.

Of all people I thought you were innocent amongst the fires of that day. I honestly believed you were the sole citizen of peace that day. But seeing you now – with that blade pressed against my neck – I see now that… I was wrong.



“Shut the hell up! Just… Stop talking or I’ll kill you!” Rahul screamed.

But like a herder prodding his cattle, Edan continued to goad Rahul.



“One last thing,” Edan said, “before you embarked on this … this journey of self-righteous vengeance. Did you be sure to dig two graves?”

“That other gang member – my younger brother Ethan – may be coming here soon enough. As you sharpened your blade for the purpose of killing, so too may Ethan.

Hatred is a vicious cycle. Violence produces only more violence; aggression only begets more aggression. So too must one dig just one more grave for himself if he choose to follow a path of revenge. Remember that ...”



Angered by his words, Rahul killed Edan before he could even finish his sentence. Shocked by his actions, Rahul dropped the bloody blade and ran further into the hills where Edan said Amit resided. Sure enough, that blade left at the scene of the murder found itself in the hands of none other but Ethan.

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After some wandering, Rahul came across the hilliest pastures of Jozoun. The scene reminded him of the prairie fields of Otawn that used to comfort him. Upon the fields he had spot a sheep herder tending to a flock. Instantly, Rahul ran out to the man who in turn ran to him. “Rahul?”, the man said. “Amit!” cried Rahul with tears of joy.



The twins embraced tearfully as each exclaimed how happy he was to see the other. Amit hugged his brother but instantly felt something changed about him. Something…darker. Amit took a step back and gravely asked only one question that he probably knew the answer for.

“Whose blood is that blood on your robes, Rahul?”



“I cut myself trying to cut some fruit,” said Rahul. But Amit did not buy the lie for even a moment and sternly demanded the truth.

“I met Edan on my way here and I….”

Amit stopped Rahul.



“You killed him.” said Amit. “You murdered a man under the proudly-proclaimed banner of self-righteousness and to settle the score with what happened that day.”

Amit asked for the cursed blade.



Refusing to hand over an absent blade, the twins fumbled and fought with Rahul striking Amit during the scuffle. The impact cast Amit against a large spiked stone formation which impaled Amit through his stomach. With blood profusely leaking from ribcage, Amit struggled to stay alive.

In horror, Rahul stepped back in order to run but Amit vehemently demanded he stay. Amit blamed himself for his brother’s fall into darkness. “Rahul you are my brother!” At these words, Rahul’s world fell apart and his stomach sank into the ground.



“You are my brother!” Amit continued. “As much as I can shepherd this flock of sheep on their past tracks, I wish I could do the same for you. You’re a hero to your village while I am a lowly goat monger. Still at the crossroads, the greatest victim that day was our village’s greatest hero… you.”

“At the crossroads, some men face the most difficult and dire situations of their lives. The devil often comes at this point to barter for their souls. Only those with good shepherds are able to resist that dangerous offer. You… were my shepherd Rahul, I just wish… I could have been yours. Forgive me.”



Rahul was at a loss for words, but Amit had more to say.

Amit was slowly dying but he comfortably smiled and spoke with his dying breath to Rahul. Amit told Rahul to bring his body to the townspeople and continue to be that hero.



“The village needs a hero and I believe you can still be that hero, Rahul. Keep believing in peace, love nature, breathe the morning dawn, and be… that hero. As human nature, people believe in a glamorous peace. Do not tell them what happened here. They sleep so peacefully at night. If they only knew..

Freedom is not free. Peace is not free. It requires continual sacrifice and loss.

Still it is said that the peace so many enjoy often rest precariously upon unseen sacrifices.



Rahul.. I hope you can someday make sense of this.

You are going to be the peace that unites our village. And I will have been the sacrifice for that peace. I will die as a villain… so hopefully you may live on… as a hero. I love you so much, brother...”



Choking on a cocktail of his own tears, Rahul cried as his brother whispered his final words. Both brothers felt a burden lifted from their very shoulders and Rahul’s cloudy veil of darkness disintegrated at his brother’s passing. Rahul cried out to the heavens to bring his brother back, but it was too late. Rahul shrank into a shell of his former self in order to be the peaceful man he always knew he was. To be the man Rahul would want him to be…

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Rahul returned to Somon with the body of his deceased beloved brother. The citizens cheered Rahul's named jubilantly but Rahul still felt emptiness inside.



Later that day, sheltered from the noisy streets filled with superficial adoration, Rahul traveled alone to the prairie fields of Otawn. There amid the vast, sun-drenched plains he buried Amit’s body.



In a makeshift burial, Rahul stared at his brother’s open grave for hours before closing it. Afterwards he wasted little time digging a second grave – this one labeled with the epithet:

“~ Here lies the peaceful hero Rahul. The man who died at the crossroads. ~”



Rahul stood ready over his own grave, ready to accept his deeds like Edan and Amit did before him. Rahul was ready to fulfill his place in that endless cycle of hatred. For Rahul knew that at that very moment, Ethan was very well digging his own brother’s grave and sharpening that same cursed dagger.

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[Evil Eye]

Hmm, this reminds me of Ancient Greece, Code Geass and some sort of biblical story.

Interesting. And as predictable as a parable ought to be. Nice job.

pronounced “Sa-moan”

How does that work?