The First Tiger (Countryhumans Fanfic)

Chapter 34

Thai checked his phone a couple times, looking through some messages that Myanmar and Cambodia were sending him. Some of them sent selfies and pictures of how some of their fallen kingdoms were reacting to the modern world. He remembered when Ayutthaya coincidentally met up with Hanthawaddy and Konbaung, Myanmar's grandparents. He remembers the silent hissing as they gave insults to each other while he and Myanmar were shopping fir their clothes. Khmer was pretty chill tho, thankfully. " Mal?"

" Hey, Thai." Mal greeted him as he was leaning against one of the coconut trees nearby. " I'm just...I needed to step out for a bit."

" I can see that." Thai replied. " You okay?" He asked, noticing Mal looked a bit sick.

" Gimme a bit." He said as he covered his mouth and breathed in deeply. " It's nothing....that new drug that hit me a couple months ago has side effects." He told Thai with a forced smile. " I can handle it. Nothing too serious." Thai stepped a bit closer in case Mal would fall or something since he looked a bit faint. Mal's never fainted before as far as he knows. Not when he's half drowned, in war or losing blood. A true fighter was what people might call him. " It makes me a bit sick but I'm good." He covered his mouth again but swallowed back the nausea.

" Hey, careful." Thai reminded him and Mal smiled. He didn't know but everytime he saw it, that stupid smile, he felt a part of him flutter. " You sure you're okay?"

" Yup. Good." Mal said as he stretched a bit. " Let's get back inside before they do something crazy." He said to him and they headed back inside. Surprisingly it was very quiet, all four old kingdoms sat properly. The men with their backs straight and no longer slouching, while Seri Indah seemed pleased with herself as she sipped. " Um, hi Tok." Mal greeted them and Langkasuka nodded. He himself seemed a bit nervous as his eyes gestured to the table. Dug into the very middle of the table, was a short blade with a beautiful hilt. It was called a 'badik'. " Okay..."

" Mal," Kelantan called as he whispered. " They were fighting then Ummi got fed up. She's still as scary as I remember." She coughed a bit, making Kelantan flinch. " Yes, Ummi?" She patted the seat next to her, inviting him to sit down. He obediently sat down next to her as she happily pinched and poked him, admiring how much he's grown up and slapping his wrist when he misbehaves. " Ummi, I'm healthy." She gave him a clear look and patted his cheeks. " I'm not too thin. I'm fine." Then she looked over at Mal and invited him to sit as well.

" I need to ask Langkasuka. It might be a bit offensive, I hope you don't mind." Thai began as he sat back down next to Ayutthaya. Langkasuka nodded and gestured for him to continue. " About my great grandfather, Sukhothai. About everything he's done. You don't hate my family because of it, do you?" Ayutthaya closed his grandson's mouth and shook his head. He glanced back at the other fallen kingdoms and Langkasuka.

Seri Indah wore her anger clearly like a mask, it was pure rage and disgust. Her husband reflected a similar look, only more of emphathy, one that sincerely understandood his suffering. But Langkasuka himself was a different story. The man was very quiet, not even a growl could be heard. Thai and Ayutthaya found themselves unable to speak as Langkasuka's eyes reflected terror then rage and soon it softened when he looked back at them.

" I fucking hate him." Langkasuka said in a dark tone. It wasn't just stakes that had been driven into him. There was one time when he was successfully pinned by a spear. The time when Sukhothai made him bleed out and a long hour spent on opening his insides. He did so each time to celebrate land he's conquered and kingdoms he's killed. " But I can't blame you for his crimes..." He sighed as he blinked hard. " It's not your fault." He said mostly for himself. He unconsciously covered his stomach and lower abdomen as he turned away. His pupils still trembling when reminded of it even when he's angry.

" A...." Seri tried to speak but there was no sound, which only made her even more frustrated. " ...." She tried again, still nothing as tears pricked her eyes. Then she tried to scream but there was nothing but static. A strange sound, like a broken radio. " ....A...y....." Patani Sultanate covered her mouth and shook his head. It was no use. She wanted to tell him that everything was alright, that she's here to protect him like he had for her. Ayutthaya picked his notebook and started to write.

' He wasn't an ideal father either.' He confessed as he showed them. ' I'm sorry what he did to you.' He flipped the next page and kept writing as everyone waited fir his response. ' I envied you. Your family and your father. He wasn't like mine. My father has his faults but he's still my father. I'm sorry. My own ambitions killed Patani Sultanate and orphaned two children. Forgive me. This man who likes spending time with a farang(European) and behaved like a farang himself.'