BSCVadhan
Well-Known Member
[FONT="]Bow and Arrows[/FONT]
Indralok!
[FONT="]Aswathaman was astounded by the Lucullan magnificence of the golden gates of Amaravati, the capital city of Indralok. The ornate gates, blazing in golden splendour, dazzled the simple Warrior Mage and he was still drinking in their splendor in wide eyed astonishment when he was rudely interrupted. [/FONT]
“Halt, whose goes theres?”
[FONT="]The guard was a tall Deva with a crown of gold. He wore a maroon tunic and a hood made of the darkest green. He was holding an energized sun-spear in one hand and a translucent, high resistance, darkish green, hexa shield in the other. He was fair and handsome though with a slightly vacant look about him. The Rap Sage, the more affable of the duo, initiated contact with the guard with a question of his own, “Whose goes where?” The Rap Sage queried[/FONT]
[FONT="]“What?”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“You just said whose goes somewhere, I don’t doubt your word and it may be so, but whose goes? And what is that which goes and why?” The Rap posed inquisitively[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Stops your bickerings and states your names and business” the guard barked, thoroughly confused.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“[/FONT]Aaah![FONT="] Now I get it. Your grammatical nuances are remarkable, not to mention original. I am Iliksha and this is my friend Aswathaman” the Rap Sage clarified.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Whats business dos youse travelers have ins Indralok?” the Guard barked again, as serious as ever.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Why don’t you guys at least smile? Are you part of Emmigration?” the Rap Sage retorted, mildly[/FONT]
[FONT="]“In a manners of speakings sir” said the door keep. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“How long do you stand here in a day?” asked The Rap Sage in an attempt to be friendly, “I mean do you guys get lunch breaks and off days?”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Whys does youse askings?” the guard posed suspiciously.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“I am going on a strike presently and I wanted to know if there were any more demands from us working classes I could include”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Whats is a striking?” the guard asked curiously[/FONT]
[FONT="]“You do realize your’s is a lost cause…you can’t even ask to be sent back to school” The Rap sage bemoaned “In any event, what of it...do you get lunch breaks?”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“No siree, I stands while I withers of starvations, it thrills me to my bones to come stands in the middles of nowheres gazings at nothings.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]A smart ass as Devas go thought The Rap Sage darkly. Aswathaman suppressed a smile. [/FONT]
[FONT="]As per the great pact of Cheera-samudra, Devas, Asuras, Gandharvas and Yakshas were forbidden to attack each other. The guard was more a formality and ornamental rather than a safeguard against enemies.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“What about Trigund he is not part of the Pact, aren’t you afraid of him?” the sage asked suddenly[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Is he here?” the guard asked the sage in return, genuinely looking around.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“It is with amazing alacrity and vigil that you carry out your duties” the Rap Sage observed acidly[/FONT]
[FONT="]The guard just shrugged. “Whos are yous and whats doos yous wantings?” the guard finally asked them.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“We are here to see your King, we seek audience with him”[/FONT]
[FONT="]The guard gave them the benefit of a disparaging stare. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“The Kings donts see all kinds, but I will have speaks with my commanders” he said. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“That’s wonderful, you can try…but will they understand?” The Rap Sage shot back. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Whose?”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“The Commanders you will speak with” said the sage.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Theys don’ts mosting of the timings, I doesn’t knowing why” the guard complained[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Their capabilities surely don’t match yours! Have you perhaps tried singing to them? [/FONT]I[FONT="] could teach you to sing” the Rap Sage emphasised accommodatively.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Just then the sound of drums and trumpets sounding the movement of a dignitary reached them. The Devas were very keen on pomp and ceremony. The guard, well aware of this trait, straightened up perceptably. He pulled at his tunic and straightened his sun spear. The visitors turned around in time to see a retinue of Royal guards on levitating chariots emerging through the gigantic gateway. Right in the centre of the retinue was the King’s own levitating chariot, a magnificent vehicle of gold with sparkling copper bow and stern and an ebony hull. The vehicle, a special edition of the latest levitating Kiran war-chariots, was distinguishable by the emblazoned symbol of lightening on its hood and the small ceremonial flag on its dome shaped top. It dawned on them that Indra himself was on his way out of Amaravati. The Guard at the gate became highly agitated.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Gods, Gods! The Kings, he’s comings this ways. What shoulds I does? Quickly” the guard implored of the sage.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Quick, Go back to school and start all over again, you can’t lose! It can’t get worse than it already is” the sage suggested hurriedly.[/FONT]
[FONT="]To the Guard’s chagrin, the entourage halted and turned towards the guard tower. The guard nearly fainted.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Why is the Kings comings to me eh eh?” he challenged hysterically[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Don’t flatter yourself old son, the King is here to receive us” the sage said pompously.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Guard gulped. [/FONT]
[FONT="] “Whose are yous?” he implored again, cursing the day he stopped the two mysterious travelers. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Nobody’s, I am my own!” said The Rap Sage, sagely. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The guard snapped his mouth shut as the cortège reached them; he opted instead to stand as straight as an arrow. The King stepped down from his chariot. Even in the simple act of alighting from the chariot, Indra was imperious. Aswathaman bowed deeply. Aswathaman, who was seeing Indra for the first time, noticed that the Deva King was impressive. Like most of the Devas he was fair skinned, slim and clean shaven. The timelessness of a Demi-God glimmered as a nimbus around the king. The King’s eyes were black, like two obsidian discs of inscrutable ebony. His straight white hair flowed from under his crown to his shoulders. He wore a silk garment, loose and flowing till his knees and a full flowing loose way-stee made of heavily interwining silk and gold threads. He was carrying the famous [/FONT]Vajr[FONT="], thunder wielder. [/FONT]
[FONT="]A nod from Indra was the only acknowledgement that Aswathaman got. Then the King saw The Rap Sage as he stepped out from behind Aswathaman. A brief smile was accorded as a concession to the little sage. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“IIiksha” the King said in his sing song voice. “Welcome.” The king did not ask them into his chariot, instead he beckoned them to walk with him into the city with his guards following them at a respectful distance. Whether this was honour granted to them or whether Indra did not want them in his chariot was impossible to guess.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Rap sage turned around briefly and winked at the harried guard. After the entourage was lost to view, the hassled guard collapsed to the ground.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The city itself was embellished with soft glittering colours of the rainbow that seemed to be everywhere and yet nowhere, making every object glow with a light of its own, be it the street lamps, the waterfalls, the gardens and fountains. Beautiful apsaras were walking along, tittering at their secretive whispered comments. Proud Devas walked straight and strong. [/FONT]Pavan,[FONT="] the Levitating chariots used mostly by the civilians, whizzed deferentially past the Monarch of the Devas and the older and the much larger [/FONT]Pushpak Viman[FONT="] chugged along benevolently, maintaining safe distance from Indra and his retinue. The city was full of criss crossing roads hanging in the air, apparently without support.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“What brings you here Illiksha,” said the king of the demi-gods. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“My Lord knows, I seek your help against Trigund”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Ah….the child killer versus the anomaly, how droll” said the King disdainfully. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Aswathaman stalled in his step for a fraction of a moment. Then he resumed the walk, a little behind the King. Aswathaman knew that he had to live with that tag and he had realized long ago that there would always be people to remind him. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Indeed the king is wise, one thorn to pull out another, but child killer though he was, he never was cursed to be a pig” said The Rap Sage with some vehemence “and I don’t mean ill will to the venerable animal” [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Sage was alluring to the curse that Indra had to suffer for a time. It had been quite sometime since anybody had dared to even mention the ignonomy that Indra had to undergo as a pig on Bhoomi. Reminded abruptly, Indra shuddered at the memory.[/FONT]
[FONT="]A powerful, short tempered sage had once walked into Amaravati seeking the Deva King’s assistance on a matter which though significant to the sage, was considered inconsequential by the arrogant King of Devas. It related to the protection of a bunch of yogis from renegade Asuras who were tormenting humans offering supplications to their deities. The King had made the sage wait for a full seven days, the reason; he was enjoying a dance extravaganza by the four apsaras. The sound of revelry traversing well into the depths of the night only increased the growing antagonism in the sage. On the seventh day, when a satiated and contented Indra finally gave him audience, the furious sage had cursed the King of Demi-Gods to be born as a pig in Bhoomi, judging that Indra had no right to be a responsible king of the demi-gods. That very instant, Indra vanished into thin air and to the shock and chagrin of the Devas, was not heard off for a time. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“That was not necessary Illiksha, I was merely stating a fact” the King said uneasily.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“So was I My Lord” said The Rap Sage sweetly. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“So be it, what can we do for you in this pig sty” Indra inquired dryly. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“You can keep a promise once made to me” The Rap Sage countered. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The King paused for a time as though trying to recollect promises that he might have made.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“I don’t remember making promises to anyone” drawled the King. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Then maybe I should help you recollect it by revoking the incantation in my ring” said The Rap Sage. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Indra paled. The ring was given to him by The Rap Sage to bring back his memory when he was wallowing as an Aksai Black Pied pig in a pig sty in what is today known as eastern Kazakhstan on Bhoomi. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Long ago, following the curse and disappearance of Indra, the Rap Sage had been dispatched to trace and fetch Indra by Narada the God-Saint. Because the curse was in a sense an ailment and since the Rap Sage was a healer, Narada had found it appropriate to use the services of a healer sage to cure the curse of an ill-tempered sage. Narada had considered the fact that the Kingdom of the demi-gods was reeling under continous attacks of renegade Asuras who had spurned the pact of Cheera Samudra and had somehow got wind of the long absence of the unfortunate King. Narada was convinced it was imperative to bring Indra back, no matter how much he deserved the punishment, in order to restore balance. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Rap Sage had traced the black pied pig snorting away happily in its pig sty through the yogic impulses it could sub-consciously generate. The pig was happily ignorant of its celestial past, enjoying the comforts of the tick and leech infested slush it was wallowing in. The sage had confused the astonished owner of the pig farm into handing him over the pig. In the privacy of his own room, unmindful of the stink raised by the special pig, the Rap Sage had examined the equation in the curse. He had found that the curse was irreversible but it could be undone partially with a reverse equation threaded into it. The only hitch was that if the reverse equation, which was by itself a curse-against-a-curse, was revoked, it would result in devastating effect on Indra’s memories. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Rap Sage had captured the incantation for the reverse equation into a thin silver ring that he’d conjured. The minute the Rap Sage touched him with the ring, the King gained his form and memories. Indra’s screams of pain and outrage were unbearable. Still, [/FONT]someone[FONT="] had to pull out the leeches and ticks. The Rap Sage had to heal the king for three days by the time Indra was himself again, albeit, with a few sores that were itching constantly. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Indra had rushed back to his Kingdom wearing his silver ring and had used the assassin services of a certain High Lord called Mrihir to kill the renegade Asuras in their sleep and had successfully thwarted the attack on his Kingdom. The Rap Sage had reiterated and Indra had verified subsequently that if the ring were ever to be removed from his person or if its equations reversed, his memory would fail and though he was in Indralok, he would retain only memories of himself as a pig in Eastern Kazakhstan. In return, the startled King of the Demi-Gods had committed to help The Rap Sage in his hour of need. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“I was just jesting Illiksha, just jesting.” The King drawled and tried a frigid smile on The Rap Sage for good measure. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“I am sure mighty king” said The Rap Sage. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Tell me what you want” said the King of the Demi gods. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Vijaya the bow”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“That is impossible Illiksha” said the King. “That is for Rukmi only.” [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Rap Sage was bristling with irritation. His patience was wearing thin and the arrogance of the Demi-God was beginning to get to him. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Hear this King, Rukmi doesn’t need the bow now. Aswathaman needs the weapon of the Gods for it is his only safeguard against Trigund”[/FONT]
[FONT="]Indra considered this for a minute as they slowly walked amongst the marvel that was Amaravati. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“I assume Mrihir and his troops would be sufficient support” the arrogant King said carelessly. The Rap Sage was silent but his stare was as hard as stone as he waited for the King to say more. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“If Aswathaman could be defeated, Lord Vishnu would never have selected him or freed him of his curse” Indra added lightly.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Aswathaman was astounded. Though it was a backhanded compliment from the Deva King he was happy for it.The Rap Sage knew that there was only one thing to do. An outright threat was the only way. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Maybe great King, but what if he fails because you did not extend help that you could have?” The Rap Sage asked. “Lord Rudra I am sure wouldn’t be very happy about it and nor would Lord Vishnu and they won’t need me to reverse my equation…” [/FONT]
[FONT="]Indra looked at The Rap Sage petutantly. “So now it is about survival itself Illiksha”[/FONT]
[FONT="]As though in response there was a strenuous quivering, a shudder in the fabric of Creation, as though time itself was breached open. It lasted for a less than a fraction of a moment in time. All three looked at each other. All three knew that the quivering in the fabric of creation could occur only if the elemental locks were penetrated. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The elements, part of the Deva retinue were locks of all five entries with Yaksha, Manava, Gandharva, Vanara and Asura keys. Therefore all of the beings of Jagam were enterwined in the single objective of safeguarding the multiverse from the Elder of Creation, namely Kroni the Other. Whereas the other beings still vowed by their duties, [/FONT]Manavas[FONT="], the humans had quite forgotten their responsibilities at the end of the age of Krishna. [/FONT]
[FONT="]There was a master lock that controlled the trance of Kroni. No one knew who the key to that lock was. Agni the elemental Lord of fire, Vayu the elemental Lord of air, Varun the elemental Lord of water and two of his trusted boon-sons, Bhoomi the elemental Lord of earth and Akasha the elemental lord of Ether were the five elements controlling the locks of Asatya. Their essences were entwined with each thread of the five locks. The five locks by themselves were supposed to be unbreachable.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Elder roamed within Asatya’s vitriolic slime for only he could survive its minacious anarchism. To even think of him was terrifying. Indra knew of no other entity that could pierce through that dark vile abode and survive. The King’s thoughts were interrupted by the Rap Sage[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Is it what I think it is?” The Rap Sage asked the King of the Demi-gods. [/FONT]
[FONT="]In reply he only received a sharp gaze from Indra. Clearly the King was shaken by what could have been penetration [/FONT]into[FONT="] the other side of Satya. It was impossible for anything to go in or come out of Asatya. But the locks were weakening in Kalyug, the elemental Lords were struggling against the onslaught of abuse on the elements themselves. Free will of the [/FONT]Manavas[FONT="] was shaking the very foundations instead of strengthening it and thus the locks were being betrayed. If indeed the quivering was a result of something entering the other side of Satya how long would it be before something from the inside broke open the locks? As these thoughts cruised through the sage’s mind another thought struck him and sent a chill down his spine. [/FONT]
‘I hope it’s not Kashyap’
[FONT="]“Come with me” said the King of the Demi-gods all of a sudden.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“So will you grant him the Vijaya” the Rap Sage posed again[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Yes, I will” said Indra simply. There was urgency to Indra’s actions as though he wanted to hand over the bow to Aswathaman and have the two of them out of his realm at the earliest. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Aswathaman felt a quivering in the air again, like heat waves on tarred roads on a hot day. This time an absolutely splendiferous great bow materialized in the hands of the Deva King. The weapon was a work of art. It was made of a mix of snan metal and bamboo. Technology that could fuse metal and wood into one commingle amazed the archer in Aswathaman. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Mage had heard of the Snan. It was an alloy created by the Devas for their lite swords and other weaponry and was about twenty times lighter than the lightest metal on earth, Lithium. Snan was also as hard as a diamond and could pierce through mostly everything. Yet the bow appeared flexible and as light as a bamboo stick. It was almost five and a half feet in length. The quiver holding the arrows was self replenishing. The arrows were a clear three feet in length and appeared perfectly balanced. They were flexible, made of bamboo and infused with snan arrow-heads. They could withstand the power of any equation and unleash terrible havoc on the enemy when wielded by a master archer and Aswathaman was indeed the last of the Masters. There were, in all, six Master Archers. Bheeshma, his great grandson Arjun, Arjun’s son Abhimanyu, Arjun’s estranged brother Karn, The Warrior Mage Drona and his son Aswathaman. Of the six, only Aswathaman remained, immortal and cursed. [/FONT]
[FONT="]King Indra now turned to Aswathaman and gestured for him to take the weapon. Aswathaman noticed an indent on the bridge of the bow, right in the centre, a circular cavity that ought to have been bejeweled. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“My Lord, what is the cavity in the bow?” Aswathaman asked almost in a half whisper[/FONT]
[FONT="]“I do not know Aswathaman. The bow moulds itself to suit its user. Maybe when the time is ripe you will know” said Indra softly. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Aswathaman knelt down and took the Vijaya with both his hands from King Indra. The power of the celestial weapon seeped into him and he trembled lightly as its energies entwined with his essence. It was the natural union of a powerful celestial long-bow and the only master archer alive. Indra smiled. The King’s face changed into radiance itself when he smiled; there was a certain boyish charm to him. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“The longbow has accepted you as its consort Aswathaman” he declared, astonished . Aswathaman said nothing; he merely slung the bow on his shoulder. They were ready to head back to their quest. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“The bow will come to your aid whenever you will it to. It will do your bidding but only until such time that it appears to the Vijaya that your path is just. Remember, this bow has a soul and it is pure and simple.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]Aswathaman bowed deeply. “I am grateful my King” he said softly. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Consider your promise fulfilled fair King” said The Rap Sage mightily. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Indra bowed his head ever so slightly and a small smile was playing on his lips.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“I wish you all success Warriors of Mount Kailash, if there is anything at all you need please do remember me if you will” Indra proclaimed generously.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Presently after enjoying the hospitality of the Devas and partaking of their food the duo found themselves near the gates of Amaravati content and replenished. Standing outside the gates was an ashen faced Mrihir and he was heading towards them. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Where is Kashyap?” Aswathaman asked almost immediately. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“He…I think he was abducted” Mrihir said in a soft whisper. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“By God! It was Kashyap being dragged into the other side of Satya. We could feel the opening into that sullied muddle, I don’t know if he could have survived it” The Rap Sage said and he said it so softly the other two could barely hear him. Aswathaman regarded the diminutive sage bereft of any emotion. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Will Ravana’s powers work” the Mage asked flatly.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“For better or for worse Kashyap is now an Asura, I think he will survive if he doesn’t panic.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“What can we do?” Mrihir asked. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Retrieve the Vel and hope Kashyap can come back… if he is still alive” said The Rap Sage. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Mrihir cleared his throat. “I may have found one of the readers” he said quietly.The High Lord spoke to them at length about all that had happened and about Arvindnath Vikas a.k.a. the encounter specialist.[/FONT]
Indralok!
[FONT="]Aswathaman was astounded by the Lucullan magnificence of the golden gates of Amaravati, the capital city of Indralok. The ornate gates, blazing in golden splendour, dazzled the simple Warrior Mage and he was still drinking in their splendor in wide eyed astonishment when he was rudely interrupted. [/FONT]
“Halt, whose goes theres?”
[FONT="]The guard was a tall Deva with a crown of gold. He wore a maroon tunic and a hood made of the darkest green. He was holding an energized sun-spear in one hand and a translucent, high resistance, darkish green, hexa shield in the other. He was fair and handsome though with a slightly vacant look about him. The Rap Sage, the more affable of the duo, initiated contact with the guard with a question of his own, “Whose goes where?” The Rap Sage queried[/FONT]
[FONT="]“What?”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“You just said whose goes somewhere, I don’t doubt your word and it may be so, but whose goes? And what is that which goes and why?” The Rap posed inquisitively[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Stops your bickerings and states your names and business” the guard barked, thoroughly confused.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“[/FONT]Aaah![FONT="] Now I get it. Your grammatical nuances are remarkable, not to mention original. I am Iliksha and this is my friend Aswathaman” the Rap Sage clarified.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Whats business dos youse travelers have ins Indralok?” the Guard barked again, as serious as ever.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Why don’t you guys at least smile? Are you part of Emmigration?” the Rap Sage retorted, mildly[/FONT]
[FONT="]“In a manners of speakings sir” said the door keep. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“How long do you stand here in a day?” asked The Rap Sage in an attempt to be friendly, “I mean do you guys get lunch breaks and off days?”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Whys does youse askings?” the guard posed suspiciously.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“I am going on a strike presently and I wanted to know if there were any more demands from us working classes I could include”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Whats is a striking?” the guard asked curiously[/FONT]
[FONT="]“You do realize your’s is a lost cause…you can’t even ask to be sent back to school” The Rap sage bemoaned “In any event, what of it...do you get lunch breaks?”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“No siree, I stands while I withers of starvations, it thrills me to my bones to come stands in the middles of nowheres gazings at nothings.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]A smart ass as Devas go thought The Rap Sage darkly. Aswathaman suppressed a smile. [/FONT]
[FONT="]As per the great pact of Cheera-samudra, Devas, Asuras, Gandharvas and Yakshas were forbidden to attack each other. The guard was more a formality and ornamental rather than a safeguard against enemies.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“What about Trigund he is not part of the Pact, aren’t you afraid of him?” the sage asked suddenly[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Is he here?” the guard asked the sage in return, genuinely looking around.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“It is with amazing alacrity and vigil that you carry out your duties” the Rap Sage observed acidly[/FONT]
[FONT="]The guard just shrugged. “Whos are yous and whats doos yous wantings?” the guard finally asked them.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“We are here to see your King, we seek audience with him”[/FONT]
[FONT="]The guard gave them the benefit of a disparaging stare. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“The Kings donts see all kinds, but I will have speaks with my commanders” he said. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“That’s wonderful, you can try…but will they understand?” The Rap Sage shot back. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Whose?”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“The Commanders you will speak with” said the sage.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Theys don’ts mosting of the timings, I doesn’t knowing why” the guard complained[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Their capabilities surely don’t match yours! Have you perhaps tried singing to them? [/FONT]I[FONT="] could teach you to sing” the Rap Sage emphasised accommodatively.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Just then the sound of drums and trumpets sounding the movement of a dignitary reached them. The Devas were very keen on pomp and ceremony. The guard, well aware of this trait, straightened up perceptably. He pulled at his tunic and straightened his sun spear. The visitors turned around in time to see a retinue of Royal guards on levitating chariots emerging through the gigantic gateway. Right in the centre of the retinue was the King’s own levitating chariot, a magnificent vehicle of gold with sparkling copper bow and stern and an ebony hull. The vehicle, a special edition of the latest levitating Kiran war-chariots, was distinguishable by the emblazoned symbol of lightening on its hood and the small ceremonial flag on its dome shaped top. It dawned on them that Indra himself was on his way out of Amaravati. The Guard at the gate became highly agitated.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Gods, Gods! The Kings, he’s comings this ways. What shoulds I does? Quickly” the guard implored of the sage.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Quick, Go back to school and start all over again, you can’t lose! It can’t get worse than it already is” the sage suggested hurriedly.[/FONT]
[FONT="]To the Guard’s chagrin, the entourage halted and turned towards the guard tower. The guard nearly fainted.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Why is the Kings comings to me eh eh?” he challenged hysterically[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Don’t flatter yourself old son, the King is here to receive us” the sage said pompously.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Guard gulped. [/FONT]
[FONT="] “Whose are yous?” he implored again, cursing the day he stopped the two mysterious travelers. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Nobody’s, I am my own!” said The Rap Sage, sagely. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The guard snapped his mouth shut as the cortège reached them; he opted instead to stand as straight as an arrow. The King stepped down from his chariot. Even in the simple act of alighting from the chariot, Indra was imperious. Aswathaman bowed deeply. Aswathaman, who was seeing Indra for the first time, noticed that the Deva King was impressive. Like most of the Devas he was fair skinned, slim and clean shaven. The timelessness of a Demi-God glimmered as a nimbus around the king. The King’s eyes were black, like two obsidian discs of inscrutable ebony. His straight white hair flowed from under his crown to his shoulders. He wore a silk garment, loose and flowing till his knees and a full flowing loose way-stee made of heavily interwining silk and gold threads. He was carrying the famous [/FONT]Vajr[FONT="], thunder wielder. [/FONT]
[FONT="]A nod from Indra was the only acknowledgement that Aswathaman got. Then the King saw The Rap Sage as he stepped out from behind Aswathaman. A brief smile was accorded as a concession to the little sage. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“IIiksha” the King said in his sing song voice. “Welcome.” The king did not ask them into his chariot, instead he beckoned them to walk with him into the city with his guards following them at a respectful distance. Whether this was honour granted to them or whether Indra did not want them in his chariot was impossible to guess.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Rap sage turned around briefly and winked at the harried guard. After the entourage was lost to view, the hassled guard collapsed to the ground.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The city itself was embellished with soft glittering colours of the rainbow that seemed to be everywhere and yet nowhere, making every object glow with a light of its own, be it the street lamps, the waterfalls, the gardens and fountains. Beautiful apsaras were walking along, tittering at their secretive whispered comments. Proud Devas walked straight and strong. [/FONT]Pavan,[FONT="] the Levitating chariots used mostly by the civilians, whizzed deferentially past the Monarch of the Devas and the older and the much larger [/FONT]Pushpak Viman[FONT="] chugged along benevolently, maintaining safe distance from Indra and his retinue. The city was full of criss crossing roads hanging in the air, apparently without support.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“What brings you here Illiksha,” said the king of the demi-gods. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“My Lord knows, I seek your help against Trigund”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Ah….the child killer versus the anomaly, how droll” said the King disdainfully. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Aswathaman stalled in his step for a fraction of a moment. Then he resumed the walk, a little behind the King. Aswathaman knew that he had to live with that tag and he had realized long ago that there would always be people to remind him. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Indeed the king is wise, one thorn to pull out another, but child killer though he was, he never was cursed to be a pig” said The Rap Sage with some vehemence “and I don’t mean ill will to the venerable animal” [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Sage was alluring to the curse that Indra had to suffer for a time. It had been quite sometime since anybody had dared to even mention the ignonomy that Indra had to undergo as a pig on Bhoomi. Reminded abruptly, Indra shuddered at the memory.[/FONT]
[FONT="]A powerful, short tempered sage had once walked into Amaravati seeking the Deva King’s assistance on a matter which though significant to the sage, was considered inconsequential by the arrogant King of Devas. It related to the protection of a bunch of yogis from renegade Asuras who were tormenting humans offering supplications to their deities. The King had made the sage wait for a full seven days, the reason; he was enjoying a dance extravaganza by the four apsaras. The sound of revelry traversing well into the depths of the night only increased the growing antagonism in the sage. On the seventh day, when a satiated and contented Indra finally gave him audience, the furious sage had cursed the King of Demi-Gods to be born as a pig in Bhoomi, judging that Indra had no right to be a responsible king of the demi-gods. That very instant, Indra vanished into thin air and to the shock and chagrin of the Devas, was not heard off for a time. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“That was not necessary Illiksha, I was merely stating a fact” the King said uneasily.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“So was I My Lord” said The Rap Sage sweetly. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“So be it, what can we do for you in this pig sty” Indra inquired dryly. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“You can keep a promise once made to me” The Rap Sage countered. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The King paused for a time as though trying to recollect promises that he might have made.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“I don’t remember making promises to anyone” drawled the King. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Then maybe I should help you recollect it by revoking the incantation in my ring” said The Rap Sage. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Indra paled. The ring was given to him by The Rap Sage to bring back his memory when he was wallowing as an Aksai Black Pied pig in a pig sty in what is today known as eastern Kazakhstan on Bhoomi. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Long ago, following the curse and disappearance of Indra, the Rap Sage had been dispatched to trace and fetch Indra by Narada the God-Saint. Because the curse was in a sense an ailment and since the Rap Sage was a healer, Narada had found it appropriate to use the services of a healer sage to cure the curse of an ill-tempered sage. Narada had considered the fact that the Kingdom of the demi-gods was reeling under continous attacks of renegade Asuras who had spurned the pact of Cheera Samudra and had somehow got wind of the long absence of the unfortunate King. Narada was convinced it was imperative to bring Indra back, no matter how much he deserved the punishment, in order to restore balance. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Rap Sage had traced the black pied pig snorting away happily in its pig sty through the yogic impulses it could sub-consciously generate. The pig was happily ignorant of its celestial past, enjoying the comforts of the tick and leech infested slush it was wallowing in. The sage had confused the astonished owner of the pig farm into handing him over the pig. In the privacy of his own room, unmindful of the stink raised by the special pig, the Rap Sage had examined the equation in the curse. He had found that the curse was irreversible but it could be undone partially with a reverse equation threaded into it. The only hitch was that if the reverse equation, which was by itself a curse-against-a-curse, was revoked, it would result in devastating effect on Indra’s memories. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Rap Sage had captured the incantation for the reverse equation into a thin silver ring that he’d conjured. The minute the Rap Sage touched him with the ring, the King gained his form and memories. Indra’s screams of pain and outrage were unbearable. Still, [/FONT]someone[FONT="] had to pull out the leeches and ticks. The Rap Sage had to heal the king for three days by the time Indra was himself again, albeit, with a few sores that were itching constantly. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Indra had rushed back to his Kingdom wearing his silver ring and had used the assassin services of a certain High Lord called Mrihir to kill the renegade Asuras in their sleep and had successfully thwarted the attack on his Kingdom. The Rap Sage had reiterated and Indra had verified subsequently that if the ring were ever to be removed from his person or if its equations reversed, his memory would fail and though he was in Indralok, he would retain only memories of himself as a pig in Eastern Kazakhstan. In return, the startled King of the Demi-Gods had committed to help The Rap Sage in his hour of need. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“I was just jesting Illiksha, just jesting.” The King drawled and tried a frigid smile on The Rap Sage for good measure. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“I am sure mighty king” said The Rap Sage. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Tell me what you want” said the King of the Demi gods. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Vijaya the bow”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“That is impossible Illiksha” said the King. “That is for Rukmi only.” [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Rap Sage was bristling with irritation. His patience was wearing thin and the arrogance of the Demi-God was beginning to get to him. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Hear this King, Rukmi doesn’t need the bow now. Aswathaman needs the weapon of the Gods for it is his only safeguard against Trigund”[/FONT]
[FONT="]Indra considered this for a minute as they slowly walked amongst the marvel that was Amaravati. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“I assume Mrihir and his troops would be sufficient support” the arrogant King said carelessly. The Rap Sage was silent but his stare was as hard as stone as he waited for the King to say more. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“If Aswathaman could be defeated, Lord Vishnu would never have selected him or freed him of his curse” Indra added lightly.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Aswathaman was astounded. Though it was a backhanded compliment from the Deva King he was happy for it.The Rap Sage knew that there was only one thing to do. An outright threat was the only way. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Maybe great King, but what if he fails because you did not extend help that you could have?” The Rap Sage asked. “Lord Rudra I am sure wouldn’t be very happy about it and nor would Lord Vishnu and they won’t need me to reverse my equation…” [/FONT]
[FONT="]Indra looked at The Rap Sage petutantly. “So now it is about survival itself Illiksha”[/FONT]
[FONT="]As though in response there was a strenuous quivering, a shudder in the fabric of Creation, as though time itself was breached open. It lasted for a less than a fraction of a moment in time. All three looked at each other. All three knew that the quivering in the fabric of creation could occur only if the elemental locks were penetrated. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The elements, part of the Deva retinue were locks of all five entries with Yaksha, Manava, Gandharva, Vanara and Asura keys. Therefore all of the beings of Jagam were enterwined in the single objective of safeguarding the multiverse from the Elder of Creation, namely Kroni the Other. Whereas the other beings still vowed by their duties, [/FONT]Manavas[FONT="], the humans had quite forgotten their responsibilities at the end of the age of Krishna. [/FONT]
[FONT="]There was a master lock that controlled the trance of Kroni. No one knew who the key to that lock was. Agni the elemental Lord of fire, Vayu the elemental Lord of air, Varun the elemental Lord of water and two of his trusted boon-sons, Bhoomi the elemental Lord of earth and Akasha the elemental lord of Ether were the five elements controlling the locks of Asatya. Their essences were entwined with each thread of the five locks. The five locks by themselves were supposed to be unbreachable.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Elder roamed within Asatya’s vitriolic slime for only he could survive its minacious anarchism. To even think of him was terrifying. Indra knew of no other entity that could pierce through that dark vile abode and survive. The King’s thoughts were interrupted by the Rap Sage[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Is it what I think it is?” The Rap Sage asked the King of the Demi-gods. [/FONT]
[FONT="]In reply he only received a sharp gaze from Indra. Clearly the King was shaken by what could have been penetration [/FONT]into[FONT="] the other side of Satya. It was impossible for anything to go in or come out of Asatya. But the locks were weakening in Kalyug, the elemental Lords were struggling against the onslaught of abuse on the elements themselves. Free will of the [/FONT]Manavas[FONT="] was shaking the very foundations instead of strengthening it and thus the locks were being betrayed. If indeed the quivering was a result of something entering the other side of Satya how long would it be before something from the inside broke open the locks? As these thoughts cruised through the sage’s mind another thought struck him and sent a chill down his spine. [/FONT]
‘I hope it’s not Kashyap’
[FONT="]“Come with me” said the King of the Demi-gods all of a sudden.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“So will you grant him the Vijaya” the Rap Sage posed again[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Yes, I will” said Indra simply. There was urgency to Indra’s actions as though he wanted to hand over the bow to Aswathaman and have the two of them out of his realm at the earliest. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Aswathaman felt a quivering in the air again, like heat waves on tarred roads on a hot day. This time an absolutely splendiferous great bow materialized in the hands of the Deva King. The weapon was a work of art. It was made of a mix of snan metal and bamboo. Technology that could fuse metal and wood into one commingle amazed the archer in Aswathaman. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Mage had heard of the Snan. It was an alloy created by the Devas for their lite swords and other weaponry and was about twenty times lighter than the lightest metal on earth, Lithium. Snan was also as hard as a diamond and could pierce through mostly everything. Yet the bow appeared flexible and as light as a bamboo stick. It was almost five and a half feet in length. The quiver holding the arrows was self replenishing. The arrows were a clear three feet in length and appeared perfectly balanced. They were flexible, made of bamboo and infused with snan arrow-heads. They could withstand the power of any equation and unleash terrible havoc on the enemy when wielded by a master archer and Aswathaman was indeed the last of the Masters. There were, in all, six Master Archers. Bheeshma, his great grandson Arjun, Arjun’s son Abhimanyu, Arjun’s estranged brother Karn, The Warrior Mage Drona and his son Aswathaman. Of the six, only Aswathaman remained, immortal and cursed. [/FONT]
[FONT="]King Indra now turned to Aswathaman and gestured for him to take the weapon. Aswathaman noticed an indent on the bridge of the bow, right in the centre, a circular cavity that ought to have been bejeweled. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“My Lord, what is the cavity in the bow?” Aswathaman asked almost in a half whisper[/FONT]
[FONT="]“I do not know Aswathaman. The bow moulds itself to suit its user. Maybe when the time is ripe you will know” said Indra softly. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Aswathaman knelt down and took the Vijaya with both his hands from King Indra. The power of the celestial weapon seeped into him and he trembled lightly as its energies entwined with his essence. It was the natural union of a powerful celestial long-bow and the only master archer alive. Indra smiled. The King’s face changed into radiance itself when he smiled; there was a certain boyish charm to him. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“The longbow has accepted you as its consort Aswathaman” he declared, astonished . Aswathaman said nothing; he merely slung the bow on his shoulder. They were ready to head back to their quest. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“The bow will come to your aid whenever you will it to. It will do your bidding but only until such time that it appears to the Vijaya that your path is just. Remember, this bow has a soul and it is pure and simple.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]Aswathaman bowed deeply. “I am grateful my King” he said softly. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Consider your promise fulfilled fair King” said The Rap Sage mightily. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Indra bowed his head ever so slightly and a small smile was playing on his lips.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“I wish you all success Warriors of Mount Kailash, if there is anything at all you need please do remember me if you will” Indra proclaimed generously.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Presently after enjoying the hospitality of the Devas and partaking of their food the duo found themselves near the gates of Amaravati content and replenished. Standing outside the gates was an ashen faced Mrihir and he was heading towards them. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Where is Kashyap?” Aswathaman asked almost immediately. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“He…I think he was abducted” Mrihir said in a soft whisper. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“By God! It was Kashyap being dragged into the other side of Satya. We could feel the opening into that sullied muddle, I don’t know if he could have survived it” The Rap Sage said and he said it so softly the other two could barely hear him. Aswathaman regarded the diminutive sage bereft of any emotion. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Will Ravana’s powers work” the Mage asked flatly.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“For better or for worse Kashyap is now an Asura, I think he will survive if he doesn’t panic.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“What can we do?” Mrihir asked. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“Retrieve the Vel and hope Kashyap can come back… if he is still alive” said The Rap Sage. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Mrihir cleared his throat. “I may have found one of the readers” he said quietly.The High Lord spoke to them at length about all that had happened and about Arvindnath Vikas a.k.a. the encounter specialist.[/FONT]
