by Kevin Missal
Amrit was never supposed to be for humans and even if it was, Nagas were better off without it.
They had reached the camp. It was in the middle of a thick jungle—there was swirling smoke and fire, smell of roasted snakes and worms wafted around, soldiers in their tunics and their dhotis walked around without the slightest of caution, tents of red and golden colours had been set up and flags had been set up on the boundaries. Eagles had been etched on the flags. Some people roared and sang together while others sat in silence, sharpening their swords. Some were even training.
The Suparns were taking Manasa and Nanda to the centre of the entire camp and as they moved, her blue eyes and her black hair were noticed by the golden-haired Suparns who began to whistle and make kissing noises. Nanda was getting uncomfortable.
“You are not welcome, sister.”
“Sister? She’s too much of a wench to be someone’s sister.”
“Look at those. I shall just bite them off.”
All these words were spit by the Suparns who sat on logs comfortably. They all had battle scars and looked weary for the day.
“Shut up!” a pale-faced Nanda protested.
Manasa patted him on the shoulder. “It’s okay.”
Nanda nodded as he held on to the medical leaves that were wrapped around his chest, covered in paste and ointment. They entered a huge tent that was hammered to the ground by thick iron nails. The flaps were multicoloured—bronze and red—and inside there were platters of grapes, apples, papayas, and wines of different colours, of a delicious amber and brown. A carpet had been spread on the ground over which Manasa saw a strange, slim man with wild, bushy hair that flew in the wind. He had strange glitter-like golden paint over the top of his eyes and a scrawny beard on his slender face.
“Nanda! Ah, what a pleasant surprise.” Maruda grinned and stood up, offering his hand to the injured man.
And before Nanda could say anything, he just collapsed on the ground. Manasa came forward to help him.
“Oh! By the wings of Garuda, you are sick. Take him to the infirmary and make sure he’s fine. Give him whatever he wants and bring him back to me. I need him alive since he owes me big time.”
His men nodded, grabbing Nanda and taking him out of the tent.
Owed Maruda? I thought it was the other way around.
“And who you might be, lady?” Maruda looked at her with a bored and exhausted expression. He went over to the wine table and poured himself one glass. “How can I be of service to you?” And then his eyes noticed Manasa’s gloved and limped hand. “Hold on . . . ah, if it isn’t Vasuki’s sister? The infamous broken hand. Tell me something, Nanda was your husband, right? How did you, you know, do it with one hand not working?” He stifled a laugh which only made Manasa furious.
But she made sure to control her temper because she was in his domain and she had no army to back her right now.
“We came here because we needed your help.” She paused. “I know you killed my brother’s family. You slaughtered his sons. But our matter is greater than personal conflict.”
Maruda shrugged as he walked to the carpet and plopped himself down on the comfortable cushions. “Honestly, he brought it on himself. I didn’t want his sons to come and take revenge in the distant future. I was just being careful, though I forgot there is always his sister who could do the same. Well, I’m glad you are here. You have made my job easier.” He laughed.
Manasa wanted to pulverize him.
“I’m serious, Maruda. I am not here to seek revenge. I’m here to question you.”
“Question me what?”
“Why is a Suparn camp close to Naagpuri?”
Maruda stopped smiling. “We were welcomed.”
“What is going on? Do you work for Jamun?”
“And how does it matter to you?”
“I want to know what’s going on.”
Maruda thought for a moment. “You know, you came with my friend, Nanda, so I shall reveal a little bit, but only a bit since I know so much only. I’m just a simple executor. Lord Tarakshya is the one who commands us. Your minister and him, they had some deal going on for the so-called betterment of the people.”
Lord Tarakshya was the king of the Suparns. Manasa had heard a lot of things about him—he could eat a hundred snakes at a time, though that was stupid and unbelievable. And he was regal and handsome. His father had been the one waging wars against Manasa’s father and the war between the two of them had eventually caused conflict between Tarakshya and Vasuki, until Vasuki stopped fighting and left his kingdom to join Lord Kali’s conquest.
“What kind of deal?”
“Let bygones be bygones.”
“And what does that mean?”
“Lord Tarakshya wanted revenge for his father’s death at the hands of the Nagas. Your minister felt it was only fair that his progeny be allowed to exact that revenge, but before anything could happen, Vasuki dropped dead. So his family was left and that led to their . . . you know what happened then.”
Jamun was the one who had let the Suparns infiltrate their land and kill Vasuki’s family under Kadru’s nose, which only made Manasa more worried for her niece.
“It was a gift by your minister, an offering of truce. They sent boats and let the army watch while Vasuki’s family was slaughtered and his house was burnt down. It was a sad affair. I had to do it.” He didn’t look remorseful at all.
Manasa tightened her fist. She was feeling so many things right now, but she chose to hide her emotions. If she attacked him now, she would be killed by his men.
“But, we were just planning to leave and, and you two had to show up. Rogues! Bah!” He clapped his hand excitedly. “Always a bit of enjoyment when conflict arises. Weren’t you part of your dead brother’s conquest in the bloody part of this country?”
“Yes,” she nodded, almost fighting back her tears. Her eyes had welled up. “What does Tarakshya want now and how do the Nagas fit in this picture?”
“All we want is to live in harmony as the reason for bad blood is now mostly over.”
“Don’t the Nagas want reserves of your exotic plants?”
“Oh no, consider it selflessness on our part to initiate harmony after decades of war. Or hasn’t it been made clear to you yet?”
Something felt off. She could feel it in her bones.
“Now bugger away, lady, to your trader friend, and ensure he is in good health. We don’t have all day, we need to make arrangements for the party and all, you know.”
Her ears perked up. “Party?”
“Yeah, a feast by Lord Tarakshya inviting the elite of the Nagas to his chambers as a sign of a new beginning. The minister was damn pushy about it, I tell you. Perhaps he has realized the worth of the Suparns, the Golden Eagles, the Descendents of Lord Garuda.”
No, not really, you idiot. The party is of course just bogus. There is something more to it.
“Well, thank you so much for telling me.”
Maruda shrugged. “Yeah, yeah, of course. Just leave now.”
“I hope I can count on your protection within these grounds.”
“I’m a Suparn, not a snake . . . I mean, maybe it’s time to start respecting snakes since we have a feast with them. I’m not a Manav nor am I a Yaksha. I don’t go behind someone’s back and stab him. I would love to, of course, but no. Though we would be having a different conversation right now if Lord Tarakshya had ordered me to kill you. Tend to your husband now. Off you go!” He laid his head back in frustration.
Manasa did leave. But not without a plan in her head.
When Nanda woke up, Manasa was the first one to make him drink the hot soup. She then tended to him by using wet rags to regulate his temperature. His gash was still not cured, but it looked better. Veins were not protruding at the very least and the wound had been sutured.
“I’m sorry. Did I pass out?”
Manasa waded her fingers through his hair, nodding to herself. Nanda was definitely a very h
andsome man, someone fit enough to be with Manasa—big eyes, smart mouth, long ears, and hair that was softer than the fabric she was wearing. She never really had any experience with men because they were all imbeciles. But Nanda . . . he was different. The man was an imbecile but he was not someone with a shrewd heart.
“No problem, so here’s the story.”
Manasa told him everything till the party scenario, whispering as the infirmary had female Suparn nurses who were watching them, on the lookout for anything suspicious. They were in a secluded tent but it had too many open flaps for anyone to enter and the soldiers outside were already gawking at them.
“A feast?”
“Yes.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“Vasuki’s family was bait. Jamun made them believe that they were ready for a truce. Jamun showed Tarakshya a way. He would give anything and Tarakshya must have asked for Vasuki’s family as payment, which Jamun didn’t hesitate to let go. There’s something wrong about this scenario. Jamun wants something from Tarakshya, and that’s why he has consented to a feast at their city.”
“So he could infiltrate the base and get what he needs.”
“Perhaps he needs the Somalata,” Manasa sighed. “Or to know more about their designs, how many soldiers they have, bannermen, their architecture and what-not. Study it, scout it, and then when you know everything about the opponent, attack and conquer their kingdom—the eternal dream of a Naga. After all, the last time the Nagas had been in Suparnika had been hundreds of years ago. I hear that they have guarded themselves quite well. Suparns are the most secretive tribe. They only indulge in foreign affairs if they are messed with. They cover themselves with dome-like walls that prevents any army from barging in. One can only enter if invited. This was not the case a century ago. Tarakshya, who had modelled it, had realized that he didn’t need to trade with other cities. Everything was available within short distances from their city. Thus, the news about Somalata, the Amrit, it didn’t spread like wildfire because the Suparns had kept it to themselves and the Nagas didn’t want anyone else to know. Otherwise other tribes would have come and fought for it. It is all safely stocked in their city. Yet some of it is in Indragarh, which piques my interest. That means, there might be other caves, plants hidden elsewhere which the Nagas don’t know about.”
Nanda nodded. “But what if . . . what if it’s just a feast?”
“Oh god, don’t act like the eagle men here. They are famous for being idiots. We are not. This is politics. Jamun would not do anything just to have a good time. He will be here for a reason. And I dread when I think about it.”
Nanda looked at her intently. “All right, I agree with you. So, what’s the plan? We know the game, so what do we do now?”
“Believe it or not, we need the Suparns right now to just gauge Jamun’s actions.”
“But they won’t trust us,” Nanda remarked.
Manasa smiled. “I know. And I have a plan for that. We kidnap Jamun with the help of Kadru, make him speak in front of Maruda, and get him and his people executed. Once he’s dealt with, we will have the city back and also we will have Tarakshya’s trust to which in return we will ask for a one-time supply of Amrit. We will use it for our army, make them stronger.” She could picture riding with the Suparns and Nagas to Indragarh and just grabbing Kali’s throat, massacring his men and inhumanely torturing him.
“That sounds quite easy when you say it but Jamun is the most powerful person in Naagpuri right now.” He paused. “And you really want Suparns in your army?”
“They might be stupid, but they are good at what they do—fighting and flying.”
“Rightly said.” He clenched his jaw. “All right, let’s execute this crazy idea of yours, my lady.”
Manasa couldn’t help grinning and just came forward, kissing Nanda on the cheek. Embarassed by what she had done, she sat back. “Uh, sorry.”
“Please, don’t be. In fact, if you want to, you can do it again. I won’t mind at all.”
Manasa rolled her eyes playfully. “Shut up.”
“No, seriously. I really want it. I think my wound is starting to heal because of this.”
She ignored him. “What kind of deal do you have with Maruda? He could have killed us, but he didn’t. He’s treating you like a fellowman and he also says you owe him. I don’t get it.”
Nanda softly scratched his chin. “If I begin telling you about what Maruda and I owe to each other, it’ll take us a long time.”
Manasa laughed and Nanda did too. A good plan and a good partner, with a cool breeze around them, made them forget their dire situation for a moment.
Let’s hope to Lord Sheesha it sure damn works.
Urvashi woke up to find herself in a dingy room. It wasn’t like the ones she had stayed in, in her entire life—there were pipes and furnaces, leaking soiled water, moss over the floor, the smell of a dead rat engulfed her nostrils, and she could hear the drumming and the humming from the floor above.
I am in the underbelly of the city where the coal miners work.
And yet there were no miners around. Instead, she was with Lady Durukti who was massaging her head, mumbling to herself. Their gowns had dirt and black soot spattered all over them.
Father would be worried.
“Where are we?” Durukti looked around. “What happened?”
She doesn’t remember!
“What is the last thing you remember?” Urvashi asked.
“I don’t know.” She looked clueless. “Who are you?”
Oh no.
Urvashi wiped the sweat from her face and tried to get up when she found Symrin coming towards them, out of nowhere. She was worried and frantic. “My lady! My lady!” she called out to Durukti.
“Symrin?”
Symrin sat beside them and held Durukti’s hand. “My lady, what are you doing here? Why are you with Vedanta’s daughter?”
“I . . . I . . . Urvashi?” Durukti was still massaging her head. “No, I don’t know.”
“We heard rumours that she had kidnapped you.”
Urvashi stood up, gritting her teeth. This is just stupid. She knew now that Symrin was playing her hand. She must have replaced Durukti’s recent memories with fake ones. She must have also tried it on Urvashi, but Urvashi had a bracelet hidden under her gloved hands that charmed off any spell.
“Kidnapped me?” Durukti looked at Urvashi, horrified.
“Of course, and that is why I was knocked out like her.” Urvashi sarcastically said. “Lady Durukti, Symrin is playing games. She doesn’t want you to remember what happened. Symrin is a witch, a Vidhyadhara who’s manipulating you. Please do not hasten in making decisions. She brought us here—”
Symrin snapped in between. “No, my lady. She’s lying. Believe me, I have been your trusted advisor for a long time.” There was a hint of confusion in Symrin’s eyes. She hadn’t anticipated this. Urvashi remembered what had happened. Her spell had failed.
Durukti nodded. “I need some time.”
“Of course, my lady. We should leave this wretched place Urvashi has brought us to.” Symrin grabbed Durukti’s palm.
Urvashi knew why Symrin had brought them here in the first place. If her plan had gone awry, she could easily dispose both of them, burn them amidst the black reserves of coal and no one would know. Till now the plan was working. Urvashi had to turn the tables. Immediately.
“We must tell Lord Kali about Lady Urvashi’s indecent nature, and he shall imprison her.” She paused, mustering more words to make a case against Urvashi. “We need to rush since Lady Urvashi might hurt us again.”
“Of course.” Durukti slowly nodded. “We should go.”
Wrapping her arms around Durukti, Symrin guided her to the door. She glanced back at Urvashi with a venomous stare.
“But hold on,” Durukti stopped in her place, turning to Symrin. “If I was kidnapped by Urvashi, why did you come alone to rescue me? Where are the guards, the soldiers? More im
portantly . . . where is Kali?”
Symrin was speechless.
Yes. Thank the heavens. Lady Durukti is catching on.
“No, they are right ahead . . . they are . . .” Symrin fumbled nervously until her face went placid, as if she couldn’t care less about anything now. “All right, time to end you both.”
Durukti shook her head. She was still recalling things, Urvashi could notice it, and there was confidence in her voice now. “No, it is you who will perish. You work for someone. Who is it?”
“Enough with the questions.” Symrin closed her eyes and Urvashi knew that she was conjuring magic for a nasty purpose.
Urvashi instantly tore her bracelet and when Symrin, with a spark of elemental energy, used fire from the furnace to attack Durukti, the bracelet came in between, causing the spell to break.
“How in the . . .” she turned towards Urvashi with a furious face. “You know too much. How is it possible?”
“I have been trained well.”
“By whom? You are not a Vidhyadhara.”
“Yes, but I know their ways.”
“Still, you are no match for me.” She began to conjure fire again.
Urvashi saw Durukti reaching out for some coal lumps and throwing them at Symrin. One of them missed while the other hit her straight on the head. Symrin groaned, confused about whom to attack first and then she did the unthinkable. She thrust her hands forward, her fingers sparkled with fire energy as she directed both her hands towards Urvashi and Durukti.
“You shall both die now.”
Urvashi instantly went for the grill that was kept inside the furnace, burning bright. With the help of her solid gloves, she picked it up. It was hot, but not too much. Urvashi turned to Durukti and she nodded back at her. Durukti took the lump of coal in her fist, while Symrin had closed her eyes as the fireballs grew in her palms.
Durukti instantly tossed the coal lump at Symrin, breaking her concentration. In anger, she directed the fire towards Durukti only. Urvashi came forward, her eyes closing in brutal acceptance as she stabbed Symrin in the back with the hot grill. It went through her, skewering her bones and flesh, tearing them apart and passing on to the other end.