"This one likes you," Tusita said with an approving grin.
"Amazing!" I giggled in excitement when the Ashva licked the side of my face. "I can't believe this!"
My Ashva was sniffing around my shoulders while I stroked her long powerful neck. I giggled when her cold breath tickled my ear.
"She's the swiftest and strongest one of them all," Tusita told me. "The best flying horse Father keeps in heavens."
"Does she have a name?" I asked.
"Not that I know of, but you can pick one for her." She shrugged. "Father didn't mention it in the dream."
"You talked to him in your dream?" I asked.
"We all do," Vorac said. “You can try through meditation. That's how we communicate with our heavenly parents."
“Oh.” I nodded and turned to my Ashva again.
"How about I name my horse, 'Pisey'?" I asked.
"Oh, Pisey, 'little darling'. I like that name." Tusita said.
"May I have the privilege of riding one of your horses, too, Tusita? Please?" Atith said, shifting from side to side as if he needed to pee.
"Oh, remember that time you didn't let me to ride your fire horses?" Tusita said.
"Aw!" Atith's face dropped. "I can help you teach Nikita too, please?"
Tusita pursed her lips as she considered it.
"Fine," Tusita said at last. “Choose one.”
Atith punched the air and came to take one of the winged horses. But his hasty act spooked them. One of the horse raised its front hooves and kicked him in the chest. Atith was sent skidding across the field about twenty feet away. When the momentum stopped, he was sitting on his neck.
"Oh Meru gods!"
We all ran towards him.
"Are you alright?" I asked as we helped him to his feet. Atith reeled sideway like a crab, but Samudra caught him.
"I thought my fire horses were the nastiest!" He rolled his neck around with a sour face.
"Good thing that your armor is permanent or your bones would be shattered like twigs," Tepi said and patted his golden chest.
"Wait, his armor is permanent?" I said.
"His divine father blessed him with the Kavach, the indestructible armor," Tusita said. "Atith was born wearing it."
"Oh," I said, wondering how heavy it must be to wear it all day and night.
"So much for your horsemanship, big boy," Samudra said and patted Atith's back. We walked back towards the Ashvas. They were pawing the ground and grooming their wings without a care.
"Maybe you can count on me," Vorac said to Tusita, batting her eyelashes a little. "I would teach Nikita to ride the great winged horses of yours to the level of expertise."
"Well, if I have your promise to spend the night with me in my chamber, then..." Tusita whispered in her ear, which caused the other girl to shove her away with a glare.
While everyone was still obsessed with the new breeds, the sun raised its smoldering head where the earth touched the sky. Then a ray of golden light flashed through the clouds. We all looked up and saw something rising above the horizon. As the glowing light got nearer and brighter, my eyes could no longer endure the blinding glare. I thought it was a comet falling to earth, but the light seemed to be emitted from the strange flying object. It became too much to bear, and I winced.
"Don't look!" Atith told me. "He's descending."
"Who's descending?"
"Lord Surya, the sun god."
CHAPTER 21
The light pierced through every corner of the earth. I had to shield my face with my hand as the brightness intensified. From where we stood, we heard the metal clinking and wailing of horses again. Once the golden light ceased, we saw a glittering flying chariot made of shimmering gold. It was pulled by a gigantic white horse with seven bobbing heads. Its massive body was as white as raw cotton, but its tail was black as ink.
The shining chariot cruised through the sky. Behind the seven-headed horse stood a youthful charioteer. He had radiant flowing golden hair and flawless golden skin. His attire was made of gold and red silk. He also wore flashing heavy armor and a tall crown. His whole being was surrounded by brilliant rays.
Everyone knelt to the ground with their heads bowed. My eyes were still locked on the mighty chariot and the huge white stallion. The heat from those two powerful wheels left fire trails on the grass as the god of the sun rode to a halt.
Tepi had to pull me down onto my knees. The god steered his blazing vehicle towards us. The glorious golden light drenched over our heads for a while before it dimmed down.
"Rise, children," a golden voice echoed like chiming bells. I could feel the energy surge through my veins.
We stood again. The god of the supreme light was a tall handsome man with golden eyes and strong jovial face.
I still couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that I actually got to see the sun chariot with my own eyes. Each wheel of glaring gold looked like the flat round disc of the sun as they vibrated above the ground. The solar chariot had the strangest sun horse. The creature's seven heads tossed about, grooming each other's hair.
"Lord Father," Atith said with a bow. "What brought you here out of the blue?"
"None other than my own curiosity, my son," the god said with a wave of his golden hand. "I have heard rumors of the Fated Child. Rumors, which spread like Agni's wildfire in heaven. Hence, I harnessed my mount and journeyed down to find the truth."
One of the horse heads bared his teeth at me. I took it as a friendly grin. Another one stretched his long white neck towards me and chewed the hem of my shirt. I snatched the fabric away from his mouth. The divine stallion gave me a horsey hiss.
"Hush, boy!" Lord Surya snapped, "Behave yourself or you won't have your share of golden hay tonight."
The horse snorted back, making the god shook his head. Then Surya turned to us and his brilliant eyes fell on me. He gave me a blinding smile.
"Is that the one Chandra has been so watchful of for all these lifetimes?" the sun god said, scrutinizing at me with his bright stare. I looked at Vorac, who shrugged back as if she had nothing to say.
"Of course, Father," Atith said and motioned towards me. "Here she is, the Destined One, prophesied by the Oracle of Pipaet. She is the one and only we have encountered so far."
"I see," Surya said and nodded thoughtfully. "If you are the one we truly seek, then I bless you as the next Conqueror of Rahu."
"The Conqueror of Rahu? What does it mean?" I asked.
"Does it mean what my Father said is true, my lord?" Vorac said. "He told me that Rahu shall return with a wish to claim the night and day. If the demon succeeds, the world shall be encased in darkness for eternity."
"Rumors like wildfire," Surya grunted dismissively. "I must speak of it no further for the words of a god might come to pass. Now tell me why you are up so early under the blessing of dawn?"
"We're preparing for the holy game, my lord," Atith said. "The first challenge requires us to use this type of mounts. Would you kindly give us some advice?"
"You are the son of a god who handles the wheel of light. Your horsemanship must benefit you profoundly. My only advice is to play fair in this holy game. That shall lead you to victory."
"Lord Surya," Tusita said. "How about you give this words of wisdom to Issarak, the hateful son of Murugan? I'm sure fairness isn't part of his plan. Now he’s probably too busy hitching up mischief against us."
"Alas, daughter of the sky lord," Surya let out a musical laugh. "You have nothing to fear. The truth will shine itself like the sun outshines the stars."
Then he turned his radiant face to me and smiled. I smiled back for I didn't know what else to do when a god smiled at you.
"Embrace your courage, dear child," he said. "If the Lord has chosen you for this theme, you will have so many things to conquer. I must leave now for the duty of the dawn goddess has ended, and the sun must not rise late or else it will confuse the wise. Have my blessing, children."
With that said, he flicke
d his golden reins over the mighty horse. We stepped back and averted our eyes away as the sun chariot started glowing again. The solar mount raised the front hooves and tilted all his seven heads with a zealous cry. The chariot lurched forward into a burst of a swift gallop.
A second later, we watched the sun chariot glided back into the blue sky.
~*~
We began our lesson from there and started mounting the Ashvas. Atith helped me adjust my feet behind my horse's wings.
I stroked Pisey's strong neck, and she shook her glossy mane. Her folded wings twitched in excitement against my legs.
"Now, are you ready for your first flight?" Tusita asked me as she mounted her Ashva with grace. The others did the same. I gave a hesitant nod, but my mouth started to turn a little dry. I could feel the sweat dampened my palms.
"Alright now, I must go first," Tusita said and motioned to us to follow her lead.
With a tug on the reins, she went into a gallop. Everyone on their flying horses went after her through the field. I tried to follow their example, but my horse didn't move. I urged my Ashva with my heels, but she remained still.
"We must go after them!” I said to my Ashva. “Go, horse! Fly!"
I dug my heels in her sides again, but then Pisey surprised me by raising her front legs with a loud whinny and unfolded her large wings.
"Oh dear!" I gasped and clung to her neck.
Then with a squeal, the horse leaped straight into the sky. I lost my stomach somewhere on the ground. My arms wrapped around her neck tightly as we darted through the air.
"Piiiiiseeeeey!" I screamed in a high pitch voice.
My legs clasped around her massive back while she kept soaring at a neck-breaking speed.
"Nikita, tug the reins!" Tusita yelled from somewhere in the sky. I couldn't see anyone. My horse whizzed about the clouds like a crazy flying bug. I managed to pull on the reins, but I might have tugged a bit too hard because Pisey neighed aloud in anger. We came to a skidding halt in mid-air. Then both the horse and I plummeted back to earth like a lost kite. Below us was a vast water Baray.
"No damn it, Pisey! Get back up! I'm sorry!" I yelled and grabbed a fistful of her thick white mane. The horse hissed, but the horse beat her large wings again. We came back at last and gained a steady altitude this time. I was able to catch my breath again.
"You're alright, Nikita?" Atith's voice asked with an amused tone as his winged horse circled around me. "You looked as white as your horse!"
The others also swarmed in from all corners of the sky.
"I forgot to tell you," Tusita said. "The Ashvas take commands through a psychic bond. To ride better, you both have to understand each other well. "
"If it is so, I must first try not to lose my mind," I said, still gasping from the panicky ride. They burst out laughing.
"Pisey, darling," I whispered in my Ashva's twitching ear. "Let's go for a gentle flight this time. I'm sure you don't want me to wet my pants on you."
The horse whined and snorted, yet we bounced through the air in a slower speed.
CHAPTER 22
The next day, we started our riding-flying lesson. We plowed through the meadow of clouds without any problem. I looked down and saw tiny houses below. To my left was a wide water moat of the golden temple. To my right, countless stone canals, rice paddles, and water Barays.
We flew over specks of trees that surrounded the city walls. Everywhere I looked took my breath away. The city was larger than I previously thought. My eyes drank in all the sacred landscapes in awe. It was so beautiful up here. I could see golden temples in various designs, dotting the green hills and the mountains. Some stood proudly on wide plains with manicured gardens and lotus ponds.
Our winged-horses cruised through the sky, whizzing and floating past the drifting clouds. We glided in a small formation. The horses' wings flapped rhythmically in the breezy morning. Pisey made a gentle air-gallop along with the others.
As the sun rose high, Angkor City lightened up like a fairytale kingdom. Acres of golden rice fields and green plantations spread over the majestic land. Flying along with my avatar friends, I realized that this holy city was indeed the heaven on earth.
We sky-rode like that for the whole morning before we turned back to the encampment again. But before we even took our descend, a whooping sound echoed out of nowhere. Something bright darted past us, followed by a tailwind that tousled our hair.
We all looked to see what it was and found a couple of flying objects soaring in the sky. They looked like metal aircraft in the shape of a bird. Another one came at us and nearly knocked me off my horse.
We scattered away from each other to avoid it. The horses almost lost their altitude in a panic. We tried to calm our Ashvas. They wailed and hissed in anger. That was when we saw Issarak and Morokot, but what astonished us more were their shimmering rides.
We stared at their unusual metal birds. The whole craft was made of bronze and jointed by golden plates for wings. They decorated the bodies with feathered pattern and curvy tails with sharp-clawed legs. The metal birds hissed hot steam through the nostrils and open beaks.
We were fairly amazed by their invention.
Issarak even fastened a red cushion saddle on his handsome vehicle. His other friends also appeared from behind. We realized that they had engineered their own kind of mounts.
Issarak smirked while we kept staring at their shiny flock of machine birds. He flew past us again at a blinding speed and went through the sky. The others followed him in a formation. Their bronze birds glittered in the sunlight.
"They ride mechanical birds!" I said. "Am I seeing that I think it is?"
"No need for unduly surprise, Nikita, one of Issarak's worshipers is the avatar of Kubera, the God of Wealth. They can ask for any vehicles they wish."
"I thought such invention only existed in my time," I said, undoubtedly impressed.
"Well, they call those the Hamsa. We have only heard of the Hamsa in the legend of King Atithvongsa," Tepi said with a shrug.
"So you people were able to build something like that since the beginning of time?"
"With the knowledge of the gods, yes,” Tusita said. “We could bring anything to life. In the legend, it mentions the first flying Hamsa in a poem. Made of pure gold and encased with rubies and diamonds, the metal craft was so beautiful that anyone who saw it would bow down. Two great engineers invented the flying vehicle together. One worked on the body with his peerless artistic skills. The other created the engine with his blessed knowledge. They named their invention after the heavenly swans. The flying bird was made for the King's son. The prince later used it to travel to all corner of the earth, looking for his soulmate."
"I don't think Issarak would use his to look for maidens," Vorac said. "He's too busy chasing fame."
"We must land before they return lest they would upset our mounts," Tepi advised.
We could hear the clanking of the mechanism at work inside the Hamsas as they flew back. The breath coming out of those bronze beaks was hot steam and flames. I could see even the bird's eyes glowed red like burning coal.
Issarak and his friends returned after they finished showing off their flying stunts. Those sparkling bronze wings sent a reflecting glare on our faces, causing us to shade our eyes. Then they came to a hover before us.
Morokot flipped her wind-blown hair from her face and looked at our mounts.
"You look ridiculous on your silly winged horses," Issarak spat an insult.
Atith growled, but Tepi raised her hand to calm him.
"Beware of your glib tongue, Issarak," Tepi said with her chin held high. "Babble not a word further or else..."
"Or else what, Tepi?" Issarak sneered back. "Do yourselves a favor and get out of my sky quarters."
"Excuse me?" Atith said. "The sky is not your domain!"
"Be careful whom you're talking to, Issarak," said Tusita. "My father rules the sky. Who gives you the right to tell us so?"
"Harass not the holy one and the avatars of the same gods, Issarak," Samudra said, moving his horse forward, "or you shall have no one by your side when you need them. Drop this scornful chatter and keep your distance!"
Issarak gritted his teeth and turned to Morokot.
"How come you just sit there and not shut this fellow's mouth, the one who had disgraced you?"
As soon as he said that, Morokot snapped her face back to Samudra. A burning glare of remembrance ignited in her eyes. Then she opened her palm and red flames burst to life.
"Morokot, don't you remember your father's warning?" Samudra said.
She just hissed and hurled a huge ball of fire towards us. The fire frightened the horses, but before the deathly blaze could reach any of us, the flames recoiled and reversed itself, flying straight back at them.
The war god's son yelped in surprise and barely managed to manifest a gold shield to hold off the fire. We all stared at Morokot with wild eyes. The horses whined and flipped their wings, but we calmed them down at last.
"What in Yama's Hell do you think you are doing, Morokot?" Issarak yelled at her.
"I don't know! My fire somehow didn't listen to me!" Morokot looked startled. She shook her hand, which still had red flames dancing around her fingers. At last, she blew it out.
"I can't believe it!" Issarak hissed. Then a spear sprang out in his hand.
Two of them glided their Hamsas towards us, but Tusita and Atith jerked their horses forward and swung themselves around. At the same time, the Ashvas released their powerful kicks into their bronze birds, causing the flying vehicles to spin out of control.
"Everyone stop the fight! Hold your ground!" Tepi yelled, but it seemed pointless since there was no ground anyway.
The fight in the air broke out.
Vorac summoned her silver bow, tugging an arrow onto the string. She was about to shoot one of the other avatar in the butt when Tepi rode off to block her aim. Atith and Tusita fought with the three avatars while Samudra and Morokot chased each other madly in a circle.
Daughter of the Naga Page 16