The Epic of Kautilya : Born To Be King

by Deepak Thomas

  Kautilya sighed.

  She looked up. Dhanush stood a few metres away, scanning the battlefield. “So the gates are open,” he said. “Varun has bested your ape armies. Your prized demon warrior is dying. I’m still alive and kicking and you will soon be dead. The conclusion is inevitable but at least you put up a good fight, Kautilya. I’m amazed you were able to resist as much as you did. You had me worried for some time.”

  He nocked an arrow in his bow.

  “You’re a strategic genius, Kautilya.” Dhanush took aim. “You could have done better on our side.”

  Kautilya looked at Dhanush, then looked around at the battlefield. Hundreds of apes lay dead. Angad was losing his battle against Varun. Her friends were getting hurt no matter what she did.

  Life is not fair to those who take half measures.

  You have to do whatever it takes even if it hurts the ones you love.

  She looked at Ādi’s blood-drenched face.

  Don’t hold back.

  She put her hand on his cheek. “You are right, Ādi. I have given this battle a lot. But I have not given enough.”

  She kissed him. “I love you, Ādi. Forgive me for what I am going to do.”

  Kautilya looked around the battlefield.

  Then she found what she was looking for. She began to race towards a fallen archer. She needed a bow.

  “Where are you going?” Ādi screamed after her.

  An astra landed right behind her and exploded. She was flung into the air and fell next to the bow.

  She grabbed it, stood up and pulled out an arrow.

  “The Goddess requires the sacrifice of a loved one to use her astra,” she said to Ādi, “And how can one not love oneself? This is my sacrifice!” She plunged the arrow into her chest.

  She pulled out the arrow and aimed it at Dhanush.

  “Hamsastra!” she screamed and let loose.

  But the astra did not work.

  Dhanush casually dodged the arrow. Then he set aside his bow and he began to laugh.

  “So, you finally did it,” Dhanush said, “you topped Chandra and the Lord Chief in your folly. What is with this idea that killing yourself will solve everything?”

  Why did it not work? Kautilya tried to move but she could not. She collapsed onto her knees. Her ears throbbed, her heartbeat slowed and her vision began to fade.

  This was it … she was done for. Despite all her efforts, she had failed. She had failed the Lord Chief. She had failed Renuka. She had failed her father.

  Because she was not willing to do what it took. She had taken half measures.

  But it did not matter anymore. The pain in her chest began to fade. A calmness began to pass through her. After this bloody war, the peace was well earned.

  “Father,” Kautilya gasped, “I will see you again.”

  Kautilya a voice said I am here. Who was that? Who was it speaking to her? Was it her father?

  Don’t give up the voice said I will take care of you.

  But it was a female voice? Was it Renuka’s voice?

  She felt a warm touch on her chest and water poured into her mouth. She regained her senses and woke up.

  “Kautilya,” the voice said. It was Saira. But what was she doing here? She was supposed to bring the bears.

  Suddenly, a roar reverberated across the battlefield. Druma.

  Nina was jumping up and down on the ramparts. “Now you humans are doomed. Yama and Druma are here. And they’ve brought the bears.”

  “For Dandaka!” the bears screamed.

  “What?” Kautilya was shocked. “How...?”

  “Yama and Druma had gone to convince the bears,” Saira said, “But they were already ready to fight with us. They were on their way here when I met them. When they knew that apes were in trouble the bears charged through the forests.”

  Kautilya beamed. The gods were back on her side.

  She stood back up, her resolve renewed. Dhanush was distracted by the din of the reinforcements.

  “Dhanush,” she said, “your army is too weak to resist the combined might of the bears and the apes. And you have no warriors left who can take on Yama and Druma.”

  “This is not over,” Dhanush said. “Hayan will shut the gates.”

  “Kautilya, I will take care of Hayan,” Saira said. “Get Dhanush.” She flew off.

  Kautilya nocked an arrow onto her bow and readied herself. But she still did not have any astras left.

  Then she saw him … fighting the apes by Varun’s side. Her first love, Jay. Her love had stopped her from killing him earlier. But now she would have to do what she could not do earlier.

  Her eyes stung with tears. “I would have given my life for you. Now I am willing to take your life. This is my sacrifice!”

  She aimed at Jay and let the arrow loose.

  Her aim was true … the arrow went through his heart. He gasped and collapsed.

  She then turned to Dhanush who already had an arrow aimed at her.

  “By the power of the Storm God ... Vajrastra!”

  But this time Kautilya was ready too.

  “By the power of the Goddess ... Hamsastra!”

  The siblings let loose their astras.

  Kautilya’s arrow transformed into a giant swan made of light. Then ripping through everything in its path it collided with the Vajrastara and consumed it. Seeing his astra bested Dhanush began to run. However, the swan followed after him and soon engulfed him. The might of the astra brought all on the battlefield to their knees.

  It was an astra like no other.

  When the light receded Dhanush was on the ground.

  Yama, Druma and the bears charged in through the gates.

  “For Dandaka!” they screamed and took down the humans.

  Saira flew to Kautilya and wrapped her in an embrace. “That was amazing, princess,” she said. “You did it. You beat the Raptors. You saved Dhandaka.”

  Kautilya smiled. She pointed to Ādi. “He needs you.”

  Saira flew to him and picked him up. He lay there in her arms, skin and hair covered in blood. His eyes were closed.

  Tears began to run down Saira’s cheeks as she placed her hands on his wounds and healed them.

  Fearing the worst, Kautilya limped over to them. She took Ādi’s hands in hers.

  “Is he…”

  Not him too. She had lost too many friends. She could not lose him.

  “No,” Saira said, “he will be alright.”

  “Face me, Kautilya.”

  She looked up. Dhanush was standing right next to her. His right side was burnt and his right arm had been taken by the Hamsastra but he was still alive. His left hand held the Purogata.

  “You new-found astra was impressive,” Dhanush said.

  “It was not new-found,” Kautilya said, “Father had given it to me. To use against the likes of you.”

  Dhanush began chuckling, then bellowed out laughter. He looked at Kautilya with malice in his expression. “This isn’t over, yet. What will you do now? Any more astras Chandra taught his darling daughter.”

  He raised the Purogata in his hand. There wasn’t enough time for her to escape as Dhanush swung the sword ... but it did not strike. The blade hovered inches from her neck.

  “How...?” Dhanush began but he was struck dumb when he realised.

  Kautilya grabbed the Purogata by its blade and pulled it out of Dhanush’s hand.

  “It seems the Purogata has chosen again,” Kautilya said. “It has chosen the new King of Bharat.”

  She stood back up and looked into Dhanush’s eyes. “I did it Dhanush. I used to rule with ink and intellect but now I rule with steel and strength.”

  She placed the blade on Dhanush’s shoulder. “You know what to do. Or do you need me to remind you?”
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  “I refuse,” Dhanush said.

  “Kneel before your king,” Kautilya said.

  “I...” Dhanush said, “I made you what you are. I was the one who made you strong.”

  “Kneel before your king!” Kautilya said. She pressed the blade deep into Dhanush’s shoulder.

  Dhanush screamed and collapsed onto his knees.

  This was it. She had defeated her brother. She had her revenge. The apes had won.

  CHAPTER 60

  Victory

  After Dhanush’s defeat the humans were easily routed. Yama and Druma and the bears took down Varun and saved Angad. Seeing that his brothers had been defeated, Hayan fled.

  This was it. The apes had won and Dandaka was free; now they just needed to recuperate and rebuild.

  Most of the human soldiers fled, leaving only the wounded on the battlefield. Among them were four of the Raptors.

  Ādi’s wounds were severe but his innate strength kept him going. Though he would be bedridden for some time he would be back on his feet.

  The battle soon gave way to celebrations. The apes and bears revelled in unison, allaying Sabu’s fears. Vani led the conciliation as she hugged the saviours of the apes.

  “Minds without fear...” Angad, the new Lord Chief said.

  “Heads held high!” the apes and bears cheered.

  “Minds without fear...” Angad said.

  “Heads held high!” the cheering grew louder.

  “Minds without fear...” Angad said.

  “HEADS HELD HIGH!” all the apes and bears screamed in joy. They ran in and lifted Angad onto their shoulders.

  Kautilya smiled. Dandaka was in good hands.

  Angad saw her, broke through the crowd and came running to her.

  “Congratulations, Angad,” Kautilya said. “You will be a great leader.”

  “Thank you,” Angad said. “It’s all because of what you taught me.”

  She reached into the folds of her clothes and pulled out the amber pendant, which she handed to him.

  “Your mother and sister would have been proud,” Kautilya said. “Remember what we learned while we built this nation, stick to the fundamentals and everything will take care of itself.”

  “All the apes owe you our freedom, Kautilya,” Angad said, “is there anything we can do?”

  Kautilya nodded. “There is one thing.”

  ***

  Yama and Druma had taken the Raptors captive and they were put on display in wooden cages. The apes had a gala time flinging rotten fruits and mud at them.

  However, Angad put a stop to it. The apes watched in silence as Kautilya walked to the cages.

  She flung open the gate to Dhanush’s cage. “This is my final act of mercy,” she said, “take all the brothers and leave. Leave before the apes change their minds.”

  Dhanush was stunned. He stepped out of the cage. “Why are you doing this?”

  Kautilya sighed. “You are my brother … at some point you did love me.”

  Dhanush shook his head. “Kill me now, Kautilya,” he said, “Or there will be no peace. I will bring back armies as soon as I return to Aryavrat.”

  Kautilya turned around. “I am sure you will have bigger concerns than Dandaka when you return. Jansa will be preparing a wonderful welcome for you.”

  She proceeded to open the gates of all the brothers’ cages.

  “Rule the country well,” Kautilya said, “after all you still hold the throne.”

  “But the Purogata chose you to be king,” Dhanush said.

  “The Purogata does not choose what I do,” Kautilya said. She held up her palm, so Dhanush could see the scar they had made so long ago. “I choose my own fate.”

  The Raptors left Vivila with the remainder of their army. It was a tough decision for the apes but the apes had changed too. They had fought for freedom from the humans and now they had freedom from much more.

  ***

  Kautilya sat on the ramparts studying the orange skies as the sun set. The wind soothed and calmed her. Her mind was far away from the conflict that had just concluded.

  Saira was not too happy with what had happened between Ādi and her. She felt guilty about it too. In the moment, she had done things she regretted. She could not bear to hurt Saira, her first friend and the one who saved her life. But she could not bear the longing she felt for Ādi either.

  “So my gambit paid off”

  Kautilya looked up. Yama was standing next to her.

  She shrugged. “Yes, you were lucky.”

  “Luck had nothing to do with it,” he said. “I knew you were capable of great things.”

  “It’s not just me, Yama,” Kautilya said. “I had a lot of support. Your guidance, the Lord Chief’s guidance and my squad’s support all played a part.”

  “Using the people around her,” Yama said, “and acknowledging their support: that is the mark of a true leader. You are destined for great things, Kautilya.”

  “So, I guess the time has come?” he said.

  “The time for what?”

  “Farewell,” he said. “You defeated your brothers. You can now stake your claim to the Throne of Bharat.”

  “I don’t think I’m going back to Bharat,” Kautilya said.

  “What will you do?” Yama asked.

  “I will help rebuild Dandaka,” Kautilya said, “for some time. Then I will go wherever you need me to go.”

  “Don’t you want to be with your people and take the throne of Bharat?” Yama said, “You will be the ruler. So much power, there will be armies at your command. And despite everything, the Raptors are still your family.”

  She turned to Yama. “I don’t need a family, Yama,” she said. “As long as I have my squad.”

  EPILOGUE

  The Rakshasa Prime watched contentedly from his clifftop palace as the rakshasas prepared for the siege. He loved this vantage point. He loved to feel the wind on his horns and his long hair. His pointed ears could listen to the going-on’s several yojanas away.

  Centuries ago, his people had made the deserts of Trikuta their home. Volcanic ash covered the skies, blotting out the sun and turning the skies grey. No plants grew in its soil. Yet the rakshasas had adapted well. Their hearing and smell became stronger to cope with the lack of light. They herded the lizards and critters of the desert for food and drank blood to quench their thirst.

  But it was not always so. Long ago they ruled the verdant coasts of Lanka that they had lost to the wily danavas.

  The blue-skinned danavas were cousins to the asura. But they did not share any of their cousins’ power. During the great war, they had lost several of their people. Now they were just a weak nation ready to be gobbled up by the might of the rakshasa armies. It was time for him to make his move.

  But his ambitions did not stop with Lanka. He aimed to rule all of the terrestrial realm. Once he had Lanka then Dandaka was only a land bridge away. And beyond Dandaka lay the wealthy kingdoms of the humans.

  The Rakshasa Republic would encompass all of Jambudvipa. That was his dream. And no matter what he needed to sacrifice for it, he would see his dream fulfilled.

  “Sire.”

  The Rakhsasa Prime turned to see a group of courtiers waiting for him. They touched their forehead to the ground in reverence … to be precise, in fear.

  “There is some news, sire,” one of the courtiers said.

  “Tell me,” the Prime said.

  The courtiers pushed a scrawny rakshasa in front of the prime. He immediately fell to the floor and touched the ground to his forehead.

  “Who are you?” he asked.

  “He is the new messenger, sire,” one of his courtiers said. His voice quivered. The Rakshasa Prime smiled to himself. He liked the effect he had on people.

  “What happene
d to the one I had before?” the Rakshasa Prime asked.

  “You had him burnt to death, sire,” the courtier said.

  The Rakshasa Prime nodded. “So what news do you have? Will you also meet the fate of your predecessor?”

  “It is about Lanka…” the messenger began.

  “Stand up straight,” the Rakshasa Prime said. “Your voice is muffled.”

  The messenger scrambled to his feet. “It is about Lanka. The demigods have heard of our plans. They want us to negotiate a treaty with the danavas.”

  The Rakshasa Prime walked up to the messenger. He lifted him up by his throat. “That is not good news.”

  “They are doing it to avoid war, sire,” the messenger said, “there is no need for unnecessary bloodshed.” His eyes grew wide with terror.

  “They do it because they fear our strength,” the Rakshasa Prime said, “They fear that we will become unbeatable. You are bad luck, new messenger. The first news you bring is bad news. I think I will have to replace you.”

  “Sire, no,” the messenger said, “I have another bit of news. Please hear me out.”

  The Rakshasa Prime sighed. “Out with it.”

  “We have found him, sire,” the messenger said.

  “Found whom?” the Rakshasa Prime asked.

  “The half demigod,” he answered, “the one you have been searching for so long.”

  Him? After all this time had he finally been found?

  “Where is he?” the Rakshasa Prime asked.

  “In Dandaka,” the messenger said, “he is with forces of a mercenary called Yama the Undying.”

  The Prime flung the messenger away.

  “Get my message to the demigods,” the Prime said, “I will meet the danava leaders. But only if Yama the Undying is there to witness the terms.”

  The messenger scrambled up and ran out from the room.

  “Who is the half demigod my lord?” one of the courtiers asked.

  “Someone I have been looking for a long time,” the Prime said. The search had been arduous. The lion-headed asura had hidden him well.

  But now there was no more hiding. He would finally get his hands on what he had been looking for … the key to fulfilling his ambitions.