by Krutant Iyer
The last thing he remembered was calling out the name of the sword.
Nandaka, was it? He wondered.
Why had he called out that name? The name meant nothing to him. Neither did he have any recollection of hearing this name from Vajra or his friends.
He sat there in the dark cave, with his sword drawn out, staring at it for a long time.
Let’s see what happens. he wondered.
He called out, “Nandaka, come out.”
Nothing happened. He felt stupid.
Thankfully, there was no one around, or they would have wondered if he had lost his mind after fighting Sarpa.
But then, he felt an overwhelming pressure emanating from his sword. Even though he couldn’t see too clearly in the dark, he could still feel the heat from the black haze being emitted from the sword.
The heat from the black vapour became stronger with every passing moment. Murari winced slightly but tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword.
Eventually, the heat subsided, and the sword’s steel completely vapourised.
“Boy, do you take me for a toy?” The husky voice from the sword said. “Do not call me if you aren’t fighting.”
“Who are you?” Murari said.
“Did you hit your head too hard when you fell in the jungle? Didn’t you just call me by my name?
Murari ignored Nandaka’s gibe.
“I never heard a weapon speak before,” he said.
“Boy, even though you are so young, you have already seen things that the dwellers of Bhuloka remain oblivious to all their life. Tell me, is it really so strange to hear a weapon speak?”
Murari had indeed seen a lot since he had embarked on his journey. From the speaking tree to Dvaitavana, and now Narakaloka, he and his friends had seen and experienced phenomenon far beyond the comprehension of the inhabitants of Bhuloka.
“Even if I ignore the fact that you can speak, I still do not understand how you were able to slay Sarpa. I am certain my attack had not contacted the beast’s body and had cut through the air instead.” Murari said, confounded.
“If I wouldn’t have lent you my powers, you would be lying on the floor of that jungle, or in the belly of that snake by now. Boy, there’s a lot you need to know before you can harness my powers.”
“Tell me then.”
The sword remained silent for a while as if contemplating what to say next.
“Very well. Since you possess me now and have named me, the least I could do is explain to you the way of the Astra.”
“The way of Astra?”
“Weapons have always existed in one form or the other in all the Lokas. But not many are aware of the fact that all the weapons originated from Narakaloka.”
“Narakaloka?” Murari asked surprised.
“Yes – Ages ago, volcanoes erupted simultaneously across the various realms of the world. Roots of all these volcanic mountains sat in the Loka that lies at the foot of this world – Narakaloka.”
Murari listened with rapt attention.
“Along with the volcanic ash, the eruption also threw up several metals that originally, did not exist in these Lokas. The dwellers of these Lokas used the metals to forge tools and weapons.” Nandaka said. “What they didn’t know at the time was that unlike other inanimate objects, the weapons and tools forged from the volcanic metals had been imbued by Siddhi. Such weapons are known as Astra.”
“Weapons imbued with Siddhi? But isn’t Siddhi –”
“As I said, Astras are unlike other weapons. We have a life of our own. We live and die, just like any other living beings.”
“But, how does that work?” Murari asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“Our life is linked to the life of our wielders. A pact needs to be formed between an Astra and its wielder to complete the synthesis.”
“But isn’t that limiting your lifespan?”
“A weapon’s sole purpose is to protect its master. True to this maxim, all Astras lose their Siddhi and return to their basic form once their master dies. In our original form, we are nothing more than your everyday weapons. Then we get picked by a new wielder, and the cycle continues.”
“Does that mean you too have had many wielders in the past?”
“I have had countless wielders, but none of them could gain mastery over me, and awaken my powers.”
“Powers within you?”
“An Astra holds a lot of power. After the wielders form a pact with their Astras, they also get the ability to wield these powers. The power of an Astra grows with its master’s abilities.”
Murari’s face fell upon hearing this. After a moment of silence, he looked at the sword again.
“I have not been able to awaken my Siddhi beyond the basics. Then how come you showed me your true form even though we haven’t formed a pact yet.”
“Indeed, you haven’t been able to awaken Siddhi beyond basics, but I can sense the power that lies in your eyes. It already makes you different than all my previous wielders.”
“Will I be able to wield your powers if I form a pact with you?” Murari asked curiously.
“Yes, you will. But I suggest you don’t do it until you have awakened your Siddhi. Even though I hold the knowledge of Astras, my power lies entirely on my wielder’s strength.”
“I need to form this pact right now precisely because I haven’t been able to awaken my Siddhi. My friends are in trouble and I need your power to save them. I do not have the luxury of time or choice in this matter.”
Nandaka remained silent for a while.
“Are you sure about this?” Nandaka asked. “Once we form a pact; our lives will be linked. If you die, I die too. This is an unbreakable bond. I want you to think this thoroughly once again.”
“I am sure,” Murari said resolutely.
“Very well.” Saying so, the black vapour started withdrawing within the sword, till it reverted to its original form.
“Put a drop of blood onto the blade, and channelise the natural energy through your hands into me.”
Murari pricked his thumb and carefully smeared the sword with it. Once he was done, he placed the sword horizontally across both his palms, as instructed by Nandaka.
He felt a familiar pressure being emanated from the sword that merged with the natural energy he was harnessing, giving off an intense aura that lowered the temperature of the cave by several degrees.
Everyone in the camp had fallen asleep by the time Vajra and Drona made their way back to the camp. The Rakshasa on guard duty woke up Kali and Bhrihu, notifying them of Vajra and Drona’s return, as he had been instructed to do.
“Just like you said, Kirmira is having a scaffold built for the execution ceremony. By the looks of it, he doesn’t intend to waste much time. The Nisacharas are working non-stop to finish it as soon as possible. They have already erected the pillars for the platform.” Drona informed Kali about the findings from their recce.
“In that case, we don’t have much time. If we have to save them, we need to move now.” Kali said in a hushed tone.
They did not wish to wake the other Rakshasas up.
“Wait a moment – Aren’t we putting the lives of all the Rakshasas on the line by defying Kirmira openly?” Bhrihu asked, concerned about their fate.
“We have waited long enough. There’s nothing left for us here anymore. After we help free the Manavas, we too should get out of Narakaloka with them, and find a new homeland in Bhuloka.” Kali said.
“Kirmira’s control is limited to Narakaloka. We only need to take care of the Nisacharas guarding one of the portals out of Narakaloka. Once we escape to Bhuloka, Kirmira will hesitate to send his Nisacharas after us.” Drona added.
“Don’t worry about Nisacharas, I can take care of them,” Vajra assured.
“We were not able to protect the Kamyaka jungle. But this time, we must stop Kirmira from spilling the blood of the innocents in Narakaloka.” Kali said, determination burning in her weary eyes.
/> “Also, how can we fail when ’he’ is with us.” She added softly.
Vajra grimaced, wondering who the Rakshasi chief was referring to. Bhrihu sighed in resignation. He knew it was futile to argue with Kali once she had made up her mind.
He looked in the direction of the cave and wondered if the prophecy would prove to be true. Will the child truly deliver them from their plight?
Kali knew that subtlety was futile. It would be next to impossible to get in all the Rakshasas safely into the capital in disguise. Even if one of them were to get caught, their mission would fail even before beginning.
Drona came up with an ingenious method to secure safe passage for all the Rakshasas into the capital.
Since it would be difficult to disguise Murari, given his distinctive appearance and physique, Drona decided to use this to their advantage.
According to his plan, the Rakshasas would disguise themselves as Nisacharas bring Murari along as a captive. He would be advertised as a fugitive, who managed to sneak away from the group of Manavas captured earlier. This would help them get through the outer wall of the city. Once inside the kingdom, the Rakshasas would discard their disguises and disperse into two groups. One group, led by Kali and Bhrihu would head towards the market and mingle with the crowd to avoid drawing attention, while the other, smaller group, comprising of Vajra, Drona, Karapa, Gotha, and Murari would head towards the field in front of the fortress through the main street.
All the Rakshasas had been briefed by Kali and Drona as they prepared to leave the camp.
Murari looked at his sword one final time, before putting it back in its sheath and handing it to Drona.
“I will hold on to this for now,” Drona said, as he took the sword.
All the Rakshasas had wrapped a veil over their heads and upper body, leaving only their eyes open. They couldn’t hide their distended horns beneath the hood completely. It was decided that Vajra, under the same guise as others, would do all the talking with the guards to avoid raising suspicion.
Vajra walked over to Murari.
“Nervous?” He asked.
Murari shook his head.
“I only wish to free them from the prison and get everyone back to Bhuloka safely,” Murari said without any trace of fear on his face.
“Don’t worry. It will all be over soon.” Vajra said, smiling feebly.
Murari clasped his hands together, and Vajra tied a rope around it. He secured the knots just tight enough for Murari to be able to wriggle his hands out in case of an emergency.
All the Rakshasas held Mashaals in their hands, as some of them went about snuffing the bonfires all over the field. Once all the fire had been put out, the odd group of beings made their way through the jungle, towards Narakaloka’s capital city.
As the outer gate of the capital city came in sight Vajra noticed four guards standing guard at its entrance. Under normal circumstances, the outer gate would usually be left unmanned and open, but given the recent turn of events, and Kirmira’s announcement to hold a public execution, more and more inhabitants began showing up in the city. The Nisacharas were deployed at the gates, and within the city to maintain order.
The outer wall soared several metres high. A massive iron door rising almost to the top of the wall formed the city’s entrance. A skull with two fangs jutting out from the two corners of the mouth was engraved on the door – the insignia of the Nisacharas.
Murari recognized the crest as the same one he had seen on the collar of the wolf in Vanagochar.
The group made their way towards the gate, with Vajra leading the way and the Rakshasas following closely behind. Murari had been placed in the middle of the group, and Drona held the tail of the rope used to cuff Murari’s hand.
Seeing them approach, one of the four guards stationed at the door stopped the advancing party.
“Where are you coming from, and who’s this?” he asked pointing towards Murari.
Murari looked up to catch a quick view of the Nisachara guard. He looked quite similar to the Rakshasas in terms of build and other features. The only thing that stood out was the fangs sticking out from the corner of his mouth, much like the elephant’s tusks, only smaller in size.
“We were hunting in the jungle when we found this manava hiding there. He seems to be from the same group that was captured earlier.” Vajra responded nonchalantly.
The Nisachara looked at Murari and sniggered.
“You guys scored yourself a good prey on your hunt. The King would be pleased with this.” The guard said.
“We do not wish to be in the company of this vile manava longer than necessary. Also, the King needs to be notified of his capture.” Vajra said. “Open the gate.”
The guard eyed him shiftily for a moment, before stepping aside and allowing the group to cross towards the entrance.
“Hold up!” he shouted, as the group crossed him.
“What kind of hunters do not carry net to catch their prey?” he asked.
Drona’s body stiffened. He wondered if they had been caught already.
“We did not anticipate running into the manava in the jungle; we left the nets in the jungle,” Vajra answered irately, hoping the Nisachara guard would not delve further.
The guard stayed silent for a couple of moments, before signalling the group to proceed.
As they moved ahead, Vajra and the Rakshasas sensed the tension in the air. The guard had not bought his lie.
The other three guards fanned out and surrounded the group, as the first guard covered the back.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Vajra asked, feigning annoyance.
“Do you take us for fools?” the first guard spoke. “Did you really think that your shoddy disguise would not be caught?”
Drona stood transfixed with fear. Their cover was blown.
Vajra understood it was futile to maintain cover any longer. He would have to act fast lest the Nisacharas alert their compatriots within the capital. Handling four Nisacharas wouldn’t prove difficult, but if the rest of the Nisacharas were made aware of their presence, it would become difficult to accomplish their mission.
Throwing his cover off, Vajra stepped out of the group.
The Nisacharas immediately took a step back, alerted by the presence of an alien among them. They were aware of the strength of the Rakshasas, but facing Vajra was a different matter.
They crouched in an attack position as they lifted their shields to their chest.
“Who are you and how did you get here?” The Nisachara guard behind the group asked.
He was the in charge of the guards protecting the outer gate.
“We only wish to enter the capital. You can either allow us to pass willingly or fight me.” Vajra said.
He lifted his lathi and thumped it onto the ground with tremendous force, exhibiting his strength to indicate he was powerful enough to take them on.
“You Dog! You think we answer to your commands.” The Nisacharas guard yelled, seething with anger.
“We are passing the gate no matter what. The choice lies with you. You can either overlook our passing or –”
He left the sentence open to interpretation.
The Nisacharas did not budge from their position. They did not seem intimidated by Vajra’s threats. After all, they were battle-hardened soldiers who had managed to bring all the inhabitants of Narakaloka under Kirmira’s command. Why would they be afraid of a lone Siddha?
“You are not passing here.” The Nisachara growled, his eyes burrowing into Vajras.
Murari silently observed the exchange between Vajra and Nisachara guard. The moment Vajra had thrown his cover aside, Murari knew the situation would have to be dealt with swiftly.
Suddenly, the Nisachara guard at the back lunged forward with his sword drawn. He raised it over his shoulder, aiming his strike at the Rakshasas towards the back. At the same time, the other Nisacharas followed their captain and fell upon the group with their shields raised, protecting
their upper body.
Vajra blocked a Nisachara’s attack with his Lathi and kicked his protective shield with his strong foot, pushing him several paces back. At the same time, Karapa and Gotha took on two Nisacharas on their end, while Drona rushed to the back, to tackle the Nisachara there. But before Drona could reach the back, two Rakshasis had pulled out their Parashus, and while one deftly blocked the Nisachara’s attack, other one jumped on his back and swung the axe with all her might, hacking the flesh off the Nisachara’s undefended back. The Nisacharas went down like a piece of cloth suddenly bereft of wind.
Seeing their captain down, the other Nisacharas fell several steps back. They were suddenly aware of the disparity in strength and numbers. The Nisachara closest to the gate, glanced towards his right and nodded at his fellow soldier, before turning swiftly, and dashing towards the gate, intending to cross the gate and alert the rest of the Nisacharas.
Vajra sensed his intention. Before the Nisachara could reach the gate, Vajra lifted his lathi and aiming it carefully, flung it at the fleeing Nisachara’s leg. The lathi found its mark and brought the Nisachara tumbling down with the exerted force.
Before the Nisachara had the chance to stand up, Vajra was already standing over him; having picked up his lathi, he swiftly whacked it on the fallen Nisachara’s head, knocking him unconscious.
The remaining Nisacharas now knew they did not stand a chance, but they couldn’t give in now. They threw their shields to the ground and sprang forward with their swords raised over their heads. Karapa and Gotha, who were already expectant of the attack, parried the attack by taking a step back. The Nisacharas refused to back down and continued their onward onslaught, not giving the Rakshasas any room for a counter-attack.
Seeing them in trouble, Murari, who was closest to Karapa, ran behind one of the Nisacharas and squatting into a favourable position, he jumped onto his back, at the same time putting his cuffed hands over the Nisachara’s neck. The Nisacharas gasped for breath as he tried to shake Murari off his back, losing balance in the process. Both of them came crashing down, falling to the side. Before the Nisachara could recover from the fall, Murari tightened the noose around his neck. The Nisachara clutched desperately at his neck, trying to loosen the rope. Karapa took this chance and with one mighty thump, brought his Parashu down on the helpless Nisachara’s exposed abdomen. Murari freed his hands from around the neck of the lifeless Nisachara.