Standing right in front of the miniature Alik barrier deployed over the battlefield, I took in the sights of war. Some time had already passed after we started preparing for our plan. There wasn't much actually, since most of it depended on Somi. It was a huge gamble and if Vudha started getting suspicious at any point during its execution, there would be no one who could help us.
Ugghh... what are we even hoping to achieve?? It is impossible to trick a celestial deity like that. This is a bad idea... we should abort it while we still can. Numerous strings of thoughts knitted themselves to form complex nets inside my mind. It was so dread-inducing that bile kept creeping up my oesophagus burning my innards.
"Vudha doesn't have a lot of information. He's been tasked by Kalpa to capture me. And to punish Tara, the head Rishika, since she didn't alert Kalpa that I had already been captured. We can use the loop holes in his information to narrate a story." Somi had said while describing her plan.
"And then what? You're going to use your curse against him?" I guessed since it was the only Deity-level weapon we had in our arsenal.
"Yes. Considering it even works against a being like him." She said, her facial muscles twitching weirdly.
I realised what that entailed. If it works on a celestial deity like Vudha, then no mortal man can ever hope to overcome the curse considering their puny curse resistance compared to the Gods. If it didn't, we were going to die anyway.
"And also, to check whether curses even work inside the barrier. That's why me, a guinea pig was chosen." I said giving her a fake frustrated look.
"As a matter of fact, I know that my curse worked in Alik Marta. I had almost killed my little cousin when I caught him right before he fell from his cot. He had stopped breathing for only a minute, but it gave me the scare of my life..." she said and shivered. The trauma of that event seemed to be deeply ingrained inside her body.
"My predecessors," she continued, "Never got to test this out against higher beings. I'll probably be the first and the last one."
"Your brother's still alive. We will find him. You'll live long enough to see your little niece and nephew. And you need to stay alive to protect your niece. Your aunt wasn't able to keep you safe because of evil people, but this time you'll not be alone like your predecessors." I consoled her.
"These curses, Maya, traits, blessings and authorities... I wonder if we'll ever get to know the secrets behind them." She mumbled, "If curses also become a part of our body like traits, how am I even supposed to get rid of them...?"
"Probably the same way Tara stole your precognition trait. It might be a bit more complex but I have a feeling Kali will be able to work something out." I put forward my opinion giving more emphasis on the removal part, "If it becomes a part of your body we can simply get rid of it like a kidney or something."
"What if it is something akin to the human brain? How will that work then?" Somi's shoulders slightly slouched giving me the impression of a vulnerable small animal.
My heart broke at her helpless declaration. What am I even supposed to say to that?
Scanning the battlefield once, we went inside the dome together, at quite a distance from where Vudha was standing.
We stole glances of the huge black sandstorm that now covered the whole horizon behind the Divine Army. The physical manifestation of corrupted Kali who had been strengthened by the negative emotions of hundreds and thousands of dead Manavas instilled a sense of horror deep within me. It made me feel like I truly had made a deal with an Asura.
Vudha was now at our 9 o'clock, the Divine Army at our 2 o'clock and the corrupted fog spread out from our 11 to 4 o'clock.
I could bet a thousand Kubers that grotesque faces of numerous human beings crumpled by the pain of eternal torture were appearing on the visible wall of the sandstorm. They kept changing forms, as if they were disintegrating after banging their heads against a powerful barrier that was keeping them imprisoned inside the mass of black smoke.
If the Demon Ravana had ten heads, this Demon seemed to have thousands and thousands of heads. The Divine Army and Kali were now in a deadlock. Kali seemed to be hovering at a distance away from the army without closing in, while the weapons and non magical Astras hurled by the divine warriors disappeared into Kali's manifestation, failing to produce any results.
Is he trying not to absorb more corruption? What happens if he loses control and goes on a rampage? Ugh, let's not think about it right now. He must have some constraints that allows him to stay sane, but with the absence of support from his internal energies they might not be working inside the dome. Our best bet is to take care of this Alik barrier.
Crossing the barrier, Somi held onto my hand, touching my skin directly. One minute... Two minutes... When the fourth minute passed, I fell on the ground feeling like my soul was leaving my body. So it's four minutes for me.
"That's quite a long time. Dhruva didn't even last 30 seconds. Considering Vudha's divine constitution, I might need to keep contact for more than five minutes. I'm having second thoughts right now after this experiment. On a different note, I could have fought against Tara and her right hand woman in the lab properly if my curse worked on women as effectively as men." She mumbled while squatting beside me, making sure not to touch me under any circumstance.
This is the first time she took a boy's name though. I was interested to know more, but my body was currently not my own. Even my vocal cords had stopped working. I'll ask after we get out of this predicament intact.
I lay sprawled like a comatose patient for about two more minutes after which my body started regaining its control. I could only swallow down gulps of nothingness as I tried to calm myself. Two minutes must be enough time for us to destroy the fruit of Kalpa which was responsible for the Alik barrier, or die trying. I placed my right hand over the concealed dagger strapped to my waist to make sure it was still there.
"Vidisha, run if things seem to go south. This idea is totally reckless." Somi looked at me with worried eyes when she found me getting up with shaky legs.
"What's the worst that can happen?" I replied back with a snort, "With the negative Karma I have considering my life till now, it's better to start again from scratch with a cleaner slate."
The corners of Somi's lips twitched as she observed Vudha from this distance and started walking. I put up a confident front and walked beside her feigning an air of authority.
"So you came by yourself. Daughter of Sapta." Vudha looked at us gently with his green emerald eyes.
"Thanks to you keeping Kali busy, I got enough time to subdue the owner of this body with the help of Tara." Somi glanced at me and nodded with acknowledgement. "Our work is done here. I'll make sure to fulfill my part of the deal."
Vudha simply stared at us.
The Alik barrier to nullify divine energies. The unknown factor that Tara is dead. And the fact that Gods often descend into mortal bodies from time to time, should fill up some gaps in our made up story. Inside this Alik barrier, he's not supposed to feel the aura of Kalpa. He shouldn't know how Tara looks. So please, just believe us.
"The person who shares my mother's name." Vudha now was unraveling me with his eyes. "Why did you take so long to notify Kalpa? Were you thinking of doing something behind her back?"
"No, Lord Vudha." I looked down and bowed, "The original owner of this body proved to be quite troublesome. I lost several of my colleagues while trying to imprison her."
He sighed.
The black sandstorm started picking up pace, changing shapes rapidly like an autumn cloud.
Somi didn't jump the gun yet by asking Vudha to stop the war. My heart was already pounding inside my ribcage, threatening to climb up my throat. The awkward silence that permeated the whole area around us placed me under so much pressure that my clothes stuck to my back because of the sweat. It was so uncomfortable that I couldn't even move my fingertips.
"As a Devata who appreciates artists, I can only praise you for your attempt, but not for your performance." Vudha growled with disappointment.
Somi instinctively stepped back but a noose from Vudha's free hand wrapped around her, restraining her hands which were now stuck to her waist.
She dived forward in a precalculated manner, touching Vudha's feet with her forehead. It seemed like she was full of devotion for Vudha from her actions.
"I'm sorry child. Kalpa has already determined your fate. She needs your trait for her plans. To provide Manavas with the chance to attain Moksha. It is a noble sacrifice for the sake of greater good. Come with me, and fulfill your destiny." Vudha looked down at her with pity.
Kalpa needs her trait? Wasn't that stolen by Tara? Wait... there's no reason for Kalpa to pursue Somi any longer. I need to tell Vudha and stop everything right now!!
"I know!!" Somi interrupted before I could say anything. "I know she needs my trait. But why do I have to give up my life for the sake of others? I don't want to sacrifice myself like this. I want to live whatever's left of my life to the fullest. After I die, you all can do whatever you want with me. But please, leave me alone for now."
"Kalpa has no time to spare. Obstacles and complications that even the Saptarishis couldn't anticipate have sprung up in this Brahmand. Everything seems to have originated from Kali. Your precognition trait is the only one which can rival those of the Saptarishis. Kalpa needs to have complete control over that to save the three worlds." Vudha kept explaining himself truthfully without lying based on what he knew. But he didn't show any signs of being weakened.
Shit. Why isn't the curse working?
Vudha stepped back removing their point of contact and sighed with relief. "Devi Saraswati's curse is quite formidable." He huffed. "So this is what you were planning ultimately."
What the hell am I even doing here? Why did I come here? So frustrating!! I jumped in front of Somi and picked her up breaking contact after only five seconds.
"Please Lord Vudha. She has already lost her family. Please grant her mercy. What did she do wrong to suffer this fate?" I cried out desperately trying to tug at his heart strings, "You are a benevolent Navagraha. I refuse to believe she's just a tool in the machinations of divine beings. The weight of our lives might be lighter than yours, but they are lives after all. Derived from the same Brahman. Grant us mercy for now. I plead you!"
Vudha looked conflicted from my speech.
"Somi." I whispered turning around, "Tell him about how your trait was stolen. They should stop pursuing you knowing that."
"And then? Let my descendants go through the same? Everything ends here with me. I don't even truly know if my brother is still alive. I refuse to allow beings above me deciding things in my stead any longer. Get right into it!!" She ordered and jumped towards the deity.
Vudha, who was probably still feeling the faint numbing effects of her curse jumped back hastily trying to avoid her touch. I ran directly towards the custard shaped fruit that was previously being blocked by Vudha. Diving and bringing out the knife that I brought from the Institution, which was previously concealed within my dress, I stabbed the fruit with all I had.
Vudha who was going easy on Somi by only dodging because he felt pity for her got irritated because of our actions and smacked her with the back of his hand. And my knife failed to make even a scratch on the surface of the fruit.
I realised, that we had simply offered ourselves up without thinking. The bad feeling I was having from before was this only. We thought we could do 'something' but in reality, we just were insignificant bugs. With no power to control our own destinies.
Vudha tightened the noose around Somi and pulled on it restricting her actions. Before she was hopping like a penguin, and now she was crawling on the ground like a worm. I stabbed the fruit again and again until the knife broke into pieces. In frustration, I threw the handle away and started punching and clawing away at it.
Vudha walked up to me, grabbed my hand and dragged me away from the fruit. "I didn't want to use force since you two are little children. So stop doing things that will test my patience."
My eyes started watering, feeling the helplessness and frustration of being a regular mortal. I kept scratching at Vudha's arms but nothing happened. It was as if I were dragging my fingers against a hard gem or obsidian surface.
Suddenly, Vudha looked up sensing something approaching. The sky above the dome lit up with an orange pond sized portal and a figure dived down towards the ground.
"This energy. Brihaspati seriously wants to make this personal?" Vudha muttered and threw me and Somi away by swinging two of his arms. Unraveling the noose around Somi, he readied his weapons and activated his physical trait. The skin on his body turned green and shiny as if forged out of emeralds. His gem studded Mace, noose, and sword were brandished with a hint of hostility towards the incoming third party.
The figure crashed into the ground leaving a cratee on the landing spot and dust around him as he walked towards us without stopping. The way he had landed on his feet from such a great height felt like it was merely a step during his evening stroll.
"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I hope you know that taking this girl to Kalpa will only result in her death. I used to be proud of my half brother who decided to take a different path than his biological father. But your actions right now have disappointed me. What did Kalpa promise for you to go against your Dharma, Vudha?" The handsome young man with flowy long black hair and toned muscles that had arrived from the heavens stared down at Vudha with a judging look.
"Kalpa promised me a different way of manifesting my soul in the next cycle. I won't be born in the same way if I fulfill her wishes. You won't have to be ashamed of your mother either, Kacha. I will make it such that my parents never come into contact after the world is Renewed." Vudha said with an emotional tone.
Kacha, I remembered was a very important figure in the Devata's plan to steal the secrets of resurrection from Guru Shukracharya. He was the son of Brihaspati and Tara, and hence a half brother to Vudha.
"So it still bothers you to this day. The path you're taking is against everything you've worked for till now. You'll only regret it later on. It wasn't all your father's fault. Circumstances led things to happen. You don't have to bury yourself with regrets because of things outside your control. Does Ira even know about this?" Kacha asked Vudha. His whole tone was really gentle, as if he had already practiced what to say before arriving.
"No. I don't want to disappoint her. I know it won't stay hidden, but by then the deal will already be finalised." Vudha uttered with a low voice.
Kacha: "You seem awfully confident that Kalpa will be successful in her plans. You do realise that she also has a opposing force who don't want her to break the natural order of things, right? I know that every Brahmand has different scenarios being acted out within itself. But the Ekavachanas remain the same. What she's doing is unprecedented, and her actions can even threaten the laws of Trinity. We know it never ends well."
Vudha only gripped his mace harder and looked at Kacha with determination. "I'm already deeply invested in this plan, brother. I can't back out right now. I have given Kalpa my promise and I choose to stay by it. I have to present the daughter of Sapta family to her by any means possible. Stop me yourself, if you think I'm truly walking a flawed path. I hope you know that inside this Alik barrier, the spells you learnt from Guru Shukracharya will be of no use."
Kacha brought out his sword that was strapped to his side and took a stance. "Unlike my father, I never hated you. I hope you know that. I'm going to provide you with a proper lesson after we are finished, as your brother."
I gulped as the pressure from the two beings forced my knees to the ground. Somi turned around and ran towards the boundary of the Alik barrier.
What is she doing right now?? I turned around and watched as the two brothers rushed towards each other and clashed their weapons. Vudha had four arms while Kacha had only two. Kacha had an interesting story and is usually taken as a starting point for the epic of Mahabharata. He was sent by Swarga to learn the secrets of Sanjeevani Mantra from Shukracharya. Kacha became his disciple with his unbroken penance but never was taught the spell of resurrection. In the meantime, he managed to steal the heart of Shukracharya's daughter, Devjani. Everytime the Asuras around Shukracharya felt Kacha was upto no good, they killed him using different methods only to find him being resurrected by their Guru complying with the incessant whining of Devjani who was totally enamored by Kacha.
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The Asuras thought of an interesting idea and tried to get rid of Kacha once and for all. They killed him, cut his body into pieces, mixed it with alcohol and fed it to Shukracharya himself. Shukracharya realised that reviving Kacha will only result in his death as the resurrection will happen within his body. Unable to take in the sight of his disheveled beloved daughter, Shukracharya taught Kacha the spell, died after Kacha burst out of his body and then was resurrected by Kacha himself who had mastered the spell by then.
With his mission now complete, he returned to Swarga leaving Devjani who was angry after she felt used and cursed him that he won't be able to use the Mantra when it was required the most. A lot of drama had happened revolving around Devjani and her friend Sharmistha that started the events of Mahabharata eventually, but that's a story for a different time. I now need to decide whether to run away or stay here, while looking for a way to destroy the fruit. Usually fights like these result in a lot of destroyed weapons and all, so if I'm lucky, I might be able to salvage some sharp objects and harm the fruit in the meantime.
A huge black Vimana had also appeared over the other end of the battlefield leaving me with more questions on what was happening. It's been a while since I had concentrated on the fight taking place there.
The Vimana over the other part of the battlefield landed gently outside the Alik barrier, releasing hordes and hordes of Manavas in black Armor and obsidian artifacts in the form of jewellery who rushed towards the divine army like a black tide. A huge shockwave threw me across the ground as Vudha's spherical ended mace slammed against Kacha's shield. I sprang up to my feet and checked the condition of the fruit. The dust and soil that blasted away from the point of impact rolled over it like a powerless stream passing over a stone on its bed.
How hard is the outer covering, if the seed is still unharmed??
Kacha's right hand disappeared for a split second cleaving Vudha's noose into two as he defended against a few more swings from Vudha's mace with his shield. Vudha's attacks were suspiciously weak. I didn't think a celestial deity will be like that. Is he losing on purpose?
Vudha wrapped the rope around his fist with a rotating motion and swung it at Kacha's shield denting it at the middle. His own shield came across from his upper right side and banged Kacha around his clavicle forcing him to step back for a moment.
They met again, their hands a flurry of after images. Blue blood dripped from both their bodies as each of the strikes sent enormous waves of pressurised air spreading across the environment around the two of them.
Kacha's sword came down with a heavy thud as Vudha blocked it with the handle of his mace. Using his hand that had the noose coiled, Vudha clobbered Kacha's face multiple times breaking his nose. But Kacha stood steadfast. He didn't even blink once and took the hits, pressuring Vudha further and bringing him down on his knees. Just as Vudha freed his mace by swinging it with all he had, Kacha kicked him in the solar plexus sending him two meters away.
They were both huffing and puffing for breath yet they didn't stop. They again ran towards each other and bashed their shields. They broke into a hundred pieces and scattered everywhere, as Vudha caught some of them between his fingers and swiped at Kacha's chest. Four bloody scratches appeared on his body but Kacha brute forced his way forward, cleaving Vudha's mace into two as the two swung their weapons with all their might.
Witnessing Vudha with only one part of the latitudinal section of his mace, Kacha threw away his sword and lunged towards his brother. Grabbing the circular neckline of Vudha's armour, Kacha pulled Vudha up into the air and slammed him down on the ground. Vudha was laughing as Kacha sat on his chest with his knees on Vudha's elbows restricting his actions. Then Kacha started pummeling Vudha's face mercilessly. Vudha at first tried to free his upper most two arms to defend his face like a boxer but decided against it. He seemed to have already given up. Maybe he wanted his brother to discipline him like that. He stopped struggling to free his arms and relaxed, letting Kacha do as he wished. Continuing this for several minutes, Kach stood up and stepped back giving time for Vudha to recover.
"Do you feel like talking now? Let me hear what you think I need to hear right now." Kacha stood upright, his hands crossing as blood clots appeared in different parts of his body. Vudha's mace had inflicted him with internal injuries which were finally becoming visible on Kacha's body.
Vudha stood up using his mace as a support with trembling legs and spat out blue blood from his mouth.
"This reminded me of our fights when we were children. The few times I came from Chandra's abode to meet mother only ended up with us clawing at our throats." Vudha laughed with his swollen lips and cheek. "When did we stop having petty fights like those?"
"When I understood what it meant to be a brother. I was indeed immature then. I wanted to make up for all the time we wasted antagonising each other." Kacha replied with a gentle smile leaving the atmosphere hanging with an awkward silence. "I just never knew how to approach you after that. Maybe that's why you thought I also hated you."
"Next time, I want to be your true brother Kacha. That's what I wished for in exchange of my support from Kalpa. I won't send mother to Chandra's Raja Suya Yagya and instead go by myself to preside over it knowing that Brihaspati won't be able to join it as usual. So please, don't stop me. This is for the betterment of everybody around me." Vudha rested his half Gaada on the ground and looked at Kacha intently.
Kacha: "My father neglected his family. And my mother always had a choice not to do what she did. Your father, also had a choice to follow Dharma. So, stop blaming yourself for the consequences of their choices. I have seen how you've grown up to be loyal and truthful. And I'm proud of you. Their choices also brought us together, so I don't resent anybody anymore. I'll keep you safe from Kalpa, I promise."
I kept changing my focus from Kacha to Vudha and realised how much Kacha adored Vudha. It was something I had not imagined at all. I thought Brihaspati and Chandra's relationship would continue reflecting upon the behaviour of these two brothers but it seems like with time things have changed.
I turned around after hearing huffing sounds coming from Somi. She was carrying a beautiful needle like sword in her hands.
"It was inside the dimensional pocket I got access to after receiving Shukracharya's vessels. Had to leave the barrier to retrieve it." She explained while catching her breath.
She glanced at the horizon prompting me to also notice what was happening in Kali's battle. The sandstorm was visibly shaking, contracting and taking the shape of a four meter tall humanoid. The black fog was now so densely packed that it looked like the leather of a black snake with shiny scales. Only his left eye was glowing red, and his arms elongated to form sword like extensions.
The black tide crashed mercilessly into the golden sea, following Kali's timing, and they both started overwhelming Vudha's heavenly army. Cries of pain, metallic clangs of weapons clashing against each other, and the awful grinding sounds of metal cutting across meat and bone filled the battlefield.
I turned to find Kacha and Vudha still staring at each other. One looking gentle and welcoming, while the other was doubtful, with his face filled with confusion. He was contemplating his choices and deciding which path to take, that will take them both to the best conclusion.
With a sigh, Vudha disarmed himself as the other half of his huge mace fell with a thud on the ground.
"Let's stop this then. I'll trust you, brother." Vudha muttered looking down.
Somi walked towards the seed only to fall back as an explosion originated from her target.
"Something's coming out of it!!" She shouted, her voice alarmed. "We should have destroyed it while we still had the time!"
"The shocks from the fight of two divine beings didn't scratch it even once. What were you even expecting to do?" I talked her down trying to show her the reality. Tapping her shoulder once we hurried away from where the seed was sprouting as Vudha and Kacha stood side by side inspecting the cloud of dust closely. Vudha picked his half Gaada up and threw it into the smoke with considerable might. Nothing happened.
Sensing immense danger, Vudha called out to his divine army, "Chandravanshi Army, heed my words. We have something else on our hands. Retreat and come to my side. Leave Kali alone for now. And Kali, we won't bother you anymore, so please... let them through."
Kali hearing the declaration stopped his movements and looked at us. His huge blackish figure with a red eye was trauma inducing. He raised his hand forcing the black army which was slaughtering the divine army by his side, to halt. Kali's movements suddenly became erratic. He placed his hands, now transformed back to their actual anatomy, over his face and squatted down.
The black army slowly surrounded him allowing Vudha's army, which he had called as the Chandravanshi Army, to leave their part of the battlefield as they hurried toward their Master's side.
The two major battles in history, the Kurukshetra War and the war between Lord Rama and the Demon King Ravana were fought around the descendants of the two Navagrahas.
Navagrahas referred to as the nine celestial bodies of the solar system who lived in Bhuvar Loka, the space dimension.
While Lord Rama had the blood of Surya the Sun God, and hence being a descendant of the Suryavanshi bloodline, the heroes of Kurukshetra War had the blood of Chandra the Moon God, passed down through the only child of Vudha and Ira. These two bloodlines became the monarchs of Manavas while the descendants of the other seven celestial deities gave birth to the seven revered families of Marta. Many mortals were also blessed with Authorities from the Navagrahas who replaced the seven families from time to time. After the Ekah family of that time slaughtered the other families, things turned quite grim for them. They didn't take much time to bounce back though. The Ekah family of that period was probably Somi's family considering her curse. All nine and some more of these families had special bloodline traits that were derived from these planetary Gods.
The cracks on the ground got wider and wider as the thing sprouting from the fruit gained mass and volume. We sidestepped the approaching army and let them pass. They took defensive stances encircling the lifeform being born right now.
I remembered how pathetic our actions had been till now and visibly got embarrassed. Somi was holding her sword as if it was a burden. Her eyes teared up for a second.
"This just keeps happening. Again and again and again and again... How long will I feel so powerless and useless like this? How long do I need to see myself failing, unable to succeed when it's required the most? Even in Atala, I took so many lives from my friends... even converting them to the Forgotten. How I wished to spend my days in the Ashrama with them, who seemed to genuinely care for me. How I wished my mother to grow old, and my brother to become a man worthy of leading the family. Will there even be an end to losing the things I consider precious?" She wiped her tears away with her palm and looked back at me with teary eyes.
"Let's go back to Kali. I'm done overestimating myself. All my virtual and fake successes had kept me in an illusion of self satisfaction. In truth, I'm just an insignificant being." She said, "I'm going to confront an enemy only after I have finished my training under him. Until then I will run. I will keep running away until I am strong enough, and I will keep hiding until I'm ready. I hope you'll accompany me through all these."
I patted her head for two seconds. Careful not to let her curse stack over time. God knows how those conditions worked. "That was my plan from the very beginning. I thought you will be the one chickening out first."
We ran away from the new battlefield as a shrill cry erupted behind us. A grotesque plant like being atleast thirty feet in height, appeared above the dust cloud which dispersed with a sonic boom after it manifested. It's fruits were oozing out purple acidic liquid and it's flowery head gave of the stench of a thousand corpses. Two malformed hibiscus shaped flowers seemed like two eyes on its bulbous neck. It's roots had bumps that seemed to have things crawling inside, trying to break out. The plant's thorny vines slapped the ground like whips, extending and contracting like earthworms wiggling over the ground. It seemed to have a bad symmetrical anatomy, with its upper right part clearly deformed, probably from the internal injuries sustained from the fight of two deities near it. The Alik barrier remained intact leaving me wondering whether the only way this shield can be disabled is by killing the plant.
We heard chanting as we approached the black army, leaving the battlefield where the Chandravanshi Army and the spawn of Kalpa were now fighting. The sounds and vibrations got stronger the more we made our way through the soldiers wearing black Armor and masks over their faces. They didn't try to stop and seemed to be making a clear path for us to the middle of the gathering where Kali was.
A horrible sight was waiting for us when we reached Kali. The black smoke around him seemed to be forged out of thousands of black beetles which kept scampering around his humanoid shape. His body was pierced with multiple weapons from different directions and at different places giving him the look of a porcupine.
"Why aren't we taking him outside the barrier?" I asked looking around.
"We can't touch him in this condition. Anybody who does will be reduced to ashes like the enemies he had been fighting before." A middle aged man with a thick moustache arrived beside us providing me with answers.
"We are chanting Hanuman Chalisa right now to reduce even a little of the corruption he had absorbed from the fallen Manavas, but it doesn't seem to work inside here." A woman came up from behind and squatted next to us observing the resting body of Kali intently. "And here I was thinking of taking a vacation. It's a shame we only came to realise later who our saviour back at Sutala really was, after getting news of the incidents here. Otherwise we wouldn't have been so late. You two must be part of the team of four disciples the prophecy talks about. Nice to meet you."
Somi suddenly turned around and watched the woman. But she decided against saying anything.
The woman smiled weakly, giving Somi a disappointed look, "Frustrating isn't it? Not having enough power to alter the course of events, no matter how small of a change it is? I promise, that feeling will never go away."
"I don't plan on being like that forever." Somi mumbled without any energy in her voice.
The woman patted Somi's head twice and jerked her hand away looking surprised. She inspected her fingers and palm with an awkward look before sighing at Somi's child like declaration.
"We don't have time for introductions, Chandrima. You can go to Kalapani after this ends. Manas, how's the sword holding up against the corruption?" The middle aged guy asked another person who was inspecting a sword that was stuck to the left arm of Kali's humanoid form.
"Every two minutes, we have to change the leading weapon, or attach a new chain. Let's proceed with our second plan." The guy named Manas gave a thumbs up.
I could feel the faint vibrations of the battle that were travelling till here. For some reason I didn't want to go there again. Hope Kacha and Vudha can fight off Kalpa's spawn before it can even reach us here. The shrill cries of the mutated plant also stuck like a tune inside my brain and refused to die down.
"The nine leaders of Dushananta, bring out your weapon chains. It's time to make him owe us one." The moustached guy announced as nine people came forward carrying swords, spears and weapons that have been welded together by an intense heat to form a long weapon chain.
Couldn't they have simply used ropes? Maybe only metals are somewhat resistant to his corruption. But someone has to pull it right? Or... they'll use the Vimana.
"Don't give that look. We tried a few things. Anything derived from the living disintegrated when it came in contact with Kali, direct or indirect. Thank God it doesn't travel across the ground. Some people lost their fingers. Rope was no good either. The metal chains We have will also not be enough. This is all we could come up with." Chandrima then started whispering eyeing at the eight leaders excluding the moustached guy who seemed to be a part of her team, "You know how it goes. Multiple sages ruin the ritual. People just love to put forward only their solution and never come out with a proper finalized version."
I slightly grinned back at her being careful not to offend other people. Who knew who supported whom in this crowd? And also, doesn't she complain a little too much?
One of the nine people who had come forward stabbed Kali's leg with a huge spear and gave signal to the Vimana which started pulling on the weapon chain. People scrambled out of Kali's way as he was dragged across the ground like a sack of potatoes towards the barrier's edge.
Before Kali's body reached outside, the spear directly connected to his body disintegrated. Leaving the whole chain behind, a newer chain was again attached to him without wasting any time to weld a new header weapon onto the previously used chain.
This process repeated a few times until we were about 150 meters away from the surface of the dome covering the whole area. The vibrations at that moment, right below my feet, suddenly started growing in intensity as panic and screams rose in the crowd behind me.
"Earn us time!! Only two more repetitions required. That means less than five minutes!!!" Manas shouted back at the crowd as the soldiers started shuffling and rearranging themselves.
A body fell from the sky out of nowhere, touched Kali's outstretched hand for a few seconds before sliding away and disintegrating at the same time. I turned back and saw people being lifted into the air left and right as blood splattered everywhere. The mutated plant was moving on its roots that were slithering like snakes. One of its two hibiscus eyes were missing and violet pus was dripping down from multiple regions of the plant. With it's thorny vine whips, it cleared a way towards us removing everything in between.
Blood drained from my face watching the incoming monster. What happened to the divine army? Aren't they supposed to be the awakened souls of renowned kings who ascended to Swarga after relinquishing their mortal frames? How did they get defeated so one sidedly?? What happened to the two brothers?
The Dushananta army recovered fast. The archers shot arrows at the spiky fruits bursting them on the plant before it could chuck them in our direction. The Surakshaks held onto their positions even after getting knocked down multiple times. They lost their shields yet still they used their bodies. They were mercilessly shredded by the thorny vines.
"One more repetition!!" Someone else shouted.
"What happens after Kali gets out of the barrier? The plant seems hell bent on wiping us all out!!" Chandrima complained to the moustached guy.
"Let's just hope he returns to his senses and helps us. His corruption form exhausted his mental power by a lot. When you have the mind filth of so many people inside your head, you're bound to lose yourself..." Chandrima's team captain explained the best possible future scenario. But like I believe, once imagined, an event will never come to pass.
The defensive force against the Spawn of Kalpa held on for two more minutes until cheers came from outside the barrier. We also crossed the barrier and I felt the emptiness in the world being filled up with something. It was such an abstract idea that I felt difficult to properly explain with mere words. Maybe after Awakening I'll be able to gain the ability to perceive these invisible energies.
The Vaidyas who were already waiting outside the barrier with intricate patterns drawn on the ground started chanting, providing Kali with regenerative Kundalini. His body lying in the center of the pattern glowed with a crimson light as his body started healing with vigor. Maybe his vessels and Chakra were also getting filled up at the same time.
"The absorption team. Get started. His form has somewhat stabilised!" Another announcement came from our side as I stole glances of the army fighting against the mutated plant. Their Armor were melting, the people were melting, and the weapons were melting. The corrosive power of the plant's sap was disadvantageous for a long time defensive strategy.
"The Spawn has been lured nearer to the boundary. Arm the cannons. Surakshaks! One way barrier as discussed in plan E!!" Another guy with a very deep voice shouted this time.
"How many plans do you guys even have??" I asked Chandrima with an 'are you serious' look.
She laughed out loud in the commotion, "Multiple sages indeed provide us with a lot of solutions. We fail because we don't have the capability to carry out all of them. You never know when a small part of a bigger plan turns out to be useful in a particular situation. You see, there's a guy up there." She said pointing at the Vimana, "We already have ten possible actions to take incase the Chandravanshi Army got defeated by the Spawn because of him. Everything is being relayed to us with the help of Dushyaal. Just a name we gave to the tech we created using Kalpa Yaal as a base. We use it only in these operations, to stay hidden from Kalpa's gaze."
"Should have thought about that before not using masks though." I teased her.
"They are too stuffy. Most of us hate it. We need a costume overhaul soon." Chandrima smiled brightly without a care in the world. Lady, your comrades are being slaughtered just meters away from us.
A deep sound I've never heard before suddenly assaulted my ear drums. A shrill cry followed from where the plant was. The Vimana seemed to have deployed the physical cannons.
The Kuru army had been annihilated. The Chandravanshi Army had been slaughtered.
Only a single enemy of Kali on this battlefield was left. Crazy how a simple thing snowballs into so many lost lives.
"Kalpa is out of control. To let out something like this in Marta." A familiar voice soothed my heart as if I heard it again after many years. The cries of the plant being assaulted by the Vimana were no longer ringing inside my head.
"I will listen to your demands after this is taken care of. Let's not waste our time any longer... Wait, I remember you all." Kali suddenly started laughing gazing down at all our faces, "You guys must have someone on your side who was there as a witness, at the end of time. Right where I was, don't you?"