The Princes of Ayodhya-The Ramayan Through Short Stories

The Beginning of the End-Part 2

"Opposing, equal powers always have to match up against each other eventually."

Indrajit was the master of illusions. He illusioned everything he saw. He illusioned the skies, the floors, and sometimes even the mango trees for no particular reason. But now he had a reason. And he would use it to his greatest advantage. Indrajit arrived in a storm of grey and balck clouds, dark as the night sky, flashing and clashing with bolts of yellow light and booming with loud thunder that shook the battlefield.

Prahast looked up, and for once, at the sighting of Indrajit, he bared his tobacco blackened teeth in what could be considered a smile. Indrajit rushed in from the air on his giant cloud, which later revealed itself to be a chariot. A ginormous golden chariot detailed lightly with shining gold and precious jewels. Hanuman wondered thoughtfully who would bring jewels into war before finally wrenching the head off the monster he was fighting.

Somehow, the entire battlefield froze upon the arrival of Indrajit. He was a mighty sight to behold, but one that the rakshasas was used to bringing their victory, and with triumphant laughter, they began to fight against the monkeys with a thousands times more force than before as Indrajit brought out his first astra, targeting not just one monkey or person, but attempting to annihilate entire legions of the enemy army.

"This is what you get for spiting my father," he growled, holding a bow up and pulling the string back to his ears. His ring-adorned fingers remained on the bowstring even as the astra sparked with irritation and impatience, ready to impale someone. "Calm down. We need to find a worthy target for you, but all I see are vermin. Ah wait-" Indrajit found his target; Angad. He recognized Angad, the crown prince whose foot he could not lift. This should be enough for the entire monkey army to recede, the death of their crown prince.

And with that, Indrajit released the arrow, lowering his bow with satisfaction as the arrow raced towards Angad, who had his back turned, with a withering sense of finality that rang somehow, in his ears, despite the stealthy silence of the unfair attack. But Angad heard something whooshing behind him, and jumped away just as the sparking arrow dug into the dusty Earth, as if trying to dig its heart out instead of Angad's. Angad turned around, his eyes narrowing as they focused on Indrajit.

Meanwhile, back at the cabin, some of the healers, including Sushen (Is that his name), had their work cut out for them, as monkeys steadily brought back ailing and dying comrades, before scampering off to join the war again, armed anew with fresh tree trunks to thump upon and crush the monsters underneath. But they were overworked as well, and slowly, the amount of injured monkeys drowned them out.

But upon seeing Indrajit trying to attack Angad, Lakshman lurched out again with his bow, only to be pulled back again by Ram. "Not now." he hissed and Lakshman scowled. "Besides, don't you think the medics need some help? Maybe you could set up some tents?" Lakshman stared at Ram incredulously, before going to fulfill his brother's order, not being able to refuse. Set up tents? Him? During a war?

-----O-----

The war was still going as intense as ever. For every one monkey killed, another would thump a boulder onto three rakshasas. They wielded tree trunks and rocks and sharp stones with ease and though the rakshasas had cleavers, yes, nothing could beat the raw power of nature and monkeys combined. But the demons were still dangerous, and now they seethed with the anger of loss and defeat.

If Prahast killed many before, now he was a mass murderer, running his elephants through large crowds of monkeys, crushing their heads underneath the heavy grey feet of the 5 ton creatures, the grey matter, blood, and bone sinking into the dist of the battlefield like it was being absorbed into the very essence of the mourning Earth. Ram suddenly felt nausea overtake him, nausea and disgust. So many things Ravan would do for his pride.