Rajiv Menon -- ThunderGod (2 page)

It was almost dark when Daeyus awoke with a start. He wondered what it was that had so suddenly woken him. In the air, there lingered a strange, alluring perfume. The place was deathly quiet except for the occasional snoring of one of his men. He walked round the perimeter of the camp and inspected the defences. The sentries he had posted were all fast asleep.

Daeyus drew his sword and looked around, all his senses on alert. His men never slept on duty. He suspected this to be some kind of Scythian sorcery. He slowly made his way towards the edge of the tree line. As he stepped into the desert, he saw her. She stared at him, her dark eyes filled with longing. The wind swept her robe aside and Daeyus caught a glimpse of her bronzed, voluptuous body. It took his breath away; he dropped his sword and started to run.

Gaia watched as this beautiful man came towards her, then she rushed forward to meet his embrace and together they fell on the dune. Their hands worked feverishly as they tore at each other's clothing. No words were exchanged between them as their lips found each other; none were necessary. Their coupling was swift, savage and intense. Gaia moved her hips and matched him thrust for thrust as she drove him wild with desire.

Daeyus had been totally unprepared for the pleasure he now experienced. His previous amorous escapades had been with either scared, eager to please slave girls, or with the grieving widows of his vanquished enemies. This was incredible; not only did this woman treat him as an equal she now challenged him to match her in intensity. The weariness of the last few days was gone as the raja thrust with the ferocity of a bull. Then, suddenly, she threw her head back, ground her hips into his pelvis and screamed at the top of her lungs.

Wave after wave of pleasure crashed into her body and threatened to completely overwhelm her. She heard a growl escape his throat as she felt the heat of his seed deep within her. She smiled as his body stiffened and he collapsed in a heap on top of her. She cupped his hard buttocks in her hands and pulled him closer. She held on for a few moments and then her grip relaxed.

Gaia opened her eyes; the intense joy she had felt was gone now, replaced by a hint of anxiety. Slowly she came to terms with what had just happened. She gently pushed him off her and did not look in his direction or say a word. There would be consequences for her actions; of this she was certain. Gaia was an Elemental who drew her powers from the earth. It was forbidden for her kind to consort with humans or any other earthly beings. She wondered why, when she could have had her pick of the gods, it was this beautiful savage that had drawn her attention. But it had been worth it; every glorious moment had been a memory she could treasure. He had made love to her with the passion of one who did not know if he would live to see another day. Something she could never expect from a god.

She had watched him for months as he battled the insurmountable odds that a resilient enemy and the uncompromising desert had thrown at him. Through it all there had been an unwavering, god-like strength to his spirit that had reached out across the ether and drawn her to him.

Now Gaia, Earth Goddess, knew there was nothing she could do but await the judgment of the Elders. She smiled as she felt a pleasant sensation in her womb; it was the warmth of his seed. She turned to her lover as he slept, gently placed her head on his chest, and closed her eyes as she listened to the beating of his heart.

***

On the ziggurat at Susa, Ishtar dropped her arms and shut her eyes. Her light dimmed as her body took on its normal form. She looked down at the sprawling city that lay beneath her, lost in thought about the events she had just witnessed.

In keeping with the laws of the Cosmos, every great act of destruction preceded an equally powerful act of creation. This night she had witnessed both, and she was troubled. The death of the star could only mean one thing; the forbidden sexual act that she had witnessed just after would produce a life force so powerful that, if left unchecked, it could destroy the prevalent order in the world and create a new one. And, as an integral part of the current order, she would have to do everything in her power to ensure that such an event did not come to pass. She had recognised both participants of the unholy union she had just witnessed. While she knew she had no power over the woman, the man's fate was very much under her control.

Braega, high priest of Susa, stood behind the goddess. He kept his gaze down, trying not to stare at her lovely body. Her unblemished skin was the colour of pale ivory. He tried to keep his trembling hands steady as he stepped forward and draped a blue robe over those exquisitely-shaped shoulders.

Ishtar turned to him, her beauty now had a cold edge to it and a dark shadow lurked behind her pale green eyes. Braega hurriedly averted his gaze. His discomfort did not go unnoticed by the goddess; she took her time to draw the robe across her bare breasts. She liked the effect her naked body had on men; it completely disarmed them and robbed them of their wits.

'What news do you have of this Deva, the one who is called Daeyus?'

Braega had no love for the Devas and their savage ways. He replied with all the dignity he could muster.

'The king has sent the barbarian to quell the Scythian rebellion in the Karakum Desert.'

Ishtar allowed herself a smile.

'A clever ploy, I must admit. Shalla conserves the strength of his own army by hiring these barbarians to do his dirty work. Do you think this man will be successful in his mission?'

Braega's reply was scornful. He could not fathom the interest his goddess had in Daeyus and his boorish band of thugs.

'It is unlikely that they will return from this task. The Scythians and their horses are born and raised in that hellish desert; they will slowly but surely wipe out these barbarians.'

Ishtar probed further.

'Shalla knew this and yet he sent them out to die.'

The high priest chuckled. 'It was a political masterstroke on the part of the king. In one move, he has taken care of his enemies and removed a potential threat. These barbarians will weaken the Scythian tribes considerably before they perish. There will be no Scythian raid on our lands for some time to come.'

Ishtar was thoughtful; the overconfidence of the Elamites would be their undoing. But she could not allow that to happen as long as it was within her power.

'How can you be so sure of the outcome? The bravery and military prowess of the Devas are already legendary. It has come to my attention that they have many admirers even within these walls.'

Braega allowed himself another little chuckle.

'Divine excellency! The sands of the Karakum are littered with the bones of countless such brave men. Let me assure you, even if the Devas do return, they will be in no position to challenge the might of Elam.'

Ishtar knew the high priest echoed the sentiments of his sovereign, Shalla, king of Susa. She now trod carefully; she did not want to reveal the true reason behind her interest just yet.

'Perhaps you are right. But humour me this once, my dear Braega. I want you to bring me a regular report on all further activities of this Daeyus. I also need you to send a messenger to Sumer and find a man for me. He is known in those parts as, "The Marksman".'

Braega bowed low as he conveyed both his understanding and will to obey her orders. Shalla had a supremely efficient espionage system to monitor the activities in the lands outside the walls of Susa. As high priest, Braega had access to this intelligence. It would not be difficult for him to keep an eye on the Deva chief.

The goddess' second request, however, piqued his curiosity; he hadn't the faintest idea who this man was that she wanted him to find.

'How will we find this man you seek in the vast expanse of Sumer?'

'Instruct your messenger to ask around in the right places. The Marksman will find him.'

She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. Braega bowed low and left.

***

Daeyus woke up and looked around. There was absolutely no trace of the mystery woman. He was wondering if the whole thing had been a dream, when he heard his squire Mara call out to him. The morning air was chill; Daeyus got to his feet and wrapped his cloak around him.

'The scouts have returned, my lord,' the boy told him.

Daeyus reached the camp and asked Vasu and Krupa to get the men ready. The scouts informed him that the Saka were three hundred strong and about four hours south of their position. They marched in the direction of the oasis. Daeyus questioned them about the physical condition of the enemy. He was informed that they looked like they had been without water for days. Daeyus smiled; some good news at last.

Although the enemy outnumbered them five to one, the desert would even the odds. He remembered how he had started this campaign with five hundred men, the finest warriors from his clan; now there were just sixty of them left. But these sixty men had been tempered in the furnace of the Karakum. They feared nothing. They would gladly march to the gates of hell and back with their raja. He watched them, proudly lined up in their bronze armour. They banged their lances against their shields as he approached. The round bronze shields had emblazoned on them a golden sun, the symbol of the Deva strength and power. Daeyus took his place at the head of the troops, flanked on either side by his two commanders.

It was noon when the Devas reached within striking distance of the Saka camp. The Scythians were all sprawled in the shadows thrown by their resting horses. Numa, the Saka chief, had decided to rest his men and horses during the hottest part of the day. He knew he couldn't ask any more of them. For ten days they had marched without food or water through conditions akin to hell, a phenomenal effort even by the Scythians' own high standards. The enemy had been forgotten, now only survival was on the Sakas' minds. Numa still hung on in the hope that the Oasis of Illum was a half-day's march away. The stars in the night sky had told him that, and he prayed he had read them right.

Daeyus saw clearly that the Saka did not expect an attack. They had made camp below a giant sand dune, which was a great spot to beat the heat but a terrible one to defend, especially if you were pitted against the greatest light cavalry in the world. The raja divided his forces into three; Vasu and Krupa took twenty-five men each to hit the Saka from either flank, and Daeyus held ten men with him in reserve and waited.

The enemy was completely unprepared when the first volley of arrows hit them from both the flanks. However, after the initial chaos, the Saka were quick to respond. They gathered their weapons, leapt on to their horses and started to give chase. Daeyus smiled as he watched the enemy play right into his hands.

Numa looked on helplessly as the Devas, on their rested horses, poured volley after volley of arrows into his men before they calmly rode out of range. Their accuracy astounded him. He mounted his horse and started to rally his men. Daeyus realised that he must act quickly or they would lose the crucial momentum that their surprise attack had brought. He led the ten men in an arrowhead formation with himself at point and charged right into the centre of the enemy camp. Before the Saka realised what was happening, the raja and his men were upon them.

Daeyus ran one man right through with his lance and knocked a second off his horse with a mighty blow from his shield; his horse did not even break stride as it ran swiftly towards the Saka chief. They were almost upon him when Daeyus felt the front legs of his steed buckle--a spear had been thrust into its chest. Daeyus toppled forward over the front of his horse. The soft sand broke his fall, but he lost his spear and shield. He drew his sword as the enemy swarmed around him.

Vasu, quick to spot the peril his raja was in, rallied his men and charged towards him. Daeyus hacked and slashed at the enemy as they surrounded him. One of his men tossed him his battle-axe. Daeyus caught the heavy weapon in mid-air and in one motion swung it at his nearest assailant, decapitating the man. The blood from the severed neck drenched Daeyus and enhanced his already frightening appearance.

Numa, the Saka chief, frantically barked orders to his troops. Daeyus noticed that the enemy was beginning to hurriedly regroup around him. The Devas were about to lose the advantage of their surprise assault. He shouted out a challenge to the Saka chief, whose response was immediate--he hurled his spear at him. Daeyus ducked and the javelin sailed over his shoulder. As he rose, two men barred his way. Daeyus caught one of them in the throat with his sword as he swung the axe at the other in an underhand stroke. The massive blade caught the Saka under the armpit of his sword arm and sliced it clean off.

By now Vasu and Krupa had reached him. They positioned themselves behind him, shoulder to shoulder, as they protected his exposed flanks. Daeyus grimaced; suddenly there was no room for him to swing his axe. Just then, another Saka spear was thrust at his face. Daeyus dropped his axe, grabbed the shaft of the spear and dragged the man off his horse right on to his waiting sword.