Rajiv Menon -- ThunderGod (39 page)

From the safety of his boat, Indra watched the crocodiles bring the final curtain down on the bloody drama. It had been a perfect trap. Naraka had fallen into their hands and not one of them had got hurt in the bargain.

***

The magnificent Throne Room of Assur wore a dark and desolate look. The court had long been dismissed. On his ornate gold and ivory throne, Sargon the Grey Wolf sat and stared up at his brightly frescoed ceiling. He did not wish for anyone to see his helplessness. A few barbarians and pirates had brought his great empire to its knees. News of their recent victories had spread to the distant corners of the land. This demon Indra was being lauded as a hero, and alarmingly, more and more men were flocking to his banner.

Now they had his only son, his heir, and he had just received the terms for his return. The forests of Aranya and the river delta should be freed from Asura dominion and safe passage be granted to Indra and his army through his lands. The second demand intrigued Sargon. If he demanded safe passage, did that mean Indra and his army would leave his lands forever? The thought brought him some relief as he agreed to all the terms unconditionally.

The sound of heavy footsteps brought his attention back. It was Mahisha, his brother and second-in-command. The warrior kept his gaze down as he made his report.

'The troops have begun their withdrawal from Aranya, Excellency.'

Sargon nodded and asked him to call it a night. The Grey Wolf watched him go with a sigh. He had seen the naked rage that Mahisha had tried hard to control. Sargon could empathise with his brother; he felt exactly the same. But Naraka . . . he could not forsake Naraka. He was the only fruit that had sprung from his old loins.

The Asura king was a pragmatic man. Although he was still able to keep the young wives of his harem happy, he did not think he would be able to father another child. The boy was a little spoilt and impulsive, always looking to make his father proud. But no one could take away from Naraka the fact that, in spite of his tender age, he was already a great warrior and he would make a great emperor one day.

***

Indra watched the celebrations unfurl at Aranyapura. Most of the Asura troops had left the forest, with only a small number remaining to escort Naraka back. King Savitra announced a grand sacrifice in gratitude to the gods and a feast to celebrate the victory. With the ceremony over, as it was with his people, wine had taken over the gathering.

Savitra called to the guards to bring Naraka to the hall. Aryaman tried to dissuade his father, but the old king would have none of it. Soon the Asura prince was brought into the assembly, his hands bound behind his back. Savitra and his cronies, who were now thoroughly intoxicated, began to heap insults on the young man and his father. They pelted him with food and doused him with wine.

Naraka bore it all in silence. He looked his tormentors in the face and did not flinch when they threw hot broth on him. As a guest, Indra could not intervene, but he admired how well the young man handled the humiliation. Now some of the king's cronies got bolder. One of them rushed up and knocked Naraka down. As the Asura prince struggled back to his feet, another arrived and slashed him across the chest with a knife. The wound, though superficial, started to bleed.

Brihaspati could not bear it any longer. He shouted at the men to stop, calling them cowards. He asked the guards to take the prisoner away. Savitra tried to stand up and take control, but the priest silenced him with a withering look. The king slouched back in his seat, sulking.

As he was being led away, the Asura prince shook off the grip of the guards and turned to address the gathering.

'People of Aranyapura, you have bound my father's hands with this treaty just as you have bound mine. But know this, one day I will be emperor and my hands will be free. That day, I will burn down this forest and scorch these wetlands. I will hunt each and every one of you across the far corners of this earth. Your names will be struck from the annals of history. It will be like none of this ever existed at all. I, Naraka, son of the Grey Wolf, swear this.'

There was silence in the gathering as Naraka was blindfolded and taken away from Aranyapura. Although the celebrations continued, there was a muted ring to it. Before long, Indra and Brihaspati left the hall, followed by Aryaman.

The three of them walked along one of the ethereally beautiful avenues of Aranyapura. After the way things had gone down in the hall, it was a relief to get out into the fresh air. Indra looked around at his surroundings. The full moon filtered through the leaves and bathed the city in its silvery light. It was like he had been transported to another world. Brihaspati's voice broke the surreal silence.

'Why do you wish to leave the land of your ancestors? Your father and his father before him have shed blood here.'

'That is one of the reasons why I leave. This land seems to have an endless thirst for the blood of my people.'

'Where will you go?'

'I plan to head southeast to the city of Harappa. With the gold from that city, I will build an empire to rival that of the Grey Wolf. But before that, I'm going to need horses. The Asuras do not have any--they seem more keen on eating them than taming them.'

Aryaman spat on the ground in disgust.

'We know that better than anybody else. Our herds and our horses all went into Sargon's cooking pot. But I will be honoured if you will permit me to ride alongside you.'

Indra was pleased. He had come to grow rather fond of Mitra's nephew.

'The honour will be mine, Prince.'

Brihaspati was thoughtful.

'Perhaps I can be of some assistance in getting your horses back.'

Indra could not believe his ears.

'Get our horses back? They scattered across the distant corners of Sumer more than a year ago. How do you propose to get them back?'

'From the men who took them.'

'Men! Was that truly the work of men? I suspected it to be Asura sorcery!'

'It was the work of our cousins, many times removed, of course. The world knows them as the Ashvani twins, masters of the Ashva, the horse. They are sons of Vivasvat the wise, chief of the Ikshvaaku tribe.'

'But why would they help us? They serve the Grey Wolf.'

'The Ikshvaaku are their own masters. They honoured an old treaty with Sargon when their princes helped him against you; now their obligation to the Asuras is over. But like the Yavanas and us, they will serve the warrior who will unite the northern clans. I shall send word at once to Vivasvat.'

The next day, Aryaman informed a shocked Savitra that he and a select group of five hundred warriors would accompany Indra. All the king's threats and pleas were to no avail. To further add to the king's dismay, Brihaspati announced his decision to accompany Prince Aryaman.

Aryaman was touched and surprised by the farewell he received from the citizens of Aranyapura. In an unprecedented move, the entire city showed up at the docks to bid them farewell. King Savitra was conspicuous by his absence.

From his position on the boat, Indra turned to look upon the forests of Aranya one last time. Somewhere within its green depths, the spirit of Valli, the warrior princess, roamed free. A part of him would always remain there with her.

13

It was dusk on the endless expanse of the Sumerian plains. One by one the campfires were being lit. On a little rise, from a tent no less ostentatious than the other ones around, Indra emerged to greet his commanders and new high priest, Brihaspati. His position in the camp offered Indra a panoramic view of the surrounding plains that were now slowly being covered by darkness. He looked towards Soma, who had his ear close to the ground.

'Tell me you hear something.'

Soma nodded, not taking his ear off the ground. Indra heaved a sigh of relief. Around them stood their chariots, all assembled, awaiting the arrival of their horses. It had been a week since they had been there, at the very spot where their horses had been taken. Indra, who had only put faith in those words because they had come from Brihaspati, had almost lost hope that their horses would be returned to them. Now they all began to hear it in the distance, the thunder of thousands of hooves across the hard earth.

Slowly they began to appear, like phantoms in the firelight. There was a buzz of excitement in the camp at the sight of the animals. Indra's jaw nearly dropped in amazement; their numbers had grown considerably. His keen eye for horseflesh had already spotted quite a few new foals among them. At the head of what looked like a perfect cavalry formation, two men mounted on his war chargers rode bareback and without any reins. Indra himself had never attempted that.

A sharp whistle was heard and the enthralled audience saw the horses move perfectly into a narrow two-line formation. The Ashvanis tugged gently on the flowing manes of their stallions and slowed them down as they entered the empty corral. Within a few minutes, the astounded grooms shut the gates of their corral with it once again bustling with horses.

Indra turned to his high priest in delight.

'If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would never have thought it possible. You were right wise one, these two alone are worth an army.'

The Ashvanis arrived at Indra's campfire amidst curious glances. The twins were identical, tall and very slender in build. Their faces were handsome, with fine features and devoid of any facial hair. They bowed formally to Indra and announced their willingness to serve under him. The Deva king welcomed them to his fold.

Brihaspati smiled to himself as he saw Yadu, Aryaman and the Ashvanis standing together with the Deva king. Indra had fulfilled the first part of the prophecy; he felt certain that the key to the fulfilment of the second part lay in Harappa.

***

With the onset of winter in the mountains, the passes that led to Harappa were snowed in. Indra had no option but to wait for spring and find a guide to take them across. He used the time to strengthen his depleted arsenal and rebuild his chariot divisions. The Devas, who were only too glad to get back behind the wheels of the chariot, did not complain through the long days and endless drills.

The Adityas, many of whom had not been born when the clan had to leave the plains and take to the forests, took to their training with gusto. Aryaman and his men longed to emulate their forefathers and get back behind the reins of a good horse. The blood of the pastoral nomads that flowed through their veins and the help of the Ashvanis ensured that they were soon as comfortable as any of the Devas on horseback.

Yadu and his men had no desire whatsoever to get on the back of a horse. Indra watched them as they practised their infantry drills and was glad that he would not have to lead a charge into that formidable-looking line of shields.

Soon it was spring, and Indra sent his scouts on patrols along the various routes to the south. One day one of them reported to him the arrival of a caravan that was headed southwest towards Harappa. With a small division of chariots, Indra set out to meet it.

The caravan did not stand a chance as the division of chariots surrounded it. The armed guards threw down their weapons and fell to their knees in surrender. Indra suddenly noticed a portly figure clad in fine robes running towards them. As the figure approached, Indra recognised him as the merchant who had been escorting Valli when he first found her.

The merchant rued his ill luck at falling into the hands of the Devas for a second time. He fell to his knees and begged for mercy. Indra informed him that he did not wish to loot him, but he would like to discuss a business proposition. The relieved merchant requested Indra to dine with him.

Later that night, after a scrumptious feast in the merchant's lavish tent, Indra laid down his proposition. The merchant listened to him carefully before he made his reply.

'My lord, it would be my honour to be of service to you. But before you embark on this quest, there is something you should know. Unlike the cities of Sumer, Harappa has no walls or great defences to speak of, yet no hostile army has ever got within a day's march of it. Tribes that have grown fat on Harappa gold control the mountain passes. Only trade caravans are allowed to pass through. Any sign of an armed force and they will start a rockslide or an avalanche and knock them off the mountain like fleas off a camel's back. I know this because Sargon has already lost an army in those mountains. I cannot allow this to happen to you and your fine men, my lord.'

What the portly man did not tell Indra was that the merchant who had guided Sargon's army had been skinned alive in the city square of Harappa. His carcass had been thrown to stray dogs, while his skin had been cured and sent to his family in Assur.

Indra was bitterly disappointed.