The Secret of the Nagas (42 page)

‘Stay low!’ shouted Ganesh. He couldn’t move to support Krittika since the liger could charge through the opening to attack Kartik. ‘Stay low Krittika! She’s injured. She can’t leap high!’

Krittika had held her sword low, waiting for the wounded lioness to reach her. But to her surprise, the big cat suddenly veered left. As Krittika was about to charge after her, she heard a blood-curdling scream.

The lioness from the other side had used the distraction and crept up to the Kashi soldier. He was screaming in agony as the lioness dragged his body back, slashing at him with her claws. The soldier kept screeching, trying to push the lioness back, hitting her with weak blows from his sword. She kept biting into him, finally getting a choke hold on the convulsing soldier’s neck. Moments later he was dead.

The liger remained stationary in front of Ganesh, blocking any escape. The other lioness left the dead Kashi soldier and returned to position.

Ganesh breathed slowly. He marvelled at the intelligent, pack-hunting behaviour these animals were displaying.

‘Stay low,’ said Ganesh to Krittika. ‘I will cover the liger and this lioness. You have to focus on the injured one. I cannot see to all three. These animals hunt as a pack. Whoever gets distracted is dead.’

Krittika nodded as the injured lioness started ambling towards her. The animal was losing too much blood from her shoulder injury. She was slow in her movements. Suddenly, she charged at Krittika.

As the lioness came close, she leapt high. As high as her injured shoulder allowed. It was a weak jump. Krittika bent low, holding her sword up high, brutally stabbing it into the lioness’ heart. The beast fell on Krittika and was soon dead.

Ganesh glanced at Krittika out of the corner of his eye. Before being felled, the lioness had managed to dig her claws into Krittika and rip away a part of her shoulder. Krittika was bleeding profusely, practically immobile under the lioness’ corpse which was pinning her down. But she was alive. She had Ganesh in her line of sight.

Ganesh flipped his shield onto his back, pulled out his second shorter sword and stood close to the banyan tree. The short sword had a twin blade, which clipped together as the victim’s body moved. It was a fearsome weapon if it was stabbed deep into a body as it would cut again and again.

Ganesh waited, biding time, hoping the Mahadev would arrive before it was too late.

The liger moved to Ganesh’s right. The lioness to his left. There was enough distance between the beasts to make it difficult for Ganesh to observe both of them at the same time. Having established a good offensive position, the animals moved forward slowly, in sync.

The lioness suddenly charged. Ganesh lashed out with his left hand. But the shorter sword did not have the reach. The movement forced him to look left. The liger, taking advantage, charged into Ganesh and bit hard into his right leg, at the same spot that Ganesh had been injured in, at Icchawar.

Ganesh screamed in agony and swung hard with his right sword arm, slashing the liger across the face. The liger retreated, but not before he had bitten off a chunk of Ganesh’s thigh.

Ganesh was losing blood fast. He stepped back, leaning against the banyan tree. His kid brother was screaming behind him. Shouting to be let out so that he could battle the lions too. Ganesh did not move. And the cats charged again.

This time the liger came first. Seeing a pattern in their attack, Ganesh kept his eyes dead centre, able to now see both the liger and lioness. He held his right sword out to stop the liger from coming in too close. The liger slowed down and the lioness came in faster. Ganesh jabbed hard with his short sword, straight into the lioness’ shoulder, but not before she had bitten into Ganesh’s limb. The lioness retreated with Ganesh’s short, twin bladed sword buried in her shoulder after having left another gaping injury in Ganesh’s left arm.

Ganesh knew that he couldn’t stand on his feet much longer. He was losing too much blood. He did not want to fall sideways because Kartik would then become vulnerable. He fell back and sat against the tree, covering the hollow with his body. The animals would have to go through him to get to his brother.

Due to the severe loss of blood, Ganesh’s vision was beginning to blur. But despite that, he could see that the wound on the lioness had been telling. She was still struggling at a distance from him, trying to lick her shoulder, unable to stand straight. As she moved, the twin-blade cut further into her, hacking tissue away from bone. He saw the liger moving in from the right, edging closer. Once close enough, the liger bounded and lashed out with his paw while Ganesh slashed with his sword at the same time. The liger’s claws tore through Ganesh’s face, causing a deep gash on his long nose. Simultaneously, Ganesh’s blow gouged the liger’s left eye. The animal retreated, howling in agony.

But Kartik had seen what Ganesh hadn’t. He was trying to reach out with his wooden sword. But he couldn’t get far enough. ‘Dada! Look out!’

The lioness had used Ganesh’s distraction to crawl closer. She lunged forward and bit into Ganesh’s chest. Ganesh swung his blade, slashing her face. The lioness retreated, snarling in pain, but not before ripping out a large amount of flesh from Ganesh’s torso. The Naga’s heart, pumping blood and adrenaline through the body at a furious rate, was now working against him as the numerous wounds leaked blood alarmingly.

Ganesh knew his end was near. He couldn’t last much longer. And then he heard a loud war cry.

‘HAR HAR MAHADEV!’

A warm, comforting darkness was beckoning Ganesh. He struggled to stay awake.

Nearly fifty furious Suryavanshi soldiers charged into the park. They fell upon the two big cats. The weakened animals did not stand a chance and were soon killed.

Through his rapidly fading vision, Ganesh thought he saw a handsome figure rushing towards him, bloodied sword held to the side. His throat, an iridescent blue. Behind the man, he could barely make out the blurred vision of a bronzed woman racing towards him. A warrior Princess, the blood of the liger splattered all over her.

The Naga smiled, delighted to be the bearer of good news to two of the most important people in his world.

‘Don’t worry...
baba
,’ whispered Ganesh to his
father
. ‘Your son is safe... He is hidden... behind me.’

Saying so, Ganesh collapsed. Unconscious.

Chapter 20

Never Alone, My Brother

Ganesh thought he should feel pain. But there was nothing.

He opened his eyes. He could barely distinguish the formidable Ayurvati next to his body.

He shifted his eyes down towards his ravaged body; skin torn asunder, flesh ripped out, blood congealed all over, arm bone sticking out, a gaping hole in his chest, ribs cracked and visible.

Bhoomidevi be merciful. I don’t stand a chance
.

Ganesh returned to darkness.

A sharp sting on his chest. His eyes opened slowly. Barely.

Through the slits, he could see Ayurvati changing his dressing.

He could feel again.

A good thing, right?

He slipped into his dream world once again.

A soft caress. Then the hand moved away. A sleeping Ganesh moved his head. He wanted the hand back. It returned to his face, stroking it gently.

Ganesh opened his eyes slightly. Sati was sitting next to him, leaning over, her eyes swollen, red.

Maa.

But Sati didn’t respond. Maybe she hadn’t heard him.

Ganesh could see outside the window behind Sati. It was raining.

The monsoons? How long have I been unconscious?

Ganesh saw a man leaning next to the window, against the wall. A strong man, whose normally mischievous eyes were expressionless. A man with a blue throat. A man staring intensely at him. Trying to figure him out.

Sleep snatched Ganesh away yet again.

A warm touch on his arm. Someone was gently applying the ointment on him.

The Naga opened his eyes slowly. And was surprised to see the hand applying the medicine so tenderly was not soft and feminine, but strong and masculine.

He turned his eyes slowly to see the kindly doctor. The torso was powerful and muscled. But the neck! It was different. It radiated a divine blue light.

Ganesh was stunned. A gasp escaped his mouth.

The hand applying the medicine froze. Ganesh could feel a pair of eyes boring into him. And then the Neelkanth rose and left the room.

Ganesh shut his eyes again.