BOOM! A distant reverberation echoed through the ambience. Shiva turned his eyes towards the horizon.

‘It sounds like an explosion,’ whispered the Pandit’s outline.

The distant, insistent voice of Sati came riding in. ‘S-H-I-V-A...’

BOOM! Another explosion.

‘S-H-I-V-A...’

‘It looks like your wife needs you, my friend.’

Shiva looked in astonishment at the outline of the Pandit, unable to decipher where the sound came from.

‘Maybe you should wake up,’ advised the Pandit’s disembodied voice.

‘S-H-I-V-A’

A groggy Shiva woke up to find Sati staring at him with concern. He was still a little bleary from the outlandishly strange dream state that he had just been yanked out of.

‘Shiva!’

BOOM!

‘What the hell was that?’ cried Shiva, alert now.

‘Someone is using daivi astras!’

‘What? What are daivi astras?’

A clearly stunned Sati spoke agitatedly, ‘Divine weapons! But Lord Rudra destroyed all the daivi astras! Nobody has access to them anymore!’

Shiva was completely alert by now, his battle instincts primed. ‘Sati, get ready. Wear your armour. Bind your weapons.’

Sati responded swiftly. Shiva slipped on his armour, coupled his shield to it and tied his sword to his waist. He slipped on his quiver smoothly and picked up his bow. Noting that Sati was ready, he kicked the door open. Taman and eight other guards had their swords drawn, ready to defend their Neelkanth against any attack.

‘My Lord, you should wait inside,’ said Taman. ‘We will hold the attackers here.’

Shiva stared hard at Taman, his eyes frowning at Taman’s well–intentioned words. Taman immediately stepped aside. ‘I am sorry, my Lord. We will follow you.’

Before Shiva could react, they heard footsteps rushing in their hallway. Shiva immediately drew his sword. He strained his ears to assess the threat.

Four footsteps. Just two men to attack a royal hallway! This didn’t make sense.

One pair of footsteps dragged slightly. The terrorist was clearly a large man using considerable willpower to make his feet move faster than his girth allowed.

‘Stand down, soldiers,’ ordered Shiva suddenly. ‘They are friends.’

Nandi and Veerbhadra emerged around the corner, running hard, with their swords at the ready.

‘Are you alright, my Lord?’ asked Nandi, admirably not out of breath.

‘Yes. We are all safe. Did the two of you face any attacks?’

‘No,’ answered Veerbhadra, frowning. ‘What the hell is going on?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Shiva. ‘But we’re going to find out.’

‘Where’s Krittika?’ asked Sati.

‘Safe in her room,’ answered Veerbhadra. ‘There are five soldiers with her. The room is barred from the inside.’

Sati nodded, before turning to Shiva. ‘What now?’

‘I want to check on the Emperor first. Everybody, files of two. Keep your shields up for cover. Sati at my side. Nandi in the middle. Taman, Veerbhadra, at the rear. Don’t light any torches. We know the way. Our enemies don’t.’

The platoon moved with considerable speed and stealth, mindful of possible surprise attacks from the terrorists. Shiva was troubled by what he had heard. Or rather, what he didn’t. Apart from the repeated explosions, there was absolutely no other sound from the palace. No screams of terror. No sound of panicked footsteps. No clash of steel. Nothing. Either the terrorists had not begun their real attack as yet. Or, Shiva was late and the attack was already over. Shiva frowned as a third alternative occurred to him. Maybe there were no terrorists in the palace itself. Maybe the attack was being mounted from a distance, with the daivi astras that Sati spoke of.

Shiva’s platoon reached Daksha’s chambers to find his guards at the door tense and ready for battle.

‘Where is the Emperor?’ asked Shiva.

‘He is inside, my Lord,’ said the royal guard captain, recognising the Neelkanth’s silhouette immediately. ‘Where are they, my Lord? We’ve been waiting for an attack since the first explosion.’

‘I don’t know, Captain,’ replied Shiva. ‘Stay here and block the doorway. Taman, support the captain here with your men. And remain alert’

Shiva opened the Emperor’s door. ‘Your Highness?’

‘My Lord? Is Sati all right?’ asked Daksha.

‘Yes, she is, your Highness,’ said Shiva, as Sati, Nandi and Veerbhadra followed him into the chamber. ‘And the Queen?’

‘Shaken. But not too scared.’

‘What was that?’

‘I don’t know,’ answered Daksha. ‘I would suggest that you and Sati stay here for now till we know what’s going on.’

‘Perhaps it maybe advisable for you to stay here, your Highness. We cannot risk any harm coming to you. I am going out to help Parvateshwar. If there’s a terrorist attack on, we need all the strength we have.’

‘You don’t have to go, my Lord. This is Devagiri. Our soldiers will slay all the terrorists dim-witted enough to attack our capital.’

Before Shiva could respond, there was a loud insistent knocking on the door.

‘Your Highness? Request permission to enter.’

‘Parvateshwar!’ thought Daksha. ‘Observing protocol even at a time like this!’

‘Come in!’ growled Daksha. As Parvateshwar entered, Daksha let fly. ‘How in Lord Indra’s name can this happen, General? An attack on Devagiri? How dare they?’

‘Your Highness,’ intercepted Shiva. Sati, Nandi and Veerbhadra were in the chambers now. He could not allow Parvateshwar to be insulted in front of them, especially in front of Sati. ‘Let us find out what is going on first.’

‘The attack is not on Devagiri, your Highness,’ glared Parvateshwar, his impatience with his Emperor on edge. ‘My scouts saw massive plumes of smoke coming from the direction of Mount Mandar. I believe it is under attack. I have already given orders for my troops and the station Arishtanemi to be ready. We leave in an hour. I need your approval to depart.’

‘The explosions were in Mandar, Pitratulya?’ asked Sati incredulously. ‘How powerful were they to be heard in Devagiri.’

Parvateshwar looked gloomily at Sati, his silence conveying his deepest fears. He turned towards Daksha. ‘Your Highness?’

Daksha seemed stunned into silence. Or was that a frown on his eyes. Parvateshwar could not be sure in the dim light.

‘Guards, light the torches!’ ordered Parvateshwar. ‘There is no attack on Devagiri!’

As the torches spread their radiance, Parvateshwar repeated, ‘Do I have your permission, my Lord?’

Daksha nodded softly.

Parvateshwar turned to see Shiva looking shocked. ‘What happened, Shiva?’

‘Brahaspati left for Mount Mandar yesterday.’

‘What?’ asked a startled Parvateshwar, who had not noticed the chief scientist’s absence in the celebrations of the previous day. ‘O Lord Agni!’

Shiva turned slowly towards Sati, drawing strength from her presence.

‘I will find him, Shiva,’ consoled Parvateshwar. ‘I am sure he is alive. I will find him.’