by T. G. Ayer
Dominion Falling
The Apsara Chronicles Book 3
T.G. Ayer
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Also by T.G. Ayer
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Chapter 1
Blood glistened on each of her cheeks, the ruby splatters uncanny in the unplanned beauty of their violent creation, each side of her face bathed in the lifeblood spilled from the veins of brothers, a pair of siblings doomed by the blind and vicious passion with which they'd fought for possession of that which neither owned and which neither had the right to claim.
Apsara Tilotamma, General of the Armies of the God Shiva, the Eternal One, the Creator, the Preserver, the Destroyer, swayed in a seat softened by a silken cushion of goose- and peacock-feathers. Her personal vimana was making its way back to the palace in Swargaloka, the flying craft cutting swiftly through the air currents high above the land of the Indus and Lanka
The higher she flew, the more she felt calm wrap around her like an ethereal blanket. But despite the illusion of serenity, even Titlotamma had to admit that the result of her negotiations with the brothers hadn't provided the result she'd intended to achieve, and without a shadow of a doubt, she'd be providing new of great disappointment to her Lord.
The thought brought immense discomfort, as though she were forced to stand as still as the Meditation Reeds of the Far North, all while the soles of her feet were pierced by the poisoned quills of the Black Porcupine--a low and excruciatingly painful death that she'd not even wish upon her worst enemy.
Tilo sighed and leaned her head against the wall of the vimana behind her. There was no supporting head-cushion to prevent her skull from cracking against the solid gold--no, of course not for the General of the Armies of Heaven. Creature comforts, luxuries in travel appealed to her even less than rich foods and sickly-sweet drinks the like of which she'd seen many a mortal leader imbibe in the hours before a battle.
What warrior would believe a battle fought on a belly filled with a succulent meal would be one of clarity and awareness. The lethargy of food held enough of its own dangers that the entire Apsara army only partook of light meals and clear liquids prior to any battle fought.
Perhaps the brothers Sunda and Upasunda ought to have done the same.
Tilo sighed as her thoughts flickered back to her task of approaching the pair, of being that hand to extend the offer made by the Eternal One, the offer to retain peace in the Heavens of Swarga.
Chapter 2
The halls of the Palace of the Benevolent Lord of the Universe echoed with the mutes sounds of desperation and fear. Bare feet, boot-soles, and the clacking roll of metal wheels on marble provided a secondary layer of sounds of fleeing as the inhabitants of the palace and the loka alike hurried to the evacuation points all along the realm.
It had seemed a laughable thing in the beginning, when the Mother Parvathi had requested an evacuation protocol--laughed off by Lord Shiva's generals at the time--but now Tilo had to smirk at what those leaders would think as they were being herded towards the designated portal locations across the gilded city.
What do we need evacuation plans for? they had asked, while laughing and waggling bushy eyebrows, and smoothing soft palms across equally soft bellies. The gods though, hadn't laughed. They'd nodded and conferred, with Lords Vishnu, Indra, Murali and Rudra and Agni, who had all agreed that a quick exit in a time of danger is most wise
As a result, all the eight Lokas of the heavens of Swarga had instituted the protocols Mother Parvathi had created, and the smooth evacuation currently underway in the abode of Lord Shiva was proof enough of her inestimable wisdom.
Tilo pushed the doors to Lord Shiva's meeting room open and hurried inside, aware that she'd made the members wait for her arrival. It was no fault of her own that she'd been allowed time for rest and recuperation, and she hoped quite fervently that the activities she'd been engaged in were not revealed in the flush of her cheeks. The damndest thing was she'd been painting--or rather attempting to paint.
"My Lord." Tilo came to a halt at Lord Shiva's side, giving a low bow before straightening, spine stiff in preparation for the expected tongue-lashing for her tardiness.
But none came.
Instead, the god simply waved her to an empty seat beside him and sighed as though the weight of all the celestial worlds rested upon his shoulders. "General Tilotamma, I'm sure you're aware the Lokas are in the process of evacuation. We've been surrounded by the forces of Sunda and Upasunda, which I'm certain we're all aware isn't something to sniff at. The boon bestowed upon the brothers is such that nothing even the most powerful of gods can do will have any effect upon their focus on attaining their goals."
Indra grunted as Shiva's gaze flickered toward him. "We've been assessing their movements across Prithvi and and from what we've gathered the brothers have achieved control of absolute proportions, unlike anything we've seen in aeons."
"And now that they've taken over the mortal loka, they seek to overthrow the heavens?" asked Tilo, already knowing full well what the god's answer would be.
Indra nodded, his eyes flickering as lightning flashed within his gaze. "Their power appears to be unrivaled, upheld by the blessings of the boon."
"And we have no recourse?" asked Parvati, her golden eyes undulating with shades of copper and fire.
"None whatsoever. So say the words of the boon."
Indra glanced briefly at the god Brahma who sighed and shook his head. "I know, brother. I am well aware as to the ramifications of my boon. I trust we will all learn wisdom from this and move forward." He tilted his head at Indra but it was painfully clear that Brahma shouldered some of the burden of this attack on the heavens and perhaps on other ramifications of the exploits of the brothers Sunda and Upasunda.
Tilo bit her lip. Her personal opinion and one she'd shared with Parvathi previously, was that such boons be given under the advisement of a joint council who would consider one and all of the potential recipient's attributes, both good and bad. But who was she to suggest rules and regulations to the gods? Perhaps voicing them would have helped, but in this case alternative methods would have come a little too late.
The brothers Sunda and Upasunda had run rampant upon the length and breadth of Prithvi for three centuries already, and had remained so unchecked by any heavenly hand.
"Have we at least attempted to communicate with the pair? Perhaps a discussion regarding the repercussions of their rampage would help to change their minds. They must remember that it is only by divine hand that they have this power." The voice of the goddess Laxmi drifted across the long table, her tones low and musical, only emphasised by the chink of her armor. The goddess, though a powerful warrior, was more often than not the peacemaker first, but today even Tilo could see the lack of hope in her eyes.
Shiva shook his head and tapped the surface of the marble table with his forefinger. The movement sent ripples of energy along the block of marble, ringers of vibrations spreading outward from the point of contact strong enough that Tilo felt it in the soles of her feet, and knew full well the result would be a cluster of quakes on the surface of Prithvi.
Shiva paused, his finger raised above the white stone, his eyes meeting those of his wife for an instant in which Tilo was forced to suppress a smile with all the power within her body. Parvathi had sent her husband a quelling look, one dark with warning, and simmering with I-thought-I-told-you-to-be-careful. Around the table, man
y of the gods reflecting varying levels of amusement, though some were oblivious, caught within the webs of their own worries.
Shiva sighed. "I apologise for losing my control. Someone please check with the geological council if that slip has caused much damage." He received a quick nod from Agni, Varuna and Prajapathi, the gods of fire, water and preservation who also sat upon the geological council. The would have send silent messages to their teams already, and from their expressions it appeared that Shiva's lapse hadn't done too much damage. WHich in the estimation of an eternal deity could be anything from a dozen to a thousand lives lost.
Tilo knew Lord Shiva would do his own personal assessment as soon as he was free.
Now the god sat back against his backrest and scanned the faces around him. "I would much prefer we make an attempt at negotiating with the brothers. What do you, my council of advisors, suggest? How do we attempt to gain their attention long enough that they would hear our plea?"
Indra snickered and glanced up at Tilo who fought hard to refrain from glaring at him. Indra, god of war, was her liege lord, but had behaved more like a mischievous brother toward her and her generals as well as the soldiers with the Apsara armies. He'd bestowed upon them gifts of dwellings of incomparable beauty within the land of Amaravati within Indra's own abode of suva Loka.
Shiva met Indra's eyes, brow furrowed in question, forcing the god to answer in all honesty lest he incur the wrath of the King of all gods. Indra cleared his throat, flicking an aplogetic glance at Tilotamma before saying, "My Lord, forgive me for I suffered from a momentary lack of wisdom."
"And what would that be?" asked Shiva, glancing over at Tilo, confirming her suspicion that nothing had escaped the god's awareness. Even Parvathi had one eyebrow curved as she too waited, her glance shifting from Indra to Tilo herself.
Oh goddess, thought Tilo. This does not bode well for me.
Indra cleared his throat again, his skin taking on a mottled spattering of red. "I had merely entertained the thought that General Tilo would have both the power of her warrior strength as well as her beauty, both of which would be likely to shift the attention of the brothers, if only for a moment."
Shiva scowled at the god, while Parvathi's lips formed a thin line. "Such insolence," she muttered from across the table, though Indra wasn't close enough to have heard her words.
Shiva though, didn't derive even an iota of amusement from Indra’s suggestion, although it appeared he was keeping his anger in check, which meant he was thinking about something.
This definitely did not bode well for me.
Shiva shook his head and rose, taking care to ensure his movements were gentle and smooth. "Indra, though the origin of that suggestion arises from a place of crass objectification, I must confess it has merit."
Parvathi's gasp, along with Laxmi's open-mouthed stare had Shiva chuckling and shaking his head. "Merits only in terms of the General's warrior prowess. Despite Indra's crassness, he does have one thing true: Tilotamma is our most powerful General--other than the divine Parvathi of course.”-- Shiva said with a gentle glance at his wife who only afforded him an eye-roll for his troubles.
Shiva shifted his gaze toward Tilotamma, his knuckled resting hard against the surface of the table. "In addition, General Tilotamma possesses lengthy experience in the overseeing of treaties, and of stalemate management. She's brought many a warring feud to rest with nothing more than her reasoning and her wit. As such, I'd likely consider her as a nomination to deliver our plea to the brothers."
A rumble of discontent undulated toward Shiva from the furthest end of the able where the gods Bali and Kethu sat along with their subordinates. "Are we allowed to nominate a messenger of our own, my Lord?" asked Bali, his eyes flickering in Tilo's direction briefly.
Her gut twinged and she forced herself to breathe. The general was a scorned suitor who'd held that grudge against Tilo for centuries now. Common knowledge to all including Lord Shiva who shook his head.
Parvathi though had shifted her forefinger on the table, barely an inch, a movement so slight nobody would have noticed other than her mate.
Shiva took a slow breath and glanced first at his wife and then at Tilo. "I will allow a representative to accompany the General, but only to observe. No power of communication or negotiation with the brothers has been granted."
The god nodded, pasting a smile on his face clearly communicating to all watching that he was far from satisfied. Shiva ignored him and sank into his seat again. Parvathi leaned closer. "Can we prepare a status of the evacuation, to ensure all the lokas are proceeding as expected. Then Tilo and I will begin preparation to depart."
"You?"
The goddess nodded. "I will behave. I shall have no more power in the parlay than Karthi has, I can assure the council."
Shiva frowned and so did Indra. Tilo knew what they were thinking; that Parvathi wanted to remain in the know, that she was afraid to release control, to remain ignorant of the details of the negotiations and was thus insinuating herself into the retinue. A common topic of whispers within the court where few could fathom the depths of the love and devotion between the Eternal One and his beloved consort.
And none of which was true at all. Tilo herself was well aware that the only concern the goddess had was for Tilo's own safety, especially with Karthi now added to the party. There were many things of which Lord Shiva remained ignorant, many of which his wife considered too minor for him to trouble with. Political infighting was one of them.
Now the mother goddess simply smiled beatifically at the table and received dozens of nods in return. To which Shiva could not respond with a categorical denial of permission.
For now Parvathi had won.
Chapter 3
"I know you don't like the idea but would you do it knowing I trust you?" asked Lord Shiva softly. HIs eyes were filled with concern and Tilo knew that his only care would be for how she felt. For the Lord of Destruction he was far more about willing compliance than any other of the less destructive gods.
Tilotamma let out a soft sigh and sank her elbows onto the marble table, feeling the coolness of the marble eke into her bones. She welcomes the icy, especially considering the heated upheaval within her core. "This is not what I would have chosen for myself had I been given a choice," she murmured softly. Then she paused and glanced over at Parvathi.
"Or is my Lord perhaps offering me the opportunity to decline without losing face?"
Lord Shiva smirked. "Losing face is the least of anyone's concerns at this point in time. And un answer to your question, I'm afraid you are not being given the opportunity to decline."
The second sigh, Tilo uttered was deeper and lasted longer. Long enough to earn her a glance from Parvathi who had remained behind for the much smaller war council once the rest of the gods had departed. Only Ganesh had remained, in part to be at his mother's side, in part to ensure the more official portion of the planning stage would occur free of obstacles, either physical or spiritual.
Ganesh though, had not bargained for a temperament such that Tilotamma possessed.
Despite the look of admonition from the goddess, Tilo didn't apologise. To be honest she didn't feel as though she needed to given that the Lord knew full well how she felt. And when she looked up and met his eyes she saw his apology, silent but loud enough that she heard it deep within her soul.
And so she nodded, slowly, but the movement did convey her acquiescence. And as she raised her head, her spine straightened as the mission given to her became her full concern. Across from Tilo, Parvathi filled goblets fashioned from diamond and obsidian, the golden amrita shimmering in the almost clear glass.
Drawing her drink close to her, Tilo looked over at the Eternal One and said, "What am I taking to them as appeasement.?"
Lord Shiva smiled. "And this is why you are the most suitable for the job. Your ability to assess the requirements of the situation and get right to the heart of the matter with a plan for resolution."
Thankfully, for the rest of the divine pantheon, her was saved from the tumult that was their emotional entirety. As Parvathi had once said to her, Lord Shiva's burden is great enough to bear that he should be eternally grateful to have to bear the curse of the emotions of the divine.
And that divine contingent included Tilo herself. Now she leaned closer to the table and studied the scroll before her, the finely woven cotton ready to bear the written word of Lord Shiva.
Now he cleared his throat then grabbed the drink and tossed it back, emptying the glass in a single swallow. Parvathi let out an impatient breath but remained silent as the Lord got to his feet and began to pace. "For brothers who are famed to share everything, we are faced with little concern regarding providing separate rewards."
"I do hope you are not going to bless them with another boon," said Parvathi, her tone a little sharp.
Shiva shook his head but he did pause in his stride. "Not a boon, but perhaps something that they would agree to receie in exchange for the total disruption of al the lokas."
Tilo sank back and considered the problem. "From the multi-sided assault upon the Eight Lokas, I can only assume they wish to conquer the heavens?" said Tilo carefully, aware that her full knowledge of the attack on Swargaloka was somewhat limited given that she'd arrived late to the briefing meeting.
