Closing her eyes again, Jade reached out toward the Saka leader. His mind was a jumble of emotions: excitement; fear; worry; triumph and anticipation all warred with each other and made his intentions difficult to read. He clearly had some sort of plan in mind but Jade couldn’t sort it out. Frowning, she pushed harder, seeking to find the source of his feelings of triumph when it appeared his army had been crushed.
It was tantalizingly close. She almost had it….
Darkness fell as her mind was seized by another, stronger will. A familiar cold, alien awareness wrapped itself around hers and smothered her. Then it simply took over her body. Defenceless in her weakened state, Jade felt her consciousness shunted aside as Manasa took control.
Trapped in a small corner of her own mind, she watched in terrified frustration as her body stood jerkily upright. She fought but couldn’t stop her own hand as it drew her dagger. All her willpower couldn’t halt her body as it stepped toward the Raj. Guatamiputra now stood with his unprotected back to her, staring down at the battlefield. Frantic, Jade pushed against the invisible walls that held her prisoner but to no avail. She tried to reach out mentally but that was blocked as well. She simply hadn’t the strength to fight the goddess’ control this time. She was going to kill the Raj and everyone would think she had betrayed him.
Then, faintly, the sound of a distant hunting horn rang into the blue sky: a pure, clean sound that nevertheless sent a shiver down the spine of everyone who heard it. Jade’s body screamed in pain; her hands clutched at her ears. From high above, an eagle’s cry sounded a shrill echo. Below, every elephant raised its trunk and trumpeted a response until the plains resounded with animal noise, all upheld by that single, unwavering note.
Seizing the moment, Jade pushed against her prison with every ounce of mental strength she had. The slick, cold bonds burst and she flooded into her own mind, pushing Manasa out again. Shaking, she sheathed her dagger and sank to the ground as her knees collapsed. She barely heard Brynn’s anxious questions as he shoved the horn of Aurfanon back into the Hyllion Bagia.
Afraid that Manasa would take over, Jade had instructed Brynn to blow the horn the instant she looked like doing anything odd. Obviously he considered attempting to murder the Raj sufficiently strange. Brynn tried to give back the Bag but her hands shook too much, so he shoved it into his own shirt. She nodded gratefully.
Thank goodness. It was over.
Or not….Around her, a stir of confused babble and frightened conversation broke out. What now?
*****
Below, still half-buried, Phoenix heard the silvery note of the horn of Aurfanon and grinned to himself. “Good girl,” he muttered, shoving the last heavy body off his legs. “Now let’s see what Bhumaka makes of whatever the horn summons this time.”
Crouching amongst the dead, he cautiously raised his head and peered over sprawled bodies. Less than a hundred metres away, Bhumaka stood in a chariot. By his side was the swaying hood of Manasa, the giant snake-goddess. Bhumaka seemed to be yelling at her; waving his arms and pointing toward the hilltop. Obviously something had gone wrong and the Kshatrap wasn’t happy.
Overhead, the sound of an eagle’s melancholy shriek drifted through the sky. Phoenix glanced up, shading his eyes from the now-blinding sun. Had Jade created more eagle-illusions to deal with the goddess? It seemed unlikely. She wasn’t strong enough. No, there was just one eagle circling and spiralling lower toward the battlefield. It was a big one, though. In fact… Phoenix’s jaw dropped as the eagle swooped closer. It wasn’t just big, it was bloody enormous – and it was coming right toward him!
Around Bhumaka, the Naga panicked, sliding off in all directions to hide from their mortal enemy. The eagle paid them no attention. Instead, it dove straight toward Phoenix, snapping its wings out at the last second and extending mighty talons. Paralysed with shock, he reacted too late. Just as he began to throw himself to one side, those claws wrapped around his torso and he was lifted off the ground with a neck-twisting jerk.
Shrieking again, the eagle laboured to gain height. Arrows now arced through the air as Bhumaka managed to rally some of his men to shoot at it. They glanced harmlessly off the glossy brown feathers. The eagle cried its defiance.
Recovering, Phoenix drew his arm back, intending to stick the point of his sword into a leg to make it let go. A sudden thought occurred to him and he glanced down with a gulp. OK. Maybe doing that at two hundred feet off the ground wasn’t such a good idea after all. Maybe he should just wait and see where he was going.
It didn’t take long to realise that the eagle’s destination was the Raj’s hill-top command centre. Relieved, Phoenix tucked his knees in and managed a decent roll as the great bird opened its talons mere inches off the ground. Coming to his feet, Phoenix caught sight of Jade’s astonished stare, Brynn envious one and Guatamiputra’s half-fearful one.
“Er…hi,” he said, attempting to look cool and casual. He waved a hand at the dumbfounded generals. “Thanks for the rescue, Jade.”
She shut her mouth with a snap and shook her head. “Brynn blew the horn.” She switched to staring at the great eagle as it landed before her and folded its wings. It stood almost twice her height with a wingspan of over forty feet. Its golden-brown feathers shone in the sunlight and it fixed an intelligent, black eye first on Jade then on the Raj. Cocking its head, it took two half-jump-steps toward Guatamiputra.
A bizarre, breathless silence had now fallen over the entire battlefield as every soldier stopped to watch the scene being played out on the mountain above.
“Oh!” Jade’s gasp of surprise broke the silence. The generals all looked at her.
“I can hear him,” she tapped her temple. “He says his name is Garuda.”
The Raj and all his men turned pale. Whispers began amongst all the Indians nearby and Phoenix could hear the name being repeated – at first softly then more loudly as men yelled the news to their friends below. Soon, it was being taken up almost as a chant of reverence. Thousands upon thousands of Indian soldiers calling out the name until it swept across the plains like a swelling wave and crashed upon the opposing army’s silence.
“Gar-u-da! Gar-u-da! Gar-u-da!”
Phoenix exchanged confused looks with Brynn and then with Marcus, who had come over to see what was happening.
Slowly, and with great grace, the giant eagle extended one wing and one clawed foot. Next, he bent his regal head and bowed – straight toward Guatamiputra. The Raj’s army below erupted into screams of delight, cheers and applause. Elephants trumpeted and horses whinnied in surprise at the noise.
On Bhumaka’s side of the field, there was a vast, oppressed silence – followed by the sound of thousands of men turning to look at their leader in askance.
Vasi hurried over, his eyes wide at the sight before him. Then his face split into a huge grin and he clapped Phoenix on the shoulder.
“Don’t you see?” He yelled when Phoenix raised an uncomprehending eyebrow at him. “This is Garuda – the eagle upon which the god Vishnu himself rides. Legends say that Garuda will only recognise a true king. Both armies can see he has bowed only to my father, not to the western Kshatrap. Naga Goddess on his side or not, Bhumaka cannot dispute with Vishnu and Garuda. My father is Raj, not him. We have won.”
Phoenix grabbed his arm and pointed toward the battlefield. “Not yet we haven’t. Your men may believe but it doesn’t look like Bhumaka, Manasa and their people are ready to give up just yet. We still have a war on our hands.”
Sure enough, Bhumaka was exhorting his commanders to fight. Slowly, the orders filtered down through the ranks and the front row of soldiers turned back to the battle at hand – but there was an unmistakable reluctance in their moves now; a slowness to swing or engage that hadn’t been there previously.
Phoenix turned to Guatamiputra. “I think now would be a good time to bring out the flanking reinforcements. Most of Bhumaka’s men are just farmers and slaves. Marcus’ onager have terrified t
hem and Garuda has broken what little belief they had in their leader. Now is the time to reinforce that. Maybe they’ll quit.”
The Raj nodded and gave Jade the order. Looking pale, she closed her eyes and passed it on. From behind the three hills, a hundred and twenty thousand men, a thousand armoured elephants and twenty thousand war chariots emerged; shaking the ground like an earthquake.
Garuda now turned back to Jade and tilted his head the other way.
She sighed and nodded. “I know.”
Phoenix glanced back and forth between them. “What do you know?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Remember the painting on the wall of the temple Vasi told you about? Well, here’s the big eagle and,” she nodded to Brynn. He reached into his shirt, into the Bag and handed over the shining silver disc given to them by Anuket, “here’s the Sudarshana. I guess it’s time to go flying.”
Vasi gasped at the sight of the long-lost totem. “You had it all along and you didn’t say anything? Why?”
Phoenix restrained him as he tried to step forward and take it from Jade. “Our Quest all along has been to return it to the statue in Punya-Vishnaya. Then, when you told us about the painting, we kinda figured there might be a few other things we had to do along the way. Telling you and the Raj would have complicated things. Would you have let us keep it or would you have taken it and tried to use it as a weapon, yourselves?”
Vasi looked abashed but didn’t move when Phoenix released him. They watched as Jade clambered awkwardly onto the great eagle’s neck and clutched tightly at the glossy feathers.
Phoenix felt a nudge and looked down. Brynn had elbowed him.
“She’s really not very well, you know,” he said pointedly.
Phoenix glanced up as Garuda skipped to the edge of the mountain plateau and unfolded his wings. Jade was paler than usual, that was for certain – but who wouldn’t be nervous at the prospect of flying without a seatbelt – or even a seat.
“She’ll be fine once this is over and we return the Sudarshana,” he assured the boy.
“Where’s Cadoc?” Brynn demanded, looking around.
Garuda took off and the watchers gasped at the sweep of his massive, majestic wings.
Phoenix shrugged, awed by the sight. “Somewhere down on the plain, still, I guess. I lost sight of him early on. He was fighting with Sopaniputra.”
“Sopaniputra’s dead,” Brynn reported casually, watching Jade. “Hey, doesn’t that make Vasi the heir to the throne now?”
Grimacing, Phoenix turned to see if Vasi had heard. He had. His face was ashen and set with a curiously reluctant, almost unhappy look. Without a word, he spun on his heel and stalked over to his father.
“Good one, kid,” Phoenix cuffed Brynn on the head.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Jade gulped and closed her eyes. Tucking the Sudarshana into her shirt, she unconsciously tightened her grip on Garuda’s smooth feathers with each flap of those giant wings. She’d never been a good traveller and the eagle’s jerky flight made her nauseous. She swallowed, deciding that he probably wouldn’t appreciate her chucking on his nice, clean feathers.
They gained altitude and she shivered in the thin, cold air. Garuda banked in a tight circle. Jade gulped and peeked with one eye. The ground was a long, long way down. She gasped and clutched a handful of feather, crushing them until he sent her a gentle, mental protest.
“Sorry,” she called. Her words were swept away in the wind. She muttered the mind-talk spell and switched to telepathy. “Sorry. What do I do now?”
“I will fly low over Bhumaka’s men and you will hold up the Sudarshanafor them to see.” Came the reply. Garuda’s mind-voice sounded old, many-layered and amused – as though the doings of men were affording him some sort of obscure hilarity only he understood.
“That’s it?” It couldn’t be so simple.
“That’s it. Vishnu and I will take care of the rest,” the great bird replied. Then he began his descent and Jade was too preoccupied in trying to hang on without breaking any feathers to protest further. Garuda tucked his wings in slightly and arrowed toward the ground, gathering speed. Without realising it, she opened her mouth and began to yell in terror as the ground rushed toward them.
“Hold on,” his instruction was tinged with laughter.
“What else would I be doing?” she replied tartly, shutting her mouth with a snap.
Less than two hundred metres above the battlefield, Garuda stretched out his great wings again. Jade’s head rocked on her shoulders. Fumbling a little, she pulled out the Sudarshana and held it high in both hands. Hopefully, something amazing would happen, otherwise she was just going to look extremely silly.
“Turn the engraved sideto face Bhumaka’s army,” Garuda instructed. She obliged, directing the correct flat, circular side toward the mystified Saka army.
“Nothing’s happening!” she cried.
“Patience,” was the amused reply.
“But what if..” her question was obliterated as a great blast of non-sound and purple-blue-white light exploded from the Sudarshana.
Like a rolling wall, it pushed through the air toward Bhumaka’s men. Men and animals flew backward; chariots upturned; elephants fell over; tent-stakes and fence-posts were uprooted as the wave hit and passed through the Saka army like a tornado. In its wake, men and animals were left groaning but intact. Every weapon, however, every sword, shield, arrow, spike and piece of armour crumbled to dust as soon as their owners stood up. Bhumaka’s men were left completely defenceless, bewildered and frightened.
After a brief moment of astonishment, Guatamiputra’s army let out a massive cheer. The front line ran forward, ready to fall on their unarmed enemy.
“Stop them,” Garuda commanded Jade.
Glad to prevent more bloodshed, she focussed on the commanders and captains. “Hold!”
The Raj’s army faltered to a halt, glancing uncertainly at each other as the order went around.
“Good, now to bring them clarity of vision,” Garuda ordered, his tone regretful. He raised his head and let out a long, wailing shriek. In her hands, the chakra began to vibrate as it picked up the sound and magnified it. Once more, a great wall of power erupted from the weapon and swept across the stunned men below.
Jade almost dropped the Sudarshana as the backlash of sorrow hit her. Tears rolled down her cheeks unbidden. All around was carnage; wasted life; stupidity; greed; desire for wealth and power at the cost of thousands of vibrant, human beings. Why? All for one man’s personal gain; personal power; personal wealth. Bhumaka did this not for his people but for his own sake – so he could strip the people and the land of its riches and wallow in the luxury they provided. He placed his own health and happiness over theirs. Even his agreement with the Naga would only benefit him, since he never intended to honour his side of their bargain. When the war was over, if Bhumaka was victorious, the only winner would be himself. Even then, it would still not be enough. Nothing could truly fill the void in his soul: the aching, deep lack of self-esteem that led him to destroy lives in an effort to fulfil his own. He would never be happy inside but he would spend years and thousands of lives in a futile effort to find it outside himself.
All of this knowledge flashed into her mind in a few, brief seconds but it was enough for Jade to understand Bhumaka’s deepest fears and driving forces. There was no doubt, either, that this same understanding had been conveyed instantly to every single man in his army.
Almost in unison, an army of men turned to look at their leader in appalled silence. Bhumaka, now standing on a hastily-righted chariot, cringed away from their stares. Beside him, Manasa hissed and flicked her forked tongue at him. There were a few, long moments of profound silence. Then, one by one, the men of Bhumaka’s army turned their backs and began to walk away. Slowly, in pairs and small groups, they ignored the few commanding officers who gave orders and began collecting their things for the long march back over the mountain range – back to their
farms and families.
For awhile, Jade could only watch in astonishment as an entire army silently dissolved before her eyes. Where, minutes before, there had been outright war, now there was nothing but silent determination to be done and gone. She looked toward the top of the hill, wondering what Guatamiputra thought of everything. He was too far away to make out clearly.
“It is almost time for you to return the Sudarshana to its rightful place, child,”Garuda said, sounding weary.
Jade twisted around toward the western horizon. Sure enough, the sun hovered on the points of the mountains; shimmering redly through the afternoon haze.
“I’ll never get to Punya-Vishnaya before the moon appears!”
“There is enough time. I will drop you near the Pataleshwar cave temple,” Garuda assured her.“Tell your friends to ride and meet you there. They should make it in time, too. Just make sure you find the idol of Vishnu in the temple of Shiva before the moon appears.”
He flapped his great wings and headed toward the river. Jade sent the message and soon spotted Phoenix, Marcus and Brynn galloping madly across the plain toward the town. She glanced back over her shoulder. Bhumaka’s army still flowed away toward the west but Manasa and her Naga had not joined them. Instead, they stared after Garuda as he flew away. Jade really wasn’t very keen on having them behind her friends. They might be disaffected with Bhumaka but they probably still carried a grudge against the treasure-hunters who’d attacked them.
“What about the Naga and Manasa,”she asked.
There was an impression of both amusement and resignation in Garuda’s reply.“You do your job and let me do mine. I have a score to settle with Manasa diva. She and I are old adversaries. Our battle has raged for thousands of years and will do so into the future but she and hers will not trouble you again.”
Jade didn’t know quite what to make of that, so she sat dumb as Garuda’s wingstrokes covered the last few hundred metres. He settled in the dirt courtyard of a temple complex in the middle of the small farming community. It was a tight fit and his backwinging sent up huge whorls of dust into the air, making her cough and sputter. Eyes watering, she slid down to the ground and backed away.
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