The Celestials

by Richard Wood

  News of Taskinti arrived on the fourth week; the spy had purchased a horse and ridden day and night to bring them the news of Taskinti’s whereabouts. Yudhishthira rewarded him generously with a large bag of gold for his diligence. Then spoke to the assembled company. “Our spy has located your friend Taskinti, he is currently heading this way with a large caravan mostly bringing salt and sea shells and ambergris from the coast of Elephanta. He is at present at the town of Satopbhari, which lies just over 400 kilometres to the West South West of here. Bhima knows the area well and will guide you there.” It was decided that Rogan, Ancore and Bhima would go in one Lander, and then if they could convince Taskinti to join them, there would still be plenty of room in the Lander for them all.

  They took off the following morning and were there within the hour, Taskinti had already left Satopbhari and was twenty kilometres closer to them. They circled the caravan with its out riders of Kshatriya warriors and their marmaluk warrior slaves. Then they landed three kilometres ahead of them at a sweet water lake girded with fragrant juniper trees.

  There they waited, within a half hour Taskinti was riding towards them accompanied by half a dozen warriors on horseback. His face wreathed in a huge grin as he leapt from his horse and gallantly kissed Ancore’s hand, then threw his arms around Rogan and kissed him on the cheek.

  “My friends,” he cried, “how wonderful to see you all. Your crew is well and safe I trust.”

  “We are here to seek your help, but first this is Prince Bhima of the Pandava of Indraprastha, a very good friend of ours,” Ancore told him.

  “Any friend of yours is a friend of mine Ancore,” said Taskinti turning and bowing to Bhima, who replied

  “I have heard many good things about the great caravan leader Taskinti, and I am pleased to meet you in the flesh.”

  “The fame of the great Prince Bhima is also woven into the heroic songs of these parts, and it is my pleasure to meet you in person,” Taskinti told him as they shook hands.

  Rogan addressed Taskinti, “We have bad news the Zedds have captured Fantee and Glaina, and they are holding them hostage in an almost impregnable fort called the black fort of Daulatabad. We can see no way of scaling the sheer cliffs, and wondered if you knew any peoples that could climb these cliffs.”

  Taskinti held up his hands, “Zedds,” he spat on the earth near his feet, “They are my sworn enemy. I can help you, but it means waiting until the caravan arrives, which shouldn't be more than an hour, until then let’s brew chai and you can tell me all that has happened since we last met.”

  Ancore and Rogan had just finished telling Taskinti how they won the kingship of Kodagu and travelled to the new Kingdom leaving Glaina and Fantee behind because of lack of room in the Landers. How Zedds had abducted them from the palace grounds while still under a truce. They had searched the whole continent, but the Zedds had been hiding and they had been unable to find any trace of them. Then one of the Zedd ships had flown from its hideout in the black fort, now they knew where they were but the Zedds also knew that the crew now knew where they were, and would be waiting to foil any rescue attempt mounted by them.

  They had just finished relating all this to Taskinti when the head of the caravan appeared, in the distance, winding its way slowly towards them.

  Taskinti rose to his feet watching the caravan make its way toward the sweet water lake to allow the animals to drink and to make camp for the night.

  “I will fetch the marmaluk, I want you to meet, his tribe specialise in scaling the unscalable,”

  Taskinti gave orders to one of the Kshatriya, who departed in search of the marmaluk Manohar. When Manohar was brought before the company, he turned out to be a very black skinned man, short of stature but very fierce looking, with quick mannerisms and intelligent black eyes.

  Taskinti bade him sit and had chai brought for him, and then addressed him.

  “Manohar you have been a warrior slave for six moons I am told.”

  Manohar looked at the group of people around the table before looking at Taskinti directly then just nodded his head in agreement.

  Taskinti continued, “Would you like your freedom, and a handsome reward of gold and rubies to go with it.”

  Manohar spoke in a singsong voice, “What would I have to do to earn my freedom and this huge reward,” he asked.

  Taskinti smiled at him, “I believe that your people the Bhil are clever warriors famed for scaling cliff faces that other men would find impossible.

  Manohar nodded then replied, “Yes this is true, there are men in my tribe who can scale the seemingly impossible with ease,” he boasted.

  “If you can introduce us to these men in your tribe, and enlist them to help us scale the cliffs of the black fort of Daulatabad, not only will you be free this day, but you will have a bag of gold and rubies for your help. The men of your tribe who would help us will also be rewarded very handsomely, what do you say are you willing to help us?"

  Manohar stood to his full height of five feet one inch and agreed, “Yes for my freedom. I will help you in any way I can.”

  “Splendid,” Taskinti cried, “From this moment forth you are a free man,” he grasped Manohar by the hands and shook them vigorously.

  Then he proceeded to tell Manohar why they needed the men of his tribe’s expertise, and the story of the capture of Fantee and Glaina. Also about the great search that had been underway and how they had been located at the Black Fort. The only way to mount a surprise attack was to scale the formidable sheer cliffs on three sides of the fort.

  “It will take a considerable time to travel to my homeland,” Manohar told them.

  Taskinti laughed, “We have the flying carriage of the star people. It will take us to your homeland in only a few hours,” he looked askance of Ancore.

  “We will depart for your homeland whenever you are ready to leave with us,” Ancore told Manohar. He replied, “I just need to collect my blanket and weapons, then I am at your disposal.”

  Taskinti left the caravan in the charge of his trusted second in command Dohomett, telling him if he died and did not return the caravan profits were his.

  Soon, they were aboard the Lander winging their way toward a place called Ajanta, which was a steep bluff that reared out of the harsh and inhospitable surrounding scrubland. It was shaped like a horseshoe overlooking the river Waghara that wound through the rocky gorge far below.

  Manohar told them something of his people during the trip, “The valley is a haven for wildlife many tigers live there. My people live in a honeycomb of caves that lie about fifteen metres above the level of the river. We have been invaded many times, but none has ever conquered us for we have fierce allies.”

  “Who are your allies,” asked Taskinti now very intrigued.

  Manohar paused for effect knowing he had his audience hooked, “the most ferocious thing in the gorge is not the many tigers, but the many nests of ferocious wild bees. They will attack any living thing. We have learned to live with them, and they keep us in honey. All who have tried to conquer us have been routed by the ferocious wild bees.”

  Just then, they passed over the Indhyahadri hills then ahead rising from the flat lands shimmering in the heat rose Ajanta. At Manohar's suggestion, they landed on a bluff overlooking the ravine with its river in the rocky gorge far below. After they disembarked Manohar bid them wait while he walked to the edge of the bluff, suddenly a high-pitched warbling cry echoed down into the ravine from Manohar, within a minute several high-pitched warbling cries were heard in answer from different areas of the gorge. Manohar walked back from the edge and joined them sitting outside the Lander. They lit a fire and began boiling water for chai

  Suddenly, they became aware of almost naked, silent figures carrying blowpipes and small bows and arrows. They were surrounding them and watching them intently. Manohar rose and addressed them in their own language, suddenly their body language showed that they were relaxing and coming for
ward to greet Manohar. Manohar embraced one older man then turned to the company and told them, “This is my father Chapal, warlord of the Bhil.”

  Taskinti replied for them all, when he gestured to the Bhil warriors to be seated and offered them chai, at the same time telling Manohar to convey greetings to his father from the assembled company, and that they had come to bargain with the Bhil tribe to help them scale the cliffs of the black fort. After they were all seated comfortably in the shade of the Lander, for the heat in this area was immense, the whole landscape dancing in a fierce heat haze.

  Manohar began addressing his father and the other warriors of the tribe, in their own language. He told them the full story of the kidnap of the girls, and how the star people with the help of Bhima a prince of the Pandava, and Taskinti caravan master, who had this day freed him and would pay gold and rubies for the help of the tribe in scaling the cliffs of the Black Fort.

  There was great discussion amongst the Bhil each standing while speaking and making their point, eventually they fell silent and Manohar translated what had been decided. “They will help you, but they do not wish payment of gold and rubies. If you pay them in bronze spears, swords and knives also thirty goats, they will climb the cliffs of the black fort and fix ropes to the top, then the raiding force can climb up.”

  Rogan spoke for them all, “Manohar, please tell your father, we agree to his terms and are prepared to pay him fifty each of spears, swords and knives of the finest quality and will transport here thirty of the finest goats we can purchase.”

  After Manohar had translated the message, his father spoke earnestly to him for several minutes at the end of which Manohar addressed Rogan and the rest of the company.

  “My father says that you will need to transport his men and the special animals to the black fort, as they have never been there and have no idea where it is.”

  “Tell your father, we can take the animals he requires and his men to the black fort in our flying machine it will only take a few hours, by the way, what are these special animals and will they fit inside a Lander.” After more discussion with his father Manohar told them, “they wish to transport five monitor lizards each is about one point five metres long and will need to be caged for the journey, with them will travel ten warriors, can you're flying machine take such a load.”

  “Not all at once but we can take a few at a time and make several trips, how long will it take them to assemble the caged lizards and the warriors who are to go on this expedition here on the cliff top, answered Rogan.”

  “That will take three days,” Manohar, answered after speaking with his father.

  “Very well Manohar, please tell your father that we will return in three days bringing with us the spears swords and daggers, the goats, we will pay to him after we have scaled the fort walls and returned,” confirmed Rogan. Manohar spoke to his father, and then they embraced. The Bhil just seemed to fade away in the heat haze, one minute they were there, the next only Manohar and the crew was left. Manohar addressed them; “My father has left me with you so that I can select the weapons you have promised him.”

  “That is very astute of him; I think it will be best if we depart now.

  Taskinti did you wish to return to your caravan or come with us to Indraprastha,” Ancore enquired.

  “I wish to come with you and help rescue Glaina and Fantee, if I can kill some Zedds while doing it so much the better,” he answered.

  Within three hours, they were back at the palace, and relating to the Pandava and the rest of the crew all that had happened.

  “We will need at least ten coils of rope each at three hundred metres long. We also need to find somewhere close to the black fort but out of sight of it to set up a base camp for this operation. Nassel can you and Breen organise that,” asked Ancore.

  Nassel replied, “We saw the perfect spot during our recce, about two kilometres away from the fort is a small range of hills, they are very low lying, but if we can sneak in at almost ground level, there is a perfect hollow we can operate from, on the side away from the fort.”

  Rogan spoke up, “I believe we need to be organised; I think we need two empty Landers to ferry the Bhil to the base camp. We also need to stock the base camp with food and water enough for us, and the animals. We cannot light fires, but we can use screened stoves that we have in our supply stores. This will enable us to have a hot meal and drinks before we assault the fort. I also suggest we approach the base camp at dawn or dusk only, to minimise the Zedd detecting us. One Lander will need to stay on a very high top cover to keep an eye on the Zedds we would not want to be surprised by them suddenly leaving before we can mount a rescue. The final problem is how many of us will be assaulting the fort and will there be any diversionary tactics employed aside from the direct assault force.”

  Ancore spoke for the rest of them, “We need to discuss this further and decide what our strategies are for securing the freedom of Fantee and Glaina. We do not know exactly where they are being held, but if I were a Zedd, I would be holding them in the topmost keep of the castle. This means that even after we have climbed the cliff, we will still need to scale the walls of the two lower Keeps. Unless we try to create a diversion at the main gate, having thought about it, it would be much preferable if we could creep quietly to the place they were being held, without arousing the Zedd guards. Once we have them safe, then diversionary tactics would be useful if they helped us retreat in safety.”

  The working out of tactics took the rest of that evening they were hampered by the fact that they did not know exactly where the Girls were being held.

  At the end of the evening Ancore went over the plan so far, “Five Bhil tribesmen will scale the cliffs carrying five ropes when they reach the top, they will secure the ropes and five warriors will climb up carrying another five ropes, which will be secured at the top. Then ten can climb at a time, remember we have the five warriors already up there. The Bhil will not be fighting, so four more lots of ten have to climb up plus another five warriors. We need fifty warriors to be able to move with stealth, or if we are discovered before we can rescue the girls, we need to be able to put up a fight that will enable us to stay long enough to find and rescue the girls. We know the Zedd ship is on the lower keep partly hidden in what looks like a stabling yard. Now for armament, we have hand lasers for all, and can train those that have never fired them tomorrow afternoon, but they are not to be used unless we are discovered. We shall all be armed with bow and arrows as they are almost silent, all will carry a sword. Rogan and I will be armed with the Urimi flexible sword wrapped around our waist and the three bladed throwing daggers. Now for the heavier weapons, we require explosives, in case we have to blow down doors, each team of ten will have an explosive man trained in the use of it. All the crew of DSSV7 will be going on this mission, except Adeetoo, who will be flying top cover, and Adeeone, who will man one hidden Lander, just in case we get into real trouble, and then he can liaise with Adeetoo and try to extricate us all. Arjuna, Bhima and Taskinti are going with us; the rest will be handpicked warriors from the Pandava army. If anyone can think of anything we have overlooked, then please see myself or Rogan, thank you all, I think it’s time we all got to bed it will be a long day of practice and preparation tomorrow.”

  The following day at dawn, they were up and loading the Landers straight after honeyed chapatti and chai for breakfast. Ancore, Rogan, Breen and Nassel were the explosives' experts they just did not have time to teach anyone else, so each of them would be with a team of ten, the first five up would be securing the perimeter and probing for ways into the upper keep levels. They had decided that they might need to carry extra shorter ropes with padded grapples to climb the walls of the other keeps if required. The last five warriors to climb up would form a rear guard securing the ropes for the return journey.

  The two Landers took off with Nassel and Breen piloting, as they were familiar with the terrain. They took a devious r
oute and approached the low-lying range of hills two kilometres from the fort, at two metres above the ground they gently slid into a large semi-circular depression and landed. All the stores, ropes, grappling hooks. Explosives, food and water were quickly off loaded and the Landers crept away at virtually ground level for over thirty kilometres before daring to fly higher.

  At sunset, they flew back carrying the forty-three warriors and their weapons plus more food and water. Each Lander had to make three trips; they then flew back to the Pandava palace and loaded the spears, swords and knives that Manohar had selected from the Pandavan armoury.

  They flew to the bluff overlooking the gorge and camped for the night. Manohar had called down into the ravine, and a group of Bhil silently appeared. They carried away the weapons promising to return an hour before dawn with the five caged lizards and the ten warriors, Breen and Nassel slept in the Landers until 3:30 a.m. in the morning then they were up and brewing chai. The Bhil appeared as silently as ever, five boxes of lizards and two warriors went in one Lander the rest crowded into the second Lander.

  They arrived at the base near the fort just after daylight had broken, and off loaded the human and animal cargo. They then sat around having a leisurely breakfast; the Bhil also fed and watered their charges then checked the ropes before promptly falling asleep. Ancore was checking the fort through glasses, but the heat haze was starting to obscure anything at a distance. They went over the plan again and made sure everyone knew which group they belonged too then there was nothing left to do but to try to get as much rest as possible before nightfall. When they would have a final meal, moving out at around 10:30 p.m., and trek across the two kilometres to the base of the nearest wall of the black fort.

  Night had fallen, and they had eaten the evening meal and had chai, now they collected their weapons and water bottles. Arjuna, Bhima, and Taskinti led the way next came the ten Bhil each pair carrying a lizard between them, then came the warriors in bunches of ten with the crew carrying the explosive charges bringing up the rear. They reached the boulder-strewn base of the black fort around midnight, the Bhil after a quick prayer to their gods uncaged the monitor lizards. Each lizard wore a rope harness that was about two metres long and secured to a Bhil, each Bhil carried a long stick to guide and urge the lizards upwards, around the waist each Bhil had one end of the main climbing rope tied.

  The main force rested as the five Bhil’s and their lizards each picked out a likely spot to begin the climb. They were widely separated, and soon had disappeared from view. Near the bottom, the climb was not as steep as farther up the cliff face. Below each climber was the other Bhil tribesman carefully paying out the main climbing rope.

  An hour had passed when suddenly out of the night hurtled a lizard and Bhil warrior, they never made a sound until they smashed into the boulders at the foot of the cliff with a sickening crunch. This woke everyone up, as most had been dozing while waiting for the Bhil to complete the climb. Now they realised just how incredibly difficult this climb really was.

  Half an hour later the first of the climbers signalled by tugs on the rope that it was secured at the top. Then the first warrior started the arduous climb up the rope with another main rope tied around his waist. The rope he was climbing was knotted every ten metres to allow the climber to stand on the knot and gain a few seconds rest, before continuing the climb with the rope twisted around one leg and the foot of the other leg used as a clamp to help the arms in climbing. It was extremely strenuous and soon the sweat was pouring off the warriors as they climbed making the grasp on the rope very slippery indeed, the knot resting places becoming more and more important the higher they went.

  Finally, they made the top of the cliff over the wall of the lower keep and found convenient places to secure the new ropes too. They gathered and began silently to explore as the advance party. They were very lucky that this was the very start of the new moon, and the minute sliver in the sky didn't give out a lot of light, but the stars shone brilliantly giving more than enough light to make out the surroundings, so they had to proceed with utmost caution.

  They found a place to climb the wall of the next keep with the grappling hooks; they climbed the wall of the second keep leaving the ropes hanging over the wall for the rest of the force to follow. They left one man at the foot of the wall to guide the following main force and continued looking for a way to climb up into the third and highest keep. Here, they had to be ultra-careful as the Zedds had at least four batteries of missile launchers sited around the walls with Zedd troops manning them. The three warriors crept along the base of the third keep wall ears straining for any sound.

  Meanwhile, Rogan and Ancore with their respective forces had arrived at the top of the first keep and were getting their bearings before moving out. Rogan's force headed toward the Zedd ship.

  Ancore found the guide, and the grappling ropes, and her force climbed into the next keep then went searching for any sign of the girls.

  Within ten minutes, Breen and Nassel had arrived and with their respective forces followed in Ancore and Rogan’s footsteps, Arjuna and Bhima had gone with Rogan, and Taskinti had attached himself to Ancore’s group. Nassel’s group met Rogan’s and they decided to split up and skirt the Zedd ship looking for doorways into the interior of the fort.

  Ancore’s group had joined the original three warriors of the advance guard and scaling the wall behind them came Breen’s group. They split up, Ancore looking for a way into the fortresses second keep, Breen opting to find a way up into the third keep and silently take out the Zedds on the missile batteries. Before seeking some sign of where the girls were being held.

  Everything seemed to be running smoothly, Breen and his men with the three advance guard had managed to climb into the third keep unobserved, and had taken out a Zedd manning one battery with an arrow through the throat.

  Then from the lowest keep where the Zedd ship was parked, searchlights suddenly lit up the fortress as laser bolts rent the air, and shouting broke out. The raiding force was discovered.

  A loud blast suddenly erupted from the second keep, as Ancore realising stealth was useless blew down the main door. Her force poured inside. They followed corridors radiating from a main hall, and in all but one passageway, they encountered Zedds, who fought fiercely. Laser bolts flashing continuously they gradually forced the defenders to retreat, and had to winkle them out of side rooms. Eventually, when the firing died down, Ancore found she had lost almost half her force before the four Zedds were wiped out. They continued down a curving corridor that spilled out into the annexe to the dungeon.

  It was here Ancore found first King Muktananda, and then Fantee and Glaina in separate cells, all three of them were in a terrible state; luckily, the cell keys were hanging from a bolt fixed to the wall. The doors were unlocked, and both girls fell weeping into Ancore and Taskinti’s arms.

  They were badly beaten with black eyes, swollen cheeks and puffy lips, filthy hands with cracked nails. King Muktananda was hardly recognisable he had been so badly beaten. He could barely croak as he pleaded for water. Taskinti and Ancore were filled with an all-consuming rage when they realised the extent of the torture the three of them had undergone. They helped them out of the hall into the fresh air, and gave them sips of water from their water bottles.

  Ancore was calling the survivors to come to fire into the Zedds in the courtyard below having realised the predicament of Rogan and Nassel’s forces. Suddenly, a Zedd erupted from the hall where he had been hiding laser blazing. Taskinti realising the target was Ancore dived to protect her back firing at the Zedd with his laser. As his body passed in front of Ancore, the Zedd blast hit him, just as Taskinti’s laser blast blew the Zedds head off. Taskinti fell mortally wounded, as Ancore cradled him in her arms, he had just enough breathe to ask Ancore to take him home to be with his loved ones before he died.

  The battle was still raging in the lowest keep where the Zedd ship was par
ked. The Zedd searchlights had all been shot out, but the defenders had wreaked havoc on Rogan and Nassel’s groups.

  Both groups had been caught out in the open. It seemed the Zedds had motion sensors around the ship, which had triggered the searchlights. Some of the Zedds were aboard the ship. The rest poured from two doorways into the courtyard. The Zedds had caught both attacking groups in a deadly crossfire; Rogan was down badly injured having taken a laser blast in the thigh. Arjuna had lost the little finger of his right hand from a laser blast and over half of Rogan and Nassel’s warriors had been killed.

  They probably would all have been wiped out if Ancore’s remaining warriors had not joined the fray at that moment firing down on the Zedds from the walls of the second keep. It gave time for Nassel and Rogan’s forces to regroup under cover of some stable walling. Rogan had passed out, but two warriors had dragged him into cover.

  Breen was heavily engaged fighting to dislodge the Zedds from the remaining four missile batteries, he had put one battery out of action with an explosive charge, but the Zedds were not giving up easily and were putting up very heavy resistance. It was at this point that Adeeone arrived in the Lander. With Adeetoo having come down to help him, they took out one of the Zedd batteries before the defenders had realised, they were under attack from the air. The surprise didn't last long before the remaining batteries were firing missiles at the Landers, who were now fully engaged dodging and killing missiles to help any further in the battles that were raging all over the fort.

  The Zedds in the bottom keep must have realised that now the attackers also had air power backing them, it was only a matter of time before the Zedd ship was attacked. The Zedds regrouped and boarded their ship, while the Landers, were busy dodging missiles, they took off and disappeared into the night at high speed leaving the men on the missile launchers to continue the fight as best they could.

  In a short time after they had departed the last battery was silenced when Breen’s men got close and killed the remaining Zedd with a barrage of laser blasts but not before Breen himself was hit, the laser blast taking his left hand off so cleanly that for a few moments, he didn't realise that he had been hit. Then Ancore gathered the remnants of the attack force, and with the Landers touching down in the lower keep, that is where they all gathered. Apart from the nine Bhil who had not fought, of the fifty warriors that had attacked the fort only twenty-two remained, of them nine were wounded.

  Adeeone and Adeetoo were out of the Landers tending the most badly wounded first. Rogan was bad having taken a laser blast in the outer thigh of the right leg, it had missed the bone but had taken out a large chunk of muscle, with laser blasts the flesh was cauterised instantly so no blood loss, which was a blessing. Now they had shock to deal with which could kill just as easily. Adeetoo administered hot honey drinks to the injured while Adeeone, tended with sterile bandages the worst wounds then supervised the walking wounded. Breen’s stump was dressed. They brewed chai for the rest of the warriors before they took everybody back to Indraprastha in relays.

  Glaina and Fantee now reunited with Breen and Nassel were happy to be rescued. However, they were appalled at how many men’s lives the rescue attempt had cost. Glaina was weeping for Breen over the loss of his left hand. He in turn was also weeping but not about his hand, but at the state of Glaina and Fantee. She told him about the torture and rape of them both by Indrajit, Ravana’s second in command. In addition, how they had used drugs on them both eventually, to get them to reveal the co-ordinates of their home star system. Breen was crying in rage and frustration, as he comforted Glaina telling her how brave, she and Fantee had been against such terrible odds.

  The scene in Fantee and Nassel’s room was almost the same, Fantee weeping in shame as she told Nassel how Indrajit had raped and tortured her. Finally, how he resorted to drugs when neither girl would divulge the co-ordinates of their home star system. How under the influence of the drugs, both girls had divulged the whereabouts of their home star system. Nassel embracing her telling her it was not her fault the tears streaming down his face as he comforted her.

  Ancore had supervised Adeeone and Adeetoo to recover the bodies of all the raiding force and had them flown to Indraprastha, so they could receive the proper rites from their families. Then she organised the return of the Bhil tribesmen and the broken body of one of their number. On top of that, she next organised thirty-five goats to be transported to the Bhil.

  The extra five were for the widow of the brave Bhil tribesman who had fallen to his death without making a sound. When all had been taken care of. There remained the body of Taskinti. Ancore was not going to break her promise to him, she organised two Landers because all the crew except Rogan, who was confined to bed wanted to pay their respects. Bhima also wished to pay his respects to a new friend and help to send him to join his beloved wife and children from the mountain home he loved.

  They travelled in convoy the following morning and arrived in the valley at noon. Landing they set about building the funeral pyre, on top of the remains of the pyre that he had built for his wife and children. When all was ready, it was late afternoon, Taskinti’s neighbour had ridden over when he saw the Landers and helped them build the pyre.

  Ancore told him, “We don't know if Taskinti had any living relatives,”

  “I don't know of any,” he told her.

  “If that is the case I think you should wait a year and a day, if no one comes to claim the property, then take it for yourself for being a good neighbour.”

  He thanked her, and they gathered for the final ceremony around the pyre, they each held a cup of wine donated by Bhima for the occasion, and were waiting for sunset that was now only minutes away.

  As the sun hit the dip in the valley and began to sink from sight the pyre was lit, and the assembled company drank a toast to the gods for allowing them to know such a fine man, and a devoted husband and father.

  The neighbour had caught one of Taskinti’s finest stallions, which he now sacrificed so that Taskinti could ride proudly to meet his wife and children in the afterlife. The crew stood around most with tears in their eyes as they bid a final farewell to their friend who had laid down his own life to save Ancore’s.

  Bhima spoke to the company around the pyre, “Don't worry about death. It is only a small step in the endless circle of life. The soul merely casts off the old body and enters a new one, just as a person changes garments, death is only an illusion.”

  As they watched the flames leaping skyward into the still of the evening, a gust of wind came from nowhere and swirled around the pyre causing a huge roar of flame and sparks to hurtle skyward in a twisting column that rose higher and higher until it finally disappeared high in the night sky.

  They bid farewell to Taskinti’s neighbour. Then taking off circled once, before flying back to Indraprastha. After the crew and Bhima returned, they turned in. It had been a very eventful day, and the debriefing could wait until tomorrow.

  King Muktananda was much better the following day when the crew met him at breakfast, after breakfast, Ancore took it upon herself to tell the King about his family and the destruction of his palace.

  He could not take in the awful truth at first, but when it had sunk in what the Zedds had done to his family and palace, his servants plus the fifty young maidens from the nearby town, he broke down and wept.

  Then pulling himself together like the King he was he swore an oath to raise a huge army to assist the Pandava and the star people defeat the Kaurava and their merciless allies the Zedds. Ancore promised to return him home that very day, but first he would need ships to transport his army to the mainland.

  She had decided the only person who had enough ships to help them was the Emperor, she would take King Muktananda to the Emperor Bharata that very morning and try to gain an audience. They left at ten a.m. and were flying over the emperor’s palace by one p.m. They landed in the grounds just outside the palace and were
greeted by Prime Minister Chakshu, who warmly welcomed them and ushered them into the presence of the Emperor.

  He wanted to know all that had befallen them, since they had last met. Ancore related all that had happened and asked the emperor if he would consent to help them further by sending a fleet of ships to convey the army King Muktananda was going home to raise.

  Having heard of the King's ordeal and the loss of his entire family at the hands the evil Zedds the Emperor agreed readily and gave orders to Chakshu there and then to have his fleet assembled and ready to sail for Lanka by the end of the month to transport King Muktananda's army to the Indus delta. From there, they would march overland to join the Pandava at Indraprastha. The Emperor told them the armies he was raising here and in Harappa were almost ready to begin the march to Indraprastha, and to let the Pandava know that they were almost ready to march. King Muktananda and Ancore thanked the Emperor and took their leave, as the quicker the King was back in Lanka, the sooner he could organise the raising of an army, and time was getting short as the armies of the Kaurava were growing month by month.

  Ancore flew the king back to Lanka flying low and slow over the burnt-out ruins of his palace, then taking him on to the nearest large town where he was greeted by his subjects who were so pleased to see their monarch safely returned that they were shedding tears of joy.

  Ancore took her leave and flew back to Indraprastha when she landed, she immediately informed the Pandava of the Emperor's news, that his two armies were almost ready and would be marching for Indraprastha shortly.

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  Chapter Ten