Devasena - Bride of the War God

Chapter 4

Devasena hurried forward and helped her father to lie down even as Indra groaned slightly in protest.

"Devasena, my child!" said Indra, "You must leave now, this is not the place for you!" Devasena gently placed a hand under her father's head as she slowly fed him sips of water from a cup made from a folded lotus leaf.

"There is no other place I would much rather be, Father" replied Devasena firmly.

Indra looked at her in stunned silence, a reluctant smile broke on his face "You have grown up, my child"

Devasena smiled back and made a move to hold her father down as the Ashwin Twins approached him with ambrosia. Indra shook off Devasena, "What kind of a King would I be if need babysitting to handle such little pain?" he demanded, lying down and clenching his fists and teeth in readiness. Devasena winced while she saw the valiant effort put up by Indra to bear the terrible extent or mind-numbing pain. Skanda placed a hand reassuringly on Devasena's shoulder, his eyes full of understanding and sympathy. Devasena frowned in embarrassed annoyance, am I being pitied by an injured person?!

Devasena briskly sat down by Indra's head and kept Indra engaged in Indra's favourite conversation, battle strategy. Within a while, Indra slowly dozed off to sleep. Devasena got up and quickly helped Skanda to lie down on another mat. Ambrosia was dabbed over Skanda's injuries and he gritted his teeth, forcing back a scream. Devasena held his hand and felt him clench her hand so tightly that she thought her blood circulation was cut off. Skanda too drifted into unconsciousness as Indra. Devasena barely had time to rest when the flaps of the tent opened to let in her uncles. Agni had a leg chopped off and Surya had an arm lopped off. She quickly tended to her Uncles assisting the Ashwin Twins, "We bear bad tidings" her uncle Agni said grimly

Her Uncle Surya glanced at Agni before adding, "Your brother, Jayantha has been wounded and kidnapped by that vile scum, Taaraka." Devasena's older sister, Jayanthi let out a wail of horror on hearing of the news. Jayanthi's husband, Shukra, quickly led her out, to the back of the tent, consoling her. Her Uncles waited until the pregnant Jayanthi was out of earshot, "There is very little chance of Jayantha returning alive. He fought bravely and upheld the honour of the gods but he fell victim to a ploy" groaned Surya

"Jayantha for all his martial skill was never one gifted with common sense" lamented Agni.

"We had split up into two groups – Indra and Agni on one side, Surya and Jayantha on the other" Devasena recalled that Surya and Indra were level-headed while Agni and Jayantha were hotheads.

Surya continued, "The Asura forces retreated, I insisted that the Devas continue to play defence but Jayantha insisted on chasing after them claiming we had an upper hand. As the Heir of the King of the Heavens, Jayantha's words carry more weight and so, I had to accept his order. We chased the Asuras only to be led straight into a trap, right into an area where they had both greater forces and their trademark impenetrable forts"

"A series of maze-like Forts" added Agni, wincing from the pain of flesh and bone regrowth, "The Devas advantage is their speed, lighter cavalry and in the Sky but well-crafted forts are Asura strongholds as are their mammoths, much larger than our elephants"

Devasena calmed herself down and asked them what their next course of action was to be. "We will have to wait until Indra and Skanda are up and about. Then, we will have to lay siege"

Devasena sat next to Skanda and adjusted the grass pillow under his head. Skanda flickered his eyes open and smiled tenderly at her. Devasena made a move to get up, as it was inappropriate for an unmarried man and woman to be seated so close to one another. Skanda grabbed her arm and pulled her back, "Thank you" he said, his eyes fell on the calluses forming on her palms, a concerned frown formed on his face and he traced the calluses with his fingers. Devasena nearly jumped out of her skin, she tried to pull her palm away but he held on tightly.

"What in the name of all that's holy are you doing here, Devasena?" he asked, worried, "You must go back"

Devasena snapped, "Do you think you are the only one who bears responsibility for the plight of the Devas and the honour of your family? Instead of lying down here and asking me to return, I think you need to stand up and fight so we can all be as safe right here as anywhere else in this world." Devasena briskly tightened the knot of the bandage wrapped around Skanda's injured chest and shoulder, earning a hiss of pain from him. "So cruel" he said, grinning at her as he got to his feet. Devasena passed him, his spear. Indra, too, rose to his feet, hefting his lightning bolt in one hand.

Indra said, "Let's go get my son back"

It had been six hours since Indra and Skanda had left, along with the entire Deva Army to lay siege to the Asura fort.

"Guard the Medical Camp, my dear as we are vacating every Deva soldier including the bodyguards located at your camp" said Indra, blessing her and handing her, his magical weapon, Indra's Net. Indra summoned his black dog, Sarama to help Devasena in protecting the medical camp until the Devas return.

Devasena promised her father that she would guard the medical camp with her life. She patrolled around the perimeter of the camp, seated upon the back of the large black dog, Sarama. She had tossed the Indra's Net high in the air, forming a powerful barrier around the medical camp. When the Net sensed any approaching Asura Army deserters, it would glow a searing red. Devasena would then command the barrier to make the camp invisible, leading to Asuras simply passing through it or by it. However, the vast expanse of Net had a mind on its own, formed from Indra's cunning, the Net played mind games with the Asuras until they would kill themselves or their own allies.

Devasena understood that her father wielded the most cruel weapon among both Devas and Asuras. Devasena tried to use barricades and invisibility as often as she could but the Net listened to the devious mind of its true master, Indra and psychologically tortured several Asuras. Devasena vowed to never use the terrible weapon again in the future.

Devasena heard footsteps and saw that this time, two young Deva warrior arrived outside the tent. The Net recognizing Deva blood, permitted them to enter. Devasena helped both the Devas inside and offered them medicine, asking about news of the battle. "The Battle has been raging fierce, showing no signs of abating" answered one. While Devasena bandaged both of them, she suddenly felt one of them snake an arm around her waist and the other grab her braid, wrapping it around his wrist. Devasena was stunned beyond words, one of the Devas said to the other "Let's have some food and some fun and then leave"

"What are you...." Devasena paused as she saw wicked grins on both their faces, they were Devas indeed but they were Deva deserters.

Devasena dropped the bandage roll in horror and it unrolled onto the floor. The Ashwin Twins, who were the only warriors in the camp, despite being medics had left long ago along with Indra and Skanda. Her pregnant sister, her brother-in-law and medic Dhanwantri both of whom did not know even the basics of self-defence were the ones left behind. Devasena observed that the two Devas were armed to the teeth. 

Devasena considered saying that she was Indra's daughter but they might not believe her in her ragged state. Before she could debate over this in her head, one of them said "Curse that Indra, life was so much easier in Heaven, what with wine and women"

"And, he had to self-righteously fight against that wretched Asura Taaraka claiming that the mortals were being slaughtered"

"He trusts a brat, a mere boy, to lead us. No wonder Jayantha was kidnapped with such poor leaders at the helm" 

Devasena sucked in her breath, willing herself to calm, but she knew in her heart, that they were done for - the two soldiers were angry and vengeful against Indra and they had got nothing to lose.