Return of the Asuras |Lesbian Story| (The Sequel)

Chapter 20

The night before the war, Hanuman showed himself to me. I thought he had left us after defeating Rahu.

"My lord, why are you not leaving?" I asked.

"O Fated one, I come to give you my strength," he spoke. "In the battlefield, none shall see me, but I will be with you. You must wield this power and make the most of it. May the gods protect you."

Then he came and placed his hand on my head. I looked into his eyes. They were large and brown, gleaming with compassion as they rested on my face. A moment later, his form dissolved into shimmering light and disappeared.

The morning of the war found me itching with anticipation. The avatars helped me arm. Greaves, gauntlets, and a leather cuirass. I would have no more of that. It seemed like a hindrance rather than a protection. I needed my hands and legs to move freely. Now I was burnished and strong like a new sword, but my heart felt as though it were made of ice. It seemed no pain could touch me anymore.

All I had in me was vengeance.

The avatars came out to the field, looking like gods as always. The King and his men were mounted on their war elephants, chariots, and horses.

Although the sun was barely up, our army was amassing, getting ready to march out of the camps. Buoyancy filled the air. The horses neighed. The elephants wailed. The animals knew something momentous was about to begin. Something horrible and violent.

I mounted the king of lions. The white beast tossed his head and growled in excitement. I could hear the boasting and clattering of our army. Their spears and shields clanked. The trumpets called the warriors to attention.

All the kings and princes followed by their senas, the chosen guardians. Riding behind them was the bristling sea of brown men. The field turned dusty from the stomping feet.

In the midst of them, they let me out in the front without me noticing it. Then the line of avatars and generals rode to either side of me.

It was in that moment that the sky lit up with the sunlight, gleaming over the proud Angkorian army.

We marched onward without stopping.

The sound of war drums echoed through the plain like our own heartbeat. Together we made the long trip towards the valley of the mountains. From a distance, we could see a dark city floating in the air. It wasn't there before, now it appeared as if out of nowhere.

The large river acted as a moat around the jagged mountains.

Once we reached the great empty battlefield, a heavyweight pulled at my eyelids. The force that was entering me felt like a roaring wave from the sea.

We had been divided into divisions. Each avatar commanded a division, which was carefully selected. Atith, Tusita, and Vorac would take the sky battle on their flying chariots drawn by the Ashvas. Tepi, Samudra, Morokot commanded the land battle. The rest would fight alongside the King's troop.

There we took our stand. Issarak raised a cry both loud and shrill that filled the warriors with courage, giving them spirits to fight. Our men formed a planned formation called the Chandravayuha. It spread in a crescent shape around the vast empty field, the mounted warriors, infantrymen and horse cavalry set out at the front whereas the foot soldiers and archers stayed at the back, waiting for the order.

Then we saw the first movement.

And there they came. More and more dark shadowy figures appeared on the far side of the hill. They sailed across the river in a fleet of boats. Others wedged their ways through the water as if they were crossing a small stream. In the distance, the demons looked like ants. And like ants, they were too many to count. They spread over the hills from horizon to horizon, growing taller and larger.