The Princes of Ayodhya-The Ramayan Through Short Stories

The Beginning of the End-Part 2

Finally, Sugriv growled, setting down the papers and grabbing his mace, running into the battle. No matter what they said about him being weak, cowardly, and unprepared, the opposite of Vali, the valiant warrior king, Sugriv was a fighter, a fighter by birth, blood, and backbone, and a ruler destined to do just that; rule, even though his brother was first in line. And the best of rulers fought with their people against their enemy.

And in the middle of the field, standing right behind the hissing arrow, steam rushing up from the Earth, Angad bared his teeth, and for a moment, he looked like Vali, with bloodied teeth, muscles rippling, crown still left uncrooked, as if standing alive in the middle of a fire, and appearing utterly fearsome. And for a moment, Indrajit paused in horror, staring at his opponent as Angad jumped with a powerful leap up from the ground, drawing dust into the air and cluding Indrajit's eyes. Indrajit, however, great with illusions and magic, had forgotten one simple thing; Angad could fly.

The warrior prince leapt on top of Indrajit's carriage, and Indrajit forgot to use his illusions. With fierce anger and spite, he climbed on top of the prince's large golden vehicle and jumped on top of the roof. Indrajit peaked out, his mouth curling into a growl, and he again lifted his bow, before pulling it back down and drawing a large sword. His waist-length hair whipped around him as his eyes darted like a panther.

"You're like a little girl! You have long hair, and you love sparkling things!" Angad laughed tauntingly, still jumping from this foot to that, rocking the entire carriage unsteadily. And it was true, because this sword too sparked with embers. Indrajit held his arms out to try and balance himself, but all he managed to do was fall back down on his chair, right on his butt. "Aww, eeny weeny Indrajit feeling a little sore? Got a lil' boo-boo? Wanna go back to your father so he can bandage that boo-boo and sing you a lullaby?"

Indrajit lunged forward again, arcing his sword through the air, and Angad missed it by a large shot, jumping far away. Again, Indrajit sliced, but Angad missed it again. Again, and again, and again, and each time Indrajit tried, he got closer and closer, finally grazing and single hair of Angad's as he was cornered in the edge of his chariot. Indrajit grinned, his smile filled with the bitter malice of a murderer. "Time to die, monkey." he croaked.

Angad eyed the sword uneasily. In only a few moments, he would be stabbed, that silver point thrust through his body like a toothpick in bread. And then, he grinned. Indrajit was startled for a moment (Who wanted to be killed or was happy while being killed), but dismissed as typical monkey craziness. Well Angad wasn't crazy. And he definitely was not happy about almost being killed.

Why almost? Angad leapt over Indrajit's shoulder and clambered onto where the charioteer sat. With a small dagger, Angad slit Indrajit's charioteer's throat and with large clubs, smashed the heads and limbs of his flying horses, who, with agony-filled neighs and brays, before jumping off again, holding his dagger near Indrajit. Fearful for his life, the prince, using illusion, teleported away.

Angad landed on the ground being the first man, monkey, creature, being indeed, to defeat Indrajit. The entire army paused in awe, staring at their crown prince as he brushed himself off. Not the entire army, all of Ravan's army, for what seemed like the umpteenth time that day, paused as well, dropping their cleavers and goggling at the seemingly meager figure who had just caused their prince to run away.

And then the vanar sena erupted into cheers and began fighting once more, this time even grabbing the demons' cleavers which had been dropped on the ground, and slicing off the heads of the rakshasas with their own weapons. It seemed that the defeat of Meghnad had relit the fire of war and battle in the monkeys, and only dispirited the demons as they moved sluggishly. All except Prahast, who didn't move at all, and just sat dumbfounded on top of his elephant, his shoulders slumped.