NOVEL NEXT Chapter 58: The Army of the Rakshasas
The underground cavern was silent except for a drip of water falling from the ceiling from time to time and making a small puddle on the floor. Lady Vishara coiled her serpentine tail around the crystal dais, her upper body leaning forward as she gazed into the large mirror. The flickering light from the crystals illuminated her striking features and mesmerising eyes.
In the mirror, she saw the sealed portal of Dandakaranya, the glowing light of spiritual energy that held the portal sealed from both sides.
Atisha, she thought, her eyes shimmered with mixed feelings part admiration and part loathing. Her tail flicked with irritation, the tip scraping against the crystal floor. Where have you gone?
The mirror shifted, showing scenes of Svetavastra in his white flowy robes fighting rogue pretas in the village and in the Northern Mines. She watched as he had purified the corrupted yakshamani by channelling his spiritual energy into the yaksha she had corrupted with the darkened yakshamani.
“Who is this new variable?” She hissed, her eyes narrowing. “Thwarting my plans at every chance. And to purify the Yakshamani? That should have been impossible.”
She waved her hand at the mirror to see the rogue pretas she had released into the ley lines but once they had been released into a source of energy, they became truly rogue and were no longer under her control and she couldn’t summon visions related to them.
She hissed, her forked tongue danced in frustration. She considered the possibilities.
"Could Atisha be behind this? Could she have sent him to thwart me in her stead? Or worse, could she have fallen? No..."
The thought of Atisha's end brought a pang of strange and acute discomfort.
"If she had fallen, I would sense it. Her spirit is too strong to disappear without a trace,” she reasoned.
Lady Vishara's tail tightened around the platform as she weighed her options. “This white-robed spiritual master must be investigated. I cannot allow him to disrupt my plans further. "
Her eyes flicked back to the mirror, where Svetavastra was shown battling the pretas in the Northern Mines again.
“But how?” She thought aloud. “The ley line corruption is not under my control and I cannot track when and how it will erupt.”
She flicked her hand at the mirror, and it turned dark. The surface shimmered and transformed, revealing a vast expanse of underground tunnels that seemed to stretch endlessly into the abyss. The tunnels were dimly lit by flickering torches held by an army of rakshasas, their shadows dancing wildly on the rough, uneven walls. The torches cast a sinister glow, illuminating massive, hulking forms moving in unison. Their synchronized footfalls echoed ominously through the confined space, a steady, rhythmic drumbeat of impending doom.
Darkness twirled and swirled around the rakshasas like a living entity, clinging to their armor and seeping into every crevice. It flowed like black smoke, wrapping around them in tendrils that moved with an eerie sentience. The darkness seemed to pulsate with malevolence, amplifying the already formidable presence of the rakshasa army. Their red eyes gleamed with a ravenous hunger for human flesh, glowing like embers in the dim light, piercing through the darkness with a terrifying intensity.
Their hands, muscular and clawed, brandished deadly scimitars. The blades, curved and wickedly sharp, glinted menacingly in the torchlight. Each scimitar reflected the flickering flames, creating an illusion of blood dancing on the metal. The sight of these weapons alone was enough to strike fear into the hearts of any who might face them. Low, guttural growls and murmurs passed among the rakshasas, resonating through the tunnels like the ominous rumble of a distant thunderstorm. The very air seemed to vibrate with the sound, heavy with the promise of violence and death.
As Lady Vishara’s eyes adjusted to the relentless exodus of the rakshasa army, a formidable entity came into focus. Towering over the others, Raktabija was a colossal figure clad in dark, intricately engraved armor that absorbed the dim light, making him appear as a shadow within shadows. His presence was magnetic, drawing the eye and commanding absolute attention. The other rakshasas seemed diminutive in his presence, their fierce appearances paling in comparison to his overwhelming aura of power.
Raktabija's eyes blazed red and piercing, the eyes of a predator, unblinking and merciless. His muscular frame exuded sheer power, each movement radiating controlled strength. His long, unkempt hair flowed like a dark river down his back, swaying with his every step. He wielded a pair of wickedly curved scimitars, each blade glinting with a deadly sheen. The metal seemed almost alive, pulsating with a dark energy that mingled with the red rakshasa energy twirling around him.
As he advanced, rakshasas in his path instinctively stepped back, their eyes widening in fear and awe. They bowed their heads as he passed, their bodies trembling with reverence. The deference they showed him was absolute, a testament to his unchallenged dominance and the terror he inspired even among his own kind.
"Raktabija," Lady Vishara said, a smile creeping onto her lips. "In all his bloody glory! The unstoppable force! His name alone strikes fear into the hearts of gods and mortals alike!"
"He must be nearing The Abyss by now," she thought, her eyes narrowing in satisfaction. "Once he reaches the portal, no one and nothing in Bhu Loka will be able to stand against him."
Lady Vishara's eyes glinted with malice as she imagined the scenes of carnage that would follow Raktabija's arrival in Bhu Loka. Villages burned, the acrid smell of charred wood and flesh filling the air. Temples crumbled, their sacred grounds defiled by the relentless march of the rakshasa army. Screams of terror echoed through the night as Raktabija's forces descended upon the helpless inhabitants, their weapons slicing through flesh and bone with horrifying ease.
"The world will drown in darkness and fear," she said, her voice echoing in the cavern. "All will bow before the might of Patala Loka."