Tiger’s Destiny (41 page)

My mare stamped in anticipation, and the breath from her nostrils rose into the air in icy puffs. Specks of snow swirled in the early morning sky but didn’t stick to the ground. Someone wrapped a cloak lined with soft fur around my shoulders. The soldiers treated me like a queen, though I felt more like a cast-off woman. I lifted the fur-lined hood over my hair and nodded that I was ready.

We rode northeast for two days and struck camp at the edge of Lake Rakshastal. The weather was cold but not yet freezing. I figured that for the Himalayas this must be early fall. I used my fire power to warm the air around me and my group of bodyguards, and they figured out pretty quickly that the closer they stayed by my side the more comfortable they were.

It wasn’t long after we camped that we saw more soldiers on the horizon. I recognized the flag of General Xi-Wong’s army on our left and the colors of General Amphimachus’s on the right. Runners ran back and forth between the generals all day, and though I felt I was just an afterthought to Ren and Kishan and that it was probably best to stay out of the way and let the goddess do her thing, I couldn’t help but be worried for them.

A day later, when I awoke, the camp was unusually silent. I felt a tug at my heart, knowing they were gone. I’d developed a rudimentary sign language with the guard at my tent door, and he confirmed my suspicions and handed me two folded papers. I sank onto a thick rug and opened the first one. It was from Kishan.

I set the letter aside and opened the second. It was from Ren. Inside the folded paper was a ring. Sunlight hit the bright blue sapphire, and it twinkled with an even deeper blue than Ren’s eyes. The princess-cut sapphire was surrounded by round diamonds and sat atop what looked like two silver bands woven together with another diamond set at each loop. The ring was breathtaking.

I slid the ring onto my finger next to Kishan’s and let the facets of Kishan’s ruby and Ren’s sapphire catch the light for a moment. Then I closed my fist. Stepping outside the tent, I motioned for the guard to bring my horse. He shook his head vehemently. I persisted, but he still refused until I opened my palm and allowed the energy of the amulet to fill me. I produced a fireball that crackled with sparks and gave off enough heat to singe his eyebrows if he got too close.

His mouth fell open, and he stumbled back, calling for my horse. With a small, triumphant smile, I closed my hand, and the fireball disappeared in a burst of flame. By the time I’d yanked on my boots and donned the wide-legged pants and tunic in the style of the Chinese warriors that I’d taken from the supply tent, the horse was ready, as were my bodyguards. I set my sights on Mount Kailash and allowed my heart to guide me.

When we neared the edge of the army, the men surrounded me and motioned to a rise that overlooked the valley. I kneed my mare, turning her head toward the slope, and gasped at what I saw when we had reached the edge.

The valley was filled with soldiers standing in perfect formations. My guards gripped the handles of their long, curved swords as they leaned forward and discussed the upcoming fight. Catapults were set between the columns of men. I could hear the creak of saddles, the scrape of metal on metal, and the trumpeting of battle elephants.

As the columns marched into position, drums kept time. Couriers rushed from group to group on horseback, passing information along the front lines, and birds flew through the air. Some were carrion anticipating their next meal, but some were messenger birds—falcons or hawks trained to fly to the man carrying the commander’s standard. Flag bearers clutching different colored pennants moved into position, ready to relay the General’s orders to distant officers.

The fast Persian chariots and cavalry filled the north side of the valley while the remaining battle elephants of Anamika’s army flanked by General Xi-Wong’s infantry were on the south side. Somewhere in the middle were the combined soldiers of the Tibetan tribes and the Myanmar warriors. I couldn’t distinguish Ren, Kishan, or Anamika, but I assumed they were near the front lines.

When all was ready, the noises quieted, and there was a palpable tension in the air. At first, I saw nothing and wondered if anyone would come to fight a combined army of this size, but then I saw it. Fog rolled down the mountain in waves so thick, it obscured the entire peak.

It crept along the ground with ominous pulpy fingers, as if the fog itself was tearing up the very earth and gnashing its teeth in anticipation of the battle ahead. When the mists began to clear, dark forms became visible, and our combined armies shuffled noisily in response. What lay ahead of our forces was horrible to behold.

Hunched forms—not human, not animal, and some, not even living—stood ready to obey their master. They dug at the earth with deformed claws. They snarled, howling and wheezing heavily. Some held weapons and spears like infantry, some crouched on all fours and paced restlessly like wild cats, And others—half horse, half men-like centaurs—tore at the ground with thick hooves.

One man moved to the forefront and seemed to be in charge. He shouted a command, and the demons next to him wobbled forward awkwardly and lifted their limbs to reveal wings. The demon bird-men took to the sky and called out to ranks and ranks of enemy soldiers. They veered out over our armies and screeched horribly. A volley of arrows chased them back to their side.

Lokesh was nowhere to be seen, but the soldiers next to me pointed at the leader of his army. It was Sunil, Anamika’s brother. The deep unearthly sound of a horn shook the valley, and at that signal, the demon army began bellowing a war chant. They pounded the ground, roared, screeched, and hollered in unison. The cacophony resonated like a hellish nightmare.

Our armies struck the first blow. Catapults launched heavy stones that crushed dozens of demon creatures. Stones hit the mountain and chunks of rock broke off and plummeted, knocking over many of the creatures. But even with broken limbs and wings, they soon stood again, waiting for their master’s signal to attack.

While the siege engines worked, a signal was given, and the demon army abruptly ceased their clamoring. Lokesh’s army surged forward. Thousands of our archers sent a hailstorm of arrows into the sky. Most of them met their marks, but the creatures didn’t even register pain. They simply yanked out the arrows, dropped them to the ground, and ran toward our armies.

Anamika’s army rushed to meet them, and the two opposing forces crashed together like two tidal waves. The enemies swarmed over one another like angry hornets over a disturbed nest. The clash of metal and the cries of men in pain filled my ears. More men poured into the fight, running in formation and scattering as they fought the beasts of Lokesh. Then the Chinese cavalry thundered in and cut a hole through the center of the demon army, but were set upon by eagle-like creatures that swooped from the sky and ripped at their backs with sharp talons.

Next to fight was a group of canine zombies, resembling dogs, wolves, hyenas, and jackals. Long, thin muzzles hid sharp, deadly teeth. Loping on all fours, they moved in packs and took down our chariots.

The battle elephants charged, and the sight and sound of thousands of elephants plunging into war was so extraordinary that I couldn’t look away. With protective armor deflecting spears and arrows, the six-ton animals thundered from our reserve lines to the front and trampled over anything that couldn’t get out of the way fast enough.

Sweeping their heavy heads back and forth, the battle elephants pressed the demon army back, cornering them against the mountain as the archers riding in the towering howdahs kept the demons at bay. In retaliation, Sunil sent Lokesh’s bird messengers into the sky. They shrieked out commands to the cat-like demons who managed to avoid the spiked cuffs and swords attached to the elephants’ tusks and leapt onto their backs. The big animals bellowed loudly in pain as the cats’ claws tore through their leathery skin before the elephants trumpeted their death throughout the valley.

One elephant shook itself violently to dislodge the destructive hitchhikers but caused the carriage on top to jar loose. The heavy platform fell and was crushed under the feet of the frightened animal. Cat demons quickly dispatched the men still alive while others leapt onto the elephant’s back. The animal trumpeted loudly and twisted, rearing up onto its hind legs. Then it fell heavily with a boom that echoed across the valley, and demons swarmed over the creature.

Another elephant under attack swerved into a catapult that broke into pieces. Some men fell upon the swords attached to its tusks and were killed instantly. Others fell into the waiting arms of demons. The battle elephant trumpeted in fear before it was also taken down.

I saw the Mon banner of Rithisak head through the middle of the fight toward Sunil. His soldiers were met by huge demons with wide horns and heavy spiked maces. The demons raced forward with their heads down and gored several men with a flick of their powerful necks before finding another target. In closer quarters they swung the mace, striking several men at once who blew back into their fellow soldiers and crumpled to the ground.

Another segment of Lokesh’s army was filled with bug demons. A horde of them scurried over the dead, dispatching those that might still be alive with stingers, claws, pinchers, and scorpion-like tails.

The fighting continued, and a wall of bodies piled up between the two armies. We were losing.

Where is Anamika?

I scanned the field and finally saw her as the goddess Durga. Strangely, she was not wearing her blue dress, and she only had one set of arms. She was using the golden bow and arrows in a large chariot flanked by two men in armor on horseback. My heart told me that it was Ren and Kishan.

The brothers fought only with swords and wooden shields, and they wore armor similar to the other soldiers, not the armor from Durga’s brooch. It didn’t make sense.

Why practice with all eight arms and then not use all the weapons in battle? Why create a goddess and not show her off in the fight? Where are Durga’s other weapons?

General Amphimachus’s troops had lost very few men. They gained some significant ground and were pressing forward in rectangular phalanxes. From where I sat, the formation looked like a giant red porcupine lumbering to its mountain nest. But even they were not victorious. A demon bird screeched overhead, and the cat-like demons jumped on top of the shields and tore at spears with sharp teeth. Soon tens of thousands of soldiers lay on the ground like a spent deck of cards.

As the day passed, more and more of our men were lost. An army of more than a half a million was mercilessly cut down to just more than half that number. One of my bodyguards pointed out a waving banner that signaled retreat, and soon our warriors escaped the battlefield, making their way back to their camps as best they could. Riders ran through the fallen soldiers seeking to help the wounded before the vermin demons could finish them off.

A horn was sounded, and Lokesh’s army retreated into the shadows of the mountains. My horse, which I tied to a nearby tree, began stamping and neighing loudly. She bucked at her restraints, and the other horses did the same thing. On the field, men lost control of the elephants. They trumpeted loudly and made a beeline for safe cover. Birds of all kinds rose into the air, including the falcons used for communication by the Chinese army. Animals of all types left the surrounding forest and headed toward the scene of battle, overcome by a powerful instinct.

I called upon the power in my amulet and wrapped a bubble of calming heat around me, my horse, and the remaining animals near us. But it was too late to save them all. A king cobra rose up next to me, hissed, and then quickly made its way down the hill. I shivered.

I saw Anamika’s horse and many of the horses still connected to chariots running toward Mount Kailash. When they reached the hill of dead bodies, they stopped and reared up on their hind legs. A powerful wind rose and lifted the bodies of the dead and then the animals were also pulled up into the sky. They hung there limply, dormant, tossed about in the wind as if they were merely autumn leaves caught in a swirling eddy.

Dead men wearing the red cloaks, the short tunics, and the knee-high armored boots of Alexander the Great’s army swirled amid the dark green-garbed Chinese warriors. As their heads lolled back, the heavy helmets fell to the ground below, rolling to a stop amid the shields and weapons that littered the ground.

The animals and humans formed pairs that spun together in a vortex of black magic. Tremors shook the ground as if Mother Nature herself was watching in horror and trembling at the darkness that had stolen over the entire valley.

Circling each other faster and faster until the images blurred in the dark mist of twilight, the animal and the human merged into one being, a thing of darkness, an unholy coupling of man and beast.

Demon birds flapped new wings, rising higher in the air. Beasts— half bear or half wolf—blinked yellow eyes and, when released from the vortex, lumbered off toward the mountain. Creatures rained from the sky, profane imitations of what they once were. Zombie men that were now part wolverine, part snake, or part snow leopard also turned and made their way to their new master. They rose by the hundreds; then by the thousands.