Dominion Falling: The Apsara Chronicles #3 Read online

  Shiva nodded and glanced over at Parvathi who replied, "We are at this point still unsure as to how the brothers forces have been able to attack our weakest access points, but they have done so with an ease that is both impressive and frightening. Bhuvarloka required little to no effort, but Suva, Maha and Janaloka have all given the invading forces a harder time. Still, we've ensured all out battles are kept to a minimum as we would prefer to avoid sacrifice the lives of our gods in what may be an invasion easily quelled."

  "We have evacuated successfully?" Tilo asked, the question not literal.

  "Yes. The only problem is we hadn't accounted for the fact that Sunda and Upasunda seem to have access points to the Upper Lokas as well. We'd been of the understanding that the Upper Lokas were inaccessible unless the gods within allow access, but it appears, in the wake of the major evacuation, that both Maha and Jana Loka have been infiltrated by invading forces. We'd redirected evacuation to Goloka, but given the plane itself, we are risking the lives of many of the heavenly beings just by entering without earning that right."

  Tilo frowned. Goloka had only ever been spoken of in whispered tones of reverence, hence the understanding that hordes of gods and heavenly creature seeking refuge would be unprecedented at best and utterly dangerous at worst.

  Goloka was the realm of pure atma or enlightened consciousness. Only those of the highest spiritual evolution are said to gain access, access which is not automatically granted if the seeker happened to be god or of heavenly creation. Gods, much like the mortals in Prithvi, and the demons and spirits of the Underworlds, were required to have earned the right of entry. And gods were just as prone to vices as mortals, just as weak of mind and spirit as the humans and the demon horde.

  Even now, with Kali Yug approaching, a good portion of the deities within Swargaloka were yet to achieve the level of spiritual purity required to gain entry to Goloka and the eternal bliss it promised.

  Chapter 4

  Tilo must have frowned while mulling over the devastating truth as Lord Shiva chuckled softly. "I was of the mind to assure you that the situation isn't bad enough to warrant the expression of concern and fear on your face General, but I would be very wrong. And I would not lie merely in order to make any one of us feel better. Though on this day I do wish I could perhaps lie to myself."

  His smile was self-deprecating and humble, as was his way, and Tilo returned the sad smile. "I prefer to face the bad news head on, my lord." Tilo wanted to bite her tongue at the stupid response but Lord Shiva appeared to have not heard her. She shifted her gaze to focus on the god as he stared out the window at the view of the universe, displayed before them all as a constant reminder of what was at stake.

  "Perhaps we may have a solution after all." he murmured and a few ling moments passed in which Parvathi, Tilo and Ganesh all waited, eyes focused on the Eternal One.

  When he remained silent for another minute, his wife rose and walked toward him. "Dear one. Is it perhaps a troubling offering that you have fallen into the captivity of your worries.?" She touched a hand to Lord Shiva’s arm and he shifted slowly to stare down into her lovely face.

  "Perhaps you are right, dear. It is a troubling solution, and one which I am certain will draw great opposition and criticism from the other deities.

  "Which is all the more reason we need to consider it with the greatest of care. Now come to the table and talk it through with us. WE must present a solid offer soon. The outer protection of Jana has fallen and soon we would require the refugees within that realm to evacuate once again."

  Though the goddess's words should have served only to increase the worries of the Lord, he tipped his . head gently and gave her a grateful smile before following her to the marble table. Tilo and Ganesh exchanged worried looks but both remained silent as the Eternal Husband and Wife took their seats again.

  "I believe the the goal for the brothers Sunda and Upasunda is to conquer the heavens. What I propose is to give it to them."

  Tilo swallowed her gasp but Ganesh got to his feet, shaking his head as his tusk shone as the light from the chandeliers lit his face. "I fear you may be right Father. How could we possibly gift the brothers with Heaven itself? I am certain the other gods will not rest easy with such a choice."

  Lord Shiva nodded but his expression remained stoic. "I quite understand my son. And were I in their position I would oppose such a decision as wholeheartedly as I am expecting the gods to when they hear of it. But what better way is there in which to reach a mutually amicable resolution?"

  Tilo nodded. Though she didn't like the idea either, the Eternal One had a good point. "They want all of the Heavens, but we do have eight of them. Is it possible we could sacrifice on of the eight realms? And then, should we agree on that as a possible solution, which one would

  which realm would it be that we sacrifice? I expect all the gods would balk at the suggestion that they relinquish their homes."

  Lord Shiva nodded and ran his thumb along the line of his chin. "Perhaps we do have a god or two who rule over more than one loka."

  Parvathi's eyebrows shot up and Ganesh let out a guffaw then patted his rounded belly as he subsided into laughter.

  "Oh dear. I presume Lord Indra would not have predicted this as an outcome," said Tilotamma, worry making her stomach turn. She wasn't easily frightened, but she did care for the people who surrounded her all her life, and Indra, despite his youthful vibrance, had been an almost older-brother figure to her.

  To say he loved his people, and the realms he cared for was an understatement and Tilo could only imagine his unhappiness when he did find out.

  Parvathi remained silent though her gave flicked this way and that, no doubt sending of messages of warning and preparation for what was likely to be disastrous.

  "Well, perhaps we might allow Indra to make the choice. And we may as well proceed as soon as possible." Lord Shiva got to his feet again, his sharp movements revealing his listlessness.

  The god had begun to walk away when Tilo got to her feet. "My Lord?" Shiva slowed and turned to face her, eyes curious. "My Lord, would it be considered a mark of respect to discuss the choice with Lord Indra in private? He may be more amenable if he were told beforehand, given the initial decision has more or less been made for him."

  Tilo kept her voice even and her gaze non-demanding as she made her request, praying the Eternal One would not take offense.

  A brief glance at Parvathi revealed the approval in the benevolent mother's eyes which was very much a relief. If she failed to win Lord Shiva over, at least she knew the mother had blessed her request. Even if nothing came from it.

  But Tilo need not have worried as Lord Shiva gave a gentle smile and a nod that seemed to emanate gratitude. "Thank you General. Your words of wisdom hold great value this day." The god then glanced around the table and smiled. "Perhaps you take a short rest before meeting with the council of gods, during which time I will speak to Lord Indra."

  Tilo pushed to her feet, a rush of relief flowing through her. She'd survived this round. Now her only other concern was what Indra would decide, and if he would think to hold that sacrifice against her in some form.

  She'd known things hadn't looked good. And she'd been right. Only problem, she'd had little idea of how bad it was about to get.

  Chapter 5

  Lord Indra had taken the news the way a hero would the revelation that his entire family had perished in a war that he alone had started willingly and knowingly. To his credit, he'd marshaled his emotions and had remained stoic, discussing at length with Lord Shiva as to which loka would be the best to part with, while still bearing in mind the offering to the brothers of destruction still be attractive enough.

  In the end, it had been Indra himself who'd made the announcement when the council had gathered the second session. By which time both Tilo and Parvathi had gathered their retinues in preparation for a swift departure in the moments after the session had been completed.

  The god Ka
rthi had arrived as Tilo had exited the council meeting, keeping close to her side as she entered the courtyard where the Apsara retinue had gathered alongside that of Parvathi’s battalion. Oddly enough, the mother goddess had been conspicuously absent and Tilo had found herself leaving Mt Kailas without Parvathi, all the while praying the goddess would forgive her.

  Tilo had had no time left in which to go in search of the absent goddess and had in the end sent a message with one of the messengers to inform Lord Shiva of his wife's absent--in case that absence was a cause for concern. They were, in fact under attack and the dangers to the lives of the gods, including their consorts, was a real threat and not something one dreamt up in order to stir hysteria and melodrama.

  Tilo and her Apsara battalion had moved across the courtyard with her vimana in the lead as they approached the barrier of protection. Lord Karthi had been allocated a position in a chariot some ways back as though she was expected to take the god along, she was by no means required to keep him company or play guard-dog or handmaiden. He'd come with his personal guard, half of which Tilo's second in command, Ahalya, had dispatched back to Swarga as they had come without the necessary provisions. Karthi hadn't been impressed when Tilo had apprised him of their limited provisions, limited in the sense that the Apsara battalion had catered only for their own soldiers with a small excess of emergency rations. Like Tilo, the apsaras preferred light meals when in transit whereas Lord Karthi and his men enjoyed an untold amount of excess in food and provisions on their journeys.

  Tilo was quite looking forward to observing the gods discomfort during the journey given that she couldn't imagine that he'd be satisfied with the meagre offerings her battalion provided. Fresh dates, fresh fruit and flavored milk was hardly the kind of meal the god was likely to enjoy.

  It provided for a most amusing journey.

  Chapter 6

  The battalion of the Apsara Army traveled from the outer reaches of Swarga all the way to Bhuvarloka, the plane above the mortal world of Prithvi. The planet itself was a pleasing blue, the color of water and life that had always given Tilo a spurt of happiness to see. She she well that Lord Shiva loved his mortals, and for that reason had made herself familiar with the planet and its workings.

  The atmosphere surrounding the planet of Prithvi was an ethereal realm which to most eyes remained uninhabited, but to beings of deific origins it was easy enough to understand that what appeared to be empty eir was a land invisible to the naked eye, intangible to the mortal hand. Those who lived within Bhuvar were gods and deific creatures tasked with overseeing the mortal planet, with ensuring the world remained well-maintained all the way until they age of Kali arrived. Because they all knew that the coming of the Kali Yug would bring with it the end of the ages, a time in which mortals and gods alike would see the end of their existence. The cycle would come to an end, and as with all cycles of life and death the yugas would begin again.

  And in that cycle of life Tilo and everyone she knew would all be dead.

  As the battalion traveled through Bhuvar, Tilo considered what it meant for the cosmos to reach a time in which the end is no longer coming, no longer the arrival of something to fear but the actual end which she would see. She'd often considered the ancient tomes to be filled with fear mongering rather than pure truth, but Lord Shiva's certainty had been something that had made her question her doubts. Though he'd entertained her curious questions, he'd avoided answering any of her questions with a direct answer, instead leaving her to come to her own conclusions. She'd once considered the possibility that he too didn't know, and was merely working on supposition or stories told to him by his parents. But there had been something, an expression in his eye, a hitch in his tone which had implied there was far more to the reality than the ancient records told, that there was some grater truth that perhaps on the gods themselves were privy to.

  And she'd stopped probing the Eternal One for answers, having come to the conclusion that he wouldn't tell her even if he wanted to. The yugas were greater than them all it seemed.

  and that fact would mean the destruction of the beautiful blue sphere below her.

  Descending from the atmosphere to the mortal planet was a swift enough trip, though Tilo was well aware that anything could go wrong that would expose her battalion to the eyes of the mortals. Many an ancient folktale had been written by a mortal who had by chance witnessed the almost magical, and decidedly inexplicable arrival of godly beings.

  Though she was well capable of descending on her own steam, or rather that of her wings, Tilo used the vimana which included a field generated to ensure the craft remained invisible until such time as it’s pilot deemed it safe to be seen.

  Behind Tilo, her regiment followed, the small caravan of vimana that could hold at least half a dozen passengers, descended from the skies, barely perceptible to the naked aye as light hit its exterior and was bent around the entire craft so expertly as to render it invisible.

  The vehicles were powered by a confluence of energy controlled and directed by the person at the controls.

  At last the entire battalion touched ground spilling the warriors out into the brilliant golden sun of the Prithvi sky. Many an apsara raised her face to enjoy the warmth of the rays of Surya but even they quickly straightened and returned to their duties, focusing on setting up camp at the spot chosen by Lord Shiva.

  The location of the brothers had been transmitted to the Eternal One by an emissary who had stood at the front of a horde of warriors intent on breaking through the gates of Mount Kailas.

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  About the Author

  I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognize that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven. I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practice given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes… I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It’s a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of each other's loves – it works wonderfully…

  My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands – I shall forever remain cross-eyed.