Shiva could not recognise the cacophonic sound. However, the Arishtanemi from the
southern border knew exactly what it was. That was the sound of a Nagadhvani conch. It was
blown to announce the launch of a Naga attack!
Though impatient to fight, Bhabravya did not forget the standard operating procedures. He
ordered an aide, who rushed to the carriage and pulled out a red box fixed at the bottom.
Kicking it open, the aide pressed a button on the side. A tubular chimney-like structure
extended straight up from the box for nearly twenty-five feet. The chimney ensured that the
smoke signal was not lost in the dense forest and could be seen by the scouts at both Devagiri
and Mount Mandar. The soldier picked a branch from the fire and pushed it into the last of the
four slots on the right side of the box. Red smoke fumed out of the chimney, signifying the
presence of the highest level of danger. Help was six hours away. Four, if the back-up rode
hard. Bhabravya did not intend the battle to last that long. He intended to kill each of the Nagas
and the Chandravanshis long before that.
Then the attack began, from the side of the road leading to Mount Mandar. A small band of
ten Chandravanshi soldiers charged at the Arishtanemi. One soldier was holding the Naga
conch shell and blowing hard. Another amongst them had covered his entire face and head with
a cloth, except for small slits for his eyes. The Naga himself!
Shiva did not move. He could see the battle raging at the far end of the caravan. There were
only ten Chandravanshis. The Arishtanemi did not need any support. He signalled to
Sati and Nandi to stay where they were. Sati agreed for she too expected this attack to be
a ruse.
The battle was short and fierce. The Chandravanshi soldiers fought viciously but were
outnumbered. As Bhabravya expected, they turned in no time and retreated fast.
‘After them,’ yelled Bhabravya. ‘Kill them all.’
The Arishtanemi dashed behind their captain in pursuit of the retreating Chandravanshis.
Most of them did not hear Shiva cry out loud. ‘No! Stay here. Don’t chase them.’
By the time some of the Arishtanemi heard Shiva’s order, a majority had already left,
chasing the Chandravanshis. Shiva was left in the clearing with Sati, Nandi and just twenty—five
soldiers. Shiva turned back towards the side of the road leading to Devagiri — the direction
from which the crack of the twig had come.
He turned again to look at the remaining Arishtanemi. Pointing towards his back, he spoke
with a voice that was both steady and calm, ‘This is where the actual attack will come from.
Get into a tight formation in fours, facing that direction. Keep the princess in the middle. We will
have to hold them back for about five or ten minutes. The other Arishtanemi will return when
they realise there are no Chandravanshis to fight in that direction.’
The Arishtanemi looked at Shiva and nodded. They were batde-hardened men. They liked
nothing more than a clearheaded and calm leader who knew exactiy what he was doing. They
quickly got into the formation ordered by Shiva and waited.
Then the real attack began. Forty Chandravanshi soldiers led by a hooded figure emerged
from the trees, walking slowly towards the Suryavanshi caravan. The outnumbered
Arishtanemi remained stationary, waiting for their enemy to come to them.
‘Surrender the princess to us and we will leave,’ said the hooded figure. ‘We want no
unnecessary bloodshed.’
The same joker from the Brahma temple? He ‘s got a strange costume, but he fights well.
‘We don’t want any bloodshed either,’ said Shiva. ‘Leave quietly and we promise not to kill
singke
(singke)
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