Chapter i
A Thunderous Awakening
In the vast wilderness of ancient India, beneath the shadow of the snow-clad Himalayas, where time itself seemed suspended in the pause between past and future, there lived a being feared and revered alike—Rudrapriya, the Aghora sage. His name had become one with legend over time; it was whispered across kingdoms. His power was fabled to have surpassed every element of this mortal plane: his control upon earth, fire, water, air and ether so complete that he could summon them at will. That which was less spoken about among men though equally known were his gifts of bringing forth creatures from deep within the realms of Indian folklore—Nagas slithering through deadly spit-fire showers; half- man, half-beast Rakshasas born to slaughter enemies; mighty soaring forms of Garudas; ethereal musicians from heaven – Gandharvas.
The third century Common Era had fallen upon an age torn apart by internal strife—rival kingdoms perpetually locking their horns in battle for domination. But underneath this bloody crust lurked a sinister threat more dangerous than all human feuds combined—the demons of Asurathala–the forbidden realm beyond cosmic darkness that lies beneath every atom. Banished from sworn terror on suspicion that they subsumed entire universe within their starving fiends, they’d been lurking below for eons till cosmos-mandated alignment broke invoked by humanity’s most violent century till then.
As the days grew darker, whispers of impending doom spread like wildfire. The earth trembled with an unnerving frequency. Villages were razed by unseen creatures, and the skies turned red at dusk as if the sun was bleeding. There were few capable of fighting such evil, fewer still of comprehending it. And yet, deep within the reaches of Tapovan, where normal men dared not wander, Rudrapriya was about to come into his own.
---
Chapter ii
. *The Call of the Elements*
Rudrapriya had sat secluded in meditation, hidden from mankind. His body smeared with ashes, reeking of non-being; that covered him up to the stem of the Banyan tree. All his contacts were turned elsewhere from him. He had not reacted for days or weeks or months—he would not react to any sound at all.
But now suddenly one evening he saw—for he still could see in this world—an array, a delicate shift indeed in the texture of the ether; winds threw up long-forgotten names; rivers scurried over fresh beds; fires on other hills bellowed their flames nearer—toward him—the edifice was tottering.
Eyes shuttered, Rudrapriya raised his hands slowly and held them supine. He exhaled and part of the sound that issued forth from between his blue-tinged lips was a chant. The words were very old, drawn with an easiness that belied their actual ancientness. They were not sung; they were too low for that, but nevertheless as he spoke the sighing of the mantra seemed to slip behind each word in turn and endowing them with fatness so they could be better perceived.
Rudrapriya was one of seven planetary avatars of Mahakala, a godlike being formed by what canonically must fulfill ten billion years in proportional scale across all universes before death can claim him. Each avatar incarnated into its own world’s human population at longer intervals than suns take falling within whatever Buddhists perceive as even obscure tidal washes beneath the patterns thrown by feeble perceptions across space-time … but whatever else Bhadra-Kal defined it stank like rotten absence.
And through this brief communion promise Rudrapriya could see what he had been created to counteract: Asuras—myriad as ants when locust-swarms strip whole regions—coating actuality clean before dark waves of insignificance; vaster than lakhs of ferocious silverback teeth flaring free savagery after wet curiosity merely uncovers manna deep enough down within soil forests to choke Gom-gom caterpillars chewing through sealant sheets on gutter grates straining sweet rain toward starving hungry Oskl sprawled below; pallid-drimmed eyeless marbles compressed ’neath ineffable hunger poised over writhing maggots awaiting awakening deafly above wriggling larvae fueled by great wheel-rainfall i.e., people sizzling snapped femurs flail under bones revealed blood spray fine filament spray spraying brain-lather spray.
Those same eyes narrowed and iron sight locked on sightless Rah-Rah ruler against whom this—a more than 11,000-year-old summoners’ vision-stone collision—lovers wrestled.
And Rudrapriya knew he had awakened to a critical condition for the demons had broken the final cortical forbidden bolts melded bad-death bugs march toward him; his caduceus and jingling ankh were all that could now stop their lunatic revel… but man neither unshackled in bars sealed past millennia nor bodiless spirit desiring transcendence quick past disentangling interns by train man's saw with his keener awareness after they exited Sunfire incandescence shining about worlds … was never fast enough.
---
Chapter iii.
*The Fire of the Naga*
Days turned into weeks before Rudrapriya began his preparations. First, he had to summon the Naga, the serpent guardians of the earth, creatures that ruled the subterranean realms and controlled the forces of fire and poison. The Nagas were proud beings; they did not readily bend to mortal will, no matter how great or terrible that dispenser might be.
Rudrapriya traveled deep into a mountain range whose highest peak was perpetually covered with snow. It is said that this peak contains within it a hollow spire of ice: from its summit flows a river called Ganga, sacred to all inhabitants of Bharata.
The icy waters disappear underground at an obscure place in these mountainside fastnesses where foul mists ever taint the air. He chose for his descent caverns reputedly leading to those primeval underground channels where dwelt the Serpent People.
Even as they fell upon their ears first distant and then loud beyond endurance, he could perceive no light below but only feel oppressive moist heat turning sense penetrating texture.
At long last he reached the heart of the cave. And there before him stood Vasuki, king of the Nagas. His mighty coiled body was like molten gold in the semidarkness; his red-slitted eyes burned with curiosity and distrust.
“Why have you come here—mortal?” The voice rolled through the cavern in a basso rumble.
Rudrapriya knelt before the serpent king. “The balance of the world has been broken, and the Asuras have returned. I need your help, Vasuki.”
The Naga's eyes narrowed. “Why should we, the guardians of fire, concern ourselves with the affairs of men?”
"The Asuras will destroy not only the world of men, but the earth itself,” Rudrapriya replied. “They will poison the rivers, scorch the forests, and bring eternal darkness to the land. Without your aid, the elements will fall into chaos.”
For what seemed like ages, silence hung thick in the air. Suddenly, with a sibilant sound that reverberated throughout the cave, Vasuki uncoiled himself from the earth. “We’ll give it to you, Aghora,” he spat out, smoke curling from his mouth and filling the air around him. “But if you fail . . .”
The entire length of his neck straightened towering over them all before releasing into the sky a column of fire that licked at Rudrapriya’s crouching figure hungrily but did not touch him.
It was done. He had been given charge over the element of the fire itself.
---
Chapter iv.
*The Fury of the Garuda*
With the fire of the Naga in his control, Rudrapriya next sought out the Garuda, the mighty bird-king who ruled the skies and commanded the winds. But the Garuda, unlike the Nagas, was not easily found. They resided in the highest peaks of the Himalayas, far beyond belief or even faith. Rudrapriya journeyed east for days, then weeks. Eventually it took him months to arrive at those distant mountains with their lethal slopes and bitter sharpness of air; easy would never be true enough.
On a craggy rock perched the Garuda. Its feathers exuded a golden sheen. Its wings were spread wide, casting darkness on the entire mountain. The bird had eyes that were like arrows which it shot at Rudrapriya as he neared it.
“I know why you have come, sage,” the Garuda said, its voice a powerful gust of wind. “But the winds are not easily tamed.”
“I do not seek to tame them,” Rudrapriya replied. “Only to borrow their strength to fight the darkness that threatens us all.”
The Garuda tilted its head, considering the sage's words. “The winds are fickle, ever-changing. Can you, Aghora, truly command them?”
Without a moment's pause, Rudrapriya extended his hand toward the heavens and murmured an ancient incantation. The breeze surrounding him spiraled and contorted, creating a whirlwind of air that elevated him from the earth. For a moment, he hovered in the air, the winds obeying his every command.
The Garuda let out a cry of approval. “Very well, Rudrapriya,” it said. “You have proven yourself worthy. The winds are yours to command.”
With that, the Garuda flapped its wings hard and knocked Rudrapriya onto the floor. An atmosphere pulsing with energy surrounded him, and the force buffeted his soul with renewed rapport to the elements—the wind.
---
Chapter v.
*The Serpent and the Wind: A Test of Power*
And Rudrapriya now had that of the Naga and that of the Garuda but he was yet still on his half way through his journey. The Asuras were attacking, with rumors of destruction sweeping the countryside. Small communities were razed to the ground, fields torched, rivers befouled. Even more chilling was the unbearable scream of the earth.
This was where the real fight would go down, in the rooted kingdom of Uttarakhand. The fields that had once been fertile farmland for the kingdom were now a barren wasteland, and all was cast in shadow as dark clouds obscured the sun. In addition to this, a heavy cloud of sulfur scented the air while the ground shivered as if it were crying.
Rudrapriya was standing on the periphery of a kingdom, watching the sky. Somewhere in the background Vijay could sense the Asuras, their shadows weaving through the darkness. But he was not afraid. He had the powers of fire and wind in his hands, and he would not stop until those demons with driven back to hell.
The Bodhi Yik was about to deal with the forces of darkness and by his side appeared a figure. He turned and saw a hooded, robed figure appearing out from the shadows – a woman. Without tiptoeing in the least, she was yet graceful as though with an alien dexterity or almost like a speaking tree—branch bending on sweet whisper…
” I am Kalindi,” her eyes were shining with a light from another realm. – I have been carefully watching you, Rudrapriya. It was more than the Asuras who threatened this world. There are forces at work here, the likes of which even you cannot fathom.
Rudrapriya regarded her
with caution. “What do you mean?”
Kalindi stepped in closer, her voice barely at a whisper for now, all we need are pawns like the Asuras. Before the dawn of time there was darkness, and in that darkness is a force without equal. To save the world, you'll need to move beyond elementariness. You must learn to embody the primordial forces which govern the fabric of reality.
Rudrapriya's heart pounded with her realization of what she had just said. The Asuras were the start, not the end. But could he actually direct the primal forces? Could he transcend the realms of mortal power and become — more?
But we pushed them aside to focus on something bigger. The ground suddenly shook beneath them and an awful odor of rot filled the air around them. The Asuras were upon them.
---
Chapter vi.
*The Battle for Existence*
The skies obscured as Rudrapriya remained at the edge of the front line. The air popped with strain, and a profound, foreboding thunder reverberated through the earth. Somewhere far off, the monstrous, huge types of the Asuras should have been visible, their dull, shadowy figures getting like a plague across the land.
In any case, Rudrapriya was in good company. Behind him, the breezes cried as the Garuda soared over, and underneath the earth, the Nagas mixed, prepared to release their searing rage. The actual components appeared to resound with Rudrapriya's presence, hanging tight for his order.
With a full breath, Rudrapriya ventured forward, raising his arms to the sky. He recited a spell, his voice converging with the breeze, and in a moment, the skies ejected into a tempest. Thunder thundered, and lightning popped across the obscured mists as the breeze stirred into a craze. The Garuda shrieked and plunged down, its wings making strong blasts that sent the Asuras staggering in reverse.
The ground shook fiercely as the Nagas emitted from the earth, their searing breath singing the Asuras with an intensity so serious that the very air gleamed. The Asuras yelled in torment, however they were constant, flooding forward in a rush of obscurity.
Rudrapriya gripped his clench hands, his eyes sparkling with an extreme light. He centered his psyche, drawing upon the force of the five components. The earth shuddered as crevices opened up underneath the feet of the Asuras, gulping down them. The waterways flooded with recently discovered strength, colliding with the devils with the power of a tsunami.
Be that as it may, Bhadra-Khal, the head of the Asuras, was not really effectively crushed. He rose up out of the shadows, a gigantic figure clads in dark protective layer, his eyes igniting with contempt. With stunning thunder, he swung his monstrous edge, sending a shockwave of dim energy toward Rudrapriya.
Rudrapriya lifted his hands, gathering the force of the ether, the undetectable power that associated all things. The dim energy dispersed as it slammed into an undetectable hindrance, yet Rudrapriya could feel the strain. Bhadra-Khal was strong, maybe more remarkable than he had expected.
Yet, Rudrapriya was not finished at this point. He arrived at profound inside himself, taking advantage of the early-stage force that Kalindi had discussed. His body sparkled with an ethereal light, and the components around him flooded with new power. The fire of the Nagas consumed more brilliantly, the breezes of the Garuda cried stronger, and the actual earth appeared to ascend in resistance.
With a last serenade, Rudrapriya released the entirety of his power. The components united, shaping a monstrous vortex of energy that consumed everything in its way. The Asuras shouted as they were destroyed by the crude force of nature, their dim structures dissolving into nothingness.
Bhadra-Khal thundered in rebellion, however even he was unable to endure the surge. With a last, huge blast, the Asura ruler was decimated, his dim energy dissipated to the breezes.
---
Chapter vii.
*The Dawn of a New Age*
Rudrapriya stood among the battlefield's rubble as the dust settled, his body glowing with a soft, ethereal light. The world was safe once more because the elements had returned to their natural state.
Rudrapriya, however, was aware that this was not the end. The gloom of which Kalindi had spoken remained, waiting for the right time to strike. In addition, when that time came, he, as the protector of the elements, would be prepared.
Rudrapriya turned and walked off into the distance, his figure disappearing into the horizon as the first light of dawn broke through the clouds after a final glance at the sky. Although the world had been saved, the struggle for survival was far from over.
Rudrapriya, the Aghora sage who was able to control the elements, was only just beginning his journey.
