Page 126 of Tiger's Destiny
At that mental whisper, a dam broke inside me and all of my feelings and thoughts poured out. I felt the impact of them hit Ren like a tidal wave. He stood quietly and absorbed everything. I let him experience all of it: the confusion, the heartbreak, the anguish, and now the happiness. I held nothing back—not even my feelings for Kishan. I sensed his acceptance and his understanding about my relationship with his brother. There was no feeling of vindictiveness or judgment, only a deep heartfelt regret, and I felt his surprise in at last understanding why I had kept him at a distance for so long.
Finally, I showed him the depth of what I felt for him and how desperate I had been without him.
Ren, I love you more than anything in this world, and I don’t know how I can possibly live without you.
You’ll never have to, iadala.
His thoughts were hushed for a few seconds, and then our souls twisted together like clinging vines and both of us rested, our thoughts content, peaceful, and calm. Tingling bubbles of power coursed lazily between us. At that moment, all was right with the world. The one I loved was woven tightly into my soul, and I hoped we would never let go of each other again.
A loud voice interrupted our thoughts.
“I apologize. I didn’t mean to treat you like a pack animal,” Anamika said, bringing both me and Ren back to the battle looming before us.
It was time to go. Time to end this thing, once and for all.
She kicked Kishan in the ribs lightly, and Kishan moved forward grumpily. A thoughtful expression crossed her face, and then Kishan picked up speed and began running. We followed suit, and I felt Ren’s exhilaration as he stretched his tiger legs, traversing the countryside, eating up the distance in great leaps and bounds.
Ren was all muscle and endless energy, and as I clung to his sides, I found the rhythm of his gait. We moved together as one. His tiger lungs worked like powerful bellows, and I realized that we were breathing in concert. When I looked behind us, Phet was nowhere in sight.
We arrived back at the center of camp. Men of five different nations knelt all around us, touching their heads to the ground in deference. They were awed by the presence of not one but two goddesses in their midst. My twin took the lead and asked the generals to approach. She told them of a new plan, one that did not involve animals that the demons could turn against us. This battle would be waged on foot.
She then turned to me and indicated that I should say something inspiring. Ren’s thoughts flowed through my mind.
They need a symbol to look to on the battlefield.
In the loudest voice I could muster, I shouted, “As of this moment, you are no longer the armies of China, Macedonia, Myanmar, Tibet, or India. You are now the warriors of Durga! We have already fought and overcome many fierce creatures. Now we give you the symbol of their power.”
I borrowed the Scarf and touched it to my Pearl Necklace. The silken material sped through the air, fragmenting and spinning off, touching down on each and every solder to cloak them in the most brilliant red, blue, green, gold, and white. Even the flag bearers were not left out and now held banners depicting Durga riding her tiger into battle.
“Red for the heart of a Phoenix that sees through falsehood!” I cheered and raised the trident. “Blue for the Monsters of the Deep that rip apart those who dare to cross their domain! Gold for Metal Birds that cut their enemies with razor beaks! Green for the Horde of Hanuman that comes alive to protect that which is most precious! And White for the Dragons of the Five Oceans, whose cunning and power has no equal!”
Ren reared up on his hind legs briefly and roared. The men all marveled at the power we displayed.
I handed the Scarf back to Durga, who pledged, “This battle and your valiant service will be remembered for generations. As you honor us this day, we will honor you in the days to come.”
Soldiers were sent to prepare, and they hurried off to obey the instructions of their goddesses. Everyone’s spirits had lifted. Men who had despaired the day before now looked confident that we could accomplish the impossible. I knew we looked like we could handle a lot, but there was a part of me that was still very afraid. It was only Ren’s conviction that gave me courage.
A devoted heart can overcome any obstacle, rajkumari.Believe that I will keep you safe.
I gulped, wondering if I had it in me to do what must be done. I would need every bit of my training and every drop of courage in me to come out on top today.
When everything was ready, Durga smiled benevolently at our troops and called out, “I vow to you that if you fight alongside me, I will protect you with every power at my disposal, and together, we will win. Wewilldefeat the demon. Warriors red, blue, green, gold, and white, will you follow us into battle?”
A resounding cheer echoed through the camp, and we all headed toward Mt. Kailash.
Mr. Kadam once shared with me the story of the three hundred Spartans who held the vast Persian army at bay for seven days in the Battle of Thermopylae. He told me that this story had been remembered for centuries not only because it was a lesson in bravely standing your ground but also because it showed that even a small number of men who were well trained and who had a sound plan could thwart an enemy who was much more powerful.
These men were like the Spartans. They’d come here to fight the demon, and they would complete their mission or die trying. I’d have to do my best to be worthy of their faith in me.
When a bugle-like horn sounded and the wispy fog rolled in, hordes of demon soldiers materialized and began banging, stomping, and howling, waiting for their leader to release them. Durga’s men remained brave and steady, unflinching in the face of the enemy.
Durga struck first.
Three catapults whipped large barrels into the cold air. They hit the mountain with a bang. The barrels burst, spilling their contents over the demon army. The demons shook their arms and heads and watched as more barrels were launched. The wooden bang was accompanied by a heavythwapof canvas as the payload whistled through the air and broke, showering oil over the heads of the enemy.
In retaliation, bird-men took to the sky, heading straight for the catapults. Every man who could string a bow launched arrows at the flying demons. Durga raised her arms and sent thousands of threads into the air that wove thick nets and captured the remaining demon birds. The creatures dropped heavily through the air.
The sounds of battle were replaced with cheers from Durga’s army, filling us with hope. It was a small victory but a victory nonetheless, and my men stirred impatiently, waiting for our turn to enter the fray. The demons doubled their speed and thundered across the field. When the bulk of them passed us, I gave the signal to torch the oil field that we had had created.
