Dhira opened his eyes slowly.
He had been leaning against a large boulder with the sound of a quiet river moving across stone behind him. For a moment he didn't move. Then he looked ahead. Far in the distance a wall of sand was rising against the sky.
The sandstorm hit them on camelback.
Wind screamed across the desert and sand struck skin like needles. Dia had wrapped herself tight, cloth pressed against her face, eyes barely open against the force of it, still losing the fight. She wiped sand away and squinted and wiped it again. Dhira rode beside her with bare arms and bare face, no cloth, no covering, the wind hitting him continuously. He didn't blink. He just looked forward. Ahead of them Aatreya guided the camels through the storm with the unhurried steadiness of someone who had ridden through worse and expected to again.
The storm passed slowly. The wind faded and the desert went quiet. They kept riding.
A settlement appeared in the distance. Or what remained of one. Broken huts, collapsed roofs, burnt wood. The camels slowed as they entered. No voices. No movement. Then the smell reached them and Dia turned her face away immediately, covering her mouth. Bodies lay scattered across the ground, men and women and animals, most already well into decay. Dhira walked past without slowing. No reaction. No expression.
Aatreya stopped near one of the bodies and looked down. "Vikritas."
Dia glanced back. "Vikritas?"
"Nature's corrupted form," he said, his horse stepping over a broken cart. "When Gaia feels her existence threatened she creates them. Mindless creatures but united."
Dia frowned at the ruins around her. "To protect? These things did this?" A faint sound cut through the silence then. A child crying, somewhere nearby. Dia stopped. The other two didn't. She hesitated then followed.
"If she created them to protect herself why are they so weak?"
"Not all Vikritas are weak," Aatreya said, his voice unhurried. "They appear in many forms. They embody the elements of the earth itself. The ones you saw here were stone spirits. They are not weak, Dia. Some of them rival gods in strength."
Dia was quiet for a moment. "Then why are they attacking settlements? Why not wait for whatever threat is coming?"
"They are not meant for battle."
"Then what are they for?"
Aatreya stopped walking. "Preparation."
"For what?"
He looked toward the horizon. "For what is coming."
Dia crossed her arms. "And what exactly is coming?"
"Dvitiy Devsangram," he said. The second war between Gods.
Dia tilted her head. "You mean Devasursangram?" The war between Gods and Asuras.
Before Aatreya could answer, Dhira spoke.
"You heard him right the first time." He raised a hand and pointed upward toward the sky. "They're fighting. Up there."
Dia followed his finger slowly. She went still. "Gods are fighting?"
Aatreya nodded once. "They have always fought. But never directly. This time they are not holding back. They will fight until a clear victor remains."
"But why?" Dia's voice rose slightly.
"They're gods. The Immortals. They have power, glory, everything. What do they even lack?"
Aatreya looked at her. "In this ever-changing world, Dia, nothing lasts forever. Not even the glory of the past." He walked on through the broken settlement.
"Asgard is declining. The angels are fighting their own civil war. The Aryas have withdrawn into the cosmos. Only Olympus still holds what remains of its old glory." He paused briefly. "But since Hades left Mount Olympus, even they are restless."
The wind moved quietly through the empty village.
Dia looked between them. "So which of them are at war?"
Aatreya answered without hesitation. "All of them."
Flashback.
The grand palace hall of Daansara was alive. Torches burned along tall stone pillars, long banners bearing the kingdom's crest hung from the ceiling, and music moved through the air between the sounds of laughter and excited conversation. Cups of wine passed from hand to hand.
Soldiers laughed loudly. Ministers leaned close to each other in whispers. The victory over the army of Axel had filled every corner of the room with pride.
At the far end of the hall the throne of King Satya stood high and golden above the gathered crowd. Around him stood guards, commanders, nobles and ministers, every person of importance in Daansara present tonight.
Before the throne stood five warriors. The king rose and the hall quieted.
"My friends," he began. "Today our kingdom celebrates a victory that many thought impossible."
His eyes moved to the first man. "Vijay."
The crowd murmured respectfully. Vijay shifted slightly where he stood, his weight moving to one foot. "Your strategy turned what could have been a bloody war into a swift victory. Not a single civilian was harmed. Our army protected. Our enemy broken." Cheers rose and settled.
"Wisdom wins battles before swords ever move. Your mind has protected Daansara today." Vijay rubbed the back of his neck and said nothing.
The king turned next to the bare-chested man standing with his arms folded. "Rajraj. A lone wanderer once walked into our lands. Now that same man stands as one of its protectors. You chose to stand with Daansara when you could have walked any road you wished. For your strength and your loyalty as both ally and friend, we thank you." Rajraj gave a small nod, the faint smirk on his face the only acknowledgment he offered.
"Raavi." The burly warrior straightened slightly, twin swords at his waist. The king smiled. "Your strength alone could frighten half the battlefield. But your courage frightens the other half." Soldiers laughed and Raavi grinned. "You rushed headfirst into the enemy when many here believed five warriors against an army was madness." A few uncomfortable coughs from the direction of the commanders.
"You stood beside Vijay and trusted his plan. And today that courage has saved our kingdom." Raavi shrugged with one shoulder. "Someone had to." More laughter filled the hall.
The king turned toward the only woman among them and the room quieted on its own. "Jigya." She stood tall, one hand resting on the hilt of the massive sword beside her, eyes steady. "You carry the sword of your father. He gave his life in the Mahabharat war protecting this kingdom. And today you honor that legacy." Several older generals lowered their heads slightly.
"You have proven once again that courage knows no gender. Half the sky stands on your shoulders." The hall erupted.
Then the king turned toward the last warrior.
He hadn't even opened his mouth before it started.
"DHIRA!" "DHIRA!" "DHIRA!"
The hall shook with it. Dhira stood with his arms crossed, looking mildly unbothered.
The king raised a hand. The noise died slowly. He said the name again. It started again, even louder. The king laughed and raised both hands until the crowd settled.
"The strongest warrior of humanity. Dhira of Daansara." The chanting returned and shook the palace walls. Even the royal guards were smiling. The king stepped down from his throne platform.
"You are a man whose strength shakes mountains. A man who has walked through battles others feared to enter. A man whose stories have reached lands far beyond our borders. You have never lost a single battle. You are the pride of Daansara." He raised his voice above the renewed cheering. "And for your unmatched courage and victories, I offer you the position of Senapati. Chief Commander of Daansara's army."
The hall went silent. Nobles exchanged glances. A few ministers stiffened. Some commanders did not look pleased. No one spoke.
Dhira stretched his neck once. Then shook his head. "No." A murmur moved through the room. "I'm a warrior. Not a leader. I can command a small group in battle but an entire army?" He shrugged. "That's not my thing." Before anyone could respond he reached over and pushed someone forward. Vijay stumbled nearly off his feet.
"Hey!" The hall burst into laughter. Dhira pointed at him.
"This guy. It was his plan that won the war. He's the brain behind my victories anyway." Vijay looked like he was considering walking out of the building.
King Satya laughed loudly.
"Well said. Then perhaps the mind of Daansara should guide its army." He nodded and raised his hand. "Senapati Vijay!"
The crowd shifted immediately, chanting the new name. Vijay's expression did not improve. Dhira stepped beside him and raised his fist. "For the glory of the kingdom!" The crowd answered back. He grinned wider.
"Har Har Mahadev!" The entire hall roared it back together and the sound filled every corner of the palace of Daansara.
Flashback ends.