"Not enough!" Hayagriva scoffed, his voice carrying an edge of pride. "Madhu and Kaitambha are blessed by Mahadevi; they can't be killed unless they wish to, and their power is unmatched by any warrior—invincible in this Triloka!"
He spread his arms wide, a smirk playing on the horse's face. As his words echoed in the air, the darkness at the edge of the hall seemed to stir, and from the shadows, the figures of Madhu and Kaitambha emerged.
Boom!
Their massive forms towered over the room, like two sacred mountains, their thick, serpentine arms rippling with immense strength. A deep, thunderous roar emanated from their bodies, a chilling reminder of the terrifying power they wielded.
Surya blinked in surprise as he took in the sight of the two Asuras. A chill ran down his spine, and a thought crossed his mind. These two could be a serious problem for the Devas. He couldn't help but admire their strength.
If I could win and make them my servants...
A sly grin began to form on Surya's face. With a determined glint in his eye, he stood up, gathering his resolve. He was not about to back down now.
"I'll wager everything I've won in this game!" Surya declared, his voice confident, almost casual. "I choose six!"
Hayagriva gave a nod, his grin widening. "Good!" he replied, his tone both eager and calculating. He lowered his head slightly and began rubbing the dice together, summoning the inevitable moment of fate. The dice flew from his hands and clattered across the board, spinning through the air before coming to a stop.
Surya's heart skipped a beat as he looked down at the result. His expression shifted in an instant, like a bolt of lightning had struck him. The Devas, standing at the edges of the room, held their breath as they stared at the dice.
Five.
Surya had lost.
"Hahaha!" Hayagriva erupted with laughter, his voice booming through the hall. "Next, the Sun Chariot is mine!" He raised his arms triumphantly as gold and jewels rained down from the sky, swirling around them before descending back into the earth's treasure vaults.
Surya was left stunned in his seat, his eyes narrowing as he watched the golden brilliance disappear. He lowered his head, feeling a sinking feeling in his chest. This is getting out of hand.
The stakes were rising, higher and higher with every round. His mind raced. What if I lose everything? The Sun Chariot was too important to just throw away. And yet, how could he back out now?
"Continue!" Surya's voice rang out, filled with determination. "I bet my divine realm, Suryaloka!"
Soma, his voice full of conviction, chimed in, "Surya, I believe in you! You must win back what you lost!"
A murmur of surprise rippled through the room. The Devas turned their faces, a mix of disbelief and concern. Eyes flickered, some narrowed in worry, as they exchanged glances.
Not good!
This guy... He's the most impulsive among us. The Devas silently feared Soma's recklessness might be their downfall.
"Good!" Hayagriva's laughter echoed through the chamber, undeterred. "As expected of Soma, the Dev of wine, the most enthusiastic among us Devas! My friend Surya, it's your turn now!"
With a mocking grin, Hayagriva rubbed the dice together, the sound like a steady drumbeat, as anticipation filled the air.
Surya wiped the sweat from his brow, anxiety creeping in.
"I... I choose five," he said, his voice betraying a hint of hesitation.
The dice clattered across the board, spinning and tumbling until they finally came to a stop.
"Six!" Hayagriva's triumphant voice rang out. "You've lost again!"
A thunderous boom echoed, shaking the room. Soma's normally radiant, snow-white skin dulled to a muted gray, and the silver moonlight that had once shimmered around him dimmed. The divine power of Svarga seemed to withdraw from his body, leaving him weakened.
Soma stared at the dice in shock, his face filled with disbelief and horror. "Ah?! How... How could this happen?"
Lost again? He couldn't fathom the outcome. Wasn't Devi Lakshmi on our side?
The Devas looked at one another, panic spreading among them like wildfire.
"How?" Varuna murmured, eyes wide with fear. "Don't tell me you're backing out now. Your allies have lost their ground. Now I understand why you're looking so powerless as a leader."
Hayagriva grinned devilishly. "Under Dharma, a warrior who doesn't accept the challenge is a coward... and that, my friends, is defeat."
His mocking laughter reverberated as Madhu and Kaitambha, towering behind him, joined in, their laughter deafening and taunting.
The Devas were stunned into silence, but it didn't last long.
Agni's eyes blazed with fury, flames burning brighter. Vayu, the Dev of Wind, glared daggers at Hayagriva, his fists clenched with rage. Varuna, the Dev of Water, pursed his lips, his hands trembling with the desire to strike.
"We're not backing down!" Agni spat, his voice like the crackle of fire.
"For the dignity of the Devas!" Vayu added, his tone fierce.
The Devas stood tall, united in their resolve.
Surya, his anger now boiling over, locked eyes with the Asura leader. "Go on, then. Use our heavenly realms as your prize," he seethed. "Six o'clock!"
Hayagriva's grin widened as he squinted, feeling the tension in the air. "Good!" he replied, his voice dripping with anticipation. With a flick of his wrist, he rolled the dice once more, the room holding its breath as fate hung in the balance.
The dice rolled across the board, and the fates of the Devas hung in the balance. When they came to a halt, the result was clear—five o'clock.
Boom!
In an instant, the heavens seemed to shudder, and with the deafening sound of rolling thunder, the entire heavenly realm was plunged into darkness. The divine power that had once filled their bodies began to drain away, leaving them hollow and weak.
The Devas stood frozen in shock, their faces pale and eyes wide with disbelief.
Lost...
They had all lost.
"Hahaha!"
Hayagriva erupted with triumphant laughter, standing suddenly, his left hand raised high. He pointed at the defeated Devas with disdain, a smug grin twisting his face.
"You lost!" he crowed, his voice dripping with contempt. "From now on, Svarga is ours!"
With a commanding shout, he called, "Somebody, come! Seize them! Occupy Svarga!"
The Devas could only watch in stunned silence as the Asura generals began to close in from every direction. The trap had been set, and they had fallen straight into it.
Sun Dev Surya's expression shifted from disbelief to horror as he stood, his posture rigid with alarm. His eyes flicked around the room, panic rising within him.
Rahu, who had been hiding his form using the magic of Maya, looked on with wide eyes. The situation had gone from bad to worse in the blink of an eye.
We're going to be captured... Rahu thought, his mind racing.
Surya, his fists clenched in defiance, turned toward the encroaching Asuras. "Do you think I came to this world without planning for war?!" he shouted, his voice echoing with fiery resolve.
The Asura generals stopped in their tracks, their eyes narrowing in confusion and suspicion. They had not expected such defiance.
"I!" Surya raised his hands high, and the air around him crackled with energy. "I am the Sun! The destroyer of darkness! None, not even the Devas and Asuras, can stand in the shadow of my light!"
At that moment, a blinding burst of light erupted from Surya's body, bathing the room in a searing brilliance. The radiance was so intense it could burn through the very heavens themselves, blinding everyone who dared to look upon it.
"Run!" Surya's voice rang out, filled with urgency.
In an instant, he transformed, becoming a rope of blinding light. He lassoed the other Devas, pulling them into the brilliant glow and dragging them away from the oncoming Asura forces.
Surya hadn't learned much from the King of Svarga, but one thing had stuck with him: when it's time to run, you don't hesitate.
"Ah!!"
Hayagriva's roar of fury shook the very Patala. The ground trembled beneath their feet as if the world itself was convulsing in rage. The atmosphere crackled with tension, the roar of the earth echoing like the thunder of an approaching storm.
But the sun's brilliance began to fade.
"Even the Sun Chariot is mine!" Hayagriva's voice boomed, his rage all-consuming. "Where do you think you can run to?!"
The Devas' retreat was not yet certain, and the battle for Svarga was far from over.
Many of the Asura generals surged forward, eager to stop the Devas' escape. Simhika, however, remained hidden behind a pillar, his expression unreadable. His hand extended, fingers twitching with concentration as he channeled power through the shadows.
In the darkness, black tentacles—thin and sinister—emerged and quietly wrapped themselves around the ankles of the approaching generals.
"What's this?!" one of the Asura generals shouted, eyes widening in confusion.
"Devas?!" another cried out in disbelief.
The Asura generals struggled violently, but as quickly as the shadowy tentacles had appeared, they vanished. They broke free, charging forward with renewed determination.
"Son, this is all I can do for you..." Simhika muttered under his breath, a mix of regret and resolve in his voice.
At last, the Devas broke free from the Asura Palace and made their way to safety.
"Aruna!" Surya cried, his voice desperate as he turned to his ally. "Help me!"
Clop! Clop! Clop!
The sound of powerful hooves echoed in the air, and within moments, six divine horses—each one radiating with the brilliance of dawn—charged toward them, their hooves striking the ground like the first rays of morning light. Aruna, the Dev of Dawn, leaped onto the back of one of these majestic creatures, its mane flowing in the wind.
Though Surya had lost his chariot, his horses were still with him—six of them, ready to carry him into the sky.
Surya swiftly mounted the horse Aruno had summoned, the other Devas following suit. They galloped forward, their divine steeds blazing a trail across the sky.
Rahu clung to one horse's mane, and Ketu gripped the snow-white tail of another, the power of the horses propelling them faster than ever.
Clop! Clop! Clop!
The divine steeds soared into the air, their speed unmatched as they hurtled toward the Brahma Loka, where safety awaited. The Devas knew they had to make it there before the Asuras could catch up.
But Hayagriva, the leader of the Asuras, was not far behind. His anger boiled, and though he chased after them with all his might, it was clear—
He wasn't fast enough.
"Hayagriva!" Vayu called over his shoulder, his voice filled with triumph."You may possess strength, but you'll never match the speed of our divine steeds! They run as fast as thought itself!"
Vayu's laughter echoed in the air like the roar of a victorious general, and the Devas pressed forward, leaving their enemies in the dust.
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