‘You’re wasting your arrows, you idiot!’ shouted Shiva. ‘Nobody is retreating from here!’

Parshuram smiled. ‘I am going to enjoy killing you.’

To Shiva’s surprise, Parshuram’s archer turned around, lit another arrow and shot it towards the river.

Shit!

Parshuram’s men had tied thin canoes, touching each other, across the bend of the river arching the beach. Full of large quantities of paraffin, these boats immediately burst into flames as the fiery arrow hit one of them. The massive blaze made it appear like the entire river was on fire. The inferno reached high, making it almost impossible for Parvateshwar’s back-up cutters to row through.

Parshuram looked towards Shiva with a chilling sneer. ‘Let’s keep our merriment to ourselves, shall we?’

Shiva turned and nodded at Drapaku, who immediately passed an order. An arrow shot up high into the sky and burst into blue flames. Parvateshwar had been summoned. But Shiva didn’t see how the Meluhan General would be able to get through the wall of fire on the Madhumati. Small cutters couldn’t slip through. And the ship itself could not come so close to the banks as it would run aground.

Nobody’s coming. We have to finish this ourselves.

‘This is your last chance, barbarian!’ screamed Shiva, pointing forward with his sword.

Parshuram dropped his bow. So did every archer at his command, drawing their anga weapons out. Parshuram pulled his battleaxe out. He clearly wanted brutal close combat. ‘No, Brangan! It was your last chance. I’m going to make your end slow and painful.’

Shiva dropped his bow and drew his shield forward. And spoke to his soldiers. ‘On guard! Go for their sword arms. Injure, don’t kill. We want them alive.’

The Suryavanshis pulled their shields forward and drew their swords. And waited.

Parshuram charged. Followed by his vicious horde.

The bandits ran into Shiva’s men with surprising speed and agility, Parshuram racing in the lead. He had no shield to protect himself. His heavy battleaxe required both arms to wield. He was charging straight at Shiva. However, Drapaku swung to his left and charged. The bandit was momentarily surprised by Drapaku’s charge. He swerved back to avoid the sword and with the same smooth motion, brought his battleaxe up in a brutal swing. Drapaku pushed out the shield fixed on the hook on his amputated left hand to defend himself. The formidable axe severed through a part of the hide-covered bronze shield. A stunned Drapaku swung his shield back, bringing his sword down, glancing a swerving Parshuram’s left shoulder.

Meanwhile Shiva pirouetted smartly to avoid a vicious stab from one of the bandits, pushing the sword away with his shield. As the bandit lost balance, Shiva swung his sword down in a smooth arc, severing his enemy’s sword arm from the elbow. The thug fell down. Incapacitated, but alive. Shiva immediately turned and pulled his sword up to deflect a strike from another man.

Nandi, pulling his sword out from the right shoulder of an enemy, pushed him down with his shield, hoping the brigand would remain down and surrender. To Nandi’s surprise and admiration, the bandit dropped his shield, smoothly transferring his sword to his uninjured left hand, and jumped into the fray again. Nandi pulled his shield forward to prevent the sword strike and pushed his sword in once again into the injured right shoulder of the thug, shouting over the din, ‘Surrender, you fool!’

Veerbhadra, however, was not having much luck keeping his enemies alive. He had already killed two and was trying desperately to avoid killing a very determined third. Ignoring his injured sword arm, the bandit had picked up his sword with his left hand. An exasperated Veerbhadra swung down hard with his shield on the brigand’s head, hoping to knock the man out. The thug arched his shoulder, taking the blow on it while swinging his sword in a brutal cut at Veerbhadra. The sword slashed Veerbhadra across his torso. Enraged, he thrust his sword straight at the exposed flank of the bandit, driving the blade through his heart.

‘Dammit!’ screamed a frustrated Veerbhadra. ‘Why didn’t you just surrender?’

In another corner of the battlefield, Shiva swung his shield sideward at the outlaw he was combating. The brigand swung his head back, getting a slash across his face but preventing a knockout blow.

Shiva was now getting worried. Too many people were getting killed, mostly on Parshuram’s side. He wanted them alive. Or the secret of the Naga medicine would be lost. Then he heard a loud sound. It was Parvateshwar’s conch shell.

They’re coming!

Brutally stabbing his enemy, Shiva also rammed his shield onto the bandit’s head again, this time successfully knocking him cold. Then he looked up and smiled.

The massive Suryavanshi ship burst through the flaming canoes, running aground onto the beach, its hull cracking. The flames on the Madhumati were high for a cutter, but not high enough for a large ship. Parshuram had banked on the idea that the Suryavanshis would not ground their ship as this would mean that they would have no way of returning to Branga. He had, however, miscalculated the determination of the Suryavanshi troops as well as the valour of their General, Parvateshwar.

The ship rammed through many of Parshuram’s men, killing them instantly.

Parvateshwar, standing at the bow, jumped down as soon as the ship hit the sandbank. The rope tied around his waist broke his fall from the great height. As he swung close to the ground, Parvateshwar slashed his sword above him, cutting the rope neatly and landing free. Four hundred Suryavanshis followed their General into battle.

Drapaku had been momentarily distracted by the sight of the ship. As he swung his sword at Parshuram’s axe, he failed to notice the bandit pull out a knife from behind. Parshuram brought up his left hand in a smooth action, thrusting the knife into Drapaku’s neck. Pain immobilised the Suryavanshi Brigadier momentarily. Parshuram rammed the knife in brutally, right up to the hilt. Drapaku staggered back, bravely retaining his hold on his sword.

Meanwhile, the Suryavanshis, outnumbering Parshuram’s men five times over, were rapidly taking control of the situation. Many brigands were surrendering, finally seeing the futility of their situation.

At the centre of the battle, Parshuram released the knife from a tottering Drapaku’s neck. He gripped his battleaxe with both hands, pulled back and swung viciously. The axe rammed hard into Drapaku’s torso, smashing through his hide and bronze armour. It struck deep, breaking through skin and flesh, right down to the bone. The mighty Suryavanshi Brigadier fell to the ground. Parshuram tried to pull the axe away, but it was stuck. He yanked hard. Ripping Drapaku’s chest, the axe finally came out. Much to Parshuram’s admiration, the Suryavanshi was still alive. The Brigadier tried to raise his drastically weakened sword arm, still attempting to fight.

Parshuram stepped forward and pinned Drapaku’s arm down. He could feel the weakened motions of the Brigadier’s limb. Attempts by a dying man to not give up the fight, the sword still held tight. Parshuram was awed. He had never needed more than one clear blow with his battleaxe to kill his opponents. His soldiers were rapidly losing the battle, but he didn’t seem to notice. His eyes were transfixed upon the magnificent man dying at his feet.

Parshuram bowed his head slightly and whispered, ‘It is an honour to slay you.’

The brigand raised his axe, ready for the decapitation strike. At the same instant, Anandmayi flung her knife from a distance. It pierced straight through Parshuram’s left hand, causing the axe to fall safely away. Bhagirath, with the help of Divodas and two Suryavanshi soldiers, wrestled Parshuram to the ground without any further injury to the bandit.