"Father~"
The voice rang like the cry of a peacock at dawn: elegant, musical, and filled with a strange kind of joy. Puloman turned his head slowly.
There she was. A figure approached, soft-footed and radiant.
She moved with the grace of an apsara, clothed in a brilliant crimson sari that shimmered with gold threads. Though still considered a girl, she had long since bloomed into womanhood. Her beauty, though dignified, bore an untamed allure, striking even among the Asura clans known for their fierce, dark grace. Hers was a face that could tip kingdoms into ruin.
His daughter, Shachi.
"Father, is something troubling you?" she asked gently, her hands folded demurely at her waist as she trotted up to him with a girlish bounce.
Puloman blinked, casting off the fog of old regrets. Slowly, he straightened, the stiffness in his spine replaced by quiet resolve. A thin smile, heavy with calculation, played on his lips.
"It's nothing. Just an old man's thoughts," he said softly. "Fetch some pure water and ghee. I will make an offering… to Mahādeva."
"Oh! Right away!" she replied with a bright nod. Her eyes sparkled momentarily. Whether from innocence or something more aware, even Puloman couldn't tell.
With a spin of her anklets, she turned and skipped off to gather the water. Puloman watched her retreating figure, eyes narrowing with sudden sharpness.
His mind began to stir.
Shachi has come of age. I've been outmaneuvered by Indra, trampled by Vajranga. Shukra's curse still burns on my name. But if I cannot win with power, then perhaps I can win with marriage.
A slow grin crept across his face.
A powerful son-in-law. That's what I need. One strong enough to challenge Indra himself. If I align myself correctly, if I make the right match, then even if I can't be Asura King, I could control the throne from the shadows. Or aim higher.
King of Svarga.
He chuckled to himself, pride flickering back into his voice like the first flare of a dying fire.
"Inspiration strikes again," he whispered. "I was ready to rot in the corner like an old relic, ready to settle for dividing land like some provincial landlord. But now…"
He stood straighter, hands clasped behind his back, as he began to pace.
"There's a better way." Then, with a sly, scheming grin, he laughed. "Hahaha… Hahahahahaha! Brilliant!"
Then he cleared his throat, glanced around to be sure no one had heard him, and muttered, "…Right. Let's just… find her a good husband."
But his eyes gleamed with ambition.
...
Svarga's skyline burned gold beneath the endless skies.
Inside the great hall of the celestial court, the Temple of the King of Svarga, many Devas sat silently on their jeweled thrones. Their eyes were all drawn to the same place: the empty seat at the center, highest of all. Indra's throne.
A heavy silence hung in the air.
"Indra… is truly gone," Vāyu murmured, his voice quieter than the winds he commanded.
The words echoed through the marble chamber like a funeral bell.
Silence followed, heavy as lead. Even the divine flames that lit the temple seemed to flicker with hesitation.
"We had just vanquished Hayagrīva," Varuṇa said bitterly, his eyes narrowing beneath his crown. "And now this? The throne of Svarga stands empty?"
"It is my fault!" Surya burst out suddenly, striking the ivory dais with an open palm. A ripple of solar brilliance pulsed around him, dimmed by shame. "We conducted a flawless yajña. Every mantra, every offering was precise. Then Rishi Durvāsa arrived… and the entire rite collapsed like a broken altar."
"By the skies that bear my name," the Wind Deva snapped, folding his arms as a sharp gust circled the chamber, "that Rishi wraps himself in sanctity and pride, yet wields his temper like a cudgel. Does he think we are ripe fruit to be bruised by his whim?"
"If that fire-tempered Rishi dares unbalance the cosmic order again," Agni hissed, his voice low as embers, "I'll withhold the āhuti myself. Let him try performing yajña without Agni's flame and see what comes of his sanctimony."
As his anger rose, so too did his heat. The marble hall began to glow, warm and red, as embers flared across his body.
"Enough empty boasts," snapped Brihaspati, the Rishi of wisdom and Indra's royal priest. He stepped forward, calm but firm, his frown cutting through the rising tension. "Indra is missing. The throne lies vacant. But the Asuras will not wait. They will strike."
He turned to face the gathered assembly.
"Until Indra returns, someone must hold Svarga's reins. We need a provisional king. We must act now."
Silence returned. The Devas exchanged uneasy glances.
Agni was the first to speak. "What of Surya?" he said. "He is our light, our strength. If not him, then who?"
All eyes turned toward the radiant Dev of the Sun.
Surya, still seated on his resplendent throne, leaned back with a weary sigh. "No. Not me," he said, shaking his head. "The last time I stood in as Indra's substitute, I nearly doomed us all."
He gave a bitter smile.
"Hayagrīva still haunts my dreams. We may have won in the end, but one more disaster like that… and there won't be a Svarga to defend."
He folded his arms and looked away.
"I won't do it again. I'm not interested in the glory that comes with that kind of cost."
Upon hearing the suggestion, the remaining Devas exchanged awkward glances, hesitant.
"…Should we roll the dice for it?" Soma offered half-jokingly.
Before anyone could respond, a shadow appeared above them. A head poked down through the ornate ceiling like a curious fruit dangling from a vine.
"Why not!" came the voice.
The head promptly detached, somersaulted midair, and floated smoothly down before the assembly of stunned Devas.
Rāhu, his eyes gleaming with mischief, hovered upside down in the air, his serpentine tail coiling playfully behind him.
Vāyu blinked hard and jabbed a finger in his direction. "When did you get here?"
"I've been here for a while," Rāhu said brightly, his forked tongue flicking out playfully. "I was waiting for the feast to start. The aroma of kheer was already in the air." He gave an exaggerated shiver, clutching his arms. "Then he showed up. Durvāsa. That guy's temper is legendary across all Tri Loka. Even the kids in Pātālaloka whisper his name with caution."
Rāhu leaned in conspiratorially, his grin widening. "I didn't even dare breathe. I used a touch of Māyā, just a smidge, and zipped into the rafters. Spent a good hour pretending to be a shadow."
He let out a deep sigh, smoke curling from both his mouth and the severed edge of his neck. "Whew. Still got my head and tail, so I'm calling it a win."
The Devas collectively sighed, half in exasperation, half in resignation.
"…Just roll the dice already," Brihaspati muttered, stepping forward.
With a flick of his hand, a golden light shimmered in his palm. Two celestial dice materialized, glimmering with divine energy.
Surya crossed his arms and leaned back, joining Rāhu at the sidelines. "I'm out," he said with a shrug. "I'll just watch."
And so, the contenders stepped forward: Agni, Varuṇa, Vāyu, and Soma.
"I'll go first," Varuṇa offered, ever calm. He cupped the dice in both hands and rolled.
Clatter!
The dice tumbled across the polished floor, landing with a soft bounce.
"…Two."
Varuṇa stared blankly at the result. "Well. It is what it is."
"My turn!" Vāyu said, voice full of bluster. He tossed the dice with a flourish.
Clack. Three.
He huffed. "Tch. Still better than two."
Soma stepped forward quietly, glowing faintly with a silver-blue sheen. He rubbed the dice between his fingers, murmured a soft chant, and then let them fall.
Five.
The Moon Deva blinked in surprise, the faintest smile tugging at his lips.
"Five, huh…" Surya murmured thoughtfully.
"That's not bad," Rāhu said with a grin. "Almost worthy of a king."
Soma's mind began to race. Five. That was the highest so far. If Agni didn't beat it, then... could he... Could he sit on Indra's throne?
Agni stepped forward without a word. He picked up the dice, flame curling around his knuckles, and rubbed them between his hands like a warrior sharpening a blade.
With a grunt, he tossed them down.
Crash!
The dice bounced once… then settled.
The hall fell silent.
"What?!"
---
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