"What?!" Agni blinked at the dice before him, surprise flickering in his flame-bright eyes.
Five.
A tie.
Rishi Brihaspati glanced from Agni to Soma, his gaze sharp yet measured. Soma, adorned in radiant silver armor that caught the light like moonbeams on sacred water, stood with quiet grace and composure. Agni, robed in deep crimson, emanated raw power and unwavering authority. He was the embodiment of fire contained within form.
Between the two, Brihaspati felt a subtle leaning toward Agni. Yet as Devaguru, mentor of the gods, he was bound to impartiality as if it were a sacred oath etched into his very being.
"You will both roll again," he said, his voice calm and steady.
Soma stepped forward, the silver hem of his dhoti whispering softly across the marble. He cupped the dice in both hands, held them to his chest in silent reverence, and offered a prayer too soft for mortal ears. Then, with a swift flick of his wrists, the dice scattered across the temple floor, clattering in their arc of fate.
Five.
Again.
Soma blinked, startled. Then a slow, delighted smile spread across his face. "Still five! I must be blessed tonight."
Surya leaned in with a flicker of surprise, glancing at Soma. "That's rare luck," he murmured.
Rāhu, floating nearby with his serpentine tail coiled midair, narrowed his eyes at the result. "The dice have four faces, numbered zero to three. A total of six would be needed to beat that... Looks like I'll have to spit the moon out faster next time I swallow it."
"I've got good fortune today," Soma said, pleased.
Then Agni stepped forward. Without ceremony, he grabbed the dice and tossed them with a casual flick, clearly resigned to fate.
"It's Soma's win," he muttered, almost disinterested.
Clack!
The dice rolled, bounced, spun, and then landed.
Three.
And another three.
Six points.
Silence.
Soma's eyes widened, disbelieving. The silver light that cloaked his form dimmed ever so slightly, like the waning moon after a full form.
Rāhu blinked, then tilted his head. "Well, now."
All around, the devas froze, including Surya, the Devas of Wind and Water, and even the gathered Rishis. Eyes locked on the dice.
"Incredible," Surya whispered, a faint smile playing on his lips as he looked toward Agni with admiration. "He mastered even the dice."
"Well done, Agni," Vāyu said with a grin, raising his hand in salute.
"Hmph." Varuṇa gave a short nod, though a slight smirk betrayed his approval.
Soma stood still, fists clenched slightly at his sides. So close... he thought, frustrated. Just one point... just one.
But it was done.
"It's decided," Brihaspati said, voice resolute. "Agni shall receive this celestial charge. The throne of Svarga will not remain empty."
He approached Agni, who remained standing, half-stunned. Rishi placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Come. Ascend."
Guided by the Devaguru, Agni stepped forward slowly. The devas parted like waves before him. His red cloak swayed behind him with each step up the golden stairs. The throne of Svarga gleamed ahead, bathed in celestial light.
"Agni," Brihaspati said solemnly, "Feel the weight of this power. Until Indra returns, Svarga rests in your hands."
"I understand," Agni replied, voice low but steady.
He turned with purpose. His cloak flared behind him as he spun, left hand on his hip, right hand lowering to brace his descent. He sat firmly, regally, on the golden throne, his presence radiating heat and command.
At that very moment, a spark stirred in Agni's mind. It was an impulse, instinctive and raw. He reached out with his will and touched the throne of Svarga.
BOOM.
The skies of Svarga shifted.
A red light burst forth from the temple of the Svargaloka King, sweeping across the sky like a wave of fire. The clouds parted, stained crimson, as if the heavens were draped in glowing scales of flame.
From the throne, the divine power of Svarga surged. It rushed into Agni's body, violent and majestic, filling him with sacred force.
The Rajya Abhishek had begun.
Agni's breath caught. His body trembled as the energy flooded through him. Scarlet light erupted from his skin, blazing outward like wildfire. Deep inside him, faint wisps of black and grey smoke twisted and lifted, the residue of exhaustion and doubt, burned away by the holy fire now awakening in his core.
The entire temple blazed with living flame.
"He's done it!"
"Agni has received the blessing of the throne of Svarga!"
The assembled Rishis cried out with awe. Arms spread wide, they lifted their voices in ancient verses of Pranāma:
"Born of two mothers, O Agni, thou art pure, With wisdom divine, thy glory doth endure. Strengthened by ghee, thy flames ascend high, Thy smoke is thy banner that touches the sky."
Rishi Brihaspati completed the verse, lowering his arms and clasping his hands together in reverence.
"Pranām Devraja Agni."
All the devas joined in, hands together, heads bowed.
"Pranām Svarga raja Agni."
Even Soma, though his heart churned with quiet resentment, had no choice. Surrounded by gods, Rishis, and tradition, he dipped his head stiffly, forcing the words from his lips.
"Pranām…Devraja Agni."
And in that moment, Agni's eyes opened.
Twin flames burned in his irises, fierce and resolute. He pressed one hand against the golden throne beneath him. The divine force was still coursing through his veins, lighting every fiber of his being ablaze.
His flames, once wild, now danced with divine control.
It felt… good.
Agni smiled, not with arrogance, but with quiet satisfaction. It was the kind of smile that came when destiny nodded in your favor.
Then came the sound of footsteps, echoing across the marble expanse of the Rajya Sabha. Each step rippled through the silence, commanding attention without force.
From the sanctum's shadowed archway, a figure appeared. The movement was neither rushed nor reluctant. It was calm, certain, and unshakable, like the turning of an age.
In his hand, he bore a staff of dark candana wood, worn smooth by time and tapas. His beard flowed like the Sarasvatī in monsoon, white as ash yet alive with silent vigor. His eyes, deep as the night between kalpas, held a gravity untouched by age. He wore robes the color of dusk, grey as the sky before Agni's first flame.
A hush fell like a veil across the devas. Even the flames adorning the pillars seemed to quiet themselves in reverence.
Rishi Kashyapa.
The Progenitor. He was husband to Aditi and Diti, to Vinatā, Krodhā, Tāmrā, and the other daughters of Dakṣa Prajāpati. Through these ancient matriarchs, the vast tapestry of existence came into being. From his unions were born the many races of creation: Devas and Asuras, Nāgas and Gandharvas, Garuḍas, Daityas, Dānavas, Yakṣas, and Piśācas. They filled the heavens, the earth, the underworld, and the oceans that stretched between.
He was not just a Rishi. He was Kaśyapa, revered as Maharṣi, Prajāpati, and one of the seven great seers. A father to both gods and demons, he sat on no throne, yet his descendants shaped the destinies of all realms. His bloodline carried the might of kings, the insight of sages, and the fury of the storm.
He was not the king of Svarga, Pātāla, or Bhūloka.
He was the reason kings existed at all.
"F-Father?!" Surya faltered, his radiant eyes wide. The solar god, whose light did not blink before demons or darkness, stood now like a startled child. "What are you doing here…?"
Other voices followed, soft, disbelieving:
"Rishi Kashyapa…"
"…Father…"
But the ancient Rishi said nothing.
His silence was heavier than speech and the will of Niyati itself, who had sent him here.
A storm older than the stars was about to rise. And Kaśyapa, the Father of Beings, had come to witness it.
…
The devas straightened instinctively as their eyes turned toward the approaching sage.
Even Soma, still smarting from his loss, took two steps back and bowed his head, palms joined in respect."Pranām to Mahārṣi Kaśyapa."
"Pranām to Rishi Kaśyapa," echoed Rishi Bṛhaspati with calm reverence.
Kaśyapa gave a faint nod, his expression unreadable. He returned the gesture with quiet dignity." Pranām, Devaguru," he murmured to Bṛhaspati, before turning toward the dais.
His gaze, distant yet sharp, settled upon Agni.
Agni hesitated. The weight of that look was heavier than fire. Slowly, he rose from the throne. He pressed his palms together and lowered his head."Father."
A soft sigh escaped Kaśyapa's lips.
His brows furrowed, and for a moment, he closed his eyes. He had not intended to descend into Svarga so soon. But midway through his journey, Brahmā had summoned him to Satyaloka. What Brahmā told him was clear, uncomfortably so.
He was to watch over his son.
As a direct creation of Brahmā, Kaśyapa could not disobey. He bowed, not in submission, but in bitter resignation.
Now, with a voice low and unshakable, Kaśyapa addressed the court.
"Children of Devaloka… Brahmadev has warned me. The Asuras are going to rise once more."
A murmur rippled through the hall. "A new Asura King has emerged."
His gaze sharpened.
"You know him, as you knew Hiraṇyākṣa, as you knew Hiranyakashipu and Puloman. He, too, is born of my blood."
A beat.
"Vajranga."
BOOM.
The sound didn't come from the sky, but it might as well have. It rang in the devas' ears like a silent thunderclap. The name alone sent a jolt through their cores.
Gasps passed from one god to another. Surya and Vāyu exchanged wary looks. Varuṇa narrowed his eyes.
So soon?A new Asura King already? Has it even been thirty years? Did… did he roll the dice too?!
But Kaśyapa hadn't finished.
"I hope you all..."
"I know what you're about to say, Father!" Agni cut in suddenly, voice loud, expression fierce with fire. "Vajranga is a traitor to the balance. You want me to bury him just like Jīmbha and Bedha!"
"Ah?!" Kaśyapa blinked, momentarily thrown. "That's not what I meant! I meant… You may not be able to defeat him!"
A hush.
Agni chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I see now." His tone had shifted. It was still bold, but clearer and more grounded. "Brahmadev sent you here not to fight for us, but because He feared we might lose."
His eyes burned with clarity, not just divine fire, but fierce resolve.
"But this time, I am ready. I've studied every failure, every mistake. I have turned each loss into wisdom. I have drafted a plan that will not falter."
He stepped down from the dais, his crimson cloak trailing behind him like a river of flame.
Step.Step.Step.
Each one rang with certainty.
He raised his hand, summoning the attention of all assembled.
"Come forth," Agni called. "Hear the plan that will lead us to victory."
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