The clearing smelled of oil and resin.
Clay pots lined the ground in careful rows. Hunters tested their grip, gauging the weight of oil-filled vessels.
One of them frowned.
"How will we light them? We cannot carry torches close. The asur will see the flame before we throw."
Another added nervously, "And if we light them early, they will burn out before striking."
Anand paused.
Right.
Timing.
He reached into his pocket and withdrew the small metal lighter.
He flicked it.
Click.
A steady flame appeared.
Several hunters recoiled.
Agastya did not.
His eyes moved briefly to the device — not in surprise, but recognition.
"Ah," he said calmly.
Anand glanced at him.
"You know?"
"Lopamudra described it," Agastya replied evenly. "Contained spark. Pressurized fuel. Efficient."
No wonder. Of course he knew.
The hunters looked between them in confusion.
Anand demonstrated again.
"It creates flame instantly. No friction wood. No visible torch. We can ignite each wick at the last moment."
Agastya nodded once.
"That removes delay."
He turned immediately to the hunters.
"Anand will move between you. Do not light until my signal."
No hesitation.
No superstition.
No dramatics.
Just tactical integration.
Sootikshna added, "Prepare your stance so one hand throws and the other shields the face from heat."
Agastya walked the perimeter of the clearing, adjusting positions.
"Two arcs, not one. If it advances toward one flank, the other maintains pressure."
He pointed to the sal trees.
"Ropes concealed. Pull only when instructed."
A hunter hesitated.
"And the bait?"
Anand stiffened.
He was ready to argue again.
Agastya's voice remained steady.
"The bait will be handled."
Anand frowned. "You're still not telling us who—"
"You do not need to know," Agastya replied, not harshly — but decisively.
That ended it.
The sage then examined wind direction.
"Stand southeast. Smoke must rise across the clearing, not toward the huts."
He looked at the oil pots.
"First volley aims mid-coil. Do not aim for the head. Force movement. Force thrashing."
He looked up at the sky.
Cloud banks formed faintly at the horizon.
Humidity was rising.
He observed quietly.
Calculating.
Anand watched him and slowly realized something uncomfortable:
Agastya was not reacting to the situation.
He had already anticipated most of it.
The lighter was not the centerpiece.
It was simply one component in a broader strategy.
As twilight deepened, preparations finalized.
Children were moved away.
Hunters took position.
Anand slipped the lighter back into his pocket.
This time he felt less like a man introducing alien fire—
And more like part of a formation.
The moon rose.
Full.
Cold.
Silver light washed over the clearing.
Agastya stepped forward alone.
Calm.
Composed.
Completely unafraid.
Sootikshna stationed himself by the rope anchors.
Anand stood among the hunters, waiting for the signal he did not yet understand.
The forest fell silent.
The moon climbed higher.
Then—
A heavy dragging sound tore through the trees.
Chanmrigasura was coming.
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