The Princes of Ayodhya-The Ramayan Through Short Stories

The Beginning of the End-Part 1

"Opposing, equal powers always have to match up against each other eventually."

"Well, now that Raja Sugriv has officially acted like a doofus," Hanuman began jokingly, before his face turned serious in an instant. "The war will begin. I don't know from which way Ravan's armies will come, but we'd better set up camp on this side of the battlefield before they do. Healing tents and such, as well as food and water storage, and a discussion tent. They could ambush at any moment."

It was then that Lakshman spoke up. "It's kind of awkward, here." Ram raised an eyebrow. "I've always been so used to other people troubling us, marching on our Ayodhya, that being on someone else's land with our own army makes me feel weird." He looked around. "It also makes me feel uneasy. They know more about this place, they've forgotten more about this place that we'll ever learn. They have the advantage."

A horrified silence set upon the army, as they finally understood the toll of this war. Their chances. They were in the homeland of Ravan, Lankesh, whose stories had kept them up shivering and shuddering in the middle of the night when they were children. They were waging war on an army backed by magic and weapons from the gods themselves. They were waging war on Lanka.

"Remember what I told you about the pep talk part?" Ram muttered to Sugriv, before shaking his head. "No matter if they have the advantage in terms of this land, who cares? Who cares if they have the advantage there? It does not matter, because we have enough to defend from all the sides! We are skillful warriors, and we will defend ourselves, and our camp! That is, if we manage to set up our camp in time." Ram paused, his eyes twinkling once more. "Do you not believe in us Lakshman?"

Lakshman straightened up, and shook his head. "No. I believe in us." Monkeys dragged tents over, and began to set them up. Large orange and tan colored cloths were positioned painstakingly on top of wooden rods. Pots of Earth were set down and filled with water. Containers full of gathered herbs were placed on bedsides, with fresh sheets and bark. Breaths were taken, lasting glances were sent at each other, and hugs were exchanged, enough to last if they never happened again.

But for a few hours, Ravan did not attack. What had happened to him, no one knew. Perhaps he was still sitting on his throne, shocked at how he had almost been defeated in a wrestling match by the younger brother of Vali. Perhaps he had realized that it was useless waging war on Ram's army, and was contemplating returning Sita. Perhaps he was still ordering his unprepared army. All very unlikely. Ravan had an ego enough to swallow the entire world if it was not stroked every now and then. If it ever was insulted, then Ravan would show that he had a rage, enough to light fire to anyone in his way.

The vanar sena began to calm down, Ram brought out his maps and set them down on the table. Raja Sugriv began to warm up with his mace. The armies set down their weapons and began chattering with each other again, hastily made jokes which barely served to make them laugh. "You know bhaiyya," Lakshman began, trying his best to be optimistic and apologize for his earlier statements. "Maybe they'll never attack, and we can go on offense. Maybe we can secretly invade the city at night and take Maa Sita and go...." he trailed off. "That wouldn't be enough for me, of course. I'd kill some."

Ram laughed. "No. No, they'll attack. Ravan wouldn't be able to stand it if he just let us live, and we invaded his golden city for the fourth time, and this time actually took Sita along with us. Maybe not today, though. Maybe today Ravan has realized that we'll be prepared. Maybe Ravan will attack tomorrow. The early dawn is settling, and now it's truly morning. Ravan might not play fair game, but even he appreciates when a true war should begin; at the first call of the rooster, when the first ray of light touches the clouds."

-----O-----

A few minutes passed, and the chatter even had stopped, when the noise of fright came. The thundering sound of elephant feet. Ram stood up immediately from his boulder, his hand grasping even tighter from his bow. "It appears that Ravan has realised that we have surrounded his Lanka with all our monkeys. But where is he coming from?" Ram looked around, before he finally noticed the giant dark mass approaching from the Northeast side instead of the Northwest, where Lanka was located.