Ajashakti stood up from the throne, and descended down its stairs. The steps echoed in the silent chamber, a rhythmic counterpoint to the rapid beating of the child's heart. With deliberate steps, he approached Ketki, his shadow looming over her small form.
Wide-eyed with terror, Ketki met Ajashakti's gaze as he approached her with measured steps. With trembling hands, she managed to pull herself into a sitting position, her body shaking uncontrollably in the face of his towering figure.
Kneeling before her, Ajashakti's voice, surprisingly gentle, shattered the tense silence, "Have you ever played the game of snakes and ladders, child ?"
Ketki looked up at him, terrified and confused. She nodded timidly. Ajashakti extended his hand, a gesture that was both a command and an invitation. The child, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and confusion, hesitated for a moment. The imposing figure before her was a terrifying enigma. Slowly, she placed her small hand in his, her fingers trembling slightly.
With a gentle tug, Ajashakti pulled the child to her feet. Her small form was dwarfed by his imposing figure.
"I am on a journey, little one. A journey to conquer Swarglok, the realm of the gods." He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "And it is much like the game of snakes and ladders."
Ajashakti raised his other hand ever so slightly, and a magical aura radiated from it. In an instant, a grid of luminous squares materialized, each one glowing with an ethereal light. With Ketki's in his gentle grasp, Ajashakti took a step onto the first square. The child, wide-eyed with wonder, followed suit, her small feet landing softly on the luminous surface.
As they proceeded, Ajashakti's voice, low and measured, resonated through the air, "I take calculated steps towards my goal."
Upon reaching the stairs, the steps themselves became imbued with the same ethereal glow as the squares on the floor. As they ascended the grand staircase, each step illuminated their path with an ethereal light.
"And when fortune smiles upon me, I seize the ladder of opportunity," Ajashakti told. "It is through these that one draws closer to their ultimate goal."
The final steps to the throne loomed ahead, a tantalizingly close goal. Ajashakti turned to Ketki, a gentle smile playing on his lips.
"But sometimes, snakes appear to make us fall." He said.
Before the child could comprehend his words fully, a monstrous serpent, its scales shimmering with venom, slithered into view. Its hissing filled the air, a chilling prelude to attack. Ketki, terrified, let out a scream.
Suddenly Ajashakti's foot descending upon the serpent's head with the force of a thunderbolt. In an instant, the creature dissolved into a puff of smoke.
Ketki's eyes were wide with terror as she looked up at Ajashakti. He, with a face devoid of any emotion, looked down at her, and said, "But unlike the game, I prefer to squash them with my feet."
Ajashakti released Ketki's hand. He walked towards the throne, and the ethereal glow that illuminated the staircase faded, leaving the room bathed in the soft light filtering through the windows. Ketki looked around the room, once filled with an aura of magic, now returned to its mundane state.
"Your father," Ajashakti's voice, cold and calculated, broke the silence, "is acting like a snake, in my conquest. An obstacle. What fate, then, should befall him ?" He asked leaning back on the throne.
"No please !" Ketki, her small body trembling, knelt before the imposing figure. Tears streamed down her face, a silent plea for mercy. Her tiny hands clutched at Ajashakti's robes. "Please, don't hurt him.... I beg..."
Her eyes, filled with a terror, searched his face for any sign of compassion. A small smile crept across Ajashakti's face as he reached out to comfort the trembling child.
"There there, dear one...." His hand gently wiped away her tears, "I don't like killing, either. Your father, however, has made his choice. And for that choice, he will pay the ultimate price."
Ketki, her small body trembling, clung to his arm, her sobs echoing through the silent chamber. "Please," she pleaded, her voice barely a whisper. "Spare his life."
Ajashakti feigned contemplation, his eyes distant. After a moment, he spoke. "Perhaps there is a way to spare your father," he said, his voice carrying a hint of condescension. "If he swears undying loyalty to me, and the Rakshasa people submit to our rule, then perhaps his life can be spared."
Ketki looked up at Ajashakti, her eyes filled with a mixture of hope and fear. The child, innocent and pure, could not comprehend the complexities of power and politics. The mere mention of sparing her father's life had ignited a spark of hope within her
Ajashakti, observing her reaction, smiled faintly. "Can you convince your father to surrender, Ketki ?" he asked, his voice gentle.
She nodded, her voice barely a whisper, "I... I will try."
A victorious smile crept across Ajashakti's face as he clapped his hands twice. The sharp sound echoed through the silent chamber, startling the young girl. Ketki flinched, her eyes widening in fear.
Suddenly the door opened, Pralayant, his face etched with determination, entered the room, followed by a group of imposing Danava guards. In their midst, struggling against their captors, was Ketunemi. The sight of her father, bound and helpless, sent Ketki into a fresh wave of terror.
"Pitashree !" She tried to run to her father, but Ajashakti's strong hand clamped down on her arm, pulling her back with force. Her small body collided with his, the impact jarring her. His arm, like an iron band, encircled her, preventing any further movement.
Seeing this Ketunemi, his eyes filled with a feral rage, struggled against his captors. His voice, a thunderous roar, echoed through the chamber, "You dare touch her, you Daitya !"
"Why so afraid, Ketunemi ?" Ajashakti taunted, "Do you fear I will treat your daughter as you have treated the daughters and wives of the kings you have defeated ?"
His words were a dagger to the heart, a cruel reminder of the Rakshasa king's past atrocities. The once imposing figure of Ketunemi seemed to shrink, his defiance momentarily eclipsed.
"Let us not get into that in front of the child." Ajashakti said.
Ketki, her small body trembling, struggled against Ajashakti's grip. Her cries for help echoed through the chamber, a desperate plea for rescue. "Pitashree, please !" she sobbed, her voice filled with terror. "Surrender ! Please !"
Ketunemi, his face contorted in rage and despair, roared in defiance. "Never ! I will not bow to Daityas or Danavas !"
"Please, Father," Ketki pleaded, her body racked with sobs. "Do as he says. He will not spare anyone if you don't." Her words were a desperate plea, a child's attempt to protect those she loved.
Ketunemi's heart, hardened by years of war, softened at the sight of his daughter's distress. For a moment, he wavered, his resolve shaken by the power of a child's love. Ketunemi, his pride shattered by his daughter's tears, lowered his head in defeat.
"Fine... I surrender." He muttered.
As those words left Ketunemi's lips, Ajashakti released Ketki. The child, freed from his imposing presence, rushed into her father's arms, her small body trembling with relief. Ketunemi, his heart heavy with defeat, held his daughter close, offering what little comfort he could.
A low, menacing chuckle escaped Ajashakti's lips, a sound that echoed through the chamber. It was a victory, hard-won but complete. Pralayant, his face devoid of emotion, joined in the laughter. He was in awe with the clever plan of Ajashakti, that broke Ketunemi's spirit in moments.
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A/N
Sochta hu ke woh kitne maasum the, kya se kya ho gaye dekhte dekhte~
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AJASHAKTI ANUGAMINI : An HHS Spinoff
Fantasy"If destiny prevents you from being born of my womb, then let us forge a different path. Forsake your divinity, your memories. Become a Daitya." Driven to the brink by the ceaseless annihilation of her sons, Daitya-Mata Diti yearns for vengeance. Bu...
