The Conquest of Eternity: Vritraksh's Dominion

Chapter 8: The Boon Of Lord Brahma

The Narrow Escape

Lord Indra, who was still terrified recalling that brutal incident, continued, "I was then detected by some demon soldiers who alerted the guards through emergency trumpet. I had to retreat because I was there all alone. Demonlord Danavendra did manage to reach me but couldn't bear my Vajra's thunderbolt attack. I again missed the chance of killing that demon. However, I did come to know that these demons were not free from brotherly conflicts. Dvishat wanted revenge and as per my resources implanted in the demon palace, Demonlord Danavendra sent him to jail for betraying the royal family and attacking the prince. Vritraksh has been favoured by destiny and today destiny itself is going to confront him. I see Lord Brahma emerging at the very place where Vritraksh is buried."

The God Of Creation

The big crack on the surface of that icy mountain was filled with debris, rocks and some ice chunks. The nearby area, which was not at all inhabited by any living being, was a witness of the devastating earthquake caused by the dieties. That place was also a witness of resilient austerity of Vritraksh who did not give up for years. Vritraksh could not feel the load of debris over his demonic body. All he was experiencing was divinity of his austerity and mystery of 14 different realms. He started to feel divine presence of gods in his soul. As if he has left the material world and he is in a different plane of reality. Everything in here was different, peaceful and soothing. He looked around, it was snow, icy mountains, beautiful trees and suddenly a divine glow of energy. That glow was getting bigger and it was gravitating Vritraksh towards itself. Vritraksh stood still in front of that glow. He could not feel anything, neither that pain he has been experiencing, nor the disappointment of his horrifying future. He couldn't even feel the hate he has been harbouring for the dieties since he was born. This feeling was quite different. As he approached near that glow, he heard the voice of the creator himself. His austerity had finally accomplished. Lord Brahma himself emerged in front of Vritraksh who was very happy with his austerity.

Lord Brahma said, "O child! I am very happy with your uninterrepted and resilient austerity. I will be happy to give you a boon of your choice." Vritraksh, who was filled with devotion, folded his hands and replied, "O Lord Brahma! My race faces a threat of extinction. This would hamper the arrival of Kalipurush who is going to be the last demon of our race. I don't want to be immortal. I just want to ensure the survival of my race till Kalipurush is born." Lord Brahma was very happy listening to the concern of Vritraksh. He said, "This austerity has definitely enabled you to think for the betterment of the nature. Survival of each and every race is a must in order to allow the functioning of my creation. Your concern for demon race is understandable. However, I have to ensure the survival of other living beings too. I will give you a boon of longer lifespan. You will be alive till the time Kalipurush is born. Once Kalipurush is born, your soul will ascend, leaving your demonic form behind. My boon gives you a lifespan of more than 6000 years. However there is a condition to it..."

The Traitor

Dvishat had escaped from the jail with the help of some prisoners and the dieties. He went to Genesis where he took a hide in the dark forests nearby the kingdom of Suryakshetra. These forests were known for hunters, dark spirits and sorcerers who were capable of capturing somebody's soul. No matter how scary those forests were, Dvishat enjoyed a lot being here. This place resonated with him perfectly because it was somewhat similar to Sub Terra. Though he had vowed to himself that one day he will avenge the brutal death of his son, he didn't know if he was doing the right thing by favouring deities of Elysium. While he was in deep thoughts, he was shocked by a sudden thunderbolt followed by arrival of Lord Indra right in front of him. "So this is how you arrive in other realms everytime. Last time I saw you sneaking in Sub Terra, without any intimidating thunderbolt alert." said Dvishat which inflicted a bit of disdain on Lord Indra. "You should be thankful to me." Lord Indra replied, "My resources present in Sub Terra helped you escaping from the jail. Your brutal brother would never allow you to meet anybody in you family. Now you have a hope. And it does come with a price." Dvishat understood that gods and demons were unlikely allies, and any assistance would come with strings attached. He said, "For now we have a common enemy, that doesn't mean we could come up with a lasting alliance. Once Vritraksh is killed, we will no longer be sharing the same path. You deities involve so much in other realms." Lord Indra replied, "Demons have been decimated to a meager numbers. We don't need to involve any further in your realm. If you promise to confine yourselves to Sub Terra, there won't be further conflicts between deities and demons. You will be the new ruler of asuras and Sub Terra will be your dominion. Punishment will be given to Danavendra and his son Vritraksh. However you aren't ready for that as of now. You need to prepare for a war. Spend your preparation days in Suryakshetra, an ally of deities. The current ruler is King Mahendra. I have already spoken to him about your arrival. They will pick you up from a place where this forest ends. You need to go in North direction." Dvishat replied with a lopsided smile, "Are you sure your allies will trust me the way you do?" "That totally depends upon your actions Dvishat." replied Lord Indra and vanished with the same thundering sound and blinding silver lights. Dvishat proceeded towards the north. His demonic body was tired, his heart was filled with rage and his mind planning what to do next. After walking for 2 days, he reached the part where forest ended. Armed soldiers with their faces covered, waiting for the demon near a covered wagon. As Dvishat approached near, the soldiers guided him inside the wagon and covered it fully with black cloth and asked him to maintain pindrop silence till they reach the palace. After few hours, they entered the kingdom of Suryakshetra. Inspite of heavy security, the wagon entered inside without being checked because King Mahendra himself had given clearance to that wagon. The wagon was taken directly inside the basement of palace. A secret chamber was unlocked, the place considered to be forbidden. The wagon stopped in that chamber and a human voice heard by the demon, "Now you can come out, its safe." Dvishat came out of the wagon and saw a king in front of him. He exclaimed,"You must be King Mahendra!", "Yes, I am." replied the king, Dvishat said, "Your majesty, I would be obliged to be with you in a battle against the demons. However, I doubt if all these men around are as trustworthy." King Mahendra replied, "These men are my eyes and my ears. I trust them with my life. We need the right opportunity to attack Sub Terra. You will help us with the information and in return you will be given complete protection." Dvishat put an artificial smile on his face and said, "That is so kind of you, your majesty. You can always trust me with every intel I provide." and then after taking a pause he said, "While coming in this vehicle of yours, I felt people all over your kingdom are very happy. I couldn't see anything outside the wagon however it looks like today is an eve of some grand celebration." King Mahendra started walking out ordering his men to take care of all his needs. While walking out, the king warned Dvishat, "Don't let anybody know about your presence in this place?" and then the door shuts. King's advisor Rajsen, who looked bit concerned, asked the king, "My lord, can we really trust him? He is a demon. I suspect if he betrays us." King Mahendra replied, "There was a time when we needed to fear demons. Now we have tools, we have warriors of Aetherium, blessings of gods, mystical weapons of Manifesta and total support of Elysium deities. Also my trusted sources told me what happened to him. So we don't have to be worried about the demon. Just be watchful, spies might be outside, in the palace. We need to ensure nobody knows about the demon kept in the forbidden chamber. Let everyone celebrate the birth of my daughter Kaurvati. Our royal advisor Achaya Kaushik says she is going to be the most ferocious warrior in the history of our kingdom." They continue walking to the royal court.

A Boon With A Catch

It has been more than two decades since Dvishat took a hide in Suryakshetra. Vritraksh had accomplished his austerity and got a boon from Lord Brahma. However that boon came with a loophole. Lord Indra watched from Elysium while Lord Brahma continued saying, "...however there is a condition to it. Elongated life doesn't guarantee any protection from accidents, assassination, or in your case an honourable death in the battlefield. Humans have a lifespan of 100 years. However not every human being gets to live for 100 years. They are prone to disease, or accidents. Same applies to your elongated lifespan too. So if you truely want to ensure the safety of your race, then avoid going to battle or being killed." Given the brutal nature of Vritraksh, he would have been ferociously angry listening to this. However the prolonged painful austerity had temproarily transformed him into a calm and divine soul who would reason with peaceful mind. So he asked, "O Lord Brahma! It was so kind of you to allow me in your divine presence. Your boon is the greatest reward a demon like me could ever achieve. I am however concerned about my duties towards my subject, towards my kingdom, towards the royal throne of demon I am sworn to protect. I need to guarantee the safety of my realm and my people. I won't be able to do that if I don't go to battlefield. The only reason I wanted to ensure the safety of my race is our kind being hunted down by deities of Elysium, warriors of Aetherium and humans from Genesis. Even if I don't start a war, there will be attacks and I can't hold myself back in such a situation. O Allfather! I don't fear death but the untimely extinction of my race. There are traitors in my family already and the enemies of my bloodline don't care about being sneaky or treacherous. If I could wish Allfather to provide me immunity from dieties and beings of Aetherium. I don't fear humans." Lord Brahma declared, "Vritraksh, your austerity has earned you a boon: an elongated lifespan, spanning centuries. However, this gift comes with a crucial caveat: it protects you from natural aging and disease, but not from injury, assassination, or honorable death in battle. You will live long, but your life remains vulnerable to the whims of fate and the actions of others.

Furthermore, I grant you ten additional lifelines, to be used in times of mortal peril. These lifelines will revive you, restoring your strength and vitality. Yet, they come with a condition: they will only sustain you until the arrival of Kalipurush. If all ten lifelines are exhausted before Kalipurush's birth, your demise will be irreversible.

Vritraksh, heed this warning: your prolonged existence is a double-edged sword. Use your gift wisely, for the fate of your realm and people hangs in the balance." and then there was complete darkness all over. Vritraksh started to feel his body. He also started to feel the gravity of debris over his body along with a sudden surge of strength. He opened his eyes and pushed himself upwards. The ice debris covering the big crack were thrown upwards and Vritraksh jumped out of the crack from underground. He had boon of a long life along with 10 lifetimes by Lord Brahma. Thinking of that he looked up in the blue sky of Genesis and roared very loudly. His scary roar made the mountains shake in terror and it was felt by Lord Indra of Elysium too.