Meanwhile, in Trigangeya, Gunasagara began his own preparations.
Gunasagara was not merely a minister.
He was a master of extraordinary learning in the science of alchemy.
He understood the nature of metals, the effects of medicinal essences, the movement of wind, bile, and phlegm within the body, and the vital strength stored within a warrior’s muscles.
He possessed the rare ability to combine all these branches of knowledge and prepare them for war.
He had long understood that the danger from Trigarta was approaching.
If Sulochanudu’s secret mission succeeded, the two kingdoms would unite.
If it failed, both kingdoms would fall separately.
Therefore, within his alchemical laboratory, Gunasagara began preparing forty men.
They were not chosen as ordinary soldiers.
Each had to possess bodily strength, discipline of mind, loyalty, silence, and a willingness to stake his life upon the command of the guru.
Some were hunters from the mountain regions.
Some were trainers of elephants.
Some were warriors who had endured terrible wounds and still remained standing.
Some were wrestlers hardened by austerity.
Gunasagara subjected them to the disciplines of alchemy.
Medicinal baths.
The consumption of purified metallic ashes.
Training in the strengthening of vital points.
Control of sleep.
The accumulation of strength through breath.
Exercises in the mastery of weapons.
Within forty days, their bodies changed.
Their strength did not grow into the uncontrolled power of beasts.
It became disciplined, immense force.
Each man grew into a giant nearly twenty feet tall.
Their shoulders resembled the pillars of gateways.
Their steps shook the earth.
Yet there was no intoxication of power in their eyes.
There was only the unmoving strength of men bound to the command of the guru.
Gunasagara called them the “Alchemy-Perfected Warriors.”
“Your strength does not belong to you,” he told them. “It is an alchemical power entrusted to you for the defence of the kingdom. Your anger does not belong to you either. It must move only when commanded by dharma.”
He stationed twenty of them along the borders of Trigangeya.
The remaining twenty were secretly sent to protect Panchanada.
They travelled by night, moving with the shadows of mountains.
They passed through forests.
When they reached the borders of Panchanada, even the ordinary soldiers knew nothing of their presence.
Through Sharabhanga, a secret message reached Vikramasena:
«“If the night wind sounds unusually heavy near the northern frontier, do not be afraid. It is aid from Trigangeya. They will not be seen. But when the need arises, they will stand like stones rising from the earth.”»
Vikramasena read the message and silently bowed his head.
Somewhere within him, the old contempt he had once felt towards Saumyasena began to dissolve.
---
The vow reached its thirty-ninth day.
That evening, the air around the ruined temple of Shiva changed strangely.
The trees did not move.
The birds did not sing.
The sunset appeared blood-red.
Sharabhanga sat before the sanctum.
Though his eyes were closed, he seemed aware of every movement around him.
Kumudvati and Sulochana completed their daily disciplines and sat resting upon the moonstone platform.
Through the hardship of the forty-day vow, a new radiance had appeared upon Sulochana’s face.
Chaturaka’s bond had not yet fully dissolved.
She was still Sulochana.
Yet within her eyes, the fire of Sulochanudu hidden inside had once again become clearly visible.
At that moment, a female figure appeared near the outer protective circle.
Chaturika.
Her garments were soft, just as before.
Her face trembled with the fear of a victim.
With folded hands, she slowly approached the entrance.
“My lady…” she called from a distance. “Forgive me. I was used against my will. Allow me to enter.”
Kumudvati rose at once and took Sulochana’s hand.
Sharabhanga did not open his eyes.
“Let her take another step,” he said. (To Be Continued)
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