The two Gods walked down the aisle, gazing at the exquisite pieces of art on display. The vast assortment of artwork showed increasing intricacy and finesse with every passing stall, yet the crowd grew thinner. Deeper into the aisle of art, the reliefs evolved from stone to clay to metals, the tapestry grew more colorful and ornate, and the inscriptions seemed more elegant and detailed.

“So much art and beauty is sitting in plain sight, and yet people look right past them.” Lord Gajanan moved his head like a bird.

“A light purse does not leave them with many choices, my lord.” Puru defended the inclinations of the townsfolk.

“Hmm…” The Elephant God considered what Puru words. “Your reason stands if purchase of these extraordinary valuables was in question. However, God, in his kindness, has granted us the joy of sight. And looking does not cost a penny, my friend.” The Elephant God raised a challenging brow to Puru.

Lord Puru smiled, amused. “My lord, eyes sunken with hunger prefer to gaze at bread than paintings.”

“Ah, you judge human instincts well, my friend, even though it is the first time you are walking among them.”

“Not too different from my own instincts, my lord.”

The two gods were quickly approaching the end of the aisle when a series of short barks from a dog caught their immediate attention. It came from a somewhat modest looking stall. It did not boast of a vast myriad of artworks. Instead, it only contained rows and rows of palm leaf miniature paintings, some mirroring the depiction that Puru held in his hand, while others displaying a different moment. But all had identical strokes with the same vivid coloring.

“What are you looking for, young lads?” A low, shaky voice came from behind the counter.

The two lords walked up to the stall and found a bony old man sitting on the ground, sorting through piles and piles of palm-leaf strips.

“We want to look at some portraitures, the ones in palm-leaf.” Puru spoke up.

As if on cue, the dog that had barked earlier limped over to the two gods, yapping aggressively. Puru ran his fingers through its golden fur, and the dog gave a short whimper before squatting down on the ground.

“We found one with a distinct artistry, clean lines, rich colors. We were very impressed with the artist’s skills, and we want to know if they accept commissions.” Lord Gajanan explained to the old man.

“Who knows if the artist takes commission?” The scrawny old man slowly rose to his feet, his back hunching over. He walked to a corner and started to bring down the displayed portraitures one by one. “Is there anything else you want?” He seemed in a hurry to end the conversation.

“Do you know where these portraitures come from?” Puru was still ruffling the dog’s fur that caused it to whimper a few more times.

“No.” The old man replied with one hard word, still facing the other way and continuing to close down the stall.

“In that case, farewell, old man.” Puru stood up at last and left the stall with his companion.

--------XXX-------XXX------XXX-------

“I felt it on my skin, Nandi,” the goddess declared impatiently as the goddess-servant pair walked through the dark forest. “I could feel his warmth. I could see his reddish-brown skin under the human skin he wore. It was Yantra, and only the Agni Asuras can be that skilled in the craft.” The agitation had quickened her pace despite her defective limb.

“Yes, Goddess.” Nandi gave a docile, succinct response.

“You should have stopped them, Nandi. You should have asked questions, find out who they were.”

“Yes, Goddess…But..” The bald servant hesitated, struggling to keep up with the limping yet swift deity.

“But what?” The Goddess fought to keep the harshness out of her words.

“They….I…” The servant stuttered and then stumbled forwards. Goddess looked back, having heard the fall.

“I apologize if I raised my voice.” The Goddess rushed back to the man’s side. “You must have had a good reason not to pursue the two.” She said as she squinted and crouched down to help him up. The darkness of the thicket made it hard to see.

“I cannot walk, Goddess.”

“Why not?” The Goddess flung a hand out to rest on Nandi’s arm as she fumbled for his legs with the other. He took hold of her hand and placed it around his left ankle.

“Divine lasso!” The Goddess exclaimed in a hushed, staggered breath.

She could barely see Nandi’s slow nod. She stood up, slowly, alert and watchful, and began to scan the surroundings in the dense, thick jungle. At last, her eyes stopped at two dark figures. One, tall and burly, the other, short and plump. As they approached, the goddess took a few limp steps back.

“Ah…Goddess Dimuka!” A nasal voice broke through the silence of the forest. “I had a sense it was you. To be able to change from human form to animal, that skill could only be possessed by Great Asura Yaman or his close allies. It is our great honor to encounter the legend herself.”

The goddess snorted. “And which godlings am I speaking to?”

“Great Goddess Dimuka, I am Lord Gajanan, son of Goddess Uma, and this is my companion, Demon God, Puru, son of Kuru.”

Nandi yelped as the lasso unwound from around his ankle, which snapped back to Lord Gajanan’s hand.

“What purpose do you have coming down from your blessed abode to this cursed land?” The goddess said pointedly. “Arya sending the fledglings now to manage the matters on earth? Or was it to spy on the dissenters?”

“Neither.” The two gods continued to shuffle towards the goddess. “We have come here to help.” As Puru spoke, his two sharp fangs glimmered even in the darkness of the night.

The goddess stumbled backward and spoke out in a wavering voice. “Do not come close. I will never help Arya’s minions. Stay back.”

“Goddess…” Puru continued. “If you could help…” His fangs shone even brighter.

“I said stay back.” The Goddess yelled before screaming into the night. “Shesha!”

“.…”

“Shesha!” She called out again to no one.

“Lord Arya has….” Puru started before his words were interrupted by a sudden shaking of the ground. He immediately looked at Lord Gajanan, who was bending low with his arms out to steady himself. The goddess and servant were crouching down, holding on to the earth.

The next series of quakes were too strong to stay upright. Soon, the violent shakings threw all to the ground and hurled both gods over many blocks of the muddy soil. From the corner of his eye, Puru saw a dense flurry of dust whirl high up from the ground and encircle the goddess and her servant. At last, it all came to a stop, and the two gods stood up, still reeling from the tumbling. They then walked back to the spot where they had confronted the goddess, only to find it absent of any divine life form.

The two adversaries had disappeared with no trace.