[Without losing a moment, they held out their hands touching the turbulent surface of the water and their lips began to chant the magical verses. The surface of the water crystallized, staggering the tide once more, slowing it down. But this time, the water body seemed too great. The crystals of ice began to crack as the Gods felt the power of the great tide growing under their hands.

“Lord help the people of the town.” Lord Gajanan cried out a prayer].

A great reverberating noise from underneath the ocean filled the air, as the water body began to shudder. The water surface shook and rippled and started to rise. Puru channeled all his Tantric power into his hands, his lips moving with quick chants. But the shaking of the ocean only grew wilder. It all broke apart with a sudden loud commotion as the ocean water shot high in the air and then came down on the two gods like a fountain.

To the gods' great shock, the water level began to plummet as fast as it had risen. The sound grew louder, and the ocean water began to disappear underground. The two gods slowly descended to the dry ground. The royal emissaries and the townspeople noticed the commotion, some even daring to walk towards the spectacle scene.

Soon the ground under the water came into sight, and then they saw it. The chasm that was sucking in all turbulent water, growing further apart.

"Do not come close, people," Lord Gajanan shouted a warning to the approaching mortals, "if you fear for your lives."

The few approaching people stopped in their tracks. But Commander Abhiram continued to move closer.

"Is…is the land splitting?" Someone shouted, from a distance.

Few people strained their necks to get a view of the deep fissure growing on the ground. A dull murmur rose from the crowd in the next few silent moments, but it was quickly broken by a violent shaking of the earth. Before the startled crowd could react, the ground began to quake relentlessly. Loud shrieks erupted from the group, as many crouched down, holding on to the ground. The tremors only grew more violent.

"Ah lord, why did I come here? Why did I not leave?" Someone from the group shouted.

Soon the loud reverberations from the depths of the chasm drowned all helpless cries. And within seconds, the entire ground on the other side of the chasm flew up, all dust and debris, and there emerged a great black monstrous snake.

Puru's heart pounded heavily in his chest, some from the fear of the beast, but more from the rush of having such feral beast so close to him that he could almost touch its thick ebony scales. The beast gave out a deafening roar tearing through the nervous hush that had fallen on the crowd. It turned its gaze at the weaklings with not one but thousand pairs of dark, sinister eyes from its thousand heads as they swayed wildly in the air. Each head was crowned in gold and forked tongues flicked out rapidly as if tasting the air around. It let out another wild cry.

"Regards, beloved humans…and ah! My friends from the heaven." A deep, soothing voice rang from above. "It has been a while since I have breathed the mortal air."

All those standing on the surrounding ground looked up, searching for the source of the booming voice, and failing to find one, concluded that the words came from the great beast.

"The east….ah, how the songs of the east still sing to me." The voice paused for a second. "Tell me, my friends. Have you been well? Have they been treating you well?"

The spectators there started to look around at each other, unsure. At last, someone spoke out, "Yes, ….yes, my lord. We, they, the king, the great King Shaktidev has looked after us, my lord. And the gods, they, they taken mercy on us, my lord, kept us safe."

"The king looks after you?! The god keeps you safe?!" The voice scoffed and then continued. "Then why does the king sleep soundly as you face certain death? Where is your king? Where is your god? WHERE IS LORD ARYA?!" The voice boomed, harsh and brusque, as it hurled accusations.

"What do you want, beast?" Commander Abhiram called out to the great monster. Hearing the words, the beast slowly swung one of its heads towards the old man. A hysterical laughter filled the air.

"I don't resent being called the beast, though a beast I am not."

A tall head of the great beast began to descend to the earth. And then everyone saw the true owner of the voice. A demon, dark and looming, standing firm on the snake head, a warm red glow radiating from it. Puru thought it was as if glancing at a mirror, although this demon looked older and the lines on his face somewhat distinct from his own. But even a blind man would see the resemblance.

Several loud gasps came from the group behind him. Someone whispered, "Lord Yaman!"

The whispers of that name grew louder, and soon, the townspeople behind them fell to their knees one by one, bowing to the legendary Demon God of the East, Agni Asura Yaman, as he descended from the snake head. Then the great beast with a thousand heads must be the legendary monster, Sheshanaga, the primal being that lived in the depths of the netherworld, the only creature to survive a calamity.

Lord Yaman spared a dismissive glance at Commander Abhiram, who was still standing straight and proud.

"My people of the East, the water has gone back to where it belonged, the depths of the earth. As I shelter the land I have loved, the east will never flood again. And misery be only to those who put you in peril."

He, then, walked up to the two gods.

"I know you two will scurry back to Arya. You know what to say to him. Just remind him to be afraid of what is coming."

The fire demon threw Puru a brief disapproving look before he climbed back on the beast and returned to the depths of the earth where they had come from.

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The group walked back to the streets of the town. A few wagons were still standing, and some that had left, were slowly returning. The crowd was gathered on the streets, thrilled that they were still breathing. Some came up to Puru and bowed in gratitude. Puru sensed whispers of Lord Yaman's return and of the great beast he rode.

"My lords." The young man that Commander Abhiram had addressed as Rana from earlier approached the two gods. "If you do not mind, we want to invite you to a meal. My friend is immensely grateful for your presence in the town today."

The gods exchanged a quick glance. "I would be a fool to mind. I haven't had a grain in my belly since this morning. Only rats scurrying around in there." As if on cue, Lord Gajanan's belly gave out a loud grunt, and he dissolved into a fit of laughter, the poor young man forced to join him.

"What is going on here?" A fair maiden addressed the crowd. She appeared at a door that Puru knew all too well, her hair all tousled as if she had just woken up. Puru walked up to her in long strides and took her in his arms.

"I just saved you, my lady, and now, you need to pay me back with all those gold coins." And then he pulled her close and gave her a long deep kiss, fangs and all.

The crowd in the street gave a collective gasp.

"See, Officer Rana! Did I not tell you?! By the river of Bramha, in the valley of roses....."

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