DANUSHIKI

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

He settled down to eat the bowl of fruits and thought about his father and how many people he must have killed in battle as a Shaingwan warrior. Moments later, he began to recollect the strange aura that enveloped him while he stood in front of the statue praying and meditating. Whatever it was seemed to be a combination of two opposing forces which were necessary in a Shaingwan warrior to ensure victory in every battle. Like the effect of a spell cast on him, he never talked about Sarme throughout his entire stay in Cobra Land, and sat up to reflect on it for a while after eating.

“…you’ll be trained to love pain and abhor pleasure…” Karugo’s admonition drummed in his ears while he gazed around his small hut and pulled the battle-axe closer to his body. More surprising was the fact that it wasn’t only he who’d come under the effect of such ‘spell’. It had also affected the other warriors, most of whom he knew very well to be notorious with ladies in their age-group. He found it hard to believe that for almost three years, none of them said or whispered anything about girls or s****l activity, not even by ‘mistake.’

For a moment he felt awed, because for almost three years he had not seen the one he’d always professed love for before he came to Cobra Land. Fear began to radiate all over him when he recollected what had taken place the night before he’d gone to Cobra Land. He hadn’t wanted to go the ‘extreme’ with her but something stronger, which he could not fathom seemed to take over his entire being that particular moment. He remembered how he felt when he held her bare-chested form in his arms that night. He’d felt her t**s rubbing him, and the scent of her body in his nostrils. He knew he had no choice but to lay her down and make love to her…  

The three years at Cobra Land had finally come to an end, as the warriors lined up in rows and columns. This time around, the arrangement was done without the aid of the instructors who were now sitting atop rocky slabs, two meters in front of the warriors. The sun was rising steadily in the sky when Karugo suddenly appeared and walked majestically to his special seat.

Looking at the heads of the warriors in front of him, Danushiki expected him to start the ‘passing out’ ceremony with one or two congratulatory remarks. He felt disappointed when Karugo maintained a permanent scowl on his face. Karugo soon called one of the instructors forward and whispered some inaudible things to him. The next event which took place was one the warriors would never forget, the moment two instructors walked up to Danushiki and ordered him to follow them to the front.

Standing there with his battle-axe clutched firmly in his right hand, he wondered what was going on as a sly expression appeared on Karugo’s face. Suddenly, rustling sounds could be heard in the bushes, directly behind Karugo’s seat, as he stood up to make a speech.

“When the gods and goddesses of Shaingwa choose a man, they know he is capable of the task even before he realizes it. Apart from being fearless and ruthless like other warriors, that person chosen from Cobra Land to command the warriors must show no hesitation. He must never hesitate to face and defeat any form of trouble that may arise at any time and in any form against Shaingwa…” 

Danushiki was not listening to whatever Karugo said as he maintained his gaze on a big cat which had come out of the bushes. It moved soundlessly in front of Karugo’s seat, and started pacing some few meters in front of Danushiki while Karugo continued speaking.

“The person you see in front of you,” Karugo continued, while ignoring the vicious animal, felt an aura of control with the breeze blowing his robe.

“…has satisfied all the requirements right from birth, to command the latest set of warriors from Cobra Land. Right here in front of you all, he must battle the legendary Omataina to the death.”

Danushiki showed no reaction to the man’s last words as he stared into the eyes of the big restless cat. Karugo soon stepped down, took a few steps towards Danushiki, and stared at him with deep penetrating reptilian eyes.

“Your father shouldn’t have done what he did… now you’ll be made to atone for his folly.” He walked around Danushiki, as if trying to emphasize his point, then stopped suddenly as the leopard stopped pacing. 

“You either kill Omataina, or it would kill you. It’d be a shame for a warrior commander to die before stepping out of Cobra Land, and to do battle as an immortal.” Perspiration was now flowing down Danushiki’s shaven head, while the morning sun shone above all of them.

“From the break of dawn to the setting of the sun, you’ll fight till you drop…” Karugo addressed all the warriors in a solemn tone before walking back to his seat, leaving Danushiki and Omataina as they began to circle each other. The leopard bent its head down and soon sat on its hind legs, moving its paws slowly forward. The warriors watched in horror while the seemingly gentle beast looked in the direction of the instructors and the other warriors intermittently.

Suddenly it stood on all fours and launched viciously at Danushiki. The next moment, it received an unexpected blow on its right shoulder from Danushiki’s battle-axe. Danushiki felt the animal’s whiskers rub on his face at its first assault. The undeterred animal seemed enraged by the blow and turned round at Danushiki with its mouth wide open, and claws aiming at Danushiki’s neck and shoulders. 

Seconds later, he wrapped the mouth of the leopard with his left palm and began to squeeze it shut as the claws on both paws sank into his arms at the same time. Blood flowed down his arms as the animal struggled, while using its weight to its advantage. The next moment Danushiki used his right knee, with all the force he could muster on the animal’s torso. Holding the metallic head of the battle-axe with his right hand, while maintaining his clenched grip over its mouth, he made a deep cut on the animal’s back, before hurling himself and the animal to the ground.

The instructors were not thrilled, because they’d seen hundreds of similar duels involving prospective warrior commanders, even with an anaconda on one occasion. It was not something a normal person would’ve loved to remember, but it was simply impossible not to when ‘watching’ a more recent duel.

Danushiki was already covered in blood and dirt when he rolled away from Omataina with the handle of his battle-axe firmly clutched in his right hand. While the big cat stood up and prepared for another attack, Danushiki looked in the direction of the necklace his father had made for him. It lay on the ground some yards away with streaks of blood on it. He showed no sign of pain the moment he began to circle Omataina again. The big cat showed little or no concern for the cut on its back. If ever it felt any pain, this was clearly showed in its eyes. All the claws on its forelimbs were now visible, while its whiskers twitched a bit.

Danushiki rushed toward the big cat, ignored its claws and gave it six consecutive blows with his left fist. This was immediately followed by several blows with the blunt metallic side of his battle-axe, on Omataina’s head and neck. If someone had later informed Danushiki that he got clawed on his chest and belly in the process, he might not have believed. The next moment, he spat out some blood and managed to maintain his balance, while observing a red line below the leopard’s left eye socket. 

The blood from Danushiki’s body soon mixed with his red clothing as he panted heavily, while watching Omataina’s quick recovery. This time he swore to finish it off with his battle-axe, once and for all. For a split second he tried to imagine his mother’s reaction if she saw her beloved son fighting a vicious beast. He watched Omataina’s soundless movement towards him for the final attack, and subsequently lowered his bent body to the ground until his right knee felt the rough surface.

As expected, Omataina rushed forward with outstretched forelimbs and wide open mouth. Before it landed on its prey, Danushiki already lay with his back on the ground, and grabbed the leopard mid-air by its throat, and brought it down to the ground with all the energy he could muster. While the animal whimpered, struggled and clawed in all directions, he swung the battle-axe with all his might several times into its head until the glinting blade was soon covered with blood and bits of tissue.

He watched Omataina’s left forelimb fall numbly to the ground from his chest before wiping the blade on its lifeless body, with a silent prayer for its soul.

An instructor walked up to Danushiki and instructed him to face the other warriors, who now had looks of admiration for him. Three other instructors dragged the lifeless body of Omataina away into the bush as Karugo came down to address the warriors for the last time.

“I’ll be very candid with all of you, including your successful warrior commander. You’re all going out of this place to face pain and terror that you all can never imagine… that is why you are hereby implored to be fearless at al times, ruthless and show no form of weakness to the enemy, because we’ll give blood for blood, pain for pain, glory to the gods and honour to the warrior. That is and will always be the Shaingwan warrior’s pledge.” 

He turned sharply to Danushiki as if he’d suddenly remembered something vital which he forgot to tell him earlier. 

“The day Shaingwa’s enemies are annihilated, you must proceed to the sacred grove before the setting of the sun, and give yourself like all others before you – honourably and sacrificially to the gods and goddesses for all eternity.” 

Danushiki was not bothered about Karugo’s last statement, because he’d expected to hear something of that sort after the unpleasant meeting in the sacred grove with his father. He only winced due to the injuries on his body, which were currently undergoing a mysterious healing process, leaving only the bloodstains as a reminder of his recent duel with Omataina.

Karugo picked up the necklace that’d fallen from Danushiki’s neck some moments ago, wrapped his palms around it and brought it out few seconds later. It looked new and nothing near what Omataina’s claws had done to it. Karugo wore it around Danushiki’s neck and thereafter, walked slowly into the bush, with the other instructors following behind him. Danushiki and the other warriors soon knelt down with their palms together, after the departure of the men who’d trained them for three years. They all had their gaze on Karugo’s special seat, which had since transformed into a statue of a king cobra, and began praying and meditating before it.

They hardly noticed the clouds in the sky which were gradually turning red in colour. The wind began to blow fiercely around them, when all of a sudden, the twenty-one king cobras Danushiki had seen at the mysterious waterfall appeared before them. They spread their hoods and swayed in the direction of the wind. The moment the warriors saw this, they dropped their respective weapons on the ground and prostrated before the reptiles. They prostrated the way they’d been taught by the instructors, whenever they were in the presence of a Shaingwan god, goddess, in any form or multiple they decided to appear. 

This meant they had to, while prostrating, clench their right fist and place it on the ground, followed by their heads which were bowed low, and the placing of the left palm on the left knee. In this position, the warriors chanted a praise song to the king cobras that seemed to be enjoying it, while swaying sideways. As they chanted, the warriors began to disappear with their weapons one after the other, one row at a time.