Chapter 6 – The Fight

Artwork by Adarsh Jadhav (with help from AI)

Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fan fiction. It is purely meant for entertainment purposes and not for any commercial or profit related purposes. I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story. The Gods and characters from stories of Hindu tradition and not owned by anyone for they are living divinities. The character of the Predator is the one from the Predator movies, distributed by 20^th Century Fox. The character of the Predator was created in the film “Predator” (1987) directed by John McTiernan.

Garuda looked down as he lazily glided around waiting for Jambavan and Hanuman. He observed that apart from the two asuras that had run from him, two other groups seemed to be converging on a much larger clearing, outside the forest. It was near where they had encountered the first asura earlier in the night. It was almost dawn now and a faint mist along with a spray of drizzle was beginning. One of the groups coming from the forest seemed to be helping one of their compatriots who was badly injured.

Presently he saw both Jambavan and Hanuman leaping high and spotting him. They both started making their way towards him, although at an unhurried pace. He continued observing them and also the asuras, as the three groups met up. The asuras should ideally have noticed him observing them but they were no longer as sharp as they were a short while ago, having been resoundingly defeated.

As he watched them either plan or conference, the injured asura was raised up from the ground and vanished suddenly after reaching an altitude around where he was hovering. There was shimmering for a kshana across a large swathe of the air and then it stopped as the injured asura disappeared. Garuda proceeded to rendezvous with his fellow warriors.

“They have a large invisible vimana (aircraft/spacecraft) up there” said Garuda to the other two as soon as they met and saw that they were both unharmed in every way. Jambavan briefly told them about his use of the Brahmadanda and then said, “We should destroy that vimana. It is unnatural for this age, apart from being malevolent. Imagine the havoc it would cause if we weren’t here”. Hanuman and Garuda nodded agreement and said in unison, “Agniastra”. Jambavan smiled and said, “A taste of their own medicine huh?”

He then requested Garuda to invoke the astra, for he could deliver it more easily compared with the other two. Garuda pulled out a feather that had been damaged by the asura blade. He then invoked the Agniastra and after rearranging the vanes of the feather to make it aerodynamic, he lifted off into the air until he was level with where he had observed the vimana. He then infused the astra in the feather and hurled it straight into the invisible craft.

The Agniastra on contact with the described target came alive and decimated the vimana. It was a magnificent and terrifying sight to behold. The vimana was sliced apart, as if by many swords of fire working simultaneously. It became visible as its invisibility failed. More clean lines of fire bloomed all across the craft as the vimana came apart in several pieces, each piece separated from the rest by neat straight lines. The three warriors agreed that there was an elegance to the craft, even if it was a grotesque, shiver inducing one. It was unlike anything a denizen of the Earth would have imagined.

Some parts of the dismembered vimana exploded, lighting up the scene in the coming wet and faintly misted dawn. It had all taken perhaps a few blinks of a human eye and yet was an unforgettable spectacle. One which was not lost on the asuras for whom the loss of their craft was a loss of their way home. It seemed to break something within them and yet steel their resolve at the same time.

Image generated by the AI feature on WordPress

They all turned away from the fallen craft. The ones that had their invisibility yantras working or partially functioning, now shed the same, becoming fully visible. All those that still had the astra firing cylinder on their shoulders undid and dropped them on the ground. All of them dropped their chakras. Some extended their spears and extended the blades on one wrist for a spear and sword combination. Others extended the blades on both their wrists, effectively wielding swords in both hands. They all now faced the direction they had come from, bellowed a chittering cry with one arm raised and waited as a group.

Hanuman said to the other two as the asura group bellowed their cry, “Looks like a final challenge with only shastras (weapons that are not discharged).” Garuda agreed, “They have all dropped their astras (weapons that are discharged) and invisibility yantras (technology/machines).” Jambavan concurred, “Let us finish this then.” With that all three of them walked towards the waiting group of asuras.

Image credits – Images on the left and far right were generated by the AI feature on WordPress. The image in the center was created by Kiran Kumar with help from AI. All are representations of the “Predator”.

The failed hunters and the three great warriors came face to face. Hanuman and Garuda walked to the right and the left of the group respectively as the wreckage of the great vimana loomed in the background. Twelve asuras each broke off from the main group and walked to face Hanuman and Garuda. Soon there were six of the asuras facing each of the three great warriors. The asuras in each group formed a semi-circle facing Garuda, Jambavan and Hanuman respectively.

There was no drizzle anymore. The mild mist caused the grass in the clearing to glisten as the first rays of the Sun became visible. The asuras raised their weapons in salute to the warriors and the warriors bowed with the aatmaanjali mudra. The asuras from another graha or hunters from a distant loka (world), whatever they were, were brave and capable fighters all, and that was to be lauded. The three warriors and the asura groups now moved slowly around each other, looking for openings and guessing at feints.

Artwork by Kiran Kumar (with help from AI)

Garuda took a few steps and stopped completely. He let the six asuras surround him. He did not smile out of respect, though the wanted to. The fight began exactly as he had expected. The asura in front of him thrust his long spear at Garuda’s abdomen. At the same kshana the asura behind him spun his spear overhead to strike at Garuda’s head. Garuda took a step forward and also turned left at the same time. The spear stab missed him as he turned by the width of a feather of his. He gently placed his hand on the spear shaft as it missed his abdomen. With the forward step, the strike from the rear missed his head by the length of a finger.

He was now facing the two asuras who were originally to his left, with two behind him. As he had made his initial movement, he spread his wings and clapped them together behind him! This shocked the two asuras behind him with a gust of wind and blew one off its feet. As all this was happening, the one that had stabbed at him pulled back the thrust. Garuda followed the movement with his palm on the spear shaft and as the pullback ended, he pushed in a little more which made the asura lose its posture, at which time Garuda lifted the spear up, slunk his great height under it spun around while going down one knee. This series of motions forced the asura to drop down with a backward roll and let go of the spear.

Garuda now repeated the backward clap of his wings and that made the two asuras behind him rethink their attack and stop in their tracks. But the creature now on his right who had swung for his head was charging ahead with a spear thrust. Garuda now had the spear the fallen owner had let go as it rolled. He stayed on his knee and just flicked the spear on its center to strike with the base of it at the charging asura’s legs. The asura was taken clear off its feet and landed with a grunt, being winded by the fall.

Now Garuda, flicked the spear into his left hand and threw it underhanded at the owner of the spear which was regaining its footing. It went right through the asura’s breastplate and chest, delivering a fatal injury. Garuda was just toying around with his opponents, being in no hurry to rush the fight or initiate an attack.

He stood up and took a step back, allowing the asuras to form a new line. They formed up and this time around, all of them charged at him simultaneously. They all only wielded twin blades on their wrists now. They had all discarded their spears, perhaps realizing the weapon’s length was an advantage to Garuda and not themselves.

Garuda stepped between the first two in the line, as one cut down at him diagonally and the other stabbed at him. Garuda stopped the blade on the first attacker’s left wrist from a stab by gently pushing it into its body and he stepped between the two. The other three who were trying to get towards and around him had to rethink their line of attack as he again got behind their line. As soon as he was behind their advancing line Garuda spread his wings to their full extent and clapped them forwards as he bent forward and jumped back by a full body length. The result was that all five of the asuras were swept in towards each other and gathered by the wings, as between two walls, with great speed, and as Garuda had leapt back they were all caught wrong footed and collapsed in a heap.

There was a deep grunt of great pain as Garuda withdrew his wings. One of the asuras had been mortally wounded in the gut by a slash of one its own compatriots’ blades. But Garuda did not wait to appreciate this situation. He had jumped forward back to where he had been and stomped down on the head of one of the fallen asuras, which became a green smear on the ground. With that he took a few steps back and waited for the next attack by the asuras.

The asuras now looked at each other, likely formulating the next attack strategy. The one on Garuda’s left leaped high in its attack. The one on the far right rolled on the ground to attack low, while the one in the center charged in for a mid-level attack. Garuda was unimpressed with their lack of ability to come up with an attack that truly threatened him. They were completely incapable of countering a being with more limbs than their own, especially if that opponent was also in possession of superior martial training and grater size, and possessed far greater fighting experience, though the last of it he could not blame them for not knowing.

Garuda did no move discernibly as he received the attack. Both his wings extended at the same time, but moved differently. The left wing struck up at the asura and it was shot straight up in the air like a child might throw a ball onto the roof. Only, this asura was thrown so high it might have been above most of the tallest trees. While this was happening, the right wing shot out like a snake towards the asura rolling towards him on the right. The feathers were realigned as the wing shot out. The wing impaled the asura as a heron might spear a fish.

By then the last asura in the center had almost reached him. Garuda folded up both his wings, the tip of his right wing now glistening green. He shifted his weight to his right and the stabbing blade scraped past his abdomen. Again Garuda restrained the blade on the left wrist of the asura with his right palm while he caught its neck in a vice like grip with his left, and snapped it perfunctorily. The asura’s lifeless body collapsed and then there was a thump on his left, as the creature he had knocked into the air fell back on to the ground and lay still, its body rearranged in a grotesque manner.

Artwork by Kiran Kumar (with help from AI)

While the group facing Garuda was beginning to get into formation, Jambavan raised his hand as he faced the six asuras standing in front of him. In a flash, one of Hanuman’s maces landed in his raised hand. His unspoken request had been fulfilled. Hanuman had another mace, not to mention his almighty tail to contend with his adversaries.

He hefted the mace onto his shoulder and started walking towards the center of the asura semicircle in front of him. He had no intentions and expected no specific attack. He wanted to push the asuras into action and see what they could come up with. The asuras too seemed to have the same idea; they gradually moved around and were now moving to surround him. But he randomly changed direction and walked straight towards one of the six with a spear in the right hand and a wrist blade on the left.

This surprised the asura even as his compatriots continued their progress. The surprise made it react, and it stabbed hard at Jambavan with the spear. Jambavan turned left on the spot and brought down the mace onto the spear shaft with his right hand. The shaft snapped and as the front half of the spear fell, Jambavan caught it. While he was catching the spear, the asura slashed at Jambavan’s throat. Jambavan lifted the mace back onto his shoulder and turned right, that blocked the wrist blade. As he was turning to block the blade, he flipped around the broken spear in his left hand and impaled the asura with its own weapon.

By now the other asuras were behind him and closer. But they were wary and stopped as he turned to face them. He again took a few nonchalant steps toward their center. This time the one in the center stiffened, anticipating an attack. But he changed tack and walked right past the creature! It did nothing and neither did any of the other four around. Clearly, they were too concerned with failing in an attack. They would rather have Jambavan attack and use any openings presented.

Thus Jambavan gave them what they wanted. He went on the attack. He lashed out with his mace at the asura he had just walked past. This asura had two wrist blades. It blocked the strike with its blade on the right hand and stabled with the blade on its left wrist. As the stab came in, Jambavan pulled the mace towards him, making it vertical and then positioned it in line with the asura’s chest. The asura predictably pulled the stab to protect itself. It stopped the mace with a scissor maneuver, crossing its two blades under the mace head like a scissor. This unfortunately realigned the spike from its chest to its neck. Jambavan swiveled to his left on his right foot away from the blades, while palm heeling the base of the mace with his left palm. This drove the spike of the mace into the asura’s neck, killing it.

Even as he was pulling the spike out, he dropped to his knees. The asura to his left had moved up behind him and launched a slash at the rear of his neck. He had sensed the intent and dropped, allowing the blade to pass harmlessly above his head. He then flicked the mace straight up from its pommel. The mace head smashed the face of the asura who attacked from behind, caving it in.

The remaining three asuras did not attack immediately. Jambavan took his time standing up and walking towards them. He dragged the mace beside him now, not hefting it onto his shoulder. As he neared the asura on the left, being agitated, it went on the attack. It slashed down with the blade on the left wrist. Jambavan received the cut by lifting the mace, with the shaft of the mace. As the asura was pulling back the right hand to attack with the blade on its other wrist. Jambavan dropped the mace spike down where he stood. The spike of the dropped mace pierced the foot of the creature and with a loud grunt, it went down straight in a heap. As it was going down, Jambavan held out his fist which knocked back the head of the falling asura, snapping its neck with a violent whiplash.

The remaining two asuras seemed to have gained the courage of cornered beasts in the few kshanas it had taken for their last compatriot to perish with no concerted effort on behalf of Jambavan. They charged as one at Jambavan. Jambavan dropped the mace in the path of the asura on his right slowing it down for a kshana. The other asura attacked with its left blade first, the path of which Jambavan stepped out of and then with its right. This attack also Jambavan stepped out of, ending up behind the attacking hand. By now the second asura had also commenced the attack. Jambvan pushed the right arm of the asura, grabbing lightly onto its shoulder and wrist and using the momentum of its own attack, into the path of the attacking asura. This second asura was disemboweled by the combined momentum of its own charge and the attack redirected by Jambavan, on the blade of its compatriot.

Jambavan now disengaged as the last asura pulled the blade out of its dying compatriot. He casually walked to the fallen mace and picked it up. This time he stopped playing around with the creatures. He charged with a raised mace to attack the last asura. It blocked with its left wrist blade. But this time the mace came down with a lot of intent and shattered the blade as it made contact with it. In despair the asura tried to attack with the blade on it right wrist, only to have this also break into pieces as Jambavan attacked this blade. Now, Jambavan performed a reverse twirl of the mace from his right wrist. This broke the asura’s head, resulting in a glowing green mace head.

Artwork by Kiran Kumar (with help from AI)

A gentle breeze had started with a pleasant fluting sound in the trees. The golden glow of the morning rays also gave an ethereal quality to the morning as Hanuman threw a mace over to Jambavan when his hand was raised. Hanuman’s senses were soothed with the developing atmosphere but his attention never wavered towards Jambavan. He was discerning the intentions of the six asuras who had determined for themselves to take him on. The attention of all the six asuras wavered for a kshana until they realized that the mace throw was not an attack.

Even as mace was thrown, Hanuman had started moving his tail through the lush grass underfoot, which only the greatest and most observant of warriors might have realized. This confirmed Hanuman’s suspicions that these asuras, while brave and capable without a doubt, were in no way comparable to the greats he had faced in his very long existence on this graha (planet).

They seemed to have never faced grave threats to themselves; they had fought equals at best and inferior opponents at worst. His desire to face them as equals evaporated at that moment. He was no longer interested in this fight and wanted to end it. He had taken in everything in the surroundings and the opponents themselves. So he commenced the attack.

He moved towards the asura second from the last on his left with his mace raised high. As he had moved a few steps, his pre-positioned tail stiffened in its second half becoming a stout staff, and swept the asura on the far right off its feet with a strike. The creature, having had no clue of the tail’s presence, collapsed and this shocked its compatriots as well. While this was happening, Hanuman struck out with his mace at the intended target.

This asura was raising the spear in its left hand to deflect the mace, but missed the mace completely as it was distracted by its fellow falling to the ground. The distraction turned out to be costly as the mace crushed its head in the first spray of green in the morning sun.

The tail had not been idle as this asura died. Hanuman had spotted a log behind the asura that had been swept off its feet. Now the tail wrapped around the log, was pulled back and raised high over the fallen asura, the log being vertical. Hanuman crashed the log down onto the fallen creature with his tail as a flail with a log at its end. The asura died with a crushed chest without realizing what had happened.

The four remaining asuras were thoroughly unsettled. They had no clue with how to deal with additional limbs, especially the tail, which to them must have seemed like a lifeform on its own. The asura on Hanuman’s left came out of the stupor first and started attacking Hanuman with its two wrist blades. Two of the auras on his right then moved at the same time attacking him from behind. Hanuman calmly deflected the strikes and stabs from the asura with his mace, using both the shaft and mace head for the purpose.

While he danced around the asura’s attack, his tail released the log, shortened in length and knotted itself into a club. This tail club smacked into the midriff of the first asura who got behind him and pushed it away a good distance. The asura reeled backwards and struggled to keep its balance. As soon as the creature had been struck, the tail un-knotted itself and lengthened again to grab an end of the log it had dropped earlier.

The tail again looped around the log and dragged itself along the ground. The second asura had almost reached a point from where it could attack Hanuman from behind, but at that very kshana, the tail pulled the log between his legs and lifted it up rapidly. The log thus smacked this asura in the groin and it doubled up with the pain of the impact.

The tail released the log and wrapped itself around the injured asura. As this happened Hanuman disengaged from the attacking asura and leaped backwards by a body length, all while shortening his tail. He then did a barrel roll forward while his tail still held the asura by its neck. As he completed the roll, Hanuman released the asura from his tail and it was flung into the opponent he had disengaged from. The two creatures crashed into each other.

The one that had been flung had been stabbed to death by the blade of its compatriot as it tried to defend itself from the thrown body. The other who had taken the brunt of the impact was injured and dazed from the force of the impact. Hanuman ignored the fallen asura and now turned his attention to two remaining asuras.

He advanced on them. They in turn moved around hoping to find an opening. Their wish was granted as Hanuman focused on the asura on the right and left the one on the left free to get behind him. Yet again the asuras fell for the ruse and forgot the abilities of the great tail of Hanuman.

Hanuman swung wildly at the asura in front, who blocked, parried and survived the attack, for that was Hanuman’s intention, to lull this asura into a sense of complacency. The other asura at his back again chose to attack his unguarded back. And the tail interfered again. Hanuman had had his tail grab the log again as the asura closed in. As this opponent come for a cut to Hanuman’s back with a wrist blade, the log was pulled up vertically in the tail and it took the cut aimed at Hanuman’s back.

The asura attacked repeatedly with both its blades and each time it was blocked or parried by the log, moved about by the tail and driven by Hanuman’s intuitive awareness of what was happening all around him, even in his blind spots. Suddenly, the tail shortened considerably, while switching its loop to the log’s middle. Once this was done, the log was held horizontally close to Hanuman’s buttocks. He also ceased all attacks on the foe in front of him. The one behind him also saw its chance to get close, now that the log had been withdrawn.

The two asuras both charged at Hanuman. Hanuman then turned ninety degrees to his right, holding out the mace to his right. The one coming in from behind got smashed in the head by the mace and one in front was smacked in the hips by the log, which sent it sprawling. The asura behind Hanuman crumpled to the ground, dead, leaving behind more luminescent green on the mace.

Hanuman now faced the injured asura, who got up, clearly in pain. He still had the log in the tail against his buttocks. The asura stood defensively, even as he took a few steps towards it. Hanuman then sensed another malevolent presence behind him. Clearly the asura who had been injured as he had flung its compatriot into it was now up and hoping to attack from behind. This was why the creature in front was unmoving and defensive, trying to distract him as he had not seen the asura behind him.

Hanuman spread his hands to his side and dropped his mace, mocking the asuras and inviting an attack. That seemed to do the trick, the asura in front leaped at him. Hanuman had timed it to perfection. He had goaded the asura in front to attack him just as the one behind him had also leapt for his back. Hanuman just side stepped and held out the log in his tail pointing at the two leaping asuras. They both impaled themselves simultaneously on either end of the log with yet more green spray in the morning air. Hanuman dropped the log. That was the end of all the asuras.

Jambavan, Garuda and Hanuman finished off the asuras facing them within kshanas of each other. They all nodded to each other, there would be time enough to talk later. With that they all proceeded to the brook where they had stopped the previous night, to wash the green off themselves and their weapons. The great vimana still burned behind them in what was becoming a bright morning. The asura, after the events of the night, would perhaps not venture to this part of space for many a century.