The Razing Of Vishnarus: Chapter Two

The Razing Of Vishnarus: Rama's Determination

Conceptual Image: Beast Raksha

The scream echoed throughout the large corridor, reverberating all around Rama as he sprinted. His muscles flexed and relaxed, rippling under his skin like an ocean of power. His torch barely broke through the immense darkness that enshrouded the ship’s hallway.

“Faster. I must protect the people from the Raksha. Faster!” Rama thought, driving himself forward with increased swiftness.

“Faster…”

…

Several hundred meters later, Rama began approaching the source of the blood-chilling scream. An intersection of hallways was fast approaching. A faint light began to grow visible. As Rama neared the intersection he slowed to a jog. The light of the intersection was faint, but gave enough glow to illuminate the floor and several dozen meters of each hallway of the intersection. Rama turned off his torch to conserve its power as he continued towards the light.

Another scream rang out but was quickly cut off with a loud ‘crunch’. Rama swiftly ran to the left corner of the intersection. He stepped around the edge to face the left hallway. There, to his dismay stood a giant Raksha, its back mostly turned to Rama. It was five meters tall, stooped over a large amount of half eaten corpses and limbs. Its large legs were bloodstained from all the people it had trampled. Just like the last Raksha Rama encountered, it too had three arms. The third was embedded into the lower left part of its back.

In its left hand was visible the torso and legs of the person who had screamed out in horror only moments before. Blood still spouted from its torn belly. Bits of meat hung over the creature’s large hand and blood dripped to the floor.

Rama winced at the sight of another being devoured by this dark force. He pushed down his despair deep into his body. As he did, justice and retribution raged inside him. He stepped out into the middle of the hallway and prepared his body with several fluid arched motions, setting himself into a battle-ready position.

The Raksha sniffed the air, and smelled Rama’s fresh skin. It turned its head to glare at Rama. A deep smile was unnaturally carved into the beasts's distorted snout, one of an animal. Its maw was uneven allowing bone to jet from its skull.  Many twisted horns became visible, crowning the beast’s head.

It spoke with two deep voices at once. “Ah, we have finally drug you out of your hole.”

It turned to completely face Rama now. Rama stared down the beast with great vigor.

“Your tardiness has allowed many of your people to die in horrific ways. You must feel so proud. Rama, savior of the humans. Destroyer of Raksha.”

These words pierced Rama as he grew guilty and angry. The beast looked at its half-eaten meat and tossed it towards Rama. As it landed its bones cracked. It slid only a meter away from Rama. Now the prior human was a pile of wet meat and pointed bones. After a short moment, the beast dropped down to all fours with a ground-shaking thud; rearing its body and preparing to engage Rama.

“…and now you will be gored and killed. I shall bring your remains to Ravanash so he may devour you himself!” 

With that the beast charged for Rama, swiftly closing the fifteen-meter gap between them. Rama was mentally preparing himself as the beast spoke. Quickly Rama slid himself forward, allowing him to grasp the broken femur of the dead body, and lightly place down his torch. With a nimble snap Rama pulled out the broken bone. His body spun clockwise from the momentum. Getting a solid footing, just as the beast was upon him, Rama jumped into the air, thrusting his weapon forward into the forehead of the beast. It pierced into the Raksha’s skull, as it screamed in agony. Rama landed, ducking slightly under the beast as it ran over top him. Its momentum was too much to be able to stop before the blow. Screaming in pain the beast skidded to a halt, grasping at the bone embedded into its brain; hot blood ran from the wound to the ground. It turned around in anger to face Rama again. However, before it was fully facing him, Rama was already airborne. Rama had leaped up for the final strike. With his left arm forward for guidance, he pulled back his right arm, preparing to strike the bone. An aura of radiant light shone around Rama as uncountable number of spiritual arms formed to his body. The essence of Vishnu poured from him that moment. Time and space slowed for an immeasurable amount.

“I shall destroy all who threaten the balance of the Universe. May that which you devour be your doom,” Rama spoke.

With godlike speed Rama struck the embedded femur with his palm, launching it through the head of the Raksha. Bits of flesh and brain exploded from the back side of the creature’s skull as it toppled to the ground. Rama landed lightly atop its head with one foot, briefly posing his body into the Abhaya Mudra.

Rama hopped off the beast’s head and landed back upon the blood-soaked floor. The aura around him slowly faded away.  

“I must find my equipment. I cannot fight all my battles with such ferocity, especially with Ravanash seeking my destruction,” Rama thought to himself.

Rama retrieved his torch and started jogging away from the intersection. Two hundred meters away, on the right side of the corridor was the equipment room for the Royal Fleet Security. When Rama arrived, he noted that the door had been ripped away. He stepped in carefully, shinning his torch’s light through the darkness, evaluating its many lockers. Suddenly Rama’s vision blackened as he fell to the floor. He tried to catch himself but was too weak to do so. Exhaustion overcame him. As his consciousness faded away, the last thing he could make out was a soft rhythmic beeping.

...

Author’s Notes:

 I am pleased with how the story is developing thus far. I have one more part panned, but if the story is not quite finish with another one thousand words I may do four chapters instead. (Part four would just have to be something I do extra, outside the course.) I am finding it slightly difficult to keep the unique horror theme to this story. The detail to the creatures works well I think, but what I am finding hard is the genuine horror aspect. I suppose that just takes some practice for getting acclimated to. Also, I am trying to avoid big cliffhangers, but that too is slightly more challenging with our word restrictions. For the two remaining chapters: chapter 3 will be the journey (now that Rama has his appropriate gear), of Rama traveling to the location in which other humans are fighting back the Raksha and Ravanash. The beeping will be a coded message that was from several hours prior, while Rama was still in Cry-sleep. The final chapter, chapter 5, will be focused primarily on the final fight between Rama and Ravanash. Depending  on the detail of the battle, and the numbers on both sides of the struggle, it might be a condensed or extended chapter.

Source:
Prince Of Ayodhya
Author: Ashok K. Banker
Published by Orbit (Time Warner Books UK), June 2005. Great Britain. Print. University Of Oklahoma Libraries.