Obsidian Eagle
A humongous metallic cylinder floated far above the site of the battle. It would have appeared as a bright star to those below except that their attention was drawn elsewhere. This state of distraction afforded Upaya Panther-Mask a bird’s-eye view of the ongoing havoc. He stood at the brink of a hatch on the vessel’s side, scanning that distant panorama through sensory augmentations ingrained in his helm. The fulmination that had dissipated a little earlier would have blinded him too were it not for said helm shading his eyes from any glare. “What do you see?” Priestess Kaitabh inquired next to him. “Berunni’s Danavas have found their way from the shadows and engaged the Devata’s infantry, which means that my Daityas shouldn’t be far behind.” “Excellent,” crooned the Raksha, “allocating our ground forces on the dark side of the moon was a superb idea wily prince.” “Not quite as superb as these vimanas. Your mages are exceptionally gifted to extract such artifice from the collective unconscious of Bhuloka. I always assumed that there was nothing left worth retrieving in the spatial-temporal sphere.” Kaitabh only grinned, wringing her hands as usual. They both directed a gaze at the nearby ships of their armada and beheld a bat-winged messenger flying toward them. They moved aside and the incoming Raksha knelt summarily at the feet of his superior. “Exalted matriarch,” he articulated amid halting breaths, “our brigades await your commandment.” She diverted her red eyes to Upaya, who gripped a railing and studied the surface intently again. “I do remember saying that I would spearhead this assault,” Upaya reasserted. “Even now I have Lord Indra in my sight.” The Daitya prince freed Garuda’s Feather from its sling. “No last-minute doubts?” She tested. “None, if this grants me the momentum you’re so sure of.” “Count on it as you count on that sharp rudder.” “Watch me then.” He dashed back inside the hull and took a running start for the egress. Out he went, plummeting li
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