I dove out of the way before the tree-size club squashed me flat to the ground. It crashed onto the earth with the force that gave off a shocking thump. As I was rolling in dirt, I heard Tusita's voice calling my name again, but I couldn't manage a response. Through the thickest mist, I could see the flashes of light as she shot arrows from her bow. The demons howled as they perished.

I staggered back onto my feet. An enormous hand appeared out of nowhere and scooped me off the ground. Sharp-nailed fingers wrapped about my body. I was squeezed tightly in an unbreakable clutch, and I could barely breathe. With all my mortal strength, I struggled to free myself but failed against the vice-like grip. Then coming into my vision was a large ugly face that froze me with sheer terror.

"Is that you, O fair one, the Child of Prophecy?" Surpanaka said and laughed. "Long, long ages since I had encountered the radiant god-like Rama, yet no other youth has looked sweeter than you! I have longed to see, O the lady, who's destined to slay my brother. Now I shall take you to Ravana. He will reward me and perhaps let me keep you to please my nights!"

She laughed a high-pitch laugh. Her eyes were full of lust and wickedness. But an arrow-point flashed from the ground. The light-woven arrow flickered almost too fast to see. It grazed the giantess's shoulder, causing blood to bloom red down her body. Her piercing wail nearly tore open my eardrums.

The giantess dropped me from her hand to stop the crimson flow of her wound. I plummeted through tree branches. They scratched my flesh on my way down. But before I fell to my death, Kesar's hands came to encompass me.

She held me and flew away, weaving through the wood. The roar of the enraged demoness erupted through the sky. There was a whizzing sound before I saw the club flew right at us.

"Kesar!" I cried.

She tilted her wings sideways and bypassed the thrown weapon. Yet she lost her leverage and we went down, rolling over the field.

For a moment, all the senses were disconcerted. I opened my eyes again and found Kesar lying beside me. Her wings folded with leaves and dirt. Then I spotted Ravana's sister as she picked her club off the ground again. She had taken only two steps to reach us and began to look for us among the trees and bushes.

"Kesar," I whispered to the maiden and gave her a couple shakes on her shoulder. To my relief, she stirred back to life. I felt it wasn't long before that Surpanaka's horrible crossed-eyes found us.

"Get up," I said and went to pull Kesar to her feet.

"There you are!" the giantess cried out.

I felt a hot itching sensation in my palms and looked at my hands. They burned aglow with golden spiral light. The heat was not unpleasant, but deep in my thumping heart, I realized the power I had now possessed within me. I turned to Kesar again.

"You go and find the others quickly while I distract her," I said then stumbled away on my wobbly feet.

"Nikita, wait!" Kesar cried out in panic.

Her cries could not stop me. I balled my hands into fists and darted off with surprising swiftness. Ravana's sister smiled with her sharp crooked teeth and raised her club again. I dodged the first blow. It smashed the earth with an explosion. I almost fell but managed to right myself back. My feet sprinted between two trees. Surpanka swung her club, but I dove to the ground and rolled away. The trees were smashed to splinters and broken in half.

As I struggled to rise again, the giantess lifted her club, intending to end me. A voice inside me whispered the things I must do.

'Summon your astra, wield it and let it serve you.'

I opened my palms and clasped them together as if in praying. My mind quieted and there was a tug in my heart. Then the tingling light burst forth from my hands, and the shape of a crescent sword materialized in my grip.  

Chandrahas shimmered with a splendorous glow. The blade vibrated with charging energy.

Wielding the Moonsword for the first time, I felt invincible. It was of pure balance and grace and the world's greatest strength.

I stood up light and strong as if empowered by the divine sword itself.

At the same time, the deadly weight of the gigantic weapon began to fall down on me. I raised the blade to match the blow. A ring of blinding ray rippled from the collision, shaking every leaf of the trees.

My shoulders found not the old wobbling awkwardness. Blood flooded my heart and veins with fierce valor and power.

All around the ground trembled under the force. Surpanaka's thorny club split into a thousand pieces. One broken thorn flew away and chopped off her nose in the process. The giantess stumbled back on her heavy feet and let out a loud shrilling cry.

"You wretched girl!" she cried. "My brother shall have you slain for the wrong you have done me!"

"Nikita!" Tusita's voice came from the forest. I turned to find my avatar friends riding on the chariot with demons chasing after them like mad wolves. Tusita sent an arrow that exploded the earth under Surpanaka's feet.

"Curse you!" she cried. Ravana's sister realized her own defeat and turned abruptly to flee.

"Atith, hurry!" Tusita cried as she shot another arrow, but the giantess had vanished into a cloud of black mist. Though the leader of the demons had retreated, there was still a handful of them remained.

"Nikita, get on!" Atith cried.

I turned to Kesar, who started to limp towards me. The sword in my hands slowly dematerialized, turning into a swirl of golden dust and disappeared once again. I came to probe my maiden in my arms. Atith steered the chariot over and skidded the horses to a halt. The flaming horses wailed. Tusita and Samudra helped pull Kesar onto the vehicle before I climbed in afterward.

Suddenly, a growling Rakshasa came and grabbed my leg.

"Oh no!"

I held fast to the side of the rattling chariot and managed to kick the flesh-eating demon in the face with my free foot. His ugly green face grimaced at the blows before his grip fell loose.

Another blue demon jumped over the side of the moving wheel, but Atith stabbed the demon with his spear. Two demons dropped in from above. Samudra carved out their hearts before they could blink and pushed them off again. Several more came at the front of the fire horses. Atith urged his mounts. The chariot lurched into the air. Fire engulfed their bodies as the horses' hooves stomped over them mercilessly.

After the last of their scream was gone, everything was silent again.

We looked around and found no more man-eater. Our chariot was able to roll in relative peace. Then I noticed a stinging feeling on my leg. A wave of dizziness overtook me and my body swayed.

"My lady!" Kesar cried and came to hold me.

"She is wounded," Tusita said. She found the gash below my knee. "Bring her the Soma juice quickly!"

Kesar pulled out a bag of skin, which we had brought along and poured some of its content over my purplish wound. The sting was burning and I cried.

Then Kesar urged the drink to my lips. I gulped the sweet juice, and my vision came into focus again. Looking down, I found the gash began to heal until the skin was pink again.

"Thank Meru gods," Tusita let out a sigh of relief and dropped herself down with a thud. Kesar wiped my lips as she began to sob in her own relief.

"'Shh...I'm alright, just a scratch," I said weakly in an attempt to soothe the distressed maiden.

We rode like that until the gleam of dawn began to bathe the sky in glorious golden tint. The sullen night faded as the sun emerged over the tops of the highest mountains before touching the earth.

Another day had passed.

All nature seemed to have awakened from death once again. The encounter with Surpanaka and her demon servants almost seemed like a nightmare, but we all knew it was real and so was Ravana.