The scent of ghee-laced rice and fragrant lentils filled the courtyard, but the three brothers could not bring themselves to eat. They sat stiffly on woven mats with their eyes fixed on the banana leaves before them. Across from them, their host ate with practised ease, with fluid and unhurried movements. Lord Shiva sat beside his sons, Ganesh and Murugan, who ate with the casual comfort of being in their own home. The Goddess Parvathy had served them all, yet the three brothers' food remained untouched. They were on tenterhooks and were wound tight with a mixture of terror and awe.
Shiva halted midway through lifting a ball of rice to his mouth. He did not look at them, yet they felt his gaze pierce them to the core.
"Is the food not up to your tastes?" He asked with a plain, inquisitive tone.
"N-No!" The eldest brother squeaked in panic. He shook his hands frantically in front of him. "It smells absolutely… divine. It's just that-"
"If you are more accustomed to meat, you can speak freely," Shiva interrupted, his tone matter-of-fact. Without waiting for a response, he called out in a loud voice that did not sound like a shout, "Parvathy! Our guests desire meat."
"W-What?! NO!" The three brothers yelled in unison. The outburst was so sudden it caused Ganesh to flinch, dropping a piece of flatbread back onto his leaf. They coughed as the youngest and the largest brothers' faces flushed with embarrassment - the eldest's would too if only he had a face.
The eldest bowed his head low. "My Lord," he clarified, speaking in a humble voice. "We are simply in awe. To be in the presence of You and Your Family… it is overwhelming."
"Well-" Shiva mumbled, finally delivering the rice into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully, then swallowed. "Let's hold off on the awe and reverence until after you've finished eating. Neither my wife nor I are particularly fond of wasting food."
The brothers bobbed their heads like chickens and, with renewed vigour, pecked at their food. The largest of the three, the giant, practically inhaled the contents of his leaf. His large hands moved with surprising speed, scooping up rice and lentils in a continuous, ravenous motion. His pace stunned Ganesh, who paused his own eating to watch. The two exchanged a look. A playful smirk spread across the elephant-headed god's face, and a silent, impromptu contest began between the two titans of appetite.
The youngest brother ate at a measured pace with deliberate and respectful movements. The eldest, however, was a study in conflict. He jumped awkwardly between a desperate, ravenous inhalation and a slow, reverent pace. It was evident that the man was drained of all energy. His body was screaming for sustenance, and yet he was actively fighting his own desperate hunger.
At that moment, their hostess walked back into the courtyard carrying a lidded, earthenware pot. She moved with a silent grace and placed it in the centre of the three brothers. As if a single mind commanded them, the brothers stopped eating instantly. They lowered their heads and averted their gazes, lest they look upon the Goddess's face directly.
Parvathy removed the lid. A heavenly smell invaded their senses. It was a melodic blend of spices, rich and warm, accentuated by the sharp, delicious note of garlic. With salivating gazes, they dared to peek at the contents of the pot and were shocked to see thick, juicy chunks of red meat simmering in a dark gravy.
"Murugan's Guru is an unapologetic carnivore," Shiva explained casually, as if sensing their confusion.
"It is deer meat," Parvathy clarified, her voice as gentle as the aroma. She began serving generous portions onto the brothers' leaves.
"My Lord," the eldest spoke in a low and trembling voice. "This is… excessive. We are undeserving of such a bounty."
"You are guests here," Shiva interjected as his voice lost its casual edge. "Atithi Devo Bhava." The guest is God. The brothers could hear the Lord's calmness teeter on the end of a knife as he spoke this proverb. They realised that their behaviour was irritating their host.
They swallowed their objections and ate. When the giant finished the last of his portion, their hostess emerged from the kitchen with another pot, and then another. The food was practically endless. The famished brothers, finally succumbing to the hospitality, ate to their hearts' content.
Once the meal was finished, the youngest brother stood, gathering the used leaves to assist in clearing up.
"The kitchen is my wife's purview," Shiva's voice halted him. "Even I am not allowed inside without her approval."
"We are unworthy of having the Goddess clean up after us-" the scholar reasoned, horrified at the thought.
A single, stern look from Shiva silenced him completely.
"So," Shiva began, turning his attention to the eldest, faceless brother. "I have heard of your achievement. Swimming upstream from the mouth of Ganga to its source."
The eldest revealed a wry grin, though without a face and lip, it was simply a grotesque twitch of muscles around his mouth. But he was stunned by the Lord's next words.
"Why would you do something so stupid?"
The sharp and unexpected question hung in the air. "I-I was expressing my devotion to you, my Lord," the eldest mumbled.
"I fail to see how swimming up a river proves devotion," Shiva responded, sounding genuinely perplexed.
"People do crazier things, my Lord," the eldest reasoned, finding a sliver of courage. "I had to stand out."
"Yes, and it really freaks me out," Shiva replied with a sudden, disarming chuckle. "Nonetheless, you have achieved your goal. I am equally impressed by your devotion. What is it that you desire? Ask."
The eldest looked away, the raw muscle of his face seeming to sag with shame. "I apologise, my Lord, but I failed. I could not swim up to the true source of the Ganga."
Shiva quirked an eyebrow. "I don't see it that way. Do you think it is a simple feat to ascend Kailasha and enter my abode? If it were so easy, there would be a horde of mortals roaming these plains."
"But… it isn't unheard of," the eldest stumbled, his mind racing. "Lord Parashurama achieved the feat. And I am certain Lord Murugan's Guru has as well."
An uproarious laugh erupted from Shiva. He stood and continued, "Your basis of comparison is flawed. Do not ask me why. That knowledge isn't for me to demystify, but for you to find out for yourself." He looked upon the eldest with an expression of profound amusement. "Stay as long as you wish. The offer for a boon will remain open for that duration. Though be aware," he added, his smile turning cryptic, "the flow of time in my realm is… irregular."
The three brothers exchanged a wide-eyed glance. When they turned back, their host had disappeared.
"He does that," Ganesh explained cheerfully, picking a stray piece of food from his tusk. "But don't worry. He is quite easy to seek when he wishes to be found."
___
The three brothers sat on the ground before the large banyan tree. They faced Lord Ganesh and Lord Brahma's head, who were once again engrossed in a game on the ashtapada board.
"How wonderful, we have an audience today," Lord Brahma said with a note of amusement in his voice. "Perhaps this will motivate you to finally win?"
"I doubt it," Lord Ganesh mumbled as he scratched his tusk with a finger. "Oh, this one is tough..."
"If I may be so bold," the youngest brother spoke up, his scholarly instincts taking over. "You could move the Mantri-"
"No," the eldest interjected calmly. "That would be certain defeat in three moves."
The youngest brother pondered this for a few moments, as his brow furrowed in concentration. "I don't see it..." he conceded.
"Well," the eldest continued. He extended a finger and recreated the board in the dirt beside them. He replicated the suggested move. "If the Mantri moves here to capture the Gaja, then it is conceded to this Sainik." His finger traced the path. "Then Lord Ganesh is left with one of two options..." The eldest proceeded to explain the tree of possible outcomes, demonstrating how each path, as he had predicted, ended in Ganesh's defeat within three moves. His explanation was clear, concise, and irrefutable.
"That was well reasoned," Lord Brahma lauded with a genuinely impressed tone. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced."
"My Lord," the eldest said with a humble bow. "These are my brothers. Vibhishana," he gestured to the youngest, "and Kumbhakarna," he gestured to the largest, who sat silently observing.
"And you are?" Lord Brahma probed.
There was a slight pause. "I am... Faceless," the eldest answered.
"Well, Faceless," Lord Brahma suggested playfully. "Do you think you can salvage this game for our young friend here?"
"I wouldn't want to be presumptuous, my Lord," Faceless deflected.
"Enough with the tiresome humility," Lord Brahma's head exhorted impatiently. "Can you do it or not?"
"I can try," Faceless offered. He moved to take Ganesh's place before the board.
The game resumed. Faceless played with a fierce intelligence. His moves were in stark contrast to Ganesh's more intuitive style. He anticipated Brahma's strategies, setting traps within traps. The game went on far longer than any of Ganesh's previous attempts, but in the end, Brahma's intellect was simply too vast. Faceless was defeated.
"That was exhilarating!" Lord Brahma boomed in satisfaction. "You were quite close. If not for Ganesh's folly in the early game, the victory could very well have been yours."
Faceless simply waved a hand humbly and began to concede his seat.
"No, you two continue," Ganesh interjected immediately with a kind smile on his mien. "I will take brother Kumbhakarna to do something he may enjoy more."
Faceless and Vibhishana looked over to their largest brother and noticed he had nodded off during the intense game. The man's head rested on his chest, and a thin stream of drool dripped out of his drooping lip. Ganesh walked over and gently nudged the sleeping giant awake. "Come, come. Mother has cooked up some snacks you may find interesting." The giant blinked groggily before following Ganesh toward the dwelling.
Vibhishana moved to sit beside his brother, and together, they faced Lord Brahma's head. In the middle of their next game, Faceless paused. "My Lord, if it isn't too presumptuous to ask... how did you lose your head?"
Lord Brahma chuckled dryly. "It's a long and convoluted story," he admitted. "To keep it simple, I have entered into an agreement with Kratos - that would be Murugan's Guru. I give him a good night's sleep, and he shows me the world I created."
"Why does the Creator need an envoy to roam their own birthed realm?" Vibhishana probed, his curiosity piqued.
Lord Brahma let out a tired sigh and explained, "A long, long time ago, a deal was struck amidst the Devas and Asuras. They decided that my presence, as the Creator, was no longer necessary."
"We have read this in the scriptures," Faceless admitted. "So it is true, then?"
"Yes," Lord Brahma admitted.
"It was for the greater good. The sacrifice Lord Brahma made was admirable," Vibhishana extolled.
Lord Brahma revealed a bitter smile and did not pursue the topic further.
At that moment, two figures approached. The one leading was the ashen warrior. Supposedly, Lord Murugan's Guru - Kratos. The man walked with an irritation in his gait. His heavy strides pounded the earth. Behind him trailed Murugan, who looked far worse for wear. His garments were smudged with dirt, and his posture was slumped with exhaustion and frustration.
"What did I miss?" Lord Brahma's head asked as the two reached the banyan tree.
Kratos did not answer. He walked past them all. He bent down, picked up Brahma's head, and attached it wordlessly to a hook at his waist.
"He was distracted," Kratos chided in a low growl. He did not look at anyone as he spoke, yet his words were aimed squarely at Murugan. "He made many silly errors."
He finally turned. His piercing eyes landed on his pupil. Murugan flinched. "When you are once again serious about your training," Kratos stated, his tone leaving no room for argument, "come find me." With that, he turned and stalked away, his retreating figure radiating cold fury.
Murugan watched him go with his face masked in shame and anger. He kicked a loose stone, sending it skittering across the grass.
"What troubles you, my lord?" Faceless asked quietly in a neutral voice.
Murugan shot him an evaluating scowl. After a moment, he seemed to decide the man wasn't worth the energy of a reply. He turned on his heel and stormed off in the opposite direction from his guru.
___
An amusing sight unfolded near the kitchen. Ganesh stood atop Kumbhakarna's broad shoulders, reached deep inside a high larder and retrieved a hidden pot. The duo then tiptoed out. Which was an odd sight in and of itself, of two large entities trying their best to move with the stealth of mice.
Ganesh directed Kumbhakarna to his personal study and triumphantly opened the pot, revealing a glistening pile of fried sweet cakes. "This is Malpua," Ganesh explained, lapping up the saliva already oozing from the sides of his mouth. He brought one to his lips and took a small, ecstatic bite, relishing it. "Try it!" He offered, moving the pot towards Kumbhakarna.
The giant reached into the pot, picked up a cake, and tossed it straight into his mouth. He bit down, but was shocked to find he had bitten into plain air. He opened his eyes and saw the sweet cake hovering a few inches from his face, suspended in midair by shimmering golden particulates.
"Some things you have to savour slowly," Ganesh explained gently before depositing the Malpua into Kumbhakarna's open palm. The giant followed his host's lead, taking a small bite and letting the sweet, syrupy flavour flood his senses.
At that moment, the door to the study slid open and Murugan stepped in. He immediately began to unburden his thoughts, "Brother, I need your guidance-" he halted midway when he noticed the additional guest.
"What's gotten you so riled up today?" Ganesh probed jocularly. "Get into another tiff with your Guru?"
Murugan's gaze fell on the giant, who was still lost in the taste of the Malpua. He coughed, composing himself. "The fault was mine. I was too distracted today."
Ganesh handed the entire pot of Malpua to Kumbhakarna and inched closer to Murugan. "Speak, then. What worm has settled in your mind that it has distracted you from your most favourite thing in life?"
Noticing the awkward shift in Murugan's behaviour, the elephant-headed god's eyes started to widen as a realisation dawned on him. "It's a girl, isn't it!" he exclaimed.
Murugan's head darted up in shock. "What? No!" he denied involuntarily.
Ganesh patted his brother's shoulder reassuringly. "You don't need to be so defensive," he said calmly. "Attraction between a man and a woman is nothing to be ashamed of."
"I'm not a man yet!" Murugan defended.
"Just because Mother calls you her 'Sweet Child' does not mean you still are one," Ganesh chided light-heartedly. "Have you taken a look at yourself? My dearest brother, you are grown, mature… and virile."
Murugan's cheeks reddened at the scandalous statement. He pushed Ganesh away and scooted into a corner of the room. Ganesh edged closer. "So, who is the girl?"
Murugan tried to shoo his brother away, but Ganesh had a vice grip on his elbow. After some back and forth, Murugan relented with a sigh. "Her name is Valli."
"Valli!" Ganesh responded with a snap of his finger. "The girl you doused in blood and gore! How did you manage to turn that mess around?"
"I apologised, like you said," Murugan expressed, a gentle and faraway look entering his eyes. "And, well… we share a lot in common."
"So something must have happened to have distracted you," Ganesh probed. "Did you two get into a fight?"
Murugan shook his head, his brows furrowing with light anxiety. "There is word of a war on the horizon," he explained. "Her village is close to the affected regions. I worry she and her people might get drawn in unwittingly."
"That is troublesome," Ganesh admitted. "So what do you plan to do?"
Murugan shrugged helplessly. "What is it that I CAN do?"
"Proactive, protective measures," Ganesh chimed in. "Wait-" He sifted through his cupboards and retrieved a dusty jade locket. He picked up a nearby pin and, before Murugan could react, pricked his brother's finger. The teenager flinched slightly. Ganesh squeezed a single drop of blood onto the locket, which pulsed once and turned from pale green to a deep crimson.
"Give this to her," Ganesh explained, handing the item to his brother. "If she is ever in trouble, tell her to break it. It will summon you to her location instantly."
Murugan held the locket as if it were the greatest of divine weapons. His previous frustration was replaced by a look of fierce determination. He gave Ganesh a grateful nod and rushed out of the study.
"Oh, young love," Ganesh expressed to himself with a warm smile. He turned around to face his guest and nearly let out a chuckle. The pot of Malpua was completely empty, and Kumbhakarna had once again fallen fast asleep with a blissful smile on his face.
___
Kratos sat on a low stool in the shed - his living space. The flickering light from the candle by his bedside cast harsh shadows across his ashen skin. It wasn't yet dark outside, but the atmosphere inside felt dim nonetheless.
In truth, Kratos was waiting. He had called for the boy, and he was awaiting his arrival. When Murugan entered, he did so without his usual confidence. He stood before him and waited.
"Your focus is fractured," Kratos stated. It was not a question. "Your feet are slow, your mind is elsewhere. I thought we had moved past this. So then, why?"
Murugan's jaw tightened. For a moment, it seemed he would offer another denial, but Murugan wouldn't lie. Even still, facing his Guru's unblinking gaze made lying impossible. "There is a girl," he admitted in a low voice. "Her name is Valli. Her village may be in the path of a coming war."
"This is the same girl you saved from those attackers. The one in the forest." Kratos felt a familiar, cold disappointment settle in his gut. It was predictable. Inevitable. "So you fret. And this worry makes you weak."
"No," Murugan countered. "It-"
"It is a distraction," Kratos cut him off flatly, his voice hard as stone. "You think of her when you should be thinking of your own growth. This romantic whim is a vulnerability. Attachment is a chain. It gives your enemies a weapon to use against you." The memories were not images, but scars he could still feel. A wife. A daughter. Their faces were ghosts he had learned to ignore, but the lesson they taught was branded into his soul and embedded into his skin. "You have seen my past. You know what I talk about... Love is a weakness."
"You are wrong," Murugan said as his voice gained a defiant edge. "Caring for someone does not make you weak. It makes you stronger. It gives you a reason to fight, a reason to become more capable… to protect them."
A dry chuckle came from Kratos' hip. "The boy is a poet," Brahma's head commented. "A naive one, but a poet nonetheless. Listen to your teacher. He speaks from experience. Love, family, devotion… these are the levers the powerful use to break the strong. These emotions make you soft and easy to manipulate. It is the oldest and most reliable trick in the book."
Murugan looked from the head to his teacher. His expression hardened. "That is not what my father believes." He did not raise his voice, but his words were like steel. "And it is not what I believe."
He held Kratos' gaze for another long moment. In it, Kratos could see two ideologies warring in real-time. Murugan was trying to resolve what he was taught by his parent, and what his Guru was trying to instil in him. But that was not all. In the boy's eyes, Kratos could see very clearly the tinge of anxiety and fear that only those already captured in the treacherous net of love exhibit. The battle was already lost. There was nothing Kratos could do to sway the boy. All he could do was wait.
With nothing more to say, Murugan turned and walked out of the shed, leaving Kratos alone in the flickering darkness.
He placed the head back by his bedside and lay down, deep in thought.
"Sleeping again?" The head asked.
"There is nothing I can do here but wait," Kratos responded.
"He is mature for his age," the head expressed. "But he is still a teenager. At his age, it is often difficult for the mind to combat the body's... urges."
"He is not just infatuated," Kratos corrected. "He sincerely cares for her. And that makes it far worse."
"Shouldn't we involve his parents, then?" The head suggested.
"I do not know," Kratos dismissed before nodding off into a dreamless nap.
But the dreamless nap was short-lived. Kratos was jolted from it by a frantic pounding on his door.
"Kratos! Kratos, wake up!" It was Ganesh. The urgency in his voice was unmistakable.
Kratos rose in an instant. His body was alert before his mind had fully caught up. He threw open the heavy door to find the elephant-headed lad pacing anxiously.
"He is gone," Ganesh said. His usual cheerfulness was replaced by a mask of flustered worry. "He was called. Murugan has disappeared."
Kratos did not fully understand. "Called? By whom?"
___
Murugan practised on the plains of Kailasha, but his mind was not on the spear in his hands. He moved through the familiar forms. His body executed the motions while his thoughts were miles away, back in a small village in Bhuloka. The faces of his phantom enemies blurred, replaced by Valli's.
He saw her again as he had last left her. He held out the crimson locket. "If you are in trouble, break this," he had explained. "I will be there to take you to a safe place."
Valli had taken the locket. Her small hand closed around it, but her gaze was adamant. "I cannot leave my family. My people."
"Valli, you do not understand," Murugan pleaded. "There is a war brewing. Your village is in its path. It is dangerous to remain here."
"No, YOU do not understand!" she snapped back fiercely. "Even if I survive, how can I live with myself knowing I abandoned everyone I love? Maybe for you, a god, this does not matter. But for me, it is everything. This is my world!"
The memory stung. He fumbled a thrust, and the spear tip dug into the soil. What could he do? He could not simply evacuate an entire village to Kailasha. His father would be furious. The rules were clear. "What to do?" he mumbled to himself, his frustration mounting.
At that moment, a violent jerk seized him. It was not a physical force, but something deeper, a pull on his very essence. Before he could even form a thought, the plains of Kailasha dissolved. The world twisted, and he was deposited, unceremoniously, in the centre of Valli's village.
He stood on a raised wooden platform, with the crimson locket shattered on the ground at his feet. The entire village was gathered. Looking around, their faces were a mixture of terror and hope. The first thing he heard was Valli's voice, amplified in the desperate silence.
"This is Lord Murugan, son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathy!" she yelled, pointing at him. "He will protect us!"
The villagers' eyes widened. A wave of disbelief washed over them, quickly replaced by awe. As one, they collapsed to the ground, prostrating themselves before him. Murugan's gaze shot to Valli. He saw past her brave declaration to the intense panic in her eyes.
'They're coming,' she mouthed, her expression one of pure terror.
___
In Kailasha, Ganesh, Faceless, Vibhishana, and Kumbhakarna watched in stunned silence as Murugan vanished in a flash of crimson light. Ganesh was the first to react. After a moment of panicked shock, he beelined straight for Kratos's shed, the three mortal brothers in tow.
"What do you expect me to do?" Kratos asked after Ganesh's rushed explanation. "Can you not bring him back?"
Ganesh grabbed his large ears in extreme worry. "I cannot interfere so directly! He is not in immediate danger to his life, not yet. If it comes to that, Father or Mother will act. But in doing so, they would open a pot of worms I would rather keep sealed. Gods cannot interfere in Bhuloka on such a grand scale."
"Murugan is a god, and yet he interferes," Kratos retorted. His logic was blunt yet sound.
"That is a grey area," Ganesh snapped back, then quickly shook his head, his tone shifting to a plea. "Besides, he cannot use the full extent of his divinity without incurring dire consequences. I implore you. Please help my brother."
"What do you expect me to do?" Kratos repeated in a flat tone.
Ganesh wasted no more words. He performed a complex series of mudras. His hands snapped into a blur of motion. A large, shimmering ripple appeared in the air before them, like the surface of a pond disturbed by a stone. It settled into a clear, mirror-like image.
The scene it displayed was one of pure chaos. A massive horde of men, a tidal wave of bodies, flowed across the land. They were a disorganised mass; more of a natural disaster than an army. Amidst their ranks were hulking beasts, their roars adding to the cacophony.
"Northern Barbarians," Faceless said grimly. The brothers had moved to stand behind Ganesh. "Brutal. Unforgiving. They follow no code of war. They kill without restraint. After every battle, they slaughter the men, the elderly, and the children. The women…" He did not need to finish the sentence.
"What do you expect me to do?" Kratos asked for the final time.
"Anything!" Ganesh yelled in desperation. "Bring him back safely. That is all I ask."
"Fine," Kratos declared after a long, thoughtful pause. He returned to his bedside and attached Brahma's head to his waist. "Send me there."
Ganesh immediately summoned a swirling portal of golden energy. Just as Kratos was about to step through, Faceless cut in.
"I shall come as well," he declared.
Kratos did not respond and walked through the portal without a backwards glance.
As Faceless moved to follow, Ganesh's hand shot out, stopping him. "If you leave, you forfeit your boon," he warned. "Do not take this decision lightly. Opportunities like this are rare."
Faceless halted. He thought for only a moment, then turned to his two brothers. "You will follow the warrior. Help them in any way you can." He said as he looked from the scholar to the giant. "I shall join you shortly."
His brothers nodded and, without hesitation, stepped through the portal.
Faceless then turned back to Ganesh. His gaze was steady. "Please, take me to the Lord."