The Beginning
Image Information: Night Clouds, Google Images)
This soundscape fits how I imagined the night of the scenes below. Try listening while reading!
The story begins with Ravana in the palace.
King Ravana strolled quickly down the dark hall, black cloak flying behind him. His obsidian eyes gleamed, framed well by his powerful brow. A wicked smile lay on his face. Ominous tendrils of grey fog curled behind him, reaching out to him but never grasping. Though he wore heavy boots and didn't step particularly lightly, no sound came from his footsteps. In fact, the only sound that could be heard was a ghastly wind that gushed forcefully by, occasionally letting out impish shrieks.
If King Ravana was bothered by this, he showed no sign of it. He continued his fast pace as he turned round a corner, approaching his destination. At the end of this corridor, was a door on the left. Saturated in a dark blood red, the door looked as impudent and intimidating as its occupant. Despite this, Ravana was not cowed. Summoning the screeching wind, he blasted the door open, causing a tremendous crash as it shattered into the wall, sending shards of wood flying. The tendrils of fog that had been following him now overtook him, slinking into the room, convoluting into maniacal storm clouds.
The room's occupant sat on a seat in the far corner of the room, unfazed. She was in front of a mirror, gazing lovingly at her gorgeous reflection. She did not look up at Ravana.
Anger rose within the demon king. His powers grew more intense; a strange black fire burned around him, radiating a cold heat, spine-chillingly evil. Most people would be greatly affected by this; the fainter of heart would perish in fright. However, Shurpanakha merely turned and glared at him.
"What do you want?" she asked.
His words washed over the room, cold as ice. "Show some respect. You ought to bow before your king."
Shurpanakha tossed her head back and laughed. "HA! You ought to bow before your favorite sibling."
"SHURPANAKHA. I am not joking. You must learn some manners, else I teach you a...memorable...lesson in the proper etiquette in front of your king." Ravana's words were serious, yet his mouth contradicted him with a laughing smirk.
"My sincerest apologies, O Great and Fearful One, my lord, my King," Shurpanakha deadpanned, utterly insincere.
Ravana chose to ignore her. "Where are the boys? We need to talk."
Shurpanakha scoffed. "Talk about what? Don't tell me you're assembling another battle plan against that fool Rama again. He's worthless. I truly don't know why that wicked wife of his cares about him. She should be thrilled at the idea of joining our family."
"Just tell me where they are, Shurpanakha. I don't have time for this again," her brother growled.
"Well, it's true. She'd be much better off with me, or even you..." She smirked. "I think our little brothers are in the library. Something about fact-checking...some argument over who is smarter...you know how they get."
"At least they are using their time to strengthen their wit. Not staring at their reflection."
"If any one of you had a face like mine you would look at yourself too. Besides, we all know I'm smarter than them without trying." Shurpanakha tossed her dark curls behind her, and smiled proudly. "I can't help it. I was born perfect."
Ravana smiled icily. "As my sister should be. Meet us in the throne room in thirty minutes. Don't be late."
Story continues in part 2.
Author's Note: This storybook is based on the "bad guys" of Valmiki's epic, the Ramayana. The main characters are Ravana and his siblings, Kumbhakarna, Shurpanakha, and Vibhishana. The story is set in the palace of the Rakshasas (supernatural shape-shifters) and follows the king Ravana as he gathers his younger siblings and plans his defense against the approaching army led by Rama. Rama is coming to rescue his wife Sita, and to try and vanquish Ravana and his Rakshasas. Rama's family and Ravana's family have a history; in the past Ravana's little sister Shurpanakha tried to seduce Rama. Rama's brother Lakshmana stepped in a brutally destroyed her face. For readers who are familiar with her story, it may be confusing why she loves her appearance so much. My reasoning is that 1. She is a shapeshifter who can look as she pleases, and 2. She now values her beauty more than ever, after being robbed of it in the past. Keep reading to meet Ravana's brothers!