The invasion has begun and the bestial demon hordes roar towards Ayodhya. If Ayodhya falls, then all mortal-kind will fall. But Rama cannot return home to defend his family. He must journey to Mithila - a city lying directly in the path of destruction. There, a small band of heroes plan a valiant stand against the advancing armies of darkness. It seems a futile quest. Lanka's forces are near boundless and have swept all before them. Even if Rama can unearth a hidden dev-astra - a powerful artefact of the gods - his chances of victory remain slight. For at the head of the demon tide rides Rama's nemesis, a terrible and ruthless slayer of souls - the demonlord Ravana. The original Ramayana was written in Sanskrit by a reformed thief-turned-sage named Valmiki, possibly as long ago as 2,000 B.C. For more information on Ashok K. Banker