Sunrise, Iris Kingdom.
After taking a night at the Inn, Rishi and Raj started off their journey to the forest on their horses. As they reached the forest, the sun bloomed through the woods and the life there woke up to a new bright day.
Since their way in, they moved with utmost alert expecting to find clues. But there was no luck and they almost reached the centre of the forest. The voices of nature slowly faded away and it became suspiciously eerie all of a sudden.
Rishi stopped and got down his horse. Raj followed him and the both moved carefully with hands on their undrawn swords.
In that quiet mitten place, they heard some footsteps at a distance. Rishi and Raj quickly moved in that direction, observing the surroundings. Raj checked if someone was hiding up in the tall trees.
After sometime Rishi sensed something. He had a feeling that someone was observing them. He got alerted and looked around.
But he couldn't find anything. Rishi suddenly remembered Raj away from him and before he turned around he sensed someone was coming from behind.
He turned around in a swift motion before taking out his sword in defense.
"Clang..!!..!!"
The swords collided making a loud sound in the silent forest. Rishi opened his eyes which turned darker with anger.
His eyes widened seeing the person in front of him.
"Raj..!?"
Before Rishi uttered any word further, Raj aimed the sword towards his neck. Rishi dogged it but his left arm got injured. Blood oozed from his arm but Rishi's face had turned red but felt no pain.
Rishi also started fighting with Raj and then he observed him. Raj's eyes are different. There is no expression in his face and nothing but void in his eyes.
Rishi understood the situation and started attacking Raj with more strength and fierceness.
"Raj.. Listen to me you are under a spell. Come out!" Rishi said while choking Raj from behind. But Raj kicked Rishi in his abdomen and escaped his grip.
Raj coughed and he shook his head. Before he recovered he looked up and defended himself. He then started attacking Rishi with more force.
Raj is almost equal to Rishi in battle skills. Raj seems to be a jolly person but he had been trained along with Rishi since childhood. They practised together many times but it never got this real. The time is never expected and the fighting has never been more intense.
Rishi thought for an idea while escaping his attacks. He knows that Raj uses much strength in all his moves, so he started making Raj lose energy.
In the meantime, Rishi observed the trees around to find something. After intense searching he found someone standing on a tree's branch.
While fighting, Rishi takes Raj near that tree. Before he took some action, Raj kicked him hard, making Rishi fall a few meters away, making his sword fall down.
Raj rushed towards Rishi with full force but before Raj reached Rishi, Rishi aimed a small knife and threw it at the person on the tree.
"Ahhh..!" Rishi gasped. The person falls from the branch.
Raj who was coming towards Rishi suddenly loses his energy and falls down on his knees before his body touches the ground, Rishi rises and holds him in his arms.
"Ri.. Rishi.." Raj said before losing consciousness.
"You did a great job Raj," Rishi said and laid him down carefully.
Rishi walked towards that person taking his sword. When he reached that person, he was shocked to see that the person is a woman.
She was lying on the ground on her face with all her hair scattered. Rishi's knife directly hit the back of her body while she tried to escape.
Rishi went and turned her over. It was a beautiful girl lying unconscious. She has long hair and beautiful eyebrows. Her fingers are long and delicate but her fingernails are long. She could kill just using them.
'What kind of fantasy do these witches have? How do they eat with those large nails?' Rishi thought to himself and took out some cloth from his pocket.
He quickly bandaged her wound and blindfolded her eyes. He read that the witches can cast spells when looked directly into their eyes. Rishi came to the conclusion that she is a witch by looking at her nails and how she manipulated Raj. But he wants to get it proved by taking her to Ramesh.
Rishi placed Raj on his horse and placed the witch on his own horse. Taking the reins of the other horse into hand, Rishi started to ride. He tied Raj to his horse tightly to make sure he doesn't fall.
It was past noon when they reached the town back. He directly went to his inn and sent Ramesh a message to come to the inn with a doctor.
Ramesh rushed to the inn with a doctor as soon as he received the message.
Doctor examined both of them and cleaned their wounds. He then prescribed medicines for them.
"Don't need to worry about him, he just lacks some energy. He will be fine after some good rest and food,"the doctor suggested to Rishi.
"And as for the woman.. her wound is serious. I cleaned her wound and stitched it. But show her to the imperial doctor once," the doctor suggested.
Rishi nodded his head.
"Prince Rishi.. Please let this doctor treat your wounds too. Your arm is bleeding," Ramesh said hurriedly.
"Prince??" the doctor asked with confusion.
"Umm.. Yes. Prince of our Kingdom, Prince Rishi Prasad," Ramesh said.
"Apologies for not recognising His Royal Highness. Let me treat your wounds," Doctor said politely with a bow.
"That's fine," Rishi says to the doctor and turns to Ramesh, "Do you recognise that woman? Is she one who came to your stop."
Ramesh looks at her face. He, trembling, responded, "Yes.. Yes, Your Highness! She's the lady who came to my shop."
Rishi smirked and said, "Inform the head of this town to come and meet me in one hour and also inform the royal soldier to send this witch to Prison headquarters."
"Witch!!!" the doctor was shocked with the sudden news.
"Sure Your Highness! I will pass the information immediately. Allow me take my leave." Ramesh said and took the doctor out along with him.