The cool breeze blew the sweet smell of the wildflowers carelessly. The afternoon sun was beating down on him as Arya stood on the edge of a serene lake completely dumbfounded, his heart pounding like a drum against his ribcage. The expected and inevitable ambush on him was nowhere to be seen. Instead of a Rakshasa, Arya had encountered a young woman who had just fainted in front of him. His emotions were going haywire, in a matter of few seconds, he had experienced, anticipation, shock, relief and subsequent concern.
Coming back to his senses, he bent down to check on the now unconscious woman. She must have been no more than 15 years old. She had dishevelled black hair that had stray twigs and leaves stuck on it. Her arms bore a distinct redness around the wrist like she was tied up. She had scratches on her arms and her clothes were in tatters. Her fine silk dress had a few holes in it and there was a gash on her left arm that looked an awful lot like knife slash.
Arya took a deep calming breath and with his fingers checked her eyes. She had strikingly brilliant storm-grey eyes. He shook his head a bit. He was captivated by those eyes and had to actively not look into them.
"Who are you?" He asked exasperated, "Wake up." He shook her to no avail.
Hesitating a little, he picked her up in his arms. She was light as feathers, he thought. He made his way towards his camp and his satchel. She stirred in his arms. He placed her gently in the shade of a tree and got up. He looked around to check if no one was around. He picked up his sword and traced a circle around the camp. He prayed and a warm glow enveloped them. The suraksha kavach had activated warding off evil spirits and unwanted threats.
He took out a waterskin from his satchel and splashed some water from it onto her face to awaken her. She stirred and then woke up with a groan. She looked up at him and tried to get up but failed. Her grey eyes were boring holes into Arya. With some difficulty, she managed, "Who are you? Where am I?"
"Don't strain yourself," Arya said in a calm voice, "Here, drink this." He poured some water down her mouth which she drank quickly.
"You have a cut on your arm," Arya said, "I have something for that." He pulled out the salve from his satchel. He cleaned her wound with a wet cloth mopping up the dried blood and general debris. He took out a small copper container containing the salve in it. He gently applied it, "Ouch!" She yelled.
"It's alright, just stay still will you?" Arya said in an unbothered tone. She obeyed. He had been trained in treating cuts and wounds in the Gurukul. While not as adept as some students in the Gurukul, Arya was pretty handy with first aid.
"Who are you anyway?" Arya asked curiously, "You don't look like a traveller and the important thing, is someone following you?"
She hesitated then directed her grey eyes towards Arya's hazel eyes. "My name is Drishti, please... Help me," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I need to get to the town."
"What?" Arya replied feeling confused and before he could say anything she fainted again. This was one of the weirdest encounters, he thought and it was not too long ago that he had just met a rakshasa Pakshini who could transform between a bird and a human form.
Looking down at her Arya thought that there was no way she would be opening her eyes anytime soon. He laid her down and covered her with his spare clothes. He thought that there was no point in sitting here doing nothing, might as well get their food situation sorted. He looked up in the sky. The afternoon sun was glaring down on him now. Feeling a little hungry, he decided to fish in the lake for food. With the hare bones in his satchel, some string and a branch from a tree he fashioned a fishing rod for himself. He cast it in the water waiting for a catch.
He racked his brain thinking up theories as to who or what might be pursuing her. His first thought was that it was a rakshasa. But then again, rakshasas did not attack anyone in broad daylight and as it stood not many people knew about their existence either. He looked at her clothes, they looked like comfortable clothes, and although made of silk, they were undoubtedly made for comfort and mobility. Then he thought about human pursuers. This was possible, but then again, she would have to be of a high social class which would warrant kidnapping her. He decided to drop the matter and focus on his fishing.
The afternoon turned to night and Arya had successfully caught multiple fishes. Like the skilled hunter he was, he quickly cleaned and prepared his fish to be roasted. He only had salt at his disposal but that was more than enough for him. The salt brought out the buttery taste of the fish. It was a little charred but that added to the flavour of the fish. Lost in his cuisine, Arya did not immediately take notice of the people who were slowly approaching them. They were just a few feet away from him when he realized and got up. They did not have the cold chill that the rakshasas usually oozed but these people were without any doubt bad.
Arya felt the hair on the back of his neck raise. They had an aura like a wild beast, even without looking at them Arya could feel like they were getting ready to attack. The strong bloodlust coming from them woke Arya up from his pleasant meal. He turned around, his sword secured at his side. He saw a group of three well-built men who had their faces covered by a cloth. Two pf them had swords in their hands already drawn and the third, the burliest of them had a mace resting on his shoulder. It did not look like they were about to ask questions.
Feeling satiated had raised Arya's morale, he was in a better mood. Them being people and not rakshasas also helped. Arya could take on humans any time but rakshasas needed some preparations.
They were now just a foot from Arya. In the blue moonlight, the campfire cast a warm yellow glow on Arya's sword and glinted like the sun.
"Want some fish?" Arya called out.
This startled them, they were not expecting someone to talk to them. They halted on the spot.
"What happened? Not hungry?" Arya asked his hazel eyes still on their swords and their movements. Seeing the perfect opportunity, Arya lunged. He picked up a fish on the stick from the campfire and threw it at one of the men who howled in pain as it made contact with his exposed skin. Drawing his sword with lightning speed, Arya parried the attack from another attacker, the clash of metal ringing through the night air. He then swiftly turned, his blade slicing through the air and connecting with the third attacker, inflicting a deep wound. Arya had the high ground. With a glance at each other, the attackers were ready for their next move. They looked shaken but Arya could only see their eyes.
The attackers, realizing they were dealing with a skilled and formidable opponent, abandoned their initial strategy of underestimating him. Their attacks became more ferocious and coordinated, forcing Arya onto the back foot. Swords swung and clashed, parries and ripostes flowed in a deadly dance of steel.
Amidst the chaos, the third attacker broke away from the fray, his eyes scanning the area. Arya's heart pounded in his chest as he realized the man's intent - to find and harm Drishti. With a burst of speed, Arya disengaged from his current opponents and raced towards the third attacker, who had already located Drishti and raised his sword to strike. Time seemed to slow down as Arya watched the blade descend towards the helpless girl. There was a huge clanging sound resonating through the air. The attack had connected but with the suraksha kavach. It had successfully blocked the blow. This made the other two falter.
Seizing the advantage, Arya lunged at the swordsman, his blade slicing through the air in a blur. With a swift and precise strike, he severed the man's arm, sending the sword flying. The mace-wielding attacker lunged forward, his weapon aimed at Arya's head. Arya deftly dodged the blow, retaliating with a kick to the man's wrist, causing the mace to clatter to the ground. Before the attacker could recover, Arya's sword flashed again, severing the man's head from his shoulders. The headless body collapsed to the ground, blood spewing out of his
With two of his assailants defeated, Arya turned his attention to the third, who had been relentlessly attacking the suraksha kavach, weakening its protective barrier.
Arya engaged the man in a fierce duel, his body weary but his spirit unyielding. Despite his injuries and exhaustion, Arya's skill and determination proved too much for the attacker. With a final, decisive strike, Arya pierced the attacker's heart, sending him crashing to the ground. The battle was over.
Arya, exhausted and battered, collapsed to the ground, his breath ragged. He had emerged victorious, but the encounter had taken a toll on him. As he lay there, his body aching and his mind racing, Arya knew that his fights would get only harder from here on out.
He drifted off into a deep slumber trying not to think about anything but his head was filled with many unanswered questions. Who were these people? Why had they come after Drishti? Who was she? What had he been doing while protecting her? Had he gotten himself into something more sinister than he could handle?
The answers would come but sleep overpowered him. Everything went black as the soft glow of the campfire faded from his surrounding and the warm embrace of deep sleep engulfed him.
Smack! Arya who was in a sleepless dream was suddenly awake. A million thoughts coursed through his mind. A blood-curdling scream jolted him up. For a moment he had thought that they were under attack again. Arya had not redone the suraksha kavach so they were a bit vulnerable. Arya's eyes snapped open, his heart pounding in his chest. He looked around frantically, trying to assess the situation. Was it another attack? Had they been discovered?
He turned his head towards the source of the scream and saw Drishti sitting in a corner, her striking grey eyes wide with terror. Her hair was even more dishevelled, and she had pulled the spare clothes that were covering her closer to her.
"What's wrong?" Arya asked, his voice hoarse and confused.
Drishti stared at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and anger. "What's wrong?" she repeated, her voice trembling. "You're wrong, that's what's wrong!"
Arya blinked, trying to make sense of her words. "I don't understand," he said.
"You were sleeping beside me!" Drishti exclaimed, her voice rising in pitch. "How could you do that? Do you have no shame?"
It took a moment for Arya to realize what she was talking about. He looked down and saw that he was indeed lying next to Drishti, their bodies almost touching. He quickly scrambled away, his face flushed with embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry," he stammered. "I didn't mean to... I can explain..."
Taking a deep breath he said, "I'm sorry," his voice barely a whisper. "I'll be here but we need to talk."
She looked at him incredulously but then nodded her approval.