Jemisha woke up in a strange place, trying to figure out what was happening around her. She noticed the commander struggling to breathe on the ground. Crawling towards him, she asked anxiously, "Sir- Sir!, are you alright?" The soldier, gasping for air as poison coursed through him, urged her to run for safety. "Lady Jemisha, run as fast as you can... save yourself, it's dangerous, something's terribly wrong," he rasped. "Sir, I can't leave you and the boy alone here," Jemisha cried. "I can't help you, m'lady, please run to the base..." His last breath silenced him, leaving Jemisha in shock and fear.
Feeling the urgency, she was about to flee but couldn't abandon the young boy. She knelt beside him, pleading, "Please wake up, we must leave this place." The air shifted once more, signaling impending danger. Jemisha's heart raced, torn between fleeing and protecting the child.
She pleaded as she shook him, urging him to regain consciousness. After several attempts, he finally stirred. Jemisha yelled, "We need to leave, please stay awake. I can't carry you; we must go down and seek help." Supporting him, she took his arm around her shoulder and began the descent, despite her own injured ankle causing her to limp.
On the other hand, The Duke found himself once more in a fierce battle, facing beasts that seemed more ferocious than ever. Despite his sigil's power, the beasts strength was overwhelming, and his mana was waning. The creatures relentlessly attacked, attempting to shatter the protective barrier the duke had conjured. As the beasts continued their onslaught, the barrier began to weaken, and the duke, struggling to maintain control, commanded his allies, "Prepare yourselves to defeat them all." With a deafening roar, the beasts relentlessly pushed against the barrier. In a moment of desperation, the Duke, overwhelmed by the relentless assault, collapsed to his knees, coughing up blood as the barrier finally shattered.
His comrades gently guided him to the sidelines, laying him on his back with the support of a nearby tree.
"Duke Shakti, fear not, we will take charge from here." his companions reassured him. "Your efforts have been valiant, sir. The mages have arrived, and we vow that none of those creatures will escape this place alive," the comrade declared with a sense of pride, deeply impressed by the duke's actions that had filled them all with unwavering courage. "Ensure your own safety; something feels amiss about these foes. Send for Sorceress Nadi immediately," the duke whispered, his arm stained with blood.
"Rest assured, Sir, We shall manage from here." With those words, they departed, ready to confront and vanquish the menacing beasts.
Jemisha continued her descent down the mountain, feeling the air shift ominously around her. With the knight already fallen, a deep silence now enveloped her, foreboding danger. Suddenly, a charging sound pierced the stillness, prompting her to swiftly dodge as a creature soared past her. "Another monster!" she screamed internally. The conscious boy beside her also reacted in terror as they both stumbled and fell, Jemisha hitting her head on a nearby rock, draining her already dwindling energy. Blood trickled down her forehead, and as she began to lose consciousness, the beasts prepared to strike once more, their intent clear. Jemisha, on the brink of darkness, found herself at a loss for words or thoughts...
In the midst of her fading awareness, the last sight that greeted Jemisha was her father stepping in between her and the menacing creature, a swirl of blood scenting the air, its origins unknown. As she slipped into unconsciousness, the world faded to black. Upon awakening, her eyes fluttered open and she found herself in a room receiving treatment. She woke up with a jerk and started looking around. She caught sight of the nurse who was approaching her,
"Lady, please lay down, you're not well."
"Where am I? What happened?" She clutched her head as it was aching. Suddenly, she was reminded of her last moments. She sprang up and asked the nurse, "Where is my father...? Where is the duke?" she inquired with great fear and urgency.
The nurse gazed at her with immense sadness and sorrow, unable to deliver any good news about the duke. In the next moment, Jemisha ran through the corridors with a limp leg and injuries covering her body. She navigated the corridors until she arrived at the place where people were mourning the duke's death. Jemisha locked eyes with her sister
Amiya's eyes filled with deep sorrow as she embraced Jemisha. Jemisha, overwhelmed with emotion, cried out,
"I'm sorry, father... father!" through tears. Amiya, offering words of comfort that fell short, reassured Jemisha that it wasn't her fault. She then turned to the maid, instructing her to care for Jemisha, as she would return for the funeral rites. Amiya left the room with a small group and returned to continue the funeral proceedings. They performed the cremation ceremony for the duke in accordance with Sanskrit funeral traditions.
In Sanskrit funeral rites, the process unfolds with the eldest daughter or son, known as "Uttama," taking on a significant role. They begin by lighting the funeral pyre, symbolizing the release of the soul from the body. Following this, prayers are offered to honor the departed soul and seek blessings for their journey beyond. Through various rituals and traditions, the Uttama leads the ceremony with reverence and respect, creating a poignant and culturally rich portrayal of the funeral process.
As they returned from the rituals, a sense of painful emptiness lingered, a void no one could fill.
Amiya turned to the staff,
"...Butler, I need you to summon Dr. Shikha to the residence to attend to Jemisha's treatment. Ask her to assess Jemisha's condition and then meet me later." She paused, then added,
"And please have some tea sent to my library; I'll be there."
"Yes, m'lady," the butler acknowledged, bowing as he went to fulfill her requests.
Jemisha slowly approached Amiya and inquired, "Wh-where is Aunt Nadi? I didn't see her after... our return," she said, her gaze downcast, tears welling up in her eyes. Amiya, with a weary and troubled expression due to the day's events, responded,
"Don't worry, get your treatment. I'll come to your room later and talk to you." Feeling uneasy and anxious, Jemisha clasped her sleeves, demanding answers,
"No, tell me what happened, please. Where is she!?" a mix of confusion and concern in her voice. Amiya met her gaze with sorrowful eyes, acknowledging Jemisha's thoughts. "Aunt Nadi vanished from the battlefield. Nobody knows what happened; she just... disappeared. We're still searching for her. We'll find her, don't worry," Amiya reassured Jemisha..
"NO, NO!" Jemisha exclaimed, stepping back. "We need to find her now. I-I'll try to trace her."
"Jemi, I want you to take care and get treatment. I'll talk to Chief Ajat and the others and then come to meet you," Amiya said as she approached her.
"No, I'll help find her just-" Jemisha was interrupted by Amiya's frustrated outburst, "Don't you get it? You think you'll be of any help? Look at yourself! You'll just come in between our work. I'll handle it. Just focus on your treatment right now, Jemisha." She then turned to the maid and instructed,
"Take Jemisha to her room. I'll come after she gets checked up by the doctors." Amiya left, her words hanging in the air.
~At the library~
"Sir Veer, how is this possible? How can a person vanish with so many people around without any witnesses!?" Amiya questioned the person standing beside her, who shared her puzzled thoughts.
"What about the people, I assigned tasks to in the afternoon? Did they get the records from the soldiers present at the scene?"
"Yes, Lady Amiya, but it is of no use; none of them knows anything either," replied the person. Amiya leaned towards the table, her head in her hands, and asked,
"And do you think Father... I mean the Duke could be killed in something like this?" Her voice was dim, reflecting her exhaustion from the recent events.
The commander, looking at her with sorrowful eyes, responded,
"If I may speak the truth, Lady, I would say it's impossible. The Duke has been managing the fief since he was 15, leading us all. I've seen him in action since my early days with them, and no one could surpass him. He even took you with him on many such trips."
Continuing, the commander expressed his disbelief, "To hear that he died in the fief while fighting a monster, this is something I can't accept or comprehend." Amiya, looking at him with a faint smile of agreement, remarked, "Something is amiss. We're missing something, and to uncover the truth, we must find Aunt Nadi."
The library door opened and closed quietly as Sir Veer left, only to find Dr. Shikha approaching with a friendly smile. As she reached for the door, the commander intervened, signaling not to disturb the sleeping lady inside. Puzzled by his actions, Dr. Shikha looked at him for clarification, and he explained,
"The lady is asleep; please avoid waking her unless it's urgent." Understanding his concern, Dr. Shikha concurred, acknowledging the need for rest after the day's events.
As he stationed guards at the library door, he inquired about Lady Jemisha's well-being. "How is Lady Jemisha?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
Dr. Shikha's expression turned grave.
"She's exhausted, and her injuries are severe. I'm astonished she managed to run and even reach the funeral hall in her condition."
A brief silence fell between them as they strolled through the empty corridors, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight. They halted near the exit, and Dr. Shikha posed a question, her tone resigned, as if they had both accepted an inevitable truth.
"Now that the duke is gone, what do you think will happen next?" She glanced towards the commander who was, gazing at the moon, lost for words, unsure how to respond.