Princess Fighter: Search for the Throne

LII

East Zila

"I never imagined that we would meet again and it was like this too. But looking at your expression, I don't think you remember me, do you?" Vidyut asked Mriga as they were alone again.

He looked at her trepidationly and then glanced at Abhirath who was walking away from her.

Vidyut seemed to understand his thoughts and said with a soft laugh, "It seems like you don't remember me. But I don't blame you. The last time we met, you were wearing a much different outfit than this one, and seemed to be under the influence of heavy alcohol and singing at a boisterous party. I took you to the tea shop but you disappeared before I could.”.

"Ohhhh! So, you were the one who helped me that night. Thank you and sorry. I did that stupid stunt because of the challenge. It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. I'd be very grateful if you didn't do it and don't mention it in front of my friends here. You see.." he rambled hastily in embarrassment.

Vidyut shook his head in the middle of his speech and cut him off, "You don't need to say anything more. Don'worry. By the way, my name is Vidyut and I'm finally happy to meet you."

He smiled in relief and replied in the same tone, "Hello, I'm Mrignayani. Thank you again for that night and for coming to save me today."

Vidyut's eyes wrinkled as he recalled that memory.

"Oh, what are you doing here, Vidyut?" Lata's surprise was evident in her voice.

Others have also reached that place.

"I came here a few days ago. The missionary work at the border was finished earlier than I thought," he greeted her with a friendly smile.

"I see that you find yourself as a patient wherever you go" she laughed as she pointed at Mriga's feet.

The boys' attention was focused on Mriga's condition rather than the senior talks. Nirbhay was busy scolding her in a low voice.

"This is the thing you asked for" Abhirath and Chiranjeev came with vinegar and a clean cotton cloth.

Vidyut sat leaning back and held Mriga's leg gently. He dipped the cloth in vinegar and soaked it completely before tying it around his swollen ankle.

"He needs to lift his leg over the next few days and tie back his cloth in the same way, morning and evening" he told anyone in particular.

"Come and meet me at the clinic after two days. Lata knew where it was," she finally looked at Mriga and instructed.

Abhirath's gaze swung between the two of them in shock. Is the man too friendly or is he very sensitive? His sixth sense gave him a strong enemy warning!

Mriga nodded and thanked him.

Then he turned to the group and apologized to everyone for causing trouble.

His main concern was that he would have to skip training for the next few nights. No matter how much she slept, she was happy to be in the middle of the action and the thought of staying put made her more miserable than her pain.

While Lata is busy saying goodbye to Vidyut, Abhirath hugs Mriga and starts walking.

"Argh. I didn't even say goodbye to Vaidya," said Mriga, trying to keep her balance as she walked with long strides.

Gasping and almost agitated from being so close to him, Abhirath spoke with great difficulty.

"Didn't you thank him? Is he your friend so you need to say a proper goodbye to that guy? He seems to be too familiar with you," he grumbled.

Realizing her breathless state, Mriga felt embarrassed and said in a small voice, "It seems like you are tired. It's a long way to the institute. Let me walk with your support."

"Well, you're definitely not featherweight but fortunately, I'm used to walking around with big things on my arms" she said with her tongue on her cheek.

It took him a few seconds to realize the importance of his words and when he did, he landed a punch in his jaw.

"Down me now. I'd rather crawl back than accept your help" he said angrily.

"You two fought like a child. How boyish!" Nirbhay appeared from behind and teased them.

The identical scowling expressions of the two pairs of eyes greeted his words and he retreated back under their gazes.

...****************...

Himprayag

"Hello, Brother! Are you also here to see father?" Mithilesh's mocking voice rattled Ahilya's ears as she entered her father's private room.

He kept his expression neutral and ignored it. But his heart started to beat uneasily.

King Indraditya was well aware of the enmity between the two and usually did not deal with them together. So, what's the reason today?

He stood upright in one place while Mithilesh wandered around the room, touching various objects, as if he already owned the place.

"I won't let him bother me. He did this to provoke me. I won't be stupid enough to fall in love a second time" she reminded herself.

A few months ago, during a council meeting with ministers, Mithilesh behaved like an owner in front of her. But he cleverly hid his actions from the others.

Unfortunately Ahilya lost her composure in front of everyone, making her actions look immature. Not only was he reprimanded by his father, he could also see the prejudice against him strengthening in the minds of all the old and rude ministers.

...****************...

Himprayag

Ahilya did not have a silver tongue to satisfy the egos of these palace ministers, nor did she have time for this useless tactic. But Mithilesh was born to play the game, unfortunately. Gayatri had warned him enough to keep his vigilance and emotions under control.

Recalling the spell, he ignored his provocation and stared involuntarily at the wall in front.

"Ah, you two are here. Good.." he looked from one to the other and sighed.

During their growth period, he hoped that they would rule the kingdom together, one supporting the other, but it soon became apparent that the two would rather commit suicide than cooperate.

"I'll make this short. I seem to have passed my welcome in this birth. Vaidya has given me six months at most. Therefore, I give the two of you no more than a hundred days to prove your firm superiority over the others. You are free to use any method you deem suitable. Remember that in the end, one of you will rule this kingdom. So do not lose your credibility and honor in front of your people in such a way that it cannot be redeemed. These are people who are meant to respect and follow you legally. But if your actions make you seem worthless in their eyes, the road ahead will be bumpy for you as rulers. Understood?" he spoke harshly.

The two stood in shock, absorbing the shocking announcement. Looking at each other, they realized that no one knew about the king's illness.

Ahilya bowed deeply and said, "I won't let you down, father."

On his solemn expression, Mithilesh laughed out loud and mocked him, "Here it is, acting as if the burden of this whole world is upon you. I hate to reveal it to you. You're not so special or important, sister. Don't stress. I won't be too hard on you. And remember to handle that childish nature of yours. Even losers need to keep their image intact in front of the world."

Ahilya's eyes showed the naked hatred she felt towards her at this moment, but she remained firm on her weapon and did not say a word. The king shook his head and left, leaving the two of them in the room.

...****************...

East Zila

"Make sure to bring a set of spare clothes as instructed by Guruji yesterday," Chiranjeev reminded them before they went to bed.

...****************...

"What's the point of you insisting on coming along? Not only will you slow us down, it will also attract attention if someone sees us. And for what? You can't really participate in any simulation exercise with your feet" Abhirath whispered as Mriga stood on one leg at the exit that night.

His expression showed rebellion clearly and Abhirath sighed.

"I'll carry him," suddenly, Chiranjeev made an offer and bowed for him to go up to his back.

Although she was completely shocked by his offer, Mriga did not waste any more time and jumped up.

Abhirath had no idea what this guy was thinking. Usually the most aloof of the entire group, he was closest to Abhirath in terms of temperament and his offer just now went against his personality.

"What's the motive?" Abhirath thought to himself while the others walked in front of him.

"Thank you!" Mriga whispered in Chiranjeev's ear while his feet took some distance at a quick pace.

Other than nodding, he did not say anything.

...****************...

Half an hour later

The four boys had been split into two teams and sent for camouflage duties. Simple rules.

First, one team was given ten minutes to identify how to hide and the other team was given twenty minutes to find it and then flipped. They had to use only the resources available in that man-made forest and thinking fast was the most needed skill here.

"So, if you have troubled the entire group and risked increasing your injury, I assume that your arrival here tonight has a purpose behind it," Ramanujam turned to Mriga who was sitting under a tree.

Vandit and Chiranjeev have just left to look for the first team.

Mriga smiled reading the actions of his teacher and stood up with difficulty before speaking what was on his mind.

"Did Chandragarh experience some kind of secret mess?" he asked suddenly.

For the first time in months of knowing him, he saw shock flashed across his face, but Ramanujam immediately controlled it.

"What made you ask this question?" he retaliated.

Mriga has been wondering about it for the past few days and this is the only thing that makes sense to him. He decided to ask rather than speculate.

He answered honestly, "I don't know. But my instinct has been telling me this for some time now, based on events and changes around me. Please don't misunderstand me. I didn't ask this to confirm your theory and I haven't discussed it with anyone else either. The goal is to ask if there is a way that I and others can help concretely. I know that we lack in skill but I'm sure that all of us are willing to give our best out there, if needed."

The usually poker-faced Ramanujam smiled at his passionate remarks and patted his head.

"I'm glad you think this way and when the time comes, we'll definitely depend on your abilities. In the meantime, I will encourage you to give your best in preparing for it. Get better, sharper, smarter. Your mother earth will need all that and more of you." Ramanujam word with a little seriousness underlies his words.

"Guruji, I want to learn how to identify and make toxins from plants and animals. I also want to learn the antidote. Can you teach me?" suddenly tanyanya.

The topic was so sharp from what they were talking about a few seconds ago that Ramanujam looked at him, uninterested.

He continued speaking before he could react, "At that moment when I saw Shaurya lying in a coma on the ground, I felt helpless and frustrated. I don't know how to help her. I have no talent in medicine but I feel that I can try and learn a small branch of this field. I have seen my mother collecting various plants from the hill near our house. He used it for food as well as for small-time medicinal purposes. I just…"

"Take one of them and follow me. Be careful not to roll over" he said and began walking.

Mriga grinned and started jumping on one leg, slowly and surely.

...****************...

On the other side of the forest

"I felt something creep up on my back" whispered Nirbhay.

Abhirath made a slashing gesture with his hands around his neck hinting him to be silent. They ran into the dark inner part of the forest as soon as the task was announced, and therefore there was not much time to think of any concrete plans.

They had used the first thing that came to their mind. There was a small puddle of mud behind the collection of trees and Nirbhay suggested that they roll in it to hide the whiteness of their clothes.

Given the clock that was ticking, they had tried their hardest and even put their faces into it. But now Nirbhay felt uncomfortable. He knew that they should not make a sound, but he actually felt something move inside his kurta. He was not easily frightened but at least he wanted to know what was attacking his body.

In the silence of the night, even the smallest sound was heard clearly and soon they were able to identify the footsteps of their competitors nearby. In high alertness, Abhirath signals Nirbhay to crouch down even lower and become one with the earth.

During this time, Abhirath also recorded the time.

"If you want to learn about poison, you have to be ready to experience it. That is the best way to gain knowledge about its effects and dangers. Reading about something doesn't make you proficient in its sharpness or the time it takes for it to spread or how dangerous it is" Ramanujam said with his flat face.

Mriga's heart was racing at hearing this sentence, but she held back and nodded.

"See this plant. It is one of the most abundant plants found in warm climates. It is called Arandi* and has one of the deadliest seeds known to man. People have tried to find its usefulness and failed. This seemingly harmless plant can cause a person's death in less than twenty hours if not diagnosed and then treated properly" Ramanujam told her.

Suddenly they heard whooping shouts and looked in the direction where the voice was coming from. Within seconds, two humans covered in unrecognizable mud walked towards them. One of them grinned and it could be known because his pearl white was visible from under all that mud.

Chiranjeev and Vandit followed behind with resigned faces and the results were clear to everyone.

"There's a small pond, 100 meters north of here. Take a quick shower and come back for the second round" Ramanujam told Nirbhay and Abhirath.

...****************...

Northern Zilla

It's time! Two days left for Shaurya's departure and Bela has stopped all kinds of training now. He was busy helping her prepare for the long journey ahead of her.

"Oh! For the fifteenth time, now. How can you not distinguish between two roots? They were very different from each other," he said with an unusual exasperated expression.

He has gone lurking deep in the hills for various wild plants that will help Shaurya in the near future.

"Guruji, herbology was never a match for me and during my training, I almost slept through all the lectures on it. My sincere apologies, please don't misunderstand but at this point I think I will rely more on my physical and mental strength and strength than worry about the right potion to digest," he said with his head down.

Bela refrained from once again lecturing him on the importance of these roots. They are great at healing wounds quickly, fighting sleep deprivation, staying hydrated, poisoning enemies and more.

"Well, I won't force you with all of them. At least take them both with you. This one with red roots to reduce muscle pain and swelling. It can also be crushed and used as a paste on the wound to help it heal. This with an almost black appearance is to help you stay awake for more than thirty hours in a row without affecting your decision-making abilities. Their name is.." she was cut by him.

"Color code works fine, Guruji. I don't need to know his name. Also, more than this, I thank you for the packet of poison that you have made for me. I felt that I might need it more and more often than this one," he said with a smile.

......................

*Arandi – castor oil factory