Princess Fighter: Search for the Throne

Chapter 77: Day Two (Part 2)

Mriga waited for his scathing comment on his reaction a moment ago, but he simply patted her on the shoulder and told her to keep moving.

He gasped for the effort he took. Not only was the air inside rotten but it also felt like a lack of air in that long tunnel.

He is very grateful for all the cardiovascular exercise over the past few months that has made his lungs strong enough to handle this.

Although most people seem to be able to cope well, Mriga thinks that she hears some panting around her.

Then again, it could have been his imagination. He was almost blind here, relying only on his ears to move forward.

"Abhirath, close your eyes" he said gently after a while.

He had just caught a glimmer of light and realized that they were already approaching the exit. As before, she waited for him to question her but nothing was heard.

He did not want them to be blinded by the sudden exposure when they came out and hence told him to close his eyes. But when he did not question her, she was completely shocked. Does that mean he ends up accepting his words 'blindly' as usual?

Warmth bloomed in his heart and he did not realize that a small smile had crept on his face covered in mud. He crawled out faster, sensing the ground with his hands.

Everything rough or slimy that bothered him when he entered the place, was no longer recorded in a hurry to reach the end.

Moments later, they came out of the dungeon!

"Ahhh, it feels so sticky... Wait, what is that thing?"

Mriga who was in the process of stretching her hands over her head, froze with her hands stretched out half in the air.

When the officer mentioned that they were going to cross the bridge over the lake, he easily forgot to mention that calling it a bridge was a joke or an exaggerated imagination. A bridge means there is some sort of place to set foot and walk.

One had to climb this very high bridge using a rope ladder that looked not sturdy enough. Then there were almost no wooden planks in the entire stretch and even the ones there, had large gaps between them, making one leap through space.

Worse, this rickety, decaying structure looks as if it will not be able to support even a child's weight. There are rusty poles that hold this tool on both sides. The poles in the middle of the lake serve as anchors.

The official told everyone that they could not use the pole to get down to reach the lake. Everyone had to jump from the end of the bridge which was no less than fifty feet tall, not a small 'achievement' by any standards.

Mriga looked on in amazement as most people who tried to cross the bridge fell on the lake in the middle of the road and were sent back by the guards to the starting point.

No wonder so many people are still standing by the lake.

When he turned to look at Abhirath, his gaze was fixed on the few people who came out of the water across the lake. One of them was an acrobat from the previous day, Yuvati. He thought that he was a very strong opponent and the first two obstacles seemed to be made especially for him.

Mriga followed his gaze and suddenly an idea hit him.

He grabbed Abhirath's arm urgently and began to speak in an excited but restrained tone,

"We can…"

He followed his gaze and nodded his head, as if he knew exactly what he was going to say. But then his eyes were fixed on his hands on his forearm.

Frightened, he took out his palm and examined it closely. This wound looks like...

"What really happened in the tunnel?" he asks her but she shakes her head and tells him that this is not the time to worry about the little things.

Abhirath looked at him with dissatisfaction, but then a loud shout snapped his head towards the bridge.

One of the contestants made it to more than half way before she was pulled back just like that by the other contestants and thrown into the water. Loud gasps sounded from the people around over the shameless girl's behavior.

Apparently, he intended to be a spoiled sport confirmed by the next set of words, he said,

"If I can't cross the bridge, I won't let anyone else do it either."

After saying so, he returned and stood on one of the few sturdy planks, right at the beginning of the bridge.

Some girls including Vindhya went to the guards to complain about it but she stood there motionless, uninterested.

Abhirath leaned over to whisper in Mriga's ear and they slowly started walking towards the bridge.

Cutting through the crowd, Abhirath and Mriga reached the place where the rope ladder was hung. Mriga stood to the side as Abhirath started walking upwards. The bully girl who remained unmoved, looked at him aggressively.

"Do you think I can't beat you?" he leaned over and sneered, stretching his biceps muscles.

He continued to climb quietly, unaffected by his words. As soon as he reached the top, he looked towards Mriga who received the hint and started climbing as well. Abhirath reached the rebellious girl with quick steps and swooped her in bridal style, leaving her deeply shocked.

Before he could fight or fight, he used his body weight to push them through the gaps on the board and jumped from there, carrying them.

Meanwhile, Mriga has reached the top. While the others cheered and immediately began climbing, Mriga waited for Abhirath to return at the very top of the stairs.

He had told her that this was the only way to eliminate the girl effectively even if it meant letting others benefit as well.

Vindhya was one of the first to get past Mriga and she did it with an evil grin. He laughed at his naive plan because the others were superior. But several others smiled and lowered their heads in gratitude before walking forward.

Not long after, Abhirath reached the top.

Drenched, he grinned triumphantly as he asked her,

"Ready?"

Mriga nodded and they bowed on all fours to grip the rope running on the side of the bridge with their hands. Swinging their bodies downwards, they were hanging under the bridge now, holding onto the rope which although it looked seedy was sturdy.

In fact, this is the only component of the bridge that does not look weak or dilapidated, which is why Mriga got this idea before the bully started showing his antics.

Slowly but surely, the two moved forward, their bodies perpendicular to the bridge. Mriga's arms were already feeling the tension from his entire body weight, not to mention the height at which they operated. His bicep muscles stiffened and the wounds on his wrists and hands did not help either.

"No, no, Mriga. Don't look down. You've wasted quite a lot of time. We have to get this done before anyone else does" he said repeatedly to himself.

Mriga had stopped Abhirath from talking about the wounds on his hands because he had seen similar injuries to other participants when he exited the tunnel.

Some of them have it on their face, making it easier to register their shape and size. The striking thing is that they all seem to be made of the same type of 'weapons.

While inside the tunnel, it was possible that he had accidentally hit a rock or barrier but to disappear in the next moment, was very suspicious.

Looking at it in others, he was almost certain that this was a malicious trick from one of the participants, not a barrier set up by the organizers. But there's no point wasting time looking for the culprit now. That was why he did not want Abhirath to examine him closely.

The people fighting on the bridge saw the two of them making steady progress and decided to follow suit. Fellow Vindhya who was trapped until now also jumped down after catching the rope.

Reaching the end of the cable car, Mriga took a deep breath and jumped into the lake. He did not turn around but knew that Abhirath was right behind him.

By the time they arrived across the lake, they were not only tired but also hungry and thirsty. But it may rank much lower in their list of urgency for now.

It was cold and swimming in the icy lake did not help the situation. Squeezing water from his lavender muslin kurta, Mriga simultaneously blew air out of his lips to push the hair that was now on his face, but the tendrils stuck to his cheeks like leeches.

Abhirath has been watching his health ever since they came out of the water.

Suddenly, his fingers reached out and tucked hair behind his ears on both sides before he flicked his nose and said,

"You look like a dead, revived cat."

"Well, at least it's better than it looks like a cross between a land animal and a sea animal," he was referring to the algae sticking to his shirt from the lake and his dense hair sticking out like a hedgehog.

"Stop wasting time" he said annoyed but Mriga just snorted and walked past him to a cage covered in animal skins on all sides and had a thick cover at the entrance.

Abhirath prevented Mriga when he was about to move the lid. He put his ears down first and closed his eyes.

After a few seconds, he moved away and looked into Mriga's curious eyes. Many people who had crossed the lake had now stopped near this couple. They are waiting for them to make the next move. But neither Mriga nor Abhirath noticed them.

"There seems to be some kind of buzzing noise but I don't seem to know anything else" he whispered.

Mriga nodded and took a step back.

"Give me a minute to think," with that she was deep in thought.

The people who expected the two to continue forward became impatient and walked past them.

Even Vindhya retreated but now she pulled her partner and continued forward.

Mriga did the opposite!

"Uh, why are we going back to the lake?" Abhirath asked in surprise.

"Because I feel excluded. Why are you the only one covered in slime?" with that faint answer, he pulled her into the water again.

Abhirath yelled at the sudden impulse but before he could punish her, he said,

"We need to find enough algae to cover our open limbs," and then he dives in.

He came to the surface after a while with a slimy object in his hand. Taking it carefully, he swam out and covered his face, neck, and hands with it while waiting for Abhirath.

"The only creature that can cause a loud buzz is a bee. I don't know what kind is in it, but the toxins in these algae are enough to prevent them from harming us. Not to mention, applying algae to one's face was good for the skin," Mriga gave a final explanation as a mischievous explanation before running towards the covered nest.

Abhirath smiled and extended his pace, but the two of them stopped as soon as they entered the cage.

Although they are prepared for the unexpected, they want to take stock from a distance before doing so quickly. It was designed like a dome and smelled of skin and vegetation. But the real challenge was what was in front of them!

.

The place resembled a swamp littered with flat but unsteady rocks that had to be stepped on to cross over to the other side. The exit on the other side was not visible from where Mriga was standing. But the advantage of arriving late in this place is the dangerous side effect of falling into the marshland is clearly visible.

Apparently there was some sort of irritation in the mud pond that caused acute discomfort to the participants who fell in it.

But wait, this isn't all!

Wooden poles have been placed and installed on stones that should have been stepped on. These poles are no taller than six feet and large beehives are placed on each pole.

As soon as one stepped on the shaky platform, it was easy enough to attract the attention of the bees buzzing around their colony.

Some people moved cautiously, putting their feet on the rock in slow, careful movements, while others dare to go out by trying to pass through obstacles by jumping from one stone to another. Unfortunately, no strategy seems to work.

Some managed to draw the anger of the entire beehive and now held onto their swollen faces.

Abhirath looked at the remaining algae in his hand and rubbed it against his face carefully again.

Mriga, meanwhile, had been bending over and taking a close look at the vegetation seen on the side of the swamp. Since the entire place had been covered from all sides, almost no light had seeped into it.

Ignoring the calls and chaos around him, Mriga rose slowly and approached Abhirath's side. He pulled his sleeve and pulled it down, bringing his ears as high as his lips.

For a moment, Abhirath's rationality and senses left him despite the chaos around them. His eyes closed gently by themselves. It was only when Mriga started to move away that he panicked and pulled her back.

"Sorry, I can't hear what you said just now. Can you repeat it?" he whispered.

"Don't try and run in or out of that place. We don't need the organisms here to be more agitated than ever. More importantly, avoid falling in the swamp and even if you do, try your best and do not touch any plants. I recognize at least one bush placed there. It was toxic and caused a severe rash and itching," he said, pointing to a harmless-looking plant in the mud.

When he saw Abhirath's gaze follow him, he continued with his words,

"It's called bichchoo buti*. Usually found in the mountains, even a small touch can make you want to claw your arm. Usually the antidote grows right next to it, but I can't seem to find godi* here. So, let's do our best and avoid."

The man's blank reaction to the names he spouted, made a satisfied smile run down his face for a moment.

"It's okay. Just follow my lead and stay close to me," with that, he waited patiently to open the place.

"If you and I step on it together, the stone won't be too shaky, will it?" he asked her.

As he nodded, they each placed a foot on the opposite side of the same stone and waited until it felt stable to them. Making eye contact, they lifted their other leg off the solid ground and carried it to the rock. One fell, dozens more.

Vindhya and her friend were among the first to reach the other side. Although her face was badly swollen, Vindhya did not stop and also did not let her partner rest.

He had used his steel willpower and had not allowed any scratches or pain to stop him. Even though her moaning partner was almost tormented, she did not pay too much attention to him and climbed out of the ruined swamp.

The acrobat Yuvati managed to cross the suspension bridge the quickest but he was lying in the mud now, scratching himself severely despite his skin having been flushed under the attack of his fingernails. His face had a confused expression on it, almost beyond the pain.

When Mriga sees her, she is tempted to stop and help her. He turned to look at Abhirath who shook his head violently and negatively.

Biting her lips gloomily, Mriga walked carefully across the next rock. There's not much he can do anyway.

Had the previous participants not been too noisy or tried to run, this hurdle would not have been this bad. But it can't help. The stones are laid in such a way that the beehive is meant to be disturbed.

It was a situation like a stampede that was here except that it happened in the swamp. Mriga suddenly saw Vaishali, who was easily one head taller than him, pass him across the rocks by taking long, quick steps.

It seemed like he had found a way to remain unaffected or affected by the dangers in the room as well.

Although there was no algae in his body, the bees did not seem to be swarming around either.

Hows it?

.

The night before and this morning, Vaishali made sure to soak herself and her partner in a potent garlic extract.

In addition, he carried several bottles of powdered garlic strapped to his upper arm that gave off a pungent odor, blocking the bees.

Garlic is also a pain reliever and although Vaishali does not know what will happen, she comes with preparation.

Mriga could almost see the exit shutters now that he and Abhirath were halfway through. As of now, they had managed to remain unharmed and he breathed a sigh of relief.

But it seemed like he was too quick to count his blessings!!

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

*Bichchoo buti - Nettle leaf

*Godi - Pier Factory