Kalyani was poisoned (1)

Chapter : 5 ; Kalyani was poisoned.

90 miles away from Ayush's group, where his mother and the others had stayed…

"Sir… we have tracked down those bastards who ran away. This is their location. If we move at this speed with our 90 heavy cavalry and 200 light cavalry, we will be able to reach them within two days. Our spies have also noticed that they might find a village where they can stay."

A wretched-looking middle-aged man with a long beard and a hat on his head spoke while sharpening his dagger, as if he had accomplished something incredible.

"Haha… I also want to see where those bastards will run! Anyway, have you got an image of the queen of that kingdom? I heard she is quite beautiful. It will be fun to play with her…!" Another man, whose long beard reached his chest, said with a cruel expression as he looked at the man opposite him.

"Zakir Hussain, you have done a great job. Once we capture them and present the head of that prince to Emperor Akbar… and when I get tired of playing with her, I will give that b*tch to you. How about that? Are you satisfied?" Ahmad said to Zakir.

"Yes… Lord…! Definitely! And our spy has already entered their camp. Soon, he will be able to kill those bastards," Zakir replied eagerly.

Both of them laughed like beasts.

"So, prepare the army! We are close to our reward. Why wait? Let's go!" Ahmad ordered Zakir.

At the Place Where Kalyani Had Stayed

It was already night. Darkness had settled over the land.

Torches (lights made by wrapping cloth around wood and soaking it in fuel) had been lit, illuminating the jungle.

Guards patrolled the camps, where around 40 people were staying.

Kalyani gazed at the stars through the gaps in the tree canopy, lost in thought. Suddenly, she noticed movement beside her.

For a moment, she turned in the direction of the sound. Due to the potion she had taken, both her vision and hearing had increased to an extraordinary level. Even the slightest noise was enough for her to sense that something was wrong.

Out of caution, she quickly grabbed the dagger at her waist.

Before marrying Ayush's father, she had undergone extensive combat training. She even had experience as an assassin. This only confirmed that something unusual was happening around her.

She gripped the dagger tightly and carefully listened. Her heightened senses pinpointed the source of the sound—it was coming from the bushes on her left.

In the silent night, Kalyani, dressed in an Angrakha (it is dress of indian style, mainly for combat), took slow steps toward the source of the noise.

Her level of alertness reached its peak as she moved deliberately forward.

Before she could react, a figure shrouded in darkness lunged at her, wielding a gleaming knife.

An attack…!

Reacting instantly, she twisted her body to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike meant for her back.

Bang…!

The attacker's blade missed its mark, slicing through the air.

But the assassin didn't give up. He struck again. And again.

It was the fourth time he had tried to kill her.

With a swift step backward, Kalyani dodged just as the dagger, coated in a thick, dark substance, whizzed past her and embedded itself in the tree behind her.

For a moment, Kalyani's heart pounded violently in her chest.

However, another attack came without warning. Without hesitation, she crouched, narrowly avoiding the deadly blade once more.

But the assassin was incredibly fast. Even with her superior physical strength, she couldn't match his speed.

It wasn't that she was weak or lacked skill, her mind was clouded. Too many thoughts raced through her head, preventing her from fully analyzing the situation. She could only focus on evasion.

This time, however, she was too slow.

A sharp pain erupted in her arm as the assassin's blade found its mark.

When Kalyani saw the attack coming, she leaped away, but the knife still managed to pierce her shoulder.

"Ahhh…!"

A burning sensation spread instantly through her body.

Kshhh…

Kalyani gritted her teeth and glanced at the wound. It wasn't deep barely a centimeter, but an ominous dark color was seeping from it.

Damn it…!

How could she not realize it? The blade was poisoned.

"Her Majesty, the Queen, has been attacked! Protect Her Majesty!"

Maan Singh, followed by Vikram, and many other guards rushed toward Kalyani with swords drawn and torches in hand, scanning the area.

"Where is the assassin, my Queen?" Maan Singh asked urgently.

Kalyani looked in the direction where the assassin had fled. She exhaled sharply and said, "He's already gone."

Hearing this, both Maan Singh and Vikram turned their attention to Kalyani's wound.

"Queen… we need to treat your wound immediately!" Vikram insisted.

Kalyani shook her head. "Vikram, the wound itself is not deep. What's more terrifying is the poison. I'm not sure if the doctors in the camp will be able to remove it."

Her expression darkened. She clenched her fists before continuing in a cold, determined voice:

"To stop the poison from spreading, I think I should sever my entire left arm. Even if the poison reaches my body, at least I will get to see my child before I die."

Meanwhile, Where Ayush Was Staying.

Far away, Ayush sat in the middle of the village, staring at the bonfire burning before him.

A man with a severed arm knelt before him.

"What's your name?" Ayush asked the scar-faced man.

However, at that moment, Ayush suddenly stopped. His gaze shifted toward the direction of the camp where his mother and the others had stayed.

Unknowingly, his left eye started flickering.

According to logic, when a man's left eye flickers, it is believed that something bad is about to happen. And Ayush was sure of it.

He opened his system panel and checked the location of his mother and the others.

Everything seemed fine, but then he noticed a red dot near their base.

His heartbeat accelerated.

He didn't know why, but his gut told him something had happened there.

Ignoring the scar-faced man in front of him, Ayush immediately called the leader of the 99 guards, Gaurav Rajput.

He used the Truth-Speaking Card on the man and ordered Gaurav to extract every piece of information about him, his background, his connections, and the people currently ruling the area.

Additionally, he instructed Gaurav to have the villagers clear the forested area so that a temporary base could be set up.

This was actually part of the plan Ayush had devised.

That same night, Ayush left the village. However, since it was dark, the journey would take twice as long to reach the place where his mother and the others were staying.

Two Hours After the Incident with Kalyani

On the route where the Mughal army was advancing, they had stopped for the night to rest. Their spies had covered half the distance when an assassin arrived at their camp.

"Ohh… Saddam, you have arrived. Tell me, what news do you bring?" Zakir asked, drinking wine as he looked at the assassin named Saddam.

"Sir Zakir, I have assassinated the Queen of the Yadu Dynasty. However, I did not find the child of that b*tch in the camp."

"As for Queen Kalyani, although I only managed to pierce her body with my dagger, I used a poison that will kill her within three hours, even if she severs her arm."

Kneeling before Zakir, the assassin Saddam reported everything he had done.

"What…? You poisoned that b*tch? Are you out of your mind?" Zakir, who had been drunk just moments ago, suddenly sobered up. His eyes, now filled with deadly intent, locked onto Saddam as if they could kill him with a mere gaze.

"S-Sir… what do you mean? Didn't you say that I was free to kill her if I got the chance? What is the problem?" Saddam stammered, wiping the sweat off his forehead as he trembled before Zakir.

"Bastard…!" Zakir roared before suddenly kicking Saddam in the lower body. Without hesitation, he drew his knife and plunged it into Saddam's chest.

The assassin didn't even have a chance to react. He died without ever understanding why he was killed despite successfully completing his mission.

.

Zakir threw the wine aside and looked at Saddam's corpse. He couldn't help himself, he started stabbing the body again and again with his knife.

"Damn… bastard! If you wanted to die, you should've died alone…!"

"Why the hell did you drag me into this?!"

"Once the lord finds out that b*tch is dead, I don't know if I'll be able to survive!"

No… no… I can't go on like this. I have to make sure no one knows she was killed by us. But before that, I need to get rid of this bastard's body.

Countless thoughts raced through Zakir's mind. Without wasting time, he quickly ordered a few of his men to bury Saddam's body somewhere far away. If left out in the open, the scent of blood would attract carnivorous animals, bringing unnecessary chaos something he desperately wanted to avoid.

[A/N : How's the chapter.....?]