The Band was outside the tavern, and Eldrain untied Mili and Anu, taking them to the food carriage.
Aurelia and An sat in the driver's seat with Raghav standing beside them, talking to Aurelia. "Eldrain and I will solve this mystery and join you soon. Just wait for us."
The two of them smiled in silence, with their gaze intertwined. "Be safe, Raghav."
"You too, Aurelia."
Then An patted the Mili and Anu, and the carriage moved forward, due west.
Raghav stood there watching them travel as Eldrain stood by his side. "They would have been safer with us."
Eldrain's remark made him take a deep breath through his nose. "I know, but this is necessary if we wish to help Amesha."
In response, Eldrain would only hum with his hands in his pockets.
"Whatever you say, my lord. We will follow your steps."
"Just Raghav is fine, Eldrain. Remember, we are adventuring together."
A smug smile appeared on his face as Eldrain chuckled. "Alright, Captain."
Raghav smiled gently and turned away. "Let us pay a little visit to Ms Lia."
A few kilometres away, the female members of the group were travelling away from the village.
"Isn't it a blessing to accompany him?"
The question caught Aurelia off guard, and she tilted her head. Then she smiled as the words sank in. "You mean Raghav?"
"Yes, I have heard stories from people who claimed to have seen the future. They spoke of a strong man who would bring down anyone in his way that all would bow to power. Then, as each twin comet passed, I hoped to see that strong man. I had already seen the peak of power when I met Eldrain, a Grand Master. When the news first travelled that the King of Istreid had summoned a Hero from another world. Such magic had only been attempted a few times in history; it had always failed, yet this time, when it mattered most, it worked"
Warm sunlight peeked through the clouds upon them, and An raised her head. "The only time someone was successfully summoned was Raghav Suryanshi, A man who is powerful, a man who others bow to not because of the strength of his body or his power, but the strength of his soul and heart. What more belief does one need than the fact that The One has chosen him."
There was no room to argue with her words. Aurelia had seen the effect Raghav had on the people around him in person, from Sage Amla to Sage Ert and everyone in between. She had felt the effect he had on her, an effect only one person has on her.
So instead, she decided to expand on it, sharing her feelings.
"I know what you mean. I feel the same way. He inspires others; he puts everyone behind him at ease. Raghav is someone who makes others want to follow him, instead of forcing them. After all, he is one with The One. Worshipable just like the Saints, Rishi and Sages."
Words spoken straight from the soul, bypassing the mind, these were not words she thought, nor did she choose to believe; these words were something that her very being believed on its own.
This was the conviction and hold Raghav had on the princess and heir of the Istreid Kingdom, and she had no intention of hiding it, not from someone she considered a role model and a companion whom she chose to travel the world with.
"Are those romantic feelings? For someone other than your fiancé?"
This was the first time someone had mentioned Kanah in a few days, and Aurelia was surprised. "Did I say something wrong? You seem surprised."
Aurelia shook her head. "No, I do not have feelings for anyone other than the man I love. Make no mistake, there is only one. I was just surprised you knew I have a fiancé. It was supposed to be kept a secret till we got married."
Hahahaha.
It could not be helped, and maybe she did not want it to be helped, but she could not hold in her laughter.
On the other hand, Aurelia could not help but pout as she looked away.
Upon seeing her reaction, An reached over Aurelia's shoulder and pulled her close, like a mother consoling her upset daughter.
"I am sorry for laughing, but did you really expect the romance between a princess and a farmer would stay hidden? I mean, it is not known to the masses, but it is not a secret as safe kept as you think it is."
Gentleness dripped from each and every word, but then her tone shifted to a more serious one. "Will you be okay? Because someone will reveal it to the world."
Without hesitation, she received an answer. "I love him, that is all that matters; what the world thinks of him or me does not matter. He is a good man, a great man. The kingdom will be blessed to have him as its king."
Lost in their conversation, they forgot that the end of the village was in sight.
Couple of hundred metres more and they will be out of the domain that Amesha was bound to and could affect.
'I am Not Done with YOU yet!'
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Chief Lea sat in her office, drinking tea as she tapped her pen on the death certificate. 'Why now of all times? Why did you have to return now?'
Knock Knock.
"Come in." She looked up from the paper and saw the door open and Raghav walking in with his head lowered and Eldrain behind him.
"I am sorry to interrupt your work, Ms. Lea. We just had a question that we think would help us understand the situation better."
The neurons in her brain kicked into overdrive as she began imagining what exactly could The Hero need from a lowly chief of a small village.
She did not even realise that the men were now standing before her and that she herself had stood up.
"Please take these seats." She gestured to the chairs in front of her work table, and Eldrain and Raghav complied, sitting on the left and right chairs, respectively.
"Thank you." They spoke in unison. Once they sat down, Lea followed and sat back in her chair. "What can I help the two of you with?"
Raghav gestured for Eldrain to carry the conversation forward on his behalf.
Gladly accepting the request, Eldrain leaned forward, placing his hands on the work table. "My child, we do not need much, just one answer to one of our questions."
"My Child?"
Lea was taken aback by the way Eldrain addressed her; after all, the man was younger than her, in terms of appearance at least.
It most certainly wasn't the first time Eldrain had to explain this to someone. "Yes, my child. I may not look like it, but I am two years shy of turning five hundred. That is beside the point. What matters right now is Amesha. You gave us a vague explanation as to who she was, but you kept her identity from us. Why?"
No answer.
There was no answer from Lea as she looked down at her pen, still tapping on the death certificate.
"I… I didn't do this on purpose, you must believe me, I was just worried about Amara. She is like a granddaughter to me; she needs to know the truth, yet I do not have the strength to do it. How can I? When I cannot even sign this death certificate."
Slamming the pen on the table, she held her head. "I am useless as a chief, I get too emotional."
"Being emotional isn't a bad thing, especially when it is empathy, to cry for others, not because it hurts you, but because of how it hurts them. It is admirable, hence I know you do not want anyone else to go through the same pain, so tell us everything you know about Amesha and Rishi Purrn. So we can put an end to this suffering."
Raghav's soft and gentle words felt like medicine to an open wound, easing the burning and pain in Lea.
Obeying his request, she responded. "One day, Rishi Purrn returned home from his morning bath, and inside he found his wife with another. What happened in there is unknown, nor who it was that was with Amesha. All we know is Rishi Purrn left his house in anger, only to return in the evening when his anger had subsided.
No one else was seen leaving or entering between these two instances, then after a few moments, he came out, carrying the dead Amesha within his arms. He turned around and yelled out for the world to hear.
'You will be free when your desire is fulfilled. Until then, suffer for what you have done! You will remain bound to this village till the end of time.'
Many people used to visit him to learn things from him or to get his blessings; these people were the ones who spread the story behind this incident. They all say several different things, but one thing is common: the presence of a third person with them, then Rishi Purrn carrying out Amesha's corpse and making his statement before exiling himself to the forest with her corpse."
A deep breath was what she needed to stop her tears from overflowing like they did this morning.
Not wasting a second, she spoke about what bothered her. "I must apologise for asking this, but it is bothering me. Why are you here? Why is it that you are wasting your precious time here? You are meant to save the world."
She received an instantaneous answer to her question, as Raghav placed a hand on his chest and dropped his head lower.
"I am saving the world as I was asked to do. Is this village not a part of the world? Is Amesha not a soul that lives in this world, whatever form of life she may have become, she is a part of this world. I do not intend to save the world from one tyrant; I aspire to save it from within to the best of my capabilities. I understand your concern, but I just want you to know, all life matters, even though you may think yourself insignificant, you matter."
He then stood up, joining his hands and bowed. "Thank you for your time and your insight regarding Amesha and Rishi Purrn. Please extend our condolences to Amara."
"I am going to tell her the news and take her to his body before the funeral. Will you please join us? Your presence alone will be a comfort for her, just like how it eases me."
An honest request, which Raghav did not have the strength to reject.
Closed eyes and a gentle smile were what were on his face as he bowed with his hands still joined. "We will, ma'am."
Lea smiled as she stopped tapping her pen and, after a deep breath, signed the certificate. "May you find The One."
The death certificate was placed in a cardboard file, and Lea carried it in her hands as she stood up. "Please follow me."
She walked towards the door as Raghav and Eldrain stood up. "Raghav, I do not believe any of these stories to be true. Amesha was a Rishi's wife; she knew morals and ethics better than anyone else, and living with a pure soul like Rishi Purrn, who was one with The One, leaves a resonance of purity within a person. It is not easy for anyone to fan the flames of Lust within her. Then what happened?"
"You are looking at it all with a personal perspective. Remove yourself from the picture and read between the lines, Eldrain; you will find your answer. For now, let us be there for this grieving girl."
They followed after Lea.
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In a small garden in front of a small house, located on a small six feet wide street.
Stood Raghav with his eyes closed, beside him was Eldrain looking straight ahead through the open door and in front of them was Lea.
Despite her arms and legs shaking, inside, she was calm like the empty night sky. All due to a warm and gentle presence, stood behind her.
A soldier emerged from the small house, and behind him out came Amara, a short and thin black haired girl.
Even after being seventeen, she looked no older than fifteen.
Due to the aftereffect of the disease given to her by Amesha, she was unable to take steady steps and almost fell, but caught herself on the doorframe.
"Chief Lea, have you seen my husband? He was supposed to bring me something to relieve the pain last night, but he has not returned. I am worried, he has never stayed a night away from home."
Attempting to take another step forward, she fell and was caught by Lea and Eldrain.
While Raghav remained at the back, silently listening in.
Lea hugged Amara and held her tightly. "I am sorry, my child. But your illness was not something natural but the doing of a cursed spirit. The same one that terrorised this village for years."
Amara began to push Lea, attempting to move away as tears rolled down her face and she shook her head. "No, No, No."
Without waiting for Amara to calm down, Lea continued. "Last night, your husband went to recover the antidote from her. This morning, we found him in an alleyway near the tavern. The antidote was in his corpse."
That was the last straw that broke Amara completely, and her body gave in, and she fell to her knees.
The sound of her wailing filled the narrow street, echoing in that section of the village.
"It is all my fault, I should have listened when the priest told us that our birth sheets were incompatible."
She wailed again. "He told us that our marriage would result in the death of one of us. But I convinced him, I convinced him to die."
Her grip tightened around her dress, turning white. "It is my fault!"
One last cry was let out before she started sobbing, and Lea held her, shushing the girl.
"Amara."
Raghav called out to the girl in a voice so soft and gentle that it could be the very definition of those words.
The sobbing stopped, and Lea stepped to the side and let Amara look up at Raghav. His figure appeared blurry and shrouded by a shadow as the sun was directly behind his head, its rays emitting out from all sides.
"Are you The One?"
Instead of answering, Raghav kneeled down in front of her, his eyes still closed. "Raghav!"
She called out his name as if the name was a bucket of water that extinguished a fire inside her.
"Yes, Amara?"
He called back to her, the brief exchange somehow managed to stop her tears, and now she was in a trance, lost in Raghav's gentle smile and his appearance.
"Beautiful. You are so beautiful."
"Thank you, Amara. Your kind words have touched my heart. I will never forget them for as long as I shall exist. I give you my word."
The smile on his face grew slightly as he stood up, and Amara followed after him.
Once they were both upright, she just looked up at him silently, her tears dried up, and a smile made its way to her face.
'RAGHAV!'
The cry for help entered his ears as he took a deep breath. "Amara, stay strong for now. It appears I am needed elsewhere. I will return to meet you."
"I will wait for you."
Raghav's smile brightened as he turned towards Lea and bowed his head, and then turned around, running away, followed by Eldrain.
"What happened?"
"I heard An's voice. She is in danger."
The mere mention of An being in danger pushed Eldrain, as he began running at enhanced speeds.
Within seconds, they returned to the intersection at the heart of the village, and what they saw was the very thing they were trying to avoid.
Before their eyes, An sped towards the tavern where she last saw the two of them.
In her arms was Aurelia, passed out, with blue veins on her skin, foam building in her mouth and her eyes completely white.