Rudra and Raghav stood in the middle of the dense forest, surrounded by towering sal trees, the ground damp with the remnants of last night's rain. The chirping of birds echoed above.
From the shadows of the canopy, a figure dropped silently to the forest floor. He was lean, muscular, with sharp eyes and skin marked with tattoos. He wore bark-colored clothes that blended into the surroundings, and his hand rested on the hilt of a curved blade.
"Why are you here?" the man asked sharply, eyeing the twins with suspicion.
"We want to talk to you and your leader... the woman who spoke to us that day," Rudra replied evenly, keeping his hands visible and non-threatening.
The man's eyes narrowed. "She isn't in this area. And why should she talk to you?"
"We could help each other out here," Raghav said, stepping forward. "You have a problem, and we can help with that."
The man scoffed. "We don't have a problem. And you definitely cannot help." He turned to leave.
"You need men and weapons for your rebellion against Sarthak. We have both," Rudra said, his voice calm but firm.
The man halted mid-step. There was a flicker of doubt in his posture. He didn't turn immediately, but after a brief pause, he looked back. "Wait here for some time," he said, before melting back into the trees.
The twins remained silent, glancing at each other only once. They waited patiently, surrounded by the endless hum of the forest. Minutes passed, stretching into what felt like hours.
Then came the sound of soft footsteps—multiple. The man returned, but he wasn't alone.
Netra emerged from between two massive tree trunks, her eyes locked onto the twins. Behind her were four other Vanmargi men, each with bows drawn, arrows aimed directly at Rudra and Raghav.
Netra stepped forward.
"What is it that you want from me?" she asked, her voice steady, low, and commanding.
"We need to rescue our leader from Rankriti. He is being held there for no reason. We want him to return. He is a member of Yamsabha, same as Sarthak. You help us get to Sarthak. He clearly has a connection to Rankriti. We can exploit that to get Arya out while helping your cause against Sarthak," Raghav said.
Netra and the others exchanged glances—and then laughter followed. It wasn't mocking, but it was certainly incredulous.
"First you tell me your leader needs to be rescued. What kind of a leader is he? Then you say he's being held by Rankriti. Do you even understand what you're saying?" Netra's expression was one of disbelief. "Do you know who that woman is? She could crush all of us with her thumb. If Sarthak is backed by her, that makes him more dangerous than you seem to realize. You clearly are children."
Raghav's gaze hardened. "Laugh if you will, but we plan on getting Arya back. Whether you help us or not is completely up to you. But remember this—we can move ahead without your help. But you won't be able to do anything without ours. Stick to killing spies and messengers in the forest while we do the actual work."
The tension snapped. In a flash, all four warriors raised their bows higher. Arrows now ready to fly. Rudra and Raghav didn't move an inch. They stood still, fearless.
"Go ahead, loose the arrow," Rudra said coldly. "See what happens."
For a long moment, no one spoke. The forest held its breath.
Then Netra raised her hand. The warriors immediately lowered their weapons.
She stepped close to Raghav, eyes sharp. "If I lose any men in this—if Sarthak comes after us—I won't ask them to lower their weapons next time."
She turned to leave.
"You won't. But we need your help. We don't know this Mandala like you do. We need your knowledge to get inside and get close to Sarthak," Rudra said.
Netra paused. Her back still turned. "One week," she said. "Come back with your plan. At the end of the week, we have the annual celebration of our god in our city. Sarthak will be there. You will be able to see him up close."
Without another word, she disappeared into the forest with her warriors.
Rudra and Raghav remained still for a moment, letting the silence settle. Then they turned and began their walk back to Lohitpuri.
They had work to do.