Kalki had been leaning against a building wall as night had fallen. He had been waiting for Lakshmi outside the Government Residence, hoping she’d exit but it had been hours and he was unable to even enter the place. He began to take a stroll and then quickly decided to take a short nap. Suddenly there was a sound, the sound of broken wood.

He looked up and saw a figure. It was like a dream, as the figure was floating and soon Kalki realized, it wasn’t so when it dropped in front of him.

Surely the Gods didn’t send him for me.

Kalki felt guilty for feeling humorous at this juncture, but he made his way to the body and realized it was a Naga since there were the noticeable eyes and the inked design over his arm. But as he noticed the design, he saw it was more of a rattlesnake than an ordinary one.

Must be of the higher authority, but why was he here?

Kalki looked up again and there was no one.

He felt for his pulse, but he didn’t find one. He had a long, fatal gash on his arm, the only place where he wasn’t covered by the iron armour.

What’s going on with this city, damn it?

“Hey, you!” he heard someone speak.

He looked up to find two Nagas standing in front of him.

“What are you…” one of them grew silent when they saw the corpse.

“I swear I found it here, it fell from…”

The one guard, in horror, swept his hand across his mouth as he said to another in nothing short of a frightened whisper, “It’s the general.”

“Fell?” The other pulled his blade out, instantly alerted. “Do not move, murderer. You shall be hanged for killing General Takshak of Indragarh.”

“What? No, I didn’t do…”

The blade was poked at him.

“Don’t you dare speak again,” the other one who was checking Takshaka’s pulse now continued, “the boy even has blood on his cloth. He must be given away to the wolves, take him to Lord Vasuki.”

“Lord Vasuki…no…”

“Hands at the back.”

Reluctantly, Kalki did as he was ordered while he was tied with ropes behind his back.

“I will wait here while you call from the headquarters,” the soldier said to the other. “And keep this suspect in the lockup until we are clear.”

“You will regret this,” Kalki added.

But he was still pushed around with the Government Residence in the background, drifting as he walked further. He was getting late and he had to reach by sunrise, otherwise it would cause him his father’s life. He took a deep breath and tried to reason with the guard, but it was to no avail.

“I will give you money.”

“Bribing a guard is a strict offence.”

“I’ll give you money to avoid that as well.”

“All the money in the world can’t save you. You were standing over a dead officer’s body. You know what the punishment for that is? Death. As simple as that.”

“That’s a quick judgment to pass. I’m glad you aren’t applying for the judiciary.”

“Who says I haven’t?”

“Oh you have, my my.”

He saw a chariot exiting from the gates of the Government Residence just then, and it was none other than Lakshmi. Even from far, her eyes and her sculpted face was visible.

“I need to go…my friend…”

“Your friend, eh?

Kalki had had enough. He stopped and clenched his fist and with as much force as he could muster, he tore the ropes apart. The guard instantly got alarmed, but Kalki paid no attention to his shivering blade, held by weak hands. He grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up.

“I told you, you were committing a bad mistake. Sorry.” And with a shove, he pushed the guard ten yards away.

Kalki rushed across the empty street to the chariot, whose reins were held by Lakshmi.

“You got a vehicle?”

“My aunt gave it to me.”

“I suspect she gave you the weapons as well.”

Lakshmi signalled at the back. Kalki pulled up the ornate curtains and there were all sorts of shields, swords, daggers, javelins and bows with arrows.

“How did you convince her?”

“Oh, that’s my secret power, saddle up. She even told me a way out of the city that isn’t guarded well till now, so we can sneak out from there.”

Kalki sat up. “I’m ready.”

“All right, also I want to know for sure if everything went all right as you sacrificed yourself…uh…hold on…is that blood?”

Kalki looked down. “Uh, yeah.”

“Don’t tell me you killed someone.”

“Oh no.”

“What happened then?”

“We have a pretty long journey,” Kalki wiped the sweat beads off of his forehead. “I think we can discuss that during the course of it.”