Sikva, capital city of Kavish

The bed she laid on was soft as it robbed off her tiredness and in a drastic contrast, the hard revelation about Rimyama left her with throbbing headache. After Achi Mangalam's disclosure on the black-leaf plant, Nakshathra sprinted to meet the physicians who followed her to the market and advised them to not say a word regarding the Rimyama plant. "Forget that we ever saw the plant, understood."

She had done it precisely to avoid them to blurt out anything about Rimyama. If anything as such happened, the news would spread among people and they would go after Brahcchloka to get it for themselves without a physician's administration. In fear of it, Nakshathra and Achi Mangalam watched over Brahcchloka from a far and only returned when he had taken the last ride to the harbour where he would then board on a ship which will take him elsewhere.

Recounting the day's event, she remembered she hadn't thought about Dhruva the entire day. Am I forgetting him already? She rolled over and laid on her tummy and watched the shinning stars. Perhaps forgetting him is good for me. Will he even be thinking of me? How far would he have gone? What about his injuries from the fire incident?

As she dwelled in her thoughts with one of her hands stretched out, she failed to notice the presence of her visitor.

"Planning to catch the stars while lying on the bed?" Nathan's gruff voice had her jump out of her bed. "Pfft... you better start flying then," he giggled.

The surprised princess switched glances between Nathan and Nakul who entered soon after. Nakshathra blew a few strands of her hair from falling on her face before posing her question with a scowl on her face. "When did you came? Why didn't you make a sound?"

"WE DID!" Nathan claimed, widening his rather small eyes as big as he could. "The princess seemed to be too busy trying to catch stars, she didn't hear us."

"I wasn't catching stars, Nathu. I was simply exercising my fingers." Nakshathra was quite relieved she wasn't thinking aloud, it would have demanded some extra explanation to her brothers.

"I'll buy that although it's unlikely to be true." Nathan sat on one edge of the bed while Nakul on the other.

"What's today's happening?" Nakul asked as he yawned.

Although none of her brothers had told her anything about the wedding, Nakshathra had received some details through her guards who were a friend of her brothers'.

Off lately, they had been working on several issues at the same time. One of it was the arrival of their guest and the other was trying to stop whatever the king had planned for Nakshathra.

The Heramba princes had vouched to do anything to stop the consolidation yet in a corner they found it difficult to make it possible and with Parthiban's absence it had been worst. At a time, they had even suggested to send Nakshathra away for some time but questions sprawled in on where will they send her and what will they tell their father? They then dropped the idea; it was not practical. They knew Nakshathra might have her own way to make things happen but the princes hadn't got the courage to go against the king yet. Their mother too never gave much importance to them but her husband, it would be pointless to go to her as well. Nathan and Nakul however, decided to wait for their brother to return for further discussion.

"Ah, about today! Let's say it was splendid!" Nakshathra settled comfortably seated in the middle of her bed ready to account the events. "We met the herbal merchant from Kamakshya. He had a lot of knowledge on medicines and herbal plants, we got some of the rarest plants to plant it here."

"That's is excellent. That means we can get to heal more illness with these medicines." Nakul suggested.

"That's right. I thought of it too but I met Achi Mangalam on my way."

"Who?" Asked Nakul.

"The old lady I saved from the river many years ago. The palmist I spoke about to you before?"

"Got it! What did she do this time, jumped on a tree?" Nathan joshed as he winked at his older brother and high-fived.

A pillow fell on his head, Nakshathra was ready with another pillow directed to Nakul but refrained from launching it. "Listen!" She demanded their attention. The need of attention was crucial, they had to understand the effect the plant would do to people in order to prevent it in the future. She begun to explain what Achi Mangalam had told her about the plant.

"Rimyama should never be brought out of Varmohin, if it did disaster awaits. One cannot simply extract medicines from Rimyama, only a Varhinsa can do it. Yes, Rimyama has the benefit as claimed by the merchant but a layman cannot extract the medicine on his own. It will be harmful, consumption of the leaves without proper extraction, can bring health problems to women, especially to pregnant ladies. Its smell so sweet and strong, it can kill the baby in the womb and for ladies, it can weaken the uterus resulting in one unable to bear child. Chances of them to conceive will only be possible with proper treatment.

The brothers listen to Nakshathra intently and they connected the insight shared with one of the most common issues raised by people across Kavish, from the villages to cities. The loss of unborn child and death of women during labour which could be categorised as accident or intentional. The exposure or sudden discovery of the plant could certainly cause more health problems in the kingdom.

"What did you do with the plants and did anyone else bought it?" Nakul asked with equal concern.

"We bury it near the Gaurisuta temple."

"That's far, Nakshathra. Did you go alone?" Nathan asked. His thick brows knitted.

"Of course not. I went with Achi Mangalam and the four guards who follows me everywhere." Nakshathra replied all the while massaging her legs.

They had gone to the furthest in the east of Sikva where Gaurisuta temple stood majestically. It was an old temple and have been under heavy surveillance since decades. People around the vicinity have multiple stories regarding its tight security; some say the king has locked a deadly prisoner under the temple, while some say the temple is reserved for only royal members and others say Lord Gaurisuta has an asura tied with the noose he carries around and many more. Yet no one knew the real reason behind the surveillance except for a few of them in the palace, the siblings were one of them.

In short, the temple holds gargantuan number of precious stones and golds from at least a century ago. It was said to have been buried to save guard the locals from being looted. Therefore, years after the incident the leader of the local settlement spoke to the people and had them all agreed to keep the treasure in there for future use. It was kept in mind that in case an unexpected disaster occurs, they would then divide it equally to each citizen regardless of their age or status for survival. Being buried in a land no one ever had an eye on, the treasure remained untouched for century.

When Achi Mangalam told her to get rid of the plant, one of the guards suggested a place close to Gaurisuta temple for its infertile soil present around the area. Nakshathra had weighed the possibilities and agreed to do so for not only will they get to discard the plant but no one would find it there as well if by chance it grows.

The journey took them three hours by foot but unfortunate for Nakshathra, they were delayed by another hour as the local swamped around her at the first sight of her presence. It took a lot of coaxing from Nakshathra to convince them to let her go so she could complete an urgent task before returning to hear them out.

Despite having the plant buried deep in the laterite soil, Nakshathra hesitated to leave the spot, worried someone might get a little too curious. However, Achi Mangalam promised to visit the place in the next three months to see if it shows any sign of growth.

Having shared the events of the day, she posed a question to her brothers seeking their opinion on how to control entry of such plants into the country. Nathan got on his feet and contemplated. "I can do it." He declared with a resolute. "I'll send orders to my men stationed at the harbour to control the access of rare plants and examine the food supplies we import from other countries."

Nakul concurred, "Right, it should be the only way we can control access. I'll send orders at the border gate as well." Nakul then requested Nakshathra to get him a list of plants which could possibly be a threat to the people.

That night Nakshathra hardly slept, sleep was no where embracing her and the Rimyama plant she encountered disturbed her thoughts leaving her unsettled.

Little did she know, someone had followed them and had already dug out the buried plant.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Runai Sea

They laughed when someone yelled in pain. They cursed when someone looked into their eyes. They spat when someone asked for water. They ridiculed everyone for being born in Kavish.

The smell of salty air mixed with rusted iron chains and human excrete sickened Thithan and his fellow countrymen causing them to puke on themselves, adding more mess on and around them. The men who had brought them all from a dark dungeon into the ship threw a glass bottle on a random man bounded in chain and shackles for creating a mess and flung another followed with a fit of laughter.

The men in chains and shackles remained unbothered, hurled next to each other. They had accepted whatever thrown on them, given up the hope of surviving and to be survived. A long-time of wait had only elevated their heartaches. Thankful for the rocky sea and a couple of heavy waves, their messes were washed away leaving them clean, wet, cold and shivering.

"At least we will not be vomiting on one and another again for some time," an old man murmured.

Thithan was the only one who was in his teens while the rest in the ship aged more than thirty. He had come to know most them only after he was brought to the dungeon in the name of job. Like him many others too were lured by those ruffians' tempting talk on jobs with big salary. They all ended up in the dark dungeon far from their home, beaten and starved.

Thithan had come to them for a job too when he wasn't satisfied with the job his friend, the princess of Kavish recommended for him. It was his ego and greediness for more which had ended him here, he huffed at his fate. Should have listened to Kavi. As multiple waves washed the ship, his hand found a single nail rolled to him.

An old man next to him, asked if there were any chance to set them free with the nail he held in his palm. The old man's question was absurd yet he laughed, Thithan didn't. "Laugh while you can, Thitha. We are all going to die soon. I can smell, Him. The Lord of Death. He is coming." The old man searched up in the grey sky as if the Lord of Death was somewhere behind the clouds.

Thithan stared at the nail in his hand, he couldn't unlock the chains nor use it as a weapon against the huge rouges but he could scribble something, he thought. Thithan straighten himself and pondered to whom should he write his last note. His mind listed a number of people he had met throughout his seventeen years; his mother, father, sister, friends, neighbours, the vegetable seller, his previous employer, the milkman, the tailor and many random people. So many people he almost lost count but his mind did help him pick one and his last note would be to the person he did not bother to care.

As he scribbled his note on the wooden plank of the ship's floor, a sudden commotion erupted among the ship crews. Each were barking orders to one and another. Running to the left and right, down the deck and up again with bags. On one end of the ship, three lifeboats were thrown down, one man jumped on each of the lifeboats. "What about them?" A rouge asked the captain, pointing to the twenty men from Kavish they had bounded together.

"Well, we can't take them with us. Finish them off and quick get on the boat." The captain instructed as he threw a few bags down and jumped.

The time has come, Thithan told himself as he scribbled quicker. He didn't want to be distracted with the scream of agony and the way his life was going to end. He needed to finish his note. Thithan allowed himself to glance on the man coming closer to him when he was almost done. Shiver ran down his spine, sweat rolled down profusely and his heart beat its last few beats faster than he could imagine, he was forgetting to complete his note.

The rogue stepped before him, eyes death in empathy, sympathy and mercy. Thithan's eyes followed the man's hand as he swung the blood dripping sharp sword before him, slitting his throat on its way. Thithan hitched holding his breath. The blood gushed through the opening taking away his life with it. His hand lost its grip on the nail and so did his fear on his life. He fell on the already fallen old man who had predicted their death as his blurry vision watched the rogue slit another man's throat and stabbing another one in his chest. Thithan's vision fell on his note, his name was yet to be written, he used his last bits of strength and completed his name with his blood.

*--***---**--**--**

When Megavannan's ship anchored close to the rouge's ship they had spotted, he had instructed a few of his men to get on it to check. Although they had seen three small boats rowing in high speed away, he doubted there might be people in there.

All of them in his ship had heard people screaming to death. So loud they thought it could be the mythical creature Swarna Sarga attacking them but it was no sea creature's work. His men on the other ship confirm it had been the work of the ruffians who had left in the small boats.

Megavannan could not even think about the men who had escaped but for the dead Kavishians on the ship piled on each other and tied in chains. The wooden floor had washed over by the blood of those innocent men. The aged warrior blamed himself for not reaching sooner or perhaps moved discreetly and not in such a huge ship. Those rogues must have killed them when they had spotted Megavannan's fleet, he thought. Shaking himself out of the plight, Megavannan sent a big group to tail the ruffians.

He watched as his men unchained the dead people of Kavish and laid them next to each other. He had failed in his mission to find these people alive and these people don't deserve such a merciless death. As the commander in charge, he ordered his men to perform a proper funeral on the ship itself.

Hours later, Megavannan and his men return to his ship. They had prepared the ship they had caught to be burned as it continues to sail. A funeral befitting a warrior. As he watched the ship ignite, in his hand, he held a broken wooden plank which had a short message. As the ship burned, Megavannan solemnly took vow on the funeral pyre and on the name of the boy named Thithan, "I promise to find those behind this heinous crime and send them to hell!" Tears rolled down his cheeks and the burning ship sailed away from them.

**---***-**-*-*