Love knows no limits, so doesn't Duties. Then what it should be called when one does one's duties wholeheartedly, like worshipping?

9 | Her Wrath |

~*~*~*~

R

anveer intended to run away, but his feet suddenly slipped as his ankle stuck in a hole somewhere between the thick, withered web of roots of the century old oak. Mentally cursing his lack of attention, Ranveer tried to jerk out his leg free as noiselessly as he could. But, to his surprise, the muddy soil stuck around his ankles started to loosen up, and before he could understand anything, he felt as if he was dragged down in hell by some unknown devilish pull. A loud rustle of dry leaves, twigs and gravels covered up his smothered scream of surprise.

The stars scattered on the dark purple-blue sky as chunks of diamonds did not help much in Omkara's eyesight. It was pitch black around him, only the outlines of the tall, veteran trees could be differed as soon as his eyesight adjusted with the darkness. Hence, the loud noise coming from the opposite side of the Oak tree behind him, caused a surprised yelp from him and he quickly turned his horse around, his grip on the dagger of his cincture tightened as his eyes sharpened to figure his enemy out.

'Tsk. We're here, you definitely lack the sense of direction, your majesty', a spiteful voice rang from behind him, mocking him even in their addressing.

Omkara hated people taking his title and honour for granted. But it was also true, that it might be a trap to distract him by poking his temper higher to cause him loss of his cool. Breathing deeply in and out for sometime, he clicked his jaw and turned back at the army of men, camouflaging themselves with twigs and holding a fire torch each. Their leader stood in front of them, his hands crossed on his chest, his face unilluminated, hands crossed over his chest and his neck length hair.

'Should I praise you for your respect towards the rule of battles? I thought you will just throw your spear at me and my life - ', he moved his right palm breadth wise before his throat, smirking.

'We are former royals Omkara', the leader put all the venom of his heart while uttering his name, 'We do not attack from our opponent's back!'

'Royals! Mister, the trick you tried on me beforehand has backfired', he chuckled lowly.

The leader didn't like his prey playing beat-around-the-bush with them. With a light cough, he said, 'How do you wish to die, by getting beheaded as your punishment for invading our land, or by losing a small fight in this wood? Either way, you are going to die in my hands, feel proud for that.'

'Hmm, let me think. As the cowards you are, getting twenty men to catch one king, that too with fire torches to help your pathetic eyesight out, it would be aptest if I get involved in a fight, And yes! I did not get to know the name of my enemies', Omkara chuckled louder.

Though the leader was shaking in rage, he didn't lose the chance to jest the spite out of the infamous king, 'Oh! Where are my manners? I am Prince Ajay, the younger brother of the crown prince Mukesh of FrostClime.'

'Former FrostClime', Omkara's chuckle now faded in a malicious grin, 'And you are not my son by any means. So, stop calling yourself by your false title.'

Ajay saw red in frenzy. Gritting his teeth at the temerity of the infamous king just before the jaw of death he spat, 'I am! I am the prince of this land!! Your army general killed my father and took our land from us! Your court dancer killed the crown prince! My own elder brother!!'

He wanted to continue, but Omkara clicked his tongue as if he got startled, 'Oh, so that was your brother with two pretty ladies, his whores may be. Such a shame, he died like a rat, couldn't even have proper last rites of glorification or a grotesque pyre.'

'You!!', Ajay suddenly pulled out his sword from the scabbard and lunged at Omkara with his sword raised high up in air, his eyes raining sparks of vengeance.

Omkara had already raised his own axe, but a shrill whistle was heard echoing through the dark forest, and to Omkara's utter surprise, a white horse jumped out of the blinding darkness, pushing back the blow aimed at him. Sparks flew as the sparks flew from where the two blades clashed, and the rider pounced upon Ajay from the horseback. A walnut brown horse went up before Omkara in a defensive position, guarding him.

Ajay's grip loosened on his sword's hilt as his gaze collided with two emerald green irises, burning in the golden fire of fury as a hungry wolf, stalking its prey. But, the tiny figure scooted away from him soon, only to stand by king Omkara's side.

'Heh he! Though your reflex is good, I must tell you, boy, you are too young to participate in the game of monarchy', Ajay stood up.

A man shouted from behind him, 'Hey boy! Look, what king Omkara is making you do! Now its time for you to play around and he has pushed you into slavery. Speak up boy, if you love your motherland, our FrostClime, you should be with us, chasing away the intruders, or punish - ', his voice chocked, letting the forest fall into the eerie chirp of crickets, as the tiny figure threw a small dagger at him, implanting it wholly in his throat.

'You little', Ajay let out an animalistic growl, 'If you want a fight, then let it be. Not that you will win against our best men.'

The three figures dressed in black exchanged glances. Omkara jumped down his horse and patted Gauri's shoulder, whispering, 'I am impressed by your skills', he pointed at their opponents, 'Don't let your king down.'

Though her lips were wide in an evil grin, Gauri could not help her cheeks to go warm with tingles. She lowered her eyes and nodded, and Omkara stared at her green eyes hooded under thick lashes, his eyes big in the striking familiarity.

They were yanked back at reality by a shout, 'Charge!'

Gripping her double bladed dagger in her right hand, she ran into the group in a lightening speed, like a possessed snow leopard, her eyes smoldering in greener blaze. Gripping the men charging at her by their neck or hair, she drew her dagger slashing over their throat in a fine precision. Splatters of blood marred her minutely exposed skin. Drenching her black attire. Omkara too charged at the rogues, in his kurta and loose pants, throwing away his robe. Dandi footed by him, defensively.

Ranveer landed on a stone ground loudly, groaning as his arms and legs got badly bruised by the harsh gravels. After creating such loud noise, his first reflex was to take out his spiral knife, looking around in search of any enemy. A tightly enclosed underground cave revealed to him, whose roof was partly broken by the strong roots of the oak.

Before he could take the whole atmosphere in, a hand came round his neck like a lasso, clasping his breaths in a painful grip.

'Drop your weapon'.

Ranveer dropped his dagger upon the ground. The man whistled to call for another man who quickly searched the pleats of Ranveer's all black clothes, to find out weapons, if there were more. Though Ranveer carried only one knife, resulting in their empty hands.

'There is only one clearing here. Should we?'

'Sure. Not that he will be able to take all of us down alone, especially when he is disarmed'.

Ranveer tried to fight back a smile when he was pushed into a clearing covered with hay-beds, four other men guarding an all beaten up Shakti, tied from neck to ankles, barely living. Yet Ranveer felt relieved to see him alive.

You just don't know what a mistake it was, Raveer let out an airy laugh and elbowed the man who had locked his neck hardly in his stomach. He was trained enough to endure the sudden loss of air in his lungs due to the last try of the falling man to strangle him.

He cracked the necks of other two men in a flash, sending them on ground, out cold. When the other three approached them, he took out a small dagger from beneath his tongue, which produced a thin trail of blood. Smirking with his bloodied lips, he took each man by their necks and slashed their necks swiftly, but not ending them.

On the ground, now, most of the attackers were lying dead or unconscious. Ajay couldn't believe that his men would be so vulnerable against their ability. He shuddered thinking that if the ordinary soldiers were this much efficient, then how much -

'Do you want to submit?', Ajay frowned at the infamous king.

'Not for my life. You can tame my corpse only.'

'I am willing.'

Taking out his heavy sword with a gold hilt embedded with amethysts, Omkara stood facing Ajay. Their swords crossed against each other before starting their duel.

'Until death?', Ajay smirked.

'Until death.'

Soon the clashing swords rained sparks illuminating the dark night, the sound of the clashing sharp metal edges filled the forest as the nocturnal birds flew up in air surrounding the battle circle. Ajay was fencing blindly in rage, but he soon understand that Omkara was just playing around with him, dodging his attacks. His face was calm, until he set his sword hards against his and with a swift motion twisted his wrist enough to cause the sword to fly out.

Gripping his wrist, Ajay fell to the ground, his face retorted in pain. But when Omkara bent a bit to take a breath, Ajay produced a dagger from his waistband.

Omkara shot up straight when a sickening sound of a skull cracking open entered his ears. Looking up, he saw a war axe stuck in Ajay's forehead, blood washing over his popped open eyes, a dagger in his left hand. The tiny man went up to him and pulled out the axe in a jerk. Ajay fell backwards.

'Ah! Just in time!', Ranveer came out with Shakti on his  shoulder.

'Who are you?', Omkara pointed his sword at his throat.

'Your majesty, he was sent to look for army general Shakti exclusively', Dandi said.

Soon hoofing became clearer in the forest and the vice army general arrived with a troop.

'Clean up. Lock the injured ones in dungeons. We haven't finished',  turning at Ranveer, Omkara said, 'Hand army general over to the palace physician as soon as you reach there.'

'Aye, my king.'

~•~•~•~

Omkara entered his bed chamber, kissing the breath out of the woman latched as a snake around his torso. Looking at his bed, he saw another woman already seated there, her nose and lips, veiled under see through drapes. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized the eyes of his green eyed savior. Smiling, he left the other girl, and crawled towards her.

She was rubbing her small palm slowly over her exposed calves, a oil spreading over her delicate skin, emitting an intoxicating aroma, mixed with the incense candles and lamps, letting her glow as a golden doll. She moved aside to let him lean against the pillows kept at the bed post.

Gauri's fingers were trembling. She bit the insides of her cheeks, and swiftly undid his upperwear, you are saving your king, its not time for harbouring inappropriate thoughts.

'Your majesty surely need a massage to relieve the stress tonight', the other woman smirked seductively and dipped her fingers in the oil Gauri had brought and started smearing on his left shoulder. Gauri too followed, observing the woman's hands, her own hands rubbing up and down Omkara's chest and abdomen, sensually, as she was trained.

To the other woman's displeasure, Omkara leaned towards Gauri and pulled Gauri on his lap swiftly. Her whole skin was now scented as the oil and he dipped his nose in the crook of her neck, his hand squeezing her bare waist and his lips brushing against her delicate skin.

'Why so late, love? I have been craving you since my coronation ceremony'.

While Gauri's jaw tightened to keep her desires on check, the other woman's nails started slowly digging in Omkara's shoulder. Glancing at her, Gauri stiffened as her colourless nails had already tinted in a dark shade of blue. The ivy extract successfully detected the poison in her nails. Gauri gripped her wrist, taking her by surprise. Slashing her sharp bell bangles in her skin enough to draw blood, she dipped one of her nails in the blood.

The woman shrieked, 'Wh- what are you doing? Wh- Aah! Aah!', she started writhing on the fur, her skin started to get blistered and bluish.

'I.. will not! let you, ruin! my.. goal! you.. artfull - Bitch!!', she contorted in pain and tried to lunge at Omkara, trying to claw at his skin with her other hand.

'Aah! She fell back as Gauri pinned a dagger aptly in her attacking palm. Pulling that out, she slashed it against her neck, blood shot out to enter her teary eyes, and she broke down. As if blood had replaced her tears.

Getting down from Omkara's lap she bowed, her voice cracking, 'Apologies my lord, for the inconvenience.'

With that she turned round at her back and marched out, tears running freely from her eyes,
Favourite Knight rightly said not to trust anyone, ever. Even your own shadow leaves your back when its dark.

Wow! Its really big! 2300 words! Compensating? May be. A light cliffhanger though.
Though I don't say much, or set any target, but its a bit discouraging to see that lesser people are reading this story. I mean, I don't complain if people don't vote or comment, I feel grateful if you read it only once. I feel complete of my attempts. But, the lesser number of views are disheartening. May be this story is not worth your time here in Wattpad. If its so, please let me know. I don't want you guys forcing yourselves in reading it just because I tagged you and you don't want to dishearten me. If you don't want to read a story like this, I will more than happy to delete this book and confine my ideas till my diaries only. I don't want to present myself as an attention seeker writer. I want to be in your memories for the stories I write, obviously in a good sense. I will be happy if you remember me as the writer of any one of my books.

PS: though I didn't expect it, The Fairytale I Never Dream Of, Falling For YOU All Over AGAIN,and this book has made it to the finals of TRCA, arranged by IB Fanfic Community. Please, show some love to my babies.

I feel honoured to announce that I was requested to make a shouout for KetakiCreations's stories. Please respect her faith on me and follow up her stories, encourage her a bit to get more of awesome stories on RiKara by her.

And yes, do follow the book 'The Thinkers Award', from my profile if you haven't checked it out yet.

Happy reading!
With love,
Sarani.