Chapter 260

I know you must have all run out of patience what with me delaying again. I had been certain I could update by Wednesday but things at college got hectic than I imagined and kept me from coming to my favourite place. Nevertheless, I am here, making time to "like" all the comments and to read the pending PMs.

As to the chapter I am about to recount, you know this was given to me, in a most dramatically secret manner, by the Lady in the Dark Hood. It is hence a chapter experienced and narrated solely by her. I have no hand in all that is about to happen in this tale set in Arhasia.

Chapter 339: The Mole in the Hole

You might remember that Raoul had stated, with his gaze affixed on his estranged nephew, "The years I have sacrificed, trying to find you and your wretched family... I've been preparing for this moment for so long."

There was a glint of evil brilliance in his eyes as he continued to claim, "I was not alone in this. I wouldn't have found you and obtained occasion for you to voluntarily find me if it hadn't been for my trusted friend."

When he said this, a shadow had moved behind him, revealed to be me. With Fortune perched on my shoulder.

But truthfully, none noticed our arrival in the dark chamber, not even the cursed men who knew me from their past. I was imperceptible to their earthly eyes for the time had not come for me to reveal my presence to them.

Excepting, of course, the feline.

She looked up, from licking her paw, to appraise my attendance but frowned on seeing my companion, "Hello, Parrot."

Fortune responded with a diplomatic grin, "And if isn't the Cat-Astrophe."

The feline was unperturbed but asked in dry humour, "What took you so long? Did you stop on your way to gather nuts?"

Fortune shrugged, "I thought I'd make an entry when the fun really started."

"Nice timing," purred Astrophe, returning to her paw-licking.

Fortune observed her grooming for a brief moment, "You wouldn't be doing that if you had been a bird."

Astrophe eyed him displeasingly but didn't afford him a reply so he continued, "You could have been a Raven or, more suitably, a Crow!"

The feline snorted, "And call myself Miss-Fortune? No thanks."

They would have perhaps continued with their utterly meaningless banter if we had not been distracted by the appearance of another man.

For you see, it was the manifestation of the statement that Raoul had made about him having always been aided by a trusted friend who had helped him find the location and the opportune time to get at Lord Arnav.

A secret spy in Arhasia.

A mole in their oblivious little world.

Raoul had looked over his shoulder, a slight sneer curving his thin lips as a cue to introduce, to the company, his worthy conspirator.

This time the silhouette that moved in the darkness behind Raoul, the same figure that had cut the rope that let the cage come crashing upon the duo, stepped out into the lighted area beside Raoul and looked malevolently at Lord Arnav who was baffled by the identity of the betrayer.

It was Kushi who voiced their shock, "Adil?" And then she glowered, "I knew it! I knew he couldn't be trusted. Remember I told you, Arnavji, that he had a shifty look on his face! And you thought I called him Aloof Adil because I missed Aman!"

Wrath roared in Lord Arnav's blood and he pulled at the bars as he looked threateningly at his new enemy, "I will wring your neck till you die, you ruthless traitor!"

Feeling his strength wane, Lord Arnav instantly let go of the merciless bars but he let his unflinching grimace remain in Adil's direction.

Sparing thought for no sane moment, Kushi picked up her swashbuckling swords and rushed at Adil, blind to the loud admonitions of her husband, "Kushi, NO!"

Lady Anjali too lifted her longbow, aiming for Adil, and was about to let her arrow fly when Kushi suddenly halted midway and, dropping her swords, fell to the ground, her hand to her waist.

Her frail moan shattered Lord Arnav's tenacity as his knees buckled and he fell to the ground on them, breathing in horror, "Kushi..."

Forgetting her longbow, Lady Anjali stared in Kushi's direction, unable to understand what had happened. She had clearly not seen Raoul or Adil move in attack.

Astrophe shared an anxious look at the Lady in the Dark Hood who glanced at Kushi with a clouded expression.

Poised calmly, Raoul smirked at the woman who knelt cowered on the cold stone floor.

"It is exhausting, isn't it?" he commented casually, "Defending people when you ought to be cautious for the wretched life growing inside of you."

"Oh no," Lady Anjali murmured in a mixture of astonishment and anxiety, "Kushiji..."

She had hastily taken two steps in Kushi's direction when she saw Adil step forward with a sword lifted as he neared Kushi, meaning to strike her.

Instantly, Lady Anjali pursed her lips, lifted her longbow and shot her waiting arrow which hurtled through the air and thrust right through the heart of the traitor, who froze where he stood. The sword slipped from his hold as he crashed backwards to the ground where he lay, his aloof eyes staring lifelessly at the shadowed ceiling that had become him sarcophagus.

"Good riddance," muttered the General.

Lord Arnav eyed his former servant's corpse distastefully and then returned his concerned gaze in the direction of his wife.

Finding her strength again, Kushi inhaled deeply and whispered, "Stay strong, my little one, for you father." Then she rose from the floor, tiredly lifting her swords but glaring angrily at Raoul.

"Get back here, Kushi," Lord Arnav declared firmly as he, too, rose to his feet, his hands gripping the bewitched bars.

Raoul stood coolly, leering at Kushi's futile attempt to threaten him.

Knowing Kushi was not strong enough to defend herself, Lady Anjali drew another arrow from her quiver and pulled it with the string of her longbow, aiming at her estranged uncle.

Raoul's gaze testily slid to his niece's stance, as though questioning her will.

"I no longer know you," mumbled Lady Anjali in answer as she drew back her arrow, ready to fire.

But before anything could happen, a newer distraction caught their startled attention.

The bald man, loyal servant of Raoul, had crept upon the scene unnoticed.

Perceiving the plight of the situation, he calculatedly wrenched Anarkali from Ram's clutches and, after rudely pushing the boy aside, stepped into the arena, his hands holding Anarkali threateningly by her middle and, partially, using her as a shield.

The General growled intimidatingly.

"Drop your swords and your arrows," the fat servant warned, carrying the petrified child across the room, "Or I'll slice her throat and spill out all her blood!"

Ram stood helplessly watching Kushi and Lady Anjali suspend their armaments where they stood.

"Drop your weapons," repeated the bald man again, lifting Anarkali a little higher.

"You heard what he said," commented Raoul nonchalantly, "Drop them or he'll drop the baby."

Lady Anjali shot him a torn look, her eyes glistening with cold tears, "You would let him kill your own grand-niece...?"

Without baring a single shred of emotion, Raoul stated blatantly, "I care for her as much as I despise you."

Lady Anjali stared at him, shaken by his admission. And then she caught Kushi's eye and saw that she was watching the bald man.

From the corner of their eyes, they saw the bald man get unfocused as he tried to make way for the door on the other side of the room.

Noticing what had caught his wife's and his sister's attentions, Lord Arnav irritably swallowed down his annoyance at their heedlessness. Why can't these women just STAY STILL!!

All at once, they reared their weapons and Kushi, with a yell, sprung for Raoul while Lady Anjali sent an arrow flying skilfully for the head of the bald man.

Raoul unsheathed his black sword and, in one expert flay, blocked the descent of Kushi's swords, the clanging sound of the metals' contact ringing across the vast chamber.

The bald man too, sensing the movement of the women from their immobile spots, ducked just in time to evade the flight of the arrow which knocked itself on the wall before falling fruitlessly to the floor.

Lady Anjali let out a disappointed grunt and then, with renewed determination, took out another arrow, "Give me back my baby!"

She shot the second which missed the bald man's temple by mere inches.

Meantime, Raoul had deflected his sword and thrown Kushi off balance.

But she didn't fall as he'd wanted her to, for she had, on quick impulse, thrust her swords to the ground and held herself standing.

"Retreat, Kushi, RETREAT!!" yelled the anxious Lord Arnav while the General exclaimed to his wife, "Aim for the fatty's legs, Anjali! His damn legs!!"

Deaf to her husband's holler, Kushi glared at Raoul, gripping her swords tighter and about to attack when Raoul thrust his sword through the air and right for Kushi's waist.

But when the sword was inches away from reaching Kushi's midriff, the Lady in the Dark Hood crouched down and slammed her hand to the floor.

A loud snapping sound was heard and the floor cracked where her hand had smashed.

Startled, Kushi and Raoul withdrew their swords and stepped back as the fissure in the floor split and widened until the floor caved into a wide dark hole, separating Raoul from harming them further.

Unfortunately, the bald man had used the diversion conveniently to escape through the door with the child in tow. No one noticed Ram following clandestinely after them, determined to not let his sight off his untended little sister.

The bald man, on reaching the ground where saddled horses awaited for departure, dunked Anarkali in a basket and wrapped a blanket over the lid.

He then turned to fetch his Master, who had also escaped from the quaking room and was found ordering a dozen of his men who were not fighting in the battle led by Lord Akash, to prepare their horses for immediate escape.

"We are leaving for the ship immediately," mentioned Raoul hotly.

The bald man was surprised, "But what about Chandraki, Master?"

"Chandraki's daughter," corrected Raoul coldly, "We will leave her." He glanced over his shoulder at the Castle that could be heard crumbling from within, "She's carrying his child. And I cannot have that. My brother's bloodline must end." He frowned at the ground doggedly, "Let her perish with all of it. Maybe in another life, I will finally be the first to get to her."

"Where is Anarkali! You have to get her!" admonished the General urgently from within the cave as the dark chamber shattered around them.

Lady Anjali sobbed, disheartened by the wideness of the crack that separated them from the impossible door through which her daughter had been abducted again.

"Make for the door, Kushi, before it's too late," necessitated Lord Arnav over the sound of the rumbling stone floor.

"I am not leaving you," pleaded Kushi, holding onto the bars on his side, "If we are to die, then we die together."

Just then Lord Arnav caught a movement across the room, on the other side of the crack.

He frowned, "You!"

The General too had noticed what Lord Arnav had, "What is she doing here? And is that..."

"Fortune?" Kushi was stunned as she turned from the cage and stared at the hooded figure on whose shoulder perched their family parrot.

"Hello again, everyone," greeted the parrot lucidly, quite unlike the parrot-talk he'd administered to them all those years.

"What the-?" Lord Arnav was taken aback but he was quick to demand to the Lady, "What is the meaning of all this?! Do you have your meddlesome hand in all of this too?"

The Lady in the Dark Hood clicked her tongue reproachfully as she stepped forward, her face slightly lifted so that the shadow of her hood rose and her lips could be seen, mouthing the words she spoke in reply, "You still do not know how to respect, little kitten do you?"

Astrophe, who had not left with Raoul but sat leisurely at the Lady's foot, shot her an affronted look, "Who are you calling kitten? Don't you dare equate my form with the likes of him..." She squinted antagonistically in the direction of the cage where the men and women stared at her, alarmed by her ability of speech.

But she ignored their expressions and sat down to watch the Lady in the Hood's performance.

The Lady in the Dark Hood snapped her finger and, instantly, a chair materialized behind her, inches away from the forgotten corpse of the traitor.

As the four across the room, on the other side of the gaping fissure, watched, the Lady drew her Hood around her to ease her deportment and slowly sat in the armchair, resting her arms on the armrests as she watched them from under the shadow of her hood.

One could not say whom she was looking at, but each of them felt her eyes bore into them exclusively.

Fortune shifted to perch on the head of the chair and Astrophe moved to recline at the foot of the armchair.

Lady Anjali stepped forward, "I must get my daughter." She looked around and realized there was no way out, except through the door that stood on the other side of the room. And between her and the door to freedom, was the impossibly wide crack, the obstructing woman and her unusual chair.

Lady Anjali let out a frustrated sigh, "Who is this woman? Has she been sent to see that we don't break free?"

"On the contrary," the Lady replied from where she sat, her words echoing through the silent stone chamber, "I have come to set you free."

"What do you mean?" Kushi was confused.

The Lady's perceivable lips curved in a knowing smile, "I can't tell you but I can show you."

She lifted a hand and demonstrated a casual wave.

Suddenly everything darkened, as all sound was sucked out and time was drawn to stand still.

Like the others, Kushi could feel her mind drowsing as though under a strange spell. She saw her mind slid out of her being and float towards the crack that stood wide open in the floor. She saw her thoughts look down into the fathomless darkness of the pit that seemed to go on forever.

And then her head dizzied at a jump and her mind slipped from the edge of the crack and was sucked down into the emptiness.

As she was falling, slowly and gradually as though she were not falling at all but leisurely sailing downwards, she felt her mind clouded with images, some familiar and some unacquainted to her memory. The images kept spiralling in her mind going backwards in time until she saw herself looking at a land, smelling an air and hearing the bustle of a people that she was certain were new to her. And yet everything about it felt so real, so near...so dear...

It was then that she saw her. A likeness of herself. In sari. Sitting under a banyan tree with a group of her giggling friends.

Kushi knew who she was staring at, even before her mind registered the name from memory.

She was staring at the woman from whom it had all begun.

She was staring at Chandraki.

Her real mother.