Rudra stood there stunned while thinking, 'how could this happen in just a few days?'
"When did this happen?"
"Just ten hours ago, a member of your clan, came to our abode riding a horse. He was already heavily injured, but somehow he informed us that Kashvyagiri was attacked by a group of rogue mystical beasts. But before he could say anything else, he lost his breath."
Aagam explained, taking a deep sigh. Rudra was completely bewildered, just within ten hours this much happened, and he wasn't even there to help his people, 'That plan to be kidnapped to know the real matter was foolish!'
"So, are you going to the Kashvyagiri city now!"
"You are right! But what are you doing here?!", Aagam asked, curious about Rudra's presence in this town instead of kashvyagiri.
"Actually last evening a suspicious guy sneaked into my room, and used an efficient elixir to knock me out of senses, in simple words I was kidnapped, but somehow upon getting conscious I escaped but then stumbled upon a destroyed town of the Besaak city, and encountered a wolf, getting injured and then while searching for help you found me."
Rudra simply spelled out the short summary of all the incidents that happened with him. Meanwhile, Aagam listened carefully and stroked his beard as he thought about it. It seemed as if he had become suspicious of something.
"to knock you who is on the first chakra, an ordinary elixir won't be enough, it must be expensive, which means someone with a rich background hired that kidnapper."
"Also the attack of the mystical beasts had made the Skambha a little weak, this means the best time for the rival clans to strike, most possibly kidnapping was a plan to negotiate you in exchange for something", listening to his father's analysis Sharun realized what he was trying to say.
"The only clan we had biggest conflicts with recently was Masaan clan, does this mean Skambha clan can face an attack?", Rudra became very concerned.
"We don't know, but right now we should hurry, you too should come with us Rudra.", Sharun suggested as he ordered the driver to get ready.
Rudra without thinking for a moment agreed and took the ride of the carriage. In a few seconds that whole small caravan led by a carriage and followed by a few horsemen and carts ran towards the Kashvyagiri.
A few hours later when the sun was about to set, under the shadows of a huge mountain near the forest ranges prospered the Girikash city. Near the center of the city was a huge estate with a large courtyard. The courtyard was filled with flowers releasing a calming scent into the air. The breeze was dancing around in the courtyard along with some leaves flowing with them through the air.
The air weaved through those dense trees making the rustling sounds generating peaceful environment with the beautiful scenery of the sunset. At one corner of the courtyard there was also a small pond with a few fishes swimming in it.
A few men sat on the grass completely covered in sweat and looked tired but still had complex expression on their face as they spectate the young man in front of them.
"Man! Junior master is so much strong and skilled than us.", one of those men exclaimed.
The young man who only wore nothing on his upper body, exposing his abdomen and chest, which were packed with tight and intricate muscles, showing his physical prowess. While he wore Kshatriya-dhoti¹ with a reinforced belt tied tightly around his waist ensuring his freedom and comfortable movement.
The young man had long hairs tied around his head, and held a long spear same as his height and swung it around like a dancer commanding a staff, with precision as if trying to draw the streak line across the air. Very soon an energy surged out of that young man's hands that surrounded the spear and began to glow with a radiant orange light.
"Also the Rhino horn talent he inherited from his father Mr. Masaan also add up to his great skills, I don't think anyone will be able to match Junior Master Jayant in the skill through out the state.", the other boys sitting beside praised Jayant.
"His potential is also the reason, seeing which the leader of the Dharana family agreed to engage his daughter to Junior Master Jayant. Hence the extra support we got from their family made us able to be rest assured and easily launch a powerful strike on the skambha clan.", another one chimed in.
"Also since their engagement, our Masaan clan has been expanding its trade routes. With Dharana's support our caravans are being protected by some of the best guards. Making it hard for other clans to challenge us."
Here jayant heard all the talks of those men, his brows furrowed while his eyes were closed, remembering the engagement the those thoughts resurfaced in his mind. Very soon his own voice began to echo in his mind of him talking to his father regarding the engagement.
"Father, I don't want any of this sh*t right now, I just want to focus on getting stronger."
"Fool, just understand this one thing, if you want to raise your clan, you will accept this engagement, do you even know, how I convinced the Dharana leader for this.", a strict and hoarse voice said.
"but, father you don't understand the way I want to empower my clan, I don't want this distraction, I want to strengthen myself."
"Just shut up, you will marry the daughter of Dharana that's it."
As these final voice echoed again and again throughout his mind, Jayant clenched his hands more tightly around the spear he swung, gritting his teeth he wasn't able to hold his anger upon the leader of the Masaan clan and his father.
A lot of flooded through him, making his moves more violent. This sudden imbalance of his calm emotions by the rage upon his father, caused him to loose control over the powerful swing force of his spear and body made him to misbalance.
He opened his eyes and upon realizing, he somehow stopped his foot and used his movement to throw the spear in the air with all his power. The spear went tearing through the air, launching like a deadly projectile.
Jayant still fell to the ground looking in that direction, although this launch was pretty explosive, but it was imbalanced as well, a small mistake could have caused him spear to wildly launch or silent in any direction or even hurt himself.
This was when a man barged thought the door to the courtyard of the estate, he was panting, trying to inhale heavy breaths while he was completely covered in sweat, and all his clothes were covered in dust, as if he ran all the way here in a hurry, while falling and tumbling. But somehow he ran to jayant.
"What happened?", Jayant asked as he stood up.
"Jayant, Masaan clan's assault on the skambha clan, planned with the meticulous timing after the mystical beasts attack on Kashvyagiri failed. We underestimated them by not taking support from Dharana's force. Therefore, despite our preparations the three elders of the skambha clan injured Mr. Masaan, our initial objective to capture Vihaan, Skambha clan leader and loot the minerals extracted from riverside town failed, he wasn't present in the clan.", the messenger spat out all of it in one breath.
"What, how could it happen?", one of those boys shouted at the messenger.
But then Jayant raised his hands gesturing him to stop, "What about the mission appointed to the assassin, did he succeed."
"Actually, I don't know, but he is here and wants to talk to you!", the messenger said as he guided the way for Jayant.
Jayant followed the messenger back into the estate. Walking through the corridor, they finally entered into a huge hall. The hall's ceiling was supported by four pillars, whereas at the center hung a huge chandelier, with lightened lamps which illuminated nearly the whole hall.
There were a pair of huge couches at the center for people to sit, but right beside them, stood a man wearing a black mask with intricate patterns that formed a specific symbol. But as soon as that man saw Jayant arrive, his whole body began to shake out of fear.
Jayant noticed this change, "What's the matter?"
"Act-actually, th-the grandson of Vihaan, Rudra….", he stuttered in his try to speak.
"What is it?"
Looking at the enraged face of Jayant, that assassin said, "The grandson of Vihaan, Rudra, escaped out of the capture."
Jayant was bewildered upon hearing this, capturing Rudra was a plan formulated by him to aid his calm in time of need to force the leader of Skambha to negotiate. But this unexpected act of Rudra escaping out of their captive was a big blow to the strategic plan. Jayant somehow controlled his emotions and remained calm.
"How the hell could he escape from your captive, you are a practitioner and he is just a weakling on the verge of death! You could have subdued him!", Jayant mentioned.
"But he turned out to be the exact opposite, he is as powerful as a practitioner, if I hadn't sized the chance to used that elixir, I wouldn't even have been able to kidnap him in the first place.", the assassin said while somehow trying to be calm.
"How the hell can this happen, the spies claimed he was just a weakling a month ago, how can he the power of practitioner in just a month?"
Jayant seemed quite perplexed about this fact, he began to roam to and fro across that hall while lost in thoughts, just a small misinformation led to such a failure, if not for the fault they could have easily sized Rudra.
"Sinhaal!"
As Jayant called out, the three boys who were with him in the courtyard ran inside and stood in front of him. Jayant put on his enforced leather vest and took another spear in his hands as he headed out of the estate and those three boys who were his bodyguards followed him.