Empire of India: Rise of the Ruthless Prince

Meanwhile, atop the hill. Clashes of metal could be heard. Viswa, along with the group, were fighting off the assassins. Viswa was going full mayhem on the enemies after Harsha had fallen.

"HOW DARE YOU?"

Adrenaline surging through his veins. Viswa weaved through the enemies at abnormal angles, slicing and stabbing them. Only the last enemy remained after the onslaught. The enemy began to run for his life with a horrifying expression.

Viswa lunged at him, stabbing him multiple times as his organs gushed out onto the wet, bloody grass.

"YOU VERMIN DARE TO ATTACK MY MASTER."

He kept stabbing as the group looked over at him in horror. Naiki looked over at Sachin and whispered.

"Should we stop him?"

Viswa got up and began walking to the slope; Harsha had fallen from and was about to descend. He was grabbed from behind by Sachin and Hansraj.

Viswa looked back and screamed

"UNHAND ME. I HAVE TO SEARCH FOR MY MASTER."

Sachin grabbed him by his armpits and pulled him back. Viswa couldn't gather strength as the adrenaline wore off and he started feeling exhausted.

"Stay still, you crazy bastard. Are you suicidal?

Viswa was exhausted beyond his capabilities to resist; he was barely conscious after his long first fight. The feeling of killing a person just barely registered in his brain.

Naiki, looking over his sachin's shoulders with a scowl.

"They are not dead. We will move at dawn. Take rest, you crazy hooligan."

"WHO AR-"

Before Viswa could finish his sentence, Hansraj lightly hit the back of his neck with precision and enough power to knock him out.

"Let's go back to the camp, brother. It isn't far away."

Naiki furrowed her brows in frustration.

"The prince is down with his "master." I don't know how to feel about this."

"Calm down, Naiki. The prince won't be defeated that easily; even if they fight, the prince wouldn't lose." Sachin reassured Naiki, carrying the unconscious Viswa on his back to the camp.

After a while,. Viswa jolted up, looking around like a madman with disheveled hair. He slightly winced as the pain of his injuries settled. His injuries were patched up neatly with some cloth and stains of green herbal medicine seeping through the cloth.

"Where am I?"

A man sitting close to the bonfire in the small camp-like setup, along with another man and a lady, glanced at him.

"You are at the camp."

"WHAT ABOUT MASTER?"

"Calm down."

He looked away, adding some drywood to the bonfire, and added, "We will begin our search in the morning. We at least know they aren't dead yet."

"Who are you, and why are you here? Helping us?" Viswa looked over with a skeptical look.

The girl came closer, her fist clenched in anger.

"Your master fell down with our comrade. Isn't it standard to introduce yourself first? Since you involved us first."

Viswa fell silent at the accusation and looked over at the two men, who were staring at him, waiting to introduce himself first.

"My name is Viswa. That's it"

The girl leaned forward. "My name is Naiki, and the two over there are Sachin and Hansraj," pointing at the two men sitting beside the bonfire.

"How old are you, Viswa? You look so young." Sachin asked, fiddling with the wood in the bonfire with a stick.

"I am 18. Why do you ask?"

They gasped in surprise as Viswa revealed his age.

"You are so young and so skilled. Is your master also the same age?" asked Naiki with a curious expression.

"That! I won't answer. That said, why are you guys in the middle of the forest at this time?"

"We were just making camp, and you, along with your crazy master, barged in with a number of assassins following you guys." Naiki responded with a frown.

"Don't call my master crazy, you vile woman."

They both started arguing over petty things in the midst of a silent night. Hansraj and Sachin looked over the scene in amusement and chuckled heartily at the insults and banter thrown at each other.

Viswa, halting his argument with Naiki, looked over at Sachin and asked. "How do you know they are alive?"

"Hill may be steep, but the forest covers would have killed them. They must be at the bottom."

"Do you know where to search if you can't climb down the steep hill?"

"Some distance down the path, there is a waterfall. We can descend down the hill from there and begin our search."

"What happened to the assassins? Did they escape?"

"No, everyone is dead. You killed the last one. We also cleared the other side along with the archers."

"I see."

Naiki went back to the bonfire and picked up a wooden bowl and filled it up with some herbal soup they made for dinner. Naiki handed the bowl to Viswa.

"Here, drink this soup. You must be exhausted."

"Eh, no, what if it is poisoned?" Viswa said, scrutinizing the soup bowl.

"You little-"

Naiki put down the bowl and pinched his ear tightly.

"Can't you be respectful once? You are talking to a girl older than you!"

"Ok, ok, Old Hag! Leave my ear alone."

"Old hag??, you little bastard." She pinched his ear harder, making him squirm in pain.

Naiki sighed deeply and let go of his ear, which was as red as tomato.

"Drink this. We can't have you fall unconscious tomorrow during the search."

Viswa drank the herbal soup gazing up the night sky, which was very refreshing and had a minty flavor. The warm soup relaxed his muscles and mind. The soup gave him much-needed nourishment and energy for his exhausted body.

His mind was racing with thoughts.

'Your Highness, I have failed to protect you. How do I make this up to His highness and not be abandoned?'

His exhausted eyelids slowly closed on their own as his body relaxed onto the small blanket-like cloth that he lay upon. He fell asleep.