Susha gently ran her thumb over her daughter's knuckles, eyes welling up with tears. Rakini pulled her into a tight embrace, even as Susha's handcuffs tugged cruelly at her arms and preventing her from doing the same.
As they parted disappointedly,  Rakini stared at the handcuffs in anger and disbelief.

Susha grabbed Rakini's face with her palm, even as the rebels around her watched emotionlessly.

"What in Arka's name is wrong with you?", she hissed. "Why are you here? Why did you offer yourself as hostage?"

"Mother, I-"

"- I don't want to hear a word, Rakini", she cried. "Leave this place right this instant."

"Walking into this place was hard enough, Mother", Rakini countered, firmly shaking her head. "And leaving in these circumstances is near impossible. Besides, I didn't come here to simply walk back out, did I?"

Susha groaned frustratedly. "Why don't you understand? This is a dangerous place, Rakini, far more dangerous than any evil plot you've read about. Are you even aware what you're getting into?"

"I most certainly am aware", Rakini replied. "I'm offering myself as hostage to the very Raatrika rebels who won't hesitate a single moment to run a knife through me."

Gasping, Susha clamped her hand against her daughter's lips. "Don't say things like that, darling. I'm not letting anything happen to you. Listen to your mother's words and leave at once."

Rakini gently pried her hands away. "This is far bigger than either of us, Mother. If we don't do this right now, the children of both Light and Dark will suffer."

"I care for no child but my own, Rakini!" She roared, let out a small whimper as she slowly simmered down. "I simply want you, my husband and my father safe. You're  all I have left."

"Mother...", Rakini spoke, a bead of water trickling down her chin. "There are thousands like you in this land, wasting away in fear for their loved one's life. What you desire, is what they desire, too. This is our duty to them."

Susha stared into her daughter's face, hungrily drinking in every single detail.

Her beautiful gold and silver silks were now in tatters, the full cheeks looked like they'd hollowed out, and a thin layer of sweat coated her forehead. Even in the feeble illumination, she could sense that Rakini had been through more over the past five days than she had in her entire lifetime.

"I...I seem to be blind to the purpose of this whole thing, Rakini", Susha confessed. "If the government cannot spare a thought to care about us, what makes you any different in their eyes?"

"They are your family, mother. Your blood. Do you really think they they aren't weeping for us as we speak?" Rakini smiled sadly. "They are desperate to have you back. All that is stopping them is the fear of one deadly possiblity."

Susha paused, watching the specks in Rakini's eyes darken. "They government scared of them, aren't they? The rebels?"

"The rebels, yes." Rakini nodded. "And what they'll do once their rightful powers have been restored. Their fear of treating their fellow beings as equals is what has caused their inaction and helplessness."

"And...you claim to have a way of ensuring both our safety and their accomplishment?" Susha tried her best to keep the restlessness out of her voice.

"Listen carefully, mother." Rakini's shoulders squared with a stoic sense of purpose. "If you start in an hour or two, mother, you should be able to execute my plan before the deadline ends."

Susha let out a shaky breath, mulling over her child's words. "Go on."

"What happens after that, though, neither of us can predict." Rakini's face hardened, yet, her voice not once faltered. "Rambha might do either of two things -go into hiding, carry out her rituals in peace and leave; or with her newfound power, try to take over our land with her supporters and crown herself the supreme authority."

Susha nodded intently, her sudden warmth pooling in her chest as she watched the words spill from her daughter's lips.

Perhaps Rakini had been right all along. She really was more suited for Political Science than Finance. Just like her father, no matter how stubborn Susha was to admit.

"If Rambha goes the first way, then she'll be releasing you as soon as she gets the knowledge of the divine cure, and me, once she is prepared to leave the land. That won't take too much time, if my calculations are right."

Susha frowned, dread bleeding into her heart. "And...if she decides to take the other path?"

"It doesn't matter then, does it mother?"Her daughter smirked, sending a shudder through Susha's spine. "The five of you, which includes the Chief of Police of this land will be out. You will be in the Arkan head prison, far away from the rebel heartland, which gives a high chance of escape. The last hold Rambha has on the government will be gone. Our people will be free to attack."

"Attack?", Susha cried, the dread further dripping into her veins. "Rakini, there would be nothing more grave for us. If there's an attack, then-"

"-an attack, yes", Rakini interrupted with a grim smile. "If there is an open clash between us and them, there is no doubt who will win. This is the land of Lord Arka, our God will but favour our side and none other."

"Arka forfeit all of that, Rakini! That is not what I care about!", she cried again, pulling Rakini close. "If our army launches an attack, then...then what about you, my precious child? Do you understand what Rambha will do to you if-"

"-I know", Rakini mumbled softly, her quiet tone of resignation echoing around the darkness.

Susha stilled as Rakini pulled out of her arms to look her in the eyes.

"I know what she'll do to me", Rakini whispered. "And I'm ready to face it."

At that moment, Susha cursed Rambha from the fiery pits of her heart.
The slaves, the government and the wretched land could perish in flames and fumes for all she cared.

Her child, her daughter, the only being she cared about was in danger. She had but her own fate to blame, for Susha was far too drowned to pull her child back up.

"I'm not letting you do this, Rakini", she protested weakly after finally calming the sobs that wrecked through her body. "You are my child. Mine to love, protect, and cherish. My child will not be a pawn in whatever wretched game they indulge in."

"We've been their pawns for years now, mother, our will be damned." Rakini's eyes glinted with determination. "But if we really are to play, I might as well play as Queen."

Susha's lips trembled violently at the words.

Raising her arms, her daughter bought them up to Susha's shoulder. "If you really want to save me, then do exactly as I planned. Until the deadline has been crossed, the government will not attack. You need to go before that."

Susha shook her head fearfully. "My darling..."

Rakini bit her lip. "I have a feeling I'll survive, mother. I've spoken to Rambha myself, and from what I've seen, Rambha will not attack. She'll be the biggest fool if she does, which I am confident, she is not even close to."

Susha exhaled heavily. "You're my only child. I can't afford even a scratch on you."

"Nothing will happen to her, Minister Susha", came a voice, an echo through the shadows.

A Raatrika boy strode towards them, his violet eyes sparkling with concern and determination. "The government may love to say otherwise, but we are barely the cruel, heartless monsters you make of us."

"The rebels' treatment of me has proven that well enough, I must say", Susha replied softly. "Exactly who are you, again? And what do you have to do with my daughter?"

The boy dipped his head instead of bowing like the other slaves. "My name is Druhin, Lady Susha. I am High Lady Rakini's slave-"

"-friend", Rakini corrected resolutely. "This is my friend, Druhin, and every word he speaks is true. Their people have suffered through years of mistreatment. We owe them atleast this, besides a lot more."

Susha clamped her hands together uncertainly.

"Please...", Rakini whispered.

Shutting her eyes, Susha sent a quick prayer to the sun god. She turned back to stare into her daughter's eyes. "I'll do as you wish, Rakini."

~○~

Aavya ran a palm over his forehead, eyebrows arching in surprise. This wasn't the first time it came back with a thick coat of sweat.

"Strange", he told himself. "Is it really something wrong with me, or is the heat actually growing too much to bear?"

Rising his eyes, he tipped his chin up to stare at the sun.

Aavya let out a startled gasp as a sudden pain travelled to the corners of his eyes, forcing him to look away immediately.

He frowned worriedly. The brilliant white light had been too much for his eyes to bear, hurting them to a point of shock.

Ever since they'd been in existence, the Arkans had been able to take direct glimpses of their sun through their golden-coloured eyes.

Had this happened a few weeks ago, Aavya would've been quick to berate himself for believing the rumours. But now that the effects were everywhere, he knew that there was no point in denying the truth.

It was the sun. The brilliant flaming sun, whose welcome heat and light was slowly growing harder to bear.

Lord Arka seemed to be growing immensely angered, and they, his own children, were being cursed to bear his wrath.

A feeling of intense distaste flooded Aavya as he felt his pocket bulge with the pieces of parchment he'd recieved in the morning. They were all from the families of the hostages, ordering, requesting and plainly begging him to do something.

Except, all he could do was nothing but sit and wait.

Sit and wait until the government, which was trying its best to dismiss any concerns about the sun as mere rumours, commanded him to do their bidding.

Aavya's eyes traveled to the horizon. A considerable distance further, two doors opened into an archway, around which a large, high wall snaked to form a circle. He'd been waiting at his spot in disguise for hours alongside his team, spending every single moment mentally calculating the distance, time and weapons it would take for him and his team to infiltrate and attack the rebel headquarters in front of him.

His mind travelled to images of cannons blasting, hordes of weapons being brandished, and the deathly sway of corpses as people collapsed to death.

Aavya was shaken awake from his thoughts with a shudder by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Sama, the new subordinate who he'd personally appointed a few days ago, walked towards him holding an animal by the collar.

It had a furry, plump golden body with a swishing tail, and a long trunk sprouting out from it's face. Aavya allowed himself a small smile, lazily stretching out a hand to pet the Sniffer on it's head.

As it purred loudly, he had to firmly maneuver around its sharp tusks as it rubbed its face against his side.

The Sniffer itself wasn't too big, it was still a baby, around one-third his height.

The young ones had the best noses, and could effectively smell out and track people. There were nearly three dozens of them being employed by their forces, fed and cared for with utmost caution.

Sama chuckled quietly. "That thing is both overfed and egoistic, Captain. It's going to impale you one to death day."

The Sniffer let out a low, indignant noise, as though admonishing the woman for her jibe.

Sticking its head haughtily in the air, it began kicking around, struggling against Sama's grip on it's leash. It's paws gave rise to large mounds of dust as it tossed it's large body around.

Sama shot dirty glares at both the Captain and the creature as she tried to restrain it.

Chuckling, Aavya slipped a hand around it's ears, scratching gently. The Sniffer immediately let out a delighted shriek, flopping his heavy body over him and rolling closer.

Aavya laughed. "I might as well get stabbed by one of these delightful beasts than be in charge of this mission. Sit down, now, and tell me what you've learnt."

Handing him the leash, Sama gently lowered herself into the ground. "As you know, the Sniffers are just a formality at this point. The rebels most certainly have the High Lady here besides the five other hostages."

She watched him expectantly, as though waiting for an order. Aavya turned his attention back to the beast, which was busy winding its cool, rough trunk around his arm.

"Don't look at me like that", he said, running his fingers over it's forehead.

"What do I tell the team, Captain? What are your orders?"

"You tell them nothing", he replied, sensing her frown but choosing to ignore it. "You tell them to do nothing except sit and wait."

"We've been doing that far too long, Captain", she remarked in a low voice.

"And we will continue doing so until I recieve further orders."

"From whom?"

"The High Lady's family", he replied. "I've dispatched message about this already. You must understand that I can only do what the person who's hired me says to."

"But Captain", she protested urgently. "The deadline is almost here, and the government has done nothing. The rebels will kill them, Captain. Not hurt, not scare. The rebels will kill them if we don't rescue them now."

"And how are you going to rescue them, Sama?", he retorted, letting some of them pent-up anger seep into his tone. "Is your grand plan all about sinply marching in there, throwing them down and bringing them back?"

He sighed in frustration as his subordinate stared at him, evidently at a loss of words.

"Even if you set foot within visible distance of the rebel headquarters, Rambha will murder them in cold blood. Get that clearly into your head", he finished harshly.

"But Captain-", she began in increduled protest. "-if that's what she's going to do anyway, we might as well try to-"

"-no, Sama", he interrupted, his impatience clouding his mind in a thick fog. "We will do nothing except do as we're told."

"This is a matter of six lives, Captain."

"This is a matter of high government confidentiality, Sama."

She stared at him, intense disbelief etched over her sharp face.

The woman pulled herself up swiftly. "As you say, Captain."

Biting out the words coldly, she began walking away.

"My mentor is there, Sama", he whispered almost inaudible to all but himself.

Her retreating figure stopped, tipping a chin back. "Captain?"

Her chest tightened painfully. "My mentor is stuck in there, too. The Chief of Police. He is both my mentor, and an uncle of sorts."

Sama walked back, her eyes trained cautiously on him as she sat again.

"I am helpless, Sama", Aavya admitted with a heavy sight. "I want to get them back, but don't know how. If we move, they die. If we don't move, they die. The government says nothing and the deadline fast approaches. Besides-"

Sama waited for him to speak again. "Besides?"

"This is far, far bigger, Sama. I can feel it. Something is happening in this land, something none of us have known or expected. Whatever Rambha needs, she is desperate about it."

"What do you think it is, Captain?", she asked hesitantly.

"You tell me, Sama. What do you think could be more valuable to the government officers than their own family? Their parents, siblings, spouses, children?"

She looked away into the distance, in the direction of the rebel quarters. "I don't know, Captain", she said after a while. "And I'm really worried what havoc it could wreck if we, the commoners, found out."

"Captain!", a voice called out from the distance. One of the government's messengers came running into the area, panting heavily.

Aavya nearly snatched the piece of parchment from his fingers, lips pressing painfully as he broke open the seal and  unscrolled it eagerly.

As his eyes ran over the contents, Aavya's heartbeat began to race painfully, sending a lurch in his  stomach and a dose of anticipation through his veins. He took in the message letter by letter, his gaze almost glaxing from staring too hard.

"Captain?", Sama called anxiously, breaking the chilly silence. "Is everything alright? Your orders, Captain?"

"You wanted us to act, didn't you, Sama?", Aavya asked bitterly.

His eyes burned with fury as he let the scroll drop to the ground. "It's time for us to act."

_________________________________________

Author's note:

I really hope you've enjoyed reading!

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