Rakini rapped her knuckles on the door. "Grandfather?"

"Come, come in dear", came a voice from the inside. Pushing the heavy door open, she walked in.

She found her father and grandfather sitting on opposite sides of the large desk. It was empty, save a tattered piece of parchment laid open in the middle. "I need information about my mother."

Their faces bore identical frowns of disapproval at her tone.

"Come sit", her grandfather said gravely.

Before she could move, her father called out to her. "Yes, Rakini. Come sit."

Rakini froze. From either side of the desk, the two men stared at her expectantly. A single chair stood on both sides, waiting for her to occupy it. It dawned on her that a lot more than just furniture was at stake.

"It's alright, I'll just stand", she said, causing disappointment to flicker in both men's eyes. "If there's any progress in the search, I deserve to know "

The old man stroked his beard, sighing heavily. Rakini's mother had inherited most of his features, including the honest, quick to flare up attitude. He cleared his throat. "We've recieved a letter from them."

"A letter?"

"From the rebel kidnappers, yes." He nodded. "They've made a demand."

"What demand?"

"We're... not in a position to reveal that to you, Rakini", her father said slowly.

She crossed her arms. "You have to tell me."

They collectively shook their heads. "We can't." Her father sighed. "You don't need all that. It is our duty to keep you informed of the search progress, yes. But we cannot say anything else."

"But she's my mother", Rakini tried, her throat clogging once again.

"She is my wife, Rakini-" Her father fixed a pointed look at her. "-and his daughter. Don't act like we don't care about her."

Rakini scowled. "Tell me something more about the demand. It isn't freedom of the slaves, is it? It's something else. Tell me."

Her grandfather wearily shook his head. "It isn't, child."

"What is it, then?", she pressed.

"We aren't in a position to tell you, Rakini." Her father rose from his seat, walking up to her. "All I can say now is that all the families of the four other kidnapped Arkans recieved a similar letter."

She felt herself growing impatient. "Alright, they've got my mother and made their demand. What's stopping you, then? What's stopping you from giving it to them?"

"It's not as easy as you perceive it, Rakini. We can't just give them what they want", her father spoke firmly. "There is a lot of thinking and discussion to be done on this."

"How long will that take?" Rakini walked about the room, subconsciously inching closer to the large globe of fire lit to honour the sun god. "How long can they stay under the rebels' custody?"

Her father sighed heavily. "That, my dear, is something that can't be estimated as if now. Even if the Head Priest chooses to comply-"

"- if she chooses to comply?", Rakini interrupted, anger flaring. "What do you mean if?"

"We may or may not choose to comply."

She reeled back in shock. "This is my mother we're talking about."

"I am aware." He placed a palm on her shoulder. "But we need to think about the welfare of the entire Arkan race, Rakini."

She sniffed, swallowing back tears. "D-Did the letter specify a time? A time, before which we need to respond?"

Her grandfather walked up to them. "Five days."

"What?"

"Five days", he breathed.

"If we refuse, or can't give them what they want within five days? What happens then?"

Instead of responding, her grandfather turned back to the letter almost fearfully.

Rakini stiffened. There was something in the letter they weren't telling her. She lunged forward, trying to grab it off the table.

Before her fingers could close over it, her grandfather yanked it off the table's surface. In one smooth swipe, he cast it into the globe of fire.

Rakini froze in dismay as the tongues of fire consumed away the parchment in a wisp of dazzling yellow. Her last lead to her mother. Burnt, gone.

She finally let the tears slide. "I'll find you mother. I'll find you."

Shaking away her father's arm, she stormed outside the room.

~○~

"But are you absolutely sure, Rakini?"

She nodded firmly. "I'm sure. Take me there."

A distressed look crossed Druhin's face. "It could get dangerous."

"If something happens, I'll make sure you aren't punished", Rakini retorted. "Trust me."

"But what if it gets bigger than something you can handle?"

She bit her lip, choosing to stare at the pristine white walls of her grandfather's instead. "If you're worried, just tell me the location. I'll go there myself."

Druhin hurriedly shook his head. "That's not what I meant. He lives in the one deepest part of the slums. Imagine what'll happen if you, an Arkan noble, walks in."

"That's what the disguise is for isn't it?", she asked, waving her hands exasperatedly. Rakini had gotten herself a long, dark veil and dull brown clothes. Though her skin colour would give everything away, she hoped to conceal herself with the clothes most commonly worn by the slaves.

"Just imagine if someone there found out, Rakini." A dark look crossed his face. "With all the kidnappings around, the last thing we need is a Raatrika rebel spotting you."

She was about to argue back, but he stopped her.

"They were able to infiltrate into your own house, hurt so many of you and take your families. You'll literally be walking to an area full of them!"

"Wait. Didn't you say your family doesn't associate with the rebels?"

"My family doesn't, yes. But that doesn't mean there aren't others. In those parts, there is no saying who wants to stab you through and who doesn't."

She shuddered. "I don't know what else to do, Druhin. My mother, she-"

"-lady Rakini", a man interrupted, bowing to her. "The High Lord has requested your presence for dinner."

Rakini quickly straightened up, turning to Druhin. "I want the job done in an hour. When I come to inspect after that, everything should be ready", she said as stiffly as possible.

Druhin bowed, the worried look on his face unchanging. "As you wish, my lady. Would there be anything else?"

"Nothing. You may go now."

Exchanging a subtle look with Druhin, Rakini walked away. She'd find her mother. No matter what.

~○~

As they walked through the dirty, narrow lanes, Druhin couldn't help but feel a rush of embarrassment course through him. He turned to get a glimpse of the Arkan next to him. Rakini's face looked like it had been set in stone, given her firmly set jaw and determined aura.

She clutched her cloak tightly around herself, betraying no emotion as she peered around at the surroundings. A small silken cloth was nestled in her hand, which she occasionally held up to her nose. Druhin crouched his head further below, trying not to catch the eye of anyone who might recognize him.

The yellow, crumbling buildings stood out starkly against the clear green sky, looking dismally poor in the Arkan sunlight. Men, women and children loitered around, going about their businesses with blank faces. They occasionally halted under the shade of a tall building, wiping away the sweat from their pale faces. Druhin knew all too well what they were thinking - cursing their fates and begging Lady Raatri for respite.

The shops were few and nearly empty- those who could afford to buy food or clothes were considered the richest of the slaves. Most of them survived through what little their masters gave them every evening. Others like him, who came to visit families only once a week or so, had a difficult time saving up.

"They seem so scared." Rakini finally broke the silence. "Starved."

Druhin nodded grimly. "That's exactly what we are. Starved, scared, and desperate."

She fell silent once again, looking around with a troubled face. Her eyes widening at something, she raised a polished finger to a wall some distance ahead. "Is that what I think it is?"

He craned his neck forward, trying to follow her trail of vision. Druhin smiled. "You've got good eyes, I tell you."

She threw him a pointed look. "Unlike in your case, the Arkan sunlight favours our visions rather well. Now tell me, is that really-"

"-it is", he confirmed.

Her jaw slackened. She dipped her head respectfully in the image's direction. His smile morphed into a grin. "What? You've never seen an image of Lady Raatri before?"

"Only as a sun." She shook her head, looking awed. "Not like this."

Ignoring his calls, she started striding towards it. Druhin quickly followed, his worn out footwear barely protecting his toes from the heat. He found Rakini staring unblinkingly at the image in front.

Covering the entire front wall of a building, the enormous portrait depicted Lady Raatri in her full glory, towering over their world as the supreme goddess. Painted pitch black, with silver robes flowing around, she held a long, glowing staff in her hands. But the most striking thing about the image was her eyes. Glistening a rich purple, Lady Raatri's wide eyes crinkled in the corners as a serene smile stood etched on her face. Every time Druhin saw it, his knees shivered. His gaze couldn't help but travel to the skies.

Arka, the sun, stood prominently and proudly as though claiming his sole monopoly over the lands. Wincing, Druhin turned to the other side. Far, far away, close to the horizon, Lady Raatri shimmered in her weakened state. Not wanting to break into tears, Druhin turned back to Rakini.

He found her with closed eyes, her index finger placed between her creased eyebrows.

"Rakini stop. Someone might notice", he whispered, tugging her hand down. She glared at him in response.

"You're praying? ", he asked. "To my  goddess?"

She shook her head. "To Lord Arka. Lady Raatri's presence overwhelmed me."

 "Funny how you can't handle an image, Arkan-", a coarse voice resounded from inside a door in the wall. "-but we are forced to slave away under the power of your sun."

Druhin gulped, as Rakini turned to him with an alarmed face. "W-Who is that?

"I, Arkan-", an old man stepped out from the door, his silvery, braided hair thrown over one shoulder. "-am the person you seek."

Druhin quickly placed his fisted palm over his chest. "Rakini, this is Lord Shaak. A priest of Goddess Raatri. This is his home we are outside."

Rakini bowed unsurely. "I am honoured to be in your presence, Lord Shaak."

The priests eyebrows shot up. "Strange. This girl looks like Arkan nobility, yet, she is here in our poor slum, bowing to a slave."

Rakini smiled politely."I believe that the priests of Lady Raatri are slaves to none but the goddess herself, my lord."

The priest nodded knowingly at her tact. "But does your family think the same, my lady?"

Her eyes travelled to the floor.

"It is not Raatrika custom to ward away guests at the door." The priest pushed the door open. "Welcome to our humble abode." 

Leaving the door open, the priest disappeared inside.

Rakini turned to him, looking unsure. Druhin tried to nod reassuringly. "Come, Rakini."

Heaving a deep breath, Rakini walked inside. Druhin's eyes found their way back to the image on the wall. He muttered a quick prayer. The goddess' purple eyes seemed to prickle his back as he walked through the door.

_________________________________________

Author's note:

The next chapter is here!

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