Fainting so many times was not part of Shyra's plan, yet to her annoyance, the Cosmos kept finding ways to put her out of action. This time around, she regained consciousness to find that she was tied to a wooden chair, with her arms and legs bound firmly.

She was in a clearing that was built like an auditorium, with stone steps meandering off in all directions. Above the steps, a dense forest blanketed them and echoed with the calls of birds and animals.

Further inspection revealed Hira and Arina bound in a similar fashion. To her dismay, their heads were lolling on the side. Great. Looks like she was on her own. For now at least.

"Hey," she yelled, straining against the ropes in the clever way her teacher had taught her. "Who has tied us up like this? Do you not know who we are? Come and show your face, you cowardly-"

"That's quite enough," a suave voice chuckled. "I don't care who you are. As far as I'm concerned, you're the ones tied to a chair, and I'm the one in power."

His words infuriated Shyra, but she forced herself to remain calm. "Alright then. We're the weak ones. What do you want from us then?"

"Your death," he replied, sending a chill down Shyra's spine. The way he'd said it made her believe that he would actually go through with her death.

"Hold up," a new voice said. Shyra almost cried with relief when she realized that Arina was awake as well. "Did you just decide to kill us? My dude, I'm not from this place, but I'm pretty sure that you'll rot in prison if you murder us, especially without provocation."

"But you have provoked us," he said, his voice echoing through the auditorium. "There were clear rules that we would be left alone in exchange for the protection we provide against wild beasts. You humans have broken your promise, so I don't see why we can't kill you."

"Who are you guys?" Shyra asked, although an inkling was beginning to form in her mind.

The voice seemed to pause for a moment, as though unsure of her intentions. "Are you mocking me right now? How can you not know who we are?"

"And how can you not know who I am?" Shyra cried back, her shoulders slumping with exhaustion and pain. "Show yourself, coward. Or will you kill three unarmed and bound women without even showing your face?"

He sighed in exasperation and seemed to shuffle forward from the shadows. As he did, Shyra couldn't hold back her gasp.

A tall, well-built man met her eyes; his features a unique blend of man and monkey. A long tail swished behind him, and the parts of him that were visible through the armour were covered in fur. His jaw protruded forward, and deep-set eyes glinted beneath bushy eyebrows.

"You're... you're baan," she said, shock coloring her voice. Even Arina uttered something like a screech, but Shyra was too preoccupied to make fun of her for it.

"Yes," he said, tilting his head to the side. "Your surprise is genuine. And do I sense... relief?"

"Right," Shyra muttered to herself. "The baan are exceptionally good at sensing emotions."

"You're not even from Ilya," he said, frowning. "What are you doing here, trespassing on our boundaries?"

"We were looking for you, O great warriors," Shyra said, inclining her head with respect. "If you could please untie us, we could talk about what we came for."

"Oh no, I'm not untying you," he laughed. "The only reason I haven't killed you yet is that you seem important, and our clan is tired of unnecessary fighting."

"Okay," Shyra said, casting a worried look at Hira, who was still unconscious. "I'll start with introductions. I am Empress Shyra of the Pranali that you're currently residing in-"

She waited for a look of reverence, or even recognition, to come from him but it never did. All she could gather was cool indifference radiating from him. So she forged ahead with her speech.

"And these two are the esteemed rulers of their respective galaxies as well. We have embarked on a journey together due to a mass abduction of the rulers of galaxies. My husband-" her voice broke, and she could have sworn that she saw a glint of empathy in his eyes. "Was taken from me, as were our fathers and brothers.

"We have sufficient evidence to conclude that Arawn Adair was behind this. He plans to weaken the galaxies by taking away the men and sowing chaos. We plan to gather an army of massive strength to rescue our men and defeat Arawn once and for all."

Shyra had thought that her stirring speech would cause him to declare his army to her at once, offer to be her general, and march to battle with them. Instead of her grand vision, raucous laughter echoed through the forest, and an army of baan stepped out from the shadows, their mouths still twisted in a grin.

"Dear empress, did you really think a simple speech would be enough to convince us to fight for you? That was really naive of you," the lead baan said.

Shyra felt her insides squirm at the way he was treating them, but she took a deep breath and kept her cool. "Of course not. That's why I'm ready for any bargain with you. If you tell me what you need, I'll try my best to fulfill your demands."

"What I need? What in the worlds do you think I need?" he asked, his voice incredulous.

"Well," Shyra said, tightening her fists, "It could be anything. Riches. Power and authority. Land. A bigger army."

"I don't need those things," he interrupted with a careless wave of his hand. "You seem to have nothing to offer, so we'll just get on with your execution."

"Wait," Shyra heard Hira cry out, and she sighed with relief. Hira was fine after all. "I know what we can offer you. I've read a lot about your clan, and apologies if I seem impudent, and it seems to me that you need company."

"What did you just say?" the leader asked, his voice dangerously soft. Shyra felt her skin prickle all over as danger signs began beeping in her head.

Hira, this is really not the right approach. We need to offer him something beneficial for him and his people, she wanted to say, but her lack of telepathic skills mocked her in her face.

"Yes. I don't think any amount of wealth or power will compensate for your help. The baan are a great clan, and need no financial support, as far as I've inferred. But as I read along, I realized that the clan has always been detached from humans. Many other praanis have been successfully cohabitating with us, but the baan has never been visible to humans."

"And that is our choice," the baan hissed. "We chose to segregate ourselves from nosy humans, and create our own lives with dignity. I do not understand your baseless conclusions, nor do I approve of them."

"Then why did you make an appearance in the Ramayana?" Hira asked, causing everyone to freeze. "Your tribe fought bravely to rescue Sita alongside Ram, and emerged victorious in the ensuing battle. But then you disappeared again, and have been living in hiding on Earth, and now in Ilya. That one inconsistency changes the whole equation, Mr..."

"Angad," he breathed. "My father named me after the son of King Vali."

"Well then, Angadji," Hira said with a hint of a smile in her tone. "I believe the baan expected a bigger role and a hand of friendship after the war, but King Ram merely sent you away with riches. That must have soured your clan's experience with it. What you want is acknowledgement and companionship from other species."

"You are a smart woman," Angad said, scrutinizing her fresh respect. "I never expected that response from any of you. Tell me then. What solution do you offer to this problem?"

"Er, it is not really my place to make concrete decisions," Hira said, with a nervous laugh and a sideways glance at Shyra. Shyra understood her hesitation and gave her a confident nod. She trusted her now.

"Well then. The first improvement I suggest is your clan's inclusion in the Pranali's council. You'll be able to meet many people and form relations with them. Another thing we can do is develop trade relations with other parts of this planet, as well as other planets. It's a more organic way of growing your way as well.

"And lastly, I suggest putting in effort from your side. The people around you are meant to be your friends, not strangers. Instead of forcing them away in exchange for your services, offer a hand of friendship for your warrior skills. You'll be shocked by the difference it makes."

Angad had a warm smile by the end of her speech, and when Hira trailed off and smiled back, he snapped his fingers. A baan, presumably his second-in-command, rushed to his side.

"Untie our guests, take them to our palace and treat them well. After all, they're our atithi now. And we always follow the principle of atithi devo bhava."