(A/N):

Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.

Guys I hope you put more comments and power stones... Which will encourage me...

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By the time Devara returned to the merchant stall, he looked like a man who had narrowly escaped a natural disaster.

The first thing he did was sit down heavily on a nearby stool.

Then he released a long sigh.

A very long sigh.

The kind of sigh usually reserved for people who had endured great suffering.

Shakuni looked up from a customer he was dealing with.

One glance at Devara’s face was enough.

The minister immediately understood.

"Kumara?"

Devara nodded.

Shakuni immediately laughed.

Not a polite laugh. Not a restrained laugh.

A full laugh.

The kind that had been building up for hours.

"I warned you."

"You did not."

"I absolutely did."

"You stood there enjoying the entire thing."

"Also true."

Several nearby customers looked between the two merchants in confusion.

Devara rubbed his forehead.

Then pointed a finger at Shakuni.

"If that idiot comes looking for me again..."

Shakuni already knew where this was going.

"Yes?"

"Tell him I went to a nearby village."

"For what?"

"Anything."

The king waved his hand.

"A business deal."

"A merchant gathering."

"A pottery emergency."

"I don’t care."

The minister nearly choked.

"A pottery emergency?"

"Make something up."

Devara leaned back on the stool.

"As long as it keeps him away from me."

Shakuni nodded solemnly.

"As your business partner, I shall defend you with my life."

"Good."

"Against assassins."

"Excellent."

"Against enemy kings."

"Wonderful."

"And against Kumara Varma."

Devara immediately stood.

"And most importantly against Kumara Varma."

The two exchanged a glance.

Then burst out laughing.

Meanwhile, business continued around them.

Customers arrived and departed.

Merchants shouted advertisements.

Festival music echoed through the streets.

Everything appeared peaceful.

Normal.

Then suddenly...

A familiar screech echoed from above.

Devara’s expression immediately changed.

The king looked up.

A large eagle descended from the sky.

Its wings spread wide as it landed neatly upon his shoulder.

Several nearby villagers smiled.

By now many people had noticed that birds seemed unusually comfortable around the merchant.

The eagle screeched loudly.

To everyone else, it sounded like ordinary bird noises.

To Devara...

It was an urgent report.

The eagle leaned closer.

"Found something."

Devara’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"What?"

"Crows spotted three strange humans in the flower forest."

The eagle ruffled its feathers.

"They’ve been hiding."

"Watching."

"Moving around carefully."

"The crows don’t trust them."

The smile disappeared from Devara’s face.

The eagle wasn’t the only one paying attention.

A murder of crows observing someone was often more effective than a dozen scouts.

The birds noticed details humans frequently overlooked.

"Where?"

The eagle described the location.

A section of the flower forest far from the main festival grounds.

Far from ordinary travelers.

Far from curious villagers.

The exact kind of place suspicious people preferred.

Devara slowly stroked the eagle’s feathers.

His thoughts immediately moved toward Pushpasura.

Toward the worshippers.

Toward the insects.

Toward the failed plans.

The timing was too convenient.

Far too convenient.

Nearby, Shakuni noticed the change in his expression.

The minister stopped smiling.

Something was wrong.

The eagle gave one final screech.

Then spread its wings.

Devara nodded.

"Good work."

The bird immediately launched itself back into the sky.

Several villagers watched it fly away.

Then returned to their business.

Only Shakuni remained focused on Devara.

The minister quietly stepped closer.

"What happened?"

Devara didn’t answer immediately.

Instead he watched the eagle disappear into the distance.

Then finally spoke.

"A group of crows found three suspicious individuals inside the flower forest."

Shakuni’s eyes narrowed.

Immediately understanding the implications.

"Followers?"

"Possibly."

The minister became serious.

Around them the festival continued.

Children laughed.

Musicians played.

Merchants sold their goods.

Nobody noticed the shift in atmosphere.

Nobody except the two disguised men.

Devara stood up from the stool.

The relaxed merchant disappeared.

For a brief moment, the king beneath the disguise emerged.

Shakuni noticed it instantly.

The calm confidence.

The focus.

The readiness.

"You’re going."

It wasn’t a question.

Devara nodded.

"I need to confirm who they are."

The minister folded his arms.

"Want me to come?"

The king shook his head.

"No."

"If they’re merely scouts, one person is enough."

"And if they aren’t?"

A faint smile appeared on Devara’s face.

"If they aren’t..."

He looked toward the distant flower forests.

"Then I’ll find out soon enough."

Shakuni stared for several moments.

Then sighed.

He already knew arguing was pointless.

"Fine."

The minister returned to the stall.

Then loudly announced for nearby customers to hear,

"My partner has urgent merchant business."

Several villagers nodded.

Perfectly reasonable.

Merchants frequently traveled during festivals.

Nobody questioned it.

Meanwhile, Devara adjusted his simple merchant clothing and began walking away from the marketplace.

To anyone watching, he appeared to be a trader heading off for work.

Nothing unusual.

Nothing suspicious.

Yet beneath the peaceful festival atmosphere, events were already beginning to move.

And somewhere inside the flower forest...

Three hidden figures remained completely unaware that an eagle, a group of crows...

And the most dangerous man in the region...

Were now looking for them. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

As Devara quietly left the marketplace, a few people happened to notice.

Among them was Princess Indhumati.

She had been browsing another merchant stall with her companions when she caught sight of the familiar merchant walking away from the festival grounds.

"...."

"...."

"...."

The princess frowned slightly.

"Where is he going?"

One of her maids followed her gaze.

"The merchant from Trivenivrata?"

Indhumati nodded.

The maid shrugged.

"Perhaps business."

Another companion smiled.

"Or perhaps he’s running away from Kumara Varma’s training."

The entire group burst into laughter.

Even the princess couldn’t help smiling at the possibility.

After all, if Kumara came looking for him again, fleeing to another village might genuinely be the safer option.

Still, after a few moments, they dismissed the matter and returned to enjoying the festival.

None of them realized that the "merchant" was heading toward something far more dangerous than a training session.

Meanwhile, Devara moved steadily away from Mallikavana.

The sounds of the festival gradually faded behind him.

The music.

The laughter.

The crowds.

All became distant.

Soon only the flower forests remained.

Colorful blossoms stretched as far as the eye could see.

Gentle winds carried their fragrance through the air.

It was beautiful.

Peaceful.

Yet Devara’s attention remained focused elsewhere.

His eyes searched the sky.

And there they were.

Three crows.

Circling repeatedly above a particular section of the forest.

Just as the eagle had described.

They weren’t flying randomly.

The pattern was deliberate.

A signal.

One they had agreed upon earlier.

The moment he saw it, Devara knew he was heading in the right direction.

Without hesitation, he adjusted his course and began moving toward them.

The further he traveled, the more cautious he became.

The cheerful merchant vanished.

The observant king emerged.

Every movement became measured.

Every sound mattered.

Every broken branch.

Every disturbed flower.

Every unusual mark.

Nothing escaped his attention.

Eventually, he slowed.

His gaze dropped toward the ground.

Footprints.

Fresh ones.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Three individuals.

Exactly as reported.

The impressions were clear enough for a trained observer.

They had passed through recently.

Very recently.

Devara crouched down.

His fingers lightly touched the soil.

Still loose.

Still disturbed.

Not old.

His green eyes narrowed.

"They’re close."

The footprints revealed more than simple numbers.

One person was heavier.

The other two were lighter.

Their pace had been cautious.

Not travelers. Not hunters.

People trying not to be noticed.

That alone made them suspicious.

The king slowly rose to his feet.

The wind shifted.

Flower petals drifted past him.

Somewhere above, the crows continued circling.

Watching.

Waiting.

Helping.

Devara nodded slightly toward them.

The birds responded with a few quiet caws.

Then resumed their watch.

Moving forward, Devara deliberately reduced the sound of his footsteps.

His breathing remained steady.

His movements became almost silent.

Years of experience made the process natural.

Leaves barely rustled beneath him.

Branches remained undisturbed.

Even the flowers seemed reluctant to reveal his passage.

The forest gradually grew denser.

The cheerful festival atmosphere felt impossibly far away now.

Only the sounds of nature remained.

Birds.

Wind.

Insects.

Then... Something else.

A voice. Faint. Very faint.

Devara immediately froze.

"...."

His body became motionless.

His eyes shifted toward the source.

Another voice followed.

Low.

Careful.

Trying not to be heard.

The king slowly moved closer.

Using bushes and flowering shrubs as cover.

One step.

Another. Then another.

Until finally he could see them.

Three men.

Exactly as the crows had reported.

They stood in a small clearing partially hidden by thick vegetation.

All three wore ordinary clothing.

Nothing remarkable.

Nothing that would attract attention.

But their behavior told a different story.

One constantly scanned the surroundings.

Another appeared nervous.

The third seemed to be the leader.

They weren’t resting.

They weren’t traveling.

They were waiting.

For something.

Or someone.

Devara remained hidden behind a flowering bush.

His expression grew serious.

The footprints.

The secrecy.

The hidden meeting place.

The nervous behavior.

None of it was normal.

The question now was simple.

Were these merely suspicious strangers...

Or had he finally found people connected to the followers of Pushpasura?

The answer would determine everything that happened next.

So Devara remained still.

Listening.

Watching.

Waiting for them to reveal exactly who they were.

Devara remained completely still behind the thick trunk of an ancient tree.

Not even a leaf rustled around him.

His eyes stayed fixed on the small clearing ahead.

The three men had no idea they were being watched.

For now.

The leader of the group, a broad-shouldered man with powerful arms and a thick beard, looked around one final time before speaking.

His voice was low.

Careful.

Almost paranoid.

"You brought it?"

The question caused the other two to tense slightly.

One of them, a lean man whose nervousness was becoming increasingly obvious, immediately nodded.

"Yes."

His hands trembled slightly as he reached beneath his cloak.

The third man stepped closer.

Even he looked uneasy.

Whatever they were about to reveal clearly wasn’t ordinary.

Devara narrowed his eyes.

The nervous man slowly withdrew an object wrapped in old cloth.

The moment it appeared, the atmosphere in the clearing seemed to change.

The man carefully unwrapped it.

And Devara’s eyes widened slightly.

A skull.

But not a human skull.

At least not entirely.

Nor did it resemble any animal he immediately recognized.

The shape was wrong.

Deeply wrong.

The structure appeared distorted.

The eye sockets were unusually elongated.

Strange patterns covered portions of the bone.

Several areas looked as though they had partially fused together in unnatural ways.

The more Devara observed it, the more certain he became.

This thing did not belong to any creature he had encountered before.

Even the men holding it seemed uncomfortable.

The broad-shouldered leader accepted the skull carefully.

Almost reverently.

Almost fearfully.

Then he placed it in the center of the clearing.

The three immediately began working.

Using sticks and small blades, they started drawing symbols into the earth.

Complex symbols.

Ancient symbols.

Lines connected to circles.

Circles connected to geometric patterns.

Additional markings were added between them.

The entire design slowly expanded around the skull.

Devara’s expression darkened.

A ritual.

Without question.

The markings were too deliberate to be anything else.

The king silently studied every detail.

He wasn’t an expert in every occult practice.

But years of dealing with sages, ascetics, priests, and supernatural beings had taught him enough to recognize danger when he saw it.

And this felt dangerous.

Very dangerous.

The nervous man suddenly spoke.

"Are you sure this will work?"

The broad-shouldered leader immediately glared at him.

"It must."

His voice carried desperation.

Not confidence.

Desperation.

"The Master said it would."

The third man looked toward the skull.

His expression was uneasy.

"I still don’t like carrying that thing."

Neither did the nervous man.

His face had grown noticeably pale.

"It feels wrong."

The leader immediately snapped.

"Stop talking."

The two fell silent.

Yet Devara noticed something important.

All three feared the skull.

Even the leader.

They weren’t treating it like a sacred artifact.

They were treating it like a dangerous tool.

Something necessary.

Something they wished they didn’t have to touch.

That made it even more concerning.

The ritual pattern continued growing.

The men eventually completed the final markings.

Then all three stepped back.

For several moments, nothing happened.

The clearing became silent.

Even the birds nearby seemed strangely quiet.

Then the leader reached into a pouch hanging from his belt.

He withdrew a small clay container.

Carefully removing its lid.

A foul-smelling black substance became visible.

Devara frowned.

The scent reached him even from his hiding place.

It smelled rotten.

Ancient.

Almost like something dug up from a grave.

The leader poured the substance directly over the skull.

The liquid slowly flowed into the carved patterns surrounding it.

The symbols immediately darkened.

Then...

The skull twitched.

Devara’s eyes narrowed instantly.

The nervous man stumbled backward.

The third man’s face went pale.

The skull twitched again.

Not from outside force.

Not from gravity.

It moved.

On its own.

A faint crackling sound echoed through the clearing.

The symbols began emitting a dim crimson glow.

Very faint.

Yet unmistakable.

The three men immediately dropped to their knees.

Fear filled their faces.

But also anticipation.

As though they had finally reached the purpose of this entire meeting.

From his hiding place, Devara slowly shifted his weight.

Every instinct told him this ritual was connected to the followers of Pushpasura.

The timing.

The secrecy.

The strange artifact.

The ritual itself.

None of it could be coincidence.

The question now was whether he should continue observing...

Or stop whatever was about to happen before it progressed further.

As the crimson light slowly spread through the ritual markings, the answer would likely reveal itself very soon.

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(Author note:)

I hope you guys give me your opinion and idea’s.

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