There's blood in the water
And they're coming to tear me down
What's hope with no saviour
Yeah there's no one in this ghost town

The sharp quilled arrow hit her shoulder, and pierced it getting through and through.

She turned, rage and awareness evident in her eyes, and with the flick of the invisible bow, turned the other approaching venomous quills into thin air.

Furthermore, she charged an illusionary rope, towards the direction of the attacker, and the latter fell down from his hidden perch, entangled on the ground.

But, her eyes blurred as she pulled out the piercing weapon from her shoulder blade, and saw the nasty green venom, seeping out of it.

She turned, to the kids who'd woken up due to the hustle, and looked at her in shock.

Prativindhya, got down and went up to her, "What happened mother? Why are you bleeding?"

"Prativindhya, run to the royal court, approach your father and tell him that there has been an intrusive attack on the royal family. Tell him, that I've captured the offender, who's fallen down in the orchard. Run, fast!"she barely spoke. "And take Suatsoma, with you, he's not safe alone."

"You'll be fine?"asked the kid, doubtfully.

"I'll be fine."she smiled at him.

Then she tied a cloth laying nearby tightly across her shoulder, preventing the venom from reaching any further.
Also, she tightly wrapped her wound, cutting off all the blood supply. Now, that she's taken care of the damage, she proceeded towards the ayurvati's chambers, urgently, cause she could feel that she was loosing blood by the minute.

However the venom, was no ordinary one, it was a strongly brewed potion, and its effect was far more stronger than any other.

Midway, she stumbled into Draupadi, now heavily pregnant, who was just going to search for her, "Subhadra! What's going on?"she cried out looking at her injury.

"I'll tell you but, I must get to the medics fast. The, the quill was poisoned ."she stumbled, her walk dizzy now.

"Oh God, we must dash."and Draupadi supported her.

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

Yudhisthira was deliberating on a very crucial topic, with his assembly.
"We've got to know, that there is an intruder, who's taken refuge in our palace."

"From which state?"asked Nakul, worried.

"That is the problem, we've no idea whatsoever."he answered.

"We must get him before he does any harm."said Bheem cracking his knuckles, forever ready for a good fight.

"I'll raise the security, deploy more soldiers in the palace."announced Arjun, feeling suddenly at unrest.

"And we just monitor, the refugees and all those who enter Indraprastha. Many kingdoms, send their spies, to such emerging powers."suggested the younger twin.

Just as Yudhisthira opened his mouth, to revert to their suggestions, he saw his two kids running up to him and panting miserably.

"What are you doing here children?"asked Nakul, picking up Sutsoma who was huffing badly.

"Pitashree, mata sent, chotti mata .....it, it attack.......hurt badly.......caught......the man."
"Calm down kiddo."said Sahadeva patting his back.

All the men stood up, hearing the word attack.

Arjun bent down and held Prativindhya, by the shoulder, "Tell me son, clearly."

"Pitashree Arjun, we were sleeping, as we heard the sound of some metal. We got up to see Mata Subhadra moving her hands, as if aiming an arrow in the air, and the two quills vanished. But she'd already been hurt. She sent us here, to tell you that she's caught the intruder, who's lying bounded in the mango orchard."the child spoke, his eyes teary at the sudden desperate situation.

Arjun couldn't think clearly for a moment, he couldn't pay attention to what others were saying. His heartbeat raced with anxiousness. Subhadra's hurt? That was something totally unacceptable to him. Blood rushed to his eyes as he looked at his brothers, who were sharing the same murderous expressions.

All of them proceeded outside, weapons all set, except Nakul, who'd gone to check up on Subhadra.

They reached the orchard, and saw a man strangled their by some invisible force. His face was sheathed by a loose cloth.

Immediately, Arjun down at picked him up by the neck.
"Who the hell are you?"

However the man gave no response.
"Can you not hear? Who is your master?"roared Bheem, agitated.

"Forgive me lords! I didn't wish to do any wrong, but I've been bounded forcefully. I had to do this sin, otherwise my family would've been slaughtered."he trembled out.

"Can you remove him off the illusion?"asked Sahadeva, to Arjun.
"Only the one who evokes the illusion, can remove it."Once, again his thoughts diverted to Subhadra, and looked at the main in disgust.
"Take him soldiers, bounded as such, and throw him in the dungeons until he refuses to answer."

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

Arjun, accompanied by his brothers then rushed to the Ayurvedic workplace, the abode of the healers.
There they saw Panchali, applying the ointment on Subhadra's shoulder, who was hissing at the contact, a few tears escaping her eyes.

"Does it hurt?"asked Panchali, her motherly feeling pouring over the young girl.

"Just a little bit."she managed to smile.

"It's gonna burn a little, kitten. The venom's gonna counter react."warned Nakul, from the other side of the room, preparing another potion.

"Subhadra" croaked out Arjun, his eyes fixated on her wound and the white cloth near her, now blood red and soaked.

She turned and met his eyes, both feeling a little reassured at seeing each other in the flesh.

"What happened, Panchali?"asked Yudhisthira, placing a hand on Subhadra's head.

"I found her stumbling down the hallway, barely conscious, all dizzy and bloody, and I immediately got her here."she spoke, applying another layer of the herbal slurry.

Arjun grimaced at the words dizzy and bloody, the feeling of guilt and protectiveness, washing him over.

"Subhadra, can you tell us the exact incident?"
"Yes, Bhrata Bheem. Jiji had told me to wake the kids up. I was just by their bedside, trying to wake them up, when I felt a quill piercing my collar.
I turned and saw more such arrows aimed at the kids, however I could revert them all. I used illusion to bind the attacker, and saw him falling from the orchard tree. And I immediately sent Prati to inform you. End of story."
she spoke.

"Can you free him, sister?"asked Sahadeva.

She closed her eyes and mumbled some kind of a chant, "Done" she said opening her eyes.

"Here, gulp it down at once."Nakul handed her a brown liquid.

She closed eyes, and took the potion down at once. "It's tastes horrible."she said distastefully

"Well that's the punishment given to girls who get themselves, pierced by arrows."smiled Nakul.

"How's the wound?", said Arjun, speaking at last.

"Well she's lost a lot of blood, the wound was over and out. But the main issue, was the venom, it's really strong and that's what took time to combat."he answered promptly.

Arjun looked her in eyes, and she could she the grief behind those, chocolate eyes. He'd been blaming himself yet again.

Suddenly, Bheem threw the dish containing the evacuated poison.
"I am gonna kill him this time."he thundered.

"Who?"asked Yudhisthira going up to him.

"That wretched marquis of snakes."

Marquis of snakes?
Who the hell is that?
Why would someone attack the uppandavas?
And will Arjun forgive himself?

Stay tuned!!!
Rajusuya Yagna coming up soon.

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