Doctor Shon was riding in a carriage, on his way to visit the governor in a nearby town. Shon was a well-known doctor in Vijaynagar, mainly for his knowledge and charity. Many noblemen in nearby towns requested him to aid them during illness.

  Shon was reading a fat novel to pass the time. Suddenly his carriage jerked and stopped. He didn't pay any attention to it, maybe the cabbie took a break to relieve himself before they entered the forest. Shon preferred to travel in daylight but one can't help oneself in these matters.

  He heard shouts from outside, two voices echoed and clashed with one another with a few neighs from the horses. The voices stopped but the carriage didn't start moving. Shon frowned and closed his book, placing his peacock feather bookmark and peeked out of the window.

  The cabbie was lying on the ground, wailing in pain and a woman in a burgundy cape was standing over him. She was carrying a bow on her back and a quiver was tied to her waist. Shon felt a shiver of terror running down his spine when the woman shot a look at him.

  'Damn, is she a bandit?', Shon thought anxiously.

  He hurried back to his seat, locking the door and shutting the window. After a few moments, that woman came to the window and banged on the door, Shon shrieked with terror. The woman banged on the door again. Shon pressed himself against the other door. The woman looked at him through the window. The angry emerald eyes made him shiver.

  Yakshini broke the window in a single blow and opened the door herself.

  "Get out, NOW!!", ordered Yakshini.

  Shon followed the orders timidly and jumped from the carriage.

  Shon watched dumbfounded as Yakshini hurried into the bushes, disappearing for a moment or two. She appeared again, carrying Devsena in her arms. Then she rushed into the carriage, ignoring its previous passenger and laid Devsena on the seat.

  "Hey, oldie, are you a doctor?", asked Yakshini, looking at the tool bag on the seat.

  "Why? Yes", Shon answered nervously.

  "Come in here"

  There was not enough space in the carriage for three people, then again, you don't disobey the orders of someone who grounded your cabbie a few moments ago. So Shon climbed into the carriage.

  "Will she be alright?", asked Yakshini.

  Shon noticed the emerald eyes filled with concern. Devsena was looking as frail as the glass Yakshini just broke. Shon instinctively checked the pulse.

  Yakshini watched him using different tools in his toolkit and noting down something every now and then.

  Shon glanced at Yakshini, shaking his head. A fear lurked in his eyes. He had treated thousands of patients in his career that stretched over several decades but whenever he encountered a patient which is 'beyond saving', he still felt the same terror of helplessness.

  "Her pulse is very low, the chances of her survival are rare. If we can take her to my clinic, maybe we can save her", Shon said.

  Yakshini gasped, her chest filling with sorrow. Tears welled up in her eyes.

  "I have a first aid kit with me, maybe I can keep her alive for a few more hours", reassured Shon as he saw the gloom on Yakshini's face.

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  Yakshini nodded and jumped out of the carriage, occupying the seat of cabbie.

  Shon opened his first aid kit.

  The horses neighed and started galloping towards the city of Vijaynagar, pulling the carriage along.

  As the sun started dipping over the horizon, Yakshini saw the city walls of Vijaynagar getting closer with every passing moment.

  She sighed with relief.

  But her relief didn't last much longer.

  When they got closer to the city walls, Yakshini saw traffic near the gates. Well, traffic was not very uncommon for a city as big as Vijaynagar. What worried Yakshini was the reason behind the traffic.

  There were check posts on each gate and a guard was checking documents of every person who was entering the city, either via carriage or via foot. Few people were expressing their displeasure of the process, in not so pleasant words, but the guard didn't look bothered and continued doing his work. A group of guards were shouting around the traffic, ordering the people to keep their documents ready.

  Yakshini slowed down the carriage, buying some time to think.

  "We don't have much time, miss", Shon shouted as he saw the carriage slowing down. He was preparing some solution.

  "Yes ... sorry", said Yakshini, unable to think of any way to dodge the security. Well, if she was alone, or with her 'assassin' gang, she would have climbed the city wall, killing a few unlucky guards along the way.

  Yakshini joined the queue with the carriage and covered her mouth and nose with a cloth.

  A guard approached and ordered them to be ready with their documents.

  'Damn it, only if I had my bombs and daggers', Yakshini panicked as she saw the guard getting closer.

  Inside the carriage, Shon injected the solution into Devsena's veins.

  Devsena gasped, struggling for air, Shon moved his fingers through her hair, reassuring her 'Its all right' with a bright smile. The princess nodded and closed her eyes again.

  Then the doctor peeked out the window, irritated by the bellows of the guard approaching them.

  "We don't have time for that, son, we got a medical emergency here. A life is at stake", Shon yelled from the window.

  "Oh, I was not aware that it was your carriage, doctor, I will make way for you, just give me a moment", the guard apologized and hurried towards the check post.

  In a few minutes, the guard and his companions made way through the traffic for the doctor's carriage. Few people complained and yelled in protest of this 'special' treatment but the guard and Yakshini ignored them alike.

  As Yakshini passed the check post, she saw a large painting of herself hanging outside the window of the check post. 'Wanted : Dead or Alive, price : 1000 gold coins. (Informants will get 50% of the price)' it read.

  Yakshini had seen her fair share of wanted posters with her face painted or drawn on it. What surprised her was there was no painting of or mention of the princess.

  'Why do they want me rather than the princess?', Yakshini wondered.

  There was a saying 'The city of Vijaynagar never sleeps'. Even as the evening grew into the night, people in the city used to move about like it was still daytime. The Marketplace never stopped working, just merchants swapping their places with other merchants. 'If it exists, you can buy it here', people used to say while referring to the Vijaynagar's marketplace. It was the biggest marketplace in the Bharatvarsh, let alone in the Asur Kingdom. The offices grew taller and taller with each passing mile, glowing with torches in the night. Giving the buildings a soothing golden glow. The taverns and inns used to open in late morning or early afternoon and used to operate as late as the sunrise.

  The residential area of the city was on the western end, isolated from the chaos of the commercial area. The residential area also had schools and hospitals along with its own little marketplace.

  Yakshini stopped the carriage in front of such a hospital. It was not a grand hospital by any measure, It was just like any other two story building in the area. A sign hung from the door, reading 'Dr. Shon's'. It was not his home, but he used to spend most of his time here, treating the people who cannot afford expensive healthcare at very low cost.

  As the carriage stopped, Shon ordered the gatekeeper to hurry and bring him a stretcher. He obeyed the orders and brought the stretcher in next to no time. Then the gatekeeper along with a nurse carried Devsena into the hospital.

  Shon saw the worry in Yakshini's eyes and said, "Don't worry, miss. She is not injured nor does she have any disease. I have to carry out a few tests to know what exactly is causing her the trouble"

  "Thank you, kind sir", Yakshini mumbled.

  "I saw your poster on the gate, miss. But I care more about saving a life than collecting a sack of gold coins so I will deal with you later", Shon grunted and walked through the hospital's door, leaving Yakshini standing alone on the footpath, shocked and dumbfounded.

  Thank you for reading 'Adventures of Yakshini', I hope you enjoyed your time with the story.

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