The Anjuna Chronicles

MAYURI

The shabbily dressed woman sitting in the bullock cart, which was about to enter into the Kingdom of Ayati, looked around in apparent wonderment at the city gates and the soldiers' uniforms.

The soldiers all appeared to be alert in their job of checking and withholding any persons of suspicion or interest. Mayuri, the name of the shabby woman, understood the soldiers' behaviour.

The recent threats from the prince's uncle had left a pall of gloom over the entire place and they'll were searching for possible spies or assassins.

Mayuri realised that this only made her job difficult but she knew that there was no option of turning back. Not now and not when she was so close.

Close to her mission of killing the most evil man she had met, who after selling several girls in her village to various state-run brothels by kidnapping them and transporting them to the highest bidder, like they were some sort of cattle.

She didn't know that the evil of this man was nothing compared to what she was about to see inside the city's compounds.

Their cart was next. In the cart before them, the family of four were being harassed by the guards. One of them was lecherously eying the young daughter of the family, who stood petrified by the tall, dark guard trying to keep away from him. When the guard grabbed the girls exposed breasts, Mayuri lost it and protested.

"What do you think you're doing to that poor thing? Leave her alone at once!" she shouted, imitating a raspy tone unlike her real, throaty one.

The guards left them alone and Mayuri received a mumbled thanks from the girl. Mayuri was left alone, unchecked and allowed to pass, when she told them she was from a lowly caste, looking for a job as a sweeper in the city.

It always works, she thought. Now inside the city, a newcomer or a pretender would definitely look around the huge buildings and intricate carvings on the temples. But Mayuri felt she had less time and decided to change her clothing and appearance.

She walked with the humongous crowd towards the centre of the city, where the largest markets were situated, along with other places like the brothels, execution gallery, theatres, dancing gallery, wrestling gallery and all violent sports were brought out to play.

Here everything was in demand and you could get anything you wanted for or desired for, provided you had the necessary gold to buy them with.

Mayuri quickly took a left turn into a small, but clean alleyway that led directly to one of the most notorious places in the city she'd heard from the cart driver. It was called the Pleasure Den or simply the Den, where all kinds of desires were met.

Sexual and sadistic fantasies were a few to be mentioned. The kingdom stopped caring and now began to reap profits from these endeavours.

Mayuri, ditched the old garment and wiped her face of the makeup that made her look like an old woman. After thoroughly clearing her face, she took out the bag hidden under her old cloth and removed a fashionable, but ordinary covering which she decided to use, to cover her head with.

Before that she glanced around and satisfied that she was alone stripped herself completely, by sitting down and pulling up her tattered upper dress. Then she bent and loosened the strap around her waist, which held up her lower garments. Soon that too were removed and she dumped the old ones in a corner. Then she reached for the bag to change into the acceptable garb of a citizen of the city.

Suddenly she heard a crash. She pulled her legs close and hiding herself behind a small wall, she peered up.

A drunk man, his shaggy hair loose was coming to her, more like he was staggering, his hand brandishing a sharp edged and rusty dagger. A robber mostly or a rapist. Whoever he was she couldn't take her chances. She emerged into the alley to face him off.

On seeing the impossible yet real stark naked beauty standing in front of him, the foolish drunk first stood astonished before moving to her eagerly. Mayuri lost no time in closing the gap and seizing the hand on which he'd the dagger with, she brought it down with full force on her knee, which broke his arm.

The drunk howled, then dropped the dagger with a clatter on the ground and himself slid down, not believing his hand's strange structure.

Mayuri bent down to pick up the dagger when she saw, from beneath her legs a figure, dashing towards her. Another man. This time not drunk. She turned around swiftly, her nimble body supporting the fast movement and her naked breasts jiggling in the process.

The man stopped in his tracks looking at her brandishing the dagger expertly in her right hand, while the drunk below fled for his life. The man was no expert in combat, she could make out from his body language and that he was just hoping that she was easy meat, acting desperately to protect herself. She saw him lick his lips as he looked down at her shaved nether areas and she spat in disgust. The man smiled.

"Come on now. Let's end this. You know what you're doing is futile right?"

"I don't have money." she said though knowing exactly what he wanted.

The man shook his head, "Who wants money when a woman like you, naked and ripe for the taking, is offered?"

"Is that what you want then?"

"Definitely."

"Then come and get it."

Mayuri tried to provoke him to go for the kill first. And as expected that's what he did. He blindly tried to grab her, while she moved to her right and grabbing his hand, twisted herself to stick her body to his and without warning, brought down the dagger on the man's neck, inserting it inside, first deeply and then slicing it open, letting his blood from the wound in his neck spill over the alley and on herself as she killed him without flinching a bit, all without even seeing where she'd plunged the dagger like she'd rehearsed the whole move.

She pushed him back making him fall to the ground and saw the blood spurt from the wound in his neck, gushing out, causing him to convulse in pain and horror as his eyes looked at her in terror. She went near him and bent down, sitting on her ankles and rubbed the dagger on the man's clothes.

"I'm sorry I didn't warn you. But I don't believe you would've done the same, if you'd decided to rape me and kill me. Now rot in hell, bastard." She got up and wiped the blood away from her naked body.

Mayuri placed the dagger in her bag with a grin and took whatever valuables the man she'd killed had in his possession. Then she dressed herself up and walking towards the crowded road mingled among the crowd, ready for her next kill.