Dayton woke up early as the reddish sunrays crept in from the slit in his tent.

  The expedition had left the cantonment a fortnight back, setting up camp at a vast open space by the foot of the Aravalli mountains. They had divided themselves into three forces and, through a pincer move, had driven the rumoured beasts into that part of the forest, or at least, that is what Captain Anderson had claimed.

  And even though Captain Anderson loudly boasted about his success as the commander of the expedition, Dayton knew they were hunting blind. They had scoured the region, resulting in the death of hundreds of animals, but regrettably, the rumoured beasts still remained in the wind and elusive as ever. Rumours were beginning to spread like wildfire in the camp, some of which claimed that the beasts were a pack of white wolves, while others were adamant that they were a pair of cunning man-eating tigers. And though Dayton didn’t know which one was the truth, he knew that none of them were anywhere near to finding the beasts.

  Dayton put on his glasses and walked out of his tent, gazing at the vast base in front of him as a blaring voice called out his name. He turned in the direction only to see the portly Maharaja Kritiraj, calling him over to his breakfast table in front of the royal tent.

  “Mr Clemence, please join me!” cried Maharaja Kritiraj as Dayton walked up and took a chair beside the King, who was enjoying the spread on the table, which had everything from simple fare like boiled eggs, rice porridge, and chickpeas stew to the extravagant like roast chicken and barbecued goat.

  “Did you sleep well, Mr Clemence?” asked Maharaja Kritiraj, helping himself to a piece of fried egg.

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “What would you like to have for breakfast?”

  “Tea and a boiled egg would be fine, Your Majesty,” said Dayton, who was still nervous around the Maharaja.

  “Tea and boiled egg, it is,” said Maharaja Kritiraj as one of the attending servants placed a cup of hot piping tea and an egg holder with a boiled egg in front of Dayton.

  “I like a simple breakfast in the morning when I am out hunting,” said Maharaja Kritiraj as Dayton stared ironically at the humongous spread on the table.

  “Your Majesty, is there any news about the beasts?” asked Dayton as Maharaja Kritiraj took a bite of roast chicken.

  “Unfortunately, there is no new update. Though I think there will be one soon enough. I have put my best trackers on the job.”

  “Err……that is good to hear, Your Majesty.”

  “Good morning, everyone,” said General Huntley, eagerly approaching the table and taking a seat beside the Maharaja. “I see you have started without me.”

  “Can’t wait for a night owl who wakes up late, Huntley,” said Maharaja Kritiraj, scooping a spoonful of porridge into his mouth. “What will you have?”

  “Tea and a bit of butter toast will do,” said General Huntley as a servant quickly placed the items in front of him. “So, Mr Clemence, how has your experience been so far?”

  “Well, sir…err….it has been enjoyable,” Dayton lied, trying to sound convincing, as he would have preferred nothing else but to be in the safety of a room.

  “Your Majesty, any news about the print the trackers discovered last night?” asked General Huntley, taking a bite of his toast.

  “What print?” asked Dayton, his curiosity arose for the first time since he came for the hunt.

  “The trackers discovered an animal print deep in the forest, yesterday,” said Maharaja Kritiraj tersely, “And though it is a unique print, I don’t think it belongs to the animal or the creature we are hunting.”

  “Unique?”

  “Yes, it has only one leg and three toes. May most probably be a small, rare bird.”

  “So, why can’t it be the culprit?”

  “Have you ever heard of a bird that can maul a man, Mr Clemence?” asked Maharaja Kritiraj with a smile.

  “Er … no, Your Majesty.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Well, whether it is a bird or an animal, we have to catch it,” said General Huntley, taking a sip from his cup, “And we need to do it quickly. Nonsensical rumours have spread among the sepoys, and that is not good for discipline.”

  “Err…..even I heard some rumours,” said Dayton, nervously rubbing his hands.

  “What rumours?” asked Maharaja Kritiraj, cleaning out his bowl of rice porridge.

  “Err … well, I heard one sepoy talk about the beast being a shapeshifter who can turn into a man, trapping its prey by befriending him and the only thing that remains is the awful rotten smell it leaves behind.”

  “Balderdash!” cried General Huntley, flabbergasted.

  “Err….that is what I heard,” said Dayton apologetically.

  “As I said before, if we let this nonsense continue, there will be eventual loss of discipline and command,” said General Huntley with a frown.

  “Ahh..…at least the rumours have a certain truth in them,” said Maharaja Kritiraj, chuckling.

  “Truth?” asked Dayton, puzzled.

  “About the creature leaving a foul smell after it kills.”

  “So, it is true?”

  “Only that part. The rest is all superstition and hogwash!” cried General Huntley, finishing his tea as Dayton looked at the two men, wondering how much more they knew about the creature.

  “So, about your request, Your Majesty. I have sent the letter to the Company’s headquarter in Bengal,” said General Huntley, changing the topic.

  “Ahem…” Maharaja Kritiraj interrupted, looking at Dayton.

  “Thank you for the meal, Your Majesty,” said Dayton as he hurriedly got up, realizing he was not welcome for this part of the conversation, heading briskly back to the safety of his tent.

  Dayton was only a couple of steps away from his camp when he heard a voice calling out to him. He turned around to find Captain Anderson walking towards him with a huge smile.

  “Dayton…can I call you Dayton?” said Captain Anderson, trying to be overly friendly with his manly swagger as Dayton shifted uneasily in his spot.

  “Err…yes, Captain Anderson.”

  “Can I ask you for a favour?”

  “Err…yes,” said Dayton, confused.

  “Well then, let me take you to some place where we can talk,” said Captain Anderson, putting his arm around Dayton’s shoulder and dragging him across the camp to an area where the carcasses of animals were being stripped.

  The sickening sight and nauseating smell of death made Dayton almost throw up his breakfast, but out of sheer embarrassment, he somehow managed to avoid it.

  “Have you had your breakfast?” Captain Anderson asked as they passed a group of tanners.

  “Err… yes, the Maharaja was kind enough to invite me to his breakfast table,” said Dayton.

  “So, you had those savages’ food then. Heavy on the stomach, isn’t it?”

  “What?” said Dayton, taken aback by the nasty comment.

  “You know, the food is so spicy and oily,” said Captain Anderson, waving his golden hair.

  “Well … er … no.”

  “Suit yourself then!” said Captain Anderson. “You should have never come to this wretched place.”

  “Why are you here then, Captain?” asked Dayton, slightly annoyed.

  “A soldier’s life, my boy. Can’t help that I am posted here. But fortunately, this country is ripe for plunder, and once I make my fortune, I will go back to good old England, buy an estate and settle down. Hell….I might even become one of those nabobs.”

  “Does everyone in the Company thinks like you do?” asked Dayton.

  “Sadly no, there are still fools like the General who adhere to their gentleman ideals…bah…what ideals! Bringing women to a hunting expedition. It is bad luck, you know,” said Captain Anderson contemptuously.

  “You mean Miss Huntley and the Princess?” said Dayton, starting to dislike the captain more and more.

  “Yes, a woman should be pampered and taken care of. But her place is not among men and it is certainly not in the wild,” said Captain Anderson nonchalantly. “And speaking of Miss Huntley, she is the reason I brought you here.”

  Captain Anderson led Dayton to a row of racks where the furs of dead foxes, tigers, and other animals hung……left to be dried out.

  “Can you keep a secret?” asked Captain Anderson excitedly.

  “Err…….yes, Captain,” said Dayton, uneasy with the cadavers surrounding him but more uncomfortable with the man beside him.

  “I wish to propose to Miss Huntley and I wanted a second opinion as to what fur I should give her.”

  “Err…..what?” Dayton murmured, surprised.

  “Well, since you just came from London, I thought you would know more about the latest fashion trends back home.”

  “Oh....that! Sorry to say, Captain, but my knowledge of fashion is quite minuscule. My means are limited and I have even lesser access to the latest trends.”

  “That is a pity. You are the only new Englishman here among these savages,” said Captain Anderson, disappointingly.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, why Miss Huntley?”

  “Why not her? She comes from a noble and wealthy family and if I marry her, my future is in safe hands,” said Captain Anderson with a smirk.

  Dayton was at a loss for words and, out of sheer politeness, he could only return an uncomfortable smile.

  “Too bad you couldn’t help me,” said Captain Anderson, smiling handsomely with his perfect rows of teeth.

  Dayton hurriedly bid goodbye to Captain Anderson and the cadavers and returned to the safety of his tent, spending the rest of his morning and early afternoon hidden inside, chronicling the hunting expedition in his journal. Dayton hoped Mr Rudford would find his report about the expedition worthwhile.

  It was only when Ram Singh came and told him the Maharaja had requested his presence that Dayton stood up from his chair and followed him out of the tent.

  Dayton trailed his guide through the camp, but instead of walking towards the Maharaja’s tent, Ram Singh led him across the field to another humongous tent with guards posted around it.

  “Please follow me,” said Ram Singh as Dayton walked into the tent, the sight of the extravagant inside hitting him smack in the face. Traditional chandeliers and expensive drapes adorned the interior, while a huge incense burner at the corner filled the air with the sweet smell of lavender and sandalwood. Finely woven carpet covered the floor, and large, fluffy pillows served as seat for the lucky few who got invited in.

  ‘So, this is the class divide I have heard so much about,’ thought Dayton miserably, remembering his tent with a lone bed and a table.

  “Your Majesty, I have brought Mr Clemence,” said Ram Singh, bowing to the Maharaja, who was sitting on a rather large cushion beside General Huntley, Rose, and Zaara.

  “Thank you, Ram Singh. Mr Clemence, please take a seat,” said Maharaja Kritiraj, pointing to a pillow beside him as Ram Singh stepped out of the tent. “I was just explaining our plan to Zaara and Lady Huntley.”

  “Plan?” Dayton asked, baffled, sitting down on the cushy cushion.

  “Oh yes! We haven’t briefed you about the recent development,” said General Huntley. “The trackers are back and they have a lead.”

  “Finally, the beast has been sighted!” cried Maharaja Kritiraj boisterously, making Dayton jump in his seat.

  “Yes, the beast is within our grasp,” said General Huntley calmly. “The trackers found a fresh trail, a day’s journey from here, so we are leaving right away or we will lose it.”

  “That is good news, sir. When are you leaving?” asked Dayton, relieved that he could return to his cottage in the regiment barrack, sooner than later.

  “His Majesty and I will leave as soon as the preparations are done,” said General Huntley as Rose made an irritated face. “And no, Rose, we are not taking you along.”

  “How long will you be gone for?” asked Dayton, curious.

  “Can’t say,” said General Huntley. “It might be just for a day or it might even take a week. It depends upon how fast we can corner it down.”

  “So, we will be all alone in the camp for that duration?”

  “No, Captain Anderson and a retinue of guards will be left behind to protect the camp, and this is the reason for the disagreement between us and the ladies here,” said General Huntley, looking at Rose and Zaara.

  “Err…”

  “Maharaja Kritiraj and I have appointed Captain Anderson as the guardian of the two ladies while we are away,” said General Huntley with a sigh. “The disagreement is that-–”

  “We don’t want male guardians. We can take care of ourselves,” said Rose, interrupting General Huntley.

  “That cannot be, Rose. A lady needs a gentleman, especially in this wilderness.”

  “That maybe but-–”

  “Alright, alright. No more argument,” Maharaja Kritiraj mediated. “This is why we have called you here, Mr Clemence. We have reached a compromise with the ladies to appoint you as their guardian, to protect them and escort them while the two of us are away.”

  “Me?” cried Dayton in disbelief.

  “Yes, Mr Clemence. Will you be kind enough to accept this responsibility?” asked General Huntley, as Dayton stared blankly at them.

  “Please, Mr Clemence. We will have fun,” said Rose, with a twinkle in her blue eyes.

  “Err… alright,” said Dayton nervously, staring at the two girls.

  “Now that is resolved, we should get moving,” said Maharaja Kritiraj.

  “Take care of these two until we get back, Mr Clemence,” said General Huntley, getting up from his seat.

  “I will…err….try, sir,” Dayton replied reluctantly, following the two men out of the tent.

  For the next hour, Dayton, along with the rest of the camp, watched the hunting retinue led by Maharaja Kritiraj, prepared for the expedition deep in the jungle.

  “Off we go!” roared Maharaja Kritiraj from atop his elephant howdah as the group ventured into the forest, drummers in front, heralding their movement.

  “So, Dayton, what have you planned for the rest of the day?” Rose asked as the last shadow of the hunting party disappeared in the trees.

  “I have a sizeable journal entry to write, Miss Huntley. My editor is waiting for my report back in London.”

  “Do you know how to shoot a musket?” asked Rose suddenly.

  “Well….yes, but I am not particularly good at it,” said Dayton, remembering the shooting lessons his aunt had made him take when he was young.

  “Meet us in half an hour behind the ration supply tent,” said Rose, as she disappeared into Zaara’s pavilion, leaving Dayton bewildered.

  Dayton spent the next half hour packing his luggage, hoping for an early journey back, after which he went to the ration pavilion which was curiously……..unguarded.

  “Come here!” whispered a voice from the rear of the tent as Dayton walked behind to find Rose and Zaara dressed in male attires…..hunting coats, riding breeches, and tasselled hessian boots with musket rifles slung over their shoulders.

  “Miss Huntley, what is this?” asked Dayton, surprised.

  “Call me Rose,” said Rose, beaming.

  “Miss Huntley–-”

  “Rose!”

  “Alright, Rose. What is going on?” asked Dayton, bewildered.

  “The three of us are going on a little trip of our own,” said Rose excitedly.

  “What? Where?”

  “We heard about a waterfall nearby. We are going to explore it.”

  “No!” cried Dayton, aghast. “The General left me in charge of your well?being and there is a dangerous beast roaming around. So, you two are not going anywhere!”

  “I don’t think the beast is anywhere near this camp. Didn’t you hear my uncle say that it is at least a day’s journey from here? The waterfall is quite close by and I even managed to convince Zaara here.”

  “I have some books to read, Rose, and the more I think about it, the more it seems like a bad idea,” said Zaara timidly.

  “Stop making excuses. You can’t stay cooped up in the palace your entire life. This is your chance to try something by yourself,” said Rose. “And besides, you are the one who told me about the waterfall in the first place.”

  “I agree. It is a bad idea. None of us have any real trekking experience to roam around in the forest,” said Dayton.

  “I have some experience!” said Rose defiantly. “I used to go hunting with Uncle Wilfred back home when I was little. He taught me many things and I think I can manage a quick trip.”

  “Who is Uncle Wilfred?”

  “The butler you met,” said Rose indignantly.

  “The butler??? That is not the point here. You two are not leaving the camp,” said Dayton resolutely.

  “Suit yourself,” said Rose as she grabbed Zaara by the arm and dragged her towards the forest.

  “Wait! Wait! You can’t leave!” cried Dayton, running behind them. “Let us at least inform Captain Anderson.”

  “What!” cried Rose, looking at Dayton as if he was the stupidest being she had ever laid eyes on. “You think he will let us go?”

  “No, I don’t think he will.”

  “So, the question is, will a gentleman let two feeble girls wander around the forest unescorted? Or…..” said Rose in a helpless voice as she and Zaara walked deeper among the bushes.

  “But—”

  “Coming?”

  “Alright, I am coming,” said Dayton, giving up as he pursued the two girls.

  They trekked through the woods led by Rose until they came upon a small rivulet, which they followed upstream through the thick undergrowth. The journey was uneventful except for the odd fish disturbing the surface of the water and a squirrel or two running up and down the trees. It was not until they climbed up a hillock that they heard the thundering sound of water crashing into stone. They walked through a deep canyon between the hillocks before finally coming out to the waterfall.

  “Oh!” Zaara gasped, struck by the beauty of the waterfall.

  “Not regretting this now, I presume,” said Rose with a smile, staring at the waterfall whose water was gushing down the cliff into a deep foamy pool with glistening rocks and pebbles clearly visible through the surface of the pond.

  “I told you we would find it. I have always been lucky since I was little,” said Rose, beaming at Dayton.

  For the next hour, the two ladies explored the waterfall while Dayton sat on a slippery boulder staring at the magnificent sight in front of him.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” asked Rose, comfortably sitting down on the boulder next to Dayton.

  “Yes, it is,” said Dayton, grinning.

  “It’s so nice and quiet here,” said Zaara, taking a seat behind them.

  “So, Dayton, why did you come to India? Looking for adventures?” asked Rose with a huge smile.

  “Sadly, no Miss Huntley –-”

  “Rose!”

  “What?”

  “I thought I told you to call me Rose.”

  “Yes, Miss Rose.”

  “Just Rose!”

  “Rose…”

  “Yes, so why did you come to India?” asked Rose, satisfied.

  “I came here because there was a vacancy and I couldn’t say no to my editor.”

  “That’s boring. You never wished for any adventure?”

  “Well, no. I personally favour a quiet, safe place. Though, my aunt thought I would find some adventures here, and she was right,” said Dayton. “Look, I got to see a beautiful waterfall in an enchanting forest.”

  “This is not an adventure,” said Rose, rolling her eyes. “It is just a trek through the forest. A real adventure will exhilarate you and make you feel alive.”

  “That is quite romantic, Rose,” said Zaara.

  “So, you are looking for a real adventure?” asked Dayton.

  “Yes, I want to explore the world. Travel through continents and mountains. Meet different people, both good and bad, and in the end, I want to find myself.”

  “That sounds like a cliched–-” Dayton started, but kept his silence after noticing Rose’s raised eyebrows.

  “Most people don’t realise the plight of someone who wants to be free but is imprisoned because of her circumstances and societal norms,” said Rose pensively.

  “Cheer up, Rose. At least you are here,” said Zaara as the roar of water crashing down the cliff filled the air.

  “What about you, Zaara? What do you want to do in life?”

  “I am already living my dream life. Looking after my father and the kingdom.”

  “You cannot be satisfied with just that.”

  “I don’t know. Since my mother passed away, the responsibility of both my father and the kingdom has fallen on me,” said Zaara, staring at the pool below. “Besides, I have little to complain about. I already have all the materialistic wealth in the world.”

  “Well, being born a princess tends to do that,” said Rose with a smile as all three of them spent the rest of the afternoon in nature’s bosom, forgetting about all their worldly troubles. Rose and Zaara particularly enjoyed collecting odd-shaped pebbles from the pool beneath the waterfall and it was only when the sun began to set that Dayton called out to them.

  “I wish we could have stayed a little longer,” said Zaara wishfully, as they trekked down the steep rocks.

  “Yes, but it is almost dusk and we better hurry,” said Dayton, trekking down the jaded rocks and back through the undergrowth beside the stream.

  But no sooner had they cut through the first overhanging branch, it hit them………the strong smell of rotten meat.

  “What is that smell?” Dayton could hear Rose asked in disgust.

  “Must be the night wind carrying the smell of something decaying nearby,” said Zaara. “We should hurry.”

  The smell grew stronger as they treaded deeper among the trees, making all three of them feel nauseated and their eyes watery. Dayton knew they had to get to the camp quickly, but his mind was getting clouded by the sound of the running stream.

  CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.

  Dayton kept walking with no sense of time and direction.

  CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.

  “Dayton! Dayton!” someone was calling out to him. “DAYTON!”

  Dayton came to his senses with a jerk. Rose was calling him with a terrified look on her face. Dayton looked around, realising that they had walked deeper into the forest, unarmed, rather than followed the river downstream. He looked behind to find Zaara, still in a trance, walking aimlessly.

  “Zaara!” Rose cried, rocking her.

  “What…what?” Zaara mumbled, slowly regaining her senses. “Where are we?”

  “I don’t know,” said Rose, looking up at the night sky.

  “How is it night already? I thought the sun was just setting when we got down from the cliff. What happened?” Zaara mumbled nervously.

  “I don’t know. I came to my senses just seconds before you,” said Rose, alarmed. “The last thing I remember is the smell of–-”

  “Rotten meat!” Dayton mouthed as a terrifying thought entered his mind.

  Then they heard it…….a clicking sound, like metal being ground with metal.

  “What was that?” asked Zaara, alarmed.

  “I don’t know, but we should get moving,” said Rose hurriedly.

  The three of them trudged faster in the dark, only for the clicking sound to get louder and faster.

  “I think there is something in the trees and there’s more than one of them,” said Zaara, her voice cracking.

  “It looks like they are hunting us,” whispered Rose quietly.

  “Let’s hurry!” murmured Dayton as he and Rose impulsively picked up tree branches from the ground.

  Suddenly, from the corner of his eyes, he saw something small leaped towards Zaara. Dayton acted instinctively, swinging the branch in his hand, connecting with the small creature’s head and flinging it ten feet away from them. The creature landed with a thud and, lit by the starlight, it came into view.

  It had a dried, mummified skin, a long scaly neck, and a sunken face with two blood-soaked eyes. It had two claws for arms and its mouth was full of what looked like needles……making the clicking sound. And as the creature stood up, Dayton saw it had only one leg attached to a putrefied and bloated torso. As only one thought came into Dayton’s mind.

  ‘RUN!’

  The creatures started to leap towards them from the trees as they instinctively swatted them with their branches.

  ‘RUN!’

  Dayton ran deeper into the forest behind Rose and Zaara, wildly swinging the dead branch behind him, occasionally catching one of the creatures. They ran as fast as they could until Dayton saw a small clearing.

  “There!” Dayton cried, brandishing the branch in his hand.

  The three of them ran towards the clearing, but as he crossed the last tree, he tangled over a vine, tumbling on the ground, his glasses falling off.

  “Aarrghh!” Dayton moaned in pain as Rose and Zaara dragged him to the middle of the clearing, the clicking sound surrounding them.

  Dayton hurriedly searched for his glasses as warm blood ran down his forehead, hampering his already weak sight……… a single thought running through his mind.

  ‘We are going to die here!’