Things came to a boil. Without human companions, the three animals were scrambling around wildly. Prithvi spotted the yak running amok, slamming into both kirtimukhas and her friends.

All at once, Prithvi felt a gust of wind near her, and a sharp pain shot up her arm. Her bow fell. She turned around to see a deep gash in her shoulder and a kirtimukha standing next to her with a long, curving sword.

It was the kirtimukha who had had trouble squeezing into the dome because he was one of the biggest in the pack. He looked like an enormous ape standing upright, salivating from his lips. Prithvi looked into his glaring red eyes and saw only hatred. He waited, taunting Prithvi, before delivering his second strike. To further insult her, he let go of his sword and charged at her. He grabbed her neck with his massive arm, and his fingers latched on to her windpipe. Prithvi tried screaming, but his arm continued to squeeze the life out of her. She couldn’t breathe.

The kirtimukha threw Prithvi to the ground. Just then, out of the blue, Jagrav jumped at him, allowing Prithvi to gather her bow. As he choked the kirtimukha from behind, Prithvi launched an arrow into the beast’s face. It caught the beast by surprise, and before he could react, Prithvi buried a second arrow in him.

Prithvi’s windpipe was burning. She paused to catch her breath and look around for her friends. She saw Ujal alongside Savitri and Fayza struggling against four kirtimukhas. Aarti seemed to be at the receiving end of a rock-hard punch. Dhara lay on the snow, gasping for breath. Payal was dodging life-ending spear thrusts. All the cloth bags and fruits were on fire, the kamandalus had spilt their contents and the smell of burnt hair lingered in the air.

‘We’re not going to survive this!’ Idhika’s voice came out of nowhere, huffing and puffing. ‘Our only hope is to somehow get him.’ She pointed at Chayan, who stood on the other side of the ditch, looking at the scene with a smirk full of confidence.

Idhika left to help Ujal. Prithvi realized she was no longer restricted by a dome. She decided to take an all-or-nothing approach. Dropping to one knee, she drew her bow and held it. Then she shut her eyes and started mumbling.

When she released the arrow, Chayan heard it before he saw it. He could do nothing but watch as the next few seconds passed in a blur. The dart landed right next to him and detonated upon impact. He was thrown into the air, a few strands of his beard burning and shrivelling up. He landed awkwardly on his shoulder.

Prithvi drew her bow again and closed her eyes to concentrate. But when she opened them, Chayan seemed to have made a run for it, into the darkness. Prithvi recalled the day she was kidnapped, the fear and helplessness she had felt in the Dronagiri woods. All because of Chayan—the kirtimukha had acted on his orders. Perhaps isolated, I stand a chance against him.