Chapter 416 - 384: Wounds Of The Hunt?...

(A/N):

Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.

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As if determined to prove his point, the nearest dolphin swam into the shallows and raised its head towards him, its elongated snout coming within reach of his hand.

Devara crouched beside the water and gently ran his fingers along the creature’s smooth head.

The dolphin remained perfectly still for a moment, then gave an enthusiastic whistle and nudged his palm, apparently demanding more attention.

"Yes, yes, I remember you,"

Devara said, scratching the creature affectionately.

"You were the one who nearly knocked me into the river the last time I came here. I had hoped you would have developed a little more respect for your king by now."

The dolphin opened its mouth, revealing its sharp teeth, and released a series of whistles that sounded suspiciously like a protest.

Devara laughed.

"Do not argue with me. I was there."

The other dolphins soon joined in, splashing their tails and circling one another while Devara continued greeting them.

Their behaviour was enough to convince even the most nervous guards that the creatures had no intention of attacking their king, although none of them appeared particularly eager to approach the water themselves.

After spending a few minutes with the dolphins, Devara rose to his feet and looked towards the deeper section of the river, where the sunlight shimmered across the current.

His expression softened as he felt the familiar divine presence that seemed to permeate every drop of the sacred water.

He had come to speak with his mother about the growing political crisis, but it appeared that the inhabitants of her river had decided to welcome him first.

Devara smiled and stepped closer to the water, while the dolphins gathered around him as though escorting a familiar friend towards his destination.

"Very well," he murmured, glancing at the creatures.

"I have a feeling that Mother already knows I am here. Let us see whether she intends to welcome me herself, or whether she has decided to make me wait while you lot finish your greetings."

With that, Devara turned his attention towards the sacred river, preparing to enter the divine dimension of Goddess Ganga while his royal guards remained behind on the harbour’s edge, watching their king stand calmly among creatures whose appearance alone would have sent most ordinary men scrambling for higher ground.

Devara continued greeting the dolphins, allowing the curious creatures to gather around him in the shallow waters near the harbour.

One of them repeatedly nudged his hand with its elongated snout, while another circled behind its companions, occasionally lifting its head above the surface to release a series of whistles.

Their behaviour brought a smile to his face, reminding him of the countless times he had visited the Ganga and encountered these familiar inhabitants of his mother’s sacred river.

However, as he leaned forward to stroke the head of the nearest dolphin, that smile gradually faded.

There were marks along its side.

At first, Devara assumed they might have been scratches caused by rocks beneath the water or perhaps injuries sustained while navigating the river’s stronger currents.

But when the dolphin turned slightly, exposing more of its body, he noticed several long cuts running across its flank, accompanied by bruises that had darkened the skin around them.

A second dolphin surfaced beside it, and the sight of its injuries made his expression harden further.

There were deep grooves near its dorsal fin, along with a jagged wound that appeared to have been inflicted by something sharp.

Devara straightened slowly, his eyes moving from one creature to another.

The dolphins had approached him without hesitation, but now that he was examining them closely, he realised that several bore similar injuries.

Some wounds appeared to be healing, while others were recent enough that the surrounding skin remained raw.

One of the smaller dolphins kept close to an older one, occasionally brushing against its side, and Devara noticed that the older creature flinched whenever it moved too sharply.

His jaw tightened.

He knew these animals well enough to understand how vulnerable their population was.

Unlike many creatures that reproduced rapidly, the Ganga dolphins had a slow reproductive cycle, and their numbers increased gradually.

Every adult lost to unnecessary hunting could have consequences that lasted for years, while the death of a breeding female could affect the population even more severely.

Their survival depended upon maintaining the delicate balance of the river, and Devara had taken particular care to protect them.

He had explicitly forbidden their hunting throughout the territories under his authority.

Fishing communities were permitted to continue their livelihoods, but the dolphins were protected, and the royal administration had made the prohibition clear to every settlement along the Ganga.

Yet here they were, bearing wounds that suggested someone had ignored his orders.

Devara’s expression grew cold as he gently ran his fingers along the edge of one of the cuts, careful not to cause the injured creature any additional discomfort.

"Who did this to you?"

he murmured, more to himself than to the dolphin.

"I was quite certain that I had made my orders clear."

The dolphin released a soft whistle and moved closer to him, apparently unaware of the anger building in the man standing beside it.

Devara stroked its head once more before turning towards the harbour, where several fishermen were preparing their boats for the day’s work.

"You there!" he called, raising his voice enough to attract their attention.

"Could one of you come here for a moment? I need your help examining these creatures."

The fishermen looked up at the sound of his voice. Recognition spread quickly among them when they realised that their king was standing at the water’s edge, surrounded by the river dolphins.

One elderly fisherman immediately set aside the net he had been repairing and hurried towards him, bowing respectfully when he reached the bank.

"Maharaja, you summoned me?"

Devara returned the greeting with a brief nod before gesturing towards the nearest dolphin.

"I want you to examine these wounds carefully. You have spent years working along this river, and you should be familiar with the kinds of injuries these animals sustain naturally. Tell me whether these marks could have been caused by rocks, other animals, or the river currents. Do not give me an answer merely because you think it is what I wish to hear. I want the truth."

The fisherman glanced at the dolphins before crouching near the water.

Although he appeared somewhat nervous about examining the animals at such close range, his years of experience soon overcame his hesitation.

He studied the wounds without touching them at first, observing their shapes, depths, and locations.

When one dolphin turned its side towards him, he leaned closer, carefully inspecting a series of parallel cuts beneath its dorsal fin.

His expression changed.

He moved to the next dolphin, examining the bruising along its flank before looking at the smaller creature that had remained beside the injured adult.

After several minutes, he rose slowly to his feet, his face troubled.

"Maharaja, these injuries are not consistent with ordinary accidents."

Devara’s eyes narrowed.

"Explain."

The fisherman pointed towards the cuts on the first dolphin.

"Some scratches can certainly be caused by rocks, especially in the shallower parts of the river, and larger aquatic animals can leave bite marks. But these wounds are different. Look at how the cuts run alongside one another, and how deeply they have penetrated the skin."

"They resemble injuries caused by sharp hooks or the edges of fishing equipment. This bruise here could have come from a heavy object striking the animal, perhaps while someone was trying to pull it out of the water."

He paused, looking towards the other dolphins before continuing.

"The injuries on the smaller one are particularly concerning. They appear to have been caused by contact with something sharp, and there are marks around its body that suggest it may have struggled against a net."

"I cannot say exactly what happened without seeing the equipment involved, but I have little doubt that these animals were caught or attacked by people. Some may have escaped before the fishermen could bring them ashore."

For a moment, the sounds of the harbour seemed to recede into the background.

Devara had suspected as much from the moment he saw the wounds, but hearing the fisherman’s assessment confirmed what he had hoped would not be true.

Someone had been hunting the protected dolphins, and the injuries suggested that this was not an isolated accident.

He turned his gaze towards the water, where the dolphins continued swimming around him, seemingly content to remain in his presence.

The smaller one brushed against its injured companion, and the older dolphin responded by moving closer to the bank, keeping itself between the younger creature and the open river.

The sight only deepened Devara’s displeasure.

"How long has this been happening?"

he asked, his voice quiet but carrying an unmistakable edge.

The fisherman hesitated before answering.

"I cannot say for certain, Maharaja. I have heard a few rumours over the past several weeks. Some fishermen complained that these dolphins were damaging their nets or stealing fish from their traps, while others claimed that their teeth and hides could fetch a good price among certain merchants."

"I dismissed most of it as idle talk because hunting them is forbidden. I never imagined anyone would be foolish enough to ignore your orders."

Devara slowly turned towards him.

"And you heard these rumours several weeks ago?"

The fisherman lowered his head.

"Yes, Maharaja. I should have reported them. I thought the rumours would amount to nothing, and I did not wish to accuse anyone without proof. That was my mistake."

Devara regarded the man for a moment before speaking.

"Not every rumour deserves an accusation, but when the lives of protected creatures are involved, such reports must not be dismissed without investigation. You should have informed the local authorities, even if you were uncertain whether the claims were true. A warning might have prevented some of these injuries."

The fisherman bowed deeply.

"You are right, Maharaja. I will not make the same mistake again."

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(Author note:)

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