Draft:Phrai Mahakan

Phrai Mahakan is the first episode of The Diamond of Umadevi novel series, spanning four volumes: Phrai Mahakan Volumes 1–4.

Sypnosis

Phrai Mahakan Volume 1

At approximately 1:00 PM, Rapin Praiwan, a professional hunter and the chief of Nong Nam Haeng village, delivers captured wild animals to Amphon, the director of Thai Wildlife Company, at an animal export station. There, Amphon introduces Rapin to a high-society expedition team from Bangkok. The group is seeking to hire Rapin as their chief jungle guide to track down M.R.W. Anucha Wararit (also known as Phran Chod), who has mysteriously vanished in the deep jungle.

The expedition consists of Anucha's older brother, Lieutenant Colonel M.R.W. Chettha Wararit, his sister, M.R.W. Darin Wararit, and their friend, Major Chaiyan Anantrai. The employers possess only vague details regarding Anucha's journey into the wilderness to find the legendary "Diamond of Umadevi" treasure. Upon learning this, Rapin shares the myths surrounding the treasure that he heard from his mentor, Nhan Phrai, and reveals that he last encountered Anucha and his loyal guide, Nhan In, at Pong Krathing before they embarked on their fateful search for the treasure.

The following day, Rapin proposes his employment terms: a cash payment of 200,000 baht to support his elderly mother, and a one-third share of the Diamond of Umadevi treasure if discovered. One week prior to the departure, the expedition team prepares their equipment. Two days later, they arrive at Nong Nam Haeng village with baggage and provisions gradually transported by the Thai Wildlife Company's jeeps, while firearms and ammunition are scheduled to arrive the next day.

Rapin enlists four of his trusted local assistant hunters: Boonkham, Chan, Koet, and Soei. As the expedition is about to depart, a wandering Karen youth named Ngae Sai applies to serve the team without any financial compensation. After interrogating Ngae Sai about his background, Chettha accepts him into the group.

The next morning, the expedition leaves Nong Nam Haeng village and reaches Khao Lon by the afternoon. To evaluate his employers' marksmanship, Rapin organizes a light game hunt tracking a serow. Earlier during the journey, Chettha had successfully shot a deer and Chaiyan a wild boar to secure food supplies for the trek.

That night, the camp is prowled by "Ai Kut", a notorious man-eating Bengal tiger. The following day, Rapin sets up hunting platforms (machans) for his employers. Late that night, Ai Kut returns and drags away a porter, marking the expedition's first casualty.

Rapin stakes out near the porter’s remains to bait the tiger back to its kill. Chettha fires two consecutive shots at the returning predator, but the bullets miss vital organs, allowing the wounded tiger to escape. The team is forced to track the beast, and Rapin ultimately delivers the fatal shot, killing Ai Kut successfully. The expedition then proceeds toward Pong Krathing. Along the way, Chaiyan shoots a massive banteng, narrowly escaping death from his own hunting blunder. Before reaching Pong Krathing, Rapin and his employers clash with a herd of wild elephants, resulting in a fierce battle where Chettha kills a large bull. This incident provokes "Ai Waeng," a rogue elephant known for its torn ear, into raiding the team’s campsite.

The next morning, while Rapin and the employers track gaurs in the bamboo forest, Rapin and Darin rescue Ngae Sai from a tiger that had been stalking the vagabond's footsteps.

Phrai Mahakan Volume 2

At approximately 4:00 PM, Boonkham returns from Amphon’s Thai Wildlife Company after delivering the pelt of Ai Kut and reports that Ai Waeng’s elephant herd destroyed their campsite at Phu Bon, resulting in the death of a porter named In. The following day, Rapin and the expedition return to the site with Boonkham to find In's remains and Boonkham's rifle, eventually encountering Ai Waeng's herd on their way back where Rapin leads Chettha to observe the elephants at close range. This display of stealth leaves Chettha profoundly shocked yet deeply impressed by Rapin's jungle skills. However, the herd catches the human scent carried from upwind, triggering a violent clash. In the ensuing confrontation with Ai Waeng's herd, Rapin and the expedition team successfully gun down eight large elephants.

The following day, Rapin organizes the team into pairs for an overnight hunt on elevated platforms (machans): Rapin with Darin, Chettha with Boonkham, and Chaiyan with Koet. Late that night, Darin showcases her marksmanship by shooting a massive lone gaur, but she subsequently suffers from supernatural jungle afflictions throughout the night, forcing them to perform a ritual to appease the forest spirits. Meanwhile, Chettha and Boonkham are unsuccessful as no game approaches their platform.

On the third platform, Koet shoots and kills a gaur calf, leaving its wounded and highly aggressive mother on the loose. To eliminate the hazard, Chaiyan and Rapin set out the next morning to track the wounded gaur. During the hunt, an unexpected accident occurs when Rapin is trampled and injured by the gaur, right as Chaiyan manages to kill the beast, which was already surrounded and under attack by three tigers.

The expedition rests for one night before resumed traveling. During this time, Ngae Sai provides Rapin with new information regarding Anucha, revealing that he had previously tracked Anucha from Huai Suea Rong to Lom Chang village. However, Ngae Sai lost Anucha's trail by five days and spent about two days within the perilous Valley of Death. There, Ngae Sai was unfortunately bitten by a venomous snake but was rescued by a wandering Buddhist monk. He also shares stories about his birthplace, the mythical Kingdom of Morakot Nakhon, with the employers.

The next morning, Rapin's local assistant hunters take bullock carts to retrieve the gaur meat and the pelts of the three tigers that Chaiyan had shot. Rapin then breaks the news that Ai Waeng's elephant herd has completely devastated a Karen campsite at Pha Yeing. The casualties include three American explorers—a physician researching herbal flora, an accompanying military officer—and their Karen guide, leaving no survivors from the brutal elephant raid.

In the afternoon of the same day, Rapin accompanies Chettha to ambush a tiger. On their return journey, they acquire a rare broken tusk, known as "Nga Chang Kamchat," a mystical amulet created when an elephant breaks its tusk while rubbing it against a banyan tree. and leaves a piece broken off inside the trunk. Rapin then opens up to Chettha about his personal life, revealing that his father was also a professional hunter who passed away from cerebral malaria.