'The subjects die, the king win and the gods enjoy in a battlefield.'
There was a very famous saying on the mortal plane that the mortal plane was the entertainment stage for the gods who lives in the heaven. It was them who invented battles for their entertainment and the kings were just their chess piece leaders whom they make fight to entertain themselves.
This was what Commander Urjavat was thinking while looking at the two scenes present before him. One was happening just below his chariot on the vast wasteland and the other was just besides his chariot above the clouds.
Below him thousands of men were dying, their blood was making the soil of the battlefield change it's natural color appearance from yellowish brown to crimson. The wasteland which was dry for years had once again rivers flowing on it, the rivers that were overflowing with crimson liquid. The land which was desolated was full of humans and the land which was without any structure was full of mountains made of lifeless human and animal bodies.
Beside commander Urjavat chariot, sitting in his magnificent chariot was a young man for whom this was all happening. But what was making Commander Urjavat furrow his brows was the look that Prince Shantanu had on his face. He was looking at those men without even showing a pain or sense of loss or even a sense of guilt on his face on seeing so many soldiers dying for him. His face was emotionless, like the human sacrifice that was going below on the ground was just an act or a natural thing to happen for him.
"Sigh…either they are very good at hiding their emotions or they are just emotionless at core."
Commander Urjavat told himself inwardly thinking about the kings. When he who had seen and fought if not hundreds then at least tens of battles but for him even this moment whenever he see his any soldier going down in the battlefield he felt pain like he had lost a friend of his own. But the prince who had just seen at most twenty to thirty battle and fought himself in just ten or twelve battle but even then his face didn't show any pain or any emotion whenever he saw his soldiers dying for him.
"It must be one of the qualities they inherit from their ancient bloodline."
Once again he told himself inwardly while shifting his gaze from the Prince Shantanu's chariot to the battle going on the ground. There he was hearing soldiers encouraging each other, the metals clashing each other and some mountainous beings brought on ground to their death.
...
An arrow suddenly came before his eyes as he jerked his neck on the left, the arrow left and stuck in the ground, leaving just a bruise on his neck.
"That was close."
This was the thought that came into Navaj's mind for the hundredth time since the battle had started. Some times it was a sword and sometimes it used arrows or spears that came to pierce his body parts. But he was still alive, maybe cause of the prayer he was doing inwardly or maybe it was cause of the totem her mother had given him before he left the house to join the army which was going onto the Prince's conquest.
He was still following the middle aged man and thrusting his spear aiming on the every enemy soldier who was in their way. The sword he was using seemed very uncomfortable while fighting especially when he, the sword wielder was riding a different mount. He shifted the blame of the feeling uncomfortable to the new horse.
After getting the new mount for himself, Navaj was in a deep thought, the thought was either to save his life at all cost or to battle and die a honorable death. He kept on thinking and in the end he had reached the conclusion that, if he could save his life in the battle then after the battle he will leave the army and go back to do farming with his family. So what if it's a shameful thing to leave the army after the first battle, it was not like no one do that after first battle experience. Many people do that so it was not that uncommon in the army so even if he leave the shame will not be attached to him for long time.
After leaving at least he could live his life and then there would be many chances to make his name if he live his whole life. But once he died in the battlefield then that will be the end. Even if he would be called an honorable soul and rewarded after the battle but that will be it, nothing more. No would even recognize his name after a week except the people he know.
So he planned to survive this battle and for that he thought of following the middle aged man. The middle aged man turned out to be a war polished soldier who was expert in escaping from enemy circles and sneak attacks.
Clang….
Suddenly he heard a metallic sounds and turned his head to see towards the origin of the sounds. When his eyes landed onto those metallic objects that were making the sound he was surprised and his eyes went wide when he saw a little a way from the clashing swords.
Ten to fifteen horses were galloping towards them and a man on his horse was already attacking furiously at the middle aged man.
"Give me a hand here."
He heard the shout from the middle aged man.
"Yes."
He pulled the ropes attached to the horse to turn right and as he planned to surround the enemy soldier from behind.
"Wait. No.."
He pulled the rope once again but this time to immediately stop his horse. He once again looked towards the men who were rushing there like a loosen arrow from a bow. A mouthful of saliva he swallowed back seeing towards those men. He closed his eyes tightly as he once again pulled the rope on the left side.
"Yes. I can't defeat them, they are very strong. I had already sacrificed my horse. I have to save my life at all cost."
While repeating those words inwardly a stream of water started flowing from the corner of his eyes. If he were to leave then there was not even a single chance that the middle aged man can came out alive.
"So what?"
"Yes, he was one who tricked me in picking that letter, if that letter would have been poisoned or cursed I would have already died cause of him."
"But it was not."
"It was my fortune that the letter didn't turned out to be save. So I should leave him on his fortune too. Yes, his fortune if he died, definitely not my fault."
"But he saved before too…"
"That must be cause he would be feeling guilty for that day.
Ah.. got it.. he must wanted to remain on my good side. After all I have met prince personally but he had not. He must be afraid that I'll complain against him to the prince."
"Heh.. that bastard wanted to trick me thinking I will be burdened by his gratefulness if he just save my life once."
"Let him die."
Navaj swung the ropes and directed the horse to leave as fast as possible from that place.
"I'm more close to the prince. I'm more precious than that bastard. Maybe after the battle he would even make me section commander if I came out alive of the battle."
"But, I have not killed many Prayag soldiers. Maybe I should find some weak or dying ones and kill them with my spear."
"Wait.. that bastard will die for sure. I have also helped him in killing many Prayag soldiers and if he died then I can definitely claim that I had killed them."
"Hmm. I don't to need fight anymore. I should find a place where I can hide till the sun set. Tomorrow I can show my injuries and ask for rest."
He kept muttering those things in his mind and from his mouth continuously without a rest with his eyes close tightly, it was as if he was trying to distract himself from something unpleasant.
...
"Heh... Coward."