In the sky, Prince Shantanu and commander Urjavat were shocked on seeing the unfolding of the events down on the battleground.
Both of them had surprised expression on their faces. But both of them were thinking of two different things.
Prince Shantanu was lost and was trying to understand the events going on the battlefield. For a few moments back then he had thought everything was going smoothly just as planned.
But the scene before his eyes were totally unprecedented for him. He had never imagined that Prayag King adviser Aryamya would also be killed.
'Brother Medhavat, exactly what are you thinking?!'
Shocked and surprised he was staring down.
Right next to Prince's chariot, sitting in his chariot commander Urjavat was going through a wave of emotions.
Now he was sure that everything happening down on the battleground was already planned by the Prince Shantanu and vice commander Medhavat.
Initially, he was sad and disappointed a bit for not being told about everything that was planned. He was also a commander of the Prince's army just like vice-commander but the trust Prince Shantanu had in him was nowhere even close to the trust he had in vice-commander Medhavat.
But after seeing the unprecedented events that had just unfolded, he felt a little bit anxious. He was staring in the direction where the prince was sitting as if was trying to penetrate the wall of chariots with his gaze to look at Prince Shantanu's face and read what he was thinking.
On the ground with crimson fluid leaking out of his mouth, the grand noble slowly moved his head downward, he saw a spear coming out of his chest.
A painful smile appeared on his face. That painful smile signified the biggest mistake he made in his life that cost him his life. Just a moment of negligence in the battlefield. For even a polished expert like him that negligence cost him his life.
With a slight hint in his mind about the identity of his slayer, he still turned behind to at least take a look at him, after all the ancient clans were known for their true warrior spirit, they'll never fall as low as to attack someone from behind the back.
He stared at the face in front of him for a while and then slowly closed his eyes.
"...….. can see the day when you'll have the same fate."
Death enfolded him as he uttered those words. His soul fled from the body, leaving behind the body of a mighty grand noble of the Prayag Kingdom. The corpse still had that painful smile as if he had accepted an unacceptable outcome
"......"
Standing in front of two corpses vice commander Medhavat was lost in thoughts.
The last thing he could remember was himself standing before the Prayag King advisor Aryamya and seeing the grand noble swinging his sword towards the advisor. At that moment he felt a little dizziness in his head as everything in front of his eyes went hazy.
The next moment when he opened his eyes he saw his hand on the spear that was about to pierce the back of first grand noble.
"....."
Seeing the back of the grand noble he tried to shout to warn him but he was unable to open his mouth.
He tried his best to stop that hand but he felt like his body was not in his control. And the spear forcefully pierced the armor and then the back of grand noble.
He looked around himself and found his chariot standing behind him and his chauffeur staring at him with shock written all over his face.
An ominous feeling arose in his heart with a tinge of fear mixed in it. According to his understanding, he must be spellbound by someone.
The fear of an unknown expert present on the battlefield who could take over his body made him realize something as he anxiously looked around himself and rushed inside his chariot.
While planning for the battle against the Prayag Kingdom, they had never expected an expert in the art of spellbinding to be present on the battlefield.
If he had known that then he would have worn the artifacts to cancel those effects. Right now he was totally venerable to those spellbinding attacks.
Even when the unknown expert had not harmed the vice commander but instead somewhat helped him in eliminating a threat and a potential threat but it didn't mean vice-commander has to be thankful to the unknown helper.
.....
When the sun went down the horizon the battle came to an end for that day.
But the grief and the pain of losing brothers, husband and sons had just started at the Prayag Kingdom's side.
Inside the outer fort of the Kingdom, the Prayag King was standing with a grief-stricken face. Before him, draped in red velvet was lying his friend, his most trusted ally, his adviser, his brother Aryamya with his eyes closed.
He was groaning in anguish. The eyes that had become dry for ages were now once again filled with a layer of mist. But the king was using all his efforts to not let them fall from his eyelids.
'So what if he has died?'
'So what if I no longer have a brother?'
'I am still a king, I am not dead. How could I, a king can show my weakness?'
'These tears are just a sign of weakness. These tears should never leave my eyes in front of anyone.'
While thinking all of that he silently took a long sigh with his wet nose.
Right beside the body of advisor Aryamya was lying another body. It was the body of the first grand noble.
In front of his body stood an old man, he was the father of first grand noble. The previous commander of the Prayag Kingdom's royal army.
He was fuming with the loss of his son. After wailing for a while. He ran towards the fort gate.
"Open the gates."
The old man growled. He could scarcely restrain his frenzy after seeing the lifeless body of his son. When he saw the hole in his chest he felt like someone had thrust a spear in his own chest.
The piercing pain he was feeling right now even amplified ten times more when he thought about his century-long plan going waste after his son's death.
"Open!" With burning rage in eyes, he once again growled and shot his death gaze towards the soldiers standing before the fort gates.
The soldiers escaped his gaze and looked right towards the face of the Prayag King. Their eyes were pleading to him to say something.
If the Prayag King was not present there then for once they would have not mind taking orders from the former commander and would have opened the gates but the King was present right there so they didn't even dare to move from their spots.
Thick blue veins emerged on his hands as the finger formed a fist so tight that the nails gashed the white rough skin and crimson fluid gushed out of the palm.
With a murderous gaze, the old man looked toward those soldiers while gashing his teeth he took a deep breath.
"Prayag King, let me go out. I am going to thrust my spear in the chest of every swine in that camp." Setting aside every mannerism he called out to the Prayag King directly.
Many surprised gazes shot towards him. Even the king himself was astonished on hearing the disrespectful voice directed towards him but understanding the sorrow the old man was in, he shook his head but he didn't say anything.
According to the soldiers who carried back their bodies, both of the bodies were found together with the first grand noble carrying a bloodied sword and his spear lying in the side of advisor Aryamya.
From the moment the Prayag King realized that the first grand noble had killed his friend, he was using all of his energy in suppressing his killing intent towards the first grand noble and let his dead body thrown to dogs and wild birds to eat.
"Old man Parakranta, has the lose of your son clouded your mind that you have spoken to his majesty like that?"
An angry rebuke was heard from behind the Prayag King. The commander of the royal Prayag Army was himself not in a good mood. Even if his friendship with Aryamya was not as good as the king but still both of them were friends of the king.
And he was not alone who was not in good mood right now. Even both advisors standing behind the king were furiously staring at the old man.
The atmosphere inside the fort was heating up. The Heartbeat of many increased as they hold their breath and waited for the king to say something.
Old man Parakranta didn't say anything or even acknowledged his mistake even after hearing commander Rudha. Instead, he kept staring at the king.
"I will not rest before killing those swine," After a while a low growl was heard as he shouted,
"Guards, Soldiers, Brother.
Erase that gloom from your hearts.
Clear your minds.
Pick up your weapons.
Put up your armors.
And fall in formation behind me.
We are going to take revenge for our brothers.
From today onwards history will remember you as heroes who had guts to stood up against the Ancient Clans, who refused to put their weapons before them, who tore down their one-sided nonsensical rules and traditions.
Today we will either destroy those tyrannical chains who meant to bind not just us but also our children, our grandchildren, our future generations, or we will die as heroes and become ideals for our grandchildren, for our future generations.
If not for your future generations and children, you need a reason to fight against them then look in front of yourself, look at the bodies of your brothers, remember the smiling face they had when you used to talk to them?
Think what you are going to say to their wife, their children, their mother, and their father when they will ask where are they?
Think what you'll say when they will ask, why did you not save your brother?
Think what you'll say to your brothers when you'll reach heaven and they'll ask if you took their revenge?
Think and you'll get the reason why you have to pick up your weapons now."
The old man Parakranta had lost not just his only son but also the motive he was living for till now with him.
Initially, he was blinded with rage but now he was calm as ocean but with a conviction that he had to kill the ones who had killed his son, his hope.
He called out not just his remaining family guards or just the soldiers under the nobles but everyone present in the fort.
And one would have to accept that old man Parakranta was not just any retired commander. He was one of the best commanders present on the mortal plane. Even the Prayag King himself paled in comparison to his leading ability.
After hearing those summons, not just the nobles and the soldiers under them felt their blood boiling but even the soldiers from the royal army and the ministers felt their blood boiling for revenge even commander Rudha was among them.
Prayag King himself also felt for a moment that he should accept the old man as his leader and commander but that thought vanished immediately.
"Your Majesty, we have to stop that old man." A voice sounded behind his ear.
Both the advisors standing behind the Prayag King alerted him in a low voice.
"Yes you Majesty, there is no chance that he could defeat the Kashyapa Army."
"And even if he did defeat them then.."
"Then he would surely use his accomplishment against you your Majesty to increase his own influence even outside the Kingdom and make powerful connections."
"But if he couldn't defeat them, then everyone following him would be killed."
"Then your Majesty, you'll be the one who would have to answer to all the Ancient Clans for breaking the ancient rules of the battle and declaring war after the sunset."
Lost in the grief of his friend Aryamya's death, the king awakened by repetitive warning of his other two advisers as he took a deep breath and let go all of his emotions.
With a grave face he ordered, "The gates will not open before the sunrise."