Raja Bersiong's army then marched mercilessly across the Malacca Empire, leaving behind a trail of death and sorrow. Terrible beasts owned by the dark king stalked the countryside, destroying communities and slaying anyone that stood in their path.
Next to fall was the city of Kota Tinggi, an important stronghold whose job it was to oversee commerce routes both to and from the Malacca Empire and neighboring countries. The soldiers of Raja Bersiong reached the city gates; the sound of his drum echoed ominously in the air. General Iskandar, a fearless and very determined general, was at the helm of the defenders of Kota Tinggi.
They were aware of the evil sorcery of Raja Bersiong and his horrible beasts, but they knew they would fight for their city to the last breath of their lives.
The sky was filled with black clouds ominously as two armies clashed, and the ground shook from the thunderous noise of guns, thick acrid smoke, and fight yells. Still, the men of the Malacca Empire fought bravely, but then Raja Bersiong's force was too overpowering.
The Pontianak swooped down, its ghostly apparition terrorism upon the hearts of the defenders. The Hantu Raya loomed over the battlefield, wings beating at the air, sending whirlwinds of dust and debris flying about. The Orang Bunian darted here and there, its magical powers bursting with energy as it called upon bolts of black energy to smite the troops.
Although the defenders of Kota Tinggi were of undying courage, the overwhelming enemy fought them back. Fierce was General Iskandar; yet, his power could never match that evil one of Raja Bersiong.
As the sun finally began to set, Kota Tinggi fell before the army of Raja Bersiong. The city gates were breached, and dark creatures of that monster king surged in like a tide of death, mercilessly butchering all who dared stand in their way.
Riding a black horse, Raja Bersiong galloped into the city with fire in his pride-shining eyes. "This city is mine," he said, his voice ringing off the city walls. "And soon, all of the Malacca Empire will bow to my power."
Those invincible men of the Empire of Malacca, under Captain Hashim's command, were fighting against the evil king's incessant assault to take over the empire with undaunted will. Day by day, the hope of the soldiers was turning out to be grim since they were highly outnumbered.
With darkness closing in upon them, the Captain knew a miracle was their only hope to save their empire. He could only pray that the Sultan's mission, under the leadership of Lieutenant Amir's lead, would arrive soon and bring them the much-needed aid.
Meanwhile, at the Sultan's court, Lieutenant Amir and his people asked the Sultan to react to Raja Bersiong's attack. The Sultan was indecisive and did not know how to answer the dark king's challenge.
"We have to move fast, Your Majesty," said Lieutenant Amir. "Raja Bersiong's army is growing stronger daily. If we don't put a stop to it soon, he will own the whole empire."
There was just grave on the Sultan's face, and his nod said he knew that, too. "I shall summon the council of war," he said to us. "We will deliberate on our options and settle on a course of action."
And while Iskandar Shah's council of war deliberated, the relentless army of Raja Bersiong cut a swathe across the Malacca Empire, taking everything before it and leaving nothing but destruction and despair in its path. The empire's fate hung in the balance, and it seemed that only a miracle could deliver the Malacca Empire from the clutches of this evil monarch.
The Council of War
Lt. Amir, a restless lieutenant, along with his delegation, was waiting in the court of the Sultan while his council of war convened. The Sultan sat amidst his retinue of courtiers and generals, listening keenly as Lt. Amir updated them on the situation at hand.
"Raja Bersiong's army is too strong, Your Majesty," commented Lieutenant Amir. "We have to act quickly in defeating him before he defeats the whole empire.
The Sultan nodded, his face solemn and worried. "I agree." We have to create a strong alliance to conquer Raja Bersiong. Let us form the 5 Hang, a council that will be comprised of our trusted fighters and advisers.
The council of war nodded in concurrence as the Sultan started naming the 5 Hang, our most trusted warriors and counselors. "I appoint Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekir dan Hang Lekiu as the 5 Hang. They would lead our soldiers to fight Raja Bersiong and save our empire.
The council of war was discussing their strategy when a messenger burst into the chamber. "Your Majesty, Raja Bersiong's army has taken Kota Tinggi!" "The city is destroyed and our soldiers are in disarray flying everywhere."
The Sultan's face turned stern, his fist landing on the table in a fierce, resolute gesture. "It is disastrous. We must act at once to prevent Raja Bersiong from taking over the whole empire."
The really wise old man was one of the advisors; his name was Tun Perak. "Your Majesty, I think I have a solution." We should seek the help of Puteri Gunung Ledang - the princess of the magical mountain. She can converse with spirits and summon the magic of this land, which has been hidden since time immemorial."
The Sultan's eyes shone bright with hope. "What a great idea, Tun Perak. Send emissaries to Puteri Gunung Ledang and beg her to help us. We need every bit of assistance we can find so that we may outwit the cunning Raja Bersiong."
When the council of war was dispersed, so were the Sultan's messengers to approach Puteri Gunung Ledang for assistance. They went onto the mystic mountain and found the princess sat cross-legged in a trance and enveloped in a halo of light.
"Puteri Gunung Ledang, we have come seeking your assistance," the chief emissary prostrated himself. "Raja Bersiong's army is taking over our kingdom and we need your powers in defeating him."
Puteri Gunung Ledang opened her eyes, and an ardent determination seemed to burn within them: "I would help you, but you must first prove your worth. Bring me the tears of the Naga, the dragon that guards the river of life. In fact, bring it to me; when you do, I shall grant you the ability to conquer Raja Bersiong."
The ambassadors bowed and undertook their perilous journey to retrieve the tears of Naga. Meanwhile, the army of Raja Bersiong entered the Malacca Empire and burned everything in its sight.
Having joined many battles and leading an army himself, Captain Hashim stood atop a hill, his eyes ablaze with determination as he gazed down at the battlefield. Before him lay Raja Bersiong's army, seemingly an endless sea of troops and war elephants, their armor brilliant in the eerie light of day. Captain Hashim did not bat an eyelid, his voice thundering across the battlefield as he yelled orders to his men.
"Archers, prepare to fire! Cavalry, prepare to charge! We will show Raja Bersiong the anger of the Malacca Empire!"
The cacophony was answered with yells of Malacca soldiers, steel against steel, ready for combat. Captain Hashim knew they were outnumbered, but he believed in the capabilities of his forces to ward off the enemy until reinforcements came from the Sultan. He had a plan, and it was about to happen.
Captain Hashim, leading from the very front, sliced through the enemies' lines neatly with his sword at the beginning of the battle. The archers from the Malacca Empire rained arrows upon the enemies, while cavalry charges and retreats weakened their lines even more. But the trump card of Captain Hashim was a battalion of seasoned warriors handpicked from the best combatants in the empire and taught the ancient martial arts of silat.
Led by the enigmatic and lethal Hang Lekiu, these warriors infiltrated the enemy lines, killing all senior leaders and creating disorder among the enemy troops. The opponent was caught by surprise and did not know how to act in view of such a sudden, inexplicable apparition of phantom soldiers that created chaos and disarray among their ranks.
When the sun had begun to decline and cast a golden glow on the battlefield, Captain Hashim ordered a short retreat to reorganize his forces and treat the wounded. The opposite side, expecting victory, thus launched a strong attack. The men of Captain Hashim held their position and did not yield to the forces of Raja Bersiong.
"We have to hold out just a little longer," Captain Hashim told his troops. His voice was hoarse from shouting orders. "Soon, the Sultan's reinforcements will arrive, and we can finally start pushing Raja Bersiong's army down once and for all! We will show the full meaning of the wrath of the Malacca Empire!
The Empire of Malacca warriors just exploded into ebullient cheers; spirits ran high as they garnered newfound resolution from Captain Hashim's words. They knew they fought for their empire, homes, and families. Whatever the cost, they refused to give up.
And finally, under the night, Captain Hashim's scouts reported sighting reinforcements by the Sultan, hurrying onto the battlefield as soon as possible. The cheering echoed through every part of the Malacca Empire army as their worn-out bodies rejuvenated with the news.
The battle was far from over, but he knew the tide was about to change in their favor. This time, at the arrival of the Sultan reinforcements, they would be strong enough in number and might to push Raja Bersiong's army down and recapture their dominion.
Raja Bersiong's eyes narrowed with a mixture of anger and apprehension, with word from his scouts that marked the turn of the struggle: the Sultan's reinforcement troops were well on the way and would arrive in an ultra-short period of time. Conjointly with the combined troops of the Malacca Empire, he knows his army cannot fight back, and desperation starts to set in.
He summoned his most trusted nobles to his side in desperation, their faces solemn with worry. "We cannot defeat the army of the Empire of Malacca in an all-out fight," Raja Bersiong said in a low desperate tone. "But I have in mind a plan that can turn the tide to our advantage."
His advisors glared fidgeting at each other, with the apparent feeling that something was in their ruler's mind. "What is it, Your Majesty?" one of them attempted to ask.
The eyes of Raja Bersiong shone with a maddening intensity. "We will prepare a special contingent of soldiers," he said with his voice full of hatred. "We will take civilians from the conquered territory and train them to fight their own people." We will prepare them to take up arms, fight, and kill. The lords were appalled, and their face whitened in horror.
"But, Your Majesty, is this wise?" he said. "We cannot expect civilians to fight against their own kin!" Raja Bersiong contorted his face into a scowl. "I do not care anything about their relatives," he spat. "Whatever it takes, just to win a war is what I want. We will prepare them and wait for the proper opportunity to strike."
The advisors were astounded, baffled as to how to react to their ruler's terrible idea. But they knew they couldn't go against him, especially now when the fate of their kingdom was at stake. With that, Raja Bersiong's army began training and preparing all the occupants of the conquered land for battle.
Apprehensions and scares by then had gotten a firm grip on the people finding themselves in confusing situations, not knowing where their lives were headed with so much turmoil and uncertainty in the air.
They knew they needed to follow Raja Bersiong's orders, come what may, in order to live. The atmosphere had, therefore, been readily prepared for a sudden and horrific turn of events. It was an atrocity the army of Raja Bersiong was preparing to let the Malacca Empire army encounter, which they were about to find out.