Shatru Sesham: Sequel of Baahubali ✔️

Chapter Seventy-Seven

After Narasimha had left the tent, the generals and captains conferred with each other and came to a general agreement that unfortunate as was the Prince's decision to agree to the rules of combat and warfare, they were ultimately going to be in a better placed position at the end of day one of the war owing to the superiority of their weapons made out of Gauri Kanth.

General Karabhera said, "As of now, the strength of both armies is equal. But by the end of day one the scale will tilt in our favor. None of the ordinary weapons can withstand against weapons made with Gauri Kanth beyond half a day."

Captain Kshatrajith agreed, "We just have to keep the good Prince humored till that point and victory will be ours."

Captain Prathikara said, "If all of you say so. I believe even I can control my temper for one day."

General Marakasura alone seemed diffident, "Are all of you so sure that victory will be ours at the end of day one? Apart from their army numbers, we know next to nothing about their actual strengths."

Karabhera patted his fellow general's arms, "Come on, Mara. This is not the time to nitpick."
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The battlefield that had been chosen was a plain table land that tapered on its eastern and western edges into a sort of trough. The northern and southern sides of the plateau were bounded by mountains of the Udayagiri range. The war camp of Mahishmati was situated on the western edge of the battlefield. Bhagiradhi's war camp was situated towards the eastern edge. The ground was hard and covered with a top layer of red soil. There were no settlements or villages nearby. Even in the past, this site had been used for similar military engagements.

Bhagiradhi applied the victory tilak on Mrithyunjay's forehead. She was observing a strict vow of silence to the Guardian Goddess of Mahishmati which she would break after the victory of their side in the war.

Mrithyunjay motivated their soldiers, "Mahishmati has been silent for so long. Her voice has been suppressed by oppression and tyranny. The hour has arrived. She seeks justice. She seeks freedom. She seeks enlightened rule. Our fight is not for ourselves. It is for our future generations. Our Princess Bhagiradhi has undertaken a strict vow of silence which she will break only after we free Mahishmati from this oppressive regime. She refused the practice of animal sacrifice. Instead she has sacrificed her own voice for our victory. Let us give voice to our motherland and our Princess through our victory in this war. Jai Mahishmathi!"

The sea of faces surrounding him chanted, "Jai Mahishmati!"

Bhagiradhi presented the legendary sword of her grandfather, Amarendra Baahubali to Mrithyunjay.

At the west camp, as everyone was getting ready to leave for the battlefield, they could feel the earth beneath their feet quake. The chant 'Jai Mahishmathi' sounded more like a roar. Having never known or felt the full force of the feeling of patriotism and love for the motherland, their encounter with it for the first time was enough to instill an unknown feeling of fear and chill into the hearts of Narasimha's generals and captains.

The sun's rays fell upon the plain. The carnivorous birds like eagles and vultures swooped and glided round the battlefield as though anticipating the carnage  and bloodshed that was about to ensue. The generals and captains stood in front leading their respective army divisions. The flags atop their chariots flapped and fluttered restlessly like birds in a cage yearning for freedom.

A haze of mist clung to the battlefield. The soldiers looked like tiny ants from the sky. As one looked closer at their individual faces, the impassive and grim mould in which their faces were set belied the true horrors of what lay ahead of them. Both the armies were fully ready and arrayed for battle. The conches were blown on either sides signaling the commencement of hostilities.

Mahismati's army was arrayed in the Mandala Vyuha (Galaxy formation) by Narasimha. General Karabhera had suggested this defensive circular military formation to the Prince, "We are not the aggressors. We are mainly defending our territories. The Mandala Vyuha will serve that purpose admirably."

Narasimha's division was at the innermost centre flanked by Karabhera's troops and Marakasura's troops to the right and left respectively. The army divisions of Kshatrajith and Prathikara were placed in the outermost ring in a half crescent shape on either sides.

Karabhera said, "Brave soldiers of Mahishmati, hold you lines. The enemy should not have advanced even an inch by sunset."

In reality, he had been counting upon stalling the enemy's advance till half a day when he anticipated that their weapons would start breaking before the sharpness of their steel forged out of Gauri Kanth. After this event, they would have the upper hand in this war.

Mrithyunjay had organized his army in the Vajra Vyuha (Diamond formation). The elephants, the chariots and the cavalry phalanxes were concentrated towards the centre with the infantry to its sides. He spoke to Aditya Varma who was leading the charge, "I want you to break through their lines and take down at least one of their major generals or captains today. Taking down Karabhera, would be ideal. They have organized themselves into a defensive war formation. We have to take advantage of that and push them on the backfoot."

"My first task will be to break through the enemy defenses. After that, I will be on the lookout for Karabhera", assured Meithyunjay's senior and experienced colleague. He turned towards General Samarth and warned him, "Please keep Mrithyunjay under security cover at all times. He is our supreme commander in this war. The enemy generals and captains are sure to target him at some point or the other. Their ways are often quite backhanded."

Uttering the war cry, "Jai Bhavani", Aditya Varma charged ahead on his chariot. The war elephants, chariots, and horsemen followed close behind him. The infantry which included the lancers, the archers, the swordsmen, and the soldiers who wielded the mace flanked their sides from behind.

There was complete mayhem. The early morning mist dissipated. Huge clouds of dust rose up into the sky turning the blue sky red. As the sun ascended up the sky and reached the top, the lines between both sides were getting blurred. It was becoming difficult to distinguish who was fighting whom. The green army uniforms of Mrithyunjay and his army and the light brown uniforms of the Mahismathi army had turned uniformly red. 

Marakasura who had fended off an attacker from his chariot propelled his chariot towards Karabhera's, "What's happening, Kara? Their weapons aren't breaking."

General Karabhera's forbidding countenance broke into a mirthless laugh, "Looks like they have the upper hand. Their steel is also made from Gauri Kanth."

Marakasura scoffed, "That's not possible!"

"It is. All those stories about the hidden cache of weapons that we have always heard..."

The scene in the battlefield had changed. There was no more time for words. Other warriors confronted them. The fight was not over. But the despondence in both of their eyes spoke volumes as they battled it out.

Karabhera had finished warding off another warrior when he found himself face to face with Aditya Varma. Anger coursed through Karabhera's veins. He gave the orders to his charioteer to charge towards the former rebel leader while he steadied himself to aim the javelin in his hand. Varma caught the javelin in the nick of time. He answered Karabhera's challenge by shooting forth quick sallies of arrows in answer.

Karabhera defended himself with his shield. Loosing his cool, he threw a mace at Varma's charioteer. The charioteer moved aside. The horses neighed and jumped up in fright. The mace missed the charioteer's face but it left his right ear bleeding. The chariot halted to a stop. The charioteer clutched and massaged his ear. The blood came out in spurts. It sang within his brain.

Aditya asked his charioteer, "Are you okay?"

He bellowed to one of the helpers to take him to the camp for treatment. He got down from the chariot and challenged Karabhera, "That was a low blow. You should have reserved you fighting and anger for me. I am on foot. Fight me on foot now."