Chapter 25
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She took Dipankar's words to heart and concealed the guilt from herself.
You're on a battlefield, in the midst of a war. You cannot stop now.
Her eyes tore open, with renewed energy. Her blood boiled when her gaze latched on her enemy. He was... smirking? He always did, but this time there was a glint of certainty in his eye.
What have I missed? He's definitely planned something.
Revati sucked in a gasp as it hit her. Her horse galloped to Suruchi's side with haste.
"Revati, what are you doing here?"
"Suruchi! The castle walls are left unguarded, unwatched!"
At first, she only scrunched up in annoyance and continued firing arrows. Her face blanched in the next second. "Oh no..."
Her sister nodded grimly, confirming her suspicions. "Children, Suruchi. There are children on the wall." She choked out, her eyes moist.
"But Revati, we're all-" she paused to hurtle a spear in the air. "-occupied. What do we do?"
"Senapati Neelkant!?" she yelled.
The trainer looked around. "Yes, we can send him."
"No, I mean, look!" She swiveled her head in the direction where Revati was pointing. A lone figure donned in armor stained with the blood flowing from his open wound was swinging his sword with all the energy he could muster. The sisters' mouths fell open in horror.
He was outnumbered.
It was seven against one.
"Cover for me!" was all the queen yelled before furiously charging in his direction. And Suruchi obliged.
Revati saw red. She let out a war cry as she stabbed a soldier who was creeping up on the General. "You inhumane creatures! Ganging up on a wounded soldier and killing him!?" Revati was beyond furious. She slashed at them mercilessly, killing each one. Her eyes softened as she faced the dying man.
A dagger stuck out from his abdomen, a deep gash on his chest. His body, a bloody, battered mess. She caught him before he could fall off his horse.
He gave her a weak smile. "Your father would've been proud." She watched with bated breath as he bowed to her and fell back against his horse, lifeless. She fought off her tears and whispered. "May your rest in peace, O' soldier! A true patriot of your country."
She signaled the others to carry his body in and rode away. She looked at the sky. The sun was high and directly over them. It was noon, a lot of time had transpired without them knowing.
I will not let their deaths go in vain.
I will deliver them justice, peace to their soul.
It was time for her to face the root of her enmity. The one who was the cause of all this. Ballaraja.
She stooped in her tracks as she heard a scream nearby. It was a woman from her kingdom, surrounded by soldiers, struggling to fend them off.
She turned her horse backward, pulled three daggers from her boot, and swung them towards the woman, letting each one fly in the air before it struck the soldiers in their backs.
Revati met the eyes of the startled woman and her reassuring nod told her to keep fighting until her last breath. She only smiled a serious one when the woman nodded enthusiastically.
She looked up at the children lined on the fort, aiming and shooting their special bullets with precision. She smiled with pride. Even the kids of my kingdom are true patriots to the bone. Warriors.
And the young queen was back in her path to the royal elephant. But yet again, the rival soldiers did not fail to block her path. She blocked three of their swords with a sword of her own, yelling across the noise to her sister, "Suruchi, a little help here!"
Her sister turned and without hesitation shot an arrow and the soldiers were down in a moment. Revati mouthed her thanks before turning towards the royal elephant.
Her brown orbs bore into his dark evil ones with a gaze filled with hatred.
He may intimidate you, but don't give him the satisfaction of watching it on your face,
He raised an eyebrow at her, cracking his knuckles nonchalantly. She unsheathed her sword and stood upon the horse.
Make a daring move, throw him off guard,
She jumped off of it and her feet climbed up the sturdy trunk of the grey elephant. Her hand swung through the air, cutting off the royal umbrella sheltering the king from the sun, knocking his crown off in the process.
It fell to the ground with an audible clang.
The soldiers had paused- each one frozen in their actions, shocked at the queen's bold actions.
The Maharaj's boiling gaze rose from his symbol of honor on the ground to the person who had caused it. Their eyes burned, his eyes with pure hatred while hers with arising patriotism. If looks could kill, Revati would be human pulp by now. But fortunately, it didn't, nor did it get a reaction out of her. Nope, not even a flinch.
"You..." His voice shook with rage. "You dare knock my pride down?!"
Remain impassive no matter what, keep your mask intact,
"Yes, in fact, I just did. And what are you going to do about that, huh?" she asked, her voice deadly calm.
"Aargh!" he bellowed, drawing out his sword as he rose to his feet. "You have crossed the line!"
They both leaped off the elephant, as he rose to his full height towering her like a giant.
"And watch me cross more," she replied with a challenging smirk.
At this, the fighting around them resumed with more zeal. A little powered up by their leader's words.
He lunged towards her form with his sword pointed and she dodged it, backing up. He slashed empty air as she dodged every one of his attacks, each without missing a remark.
"Eh, too slow,"
"An old cow could fight better than this."
"Tch, tch, tch. What has gotten into you, Maharaja?"
Taunt him, rile him up, get him caught up in words and not the battle,
He grew more furious with each insult. The soldiers scattered away from their path, fearful of landing in their line of sight. Or worse, having to face their wrath.
"Stop dancing and fight, you lousy princess! Just like your father, scampering away like a coward!" he yelled.
Revati stiffened. "My father was no coward. You want fight? You'll get some." Her voice was no more than a hiss but everyone there heard it, they heard it through the clang of swords, through the yells of war.
They heard it crystal clear.
They were fire and ice, darkness and light, swirling and clashing like lightning and thunder. She was a goddess of fire leaving flames in her wake while he, a ruthless demon leaving a trail of dark, ominous ash.
The soldiers slowed down, dropping their weapons, equally mesmerized and horrified by the sight. Their mouths hung open in awe and horror as they watched the titans collide.
Suruchi and Dipankar were rooted to their spot, clutching the reins of their horses, their frantic heartbeats sending prayers above for the victory and safety of Revati.
* * *
"Yaargh!" Revati let out a cry of her own as she ducked from the blow that would've shattered her bones, swinging her sword at his feet. The blade only managed to graze his leg as he jumped away.
Your emotions are your strength and weakness,
She was on the hard solid floor of the fort now, rolling to the side as she barely managed to escape his sword. He glanced around as she got up to her feet, taking the opportunity to suck in a long breath to hide her slight exhaustion.
"So," he drawled. "You led me away from the battlefield and to your 'safe home' in hopes of defeating me by outnumbering me with other soldiers?"
"No, why would I waste the soldiers' precious energy and time on the likes of you?" She scoffed.
"Well maybe because you belong to the pathetic Verma dynasty? And that you descended from your coward of a father?"
Use the right emotions, others will call out to you, ignore them,
That hit a nerve, but she masked it quickly before he could see it. "Keep telling yourself that." She rolled her eyes at him before adapting a predatory stance.
He suddenly swung his sword in the air and Revati was late in taking action. It left a deep wound at the side of her waist. Revati gasped in pain, clutching her side and losing her balance for a moment. Ballaraja smirked at this. But she was, in no time, back on her feet.
He thrust a sword into her right side as he faked left. But the awaited scream never came.
Huh?
Revati was behind him in a flash, stabbing a tiny dagger into his shoulders. It was him who let out a painful groan and spun around. Revati took slow steps backward as he backed her into a wall. Her heart hammered in her rib cage, doubting that whether she could pull off the stunt or not.
No, she thought, there can't be room for doubt in my mind.
But there is... a tiny voice echoed at the back of her mind.
She whimpered slightly as her back roughly slammed into the wall. She felt an overwhelming sense of deja vu when she shut her eyes, the memories of that day flooding back into her mind. She didn't have to act the part of a distressed damsel, her body and mind were doing it for her.
This was exactly how it went. But, today there's none to save me. Not my father, not Suruchi not anyone. Her breathing grew ragged and her thoughts frantic. Suddenly something rose from within her, a voice which screamed, No one is here to rescue me. But I have myself, I'm the only one that has my back.
Her eyes tore open, and the blade of her sword was buried deep into the vile man's side in seconds. He choked and staggered back, the grip on his sword losing as he fell on his knees. Revati rose to her feet and yanked the sword out letting the blood pour out. He was in pain and grunting.
Channel your anger, focus on it, and let it take over you,
Revati stalked towards him taking slow steps as he now went backward, crawling away from her. She saw fear flash in his eyes. This time, it was not faked but was genuine fear.
"Y-you...D-don't you come near me - I'll-I'll stab you.." he rasped out.
"Will you?" she challenged him with that intimidating, bone-chilling voice again. "This is for killing my father,"
She scowled as she push another dagger into the other side making him howl with pain.
"This is for ever doubting the power of a woman."
Another stab at his unarmed shoulder and another howl.
"This is for trying to take advantage of a helpless woman."
Revati looked dangerous than ever, her powerful stance and the sun shining behind her head making her seem like a goddess. The golden light kissed her bruised skin, making it glow golden, she looked like a goddess who had come to kill this inhumane man once and for all. Not blood, but fire coursed through her veins.
Her eyes were ferocious orbs of burning fire and her hair a dark waterfall. Revati, the unofficial queen of Vaibhavgarh was a fierce beauty, who seemed to be the incarnation of the Devi Kali herself!
When you are at the peak of your power, go for the kill.
Ballaraja's life flashed before his eyes, every wrong deed that he'd ever committed, every memory that stood out. "And this will be for tearing apart my family and for your countless other sins!" Blood roared in her ears as she raised the blade high in the air before bringing it down with a resounding sound into his heart as he let out a loud, gut-wrenching cry. He breathed out the words, "Forgive me..." before his lifeless eyes stared up into the yellow sunset sky streaked with red clouds.
The young woman sat on the stone floor her chest heaving with every breath she took, her hands still gripping the dagger and her eyes fixed on the dead figure before her. She couldn't move from her spot. Revati was too shocked that she couldn't process the fact that she had killed her enemy and that he was eradicated from the Earth. Once and for all.
Revati's shaky breaths were mixed with audible, but low grunts of pain as she clutched her side where the blood had seeped into her clothes soaking them without her noticing. She exhaled hard and looked towards her left to see the whole army up in cheers and hails of the queen.
Her siblings rushing towards her was the last thing she saw before dark spots engulfed her vision and she felt herself colliding into the floor.
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Finally, the tyrant is dead! Let's rejoice people! But...the book is coming to an end🙁
Worry not, I have an extra chapter left and a prologue just for you readers!
I am terribly, very sorry for the delay in updating. But I hope the wait was worth it (?).
Do drop comments and suggestions below on how you think I can improve, it would be really helpful!
(I'm not much of an expert in the field of fighting 😅)
P.S: a shoutout to Un_canny, The_EpicWriter, and CrystellaInvertenica for being so supportive!❣️