Chapter 51 - Beheaded (1/2)
Aariv heard the war drums and understood that it was time for him to shine. He also got up and went to the edge of the terrace.
King Anantha Padmanabha was shocked by the sudden turn of events. He still didn't get up and waited to get a report from his general.
Aariv figured that it would take some time for the soldiers to figure out whose army it was. He just leisurely waited for a soldier to come and announce.
Soon, a soldier came running and said something in the ear of the king Anantha Padmanabha. The King angrily got up and came to Aariv hurriedly.
”What is the meaning of this, prince Aariv” He loudly asked, veins popped upon his head.
Aariv smilingly looked at his face and said.
”I didn't know that the King of Kalinga was so dense. Can't you understand it yourself.”
King Anantha Padmanabha gritted his teeth and screamed for guards to surround Aariv. Aariv still kept smiling. The people around him were wondering why Aariv would attack while in enemy territory.
”Send your soldier to tell your father to take back the army or expect your head in return” The King shouted angrily after all his wedding was ruined because of this.
”Who said my father came with the army,” Aariv said.
He then called his father on holocom. The soldiers got anxious with sudden magical images.
”Easy, it won't bite you”
The call was picked up by his father when Aariv saw the scene on the other side his eye twitched.
”Father, you're too close to the camera, I can only see your eyes and nose”
”Oh... haha... I am still not used to this amazing thing,” he said.
”Father, can you please congratulate King Anantha Padmanabha and tell him that you are not here with the army,” Aariv said and turned around for everyone to see the hologram.
They saw Chandragupta leisurely seated on a couch and eating gr.a.p.es. People were shocked by the magic trick.
”Hmmm... where is that kid Anantha Padmanabha... oh there you are, congratulations on your marriage and I hope you are not a v.i.r.g.i.n. Dying without experiencing it at least once is just too bad and as you can see I am in Patliputra, playing chausar(a board game).” Chandragupta said in a playful tone.
King Anantha Padmanabha understood that he was talking to Chandragupta in real-time, but he was confused why he sounded so confident. Isn't he afraid for his son's life?
”King Maurya, your son is stuck here between my soldiers, don't you value his life?”
”It's emperor Maurya for you, no wonder you didn't surrender till now. This attitude of yours is going to cost you your life and you seem to have misunderstood the situation you are in. It's you who's stuck with Aariv and not the other way around,” Chandragupta mocked.
”Arrogant, too arrogant... you are going to regret this... Guards, chop his head off,” King Anantha Padmanabha ordered.
The soldiers surrounding Aariv started waving their swords at Aariv and he easily kept on dodging them and talking to his father.
”Father, send the governor and other administrative staff and guess whom king Anantha was marrying?” he asked and showed him the face of Chola king.
”Hahaha... okay, I understand... I'll tell Acharya to select another governor” Chandragupta said, he understood where his son was getting to.
”Okay, son, I am busy... tell me when you're done with Kalinga,” he said and ended the call.
Aariv who was continuously evading the swords suddenly stopped and caught an oncoming sword with his bare hands.
Everyone's jaw fell to the floor seeing that, then they heard a cracking sound and saw the sword breaking.
”What a lousy sword. I'll show you what a real sword is.” He concentrated on his locket and a long sword materialized in his hands. It was nearly as tall as Aariv.
[SLASH]
he made a 360-degree slash at all the soldiers around him. In an instant some of then last their arms, some died with their throats slashed and some were lucky enough to just have their swords cut into two.
”You monster” King of Cholas, Purusaprabhu Chola, yelled with a pale face, only to receive a grin from Aariv.
”Now, now... calm down... It's not the time to end the game yet. I am just starting,” Aariv said and went to the King, Aariv put one arm around his shoulder and dragged him towards the edge of the terrace.
”it's such a beautiful city right, it would be bad if someone were to destroy it.” He said and then called Black.
”Black, destroy the city walls and send 2 or 3 of them to the palace.”
”On it, your highness”
...
on the field, soldiers were waiting for orders.
Black came to the commander of catapult division and ordered them to strike.
”Soldiers, set the aim”
”Load it”
”RELEASE”
at the same time, all 50 catapults fired. in 3 seconds the results started to appear.
47 catapults aimed for the city wall and 3 at the royal palace.
[Boom]
[Boom]
Stones weighing 80 kilos collided with the wall and smashed through them. Any shoulder that came in front of it died.
”Set the aim”
”Load it”
”RELEASE”
The second wave came soon and this time all 50 aimed at the city wall.
With each wave, a part of the wall would fall and soldiers would die.
...
At the royal palace, Aariv looked at the destructiveness of his creation. The 3 stone balls also destroyed a part of the roof structure and walls of the palace. Everyone in the room was palely looking at the slowly vanishing city wall.
Kings of those kingdoms that had not yet submitted to the Mauryan empire were now considering to submit.
”haha... it would be a shame if people were to see how weak and cowardly their king is,” Aariv said and again said something on his holocom to his men hiding in the city.
People of the city had already started to panic and gather together in different shelters. His men infiltrated as common people and started spreading hoaxes that their King has lost the battle and doesn't want to surrender. He wants to use the people as his shield to escape from the city.
Slowly the people talked to each other and words reached everyone. People became angry and started to demand that the King surrender and save them.
The soldiers became busy calming the people down but to no avail. Things kept on escalating.
...
The night passed and Aariv didn't let anyone leave the palace. He had killed every guard in the palace that came to rescue the King. Currently, his 100 soldiers had taken over the palace.
The bombardment of stones never stopped until the morning. But, still, there were waves of stones coming every now and then. Aariv had ordered the army to do this to keep people scared.