by Amish
Vidyunmali glared.
The soldier immediately turned and picked up another bottle. He walked up to the Vasudev and poured some of the viscous liquid into the wound he had inflicted.
Vidyunmali stepped back and returned with a long flint, its edge burning slowly. ‘I hope you see the light after this.’
The Vasudev’s eyes opened wide in terror. But he refused to talk; he knew he couldn’t reveal the secret. It would be devastating for his tribe.
‘Jai... Gu... ru... Vishwa...’
‘Fire will purify you,’ whispered Vidyunmali softly. ‘And you will speak.’
‘...Mitra... Jai... Gu... ru... Vash...’
The dungeon resonated once again with the desperate screams of the Vasudev, as the smell of burning flesh defiled the room.
‘Are you sure?’ asked Parvateshwar.
‘As sure as I can ever be,’ said a smiling Vidyunmali.
Parvateshwar took a deep breath.
He knew that it was Shiva who led the massive fleet of ships that had just sped past Devagiri two weeks back. Parvateshwar suspected that Shiva was sailing north to pick up Ganesh’s army and bring them back to Devagiri. He had also received reports about the delays faced by Ganesh’s army as they marched through the washed-out Ganga-Yamuna Road. It would probably take a month for Shiva to return to Devagiri, along with the hundred and fifty thousand soldiers in Ganesh’s army.
He also knew that another contingent of the Neelkanth’s army, being led by Sati, had just sailed out of Mrittikavati. They would reach Devagiri in a week or two. Knowing full well that Ganesh would be delayed, Parvateshwar expected Sati’s army to reach Devagiri first. He also knew that this was a force of a hundred thousand soldiers against his own seventy-five thousand. Once Shiva and Ganesh’s army sailed in, the strength of the enemy would rise to two hundred and fifty thousand. Parvateshwar knew that his best chance was to attack Sati’s army before Shiva and Ganesh arrived.
The only problem was that he had no answer for the unstoppable Vasudev elephant corps under Sati’s command. Until now.
‘Chilli and dung?’ asked Parvateshwar. ‘It just seems so simple.’
‘Apparently, the elephants don’t like the smell of chilli, My Lord. It makes them run amuck. We should keep dung bricks mixed with chilli ready, burn them and catapult them towards the elephants. The acrid smoke will drive them crazy; and, hopefully, into their own army.’
‘There are no elephants to test this on, Vidyunmali. The only way to test this would be in battle. What if this doesn’t work?’
‘My apologies, General, but do we have any other options?’
‘No.’
‘Then what’s the harm in trying?’
Parvateshwar nodded and turned to stare at his soldiers practising in the distance. ‘How did you get this information?’
Vidyunmali was quiet.
Parvateshwar returned his gaze to Vidyunmali, his eyes boring into him. ‘Brigadier, I asked you a question.’
‘There are traitors in every army, My Lord.’
Parvateshwar was stunned. The famous Vasudev discipline was legendary. ‘You found a Vasudev traitor?!’
‘Like I said, there are traitors in every army. How do you think I escaped?’
Parvateshwar turned and looked once again at his soldiers. No harm in trying this tactic. It just might work.
Devagiri, the abode of the gods, had become the city of the thoroughly bewildered. Its two hundred thousand citizens could not recall a time in living memory when an enemy army had gathered the gumption to march up to their city. And yet, here they were, witness to unbelievable occurrences.
Just a few weeks earlier, they had seen a large fleet of warships race past their city, rowing furiously up the Saraswati. It was clear that these ships were a part of the Mrittikavati-based Meluhan fleet and that it was now in control of the enemy. Why those enemy ships simply sailed by without attacking Devagiri was a mystery.
News had also filtered in about a massive army garrisoning itself next to the Saraswati, about ten kilometres south of the city. The normally secure Devagiri citizens now confined themselves within the walls of the city, not venturing out unless absolutely necessary. Merchants had also halted all their trading activities and their merchant ships remained anchored at the port.
Rumours ran rife in the city. Some whispered that the enemy army stationed south of Devagiri was led by the Neelkanth himself. Others swore they saw the Neelkanth on the warships that had sailed past. However, they couldn’t hazard a guess as to where Lord Shiva was headed in such a hurry. Facts had also found their way in, from other cities: that except for Mrittikavati, this mammoth army had not engaged in battle with any other Meluhan city while sailing up the Saraswati. They had not looted any city or plundered any village, nor had they committed any acts of wanton destruction, but had marched through Meluha with almost hermit-like restraint.
Some were beginning to believe that perhaps the purported gossip they had heard was in fact true; the Neelkanth was not against Meluha, but only the Somras. That the proclamation they had read many months ago was actually from their Lord and not a lie as their emperor had stated. That may be the Neelkanth’s army waited at the banks of the Saraswati without attacking, because the Lord himself was negotiating possible terms of surrender with the emperor.
But there were also others, still loyal to Meluha, who refused to believe that their government could have lied. They had good reason to believe that the armies of Shiva comprised the Chandravanshis and the Nagas. That the Naga queen herself was a senior commander in the Neelkanth’s army and the Neelkanth had been misled by the evil combination of the Chandravanshis and Nagas. They were willing to lay down their lives for Meluha. What they didn’t understand was why their army was not engaging in battle as yet.
‘Are you sure, General?’ asked Bhrigu.
Parvateshwar was in Bhrigu’s chamber in the Devagiri royal palace.
‘Yes. It is a gamble, but we have to take it. If we wait too long, the Lord will lead Ganesh’s army from the Yamuna to Devagiri. Combined with Sati’s army, they will then have a vast numerical advantage and it will be impossible for us to win. Right now, our opponents are only Sati’s soldiers who have garrisoned themselves close to the river. They are obviously not looking for a fight. I plan to draw them out and then try to cause some chaos amongst their elephants. If it works, their elephants may just charge back into their own army. They would have no room to retreat, with the river right behind them. If everything goes according to plan, we may just win the day.’
‘Isn’t Sati your god-daughter?’ asked Bhrigu, looking deeply into Parvateshwar’s eyes.
Parvateshwar held his breath. ‘At this point of time, she is only an enemy of Meluha to me.’
Bhrigu continued to peer into his eyes, increasingly satisfied with what he read. ‘If you are convinced, General, then so am I. In the name of Lord Ram, attack.’
Sati couldn’t remain holed up on her anchored ships. Ships are unassailable from land when sailing fast, but sitting ducks when they are anchored, susceptible to bombardment and devil boat assaults. So she had decided to garrison herself on land, which would offer protection to her ships as well, by deterring the Meluhans from coming too close to the river banks.
She had chosen a good location to dig in her army. It was on a large, gently-rolling hill right next to the Saraswati. The trees between the hill and the city of Devagiri had been cut down. Therefore, from the vantage point of the hill, Sati had a clear line of sight of enemy movements at the Devagiri city gates ten kilometres away. The height of the hill also gave her another advantage: charging downhill was far easier than advancing uphill, which her enemies would have to do. The elevation also increased the range of her archers significantly.
Having occupied the high ground, Sati then opted to assume the most effective of defensive military formations: the Chakravyuh. The core of the Chakravyuh comprised columns of infantrymen in the tortoise position.
The tortoises themselves were protected to the rear by the river and the Saraswati fleet at anchor, in the middle of the river. They would provide protection against any Meluhan forces that might attack from the river end. Rowboats had been beached and tied in the river shallows, as a contingency for retreating, if necessary. Rows of cavalry, three layers deep, reinforced the core towards the front. Two rows of war elephants formed an impregnable semi-circular outer shell, protecting the formations within. The giant Chakravyuh, comprising fifty thousand soldiers, left adequate space between the lines for inner manoeuvrability and for fortification of the outer shell by the cavalry in case of a breach.
All the animals had been outfitted with thin metallic armour and the soldiers had broad bronze shields to protect against any long-range arrows.
It was a near-perfect defensive formation, designed to avoid battle and allow a quick retreat if needed.
Sati intended to remain in this formation till she heard from Shiva.
Chapter 30
Battle of Devagiri
Sati sat on a tall wooden platform that had been constructed for her, behind the cavalry line. It gave her a panoramic view of the entire field and the city of Devagiri in the distance. She watched the city where she had spent most of her life, which she had once called home. A nostalgic corner of her heart longed to be able to revel in its quiet, sober efficiency and understated culture. To worship at the temple of Lord Agni, the purifying Fire God, a ritual she had adhered to as a Vikarma, an ostracised carrier of bad fate. Despite being so close, she couldn’t even enter it now to meet her mother. She shook her head. This was no time for sentimentality. She had to focus.
Sati checked her horse, which had been tethered to the platform base. Nandi and Veerbhadra waited next to the platform, mounted on their stallions. They had been designated her personal bodyguards.
Sati knew this would be a difficult period – the time till Shiva returned with Ganesh’s army. She had to keep her soldiers in war readiness, and yet, avoid war. As any general knows, this can sometimes breed restless irritability amongst the troops.
Her attention was pulled away as she detected some movement in the far distance. She couldn’t believe what she saw. The main gate of the Tamra or bronze platform of Devagiri was being opened.
What are they doing? Why would the Meluhans step out into the open? They are outnumbered!
‘Steady!’ ordered Sati. ‘Everyone remain in their positions! We will not be provoked into launching an attack!’
Messengers below immediately relayed the orders to all the brigade commanders. It was important for Sati’s soldiers to remain in line. As long as they did, it was almost impossible to beat them. It was especially crucial that the elephant line, at the periphery of Sati’s formation, held position. They were the bulwark of her defence.
Sati continued to watch the small contingent of Meluhan soldiers marching out of Devagiri, perhaps no more than a brigade. As soon as they were out, the city gates were shut behind them.
Is it a suicide squad? For what purpose...
The Meluhan soldiers kept marching slowly towards Sati’s position. She watched their progress, intrigued. Perched at a height, she soon observed that the soldiers were being followed by carts that were being pulled laboriously by oxen.
What do these thousand foot-soldiers hope to achieve? And what is in those carts?
As the Meluhans drew close to the hill, she saw that many of the soldiers carried long weapons in their left hands.
Archers.
She instantly knew what was about to happen, as she saw them stop. They even had a strong wind supporting them. The Meluhans had clearly planned this for when the winds would work in their favour. She knew the elements well in these parts and realised immediately that her archers would not have the pleasure of giving as much as receiving.
‘Shields!’ shouted Sati. ‘Incoming arrows!’
But the archers were too far. They had clearly overestimated the wind. The arrows barely reached Sati’s forces. The strong wind, though advantageous for the Meluhans, was not working to Sati’s benefit. She couldn’t reply to the Meluhan volley of arrows in kind with her own archers. She saw the Meluhans inch closer, lugging ox-drawn carts behind the archers. In all her years, Sati had never seen ox-drawn carts being used in warfare.
Sati frowned. What in Lord Ram’s name can oxen do against elephants? What is Pitratulya doing?
Sati was clear that she did not want to test General Parvateshwar’s strategy today. It was admittedly tempting because this small contingent would be wiped out in minutes if she sent her elephants. However, she smelt a trap and did not want to leave the high ground. She knew what had to be done: hold position till Shiva returned. She did not want to fight. Not today.
Having moved even closer, the Meluhan archers loaded their arrows again.
‘Shields!’ ordered Sati.
This time the arrows hit the shields at the right end of Sati’s formation. Having tested the range, the Meluhan archers moved once again.
The Meluhans probably have some secret weapon that they are not absolutely sure about. The ox-drawn carts may have some role to play in it. They want to provoke some of my men into charging at them so that they can test their weapon.
The upshot was obvious. If her army refused to get provoked, no battle would take place. All the animals in her army were well-armoured. The soldiers had massive shields, prepared in defence for the very arrow attack that the Meluhans were attempting right now. Despite two showers of arrows, her army had not suffered a single casualty. There was nothing to gain by breaking formation. And, nothing to lose by staying in formation.
Sati also figured that since the enemy had already come close, ordering her own archers to shoot arrows now may prove counter-productive. The ox-drawn carts were not manned. A volley of arrows may well drive the animals crazy, making them charge in any direction, perhaps even at her own army, along with whatever evil they carried in the carts. She had a better idea. She instructed her messengers to tell a cavalry squad to ride out from behind the hill she was positioned on, thus hiding their movement, and go around to an adjoining hill towards the west. She wanted them to launch a flanking attack from behind the crest of that hill, surprise and decimate the Meluhan archers as well as drive the oxen away. All she had to do was wait for the Meluhans to move a little closer to her position. Then, she could have them blind-sided with her cavalry charge.
Sati shouted out her orders once again. ‘Be calm! Hold the line! They cannot hurt us if we remain in formation.’
The Meluhan archers, having moved closer, arched their bows and fired once again.
‘Shields!’
Sati’s army was ready. Though the arrows reached right up to the centre of her army, not one soldier was injured. The Meluhans held their bows to their sides and prepared to draw nearer once again, this time a little tentatively.
They’re nervous now. They know their plan is not working.
‘What the hell!’ growled an angry Vasudev elephant-rider as he turned to his partner. ‘They are a puny brigade with oxen, against our entire army. Why doesn’t General Sati allow us to attack?’
‘Because she is not a Vasudev,’ spat out the partner. ‘She doesn’t know how to fight.’
‘My Lords,’ said the mahout to the riders, ‘our orders are to follow the General’s orders.’
The Vasudev turned in irritation to the mahout. ‘Did I ask you for your opinion? Your order is to only follow my orders!’
The mahout immediately fell silent as the distant shout of the brigadier’s herald came through. ‘Shields!’
Another volley of arrows. Again, no casualties.
‘Enough of this nonsense!’ barked one of the elephant-riders. ‘We’re Kshatriyas! We’re not supposed to cower like cowardly Brahmins! We’re supposed to fight!’
Sati saw a few elephants on the far right of her formation, the ones that were the closest to the Meluhan brigade, begin to rumble out.
The messengers carried forward the orders to the other end of the field immediately. The elephants were pulled back into formation by their mahouts.
‘Nandi,’ said Sati, looking down. ‘Ride out to that end and tell those idiots to remain in formation!’
‘Yes, My Lady,’ said Nandi, saluting.
‘Wait!’ said Sati, as she saw the Meluhan archers loading another set of arrows. ‘Wait out this volley and then go.’
The order of ‘shields!’ was relayed again and the arrows clanged harmlessly against the raised barriers. None of Sati’s soldiers were injured.
As Sati put her shield down and looked up, she was horrified. Twenty elephants on the right had charged out recklessly.
‘The fools!’ yelled Sati, as she jumped onto her horse from the platform.
She galloped forward to cover the breach opened up by the recklessly charging elephants, closely followed by Veerbhadra and Nandi. While passing by the cavalry line, she ordered the reserve cavalry to follow her. Within a few minutes, Sati had stationed herself in the position left open by the Vasudev elephants that had charged out of formation.
‘Stay here!’ Sati ordered the soldiers behind her as she raised her hand.
She could see her elephants sprinting forward in the distance, goaded on by their mahouts, bellowing loudly. The Meluhan archers stood their ground bravely and shot another round.
The order resonated through Sati’s army. ‘Shields!’
The Vasudev elephant-riders screamed loudly as they crashed into the archers. ‘Jai Shri Ram!’
The elephants swung their powerful trunks, tied to which were strong metallic balls. Meluhan soldiers were flung far and wide with the powerful swings. The few who remained were crushed under giant feet. Within just a few moments of this butchery, the archers began retreating.
Though it appeared as if the twenty Vasudev elephants were smashing the Meluhan archers to bits, Sati shuddered with foreboding as she felt a chill run down her spine. She screamed loudly, even though she knew that the elephant-riders couldn’t hear her.