“Really?” King Khuli stroking his head and closed his eyes as if he was slumbering.
It was evident to the Lords that the King was bursting out of anger inside and thinking of taking the revenge. But without knowing the enemy’s strength, nobody wanted to suggest any ideas. Chief Lord Brirar had to speak out. “My King, I know how you are feeling now. However, before we take any step, it’d be better to discuss this matter with the Emperor Namdar.”
The King slowly looked up. “You do know it’d take to at least two weeks for a return journey, right? What if they advance their strength within this time? And why on Duray I, King Khuli, who had more than five thousand Kajlas soldiers and an extensive stock of weapons get scared of some villagers?”
“I am aware of our strength, my King,” Lord Brirar. “My concern is our enemy must have something that they had the dare to stand against you. Keeping that in my mind, I was suggesting you get the Emperor Namdar’s attention.”
“I see,” King Khuli smiled. “You want to know their strength? I am going to let you aware of their strength.” He looked at the both sides of sitting lords and said, “Lord Eko Darsor.”
Lord Eko Darsor rose from his chair. “Yes, my King.”
“You have the most number of soldiers after me,” King Khuli gave him a cruel smile. “I want you to get your men ready tonight and ride to the gate-tower in the early morning. I am expecting good news from you.”
“As you wish, my King,” Lord Eko said.
Though he tried to keep his emotion hidden, chief Lord Brirar had a feeling that he had seen something in his eyes. “I would suggest you take every single one of your men. Don’t worry about Lady Dilara and the kids. I’ll send some guards before you leave.”
Lord Eko shook his head and then bowed to the king and walked out of the court. This ride was a chance for him to do what he was thinking lately. Thought the big problem is he would be unsafe once he left.
Chapters Nineteen
Lord Eko Darsor arrived at his palace very quick. He summoned his head guard Mobin, who was also his second-in-command. When he came to Lord Eko, he explained what the King wanted him to do in the morning. The head guard also felt the danger of attacking the enemies without having any prior information. On top of that, almost half of Lord Eko’s soldiers were Ashalandian, who may not have done anything for the village, but they’d think twice before attacking their own people. Since it was the King’s order, there was no chance of objection.
Then Lord Eko called his and children to the hall and asked them to sit. He was relatively quiet, then the afternoon when they had the tea together and had a good time until they heard the noise of drums, came from the gate-tower. Lady Dilara could assume his tension. So she sat next to her husband out a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. “Is there anything that you’d like to share with us?” she asked.
“Yes, I do,” Lord Eko replied slowly. He realized what Lord Brirar meant. His family would be kept as the guarantee that he wouldn’t change his at the last moment. He looked at his children’s innocent faces, who he was going to sacrifice to make the atonement of his betrayal to his own people. He turned his face to his wife. “The King wants me to attack the runway villagers in the morning, and I had a different plan. However, they have assumed it and expect me to leave you three in the palace, which would be extremely dangerous for you. And I have no choice but do what they want,” he sobbed.
It was evident to Lady Dilara and the children what he meant by the words ‘different plan’ as he had totally changed since Aylan had visited the palace. She was searching for the proper words to comfort her husband, but Lady Dilara had been a selfish woman all her life. Neither she could inform the king about her husband’s plan, nor she was ready to die in the crocodile pond.
Little Daha came to rescue her. “Don’t worry about us father,” he said. “I’ll take care of mother and Daliya.”
At first, Lord Eko thought Daha was saying this in a childish manner, but when saw his confident face as if an adult was talking to him, he became speechless for a few moments.
“I know what are you thinking now,” Daha continued. “But you can trust me. I know a way to get out from this palace. We will meet you at the gate-tower.”
The husband and wife exchanged a surprised glance. Their little son was way too intelligent than they had thought. Lady Dilara remained silent as her brain had stopped functioning by listening to her son. Lord Eko got up and hugged his son first and then his daughter and wife. He took his sword from the wall and left the room with firm steps. He had a long night to prepare for the ride.
***
In the morning, just before the guards installed in front of the gate-tower changed their shift, the watch-guards blew the horn. At least five hundred horse riders were riding toward them. The attack was expected, but the time wasn’t. Laam rushed to the roof while giving orders about their pre-planned positions. Jeem and Aylan quickly joined the guards outside. The councilors stayed on the other side of the tower. In case, an attack comes from that way.
Only Bolin wasn’t happy. He hadn’t finished the special armors and helmets yet. His plan was to distribute them today, but it seemed like he was already late. Bolin took his sword in his hand and rushed to join Aylan and Jeem. “Well, at least I could do something for them,” he said.
Laam assured the archers, and the catapult operators were in the positions. Though Shaibal and Damal were supposed to supervise the roof, Laam wanted to know everyone was alright with their duties.
Everything was ready. The freedom fighters of new Ashaland were excited to greet their first attackers. They raised their swords and spears. The archers had their arrows ready to shoot. They were waiting for the signal from Aylan. But instead of saying attack, he shouted, “Halt your weapons!” Everybody looked at him with disbelief. The enemies were about to enter the right distance where at least half of them could be finished by the arrows and the catapults. “They aren’t here to fight,” Aylan shouted again. He walked his horse ahead with a hand raising up.
The enemies indeed weren’t in a combative mood. They had stopped at a safe distance. Their commander rode forth and said something to them and then rode alone towards the gate-tower. When he came close, everybody had recognized him, Lord Eko Darsor, the traitor son of Ashaland. His sword was still in the scabbard and was holding a white piece of cloth in one hand instead. His helmet was hanging from the saddle.
As he neared, Aylan asked him, “What do you want?” His voice was loud enough to be heard from the rooftop. He could read his uncle’s mind and know his noble intention.
“I want to join you and fight against the Midneys,” Lord Eko replied with a loud voice.
“And why so?” Aylan asked.
Lord Eko looked at the warriors and then looked at the tower. He said the rest of the words addressing the Ashalandians. “I know I have betrayed you. I didn’t do what I supposed to do. Even when there was an opportunity to do something for my people. I was selfish and ignorant. But when my nephew explained me this the other day, I have realized my mistakes. And now, I am prepared to make the atonement and fight for my people. I don’t care if I die or they kill my whole family in front of me. Please, give me a chance.”
Aylan looked around him and then looked the rooftop, from where Laam was looking at them. Damal stood next to him. Last night, he and the other councilors were appointed as the advisors of the new king. He looked at his king to know what he was thinking.
Laam wished Cro was there now. He could tell what was in Lord Eko Darsor’s mind and made it easier to decide the right thing. He took a few moments to think. He looked at Lord Eko and then his soldiers. Aylan’s relaxed body gesture helped him declare his decision. “Alright, we will give you a chance, under one condition. You and your soldiers have to surrender your weapons at first. And you’ll join us for a meeting and convince us how you’re going to help us.”
“Agreed,” Lord Eko replied. Then signaled to his second-in-com
mand, Mobin to come forth. As he came near to him, he said, “I’m going to surrender to them and have an intention to fight for my people. But I would like to give you and the others a chance to decide whether you want to be with me or not. If you wish to leave, you are welcome to do so.”
Mobin took a deep breath. It’s been five years since he was working for Lord Eko. He wasn’t from Ashland, but Lord Eko trusted him and promoted him as the second-in-command, which was more than he dreamt of. He knew his answer, so he said, “I don’t know about others, my Lord. But I’ll be with you until the end.” Then he turned his horse’s face and rode to the waiting soldiers. He explained the changed situation and the option they had.
Lord Eko expected to see at least half of the soldiers, many of whom weren’t from Ashaland would leave as they wouldn’t want to face the fearsome Kajlas, but they surprised him by riding ahead to join him. Not a single soldier had left. Lord Eko had once again learned a lesson about loyalty.
The Ashlandians welcomed their new friends to the tower. Their confidence level went even higher as the trained soldiers had joined them.
The only person had a complaint about this, was Bolin. “Great. I have to make five hundred more armors now,” he muttered. Although he said that, but he was happy to have them by their side.
***
The news of Lord Eko’s betrayal of the king spread like wildfire. The enraged king sent fifty Kajlas soldiers to arrest Lady Dilara with her children and set fire in their palace. He was walking in his empty court and thinking of the most brutal way to torture Lord Eko Darsor’s family, when chief Lord Brirar entered the court to discuss their upcoming move with him.
Lord Brirar had prepared his family overnight and boarded them on the first ship to leave port at the same time as Lord Eko had ridden to the gate-tower. With the way King Khuli had kept disregarding his advice for the past few weeks, he could see the sad end of the Khuli dynasty. But no matter the consequences of war, Lord Brirar was a loyal man, he would not leave his king. Though first he needed to ensure his family’s safety. At first, Lesra didn’t want to leave as he had been recently appointed as the head of the guards and it was his first major success in his entire life. But being his father, Lord Brirar knew what his son was capable of . On the way back to his palace, he was informed about Lord Eko’s betrayal, he headed to the king’s castle instead.
He stood at one side of the throne quietly, knowing that the king’s anger was at its paramount at the moment and it was better not to irritate him.
After some time King Khuli noticed him standing there. He looked at his most trustful and reliant advisor with red, beast-like eyes. “How long have you been waiting here, Lord Brirar?”
“Not long, my king,” Lord Brirar replied. “I can understand your tension and ready to do anything you wish.”
King Khuli walked to his advisor and stood very close to his face. Lord Brirar lowered his eyes,careful not to meet the kings enraged gaze. “Tell me something good, Lord Brirar. Tell me that we’re going to crush those filthy creatures and wipe their names from the face of the Duray as if they never existed!”
“We will do it for sure, my King,” Lord Brirar said. “I would advice you ask the Queen Mother to join us, her advice have often proved invaluable in crisis.” He said so, but the truth was Lord Brirar knew that the king would ignore his advise as usual.
“I’m not sure if she’s still in a mood to come here but send somebody to inform her.”
Lord Brirar nodded to the king and left the court to send a servant to the Queen Mother and to the commander Magoora with an urgent message. When he turned to return to the courtroom, he noticed the ship that was carrying his family just leaving the river Aar and slowly entering the Mayra ocean. He sighed as he had a bad feeling that he might not see them again. He shook his head and entered the court.
Within a few moments, the Queen Mother Chaya rushed into the courtroom with a devastated look. Lord Brirar, even King Khuli had never seen her in this condition before. The Queen Mother has seemed to age within the last two days. Her skin had wrinkled, her eyes sunk into her face, and her hair was in disarray. She was still in her sleeping gown. “What do want with me?” she asked in an insane voice.
Seeing the situation, Lord Brirar felt oblivious for a moment. He called Chaya to get her son a grip, but she didn’t look any better than him. ‘to join us discussing the plan to attack and destroy our enemy, Her Majesty,” he said, at last.
“That’s you and commander Magoora’s job, Lord Brirar. Please don’t bother me in this matter.”
“I believe you’d like to take revenge on that gypsy, Her Majesty?”
Chaya nodded slowly. Her eyes suddenly looked inflamed.
Commander Magoora entered the courtroom with a parchment in his hand. Lord Brirar signed him to join them. “Now commander Magoora’s also here, and I’d like to propose my plan for your approval.” He said the last words to all three of them. He pulled a tea table to the middle of the room and took the parchment from commander Magoora. As he spread it on the table, he continued, “We will march the larger force our soldiers into standard formation and ride to the Mathagor. Meanwhile, three smaller groups of soldiers will go through the tunnels. Though it is needless to say that they have already come to know about them, but it’s better to keep an option. And last but not least, our sisters, I mean the Dainees would attack with the fireballs from the sky, from a safe distance where no arrows will reach them. As soon as they start their part and create chaos on the rooftops where catapults and most of the archers would be installed, we’d take the initiative and charge while they’re distracted.” He then signed commander Magoora to describe his tactics.
Commander Magoora liked the idea of creating chaos before the attack. He nodded to Lord Brirar and said, “We have one thousand Kajlas horsemen and four thousand infantry and archers. I would like to keep them in the front. While half of the soldiers from the Lords would cover the city and half of them would be with us operating catapults and attacking with arrows. I’d be happy to assist with sieging the tower at the same time when the Dainees attack, but unfortunately they have the advantage as the long-range catapults were built on the roof of the gate-tower.”
King Khuli liked the plan. Though his enemies had increased their strength having the traitor by their side, but wouldn’t be able to face the fearsome Kajlas force. He was going to say something but got interrupted by a soldier, who asked his permission to enter the courtroom. King Khuli approved him.
The soldier stood in front of the king, faced down. “My King, Lady Dilara, and her children could nowhere to be found. Nobody from the palace had seen them leaving. And, we followed the rest of your orders by setting a fire in the palace. It’d be destroyed by now.”
The news could not agitate the king. He was totally into the plan of war. In his wild imagination, he was reaping his enemy’s heads with bare hands and bathing with their blood. He burst into laughter, making the soldier confused.
Chapter Twenty
Two days after, the six thousand Kajlas and Midney soldiers had gathered outside the city. As they have arranged the plan, commander Magoora was in the lead with five thousand Kajlas soldiers, keeping the archers and the catapults in the middle.
Lord Brirar and King Khuli stayed in the castle. They stood on the roof and watched the soldiers getting ready.
King Khuli surprised his people by revealing fifty Danob’s at the last moment. These giants were hidden in the dungeon and only to bring out at the time of war. All of them were chained and had massive hammers on their hands. Even the Kajlas were scared of their massive and sallow-skinned bodies. The army started marching towards the gate-tower as the horn blew.
On the other side, the Ashalandian and gypsy joint force were prepared to face their foes. Damal and Shaibal crossbows, and catapults ready. On the ground, nine their bows, hundred joint forces were ready under King Laam’s command. Jeem had one hundred archers under his command. He had a speci
al duty to take down flag bearers of the enemy. Aylan was on King Laam’s right-hand side, and Lord Eko was on his left. The night before, Lord Eko had accepted Laam as the new King of Ashaland. In exchange, Laam kept his lordship. Soon after, his family reunited with him and that incident had given him more inspiration to fight against the army that he was a part of once.
The Ashalandian force had their own banners once made by Ava and her assistants. The banners of old flew high with their sigils of the river and mountain waving proudly over the battlefield calling to arms to relish in the spoils of war and ready to claim victory.
Though no one had asked about the Stonemen since Lord Eko had joined with them, Aylan had a concern about them and Cro being late. He sent Cro four days ago. He should have returned by now.
As if Laam read his mind. “Where’s Cro?” he asked, without turning his head to his friend. Laam had calculated the ratio and probability of their winning against the Midney force. Though his soldiers had Bolin’s unique armors and helmets that can reflect any kind attack and the arrows that can go through any shields. But the Kajlas were something else. Once they smell the blood, nobody could stop them shedding it. They’d flood over the enemies until they finish them all. And for that reason, the kings often hired them. At this very time, the Ashalandians needed some desperate help.
“He should be here in any moments,” Aylan replied, as he felt Cro’s presence near to him. He looked back and saw a blackbird flying against the sun. Cro flew straight to him and landed on his shoulder. Aylan took a look at his bird friend. Cro looked injured and tired, which was very abnormal for an extraordinary raven like him.
Cro turned his neck to Aylan’s face. Aylan read his mind. Chaya had suspected Chara and spelled her damori on her a few days ago. Chara tried to keep their conversations secret, but couldn’t hide Cro as he had been to the secret garden and was no stranger to the Dainees. As soon as Chaya came to know about it, she had sent hundreds of crows to find him. When Cro left the secret garden, the crows attacked him. At first, Cro dodged them and flew for a long way, but soon they surrounded him from everywhere. And to defend himself, Cro had to drop the Cricles. After a whole day of fighting, crows finally gave up and left him. Cro had fallen in the jungle beneath him and was unconscious for one whole night. As soon as he woke up, he started searching for the stones and finally found them by a river. Cro didn’t waste any more time after that. He reached the stone hedge and handed over the Cricles and then reported to King Dalim Kumar.
Son of The Prisonland (The Myth Shadow Trilogy Book 1) Page 20