Ch-30: Rain of Iron Arrows

The tension on the battlefield was palpable as the armies of Hampura and the coalition forces faced off. Mantri Harishendra's roar of "attack" shattered the uneasy silence, and it was met with swift action. His soldiers moved forward, their armor-clad bodies marching with determination.

Vijay, standing with his battalion of 500 soldiers, felt a surge of excitement as history unfolded before him. He grinned with confidence, ready to unveil the devastating power of their newly crafted iron arrows. Commander Parambadur, who had pledged his loyalty to Vijay, looked at him for the signal. When Vijay shouted "fire," it was a moment of reckoning.

As the soldiers of Hampura pulled their bows and took aim, the coalition forces initially laughed. They believed that leather armors would easily protect them from stone arrows, dismissing the threat. The Mantris, too, joined in the mockery, ridiculing what they saw as an amateur mistake on Vijay's part.

However, the battlefield quickly turned from amusement to horror. As the 500 soldiers released their iron-tipped arrows, they glinted brilliantly in the sunlight, making a mockery of the coalition's assumptions. The arrows swarmed through the air, thousands of them converging on their targets.

One soldier from the coalition began to laugh, but his mirth was abruptly silenced as an arrow, gleaming like a sliver of moonlight, pierced through his leather-clad chest, finding its mark in his heart. His eyes widened with shock and realization as he crumpled to the ground.

Panic rippled through the ranks of the coalition forces. Soldiers frantically tried to shield themselves with their inadequate leather armors, but the iron arrows proved relentless. The once-confident Mantris now wore expressions of disbelief and fear.

In the chaos that followed, the coalition forces scrambled for cover, their mocking laughter silenced by the deadly accuracy of the iron arrows. Vijay's battalion had not only breached their defenses but shattered their overconfidence. Hampura's innovative weaponry had turned the tide of battle, and the battle was far from over.

The battlefield was a gruesome sight, marked by the sudden deaths of hundreds of soldiers from the coalition forces in just one deadly volley of iron arrows. The ground was littered with the fallen, and the advance of the enemy had come to an abrupt halt.

The Mantris, who had initially been confused by the unexpected attack, were now filled with dread as they grasped the dire situation. The Hampura forces had deployed iron arrows, a weapon they had underestimated. The overconfidence that had led to their mockery had now cost them dearly, with over 800 of their finest men lost in an instant.

In the midst of their horror, the Mantris turned their eyes to Harishendra, the leader of the coalition forces. His face filled with a trace of fear said, "Perhaps we should reconsider our approach. This Hampura seems to have some tricks up their sleeves".

Mantri Govardhan, known for his impulsive nature, scoffed, "Nonsense! Those iron arrows are just a scare tactic. They can't possibly have more of them."

Mantri Ramesh, a more cautious figure, chimed in, "We shouldn't underestimate them. If they have the means to produce such arrows, we might face a severe disadvantage."

Harishendra, not willing to admit defeat, asserted, "We'll push forward. They won't have an endless supply of those arrows. Once we breach their defenses, victory will be ours."

The Mantris reluctantly nodded, their concerns temporarily overshadowed by Harishendra's determination. They gave the orders to advance once again, but their unease lingered.

Vijay, watching the Mantris' deliberations from the castle walls, couldn't help but savor the moment. He knew that the element of surprise was still on their side, and as the coalition forces regrouped and advanced once more, he shouted with a smirk, "Fire!" It was time for round two, and Hampura's fate teetered on a knife's edge.

The archers of Hampura once again unleashed a volley of iron-tipped arrows, and the battlefield erupted in chaos. Coalition forces desperately tried to shield themselves with leather armor, but the deadly accuracy of the arrows shattered their illusions of invulnerability.

As the Mantris realized that their enemy possessed more iron arrows than they had initially believed, panic began to set in. Harishendra's leadership wavered as he tried to rally his troops, but the relentless barrage of arrows took a toll on their morale.

Amidst the chaos, Mantri Harishendra, the voice of reason, yelled, "We must retreat! This is madness!"

Mantri Govardhan, now humbled, added, "He's right. We can't win like this."

Venugopal, who was the traitor was cut down mercilessly by a soldier before he could say anything in his defense.

In the midst of the turmoil, the Mantris gave the order to fall back. Their forces, battered and demoralized, retreated from the deadly rain of iron arrows.

Vijay watched as the coalition forces started to withdrew. It was a pivotal moment in the battle, and Hampura had seized the advantage once more. At least half of the total soldiers of the coalition already fell in this volley. The coalition, stung by their own hubris, retreated in disarray, leaving behind a trail of fallen comrades and shattered confidence.

As the dust settled, Vijay couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Hampura had defied the odds, but the battle was far from over.

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Suddenly Vijay turned to Parambadur and ordered him to open the city wall gates. Two soldiers quickly left to do the task.

The massive city wall gates of Hampura creaked open, their immense wooden frames groaning under the weight. Two soldiers, determined and with a touch of mischief in their eyes, operated the mechanism. The noise of the gates echoed through the city, causing a momentary hush in the midst of the chaos outside.

The coalition forces, which included Mantris and their remaining soldiers, were momentarily perplexed by the sight. In the midst of a siege, the opening of a city gate was highly unusual. In military strategy, such an act was often seen as suicidal, as it allowed the enemy easy access to the city walls where defenders held a significant advantage.

Confusion turned to suspicion among the Mantris as they contemplated this unexpected turn of events. Could it be that there were traitors within the city, helping the enemy to breach the defenses? The thought of internal betrayal sent shivers down their spines, but Harishendra, the leader of the coalition, was not one to let such suspicions halt his advance.

With a loud, arrogant laugh that echoed across the battlefield, Harishendra gave the command to attack. His soldiers, motivated by their belief in the superiority of their leather armor, advanced with determination. They believed this was their moment of triumph, and their jeers and battle cries filled the air.

But what they did not know was that Vijay, the young genius of Hampura, had devised a cunning plan. The open gate was a baited trap, a strategic move to lure the coalition forces into a vulnerable position.

As the enemy soldiers surged forward, convinced that they had the upper hand, Vijay gave another command to his archers who had remained hidden on the city walls.

As the enemy forces closed in on the city wall gate, a sudden shift in the air signaled the beginning of an audacious and daring maneuver. Vijay's soldiers, armed with their iron-tipped arrows and fueled by unwavering determination, swiftly abandoned their bows. Instead, they reached for thick ropes that had been carefully prepared for this moment.

These ropes were no ordinary ropes; they were knotted at regular intervals with massive stone slabs, each one heavy enough to shatter bones and crush armor. The soldiers secured these ropes tightly around their bodies, the knots digging into their armor-clad forms. Their hearts raced with a unique combination of adrenaline and excitement as they prepared to execute a breathtaking plan.