LEGACY ||Indian Historical Fiction||

15|| AFTERMATH

There was only a few minutes over half an hour for the sun to set. Darsh was feeling the fatigue get to him. Abhik and Rajat were also panting. He needed to get the job done before sunset. Even Aja's soldiers were going down. Ashokdhari soldiers who were sent for training were not to be called upon.

"Let's finish this, Abhik." Darsh spoke to Abhik who was near him. Abhik looked to Rajat conveying the message without words.

"Sena!" Darsh spoke as some of his soldiers were backing away looking at the gruesome scenes, "Remember! Our blood is cheaper than water when it comes to offering it to our land. Either disgrace your Kshatriya blood by choosing cowardice. Or do it honour by severing the enemy's heads off even when your last breath betrays you."

Darsh turned around and marched right into the battle leaving the soldiers all feeling guilty for having disappointed him. They picked up their swords and spears. Drew a breath of the rising Ashokdhar soil and strode into the battlefield.

Darsh while he dug his sword in a soldier's stomach, looked around. There had to be some head. No army works without a leader. He found a man, sole to be mounted atop a horse in the entire battlefield. Moreover, he was in his black robe. Men around him looked at him for direction.

Darsh smirked, "Well, then. Let's get this over with."

•••

Chavi stood guard at the halfway of the steps shielding the royal couple behind her. The door of the courtroom was open and she could see the enemy men walk in. Adarsh did as best as he could to keep men out but it seems they overwhelmed him.

They all ran at her, Chavi took step down. A hefty, quite tall man lunged started up the stairs. Before he could reach her, his head rolled down the stairs halting the other soldiers.

"Unfair that I have high ground, isn't it?" Chavi stepped down from the stairs completely and juggled her sword for a second.

Then began as three men came to her obviously underestimating her skillset. She stabbed one through his heart and grabbed the axe at his waistband, striking at the next in his head through his cranium. She ducked under the blade of the third one and striked at his knee, separating it from his body. As the man fell, she held his head cutting his neck.

She watched the door as another dozen of them came strode in. She claimed her position back at the halfway grabbing the axe from the dead man's cranium on her way back.

These men were more agile. They got up the stairs quicker than she expected. She stabbed one in the gut and kicked him back. She juggled her sword to her forehand, slashing the back of the man who had passed her. She held his armour pulling him down. She buried the axe in another's scruff as blood spurted to her face.

She took another one by his hair and beheaded him. His body rolled off the stairs as his head remained in her hand. She threw it at another who climbed up the stairs. One man remained. He looked like a formidable opposition.

He chased Chavi to the end of the stairs to the throne, behind which the royals were present with the doctors. The man aimed at Chavi's neck which she blocked with the axe. It was mere centimetres away from her face. He pushed and pushed tiring out Chavi more. The end of his sword hit her cheek bearing into it and drawing blood.

Chavi heard the Queen's sobs from behind the throne which seemed to fuel her more. She pushed him back and stabbed him in the side under his arms. The man grunt and furiously. She snatched the sword from his hand and pushed it into his stomach as he fell back. He didn't go down the stairs but fell forward on a step down.

Tired and gasping, Chavi sat down, catchin her breath resting one of her leg on the man. The man's hand was reaching up to her feet to pull her again. She rotated her sword and brought it down into his palm, resting her hand on the hilt....so was the image in Ashokdhar...of Darsh who sat on a pile of enemies with the end of his sword strung with the leader's head.