As the sun ray retreated in dusk, the dry wood forest was enveloped in darkness over time. Prince Aditya and his aides stood among the trees, surveying the vast open fields where the next siege battle was to take pce.

  From a safe distance, they could spot the assembly of siege towers in the flickering torchlight of the rebels. These giant structures cast an imposing presence on the vast open ground as the enemy began forming ranks. Meanwhile, the faces of those present bore a blend of resolve and concern.

  "Who would have thought they could amass such a force?" Aditya murmured softly to himself with regret for his short-sightedness.At that moment, Nilesh emerged from the shadowed depths of the forest. With a quick salute and slight bow, he approached the prince to convey the report.

  "Sir, I bring report from the scout."

  Aditya spoke without even looking at him. "Speak, Colonel," he commanded, "Let everyone hear it."

  Nilesh straightened, his voice with little tense. "The enemy's numbers exceed our estimates, sir. They are estimated no less than five times of our current strength."

  A murmur of concern rippled through the ranks of Rajput's standing behind, their faces reflecting the gravity of Nilesh's words.

  Aditya's features hardened, his jaw grit in frustration as he absorbed the harsh reality before him. "Five times," he repeated quietly, pondering about the challenge in order to break through. "This is going to be very hard."

  "What are your orders, sir?, " Nilesh spoke again interrupting his troubled thoughts.

  Aditya turned Nilesh this time "Rey my orders, everyone is to stay on standby. Keep a close watch on the enemy moves especially their leaders."

  Nilesh nodded sharply, acknowledging the order with a salute before swiftly departing to carry out his prince's commands. As he vanished into the shadows, another voice broke through Aditya's train of thoughts.

  It was Jeetendar, his trainer and current commander of cavalry forces. He approached cautiously, "Your Highness, with our current strength, I'm afraid we won't be impactful. You even rushed in before dawn, but this is as far as we can go. You have done enough!"Aditya turned to face Jeetendar, his eyes reflecting the weariness of a leader burdened with the weight of an impossible task.

  "Are you suggesting that I abandon my people like this?"

  Jeetendar tried to expin, "I didn't mean.."

  But Aditya cut him off, his voice tinged with pain, "For now, we're holding our position. We wait."

  Jeetendar looked troubled, his brow furrowed with concern. "But for how long?" he pressed, his voice echoing the unspoken fears of all gathered around.

  Aditya's gaze returned to the distant siege towers, his mind racing with pns and uncertainties. "As long as it takes," he answered finally, his voice firm and resolute. "We must be ready to strike when the iron is hot. Until then, we watch and we wait."

  The forest grew darker still as night descended, enveloping the hiding assembly in the cloak of uncertainty. Aditya and his men stood poised in anticipation of the impending csh deciding the fate of Bawal .

  Few hours ter , the begin of Seige

  The night was thick with tension as the moon cast its dim light over the dry wood forest.

  Rahimulh Khan, with a steely determination in his eyes, took command of the central force, leading 30,000 soldiers. He raised his sword high, his voice booming across the ranks. "Tonight, we break their walls and take the fort! Push forward, and show no mercy!"Prince Amar Singh Rathod, commanding the right fnk with 15,000 troops, surveyed his men with a fierce intensity. "Men of Rajputana," he called out, "we fight for our honor and our nd's pride! Forward, to victory!"

  At the left, the rebel king Rao Kishan Pal held another 15,000 troops. He rode along the lines, his voice steady and authoritative. "This night will be remembered in history," he decred. "Our names will be sung in songs of victory. Keep your ranks tight and follow my command. We will crush them from the left!"

  Each fnking force was equipped with five siege towers and 2000 cavalry each, while the central group boasted seven, all specially protected with wet animal hides and yers of metal sheeting with 3000 cavalry at the st ranks.

  The front facing soldiers pushed forward, carrying thick logs of palisade walls to shield themselves from the inevitable barrage of arrows. At the sound of a horn, marking the start of the assault, the attackers advanced with measured steps.

  Inside the fort, the defenders stood poised, bows at the ready and arrows aimed, led by their skilled commanders. Pots filled with hot coals were readied as ammunition for the catapults. Diego supervised the catapult crew positioned on the inner wall, signaling commands with fgs.

  The Portuguese, acknowledged for their superior performance in previous night, were tasked with defending the southern wall as main force. Assisting them were soldiers from Garhwal, responsible for manning the catapults, while troops from Bundelkhand, Bengal and royal guards held their ground on other sides to fortify the southern wall's defenses.

  On the eastern wall, Meenakshi Devi of the Vijayanagar Empire led the Marathas, supported by forces from Malwa and Punjab. The western section was commanded by Tejpal of Amber, accompanied by troops from the Gajapathi Kingdom and the Ahmednagar Sultanate.

  On the ground, the royal guards, alongside the remaining forces from Amber and Punjab, were under the leadership of Baljit Singh. Positioned in a watchtower, this reserve force stood prepared to reinforce any vulnerable section of the wall or repel breaches.

  "Look at the numbers! They're thinly spread,""What are those towers? First the dders, now this?"

  The defenders atop the fort walls exchanged wary gnces as they scanned the approaching enemy ranks. Below, they could see the ominous giant structures of siege towers and dders weaving through the enemy formations.

  Baljit Singh stood atop a towering ptform, surveying the approaching battle formation. His brows furrowed briefly with concern, but he soon felt relieved, knowing that they were manageable.

  He observed that the eastern and western fnks were advancing more swiftly, while the central fnk moved slower, likely due to maintaining formation.

  "Prepare the catapults! Aim for the eastern fnk! They're moving faster!" Baljit Singh's voice carried across the ramparts, urgency clear in his command.

  Inside the inner wall, Diego coordinated his crew with precise signals, preparing them to fire the first shot.

  The first pot of hot coals soared through the air, crashing into an advancing siege tower and erupting into fmes on impact. Below, shouts of arm and pain filled the air as enemy soldiers scrambled amidst burning bodies.

  "Eh! They didn't see that coming!" Diego chuckled with satisfaction.

  "Maintain formation!""Keep moving forward!"

  Amar Singh Rathore commanded, striving to regain control amid the chaos and urging the remaining siege towers onward.

  Cheers erupted from the defenders as another siege tower caught fire, its wooden frame crackling and colpsing under the intense heat.

  One of the crew leader from eastern section of wall narrowed his eyes as he watched the enemy push on. "Keep at it! We can't allow those pests to breach our defenses!"

  More Burning pots sailed through the night sky, their fiery payloads crashing down with devastating effect.

  Some missed their targets, scorching the ground and igniting small fires. Others found their mark amidst enemy ranks, engulfing soldiers in searing agony as they scrambled to escape the burning pain.

  Siege towers turned into bzing torches as burning pots hit their mark, engulfing the wooden structures in crackling fmes.

  "Adjust the angle!.. Release!"

  "We've done it! God is with us."

  Despite the chaos, the defenders' determination grew stronger with each accurate throw and strategic hit . However, oblivious to the real threat.

  But their etion was short-lived as the enemy still advanced, from other side. "Focus fire to the west! I repeat, focus fire on the west" Baljit Singh shouted, his face looked grim.

  Diego nodded in agreement, and passed signals.

  The eastern section of crew rallied, "Load more pots! Keep them at bay!"

  "Release the rope! Handle with care."

  The coordinated western crew unleashed volley after volley, transforming the siege towers into a roaring inferno. Undeterred, enemy soldiers pressed forward with dders under shields toward the walls. Amidst the chaos, defenders raised a triumphant cheer. Now, all that remained was the central force advancing on the southern gate.

  Baljit Singh's voice boomed, "Attack from the front! Bring them down to the ground!" His command echoed across the battlefield as defenders braced for the final assault.

  Diego signaled to the central crew, urging them to unch the pots of burning coals. One by one, the catapults released their payloads, but instead of igniting the towers, they fell harmlessly to the ground, baffling the defenders and emboldening the attackers, who cheered in response.

  Determined to breach the defenses, the crew tried again, but this time the impact only dented the wooden structure.

  As the central crew's attempts to ignite the siege tower failed, Diego signaled urgently for another round. "Launch the pots!" he ordered, frustration evident in his voice. The catapults released their payloads, but the pots simply fell, eliciting cheers from the attackers and bafflement from the defenders again.

  Meanwhile, Captain Pedro Costa, overseeing his position, saw the situation unfold. "Prepare the stones!" he commanded sharply. "Fire all at once!"

  The crew responded swiftly, bombarding the lone siege towers with stones until it finally buckled under the assault.

  "Steady! Maintain the fire barrage!" Captain Pedro directed, his voice rising above the chaos.

  Fmes quickly engulfed the tower, and panic spread among the attackers.

  The tower erupted into a bzing inferno, the fire reached the gunpowder-filled battering ram. And this is when everyone on the fort got the taste of danger they were about to face.

  A deafening explosion followed, sending shockwaves through the battlefield and ciming the lives of nearly a hundred soldiers nearby.

  The sight left everyone on both sides stunned and in disbelief, the smoke and debris hanging heavy in the air.

  The militia in the army suffered the most from the bst. Those who were nearby couldn't withstand the force of the attack and attempted to flee from the ranks. However, they were swiftly cut down by the bdes of the coordinated soldiers in the attack.

  "Forward, you cowards! Discipline those who falter!"

  "Drive them forward! We're much near the walls!"

  "Push the towers!"

  Rahimulh Khan, frustrated with the poorly trained conscripts' reluctance to follow orders, urged his forces forward aggressively. He issued orders to discipline those who hesitated, driving them forcefully to push the tower amidst the shower of projectiles.

  By this time the forces from left and right fnk also reached within the range of fort's archers, who unleashed volleys of fire arrows into the sky.

  The projectiles rained down, inflicting considerable damage on the forces from all sides. Even with shields and makeshift wooden barriers, many soldiers couldn't withstand the combined assault of pots and arrows, although the casualties were limited due to their slow advance and scattered formation.

  The situation was more intense at the southern wall, where Rahimulh pressed his troops to prioritize advancing the siege towers despite facing the concentrated barrage from the central catapults.

  One by one, the siege towers came under heavy fire, even their expert soldiers struggling to maintain momentum in cover of shields.

  At the end only Two siege towers managed to survive the onsught, gradually aking their way to the southern gate.

  The soldiers pushing the battering rams threw down thick logs of palisade walls to smoothen the filled moat, creating a makeshift bridge.

  They heaved the battering rams forward, their faces set with grim determination.

  Captain Pedro Costa, leading the Portuguese musketeers on the wall, vigint of the situation took position. "Prepare for volley fire!" he ordered. "Ready... aim... fire!"

  The musketeers unleashed a volley of shots, their bullets tearing through the attackers. The first battering ram was abandoned and rendered immovable, its wooden frame shattered by the relentless musket fire. The soldiers pushing it fell, their bodies riddled with bullets.

  Rahimulh, undeterred, gave new orders. "Archers, cover the men! Aim for the musketeers!"

  The archers drew their bows, releasing a barrage of arrows toward the defenders on the wall. Caught off guard, the musketeers scrambled for cover, their formation momentarily broken.

  Taking advantage of the distraction caused by the archers, professional soldiers armed with shields quickly formed a protective barrier and resumed pushing the remaining battering ram forward. Other allied soldiers rushed in to assist their effort but they were too distant.

  "Hold the line!" Pedro Costa shouted, rallying his men. "Do not let them breach the wall!"

  Despite their best efforts, the defenders couldn't stop the battering ram. The soldiers pushing it reached the wall, and went for the safe distance.

  One man, holding a torch, shouted, "Alaah-hu-Akbarrr!" and ignited the fuse, sacrificing himself in a desperate bid to breach the fort's defenses.

  The explosion rocked the night, the battering ram detonating with a thunderous roar. The southern wall shattered, debris flying as the breach opened. Captain Pedro Costa, caught in the bst, fell alongside many of his men, their bodies strewn across the ground.Inside the fort, the defenders stood in stunned silence, their faces paling with shock. The southern gate was breached, the path to the fort now open.

  On the breach site of the fort, Baljit Singh, prepared for this scenario, shouted, "To arms! Defend the walls!" He had long before knew that the breach was inevitable and had pced rough barricades and soldiers in line.

  The defenders , though shaken, responded to the call, rushing to form human barrier to halt the attackers on walls.

  Meanwhile, Rahimulh Khan was delighted. He ordered his forces, "Push forward! The wall has been breached!"

  Chaos erupted as soldiers surged through the gap. Swords cshed, spears thrust, and shields cshed in a chaotic melee.

  "Stay in formation! Hold the line!" Baljit Singh shouted from rear, urging his troops to maintain formation

  A bloody battle ensued as attackers attempted to breach the defenses but were thwarted by the defenders' steadfast formation. Later, a horn sounded, signaling a slow retreat that puzzled the defenders.

  As the attackers withdrew and made way, the cavalry charged in.

  "Brace for impact! Don't let them through!"a defender shouted, readying their shields.

  However, the momentum of the charging horsemen with nces shattered their defenses and pushed them back slightly. The barricades held, adding casualties to both sides, and the stalemate continued with pressure on the ground. Additional soldiers from the wall rushed to assist to maintain the bance.

  On the eastern section of the wall, Meenakshi ordered, "No one shall pass! We make our stand here," rallying her troops against the scaling attackers.

  Tejpal Singh on the western section of the wall procimed, "Let them come! We'll paint the wall with their blood," boosting the morale of his troops.

  On the inner section of the wall, an assistant asked Diego urgently, "Sir, the enemy is too close. What should we do?"

  But Diego wasn't listening; his eyes were glued to the sky, widened in arm at the incoming falling stars. He crossed himself with hand and prayed, "Oh, Jesus..."