Western cover of forest, Bawal

  As the battle raged on, Aditya surveyed the ongoing siege from the cover of the forest lying to the west of the fort. Fmes and smoke rose from the battlefield, and the cries of men filled the air.

  Amidst this chaos, Aditya's kept his keen eyes on the movements of rebel forces and he noticed their weakness in maintaining formation when there first battering ram exploded due to burning of siege fire.

  "Their commander is forcing the central forces... Hmm," Aditya muttered to himself, his mind racing. "We can use this."

  Aditya quickly summoned his key officers. The men gathered around him with grim but determined looks.

  Facing his commanders he began issuing orders one after one.

  "Colonel Nilesh, position our soldiers and supply cart over there," he said, pointing to the southern part of the forest facing the rear of the enemy. "The enemy is busy rushing toward the wall. Use the chaos to our advantage. Nobody should notice our movements."

  "Yes, Sir," Nilesh replied, saluting swiftly before hurrying off to rey the orders.

  "Commander Jeetendar," Aditya continued, "we don't have time to set up barricades. Use your men from the cavalry to scatter caltrops on three sides. Keep the front open. This will deter the enemy to fnk us from other sides."

  Jeetendar nodded. "Understood, Your Highness. It will be done." Though hesitant, he kept his thoughts to himself.

  "Commander Ujjwal Singh," Aditya said, turning to the commander of the royal guards, "coordinate with Jeetendar. Our defense depends on this task. Ensure the caltrops are scattered effectively. Use all of them if necessary. I want it done quick."

  "Consider it done, your highness, " Ujjwal Singh responded without hesitation.

  "In the meantime," Aditya addressed his crossbow teams, "Colonel Amit, take charge of the crossbow team and coordinate with Colonel Nilesh and his logistics team to set up the Pinaka (hwacha) and Rockets."

  "Prince Pratap, I'll need your forces on standby," he turned to Pratap and requested.

  Pratap, while agreeing, voiced his concern, "We can do that, but what's your pn?"

  Aditya replied with a confident grin, "Just our usual fireworks to scare off few ants."

  Pratap nodded with a smirk and went off to lead his cavalry.

  He then turned to Manish and Deepak, the commanders of the musketeers. "Both of you, keep your units in reserve. Await my signal. Timing will be crucial."

  Manish and Deepak both acknowledged the order with a quick salute. "At you command, Sir."

  With the orders given, the officers dispersed to carry out their tasks. Aditya watched as his men moved with discipline and coordination, their movements masked by the chaotic noise of battle.

  Colonel Nilesh and Colonel Amit swiftly coordinated their units. The logistics team and crossbow unit worked with speed and precision, setting up the hwachas and lining up the rockets. Despite the urgency, they remained calm and focused.

  "Nilesh, the rockets are nearly ready," Amit reported.

  "Good. Let's also assist with the pinakas," Nilesh replied, his eyes scanning the preparations. "Time is not on our side."

  Meanwhile, Commander Ujjwal Singh supervised the royal guards as they scattered caltrops.

  "My side is prepared," Ujjwal informed Jeetendar, who was still in the process of scattering caltrops on his designated side.

  Jeetendar smiled, slightly embarrassed. "We're almost finished here."

  Understanding his friend's situation, Ujjwal reassured him, "Trust in the prince; he makes miracles happen."

  Jeetendar nodded to himself, muttering, "Let's hope Aditya's pn works." His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a deafening roar, and he looked up to see the wall breached. He prayed silently, "Oh Vahe Guru, guide us through this."

  As the wall crumbled, Aditya summoned Nilesh and inquired urgently, "What's the status of our preparations?"

  "Sir, all rockets are ready, but only 80 pinakas are fully set. The rest are still being readied," Nilesh reported quickly.

  "Good. Target the rear of their forces, near the breach with our rockets and release them all at once," Aditya commanded.

  "But sir, all together?" Nilesh hesitated briefly.

  "Yes, do it," Aditya affirmed decisively.

  Nilesh nodded and hurried back to oversee the rocketeers, setting the angles of the unch trajectories with precision.

  Though he harbored concerns about unching all the rockets simultaneously, knowing the risks of inaccurate targeting and the potential harm to allies, he pushed those thoughts aside," Prince has never failed us, Fuck it".

  His duty was clear, and he focused on executing it fwlessly.

  Soon, under Nilesh's coordinated orders, the fuses of 50 rockets were ignited. With a swoosh sound, they streaked across the sky toward their targets, leaving a fiery trail in their wake.

  'Boom!'

  'Boom!'

  'Boom!'

  They struck the walls, ground, soldiers, and horses below. Explosions echoed through the air, unleashing shockwaves upon impact. Shrapnel and spearheads tore through the chaotic scene in the near vicinity, striking with devastating effect.

  Most projectiles found their mark among the rear ranks of the attackers, while some breached the fort's defenses, hitting allies on the walls or within causing fear within freind or foe alike.

  "Oh my lord! They're tearing us apart! Fall back!"

  "Hold your ground, damn it! Find cover!"

  The battlefield descended into chaos as explosions ripped through tightly clustered formations. Direct hits turned bodies into minced meat, while others were pierced by flying shrapnel.

  "I can't feel my leg... I can't..."

  "Aargghh! run for your lives. I don't want to stay here."

  Blood spurting from severed limbs of bodies often painting near by allies causing them to shriek in panic.

  "Hold the horses, they are breaking lines."

  "Move! Move! get your ass out of here!"

  The horses went wild, breaking ranks and causing chaos as they fled, often stumbling and adding to the chaos.

  "What was that? Oh my god! Have mercy!"

  "From where did this attack came from?"

  One the other hand defenders also had the hard time. The grim reality of war unfolded before horrified eyes as their soul shivered by the brutal carnage of human bodies. Amidst the chaotic madness, defenders staggered backward in disbelief, trying to comprehend the sudden onsught.

  "Save yourselves! Retreat! Retreat!"

  Meanwhile, attackers scrambled frantically outside to escape the devastation, abandoning their positions to save themselves.

  The shattered wall became the grim canvas painted in blood, an aftermath to the carnage brought by the rockets.

  Even Rahimulh Khan, standing with his small cavalry outside the fort, was stunned by the gruesome spectacle. As survivors fled in disarray, the psychological impact of the onsught was palpable.

  His own soldiers recoiled, unwilling to remain near the breached wall, their confidence shattered by the ferocity of the assault. But he soon gathered his wit to set his next course of actions.

  "Get those men back in formation! We can't afford to break!"

  "Damn! Where is my command?! Regroup, you fucking cowards!"

  Rahimulh Khan tried to maintain order by rallying his forces nearby, but he paused and looked up at the sky, where sudden bursts of light illuminated the night.

  The night was abruptly illuminated by a shower of fiery arrows from the hwachas, cascading down like a relentless torrent of golden shower.

  "This is divine retribution."

  "Yah Alh, forgive my sins."

  Onlookers described it as divine retribution, while others resigned themselves to a fate sealed by the relentless barrage. The arrows found their marks with brutal precision, skewering men with ruthless efficiency, eyes, mouths, limbs, lungs all impaled in a macabre dispy. Even Rahimulh Khan, caught in the chaos, met his grim end.

  "Enemy has divine weapons, run for your lives."

  "Mommy.. I don't want to fight!"

  Overwhelmed by the onsught, the conscripts, despite their numbers, buckled under the pressure and stampeded in retreat. Many scrambled in safe direction while others got held by low rank soldiers.

  The battlefield turned into a mayhem of chaos and destruction.

  Aditya, seizing the opportunity, turned to Pratap. "Now it is your turn to shine, my friend."

  Pratap smiled and replied, "Thank you for sharing this glory." He rode back to his positioned cavalry and led them toward the disarrayed enemy soldiers.

  Aditya turned to Jeetendar, who was still shocked by the scenario. "Be quick! Lead our cavalry to reinforce him. Make sure to rout them."

  Jeetendar quickly composed himself, hurried to his position, and led the cavalry to follow Pratap.

  The ground trembled under the thundering hooves of the mounted warriors as they surged forward, weapons gleamed in the dimming moonlight.

  "Charge! Break their lines!" Pratap commanded, leading the charge as the spearhead.

  As the cavalry closed the distance, panic among the enemy infantry intensified. Already reeling from the shock and panic induced by the rocket and hwacha attacks, the sight of a disciplined and powerful cavalry charge sent waves of terror through their ranks.

  The infantry, composed mainly of conscripts with little training or combat experience, this time defied to maintain any sembnce of order, as they lost any will to fight.

  "Run! The cavalry is coming!" a terrified conscript shouted, his voice cracking with fear.

  "Hold your ground!" an officer tried to rally his men, but his words were lost in the cacophony of panic and retreat.

  The cavalry smmed into the retreating infantry with devastating force. Lances and spears cut through the unprepared soldiers, who were unable to mount any effective defense.

  The sheer momentum of the charge scattered the enemy like leaves in a storm. The disciplined cavalry units moved with precision, exploiting the disarray and cutting down the fleeing soldiers with ruthless efficiency.

  "Don't stop! Keep pushing them back!" Commander Jeetendar shouted, leading his men with burning passion in his eyes.

  The scene turned to utter chaos. Horses trampled over fallen soldiers, and the ground quickly became slick with blood. Those who tried to resist were swiftly cut down, while others simply threw down their weapons and fled in all directions.

  The panic was infectious; once a few soldiers broke ranks, the rest followed, creating a domino effect of retreat and colpse.

  Amidst the melee, the allied cavalry maintained the pressure. They harrased the enemy, not giving them a moment to regroup or recover. The sight of the relentless cavalry charge, combined with the earlier devastation of the rockets and hwacha, broke the enemy's spirit.

  Rahimulh Khan's remaining officers, realizing the futility of their position, tried to organize a retreat, but it was too te. The cavalry was upon them, and their men were too demoralized to follow orders.

  "Fall back! Save yourselves!" one officer cried out before being cut down by a cavalryman's sword.

  In the end, the central infantry was almost routed. What started as a retreat turned into a full-scale rout, with soldiers abandoning the battlefield in droves. However, some loyalists stood their ground in hope of reinforcements.

  Meanwhile, the defenders, having just endured a brutal onsught of rockets and hwacha arrows, stood battered and exhausted on the walls and within the fort. They watched with a mix of shock and awe as the allied cavalry, a disciplined force of 6,000, thundered across the battlefield toward the retreating enemy infantry.

  "The reinforcements have arrived! The prince is here!"

  "We need to help the prince!"

  Soon, the news spread through the fort like wildfire, igniting a newfound zeal and courage among the defenders. They fought the scaling attackers with renewed vigor. The low-ranking soldiers rallied, eager to join the fight outside the fort.

  Prince Baljit Singh of punjab, currently commanding the central forces, took a moment to assess the situation. He had seen the devastation brought by the rockets and hwacha and knew the battle was far from over.

  "Stay vigint!" he barked to his men. "The enemy may be retreating, but we must be prepared for any counterattack. Hold your positions and watch for any stragglers."

  His soldiers, still reeling from the chaos, exchanged bewildered gnces but obeyed the order. They watched as the cavalry crashed into the enemy lines, turning the retreat into a chaotic rout.

  "Look at them run!" excimed a soldier standing on the remaining wall of the southern gate. He had been pissing just moments before but now grinned as he realized the friendly fire had ceased. "We're winning!"

  Vishal Rai of the Garhwal Kingdom, overseeing his unit, nodded in agreement. "The prince's timing is impeccable." With the southern wall almost secured, he turned his attention to the western section. "All units, reinforce the western side."

  Soon, the rest of the forces standing on the wall connected to the western side followed his lead to reinforce Tej Pal, who was still struggling to hold the ground despite the chaos in the center. He was overjoyed when his ears got the knews that the prince had arrived.

  He threw his shield at an enemy trying to break his line, catching him off guard and impaling him. Seeing their king breaking ranks, the fellow Rajputs turned berserk and followed his lead going full offensive, cutting down the attackers and pushing them off the wall.

  The situation flipped quickly as reinforcements from the southern side arrived. Those attackers still on the dders jumped down to escape the madness, while those on the ground were bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

  Seeing the wall section cleared, Tej Pal shouted, "Archers, shoot them!"

  Arrows rained down as the rebel soldiers struggled to maintain formation. They hadn't seen the explosions as the southern wall was bit closer to eastern side but had heard the thunderous booms and cries of men from afar. The sight of the hwacha arrows showering down from southern point only added to their panic.

  Rebel leader Rao Pal Kishan was equally shaken. He had been preparing his men for a final push when the rockets fell and the cavalry charged. Witnessing the charge, he assumed they were out of projectiles since no further barrage followed.

  "We're losing the center," one of the Nayaks observed. He pleaded, "If we don't act, Your Majesty, we'll be surrounded."

  Another Nayak standing beside him urged, "What should we do, Your Majesty? Our men are losing morale, and I fear the center is lost."

  Rao Pal Kishan knew they had to act quickly. "We cannot give up after coming this far. Maintain formation and keep shooting." He turned to his cavalry and ordered, "The rest, follow me! We will bring the head of their leader and turn the tide of battle. They don't have cavalry. Charge!" With this, he led his cavalry towards Aditya's position in a desperate bid to change the course of the battle.

  Following his command, the soldiers retreated to a safe distance while the archers continued shooting under the cover of shields. However, being at a disadvantage due to the ground conditions, they still sustained damage.

  On the eastern section of the fort, the soldiers on the right fnk, still engaged in their efforts to breach the wall, paused as they witnessed the devastation caused by the rockets and hwacha. The terrain allowed them to see their comrades being torn apart, and the subsequent cavalry charge left them stunned.

  Prince Amar Singh Rathore, leading the left fnk, stared in disbelief. "Hey Mahadev, what just happened?" he muttered, his voice trembling.

  His second-in-command, Satyendra, replied with equal shock, "It's a massacre, Your Highness. We can't breach the wall if they turn that hellfire on us."

  Some low-rank soldiers, witnessing the carnage, began to waver. "Should we retreat, my lord? The central forces are almost routed," one of them asked, fear evident in his voice.

  Amar Singh took a moment to compose himself and quickly assessed the situation. He knew the course of this battle couldn't be changed, but the information he had could help his homend. For that, he needed to escape. He watched the rebel leader make a desperate and foolish charge toward the enemy's position and formuted his next course of action.

  Turning to Satyendra, he said, "This battle is lost cause as we cannot maintain proper formation. The peasants of our allies have embarrassed us. I can't let our Rajput brothers' blood be spilled in vain. We will exact revenge ter. Order the retreat!"

  Satyendra nodded and bellowed the orders, "Retreat! Retreat!" Soon, the forces from the eastern side changed direction and retreated under the cover of the forest.

  On the eastern section of the wall, as the relentless assault of the enemy Rajputs halted, the soldiers rejoiced.

  "Look, they are fleeing! We have won! We have won!"

  "The eastern side is secured!"

  Meenakshi, huffing, sat down, holding a sword in her hands while her other sword remained embedded in a nearby enemy's corpse. Her respite was short-lived as Omkar rushed to her with grim news.

  "Your Highness, I think you should check the southern side as well."

  She had witnessed the noise of bombardment and arrow barrage causing chaos at the southern gate, but her current duties had kept her from leaving her position.

  Rushing to the boundary of her wall, she looked toward the southern direction outside the wall. She noticed the cavalry, seemingly allies, still engaging with the disarrayed soldiers, scattering them into a rout. Then she turned to look at the inner section of the wall and was horrified to see the carnage.

  She almost felt like puking but controlled her urge with a steadying hand. Trained with swords, she had seen many awful bloodsheds, but this was beyond her imagination. Even the central forces poised to cross the shattered region avoided it.

  Then she heard a voice from the soldiers on the southern wall as they peeked down. "Look, it's the prince! He is under attack!" Her heart skipped a beat, and she ran straight to the southern section of the wall for a clearer view.

  On the ground, Pratap saw the enemy cavalry charging but ordered his men not to interfere and kept harassing the left over central forces to scatter.

  Aditya smirked as he saw the enemy cavalry underestimating him. He silently appuded Pratap for not getting in the way and made a note to return the favor ter. For now, he steeled his resolve, knowing that judgment time had come.

  He swiftly issued a series of commands:

  "Commander Ujjwal Singh, form a square formation!"

  "Colonel Manish, hold position as frontier and prepare your battalion for volley fire."

  "Colonel Amit and Colonel Ratnakar, reinforce the fnks immediately."

  "Colonel Nilesh, abandon the carts and bring your logistics team inside. Take on the crossbows."

  "Colonel Deepak, stand ready in formation and bring me the damn musket!"

  As Aditya took the musket from Deepak and began loading, his officers hurried to execute his orders.

  Rao Kishan Pal felt a mixture of disbelief and determination as he observed the unfolding scene. "When a candle nears its end, it flickers wildly. You arrogant prince, dance while you can. I'll atleast take your head for ruining my dreams," he muttered under his breath.

  His bravado faltered, however, when he noticed the musketeers outside the formation affixing gleaming bayonets to their rifles. A sense of foreboding washed over him, contrasting sharply with his earlier confidence.

  As the enemy cavalry entered the firing range, a thunderous boom echoed across the battlefield, seizing the attention of all present.

  Another devastating volley rang out, the sharp cracks of musket fire echoing through the field. Riders screamed as they were thrown from their horses, and within moments, a significant number of frontline horsemen y sin by the disciplined line formation.

  As the cavalry neared the musketeers, the royal guards swiftly pivoted, shields up and spears at the ready. Positioned strategically within the gaps of the guard formation, musketeers fixed bayonets on their rifles, adding an intimidating line of defense.

  Sensing imminent danger, Rao Kishan Pal's eyes widened. "Fnk them! Change course!" he shouted, desperately waving his nce. The cavalry veered, attempting to outmaneuver the steadfast defenders. Unbeknownst to him, this maneuver pyed into Aditya's trap.

  As the cavalry charged, they trampled upon concealed caltrops, hidden beneath the dust and grass. Horses screamed in pain, their legs giving way as they stumbled and fell, throwing the charge into disarray. Riders were flung to the ground, confusion and panic spreading like wildfire.

  "Argh! Halt the charge"

  "Take cover! Damn arrows!"

  From the rear, the repeating crossbows unleashed a deadly hail of arrows, their twangs lost in the cacophony of battle. Arrows rained down upon the beleaguered cavalry, halting their advance as riders scrambled to save themselves, abandoning their steeds and any sembnce of order.

  Amidst the chaos, Aditya smirked as he watched his trap spring perfectly into action.

  With the enemy perilously close, Aditya issued a decisive order, "Musketeers, fire at will!" The resulting barrage picked off the cavalry riders one by one with lethal precision.

  One of Rao Kishan Pal's subordinate pleaded, "Sir, please retreat! We can regroup and fight another day."

  Rao Pal Kishan felt conflicted with the decision, knowing that remaining meant certain sughter without a viable manoeuvre. Reluctantly, he agreed, "You're right. There will be another time. Order the retreat!"

  "Retreat! Retreat!" echoed through the ranks as all forces fell back.

  But mercy was not forthcoming, as the battlefield still held surprises.

  Aditya spotted Rao Pal Kishan, whom he had seen in the king's court objecting to his women's reform. Quickly, he took position, corrected his posture, aimed his musket, held his breath, and fired on the fleeing enemy.

  The bullet escaped through his barrel, tearing through the air, passed through the ranks, and penetrated deep into the target's skull. Brain matter spttered, and the enemy leader crumpled lifelessly to the ground.

  Chaos erupted among his forces as they cried out, "The king is dead! Our king is dead!"

  "Throw down your weapons! There's nowhere to run!"

  "We surrender! We surrender!"

  They understood they wouldn't be able to save their lives even if they ran. Desperately, they threw their weapons and halted. Those who tried to run were hunted down by the musketeers. Seeing this, the rest of fleeing cavalry also halted.

  Aditya calmly blew the smoke from his musket and ordered Ratnakar, "Take them as captives. We have much clearing up to do."

  Ratnakar swiftly moved, commanding his unit to seize the surrendering enemy at gunpoint.

  Witnessing the decisive scene, the remaining enemy forces on the western front opted to raise white fgs and surrender, putting an end to the relentless arrow barrage.

  Fleeing was not an option for them, knowing it would be futile given their ties to the nd and families residing there. Moreover, with their king sin, they now have chance to act as folly who were being forced by their dead leader to support his cause. After all dead don't come to give their witness.

  Meanwhile, vilge conscripts and lower-ranked soldiers seized the opportunity to flee while they still could.

  In the central forces, while nearly routed, those who remained loyal resisted the cavalry assault initially. Seeing the left fnk surrender and the right fnk retreat, they too surrendered, hoping for mercy in the absence of their fallen commander and the distant prospect of returning home. Pratap swiftly issued orders for his men to take them prisoner, while Jeetendar coordinated the operation.

  "Hooray! Victory is ours! The enemy has surrendered."

  "At st, we're safe!"

  Cheers erupted from the soldiers on the wall, stunned by the sudden turn of events. After battling through two horrible nights, victory seemed almost too swift as dawn approached. They celebrated in the glory of their prince, their unexpected savior.

  All leaders, including King Rao Todar Mal, felt relieved that the night of hell had finally passed with the dawn of victory. He quickly ordered his men to gather the captives outside and secure the perimeter to give the prince a grand welcome.

  By this time, the western gate had already been opened, and Tejpal Singh rode with some of his men to escort the prince. While his rest of the army poured out and resumed capturing the surrendered.

  Seeing friendly allies approach, the musketeers made way for them to enter. Tejpal Singh rushed to Aditya and hugged him dearly. "I knew it, prince. Empire's hero would come."

  Everyone smiled, agreeing with his words. Initially caught off guard by this sudden gesture, Aditya felt calm and patted Tejpal's shoulder. "There's no way I would leave my men in danger."

  By this time, Ujjwal Singh approached with joyful tears swelled in eyes and said, "Forgive me for this, Your Highness." He signaled to Tejpal, and both nodded before lifting Aditya onto their shoulders.

  Aditya felt deeply embarrassed, but the cheers from his surrounding forces lifted his spirits. He raised his hand and shouted, "For the Samrajya! Long live Bhargav Samrajya!"

  Soon, other leaders joined in chanting glory, forming a human panquin. First Nilesh, followed by his other colonels.

  The soldiers cheered in unison, not just for the Samrajya and the company but also for their prince who had bestowed upon them status and prestige for generations to come.

  ""For the Samrajya! Long live Bhargav Samrajya!"

  "Long live the Prince!"

  "Long live Hindshakti Company!"

  Aditya was paraded in the human panquin all the way from their position to the fort. Miles away on the wall, Meenakshi witnessed this joyous scene and felt a beacon of hope. Perhaps he was the messiah her declining empire had been looking for.

  ***************************

  //A/N:

  My dear readers, with this, I announce the end of my first volume. The next volume will focus on conflicts outside the borders of the empire and the seeds of innovations that will lead to the industrial age ter.