Chapter 45: Punishment From The Gods!
Somewhere, a kilometre away from Hampi City,
There was a clearing in a forest where a bunch of men had made camp.
The camp was established by none other than Vimal and his accomplices. Everyone could be seen seated in a tent; there were a few maps of Hampi City hung around the walls. The atmosphere was tense as if waiting for something to happen. However, the arrival of a scout broke the tense atmosphere in the camp.
Vimal, upon seeing his men, stood up from his seat in a hurry and inquired, "So, how did the raid go? Were we successful in damaging the opponents' vitality?"
The scout replied after catching his breath for a while, "It was an utter defeat, Your Highness. From what I could see, there were around 10,000 soldiers on the walls and another 10,000 cavalry guarding the city. Our army was slaughtered and mauled mercilessly, Your Highness. But the numbers weren't the most frightening part of that army, no, it was their coordination that was terrifying. It's as if the whole army is one single body. Sadly, I couldn't discern from where the cavalry came. My suspicion is that there is a secret road in the city from which the cavalry emerged."
He answered in trepidation as if recalling something.
"Moreover, I do not know the exact count, but almost 7,000 of our soldiers surrendered, while only around a thousand members were injured or killed on the opponent's side."
Listening to the news, everyone in the hall was greatly shaken, and doubts began to arise. "Is this really the right path?" The uncertainty loomed within their hearts.
Vimal, observing their doubts, responded, "If the Vijayanagar army was so easy to defeat, the Mughal Emperor would have already done it. I had no hope of defeating the Vijayanagar Empire with just 20,000 men in the charge. I was merely hoping to divert their attention and inflict as much damage to their vitality as possible. I just didn't anticipate that we wouldn't even be able to cause a considerable amount of damage."
Vimal continued explaining his plan, noticing the nobles' expressions becoming more agreeable. "Now that the army would be in a more lax state, we will sneak into the Vijayanagar Empire through a path known only to my family. After that, it should be an easier fight to defeat the opponent. Don't forget, we still have 50,000 army personnel ready for battle."
All the nobles perked up upon hearing his plan as if suddenly remembering Vimal's family background. However, one among them, an elderly man, seemed more cautious as he asked, "Your Highness, your plan is very well made, but what if your plan is also known to Vijay Devaraya, who is also of the royal family?"
Vimal, unaffected by the question, laughed. "Ha ha, if Vijay had known about this path, why would I suggest it at this very moment? Do not worry. This path was directly built by my grandfather in his time, for whatever reason he wouldn't tell. So, not even the royal family is aware of this part, except for my family, his direct descendants."
He explained his reasons and then walked to a clearing that his men had prepared earlier. As he approached a boulder, he instructed his men to move it. After persistent efforts by a few strong men, the boulder was cleared, revealing a tunnel that extended deep under the hills. Seeing this passage, all the nobles were overjoyed. As they looked on, the army lined up neatly and began to move through the tunnel like a long, venomous serpent.
Vijayanagar Empire, Hampi Palace.
Vijay made his way back to the castle. He was about to visit his wife to check up on her, but he decided to finish his work first. Vinod brought him a few documents, and as he flipped through the pages, he was surprised by the number of casualties. Although he knew it was an acceptable number, considering almost 7,000 rebel soldiers had surrendered, he couldn't help but feel uneasy about reducing people to mere numbers. "Maybe all those in positions of power see those of lesser power like this," he thought to himself, not liking the feeling.
Nevertheless, he was the king of this land, and he had to fulfil his duties. After finishing reading the documents and signing them, he quickly headed to his wife's room to meet her while Vinod sorted out the remaining documents.
When he arrived at his wife's room, he knocked on the door. As the door opened, he saw his aunt Meena keeping company with his wife. Vijay smiled as he greeted his aunt.
Meena was very happy to see Vijay, but her expression changed abruptly as she saw a silhouette dashing towards Vijay at a rapid speed. She had no time to explain as she screamed at the top of her lungs and pushed Vijay away with all her strength. Before Vijay could understand what was happening, he felt a burning sensation in his ear as something pierced it. By the time he noticed the blood on his cheeks, he could see that his aunt Meena had been stabbed in the throat from behind.
His mind went blank as he struggled to comprehend the situation. But something inside him compelled his hands to reach for his Talwar, and he instinctively swung it at his assailant. He watched blankly as his assassin's head fell, a surprised expression still on the attacker's face. Vijay didn't respond to his own actions. His mind was numb as he stood between the lifeless body of the assassin and his aunt Meena. He just stood there, without saying a word, his body trembling from the horrifying sight he was witnessing. His brain felt paralyzed.
Kavya, upon hearing the commotion, came running over only to witness the lifeless body of Meena. She yelled out in horror at the sight of her aunt's throat slit open. "Ahhhhhhhhh."
It wasn't until he heard his wife's cries that Vijay began to recover and fully grasp the gravity of the situation. He knelt down and picked up his aunt's body in his arms, letting out a desperate wail, "Uhhhaaaaaaaaaaaa." His cries were heart-wrenching as he wallowed in despair.
Vinod, who was sorting out documents on the other side of the palace, came running as soon as he heard the screams. When he arrived, he witnessed the horrifying scene of his master holding the lifeless body of the person he deeply cared for, now turned into a corpse.
"Ahaaaaaaaaaa," Vijay's cries were transforming into roars fueled by rage. He was angry at himself, angry at the assailant, and even angry at his aunt for taking the punishment for his mistakes.
Vijay now recalled Senapati's earlier warning that something was amiss. He had been complacent all this time, arrogantly holding onto memories of the future, treating everything as a game. Now, it seemed like a cruel punishment from the gods. "Step step step," the rhythmic footsteps behind him indicated that there was no time to waste. He quickly came to his senses as he picked up his aunt's lifeless body and dragged his wife into the room, Vinod also followed.
In haste, he smashed a mirror in the room, revealing a hidden compartment. Vijay remembered his father showing him this secret tunnel that led out of the castle. His father had constructed the passage himself. With one look back at the castle, the three of them made their way out through the secret tunnel to the outskirts of Hampi City. Fortunately for Vijay, this was where the remaining army was stationed.
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