A Slave Who Became Emperor 66 A Beginning Leading To An End

The war elephants were the first ones to engage with the enemy troops.. Zaffar's foot soldiers got trampled unceremoniously.. each person who got trampled by the elephants experienced an excruciating pain as their lungs and heart collapsed and they vomited blood.. Zaffar and his cavalry retreated to the elephant free zone.. half of his foot soldiers fell.. half of them retreated and stood behind the cavalry.. the mahouts drove the elephants away to a safe distance and waited..

Pinaka shouted.. 'now.. release.. ' a dozen lances bearing gun powder canisters were launched...there was complete chaos..Zaffar's cavalry was running helter skelter.. Zaffar shouted, 'Stand and fight! ' everyone stopped running.. then they slowly advanced towards Pinaka's army.. as they were approaching, Pinaka cried, 'halt! ' and there was drum beat resounding..then he cried, 'forward!' with each drum beat the army marched forward..

The army was coming towards them in a sequence.. Zaffar's men were unable to read the strategy.. there was no particular formation.. it was very random.. yet the way in which they were approaching made them shiver with unease.. it was as if great tides of sea were coming to engulf them completely..

When the enemy loses confidence, half the war is won..Zaffar said something to Shadab, he nodded and went towards the catapults.. he made the people adjust the angle and distance of the catapults and said, 'lose! ' Pinaka heard it and cried, 'halt! ' however, the canisters were moving in a different direction.. as Pinaka saw the angle he understood.. he shouted, 'elephants.. retreat! ' the mahouts tried to divert the elephants and move them.. however they couldn't do so on time.. four elephants died along with their mahouts.. the remaining elephants ran in fear.. the mahouts regained control swiftly and drove them towards their tent..

Zaffar said, 'well done!, now keep aiming.. start from the last rows of their army.. as they are approaching.. 'the catapults were re-loaded.. before they could be launched, there were swooshing sounds in the air, as Zaffar raised his head, he saw another round of lances approaching.. this time there was no escaping.. one lance pierced Shadab right through his heart.. it was thrown by Samyukta.. as it pierced through him, the cannister went off blasting his body into million pieces.. Zaffar closed his eyes for few seconds and opened them..his eyes became blood shot and were burning with fury.. meanwhile the remaining Lances successfully damaged all the catapults.. there was no way to re- use them..

Pinaka cried, 'forward! ' and the army marched on to drum beat.. Zaffar's men felt that their death was approaching.. even his generals lost confidence.. as they reached a certain distance from Zaffar's army..Pinaka cried, 'halt! ' the entire army stopped.. the drum beat ceased.. everyone came to a stand still and waited..

Zaffar didn't understand.. neither he nor his men felt confident to move forward.. Pinaka cried, 'Zaffar! I am giving you one last chance.. accept your defeat and lay your weapons down.. I will spare you and your men.. we will let you go.. ' Zaffar's blood was boiling.. this kid.. he thinks that he can make him retreat.. how dare he.. he thought.. Zaffar said, 'me and my men marched through the rough terrains of Hindukush mountains, crossed the Sindhu River, and stood before your army to make your country kneel..not to retreat..each one of my men is equal to ten men of your army.. we will not retreat.. we will come forward and fight.. ' then he said to his men.. 'this is the time to prove yourself.. there is no need to target his soldiers.. go and kill him, his wife and his generals.. army without leaders will crumble apart easily.. let's make them pay the price for killing our men..! ' Pinaka knew that Zaffar wouldn't submit, but giving a chance to retreat was Kshatriya Dharma (law of Kings)..

He knew that Zaffar would think this way.. but to Zaffar and his mens' disappointment.. Pinaka, Samyukta, his generals were all at the center.. they need to slaughter many soldiers to create a path to reach them.. slowly the drum beat started resounding again.. Zaffar cried, 'death! ' his men repeated, 'death! ' and charged towards Pinaka's army..