mrrandomplayer
Hopeless Situation Warrior
I fixed the mistake.
Sri Lanka 2: A Tamil Narrative (not an OCC) for RFC DoC
- Thread starter mrrandomplayer
- Start date
Atlantic Pacf.
Back from the dead
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With that in mind, I tried to play as the Tamils like how you do it again. Five times. Four out of five times, it was already built. The fifth time, I do get to build it (and every other classical wonder seemed to be built but the Cothon
), but I lost by a longshot.Even with the iron, Colombo (the Dutch name; I can't spell the actual one) has poor production. Producing the Cothon takes fifty turns (without any interruption, of course); slightly more with the cow.
(And to be honest, is the Cothon really that good? Are games decided by it? Because one hammer per water tile only makes terrible spots not terrible.)
mrrandomplayer
Hopeless Situation Warrior
No, trust me, it has worked. You get 6 hammers off the bat when most cities get 2 or 3, and then with the Colossus and Tamil UP (and a Harbor), each water tile is 2 Food, 1 Production, and 4 Gold. Did you attack India right off the bat? Mumbai and the city that hurts Kachnipuran's growth (usually Raipur) are usually poorly defended. I'm gonna write a strategy guide in the DoC forums pretty soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Moai_Spammer
Ave, True to Caesar!
Subscribed, this is a great story 
mrrandomplayer
Hopeless Situation Warrior
On the Back of an Elephant, Part 2: Mumbai
After that battle, things were never the same. Kaavalan became gloomier, Nerivaanthan became more excited and jocular, which didn't register well with Kaavalan, and Oliveanthan remained as quiet and mysterious as ever. The army continued to march towards Mumbai until only a week later, they had made it to the outskirts.
The city was rather unimpressive and disorganized, Illachiyaventhan thought. In some places, there wasn't even a wall, and where there were wall sections, they were poorly manned an in need of repair. From what Illachiyaventhan could see, the city had a fair amount of wealth, but it appeared ill-spent and Illachiyaventhan suspected that corruption was the biggest income sink. The city also looked very unhealthy and unsanitary from what Illachiyaventhan could see. It would most likely be taken quite easily.
Another elephant officer approached Illachiyaventhan, evidently bearing news.
"Greetings," said Illachiyaventhan, "what news do you have?"
"Illachiyaventhan," the officer answered, "General Inniyavan has decided to attack the city immediately, before the enemy can ready their defenses. However, the 1st Unit of Swordsmen will attack, with the 2nd Unit as a backup. We will watch from the sidelines unless something is screwed up horribly. That is all."
"Thank you. I will tell my men," Illachiyaventhan responded.
Upon telling the news to his squad, there was mixed response.
"Darn, I miss out on the glory of fighting, the loot, and worst of all, the women," grumbled Nerivaanthan.
"Will you ever shut up about this conversation topic?" asked Kaavalan.
"You don't understand half of my conversation topics, boy. Once you become a man, you will understand all of the pleasures of manhood, and once you do them, you will agree with me," said Nerivaanthan.
"Good grief, with either of you shut up?" muttered Oliveanthan.
"No, they won't," replied Illachiyaventhan very quietly to Oliveanthan.
The fighting went on for a while, and suddenly all went silent. Victory cries could be heard. However, they were those of the defenders. A scout approached the squad with a look of urgency on his face.
"Sir, the general of the 1st Unit of Swordsmen has made a tactical blunder that has resulted in defeat. We are sending in the 2nd Unit of Swordsmen to finish the defenders off, but you must be ready as a backup force," the scout reported.
"How could our commander have made such a big tactical mistake?" asked Oliveanthan.
"I'm wondering how they didn't screw up," commented Illachiyaventhan.
"On the bright side, this means we get bigger shares of plunder!" joked Nerivaanthan.
Everyone stared at him.
"What, I was just making a joke and telling the truth," he responded.
"I just hope that this will be done soon," muttered Kaavalan.
To nobody's surprise, the second part of the battle was a pushover. The 2nd Unit mopped up what the 1st Unit didn't. In just a few minutes, the victory cries of the Tamil army could be heard across the city and outliers.
The squad was eating dinner at that time. Illachiyaventhan could tell that Kaavalan was disgusted by the battle, because he was not eating anything again.
"I can't stand this. I'm just fed up with this war. There's just too much carnage and bloodshed. Why do we need Mumbai in the first place? At least Nerivaanthan isn't making jokes at me right now," ranted Kaavalan.
"Speaking of that, where is Nerivaanthan at the moment?" asked Oliveanthan.
Everyone looked around their campsite, but their fellow soldier was nowhere to be seen.
"Damnit, he snuck away while we were eating in search of 'plunder' or 'glory' or something like that. He has probably made it into the city by now. While Mumbai is pretty small, it's still a city, and we still have to know where the hell in the city he is. If my superiors don't kill me, I'll kill him!" raved Illachiyaventhan.
At that point an officer came up to Illachiyaventhan.
"Sir, the city has been captured. You and your squad are free to proceed in and loot for this evening," reported the officer.
"Thank you," responded Illachiyaventhan.
The three of them proceeded into the city, which was being looted and plundered. However, money and trinkets were not important to them compared to finding Nerivaanthan. Eventually, after 15 minutes of frantic searching, they followed sounds of screaming to Nerivaanthan. The look on his face portrayed the mood that he was in, and he was covered with various gold and jewelry, most likely stolen from civilian houses.
"What the hell are you doing here? We were not given permission to go into the city until recently, AND you've left the group and my officers would've killed me if they had found out. Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused us?" asked Illachiyaventhan
"Do you want some money to pay it off? Anyway, it was just such an opportunity, and besides, I've done it enough times to know when to do it and when not to," responded Nerivaanthan.
"No. We're going to get our elephants into the city and rest. This has been far too ridiculous. Good night," yelled Illachiyaventhan.
A night of good rest, while hard to get, turned out to be extremely relevant the next day. Illachiyaventhan was woken, not on his own nor by his companions, but by battle cries. A counterattack had been made on the city!
Illachiyaventhan and the squad hastily don their armor and helmets, got on their elephants, and got their weapons, then rushed to the center of attack. Most of the Swordsmen were too drunk and exhausted to mount a defense, as well as some of them being injured. Illachiyaventhan could tell that the defense of the city would be up to the elephants. Dust rose in the city as war elephants rumbled over to fight the attackers, who were Mauryan Swordsmen.
The elephants crashed into the Swordsmen and renewed the Tamil morale. While many elephants and their riders were killed by Maurya swords, many more Swordsmen were felled. The battle seemed pretty even until a second wind on the part of the Tamil forces let them drive back and beat the Mauryan forces.
Illachiyaventhan was fighting very hard, and his squad fought much better because of their sleep. They were responsible for quite a bit of the battle. Near the end of the battle, Illachiyaventhan was chasing the routed Swordsmen out of the city, cutting many down. One turned around to fight him, and after a bit of parrying, Illachiyaventhan was able to mortally wound him. However, as he did so, an arrow buried itself in Illachiyaventhan's arm. While the battle was over, the arrows did wound and kill some War Elephants. Illachiyaventhan could tell that he needed rest for his arm, and hopefully, there would be time for that while the army was consolidating its hold over the city.
After that battle, things were never the same. Kaavalan became gloomier, Nerivaanthan became more excited and jocular, which didn't register well with Kaavalan, and Oliveanthan remained as quiet and mysterious as ever. The army continued to march towards Mumbai until only a week later, they had made it to the outskirts.
The city was rather unimpressive and disorganized, Illachiyaventhan thought. In some places, there wasn't even a wall, and where there were wall sections, they were poorly manned an in need of repair. From what Illachiyaventhan could see, the city had a fair amount of wealth, but it appeared ill-spent and Illachiyaventhan suspected that corruption was the biggest income sink. The city also looked very unhealthy and unsanitary from what Illachiyaventhan could see. It would most likely be taken quite easily.
Another elephant officer approached Illachiyaventhan, evidently bearing news.
"Greetings," said Illachiyaventhan, "what news do you have?"
"Illachiyaventhan," the officer answered, "General Inniyavan has decided to attack the city immediately, before the enemy can ready their defenses. However, the 1st Unit of Swordsmen will attack, with the 2nd Unit as a backup. We will watch from the sidelines unless something is screwed up horribly. That is all."
"Thank you. I will tell my men," Illachiyaventhan responded.
Upon telling the news to his squad, there was mixed response.
"Darn, I miss out on the glory of fighting, the loot, and worst of all, the women," grumbled Nerivaanthan.
"Will you ever shut up about this conversation topic?" asked Kaavalan.
"You don't understand half of my conversation topics, boy. Once you become a man, you will understand all of the pleasures of manhood, and once you do them, you will agree with me," said Nerivaanthan.
"Good grief, with either of you shut up?" muttered Oliveanthan.
"No, they won't," replied Illachiyaventhan very quietly to Oliveanthan.
The fighting went on for a while, and suddenly all went silent. Victory cries could be heard. However, they were those of the defenders. A scout approached the squad with a look of urgency on his face.
"Sir, the general of the 1st Unit of Swordsmen has made a tactical blunder that has resulted in defeat. We are sending in the 2nd Unit of Swordsmen to finish the defenders off, but you must be ready as a backup force," the scout reported.
"How could our commander have made such a big tactical mistake?" asked Oliveanthan.
"I'm wondering how they didn't screw up," commented Illachiyaventhan.
"On the bright side, this means we get bigger shares of plunder!" joked Nerivaanthan.
Everyone stared at him.
"What, I was just making a joke and telling the truth," he responded.
"I just hope that this will be done soon," muttered Kaavalan.
To nobody's surprise, the second part of the battle was a pushover. The 2nd Unit mopped up what the 1st Unit didn't. In just a few minutes, the victory cries of the Tamil army could be heard across the city and outliers.
The squad was eating dinner at that time. Illachiyaventhan could tell that Kaavalan was disgusted by the battle, because he was not eating anything again.
"I can't stand this. I'm just fed up with this war. There's just too much carnage and bloodshed. Why do we need Mumbai in the first place? At least Nerivaanthan isn't making jokes at me right now," ranted Kaavalan.
"Speaking of that, where is Nerivaanthan at the moment?" asked Oliveanthan.
Everyone looked around their campsite, but their fellow soldier was nowhere to be seen.
"Damnit, he snuck away while we were eating in search of 'plunder' or 'glory' or something like that. He has probably made it into the city by now. While Mumbai is pretty small, it's still a city, and we still have to know where the hell in the city he is. If my superiors don't kill me, I'll kill him!" raved Illachiyaventhan.
At that point an officer came up to Illachiyaventhan.
"Sir, the city has been captured. You and your squad are free to proceed in and loot for this evening," reported the officer.
"Thank you," responded Illachiyaventhan.
The three of them proceeded into the city, which was being looted and plundered. However, money and trinkets were not important to them compared to finding Nerivaanthan. Eventually, after 15 minutes of frantic searching, they followed sounds of screaming to Nerivaanthan. The look on his face portrayed the mood that he was in, and he was covered with various gold and jewelry, most likely stolen from civilian houses.
"What the hell are you doing here? We were not given permission to go into the city until recently, AND you've left the group and my officers would've killed me if they had found out. Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused us?" asked Illachiyaventhan
"Do you want some money to pay it off? Anyway, it was just such an opportunity, and besides, I've done it enough times to know when to do it and when not to," responded Nerivaanthan.
"No. We're going to get our elephants into the city and rest. This has been far too ridiculous. Good night," yelled Illachiyaventhan.
A night of good rest, while hard to get, turned out to be extremely relevant the next day. Illachiyaventhan was woken, not on his own nor by his companions, but by battle cries. A counterattack had been made on the city!
Illachiyaventhan and the squad hastily don their armor and helmets, got on their elephants, and got their weapons, then rushed to the center of attack. Most of the Swordsmen were too drunk and exhausted to mount a defense, as well as some of them being injured. Illachiyaventhan could tell that the defense of the city would be up to the elephants. Dust rose in the city as war elephants rumbled over to fight the attackers, who were Mauryan Swordsmen.
The elephants crashed into the Swordsmen and renewed the Tamil morale. While many elephants and their riders were killed by Maurya swords, many more Swordsmen were felled. The battle seemed pretty even until a second wind on the part of the Tamil forces let them drive back and beat the Mauryan forces.
Illachiyaventhan was fighting very hard, and his squad fought much better because of their sleep. They were responsible for quite a bit of the battle. Near the end of the battle, Illachiyaventhan was chasing the routed Swordsmen out of the city, cutting many down. One turned around to fight him, and after a bit of parrying, Illachiyaventhan was able to mortally wound him. However, as he did so, an arrow buried itself in Illachiyaventhan's arm. While the battle was over, the arrows did wound and kill some War Elephants. Illachiyaventhan could tell that he needed rest for his arm, and hopefully, there would be time for that while the army was consolidating its hold over the city.
Moai_Spammer
Ave, True to Caesar!
Nice update 
baseballpie
Deity
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2012
- Messages
- 2,090
Yes, your writing is very good.
GreekAnalyzer
Back from the Dead
- Joined
- May 9, 2013
- Messages
- 1,936
Good, good.
Moai_Spammer
Ave, True to Caesar!
It's GREEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAT! 
Moai_Spammer
Ave, True to Caesar!
i can haz update ?
?
mrrandomplayer
Hopeless Situation Warrior
i can haz update
I'm not METY and this isn't Rome, Eternal Empire, so no update spam please. I update ~once a day, so I'm not all that bad, no?
mrrandomplayer
Hopeless Situation Warrior
Now that I've scolded you enough, moai spammer, here is an extra-long update.
On the Back of an Elephant, Part 3: Raipur
Illachiyaventhan was resting with his injured arm, and had been sleeping for the past several hours, when Kaavalan entered.
"Illachiyaventhan, wake up. General Inniyavan has requested all of our presence for a meeting," announced Kaavalan.
"Wha-what? Okay, I'll be there in a minute," responded Illachiyaventhan sleepily.
"As you know, a week ago, we successfully took this city, and we successfully defended it from a counterattack. Our military is severely weakened. We have lost one whole unit of Swordsmen, and our remaining unit is too weakened and needed to defend the city. Therefore, the capture of Raipur rests in the hands and tusks of our Imperial Elephants!" announced the general.
"What?" exclaimed Kaavalan and Oliveanthan at the same time.
There was mixed response to this. Many soldiers were cheering at the chance for renewed battle, including Nerivaanthan. However, some had grave expressions, because they knew that the strength of the unit had been severely weakened. Illachiyaventhan, Kaavalan, and Oliveanthan all had doubts about the success of the attack for various reasons.
"Furthermore, in order to catch the Mauryan generals off guard, we will begin marching against the city today! The march will take roughly a week. So, rest up and get ready to march onwards for the glory of the empire!" he concluded.
A few days later, the army was on the march. There was quite a bit of tension between the four members of the squad, as a lot of traveling with the same group of people every does. The particular conversation topic that the group kept coming back to was whether this attack was worthwhile. While Nerivaanthan and Kaavalan took their typical stances or being for and against the attack, respectively, Oliveanthan was very much against the attack and was very vocal about it, unlike his usually quiet nature.
"I respect the general and all, but this attack seems extremely risky. We are down a quarter of our unit and our espionage tells us that while Raipur has no wall, it is defended with a full unit of Axemen!" complained Oliveanthan.
"I think he's good. We get lots of attacking, lots of fighting, not a lot of waiting, and lots of plunder," responded Nerivaanthan.
"Wait, you said that there are no walls in Raipur? We never were told anything about that. Just out of curiosity, how did you know that?" asked Illachiyaventhan.
"Erm... uh... I've been there once or twice," responded Oliveanthan.
Illachiyaventhan realized that he had just made a major slip of the tongue. He knew that Nerivaanthan would completely hound Oliveanthan for that, and while Illachiyaventhan suspected that Oliveanthan wasn't telling everything he knew, he felt pretty sure that Oliveanthan wasn't a spy.
"Probably more than once or twice! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he turns out to be a spy! It's obvious! First, he acts very quiet and inconspicuous for a very long time, and then starts complaining when we get near the city where his true emperor, Asoka, is personally defending the city! I should turn you in, but I don't have completely sufficient evidence!" exclaimed Nerivaanthan.
Oliveanthan gulped. Illachiyaventhan could tell that the accusations had unnerved Oliveanthan a lot more than was visible.
"That's where you're wrong, Nerivaanthan. A true spy would be very vocal in support of the war and appear to be firmly on that side. Then, because of that, he would gain more respect among his superiors and get promoted until the final stab in the back. We all know someone who is acting like this, and I have heard rumors from officers about your promotion. Do you have anything to say about that?" explained Kaavalan.
"And how would a pacifist boy like you know this?" asked Nerivaanthan.
"Through the fact that even a 'boy' can understand common logic," retaliated Kaavalan.
"Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Everyone here is loyal to the empire! Besides, we are at Raipur right now," yelled Illachiyaventhan.
As it turned out, Raipur was in front of them. They had been one of the last groups to arrive, and the rest of the unit was camped right there. The squad dismounted and rested for a while, until a meeting was called. As usual, General Inniyavan was there, about to start the meeting.
"Greetings! We are planning on attacking as quickly as possible, and as a result, we are attacking this very evening! However, notice one thing behind me that puts the odds in our favor; there are no walls!" the general announced, to much applause. "Furthermore," the general continued, "some of you may have heard that the Maurya emperor, Asoka, is defending the city in person with the Axemen garrison. This is true. However, our glorious emperor, Rajendra Chola, has devised a stratagem to take the city. Not only will he explain it to you right now, but he himself will lead the first charge in battle!" This news was met with much cheering from nearly everyone, until the emperor entered. All bowed down in silence at his approach.
"Stand up, stand up! We can't conduct a meeting like this! Anyway, the stratagem involves attacking on three different sides to demoralize the enemy, surround them, and make it appear that we have more soldiers than we actually have. The first charge will be led by me and appear to be the full army. However, a few minutes in, once the real fighting has begun, another group will charge in from one side and make it look like another army is doing a flanking maneuver. General Inniyavan will lead that group. Then, a significant amount of time later, or if the enemy gets a second wind or one group falters, the third group will crash down from another side. That will conjure the illusion of another army of reinforcements coming in on the enemy. The general and I will discuss who will lead the third group and announce it before the start of the battle. Get ready to fight and strike another victory for our glorious empire!" explained Rajendra.
Two hours later, the squad was lying around, discussing the feasibility of the attack and who would be chosen as the commander.
"I think the attack is a brilliant stratagem. It will almost certainly work, and we will be plundering the city in no time!" said Nerivaanthan.
"It is very, very risky, and there is a big chance that the enemy could discern the tactic and crush each part one at a time. However, if it works, it will work resoundingly, and it is probably the best attack plan given our resources," responded Oliveanthan.
"I agree with Oliveanthan that is is a very big risk. However, the key part of the plan is while many defending generals might expect the attacker to split the army in two to flank, they wouldn't expect the army to be split in three. Furthermore, the long wait time will make it easier to fool people into thinking that it is a completely new unit attacking instead of 1/3 of a unit," reasoned Illachiyaventhan.
"I'm against the whole war in the first place, but this plan does seem to make sense," commented Kaavalan.
"What I'm more curious about is who the leader of the third group will be. It would definitely need to be someone with a sound head on their shoulders," said Oliveanthan, bringing up a new conversation topic.
"Maybe it could be you, Illachiyaventhan," guessed Nerivaanthan.
"I doubt it. I don't have as much experience as some other squad commanders," answered Illachiyaventhan.
At that moment, a messenger approached Illachiyaventhan.
"Sir, our glorious emperor Rajendra Chola and the general Inniyavan request your presence, Illachiyaventhan," the messenger announced.
"I'll be on my way," responded Illachiyaventhan.
"Funny that that happens right after I say that..." muttered Nerivaanthan.
Illachiyaventhan walked over to the area where the emperor and the general were discussing things. It was much more upscale than the areas for the common soldiers, with a tent having been pitched for the emperor.
"You requested my presence, your majesty?" asked Illachiyaventhan.
"Yes, there you are. After much discussing, Inniyavan and I have decided that you will be the leader of the third group," said the emperor.
"Me? Really? That surprises me. I would expect you to have picked someone with more experience," responded Illachiyaventhan.
"I picked you for several reasons. First, you are young and popular. More people look up to you than you think, especially in your own squad. Secondly, you are creative and decisive. You will know when to strike and not be wishy-washy, and you will think of ways to fool our opponents into believing that you are leading a second unit. At the same time, you are logical enough to know what will work. I trust that you will know what to do," explained the emperor.
"Thank you, your majesty," said Illachiyaventhan.
"You're welcome. That, and call me Rajendra, please. You are dismissed," replied Rajendra.
A bit later, the entire unit was assembled and split into three groups. With Rajendra were the least experienced squads, because Rajendra was the most experienced commander. The most experienced squads were with Illachiyaventhan, not only because of his experience and possible need of advice, but because they were the soldiers that could truly turn around a battle.
As Illachiyaventhan's troops advanced into place, which was a short distance outside the city on the northeast side, Illachiyaventhan remembered the orders that Rajendra had given him. He was supposed to wait for twenty minutes after the battle began, or when either army was in critical condition. Fortunately, he was on top of a hill,so he could see how the battle was going.
Illachiyaventhan was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard and saw Rajendra lead the first group into battle. He then saw the enemy army start to peel off and thin out, leaving themselves vulnerable to the charge of the second army. That demoralized the enemy, but then the plan started to go wrong. The enemy army regrouped around Asoka, and then formed itself into a pincer formation that was closing in around the two groups. At that point, the enemy's strength in numbers became apparent, causing them to fight harder and kill more Tamil soldiers. However, Illachiyaventhan could see that they had left their northeast side critically exposed. The battle was in a critical state deemed necessary for reinforcements. Illachiyaventhan gave the signal to charge.
Dust caked the air as the reserve force thundered onto the area of battle, and slammed into the enemy at their weakest spot. Tamil morale soared as soldiers fought on with renewed energy, and the Mauryan army was shattered into pieces as the elephants broke their pincer formation. During the charge, an axe hacked at Illachiyaventhan's elephant's knee, sending both mount and rider tumbling on to the ground. Illachiyaventhan quickly pulled out his sword and fought on through the sea of opposing axes and elephants.
Though the battle had swung in favor of the Tamils, the Mauryan army still fought hard, led on by Asoka himself. One axeman was particularly difficult. Illachiyaventhan narrowly survived several feints and was on the defensive. However, as his swings became more powerful, he left himself open more and more. After a swing that nearly knocked Illachiyaventhan's hand, the axeman, seeing his foe's pause, readied a massive overhead stroke for the kill. However, Illachiyaventhan's bluff paid off, as he sidestepped it with ease and stabbed the axeman through the heart. However, just as he pulled his sword out, he heard Oliveanthan shout, "LOOK OUT!"
Just then, he turned around and barely parried an axe aimed at his neck. The force of the blow knocked Illachiyaventhan's sword right out of his hand. With quick reflexes, he kicked him back to be able to retrieve his sword, but then he looked the enemy in the eye for just a short second.
The enemy axeman's stare was hauntingly familiar, and it was a burning glare of pure malice and hatred. Illachiyaventhan knew that look from somewhere and someone, though he couldn't pin down who. However, Illachiyaventhan quickly grabbed his sword and thrust at him, driving him back. Oddly enough, instead of fighting, the enemy simply left, despite having no wounds.
As Illachiyaventhan kept fighting his way through the dwindling horde of enemy Axemen, he noticed that Rajendra was completely surrounded by enemies. He saw Rajendra's elephant go down and knew that the emperor was in a tough spot. Sweeping enemies out of the way, he went to help Rajendra.
Illachiyaventhan could see that Rajendra was surrounded by seven enemies that were all hacking at him. Illachiyaventhan had no idea how Rajendra was still alive, but he ran up and cut down two from behind, then distracted two more to give his emperor some breathing room. After defeating the two of them, he realized that the battle was nearly over. Very few enemies were left, though Asoka was still alive and fighting. It was inevitable that Rajendra Chola and Asoka Maurya would duel to the death.
On the Back of an Elephant, Part 3: Raipur
Illachiyaventhan was resting with his injured arm, and had been sleeping for the past several hours, when Kaavalan entered.
"Illachiyaventhan, wake up. General Inniyavan has requested all of our presence for a meeting," announced Kaavalan.
"Wha-what? Okay, I'll be there in a minute," responded Illachiyaventhan sleepily.
"As you know, a week ago, we successfully took this city, and we successfully defended it from a counterattack. Our military is severely weakened. We have lost one whole unit of Swordsmen, and our remaining unit is too weakened and needed to defend the city. Therefore, the capture of Raipur rests in the hands and tusks of our Imperial Elephants!" announced the general.
"What?" exclaimed Kaavalan and Oliveanthan at the same time.
There was mixed response to this. Many soldiers were cheering at the chance for renewed battle, including Nerivaanthan. However, some had grave expressions, because they knew that the strength of the unit had been severely weakened. Illachiyaventhan, Kaavalan, and Oliveanthan all had doubts about the success of the attack for various reasons.
"Furthermore, in order to catch the Mauryan generals off guard, we will begin marching against the city today! The march will take roughly a week. So, rest up and get ready to march onwards for the glory of the empire!" he concluded.
A few days later, the army was on the march. There was quite a bit of tension between the four members of the squad, as a lot of traveling with the same group of people every does. The particular conversation topic that the group kept coming back to was whether this attack was worthwhile. While Nerivaanthan and Kaavalan took their typical stances or being for and against the attack, respectively, Oliveanthan was very much against the attack and was very vocal about it, unlike his usually quiet nature.
"I respect the general and all, but this attack seems extremely risky. We are down a quarter of our unit and our espionage tells us that while Raipur has no wall, it is defended with a full unit of Axemen!" complained Oliveanthan.
"I think he's good. We get lots of attacking, lots of fighting, not a lot of waiting, and lots of plunder," responded Nerivaanthan.
"Wait, you said that there are no walls in Raipur? We never were told anything about that. Just out of curiosity, how did you know that?" asked Illachiyaventhan.
"Erm... uh... I've been there once or twice," responded Oliveanthan.
Illachiyaventhan realized that he had just made a major slip of the tongue. He knew that Nerivaanthan would completely hound Oliveanthan for that, and while Illachiyaventhan suspected that Oliveanthan wasn't telling everything he knew, he felt pretty sure that Oliveanthan wasn't a spy.
"Probably more than once or twice! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he turns out to be a spy! It's obvious! First, he acts very quiet and inconspicuous for a very long time, and then starts complaining when we get near the city where his true emperor, Asoka, is personally defending the city! I should turn you in, but I don't have completely sufficient evidence!" exclaimed Nerivaanthan.
Oliveanthan gulped. Illachiyaventhan could tell that the accusations had unnerved Oliveanthan a lot more than was visible.
"That's where you're wrong, Nerivaanthan. A true spy would be very vocal in support of the war and appear to be firmly on that side. Then, because of that, he would gain more respect among his superiors and get promoted until the final stab in the back. We all know someone who is acting like this, and I have heard rumors from officers about your promotion. Do you have anything to say about that?" explained Kaavalan.
"And how would a pacifist boy like you know this?" asked Nerivaanthan.
"Through the fact that even a 'boy' can understand common logic," retaliated Kaavalan.
"Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Everyone here is loyal to the empire! Besides, we are at Raipur right now," yelled Illachiyaventhan.
As it turned out, Raipur was in front of them. They had been one of the last groups to arrive, and the rest of the unit was camped right there. The squad dismounted and rested for a while, until a meeting was called. As usual, General Inniyavan was there, about to start the meeting.
"Greetings! We are planning on attacking as quickly as possible, and as a result, we are attacking this very evening! However, notice one thing behind me that puts the odds in our favor; there are no walls!" the general announced, to much applause. "Furthermore," the general continued, "some of you may have heard that the Maurya emperor, Asoka, is defending the city in person with the Axemen garrison. This is true. However, our glorious emperor, Rajendra Chola, has devised a stratagem to take the city. Not only will he explain it to you right now, but he himself will lead the first charge in battle!" This news was met with much cheering from nearly everyone, until the emperor entered. All bowed down in silence at his approach.
"Stand up, stand up! We can't conduct a meeting like this! Anyway, the stratagem involves attacking on three different sides to demoralize the enemy, surround them, and make it appear that we have more soldiers than we actually have. The first charge will be led by me and appear to be the full army. However, a few minutes in, once the real fighting has begun, another group will charge in from one side and make it look like another army is doing a flanking maneuver. General Inniyavan will lead that group. Then, a significant amount of time later, or if the enemy gets a second wind or one group falters, the third group will crash down from another side. That will conjure the illusion of another army of reinforcements coming in on the enemy. The general and I will discuss who will lead the third group and announce it before the start of the battle. Get ready to fight and strike another victory for our glorious empire!" explained Rajendra.
Two hours later, the squad was lying around, discussing the feasibility of the attack and who would be chosen as the commander.
"I think the attack is a brilliant stratagem. It will almost certainly work, and we will be plundering the city in no time!" said Nerivaanthan.
"It is very, very risky, and there is a big chance that the enemy could discern the tactic and crush each part one at a time. However, if it works, it will work resoundingly, and it is probably the best attack plan given our resources," responded Oliveanthan.
"I agree with Oliveanthan that is is a very big risk. However, the key part of the plan is while many defending generals might expect the attacker to split the army in two to flank, they wouldn't expect the army to be split in three. Furthermore, the long wait time will make it easier to fool people into thinking that it is a completely new unit attacking instead of 1/3 of a unit," reasoned Illachiyaventhan.
"I'm against the whole war in the first place, but this plan does seem to make sense," commented Kaavalan.
"What I'm more curious about is who the leader of the third group will be. It would definitely need to be someone with a sound head on their shoulders," said Oliveanthan, bringing up a new conversation topic.
"Maybe it could be you, Illachiyaventhan," guessed Nerivaanthan.
"I doubt it. I don't have as much experience as some other squad commanders," answered Illachiyaventhan.
At that moment, a messenger approached Illachiyaventhan.
"Sir, our glorious emperor Rajendra Chola and the general Inniyavan request your presence, Illachiyaventhan," the messenger announced.
"I'll be on my way," responded Illachiyaventhan.
"Funny that that happens right after I say that..." muttered Nerivaanthan.
Illachiyaventhan walked over to the area where the emperor and the general were discussing things. It was much more upscale than the areas for the common soldiers, with a tent having been pitched for the emperor.
"You requested my presence, your majesty?" asked Illachiyaventhan.
"Yes, there you are. After much discussing, Inniyavan and I have decided that you will be the leader of the third group," said the emperor.
"Me? Really? That surprises me. I would expect you to have picked someone with more experience," responded Illachiyaventhan.
"I picked you for several reasons. First, you are young and popular. More people look up to you than you think, especially in your own squad. Secondly, you are creative and decisive. You will know when to strike and not be wishy-washy, and you will think of ways to fool our opponents into believing that you are leading a second unit. At the same time, you are logical enough to know what will work. I trust that you will know what to do," explained the emperor.
"Thank you, your majesty," said Illachiyaventhan.
"You're welcome. That, and call me Rajendra, please. You are dismissed," replied Rajendra.
A bit later, the entire unit was assembled and split into three groups. With Rajendra were the least experienced squads, because Rajendra was the most experienced commander. The most experienced squads were with Illachiyaventhan, not only because of his experience and possible need of advice, but because they were the soldiers that could truly turn around a battle.
As Illachiyaventhan's troops advanced into place, which was a short distance outside the city on the northeast side, Illachiyaventhan remembered the orders that Rajendra had given him. He was supposed to wait for twenty minutes after the battle began, or when either army was in critical condition. Fortunately, he was on top of a hill,so he could see how the battle was going.
Illachiyaventhan was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard and saw Rajendra lead the first group into battle. He then saw the enemy army start to peel off and thin out, leaving themselves vulnerable to the charge of the second army. That demoralized the enemy, but then the plan started to go wrong. The enemy army regrouped around Asoka, and then formed itself into a pincer formation that was closing in around the two groups. At that point, the enemy's strength in numbers became apparent, causing them to fight harder and kill more Tamil soldiers. However, Illachiyaventhan could see that they had left their northeast side critically exposed. The battle was in a critical state deemed necessary for reinforcements. Illachiyaventhan gave the signal to charge.
Dust caked the air as the reserve force thundered onto the area of battle, and slammed into the enemy at their weakest spot. Tamil morale soared as soldiers fought on with renewed energy, and the Mauryan army was shattered into pieces as the elephants broke their pincer formation. During the charge, an axe hacked at Illachiyaventhan's elephant's knee, sending both mount and rider tumbling on to the ground. Illachiyaventhan quickly pulled out his sword and fought on through the sea of opposing axes and elephants.
Though the battle had swung in favor of the Tamils, the Mauryan army still fought hard, led on by Asoka himself. One axeman was particularly difficult. Illachiyaventhan narrowly survived several feints and was on the defensive. However, as his swings became more powerful, he left himself open more and more. After a swing that nearly knocked Illachiyaventhan's hand, the axeman, seeing his foe's pause, readied a massive overhead stroke for the kill. However, Illachiyaventhan's bluff paid off, as he sidestepped it with ease and stabbed the axeman through the heart. However, just as he pulled his sword out, he heard Oliveanthan shout, "LOOK OUT!"
Just then, he turned around and barely parried an axe aimed at his neck. The force of the blow knocked Illachiyaventhan's sword right out of his hand. With quick reflexes, he kicked him back to be able to retrieve his sword, but then he looked the enemy in the eye for just a short second.
The enemy axeman's stare was hauntingly familiar, and it was a burning glare of pure malice and hatred. Illachiyaventhan knew that look from somewhere and someone, though he couldn't pin down who. However, Illachiyaventhan quickly grabbed his sword and thrust at him, driving him back. Oddly enough, instead of fighting, the enemy simply left, despite having no wounds.
As Illachiyaventhan kept fighting his way through the dwindling horde of enemy Axemen, he noticed that Rajendra was completely surrounded by enemies. He saw Rajendra's elephant go down and knew that the emperor was in a tough spot. Sweeping enemies out of the way, he went to help Rajendra.
Illachiyaventhan could see that Rajendra was surrounded by seven enemies that were all hacking at him. Illachiyaventhan had no idea how Rajendra was still alive, but he ran up and cut down two from behind, then distracted two more to give his emperor some breathing room. After defeating the two of them, he realized that the battle was nearly over. Very few enemies were left, though Asoka was still alive and fighting. It was inevitable that Rajendra Chola and Asoka Maurya would duel to the death.
GreekAnalyzer
Back from the Dead
- Joined
- May 9, 2013
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Ooooh... cliffhanger.
mrrandomplayer
Hopeless Situation Warrior
This chapter is a little shorter. Chapters 3 and 4 were originally one Chapter, but I split them up because of length issues.
On the Back of an Elephant, Part 4: Inferno
The rest of the fighting stopped as the two immortal emperors faced off against each other, sword against sword, and a ring of spectators had gradually formed.
Asoka was an old man, but he struck first with surprising speed. He made a thrust for Rajendra's heart, which was barely blocked. After that, Asoka was on the defensive, fighting with great speed to make up for his lack of strength. Eventually, after Asoka failed a feint, Rajendra kicked Asoka back, knocking the wind out of the old man's frail body. As soon as Asoka was back on his feet, he was driven back by Rajendra's strong, relentless offensive. However, a pause allowed Asoka to slice Rajendra's shoulder, then spin around to make a killing stroke for the neck. However, Rajendra spun, ducked just in time, and slashed Asoka's side. Both men were now bleeding ichor, the golden blood of the immortals. The fight reached a stalemate as both men were ready for each other's strokes and thrusts with the perfect parry. This went on for quite some time, but eventually, after readying an overhead stroke, Rajendra Chola kicked Asoka in the stomach, then punched him in the jaw. Besides knocking the wind out of Asoka, this stunned him for just enough time for Rajendra to stab Asoka in the heart.
While immortals cannot die of old age, they can be killed in battle, and with that, Asoka Maurya, immortal emperor of Maurya India for 1,250 years, died. His body exploded in bright gold light, and the immortal spark of the ruler of India passed on to Chandra-Gupta, the only alive, conscious senior army officer in Asoka's army.
"My army and nation surrender to you, Rajendra Chola. Could we declare a cease-fire until a full peace treaty can be written?" asked the new immortal ruler of Asoka's empire.
"Very well. However, since this is now owned by the Tamil empire, we request that you leave the city for your capital immediately," demanded Rajendra.
"Very well," answered Chandra-Gupta, and with that, the army left Raipur.
"You may have the rest of the night to loot and pillage as you please," declared Rajendra to the army.
"Oh, no!" muttered Oliveanthan, "I have to go. Now."
"What? Wait, why?" asked Illachiyaventhan.
"To evacuate my family," answered Oliveanthan.
"I knew it! You're a spy!" exclaimed Nerivaanthan.
"Okay, I'll explain. As all of you know, my father's side of the family is related to Rajendra Chola because my father is Rajendra Chola's 3rd cousin. Well, Asoka was my mother's 2nd cousin. At the start of the war, my dad was on a commerical voyage and my mom was visiting relatives here in Raipur. For the whole war, I have felt literally torn in half between the two sides of my family," explained Oliveanthan.
With that, the town hall burst into flames.
"The past month has been crazy dry. If something isn't done about the fire, the whole city will burn to the ground! Could you do me a favor and ask the emperor if something could be done about the fire and meet up with me at my family's home?" shouted Oliveanthan.
"I'll come with you to help evacuate your family!" yelled Kaavalan.
"And I will ask the emperor to do something. Damn, Nerivaanthan has gone to be with the ladies. I'll be on my way," answered Illachiyaventhan.
Illachiyaventhan sprinted over to the emperor's tent outside the city. As he ran, he saw the fire spread to more and more buildings.
"Rajendra, the city is on fire and will burn down. Your relative Oliveanthan is asking that something be done about it!" shouted Illachiyaventhan.
"It is too late. Believe me, I would save the city if I could, but it is too dry and water is too far away to help. The only thing you can do now is to try and evacuate the citizens and soldiers before it is too late. Hurry!" responded Rajendra.
Illachiyaventhan ran around the outskirts of the city to where Oliveanthan's family's home was. By then, the center of the city was an inferno. As Illachiyaventhan ran to the house, it was clear that the fire was spreading.
"Illachiyaventhan," Oliveanthan cried, "what did the emperor say?"
Illachiyaventhan dreaded being the messenger of such news, but he coughed it up anyway, "he said it was too late and we would just have to evacuate as many people as we could."
"No," Oliveanthan said, "no, no NO! I guess you will have to help finish evacuating everyone. I've gotten nearly everyone out, but my mother and a few others are still inside!"
With that, Illachiyaventhan, Oliveanthan, and Kaavalan ran into the burning house. They tried to hold their breath at the smoke, but they still breathed in a bit. However, they picked up the last three people, slung them over their backs, and ran to the outskirts of town.
"Mother," said Oliveanthan as he set her down, "are you all right?"
"I'm afraid I will have to say goodbye. I've breathed in too much smoke, and I can feel my life ebb away. Goodbye, Oliveanthan. I love you," croaked Oliveanthan's mother, and with that, she passed on from the world of the living.
"No. Not her. I HATE RAJENDRA CHOLA! IT'S ALL HIS FAULT! HE MURDERED MY MOTHER! I HATE HIM!" screamed Oliveanthan.
"Calm down. Bring her body away and we will bury her," murmured Illachiyaventhan.
"Why did she have to die?" sobbed Oliveanthan.
"It is just the circle of life. We will all die, but there will always be new life," answered Illachiyaventhan.
On the Back of an Elephant, Part 4: Inferno
The rest of the fighting stopped as the two immortal emperors faced off against each other, sword against sword, and a ring of spectators had gradually formed.
Asoka was an old man, but he struck first with surprising speed. He made a thrust for Rajendra's heart, which was barely blocked. After that, Asoka was on the defensive, fighting with great speed to make up for his lack of strength. Eventually, after Asoka failed a feint, Rajendra kicked Asoka back, knocking the wind out of the old man's frail body. As soon as Asoka was back on his feet, he was driven back by Rajendra's strong, relentless offensive. However, a pause allowed Asoka to slice Rajendra's shoulder, then spin around to make a killing stroke for the neck. However, Rajendra spun, ducked just in time, and slashed Asoka's side. Both men were now bleeding ichor, the golden blood of the immortals. The fight reached a stalemate as both men were ready for each other's strokes and thrusts with the perfect parry. This went on for quite some time, but eventually, after readying an overhead stroke, Rajendra Chola kicked Asoka in the stomach, then punched him in the jaw. Besides knocking the wind out of Asoka, this stunned him for just enough time for Rajendra to stab Asoka in the heart.
While immortals cannot die of old age, they can be killed in battle, and with that, Asoka Maurya, immortal emperor of Maurya India for 1,250 years, died. His body exploded in bright gold light, and the immortal spark of the ruler of India passed on to Chandra-Gupta, the only alive, conscious senior army officer in Asoka's army.
"My army and nation surrender to you, Rajendra Chola. Could we declare a cease-fire until a full peace treaty can be written?" asked the new immortal ruler of Asoka's empire.
"Very well. However, since this is now owned by the Tamil empire, we request that you leave the city for your capital immediately," demanded Rajendra.
"Very well," answered Chandra-Gupta, and with that, the army left Raipur.
"You may have the rest of the night to loot and pillage as you please," declared Rajendra to the army.
"Oh, no!" muttered Oliveanthan, "I have to go. Now."
"What? Wait, why?" asked Illachiyaventhan.
"To evacuate my family," answered Oliveanthan.
"I knew it! You're a spy!" exclaimed Nerivaanthan.
"Okay, I'll explain. As all of you know, my father's side of the family is related to Rajendra Chola because my father is Rajendra Chola's 3rd cousin. Well, Asoka was my mother's 2nd cousin. At the start of the war, my dad was on a commerical voyage and my mom was visiting relatives here in Raipur. For the whole war, I have felt literally torn in half between the two sides of my family," explained Oliveanthan.
With that, the town hall burst into flames.
"The past month has been crazy dry. If something isn't done about the fire, the whole city will burn to the ground! Could you do me a favor and ask the emperor if something could be done about the fire and meet up with me at my family's home?" shouted Oliveanthan.
"I'll come with you to help evacuate your family!" yelled Kaavalan.
"And I will ask the emperor to do something. Damn, Nerivaanthan has gone to be with the ladies. I'll be on my way," answered Illachiyaventhan.
Illachiyaventhan sprinted over to the emperor's tent outside the city. As he ran, he saw the fire spread to more and more buildings.
"Rajendra, the city is on fire and will burn down. Your relative Oliveanthan is asking that something be done about it!" shouted Illachiyaventhan.
"It is too late. Believe me, I would save the city if I could, but it is too dry and water is too far away to help. The only thing you can do now is to try and evacuate the citizens and soldiers before it is too late. Hurry!" responded Rajendra.
Illachiyaventhan ran around the outskirts of the city to where Oliveanthan's family's home was. By then, the center of the city was an inferno. As Illachiyaventhan ran to the house, it was clear that the fire was spreading.
"Illachiyaventhan," Oliveanthan cried, "what did the emperor say?"
Illachiyaventhan dreaded being the messenger of such news, but he coughed it up anyway, "he said it was too late and we would just have to evacuate as many people as we could."
"No," Oliveanthan said, "no, no NO! I guess you will have to help finish evacuating everyone. I've gotten nearly everyone out, but my mother and a few others are still inside!"
With that, Illachiyaventhan, Oliveanthan, and Kaavalan ran into the burning house. They tried to hold their breath at the smoke, but they still breathed in a bit. However, they picked up the last three people, slung them over their backs, and ran to the outskirts of town.
"Mother," said Oliveanthan as he set her down, "are you all right?"
"I'm afraid I will have to say goodbye. I've breathed in too much smoke, and I can feel my life ebb away. Goodbye, Oliveanthan. I love you," croaked Oliveanthan's mother, and with that, she passed on from the world of the living.
"No. Not her. I HATE RAJENDRA CHOLA! IT'S ALL HIS FAULT! HE MURDERED MY MOTHER! I HATE HIM!" screamed Oliveanthan.
"Calm down. Bring her body away and we will bury her," murmured Illachiyaventhan.
"Why did she have to die?" sobbed Oliveanthan.
"It is just the circle of life. We will all die, but there will always be new life," answered Illachiyaventhan.
Moai_Spammer
Ave, True to Caesar!
that update was...so AWESOME
mrrandomplayer
Hopeless Situation Warrior
On the Back of an Elephant, Part 5: Reflection
The city of Raipur ended up burning down to the ground, but most of its citizens were able to flee. Oliveanthan remained broken and depressed, and from then on loathed Rajendra Chola with heart and soul. The army stayed in Mumbai until a full peace treaty was negotiated, which took about a month.
Eventually, the whole army and Rajendra Chola went home. During this march home, Illachiyaventhan's squad travelled in the front with Rajendra Chola due to their crucial role in the Battle of Raipur, with his generals a little bit farther behind. Illachiyaventhan travelled directly next to Rajendra for most of the journey. Many a conversation was had during that long trek home.
"So, how intricate were the negotiations?" asked Kaavalan.
"Oh, they were pretty ridiculous. It basically involved me making an absurd demand, then toning it down a little bit," responded Rajendra.
"In what condition is the new Gupta Empire?" asked Nerivaanthan, "Terrible, or somewhat bad?"
"Well, it is kind of a mess, but Chandra-Gupta does seem to be whipping the empire into good shape. He could be a dangerous enemy in the future, unlike Asoka," answered Rajendra.
For a while, they just walked through the trees of the jungle, observing the lush sights and the pleasant sounds of rushing rivers and animals. During this time, Illachiyaventhan used this time for personal reflection. He had suspected that Oliveanthan had been holding something back for most of the time, but was still very surprised to find out that Oliveanthan had family connections to both the Chola family and the Maurya family. Illachiyaventhan could only imagine how Oliveanthan felt during the war, torn in half by family connections. From what Oliveanthan had told him about his mother, she was a pillar of stability in his turbulent life. To have that pillar knocked out from underneath... that was a feeling that, unlike the previous one, that Illachiyaventhan knew very well, remembering the cruel death of his mother.
He had only been a boy, roughly Kaavalan's age, but it instilled a true hatred of her killers. Most of his family perished that night, but Illachiyaventhan and his older brother managed to escape. For the next few years, they were barely able to survive and make enough money. Then, a war came, and both of them were drafted. However, during the first battle, Illachiyaventhan's brother died shielding Illachiyaventhan from a fatal wound. After that, Illachiyaventhan could stand no more. He deserted the army and joined a resistance group, and for once, met several friends and felt like he belonged. However, the government discovered the resistance group and attacked it, and the members scattered like leaves. Illachiyaventhan narrowly survived and fled to Sri Lanka to get away from his past and to start things over again. However, the Mauryo-Tamil war broke out, and Illachiyaventhan was conscripted yet again.
His thoughts then drifted to that fiery stare of hatred, when on the night of the Inferno of Raipur, as it was starting to be called, Illachiyaventhan nearly lost his life to an axe in the back of the neck. Only Oliveanthan's warning was able to save him, and he barely was able to dodge it in time. Yet for one short moment, that piercing stare of malice brought back traumatic memories of Illachiyaventhan's past. Illachiyaventhan was able to recall that look from somewhere and someone, but he could not quite capture the wispy memories at the back of his mind.
His eyes then turned to look at Oliveanthan. For the past month, his friend and comrade had been in deep mourning. His moods were always dark and gloomy, though they seemed to lighten up a bit whenever Illachiyaventhan was around. His grudge against Rajendra Chola, his 3rd cousin once removed, never disappeared. To Illachiyaventhan it seemed a little bit irrational to blame Oliveanthan's mother's death on his emperor's inability to be able to stop Raipur from burning down, but it could be considered Rajendra's fault for declaring war in the first place. A huge loss brings out very strong emotions, as Illachiyaventhan knew firsthand. It seemed a cruel twist of irony to have Oliveanthan ride at the front of the army with the person he loathed the most.
Illachiyaventhan's gaze then turned from Oliveanthan to Kaavalan. Illachiyaventhan knew that Kaavalan had performed exceptionally well, especially given his age and circumstances. Tossed into a storm of bloodshed and violence, he managed to survive despite being much younger and at conflict with the war itself. He had passed through the worst and made it into the eye of the storm, and Illachiyaventhan knew that Kaavalan would succeed greatly as an adult.
Lastly, Illachiyaventhan saw Nerivaanthan. Despite being the most predictable in terms of behavior, as he was always ready to do it with the nearest lady or tell some awful joke, he seemed the least predictable in motive. Illachiyaventhan knew that Oliveanthan acted the way he did due to his family, and Kaavalan due to his innocence and devout pacifism. However, Illachiyaventhan had no idea why Nerivaanthan acted the way he did. Was Nerivaanthan extremely insecure and nervous and he covered it up by acting the way he did? Or did he have some traumatic childhood experience or abuse? Or was he really just a carefree pervert? Illachiyaventhan had a feeling that he might never really know the answer.
Illachiyaventhan continued to think about many topics, and sometimes he just concentrated on the singing of the birds and the rustling of the leaves. However, he was jolted out of his thoughts as a sixth sense alerted him to something dangerous in the area. However, after looking around quickly, he did not see or hear anything out of the ordinary.
While he did not hear the hissing song of death of an arrow flying through the air, he did hear Oliveanthan's voice.
"Look out!" yelled Oliveanthan.
Both Illachiyaventhan and Rajendra, who was directly next to him, turned their heads in Oliveanthan's direction, and saw and heard the arrow diving towards Illachiyaventhan heart. However, Illachiyaventhan knew that it was coming too fast to dodge. During that time, he thought he saw that same haunting stare from somewhere in the trees, except it was mixed with a cold glare of satisfaction.
No sooner did he hear the thud of an arrow being driven into a man's heart than when he saw Oliveanthan leap out of his elephant's saddle and throw himself between Illachiyaventhan and the arrow. It passed straight into his heart, and he fell to the ground with a deadening thud. Rustling from the trees indicated that the assassin had fled. Everyone dismounted and knelt beside Oliveanthan.
"He saved the emperor's life!" said an astonished Kaavalan.
"Hush, he is dying and trying to say his last words," murmured Rajendra.
"Thank you for being such a great leader and friend. I looked up to you in more ways than you could imagine," gasped Oliveanthan, "Thank you." With that, Oliveanthan's body went limp, his breathing stopped, and he died.
"That was... the most noble deed that I have ever seen in my life. He gave his life to save the emperor's," said Nerivaanthan.
No, thought Illachiyaventhan, that arrow was aimed at my heart. He didn't save the emperor's life; as far as I know, he would have let Rajendra die. He saved my life, and Oliveanthan and I both knew that. From that realization, Illachiyaventhan's mind came to a conclusion that he had dreaded to think about. He now knew that his family's murderer was still after him. That piercing glare that he remembered from Raipur and the trees, that stare belonged to that man. He had narrowly survived two assassination attempts, one by an axe and one by the arrow that had killed Oliveanthan. His hiding spot had been discovered. He would need to leave.
For the rest of the journey, the remaining squad members and the emperor marched in complete silence all the way back to Kachnipuran. It was not until they were on the royal ferry going to Anuradhapura that the emperor finally spoke to Illachiyaventhan and the squad.
"I understand that you, Kaavalan, and Nerivaanthan are still in mourning for Oliveanthan, as am I. However, after the funeral, which is in one week, life will slowly start to return to normal. This may seem rather abrupt, but I would like to offer government positions to you. Illachiyaventhan, you would be a general. Kaavalan, you would be a high-ranking diplomat. Nerivaanthan, you would also be a high-ranking officer. I presume all of you would accept this offer?" asked Rajendra.
"I would certainly be glad to become a diplomat, your majesty," answered Kaavalan.
"Count me in!" responded Nerivaanthan.
"What about you, Illachiyaventhan?" asked Rajendra.
"I would love to accept your offer, and under normal circumstances, I would. However, events outside of my control have forced me to make a different decision. I am leaving the country, and I will depart after the funeral for Oliveanthan," explained Illachiyaventhan.
"What?!" exclaimed everyone else.
"Where will you go?" asked Kaavalan.
"I do not know at the moment, but I hope none of you take offense at my decision," answered Illachiyaventhan.
"Do not worry about me. I understand," assured Rajendra.
A week passed, and life did slowly begin to revert back to normal from wartime mood. Oliveanthan's funeral was well-attended, with many officials from Anuradhapura, Persia, and even India coming to the funeral, as well as many common people who had never heard of Oliveanthan, only that he died a true hero's death. After the procession, Rajendra Chola began to speak.
"It is very rare to find a true hero. A hero's life doesn't always end happily with him being showered in glory. Sometimes, a hero is willing to give up his life for the future, for the people, and that is what Oliveanthan has done. As a result, I have created a new award, only given posthumously, called the Oliveanthan Medal of Heroism. This will only be given on rare occasion to a person who gave his or her life in an act of courage for the state. Oliveanthan will be the first recipient of this award. He died saving me, interceding himself between me and an arrow that would have been lethal. Now, let us all remember him and the great deed that he has done," recited Rajendra with great emotion.
He didn't die to save you, thought Illachiyaventhan, he died to save me.
End of Story Arc
The city of Raipur ended up burning down to the ground, but most of its citizens were able to flee. Oliveanthan remained broken and depressed, and from then on loathed Rajendra Chola with heart and soul. The army stayed in Mumbai until a full peace treaty was negotiated, which took about a month.
Eventually, the whole army and Rajendra Chola went home. During this march home, Illachiyaventhan's squad travelled in the front with Rajendra Chola due to their crucial role in the Battle of Raipur, with his generals a little bit farther behind. Illachiyaventhan travelled directly next to Rajendra for most of the journey. Many a conversation was had during that long trek home.
"So, how intricate were the negotiations?" asked Kaavalan.
"Oh, they were pretty ridiculous. It basically involved me making an absurd demand, then toning it down a little bit," responded Rajendra.
"In what condition is the new Gupta Empire?" asked Nerivaanthan, "Terrible, or somewhat bad?"
"Well, it is kind of a mess, but Chandra-Gupta does seem to be whipping the empire into good shape. He could be a dangerous enemy in the future, unlike Asoka," answered Rajendra.
For a while, they just walked through the trees of the jungle, observing the lush sights and the pleasant sounds of rushing rivers and animals. During this time, Illachiyaventhan used this time for personal reflection. He had suspected that Oliveanthan had been holding something back for most of the time, but was still very surprised to find out that Oliveanthan had family connections to both the Chola family and the Maurya family. Illachiyaventhan could only imagine how Oliveanthan felt during the war, torn in half by family connections. From what Oliveanthan had told him about his mother, she was a pillar of stability in his turbulent life. To have that pillar knocked out from underneath... that was a feeling that, unlike the previous one, that Illachiyaventhan knew very well, remembering the cruel death of his mother.
He had only been a boy, roughly Kaavalan's age, but it instilled a true hatred of her killers. Most of his family perished that night, but Illachiyaventhan and his older brother managed to escape. For the next few years, they were barely able to survive and make enough money. Then, a war came, and both of them were drafted. However, during the first battle, Illachiyaventhan's brother died shielding Illachiyaventhan from a fatal wound. After that, Illachiyaventhan could stand no more. He deserted the army and joined a resistance group, and for once, met several friends and felt like he belonged. However, the government discovered the resistance group and attacked it, and the members scattered like leaves. Illachiyaventhan narrowly survived and fled to Sri Lanka to get away from his past and to start things over again. However, the Mauryo-Tamil war broke out, and Illachiyaventhan was conscripted yet again.
His thoughts then drifted to that fiery stare of hatred, when on the night of the Inferno of Raipur, as it was starting to be called, Illachiyaventhan nearly lost his life to an axe in the back of the neck. Only Oliveanthan's warning was able to save him, and he barely was able to dodge it in time. Yet for one short moment, that piercing stare of malice brought back traumatic memories of Illachiyaventhan's past. Illachiyaventhan was able to recall that look from somewhere and someone, but he could not quite capture the wispy memories at the back of his mind.
His eyes then turned to look at Oliveanthan. For the past month, his friend and comrade had been in deep mourning. His moods were always dark and gloomy, though they seemed to lighten up a bit whenever Illachiyaventhan was around. His grudge against Rajendra Chola, his 3rd cousin once removed, never disappeared. To Illachiyaventhan it seemed a little bit irrational to blame Oliveanthan's mother's death on his emperor's inability to be able to stop Raipur from burning down, but it could be considered Rajendra's fault for declaring war in the first place. A huge loss brings out very strong emotions, as Illachiyaventhan knew firsthand. It seemed a cruel twist of irony to have Oliveanthan ride at the front of the army with the person he loathed the most.
Illachiyaventhan's gaze then turned from Oliveanthan to Kaavalan. Illachiyaventhan knew that Kaavalan had performed exceptionally well, especially given his age and circumstances. Tossed into a storm of bloodshed and violence, he managed to survive despite being much younger and at conflict with the war itself. He had passed through the worst and made it into the eye of the storm, and Illachiyaventhan knew that Kaavalan would succeed greatly as an adult.
Lastly, Illachiyaventhan saw Nerivaanthan. Despite being the most predictable in terms of behavior, as he was always ready to do it with the nearest lady or tell some awful joke, he seemed the least predictable in motive. Illachiyaventhan knew that Oliveanthan acted the way he did due to his family, and Kaavalan due to his innocence and devout pacifism. However, Illachiyaventhan had no idea why Nerivaanthan acted the way he did. Was Nerivaanthan extremely insecure and nervous and he covered it up by acting the way he did? Or did he have some traumatic childhood experience or abuse? Or was he really just a carefree pervert? Illachiyaventhan had a feeling that he might never really know the answer.
Illachiyaventhan continued to think about many topics, and sometimes he just concentrated on the singing of the birds and the rustling of the leaves. However, he was jolted out of his thoughts as a sixth sense alerted him to something dangerous in the area. However, after looking around quickly, he did not see or hear anything out of the ordinary.
While he did not hear the hissing song of death of an arrow flying through the air, he did hear Oliveanthan's voice.
"Look out!" yelled Oliveanthan.
Both Illachiyaventhan and Rajendra, who was directly next to him, turned their heads in Oliveanthan's direction, and saw and heard the arrow diving towards Illachiyaventhan heart. However, Illachiyaventhan knew that it was coming too fast to dodge. During that time, he thought he saw that same haunting stare from somewhere in the trees, except it was mixed with a cold glare of satisfaction.
No sooner did he hear the thud of an arrow being driven into a man's heart than when he saw Oliveanthan leap out of his elephant's saddle and throw himself between Illachiyaventhan and the arrow. It passed straight into his heart, and he fell to the ground with a deadening thud. Rustling from the trees indicated that the assassin had fled. Everyone dismounted and knelt beside Oliveanthan.
"He saved the emperor's life!" said an astonished Kaavalan.
"Hush, he is dying and trying to say his last words," murmured Rajendra.
"Thank you for being such a great leader and friend. I looked up to you in more ways than you could imagine," gasped Oliveanthan, "Thank you." With that, Oliveanthan's body went limp, his breathing stopped, and he died.
"That was... the most noble deed that I have ever seen in my life. He gave his life to save the emperor's," said Nerivaanthan.
No, thought Illachiyaventhan, that arrow was aimed at my heart. He didn't save the emperor's life; as far as I know, he would have let Rajendra die. He saved my life, and Oliveanthan and I both knew that. From that realization, Illachiyaventhan's mind came to a conclusion that he had dreaded to think about. He now knew that his family's murderer was still after him. That piercing glare that he remembered from Raipur and the trees, that stare belonged to that man. He had narrowly survived two assassination attempts, one by an axe and one by the arrow that had killed Oliveanthan. His hiding spot had been discovered. He would need to leave.
For the rest of the journey, the remaining squad members and the emperor marched in complete silence all the way back to Kachnipuran. It was not until they were on the royal ferry going to Anuradhapura that the emperor finally spoke to Illachiyaventhan and the squad.
"I understand that you, Kaavalan, and Nerivaanthan are still in mourning for Oliveanthan, as am I. However, after the funeral, which is in one week, life will slowly start to return to normal. This may seem rather abrupt, but I would like to offer government positions to you. Illachiyaventhan, you would be a general. Kaavalan, you would be a high-ranking diplomat. Nerivaanthan, you would also be a high-ranking officer. I presume all of you would accept this offer?" asked Rajendra.
"I would certainly be glad to become a diplomat, your majesty," answered Kaavalan.
"Count me in!" responded Nerivaanthan.
"What about you, Illachiyaventhan?" asked Rajendra.
"I would love to accept your offer, and under normal circumstances, I would. However, events outside of my control have forced me to make a different decision. I am leaving the country, and I will depart after the funeral for Oliveanthan," explained Illachiyaventhan.
"What?!" exclaimed everyone else.
"Where will you go?" asked Kaavalan.
"I do not know at the moment, but I hope none of you take offense at my decision," answered Illachiyaventhan.
"Do not worry about me. I understand," assured Rajendra.
A week passed, and life did slowly begin to revert back to normal from wartime mood. Oliveanthan's funeral was well-attended, with many officials from Anuradhapura, Persia, and even India coming to the funeral, as well as many common people who had never heard of Oliveanthan, only that he died a true hero's death. After the procession, Rajendra Chola began to speak.
"It is very rare to find a true hero. A hero's life doesn't always end happily with him being showered in glory. Sometimes, a hero is willing to give up his life for the future, for the people, and that is what Oliveanthan has done. As a result, I have created a new award, only given posthumously, called the Oliveanthan Medal of Heroism. This will only be given on rare occasion to a person who gave his or her life in an act of courage for the state. Oliveanthan will be the first recipient of this award. He died saving me, interceding himself between me and an arrow that would have been lethal. Now, let us all remember him and the great deed that he has done," recited Rajendra with great emotion.
He didn't die to save you, thought Illachiyaventhan, he died to save me.
End of Story Arc
Moai_Spammer
Ave, True to Caesar!
nice
mrrandomplayer
Hopeless Situation Warrior
Westward Missionaries, Part 2
Gathered and compiled by Karthikai, Chief Government Arcivist, from letters sent to Emperor Rajendra Chola
The most recent week we left the territory of the Mauryas and entered the great empire of Persia. The people there were generally extremely hospitable and friendly. Though the land of their capital is mostly desert, it is rich with resources and the Persians have a very strong army to make up for it. As a result of that, they have conquered many lands, including the lands of a distant civilization they call the "Babylonians" as well as a land they call "Anatolia". The land seems to be well-improved, and it is not hard to find civilian workforces enhancing the land. As mentioned before, the Persian military is mighty, and the spear-wielding guards of the emperor, known as Immortals, are extremely powerful. Their emperor, Cyrus, is a very kind and tolerant man. His empire owns cities of many different religions than the religion of the Persians, Zoroastrianism, yet he allows them to practice their own religions freely. A few days ago, Cyrus invited us to a state dinner, and his genuine generosity and hospitality were evident during that extremely enjoyable dinner. The organization of the empire is also to be admired. The empire is subdivided into various districts known as Satrapies, and they are allowed to collect their own taxes and practice limited autonomy. This system is extremely efficient and if our empire grows more, it could be put to good use. There are many reasons for a mutual alliance. Firstly, we both share a common enemy in Maurya India (this was written before Asoka died). Secondly, our diplomatic relations have been improved by trade and many years of peace. Overall, the empire of Persia is strong and glorious and could become a powerful ally.
May speed and grace follow you,
Chinnakilli, Explorer and Missionary of the Chola Empire.
Sorry about the short update, I should have gone to bed earlier. Tomorrow, I will most likely post a gameplay update, so keep your eyes peeled!
Gathered and compiled by Karthikai, Chief Government Arcivist, from letters sent to Emperor Rajendra Chola
The most recent week we left the territory of the Mauryas and entered the great empire of Persia. The people there were generally extremely hospitable and friendly. Though the land of their capital is mostly desert, it is rich with resources and the Persians have a very strong army to make up for it. As a result of that, they have conquered many lands, including the lands of a distant civilization they call the "Babylonians" as well as a land they call "Anatolia". The land seems to be well-improved, and it is not hard to find civilian workforces enhancing the land. As mentioned before, the Persian military is mighty, and the spear-wielding guards of the emperor, known as Immortals, are extremely powerful. Their emperor, Cyrus, is a very kind and tolerant man. His empire owns cities of many different religions than the religion of the Persians, Zoroastrianism, yet he allows them to practice their own religions freely. A few days ago, Cyrus invited us to a state dinner, and his genuine generosity and hospitality were evident during that extremely enjoyable dinner. The organization of the empire is also to be admired. The empire is subdivided into various districts known as Satrapies, and they are allowed to collect their own taxes and practice limited autonomy. This system is extremely efficient and if our empire grows more, it could be put to good use. There are many reasons for a mutual alliance. Firstly, we both share a common enemy in Maurya India (this was written before Asoka died). Secondly, our diplomatic relations have been improved by trade and many years of peace. Overall, the empire of Persia is strong and glorious and could become a powerful ally.
May speed and grace follow you,
Chinnakilli, Explorer and Missionary of the Chola Empire.
Sorry about the short update, I should have gone to bed earlier. Tomorrow, I will most likely post a gameplay update, so keep your eyes peeled!
Moai_Spammer
Ave, True to Caesar!
does gameplay update mean pretty pictures, cause i like pretty pictures
mrrandomplayer
Hopeless Situation Warrior
Yes. I have also redone the first Government Reports, so be sure to check that out.
