I wrote this story on and off throughout the school year, from about September until now. It's probably my biggest post yet, and it will likely hold that title for a while. I hope you all like it; and I think, perhaps, as you go from the beginning to the end, you may be able to see how my writing has developed throughout this year.
Lahore- the capital of Mahakhanta; the great northern port city on the delta of the Mahakhanta River. The city's main citadel and castle, Bhilai Fortress, had been the ancestral seat of House Angad, the ruling house of Mahakhanta, for many, many generations. The walls were high and long, made of tan-colored stones. The city itself was located on a promontory overlooking the delta of the Mahakhanta River. The great Port of Lahore was famous across the Great Island- it was the largest by far. The Port was connected to the city via a great tunnel down through the cliff. Two thousand years later, the tunnel would be enlarged and extended, and made into a driveable road. The Port's docks were made of the same tan stone that both Bhilai Fortress and the city's walls were made of. It was this port that Akbar wanted- he had already conquered Dhantara and the remainder of Madhya. But this time, everything was to be different.
Akbar did not intend to become a king himself, but more than even that- a king of kings. The entire island would be his dominion. Never before had this been done- not even the Old Ones had claimed dominion over the entirety of the Great Island- they never even established any permanent colonies. But Akbar could, because he had one thing that, for millennia, no one else had- dragons. The conquest of Mahakhanta would be different because, at long last, he was going to utilize the aid of his Kyloth friends, and unleash the great weapons they were upon House Angad and its kingdom- and then, with Dhantara, Madhya, and Mahakhanta under his control, he hoped to create a great pincer and cut the island in two, allowing for an easier conquest of the eastern kingdoms of Auranga, Andhra, and Sailendra. With the east, north, and south out of the way, Akbar the Conqueror could look west, where the island's strongest kingdoms resided- Surat, Mandakatra, and the famously unconquerable kingdom of Chhapra.
Akbar, after securing Madhya, had with him the kingdom's navy. Madhya's navy was second only to that of Mahakhanta itself in strength, and the two kingdoms had been bitter rivals for many years. So, unsurprisingly, when Akbar's navy showed up outside Lahore, the Angads took the bait and responded with their own navy. Akbar's navy led the Angad navy away, completing the successful diversion. Once the enemy navy was far enough away, Akbar's officers gave the planned order. Retreat at full speed, give the enemy navy open space, and light the signal beacon. These orders seemed like folly to the Angads. Why would Akbar's armies lead them all this way only for them to retreat? Something seemed fishy, so the Angad navy's commanders decided to retreat back to Lahore. This was even better. There was more than enough space now- Akbar's naval commanders knew they’d be fine. After all, they didn’t want their leader to burn his own navy with dragonfire. Now the target was out in the open, alone.
Aadhika had left her house in the middle-class sections of the city a few minutes earlier. It was not a small house, but it was no manor. "Mere bachche, kya aap kuchh paanee paane ke lie achchhee tarah se ja sakate hain?" (My child, can you go to the well to get some water?) her mother had asked. She was en route from the well back to her home. She was about 10 feet from her house, and she could see the door. Suddenly, she could hear her father yelling to her mother from within the house. "KAIKEYI, ANDAR JAO!" ("KAIKEYI, GET INSIDE!") Seconds later, a deafening roar pierced the skies. Whether they were in Akbar's navy, the Angad navy, or within the city, everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Commotion began to erupt in the city. Nobody knew what it was- even the local pandits were puzzled. It was not something they had heard before.
The Angad navy's commanders were just as puzzled, though there was less commotion in the ranks of the Angad sailors than in the city of Lahore itself. Aadhika heard it loud and clear, and quickly ran inside to join her family. She, her father, and her mother all watched the sea, from which the sound had come, with horror on the balcony of their home. Then came another roar. Louder, seemingly closer than the last one; and before anyone could even say anything, they appeared from the skies. Five majestic tiger dragons. The civilians were scared- they had no idea what those...things were. They weren't human, nor were they a creature anyone had ever seen before. But a few of the pandits knew exactly what they were. Akbar had gotten the support of the great Kyloth tiger dragons of the Holy Island's Turquoise Groves.
This man meant business- and that meant the city was doomed. Upon the back of one dragon, the greatest one- the legendary Velis kul Kyloth, leader of the Kyloth clan- sat Akbar the Conqueror himself. The Kyloths had always been segregated from the worldwide dragon community- they were known for using their sacred gift of fire for war and destruction, and were also one of the only dragon clans in the world with fur, akin to that of a tiger. However, the more important reason why they were segregated was their use of fire for war. The Kyloths were one of two firebreathing dragon clans, the other being Clan Zessik. The Zessiks were the equivalent of the high priests in the dragon community, or so Akbar had been told, and they used their fire for religious rituals. But Clan Kyloth despised the seldom use of what they believe was a gift with which they could bring the world to heel, and so had used their fire as they saw fit, angering the other clans.
The other dragon clans would never accept them back, Velis had told Akbar. They were, therefore, greatly regretful at their actions and those of their ancestors. They had decided to accept Akbar's request to join him because it would give them a new opportunity- a new community to be a part of. And so, the Kyloth clan would use their fire in war one last time. As the dragons descended, Akbar gave the order. Then the dragons were upon the Angads. Great streams of fire blew out of the maws of the dragons, burning the Angad ships. The soldiers screamed as they burned, with many jumping overboard in a futile attempt to get to the safety of the waters. By the time those who got overboard made it, what floated in the water was charred corpses, many with their armor fused to their skeletons by the blazing inferno. As Akbar's navy moved around the Angad navy, the people of Lahore could see their kingdom's great fleet burning in the distance and panic increased dramatically.
The soldiers of Lahore began to man the walls of the city facing the sea as Akbar's navy got closer. Akbar and the dragons again disappeared into the clouds. Aadhika was not watching at this point- her father had told her and her mother to hide in their cellar. Her mother clutched her close, hoping for safety. They both hoped for safety- they hoped they could live through this. Some monster was coming to ruin their lives- probably a demon sent by Prajapati to punish the people of the city for their sins- nay, perhaps the entire kingdom. The King of Mahakhanta, Shri Nader Angad, ninth of his name, had heard of a great conqueror conquering the other kingdoms in the south and throwing the order of the Great Island out the window, but he did not believe such a grand threat would endanger him or his kingdom for a while. Now, at this crucial point, he had realized he was gravely wrong.
His advisors and generals had been summoned to him in his palace by royal decree. As they entered, he demanded to know- "Yah bada khatara kya hai jo mere raajy ko vipattiyaan deta hai? Pandit kya sach baagh ajagar hain?!" (What is this great threat that plagues my kingdom? Are the pandits correct- tiger dragons?!) His senior advisor responded, with great fear, with one word- "Haan." (Yes.) With this, Nader spared no time. Gathering his men, he had ditches dug all around the city incase of invasion by land. Nader knew that Akbar had conquered Dhantara and couped Madhya, and knew that the soldiers of each kingdom would be part of his armies. He then deployed a decent-sized force of pikemen outside the city from one end of the wall to the other, on the side of the wall facing the land, on the other side of the ditches, and placed a force of archers on the side of the ditches closer to the city. He also had the city's carpenters commissioned to create great ballistas, which, Nader thought, could take down the dragons. Alongside this, he had the city's blacksmiths create great steel arrows which would serve as the ballistas' ammunition. The estimated time of total completion and armament was one day, and while he waited, Nader had men on the walls and in the barracks, training and preparing.
While Nader prepared for the attack, Akbar was not idle. The pandits with him had predicted foggy weather the next day. Trusting their word, he drew up a plan. He would have his navy form up in an attack position all around the peninsula, and then he would have his army set up camp within the forests to the east of the city. Two dragons would be with each force- two with the army, and two with the navy. Akbar, on Velis would be high in the skies, observing the battle and going back and forth, directing troops where needed incase the plan's predictions did not come to light. Akbar's plan had called for his heavy infantry- made up of pikemen- to be in the center, with archers behind. The cavalry was to be on the wings, and the light infantry, who were armed with swords, would be in front of the heavy infantry. They were to charge first, with the cavalry, and act as the vanguard while the cavalry smashed into the enemy flank. Then the heavy infantry would be sent ominously marching in to deliver the most lethal blow and finish the job. The dragons would charge with the heavy infantry, roasting any survivors alive. Akbar wanted to deploy them last, so that throughout the battle, the enemy troops would be terrified that the great dragons would swoop down on them and end it quickly. This would significantly lower their morale.
The next day, the weather was not quite as predicted. A thick, ominous fog descended upon the city, but rather than at daytime, it descended upon the city at night. This was even better for Akbar. The navy was accordingly formed up, with two of the dragons behind it. The army was formed up as well, in the accorded formations, with the other two dragons behind it. Neither could be seen by the Angad forces through the thick fog, and the darkness didn't help either. But neither could Akbar see the Angads mounting their great ballistas onto the city walls, which were also manned heavily. The Angad force meant to guard the city gates was also there, and the ditches were dug. The stage was set for a grand battle. Akbar had the numerical advantage as well as an advantage in weaponry, along with the support of the dragons, but Nader had the homefield advantage. He knew the only way Akbar would be able to truly take the city would be with soldiers. It would be savagery to burn a city to the ground, and it would also trigger great anger from other states, as well as from the Great Temple in the Holy City. He was ready.
Akbar had with him his four great generals- Agastya, Andhaka, Sagara, and Mahendra. Andhaka and Sagara were with the naval fleet, while Agastya was protecting the camp. In the middle of the night, Akbar sent in a scout to see how far they could go through the fog before the Angad soldiers would be in sight. Once that length was found, Akbar had his ground troops, under the command of Mahendra, the fourth of his four great generals, and his most favorite, march to that length. On Akbar's command, Velis released a deafening roar, which was the signal to begin the attack. The Angad troops were, at the time, talking amongst each other. They had been waiting all day, and now it was dark. Suddenly, immediately after the dragon's roar, chatter amongst the soldiers stopped. All along the walls of the city, all throughout the city itself, most if not all sounds suddenly ceased. One could hear a pin drop.
Then the soldiers began to hear deafening screams from the fog. Before long, the hosts of Akbar revealed themselves, and smashed into the Angad line with their overwhelming numbers. Those troops not on the walls were called down to hold the city gates. The dragons took to the skies, and, taking care not to burn any buildings inside the city, they breathed terrible, wrathful fire on the troops on the front walls, then landing to serve as living battering rams, to try to break down the gates. After an hour, the gates finally came down, and Akbar's troops poured into the city. Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, the naval forces and the dragons there had been attacking the walls. The naval forces attempted to make amphibious landings, as well as shoot arrows to try and take down the Angad troops on the walls. The Angad forces tried to use their ballistas to shoot down the dragons, but none hit their mark. Eventually, however, due to the dragonfire and the combined pressure from inside and out, the last troops on the walls fell.
Bhilai Fortress, Lahore's ancient royal seat located at the top of a hill overlooking the ocean, was now surrounded utterly. Dragons flew around the apex of the palace, and Akbar's men stood, in silence, at the gates. The Four Great Generals assembled, and Akbar landed, with Velis and the Four Great Generals taking their places behind him. Akbar raised his hand, and his soldiers outstretched their spears, all of them pointed at the palace. Then, Akbar, alone, walked up the stairs to the door. Nader's pandits, generals, and advisors had all either killed themselves, fled, or defected to Akbar's side. Only him, his family, and a few servants bold enough to stay remained inside. Nader knew that it was his time. His servants opened the door, and he walked outside to meet Akbar. Nader's head was hung, his eyes closed. He then opened them, picking up his head. He looked Akbar in the eye, and Akbar returned his stare. It was not a dirty or angry stare, but one of understanding and resignation from Nader and one of acceptance and nobility from Akbar. Akbar was doing what he had to do.
Akbar calmly took out his talwar and stabbed Nader through the heart, killing him instantly. As Nader breathed his last, Akbar stared him in the eye, and simply said:
"Ho gaya hai."
(It is done.)
Akbar did not intend to become a king himself, but more than even that- a king of kings. The entire island would be his dominion. Never before had this been done- not even the Old Ones had claimed dominion over the entirety of the Great Island- they never even established any permanent colonies. But Akbar could, because he had one thing that, for millennia, no one else had- dragons. The conquest of Mahakhanta would be different because, at long last, he was going to utilize the aid of his Kyloth friends, and unleash the great weapons they were upon House Angad and its kingdom- and then, with Dhantara, Madhya, and Mahakhanta under his control, he hoped to create a great pincer and cut the island in two, allowing for an easier conquest of the eastern kingdoms of Auranga, Andhra, and Sailendra. With the east, north, and south out of the way, Akbar the Conqueror could look west, where the island's strongest kingdoms resided- Surat, Mandakatra, and the famously unconquerable kingdom of Chhapra.
Akbar, after securing Madhya, had with him the kingdom's navy. Madhya's navy was second only to that of Mahakhanta itself in strength, and the two kingdoms had been bitter rivals for many years. So, unsurprisingly, when Akbar's navy showed up outside Lahore, the Angads took the bait and responded with their own navy. Akbar's navy led the Angad navy away, completing the successful diversion. Once the enemy navy was far enough away, Akbar's officers gave the planned order. Retreat at full speed, give the enemy navy open space, and light the signal beacon. These orders seemed like folly to the Angads. Why would Akbar's armies lead them all this way only for them to retreat? Something seemed fishy, so the Angad navy's commanders decided to retreat back to Lahore. This was even better. There was more than enough space now- Akbar's naval commanders knew they’d be fine. After all, they didn’t want their leader to burn his own navy with dragonfire. Now the target was out in the open, alone.
Aadhika had left her house in the middle-class sections of the city a few minutes earlier. It was not a small house, but it was no manor. "Mere bachche, kya aap kuchh paanee paane ke lie achchhee tarah se ja sakate hain?" (My child, can you go to the well to get some water?) her mother had asked. She was en route from the well back to her home. She was about 10 feet from her house, and she could see the door. Suddenly, she could hear her father yelling to her mother from within the house. "KAIKEYI, ANDAR JAO!" ("KAIKEYI, GET INSIDE!") Seconds later, a deafening roar pierced the skies. Whether they were in Akbar's navy, the Angad navy, or within the city, everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Commotion began to erupt in the city. Nobody knew what it was- even the local pandits were puzzled. It was not something they had heard before.
The Angad navy's commanders were just as puzzled, though there was less commotion in the ranks of the Angad sailors than in the city of Lahore itself. Aadhika heard it loud and clear, and quickly ran inside to join her family. She, her father, and her mother all watched the sea, from which the sound had come, with horror on the balcony of their home. Then came another roar. Louder, seemingly closer than the last one; and before anyone could even say anything, they appeared from the skies. Five majestic tiger dragons. The civilians were scared- they had no idea what those...things were. They weren't human, nor were they a creature anyone had ever seen before. But a few of the pandits knew exactly what they were. Akbar had gotten the support of the great Kyloth tiger dragons of the Holy Island's Turquoise Groves.
This man meant business- and that meant the city was doomed. Upon the back of one dragon, the greatest one- the legendary Velis kul Kyloth, leader of the Kyloth clan- sat Akbar the Conqueror himself. The Kyloths had always been segregated from the worldwide dragon community- they were known for using their sacred gift of fire for war and destruction, and were also one of the only dragon clans in the world with fur, akin to that of a tiger. However, the more important reason why they were segregated was their use of fire for war. The Kyloths were one of two firebreathing dragon clans, the other being Clan Zessik. The Zessiks were the equivalent of the high priests in the dragon community, or so Akbar had been told, and they used their fire for religious rituals. But Clan Kyloth despised the seldom use of what they believe was a gift with which they could bring the world to heel, and so had used their fire as they saw fit, angering the other clans.
The other dragon clans would never accept them back, Velis had told Akbar. They were, therefore, greatly regretful at their actions and those of their ancestors. They had decided to accept Akbar's request to join him because it would give them a new opportunity- a new community to be a part of. And so, the Kyloth clan would use their fire in war one last time. As the dragons descended, Akbar gave the order. Then the dragons were upon the Angads. Great streams of fire blew out of the maws of the dragons, burning the Angad ships. The soldiers screamed as they burned, with many jumping overboard in a futile attempt to get to the safety of the waters. By the time those who got overboard made it, what floated in the water was charred corpses, many with their armor fused to their skeletons by the blazing inferno. As Akbar's navy moved around the Angad navy, the people of Lahore could see their kingdom's great fleet burning in the distance and panic increased dramatically.
The soldiers of Lahore began to man the walls of the city facing the sea as Akbar's navy got closer. Akbar and the dragons again disappeared into the clouds. Aadhika was not watching at this point- her father had told her and her mother to hide in their cellar. Her mother clutched her close, hoping for safety. They both hoped for safety- they hoped they could live through this. Some monster was coming to ruin their lives- probably a demon sent by Prajapati to punish the people of the city for their sins- nay, perhaps the entire kingdom. The King of Mahakhanta, Shri Nader Angad, ninth of his name, had heard of a great conqueror conquering the other kingdoms in the south and throwing the order of the Great Island out the window, but he did not believe such a grand threat would endanger him or his kingdom for a while. Now, at this crucial point, he had realized he was gravely wrong.
His advisors and generals had been summoned to him in his palace by royal decree. As they entered, he demanded to know- "Yah bada khatara kya hai jo mere raajy ko vipattiyaan deta hai? Pandit kya sach baagh ajagar hain?!" (What is this great threat that plagues my kingdom? Are the pandits correct- tiger dragons?!) His senior advisor responded, with great fear, with one word- "Haan." (Yes.) With this, Nader spared no time. Gathering his men, he had ditches dug all around the city incase of invasion by land. Nader knew that Akbar had conquered Dhantara and couped Madhya, and knew that the soldiers of each kingdom would be part of his armies. He then deployed a decent-sized force of pikemen outside the city from one end of the wall to the other, on the side of the wall facing the land, on the other side of the ditches, and placed a force of archers on the side of the ditches closer to the city. He also had the city's carpenters commissioned to create great ballistas, which, Nader thought, could take down the dragons. Alongside this, he had the city's blacksmiths create great steel arrows which would serve as the ballistas' ammunition. The estimated time of total completion and armament was one day, and while he waited, Nader had men on the walls and in the barracks, training and preparing.
While Nader prepared for the attack, Akbar was not idle. The pandits with him had predicted foggy weather the next day. Trusting their word, he drew up a plan. He would have his navy form up in an attack position all around the peninsula, and then he would have his army set up camp within the forests to the east of the city. Two dragons would be with each force- two with the army, and two with the navy. Akbar, on Velis would be high in the skies, observing the battle and going back and forth, directing troops where needed incase the plan's predictions did not come to light. Akbar's plan had called for his heavy infantry- made up of pikemen- to be in the center, with archers behind. The cavalry was to be on the wings, and the light infantry, who were armed with swords, would be in front of the heavy infantry. They were to charge first, with the cavalry, and act as the vanguard while the cavalry smashed into the enemy flank. Then the heavy infantry would be sent ominously marching in to deliver the most lethal blow and finish the job. The dragons would charge with the heavy infantry, roasting any survivors alive. Akbar wanted to deploy them last, so that throughout the battle, the enemy troops would be terrified that the great dragons would swoop down on them and end it quickly. This would significantly lower their morale.
The next day, the weather was not quite as predicted. A thick, ominous fog descended upon the city, but rather than at daytime, it descended upon the city at night. This was even better for Akbar. The navy was accordingly formed up, with two of the dragons behind it. The army was formed up as well, in the accorded formations, with the other two dragons behind it. Neither could be seen by the Angad forces through the thick fog, and the darkness didn't help either. But neither could Akbar see the Angads mounting their great ballistas onto the city walls, which were also manned heavily. The Angad force meant to guard the city gates was also there, and the ditches were dug. The stage was set for a grand battle. Akbar had the numerical advantage as well as an advantage in weaponry, along with the support of the dragons, but Nader had the homefield advantage. He knew the only way Akbar would be able to truly take the city would be with soldiers. It would be savagery to burn a city to the ground, and it would also trigger great anger from other states, as well as from the Great Temple in the Holy City. He was ready.
Akbar had with him his four great generals- Agastya, Andhaka, Sagara, and Mahendra. Andhaka and Sagara were with the naval fleet, while Agastya was protecting the camp. In the middle of the night, Akbar sent in a scout to see how far they could go through the fog before the Angad soldiers would be in sight. Once that length was found, Akbar had his ground troops, under the command of Mahendra, the fourth of his four great generals, and his most favorite, march to that length. On Akbar's command, Velis released a deafening roar, which was the signal to begin the attack. The Angad troops were, at the time, talking amongst each other. They had been waiting all day, and now it was dark. Suddenly, immediately after the dragon's roar, chatter amongst the soldiers stopped. All along the walls of the city, all throughout the city itself, most if not all sounds suddenly ceased. One could hear a pin drop.
Then the soldiers began to hear deafening screams from the fog. Before long, the hosts of Akbar revealed themselves, and smashed into the Angad line with their overwhelming numbers. Those troops not on the walls were called down to hold the city gates. The dragons took to the skies, and, taking care not to burn any buildings inside the city, they breathed terrible, wrathful fire on the troops on the front walls, then landing to serve as living battering rams, to try to break down the gates. After an hour, the gates finally came down, and Akbar's troops poured into the city. Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, the naval forces and the dragons there had been attacking the walls. The naval forces attempted to make amphibious landings, as well as shoot arrows to try and take down the Angad troops on the walls. The Angad forces tried to use their ballistas to shoot down the dragons, but none hit their mark. Eventually, however, due to the dragonfire and the combined pressure from inside and out, the last troops on the walls fell.
Bhilai Fortress, Lahore's ancient royal seat located at the top of a hill overlooking the ocean, was now surrounded utterly. Dragons flew around the apex of the palace, and Akbar's men stood, in silence, at the gates. The Four Great Generals assembled, and Akbar landed, with Velis and the Four Great Generals taking their places behind him. Akbar raised his hand, and his soldiers outstretched their spears, all of them pointed at the palace. Then, Akbar, alone, walked up the stairs to the door. Nader's pandits, generals, and advisors had all either killed themselves, fled, or defected to Akbar's side. Only him, his family, and a few servants bold enough to stay remained inside. Nader knew that it was his time. His servants opened the door, and he walked outside to meet Akbar. Nader's head was hung, his eyes closed. He then opened them, picking up his head. He looked Akbar in the eye, and Akbar returned his stare. It was not a dirty or angry stare, but one of understanding and resignation from Nader and one of acceptance and nobility from Akbar. Akbar was doing what he had to do.
Akbar calmly took out his talwar and stabbed Nader through the heart, killing him instantly. As Nader breathed his last, Akbar stared him in the eye, and simply said:
"Ho gaya hai."
(It is done.)