Empire Ascension: The Rise of the Fated One

Chapter 75: Prince Pratap from Mewar Part - 2

After Balwindar and Veerendra took their groups to the other sides to flank right and left respectively, Pratap went to address his group of 50 knights , laced with spear and shield, for one last time before the final charge by pointing his hands toward the target.

Even though he himself made the plan without anyone's consent, he felt a little guilt to force his followers for this hard confrontation and decided to give them one chance to back down.

"SOLDIERS OF MEWAR, BEHOLD! Look there, what do you see? Look how merciless they are on the common people who has nothing to do with war, look the brutality they are causing on those civilians, including young, elderly and children, look at the cruelty they inflict upon the womenfolk. Look at how mercilessly they are whipping them with lashes.

Aren't your blood boiling in rage? Are we to just sit idle ? what is our code of Rajputana?

In Mewar, we do not merely honor women; we respect them, we worship them, as embodiments of the divine mother. Yet, these wretched mongrels dare to crack their lashes on their backs, treating them as MERE OBJECTS. Such injustice cannot be tolerated. Those civilians might not be our people but this can happen to our people, if those bandits are spared today.

Our task is daunting. We have to charge in front as distraction so that out brothers can successfully flank their sides. Their numbers dwarf ours, yet we are called upon to confront them. They outnumber us , but we should NOT FALTER . For every drop of milk we have received from our mothers, we are indebted to protect their kin. To turn away from this duty is to abandon our very essence as RAJPUTS.

I will not compel you to join me out of personal desire. I honour in my name that no one will be held accountable and can turn back if they desire now But I implore you to remember your sacred obligation. The Bhagavad Gita teaches us that those who flee from duty are branded as COWARDS! As long as I draw breath, I will not allow such shame to stain the name of MEWAR!

So I ask you now, who among you is a real son of Mewar? WHO STANDS WITH ME?"

A soldier unsheathed his spear and raised it high, he responded with loud and clear," For the Prince, For Mewar!"

Another soldier applauded , as he joined in, " For Mewar!"

The sense of loyalty and martyrdom for the code of Rajputana thrilled all the riders. They were already loyal to the prince, but the special gesture of the prince and the reputation of Mewar at stake riled them up for the impending charge.

In unison, the all soldiers resounded by holding up their spears high, "For Mewar! For Mewar! For Mewar!"

With a resolute nod, Pratap sheathed his spear, his voice thundering across the ranks, "JAI MAA BHAWANI!" (Glory to divine mother)

Turning to the target, the young prince's heart burned with anger and hate as he charged towards the unprepared Mughal forces, his determination unyielding in the face of adversity.

"For Mewar! "

"For the Prince !"

"Jai Maa Bhawani!"

As the followers of Pratap thundered towards the Mughal forces with their spears and shield upfront, their war cry echoing through the air, the enemy was taken aback by the sudden onslaught.

"Hazur, enemies have charged."

The lone archer's warning came too late, his arrow deflected by the shield-bearing prince at the forefront of the charge.

"Commence! Shield wall."

Still they somehow able to make the frontier shield wall under Taqdeer shah to halt the advance of cavalry.

As the Mughal column drew nearer, the tension in the air reached a high pitch. Pratap's knights gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes blazing with a fierce resolve.

Pratap braced himself for impact, his spear poised to strike with lethal precision. With a swift motion, he leveled his spear and drove it forward, aiming for the weakest point in the Mughal defences but it wasn't enough yet to breakthrough as they were being reinforced from behind to hold the line.

The force of the charge was like a tidal wave crashing against the shore, the thunder of hooves and the clash of weapons filling the air as Pratap and his knights collided with the shield wall. Still it was absorbed by the cluster of Mughals in tight formation.

"Hold the line, Don't let the knights pass."

As more Mughal soldiers hastily assembled their defenses, Pratap's followers clashed with the shielded ranks, their spears thrusting against the tight formation in a desperate bid to break through.

Despite the resolute defense of the Mughals, gaps began to form in their shield wall, and Pratap and his forces seized the opportunity to thrust their spears into the enemy ranks, stabbing down their foes as if skewer in meats of kebab.

But the Mughals were not easily deterred, and the lone archer loosed arrows from behind the safety of his shielded comrades. Sensing the threat posed by the marksmen, Pratap ordered his followers to silence him, "Take him down."

And a well-aimed spear throw , from the trained knight brought down the Mughal archer as it found the gap and hit its mark on the chest but soon the dead archer was replaced by his another nearby comrade who switched his gear and began shooting under the cover of shield wall with his amateur skills.

Undeterred by the formidable defense of the Mughals, Pratap rallied his knights and led them in another charge," RAJPUTS, FOLLOW ME!"

This time angling their attack to exploit the weaknesses in the enemy formation like a wave of ocean hitting a rock wall.

With the thunderous clashes, the Rajputs collided with the shield wall once more, their consecutive stabs and relentless assault breaking through the Mughal ranks.

As gaps opened in the shield wall, Pratap swiftly turned his leading cavalry back to exploit the opening, while the rest of his knights continued to engage the Mughal soldiers to prevent them from regrouping, "Prince, they're regrouping!"

Despite the ferocity of the Mughal defense, Pratap pressed forward ,"Keep the pressure on! Don't let them reform. Here we come."

His spear flashing in the sunlight as he delivered a series of devastating thrusts and slashes. Like a spearhead cutting through the dense formation, Pratap rushed forward, as he carved a path through the enemy ranks.

With each strike, Pratap's shield provided vital protection, deflecting blows and turning aside enemy attacks as he fought his way deeper into the heart of the enemy formation.

With a swift thrust of his spear, Pratap targeted the nearest enemy soldier, aiming for a vulnerable spot in the enemy's formation. The spear tip struck true, impaling the soldier and sending him crashing to the ground in a spray of dust and blood.

"Kill him , He is only one."

As another enemy closed in, Pratap smoothly transitioned into a slashing motion with his spear, sweeping the weapon in a wide arc to strike multiple opponents at once in his right side through his momentum. The near by Mughal soldiers, caught off guard by the sudden attack, stumbled backwards in disarray, their ranks momentarily broken, paving way for Pratap's forces to rush in and exploit the gaps.

With the enemy still reeling, Pratap lunged forward with his spear, driving the weapon deep into the heart of the enemy formation. The force of the blow was devastating, scattering the enemy soldiers like leaves before a storm and creating a path for Pratap to advance.

As the dust settled and the chaos of battle engulfed the battlefield, the Mughal soldiers scrambled to react to the sudden onslaught of Pratap and his cavalry. Taqdeer Shah, their commander, bellowed orders to form the line, his voice a desperate attempt to restore order amidst the chaos.

"Form the line! Hold your ground!" he shouted, but his commands were drowned out by the clash of steel and the cries of the wounded.

Meanwhile, Pratap's forces showed no mercy as they charged through the disorganized Mughal ranks, their spears and swords cutting through flesh and bone with brutal efficiency. The air was thick with the scent of blood and the sounds of battle, as men fell screaming and dying beneath the relentless onslaught.

"NO MERCY!" Pratap shouted, his voice ringing out above the din. "KILL THEM ALL!"

His knights obeyed without hesitation, their spears and blades flashing in the sunlight as they struck down their foes as if stabbing fish in the shallow pond. With each thrust and slash, they carved a path of destruction through the Mughal lines, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake.

"Aim for the horses! Bring him down" the surrounding mughals tried to stop him by aiming for horse but its powerful hoof lashed out on them with deadly force, striking down two frontal enemies at once; sending one crashing back to the ground, while the other one ribs got crushed under his charge.

'Thud!'

"Darn bastard! Stupid horse. "

"Where the hell did this guy come from?"

The surrounding Mughal soldiers trembled in fear at the sight of their formidable opponent, they couldn't understand how this kid be so powerful and does his horse so good, as they feel it hard to tackle the ferocity of Pratap's charge.

"Ya allah madad(help me god), please hit the mark!"

The rookie archer, desperate to stem the tide of Pratap's advance, raised his bow to take aim, but it passed through near Pratap's ear with a narrow edge and hit his own ally behind his back.

"What a bad luck, damn it!.. Oh shit!"

He cursed his luck, but he didn't get a second chance. His last arrow didn't go unnoticed by Pratap. Sensing the threat, He threw his own spear and silenced the archer, sending him to the very god he had been asking for help.

Pratap, undeterred by the loss of spear took out his sword from his sheath and pressed forward among the ranks of Mughals," FOR MEWAR!"

His sword flashing in the afternoon sun as he cut through the Mughal ranks like a scythe through wheat.

"Monster, Monster, We cannot stop him!"

"Make way! Make way! Let me move back. I don't want to die."

'Slash!'

'Stab!'

With each sweeping motions of his sword , he left behind a trail of devastation, akin to a shark slicing through a school of fish with its jaws wide open. The frontline soldiers, sensing the imminent danger, attempted to retreat, only to find themselves trapped by the soldiers behind them.

They were mercilessly cut down left and right by his blade, their attempts to escape became futile against his relentless assault.

Still some brave souls dared to face this torrent.

"Take THIS!"

A Mughal soldier lunged at him with sword raised high aiming to stab his chest, Pratap swifty ducked beneath the blow, his own blade flashing out in a swift counterattack that stabbed the soldier's chest.

"You are mine kid!"

As he withdrew his sword, Pratap dispatched another approaching swordsman with a well-placed block and a powerful counterattack kick that sent him sprawling to the ground.

"Follow the prince, he is too deep."

Pratap went too deep; even his followers couldn't keep up with the prince's pace. But that didn't stop their morale as they kept whacking the herded goats to make way and reach their liege.

Sensing the tension , Taqdeer shah, the acting commander, watched with growing frustration as Pratap continued to carve a swath through his forces. With a frustrated gesture, he pointed a finger at Pratap and ordered "Some one stop him", his voice echoing over the din of battle.

Responding to Taqdeer's command, a 7 fit tall and imposing Mughal warrior named Shahid Armani rushed forward with reckless wide arms, his eyes blazing with determination as he bore down upon Pratap's steed with deadly intent with his rallying cry," Allaaah-u-akbarrr."

With a thunderous crash, Shahid's hand collided with Pratap's horse, sending both rider and steed crashing to the ground in a mess of mixed up, dirt and dust.

"YeaY! he is down"

"Allah is with us. We are saved!"

"Don't let him catch his breath"

"Finish him!"

As Pratap touched the earth, there was a momentary respite among the Mughal ranks, their most formidable butcher opponent, was in ground and prone to get defeated anytime soon. But was that enough to stop the crouching tiger?

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