Jazeera- Legend of the Fort Island

by Yash Pawaskar

  The senior guard ordered his subordinate who held a torch to step forward and investigate. He inched ahead and approached the girl's face. She had controlled her breath masterfully to feign death.

  The guard bent towards her face to check if she was breathing. When the girl felt the guard’s torch near her face, she opened her eyes and blew off his torch.

  The guard screamed, but the rest of them couldn’t figure out why. All they saw was the light go out, and then they heard the yelling. The guard was dragged away by Kashvi and others further into the darkness of the cave. They ran a dagger through his heart. His haunting scream reverberated strongly in the tunnel and in the Island Guard’s ears.

  Mustering courage, the guards decided to venture into the darkness in groups of ten. The first group proceeded along the curved path. But the Mahavanis were waiting for them to make the turn and pounced on the guards. Shoulders were slashed, legs were severed, and heads cut off! But Kashvi knew their resistance wouldn’t last long for they were heavily outnumbered.

  Kashvi ordered Chitrashi and five other young girls to retreat into the cave to the other end. And in doing so, close that entrance by cutting open the fishing nets. Then, it would take the Island Guards at least a day to break out. By the time, Kashvi hoped, the battle would have been won by the rest of the Mahavanis.

  The Island Guards charged in larger groups now, and Kashvi and the other women warriors fought bravely before perishing. Kashvi took her last breath knowing that Chitrashi would complete the task assigned and inform Guru Ashwath about the Island Guards.

  Chitrashi and her accomplices did what was asked. They blocked the entry, alerted Guru Ashwath, and prayed for Kashvi and the other martyr’s souls. Guru Ashwath’s mind started making several calculations. He asked Chitrashi and the girls to rest for a while and then join the fight outside Jazeera.

  He took a group of Adivasis and weapons, mounted a horse, and rode like he was possessed by a higher power into the Mahavan towards the east where Bagha and Keshav were waiting to face off against the Sultanate’s soldiers. Guru Ashwath knew it was either Bagha or Keshav who was a traitor for no one else was aspirational or disloyal enough to stab them in the back. He had to reach there in time to vanquish the traitor and defend the Sultanate’s attack.

  7 – Court Hall

  ‘What do you mean the sea has receded?’ asked Zorawar from his throne. He had summoned Bakhtiar to the court hall for news about the battle.

  ‘It is an open field now, Sultan. Maybe, all this talk about invoking the Timingila is true. Maybe, their black magic worked. Maybe, the giant whale sucked in all the waves. But irrespective of the situation, I am going to be a living nightmare for them.’

  He waited for Zorawar to say something, but he was processing and analysing the information. Bakhtiar continued, ‘They came in on horses and killed thirty Island Guards who were patrolling the fort. Then, we retaliated and killed a few of their soldiers,’ said Bakhtiar.

  ‘There is no Timingila and no black magic. These are mere stories. The receding seawater seems like a natural phenomenon, and nothing else,’ explained Zorawar.

  ‘It feels like they knew this would happen. That is why they chose this moment to attack Jazeera,’ said Bakhtiar. He was in his armour. He thumped his spear on the ground, fuming, ‘How dare they attack my guards?’

  ‘And how is it going, their attack?’ asked Zorawar.

  ‘They are nearing the fort on horses, holding wooden shields, and striking the soldiers on the wall with arrows. We haven’t lost many compared to what we have. And we have managed to reduce their numbers,’ said Zorawar.

  Zorawar thought out loud, ‘I knew they wanted to enter Jazeera through the cave and inflict damage from the inside while their soldiers attacked the fort’s boundaries and gates. But the seawater receding was unexpected. Yet, their attacks will be unfruitful.’

  He looked up and said, ‘Bakhtiar, the cave situation has already been handled. What is your next move to blow away these little pests?’

  ‘I have already ordered for the crossbows. And since they are using wooden shields, our Island Guards will be using fire arrows. Sultan, if I have your permission, I would like to send five hundred Island Guards on the battlefield to kill these so-called warriors.’

  ‘Ha-ha! That’s the warrior’s way. If that timid Ubaid Khan were alive, he would have preferred playing the waiting game. I like your style, Bakhtiar. The stupid forest dwellers have fallen into their own trap. The receded sea and the open field would have aided them if their tunnel siege would’ve worked. Now, it is an open field, and we have the numbers. This is not their Mahavan where they can play hide and seek. This is the battlefield, and our warriors thrive in such conditions. You have my permission, Bakhtiar. Let the Island Guards taste the enemy’s blood.’

  ‘One more suggestion, Sultan,’ said Bakhtiar.

  ‘I know what you are thinking. I thought of it as well,’ said Zorawar.

  ‘The War Chariot?’

  ‘Yes. It is a good time for a test run. But just as you are itching to go out there and feel the battle rush, let the Island Guards also have some fun. We can use the War Chariot to clear off the leftovers. I want the enemy squashed,’ said Zorawar. He dismissed Bakhtiar and resumed drinking his toddy.

  8 – Inside Jazeera

  Urmila, Goraksh, and Hamid assembled at the warehouse. Other citizens of Jazeera had also joined their pack, while a few more were on their way. Goraksh was busy taking stock and segregating the weapons in the warehouse.

  Hamid explained to Urmila why he had arrived in Jazeera. He continued, ‘It is hard to make sense of all of this. I only believed it when I saw Zorawar command his own son’s murder. Not only that, the Sultan had the Wazir killed as well. He is a maniac, and we need to defeat him for God knows what he will do next.’

  Urmila nodded. She was fatigued, but a fire burnt in her eyes. She was motivated to fight because there was a possibility of being reunited with her daughter.

  Goraksh finished his task and said, ‘I think everyone has arrived. We are around forty people. It is not a big number but certainly better than three. Alright, what do we have here? We have around ten bows and ten quivers full of twenty arrows each, a handful of daggers, some ropes, and wooden shields.’ He placed the weapons on the table.

  ‘And this box of poisoned darts,’ said Urmila placing the box given to her by Hamid.

  ‘We have also brought knives, tools, and other things that we could get,’ said one of the citizens, placing them on the table.

  Hamid assessed the situation and explained the plan to the assembled group. The goal was to stop the Island Guards from reaching the boundary walls and the gates and causing as much damage as possible. Hit, run, hide, repeat. They split up and worked in groups.

  Each group took its position and executed the plan. They set fire to the carts brought from the market to create roadblocks, and then took out the soldiers with arrows.

  In some cases, they threw flaming torches from rooftop of buildings on the wagons carrying soldiers and ran for cover.

  Darts and daggers were used to take out isolated guards.

  Hamid and Goraksh disguised themselves as Island Guards, mingled with other guards and pounced on them at the right time to kill them.

  The determined lot ensured they worked under the radar and did not get too close to the boundary walls or the gates for it could alert the enemy.

  Hamid, Goraksh, and Urmila along with the others continued their efforts and kept poking at the enemy from the inside while the battle on the outside became more intense.

  9 – Outside Jazeera

  Brinda had just finished another round of attack. She came back and spoke with Avni who was ready in her Shadow avatar. Brinda said, ‘Avni, they are lining up to launch a heavy attack.’

  ‘More soldiers on the boundary wall?’ asked Avni.

  ‘Yes. Also, there’s movement near the gates. They are bringing the soldiers out. And that to
o in large numbers. As usual, leaders on horses and others on foot.’

  ‘So, they are in a hurry to finish this, just as Guru Ashwath predicted. Alright then. Let’s bring out the weapons and the mighty elephants from the Sujaynagar Empire. This is it. Jai Bhoodevi!’ said Avni, and they hurried to convey the message to the others and prepared for an all-out attack.

  The bow-and-arrow attack carried out by the Mahavanis was to instigate the Island Guards. Now, they abandoned their previous strategy of two people on a horse and went for the attack with a horse for each warrior equipped with a shield and long spear. They also had swords strapped to their backs.

  A batch of such riders galloped towards the fort. They were followed by other, sword-wielding Mahavanis on foot. They approached the fort and saw bright lights along the fort wall. Bakhtiar’s men had readied the fire-arrows and were waiting for the horse-riders to gallop within the range. Once the riders crossed the mark that Bakhtiar had in his sharp mind, he ordered the soldiers to release the arrows.

  Hundreds of fire-bearing arrows lit up the night sky. Brinda saw the arrows and ordered the riders to bring out their shields. The riders took cover under their shield and felt the arrows strike. The force of the arrows pushed them back, but they were strong enough to remain stable on the horses.

  Bakhtiar smiled, as the fire-arrows stopped the riders from charging ahead. He launched another round and prepared for one more. However, his smile didn’t last long. He had expected the fire-arrows to not just stop the Mahavanis but also burn their shields. But he was unaware that the wooden shields had been soaked in alum to make them fire-resistant.

  There were casualties but not as many as Bakhtiar had expected. This infuriated him, and he commanded the five hundred Island Guards stationed outside the West Gate to enter the battlefield.

  The riders saw this and turned back. The Mahavanis on foot held their position but parted to make way for the elephants. Bakhtiar couldn’t believe his ears when he heard the resounding trumpets.

  ‘Elephants! Do I hear elephants? How is this possible?’ cried Bakhtiar.

  Five hundred Island Guards in the battlefield met thirty tall and strong elephants. Guru Ashwath had fed the elephants tonnes of bananas to keep them happy when they were stationed near the camp. The trained elephants had befriended the Mahavanis and were ferocious and majestic in the battle. The rider-striker combination was back. But this time, instead of horses, they were on elephants.

  Bakhtiar stopped the arrow attack, as it was impossible to distinguish between the Mahavanis and the Island Guards on the battlefield. The guards were on horses and on foot. They were large in numbers. On the opposite side, the Mahavanis had elephants leading the attack, followed by cavalry, and warriors on foot.

  The elephants were too much to handle for the Island Guards. They trampled the guards and their horses. Striking the elephants only made them angrier. Instead of killing five guards, the furious beasts killed ten when angry. Those who escaped the elephants were killed by the horse riders and the others.

  Bakhtiar’s ego led him to defend the incoming attack with more attack. He sent a hundred more Island Guards out into the battle. He was so desperate that he ordered the fire-arrow attack despite knowing that it would take down his men as well. The bloodshed continued. Lives were lost. The Island Guards banded together and managed to take down a few elephants; however, the mammoth beasts and the archers riding them reduced the Island Guards’ numbers at a rapid pace.

  On noticing that the Island Guards were on back foot, Avni felt that it was the right time for the Shadows to enter the battlefield and then Jazeera. She also hoped that Hamid and Goraksh were slowly but steadily taking out the Island Guards inside the fort.

  Zorawar came to know of the dwindling number of the Island Guards and lost his cool. He left the palace and reached the fort walls. He wasn’t pleased with what he saw. The Sultan held Bakhtiar by his bald head and asked him to finish it off by bringing out their most prized weapon: the War Chariot.

  The War Chariot was driven by four horses. It had two giant wheels on the rear and a fortified riders’ seat. It took two people to ride it. The cushioned seat was placed on a structure that was a hub of ten six-feet blades. These ten blades protruded from the hub on either side. The mechanism was such that they moved in and out and front and back along with the moving chariot. Therefore, as the chariot moved in the battlefield, the six-feet blades would slash and cut anything that came into contact. Zorawar had seen such a chariot during his trip to the north. He was so impressed that he had four of them made.

  Eight riders brought out four War Chariots into the battlefield. They whipped the horses’ backs and entered the sea of soldiers with great determination. The rolling blades caused mayhem. Blood splattered all around the rampaging chariots.

  The War Chariots were difficult to manoeuvre due to their build and size. This meant that the Island Guards were also killed along with the Mahavanis. A considerable number of horse riders as well as some elephants were taken down by the killing machines. Majority of the Mahavanis retreated towards the Mahavan with the remaining elephants and horses. Only a small group continued battling and kept the War Chariots and Island Guards busy.

  Zorawar looked at Bakhtiar and said, ‘I hope you can handle it now.’

  An embarrassed Bakhtiar said, ‘Yes, Sultan. I will now order the next batch of five hundred men to go out there and finish off the enemy.’

  ‘The enemy is wounded. Scared. Low in confidence. They don’t have enough soldiers. They might have elephants, but we have the War Chariots. Take a thousand men and end this chapter. It has been a long night. It’s time to sleep,’ said Zorawar and went to his bedchamber.

  10 – The Mahavan

  Guru Ashwath and the Adivasis had travelled at lightning speed towards the Mahavan’s eastern border to defend the Sultanate’s standby army from entering the Mahavan and subsequently defeat the Mahavanis in the battle of the fort island.

  The Guru and the others were near their destination but were stopped by a group of five horsemen. They looked exhausted and in need of medical attention. Guru Ashwath recognised the wounded senior horseman and understood that the group was from Bagha’s men. The senior horseman explained to Guru Ashwath and the Adivasis what had transpired in the Mahavan half an hour ago.

  As decided, Bagha and his men were positioned in the forest while Keshav and his soldiers, dressed as Junglees, faced the incoming Sultanate’s Army. However, unknown to them, Keshav had positioned a battalion of his soldiers behind the Junglees as well. When the Sultanate’s soldiers finally arrived, Keshav’s men facing them simply let them in. This appalled the Junglees, and they were left with no option but to fight for their lives. However, their resistance did not last long, as they were attacked from both sides. Bagha’s men were trapped in their own den and killed mercilessly.

  The Sultanate and Keshav’s soldiers then sat around a massive bonfire and rested for a while to address the wounds from the skirmish, feed themselves and rest, before they moved towards Jazeera.

  Guru Ashwath heard the man patiently and closed his eyes. He went into a meditative state. The men surrounding him were confused. They didn’t know whether he was in control of his senses or not. In a minute, he opened his eyes as if just a second had passed.

  Guru Ashwath asked the wounded men if they wanted to convey the news to those who were in the battlefield or face the Sultanate’s army and Keshav’s men. The Junglees had completed their duty of informing the Guru of Keshav’s betrayal, which was assigned to them by Bagha. The loyal and brave men chose to take Guru Ashwath to their enemy’s bonfire and fight until their last breath. Guru Ashwath welcomed their decision and ordered five of Adivasis to relay the message of Keshav’s betrayal to Avni.

  He was led to the bonfire by the Junglees. Guru Ashwath asked the Adivasis to hide in the dark forest with bow and arrows, and daggers, while he approached the bonfire along with the five wounded Junglees.

  Ke
shav and the others were immediately alarmed by the Guru’s presence, as he simply walked towards them. Keshav ordered his men to lower their swords and allow Guru Ashwath to come forward. The five Junglees stood behind him. The Sultanate’s soldiers had encircled them and the bonfire.

  ‘Look who has come to bless us with his presence. The great Guru Ashwath,’ mocked Keshav. He asked the Junglees, ‘Where did you find this old man in the dark of the night? Meditating under a tree, perhaps!’ The soldiers laughed at Keshav’s jibe.

  Guru Ashwath looked into Keshav’s eyes and asked, ‘Why?’

  ‘What? Speak up, old man,’ said Keshav.

  ‘WHY?’ hollered Guru Ashwath. His strong voice reverberated in the forest.

  ‘Ooh. Scary! Do you think this battalion of soldiers is going to be scared by you? What makes you think you have any power over me in this scenario? You and these Junglees can be cut into halves within seconds if I want it.’

  ‘I do not fear death, Keshav. I know that I am going to die in the next five minutes. All I want to know before dying is why did you betray your sister? Why did you betray us?’

  ‘Oh! So, this is something like your last wish then. Okay. I can do that for you, for old time’s sake. Here it is then. I am an ambitious person. In fact, I had told Bagha this when we met on the Green Hill. I told him that it’s just about waiting for the right opportunity. And such an opportunity danced at my door.

  ‘I did what I thought was practical and rewarding for myself and informed the Sultan about your intentions as soon as I received the final plan of attack from Kashvi.

  ‘I understood that even if you did manage to somehow cause any damage, the Northern Sultanate wouldn’t let you simply take away a productive and strategic island from them. They will attack, and I chose to attack with them.

  ‘I betrayed my sister and you for myself and my people’s bright future. Now that your last wish is completed. It’s time to die,’ concluded Keshav.