Empire of India: Rise of the Ruthless Prince

The battlefield on the outskirts of Siddhpur stretched like a mat of brown. The day was cloudy as Baldev faced the infamous Askar Khan.

He could see the smug smile plastered across Askar Khan's face.

A lone messenger on horse trodded through the vast battle and made his way to Baldev.

"By Allah's grace. I, Askar Khan, order you to stand down and surrender or prepare to die."

Baldev looked at the messenger with a cold glare.

"We shall fight till death. Stop us if you can. We are protected by the divine blessings of Bhavani Mata."

The messenger quickly scurried off at the declaration.

Baldev looked at the grin on Askar as he heard his reply from his messenger.

Askar was a man with tremendous potential. Despite his attitude, he was a hard worker, unlike some commanders in the Mughal army who got their positions with nepotism.

Throughout his life, Askar was undefeated in warfare till he met the king of Marathas, whom he couldn't even win against with an advantage. He always wondered what drove the king.

Askar soon found his answer. The king wanted to protect his land and people.

'What if I destroy his beloved land and people?' He thought. 'I will finally win.'

He wanted to win against the king and the means didn't matter. If he couldn't win against the king in a battle head-on. He can just destroy their kingdom.

Baldev glanced back at the nervous soldiers. The thought of facing Askar had terrified them.

It was natural to feel fear when facing a strong enemy.

"Soldiers, remember your oath; remember about your loved ones." He roared.

Both armies were prepared for battle.

A war horn blared through the silence of the battlefield. The dust rose and the ground trembled as hundreds and thousands of soldiers charged at each other.

"Take defensive positions!" screamed Baldev.

The Marathas put up a shield wall to defend against the onslaught.

The Mughal infantry charged into the shield wall with a metallic boom. The clashes of steel echoed through the battlefield.

The Marathas stood steady, filled with determination.

The fresh metallic scent of blood started to permeate through the air. The corpses of the soldiers began to fall one by one as the battle began.

A rain of steel ensued on both sides just after the clashes. The barrage was stopped by the shield wall on the Maratha side.

Askar had already anticipated it and ordered a line of shield walls behind the charging infantry to protect their archers.

This was an open-field battle. There was no advantage of terrain. It was based on pure tactical maneuvering in this situation.

"Cavalry Charge."

Two units of cavalry charged into the fray, breaking through the ranks of infantry.

The Marathas were unusually determined this time. Askar could sense the desperation seeping through each soldier.

A soldier was still holding his sword despite losing a leg and a hand. He stabbed a Mughal soldier to death before the life in his eyes got extinguished.

Askar knew it was going to be a hassle if he prolonged the fight. He wanted to end it as quickly as possible.

Even with the plan of Shahbaz working. Askar had no trust that the twins could hold back the king for a long time. Time was of the essence. He had to march to the capital soon.

"Spread!. They have fewer numbers!" He commanded.

The infantry ranks began to thin and spread out. This caused the Maratha shield wall to spread as well and they had fewer numbers in the front.

This strategy made an opening in their ranks. The captains tried to rile in the soldiers but it was too late.

Askar had ordered a cavalry charge. They smashed through the weak links of the shield walls with ease. They stabbed hundreds of soldiers in a single charge.

Baldev tried his best to counter Askar. He arranged the shield wall in a way so that the spread of the Mughal infantry didn't matter.

Despite his best efforts, Askar saw through every one of his strategies like an open book.

"Reinforce the right flank," ordered Baldev.

He was scanning the battlefield while fighting like a madman, looking for openings to exploit. He couldn't find many openings in the strategy of such an experienced commander like Askar.

"Raise your shields!" yelled Baldev, seeing the archers draw their bows. A barrage of steel rained on the Marathas but that was quelled due to the quick command by Baldev.

Askar smirked as he looked at the struggling Baldev. He was amused by how the situation was unfolding.

"Soldiers move south!. Their defense is crumbling under the pressure," ordered Askar.

He was in the backline, commanding the troops. He didn't want to waste his energy on Baldev.
Explore hidden tales at m,v l'e-m|p y r

"Infantry, push your pikes out. Don't let them through."

Baldev tried his best to counter the situation and stall the time.

The dynamics of the battlefield quickly changed as the Marathas desperately clawed their way back, overwhelming the Mughal soldiers with sheer tenacity.

They pushed further like madmen striving to reach their goals. They cleaved through the ranks of the Mughal infantry, losing their limbs and lives in the process.

But at last they managed to find an opening and the Baldev screamed.

"Charge right now."

The captain of the right flank took charge and pushed into the deep ranks through the opening, creating a chaotic situation.

This marked the shift in momentum towards the Marathas as they followed it up with their relentless attacks on the infantry.

Mughals felt on the back foot as the soldier began to panic.

They were being pushed back.

Askar had a frown on his face. He looked disgusted by the performance. He glanced at his vice commander and nodded.

He was about to finish the battle. He didn't want to prolong the battle and make Baldev achieve his goal.

Askar had a Trump card up his sleeve.

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

Mud flew up as the iron shells rained upon the Maratha army. Tens of soldiers were thrown into the air due to the impact. Some of them lost their lives, while others were injured severely.

Baldev was frozen at the thunderous impact.

His gaze fell to the source of the iron shells. His eyes shook with disbelief.

"Cannons?"