Vedic Warriors

  Vedic

  Warriors

  Rituraj Sharma

  Vedic Warriors

  1st Edition Published by Vishwakarma Publications in India in Aug. 2018

  © Rituraj Sharma

  ISBN - 978-93-86455-95-6

  All rights reserved

  No part of this publications may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

  Disclaimer

  This is a work of fiction, Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual person, living or dead, events or locales in entirely coincidental.

  Published by:

  Vishwakarma Publications

  34A/1, Suyog Center, 7th Floor, Gultekadi Marketyard Road, Giridhar Bhavan Chowk, Pune-411037, Maharashtra, India.

  Mob.: 9168682200

  Email: info@vpindia.co.in

  Website: www.vishwakarmapublications.com

  Cover: The Book Bakers

  Typeset and Layout: Chaitali Nachnekar - Vishwakarma Publications

  Printed at: Repro India Ltd., Mumbai

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the publisher’s prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published.

  Dedicated to my daughter Amyra

  Acknowledgments

  There are many people who have extended their support towards me with their unadulterated belief in my writing.

  My sincere apologies to anyone whose name I may have inadvertently missed.

  I would like to express sincere gratitude to my sister Rupali Krishnan, who facilitated me with editing and gave time to each and every chapter, patiently listening to my ideas, the plot and guiding me with the completion of my book.

  A sincere vote of thanks also goes to my wife Shikha A Sharma and my parents, who supported me and believed in my work.

  Thanks also to my cousin Ishan Sharma.

  I am also grateful and indebted to my publisher Vishal Soni of Vishwakarma Publications and his team,

  My literary agent Suhail Mathur of the Book Bakers Literary Agency, for believing in the manuscript, ensuring its publication.

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  I Assault and Retreat

  II Armour Of Surya

  III Wrath Of The Gladiators

  IV The Expedition

  V The City Of Sun God

  VI Battle of Rabocin

  VII Mahayogishm

  VIII Betrayal

  IX Alliance

  X Clash of the Legends

  XI Clash of the Legends # 2

  XII The New King

  Chapter I

  Assault and Retreat

  Attackkkkkkkkkk!!! Taraksh roared at the top of his voice and his massive army like a swirling ocean charged forward at his command. The army comprised; various units like hoplites, swordsmen, cavalry and chariot archers. Each unit was independent, and yet connected, like a well-oiled machine. The forces under Taraksh marched ahead, step by step, sinews flexed, teeth gritted and eyes fierce. The army looked immortal with their metal shining in the sun, all set to engulf the enemy.

  The opposition, on the other hand, did not seem to panic either. It appeared in control, following various strategies to block, push and break the enemy. The centre and the frontlines were following the phalanx defensive formation. They were heavily armoured, with huge metallic pikes in front and shields to block and defend; prepared to inflict maximum damage. The resistance had archers as an auxiliary unit, and were continuously firing arrows, killing many of the approaching enemies.

  As Taraksh’s forces closed in, the archers moved back and merged with the other factions. The Hoplites moved to the front. Sound of metal, breath and death surrounded the air.

  And then the moment arrived. The two armies moved closer and closer, and with a loud thunderous sound crashed into each other. The reverberations of this clash were heard miles away.

  This is a story of Vedic times, before the time of Ramayana and Mahabharata. A time when men, legends and Avatars coexisted together on earth and battled for power and supremacy. A time when tribes started transforming into Kingdoms, leaders started becoming Kings and Emperors, when oppressors started oppressing and rebels started rebelling, this was the time of the barbarians, this was the time of conquests, this was the time of THE VEDIC WARRIORS……

  Taraksh was a powerful King. He was considered as the strongest warrior in the three realms of existence; his empire extended over half of the known world. He was ruthless and aggressive and enjoyed inflicting fear and terror. His authority was unchallenged since the cornerstone of his hegemony was brutal suppression of any form of dissent.

  The Great King was an adept wielder of weapons and could master a fight with any weapon, though he preferred a heavy mace over others as it magnified his strength. He was considered as a living legend and some even said that he was half god and was the Son of Indra, The God of Thunder. He had enormous strength and had the power to knock down elephants. Taraksh was ambitious; he wanted the whole world at his feet, killing and conquering was natural to him.

  The vast empire that he had created had originally started from a small tribal city called Mahaverna, the dominant tribe of this city was small in size but its populace was aggressive and excelled in warfare. Overtime, they began acquiring territories from the neighbouring tribes of the area and started building a Kingdom, but their major expansion began only under the leadership of the mighty Taraksh who conquered almost the entire world and created a huge Empire out of a mere Kingdom.

  Though he held the largest empire in the world, he was not the one who made decisions regarding matters of governance. Such decisions and laws were made by his mentor – The Legendary Priest of Mahaverna - ‘Shreshtaha’.

  Shreshtaha was the head priest of the state; the old man was a master orator and had magnificent rhetoric skills. He used to dress himself like a priest, draped in white, covering his body from top to bottom. He was also the half-brother of the original King of Mahavena – ‘Namaha’.

  Shreshtaha used to be an excellent warrior when he was young. He was one of the best in his tribe and had had won many battles for Namaha. The victories gave name and fame to Shreshtaha and made him immensely popular. As a result, Namaha started to feel threatened and planned to assassinate his brother. Shreshtaha got to know about the plot, he knew that he could not save himself as his brother was the King and carried more influence. Therefore, in order to save himself, he publicly denounced bloodshed and declared himself as a priest. He became a devotee to the God of Thunder, Indra. But inside, he still craved revenge and power.

  In no time, his public speaking skills and his influence in the court elevated him to the level of head priest. He again gained power but this time it came along with respect and devotion. He also assumed the position of chief consultant to his brother and guided him in politics and governance but little did the King know that from deep inside the abyss of his heart, Shreshtaha despised him. He savoured politics and the addiction associated with it.

  Shreshtaha’s closest friend was Balisur, who was a general in the army of Namaha. He had a son, who was gifted with extraordinary strength, and a dominating personality. Balisur had named him Taraksh.

  Shreshtaha was very fond of this child and took him under his wing. He trained him in oratorical skills and pol
itics and hired the best battle brain in the known world, ‘Apykarych’ to teach Taraksh - the art of war.

  Apykarych, known as the great old marvel of the empire, was the war minister of Taraksh’s forces. He had started his career as an apprentice priest to a master and had risen in the ranks. Apykarych had exceptional battle skills and was chosen by Shreshtaha during his struggling days to train and coach Taraksh. The master of weapons was ambitious, he was looking for recognition, an opportunity and he got one with Shreshtaha.

  Apykarych was considered as a living legend. He had the potential to singlehandedly wipe out an army of thousand- armed soldiers. He possessed the fiercest of arrows in his arsenal. His arrows were divinely powered and mystical, he could teleport them by closing his eyes and chanting the necessary mantras. The arrows launched from his bow were considered to be unstoppable... unbeatable.

  Apykarych, now in his early sixties, sported a white moustache which merged well with his long white beard. He looked old, but still carried himself with extraordinary vigour and energy. He was still the most skilled and dangerous man in the empire of Mahaverna.

  The naturally gifted Taraksh was trained by the best in the business; as a result, he got transformed into a colossal warrior on one hand and a divine orator at the other.

  At the age of eighteen, after the death of his father in a local skirmish, Taraksh started influencing people with his inspirational speeches, and started rallying followers around him. In just two years, his supporters grew by leaps and bounds, in terms of numbers. There was, for all intents and purposes, a separate army within the kingdom.

  The King began to feel threatened and was influenced by his chief consultant, Shreshtaha to challenge the teenager for a duel. Taraksh dominated from the start, and brutally killed King Namaha, by ripping off his arms and legs. After his death, Taraksh, with the help of Shreshtaha, was proclaimed as the King of Mahaverna.

  Once in power the society of Mahaverna was completely transformed by Taraksh and Shreshtaha. They wished to create a perfect race, and therefore divided the society into three sects: Soldiers, Priests and Workers – Civilians.

  The best among the populace in terms of built and agility were picked up by the state and were trained and transformed into killing machines; they along with the Priests enjoyed the maximum autonomy and privilege. They were not required to pay taxes; as a result, the worker class had to pay extra and suffered poverty. Starvation was rampant, as most of the food was consumed by soldiers, who constantly waged wars in different parts of the world.

  The common people were unhappy and had to work hard to receive scraps. It was considered the sacred duty of every individual to support the soldiers and priests of the empire and the King, since they protected the revered motherland from enemies. Even the slightest discontent was considered treason.

  Shreshtaha also initiated the training of children born to the soldiers of Mahaverna from healthy female slaves captured from other Kingdoms. These females were raised for breeding healthy and perfect soldiers. This group of women were called ‘Kayas’, and their children ‘Sanurags’. The Sanurags were taken away by the state during infancy and were trained to be barbaric warriors since childhood. They were converted into ruthless, heartless machines, tutored to fight till their last breath and never back down. They were not allowed to learn about their families and were raised as the sons of the Mahaverna.

  Shreshtaha also declared a mandate for all parents to send their male children to military school, which was closely monitored by the state officials. The most able ones were picked up by the state to become soldiers, while the others were shifted to other fields, destined to become part of the worker class.

  The commoners had families, but life was not safe for them. There were often merciless killings of the ordinary people, by the young graduate soldiers who were eager to demonstrate their skills.

  Mahaverna was, in fact, empty on the inside. Although it had high walls to protect the kingdom from the outside world, there was no one to protect the people inside from their very own predatory soldiers.

  The laws were created and executed by Shreshtaha, who governed the empire. Taraksh supplied the brute force, and was the true leader of the soldiers, the one who held the warriors together and kept the pride of the empire intact. He was, no doubt, the strongest ruler in the world. He was gifted with enormous power and had the natural ability to fight with any weapon.

  Once the military was restructured, Taraksh started a campaign to conquer territories around the world. He ravaged city after city, massacred innocents, and burnt down cities. Those who survived were taken as slaves. Taraksh continued forging ahead, and by the time he was thirty-nine, he had almost the whole world under his domination. All that remained - were seven kingdoms, united together under the name Nakshatra.

  This coalition commanded a massive army and boasted of several talented warriors. But the biggest reason for the success of the coalition was the twin brothers, ‘Zekrar’ and ‘Vedhas’, the princes of the Verxanda Kingdom.

  These two brothers were extremely talented warriors and master strategists. Some said that when the two brothers were together, they were unconquerable and even the gods could not defeat them. But when separated, even a child could kill them. They were blessed by the gods.

  Not many people knew that, once together, they could absorb the strength, skills and energy of the opponents they faced, thus becoming stronger and making the opponent weaker.

  The twins were also skilful archers, and used special bows made of white gold. They were extremely light and elastic, yet exceptionally strong. These attributes were a gift from the gods.

  The twins were two, but when together, they reflected a single shadow. Apart from these skills, the two brothers were master battlefield tacticians, and the supreme commanders of the coalition.

  Their biggest success could be gauged by Taraksh’s failure to capture and defeat the league. Taraksh’s forces had already attacked them numerous times; initially underestimating the ability of the league he had dispatched armed forces under his generals to conquer the Nakshatra, only to be decimated by the twins and the army commanded by them.

  Finally, Taraksh was forced to lead the army himself but was blocked in such a way that he and his most powerful generals in chariots could barely move, while scores of Mahaverna soldiers were slaughtered yet again. Taraksh was forced to retreat, to fight another day.

  This was his ninth attack, and this time he had come prepared. He had a larger, and a better equipped army. His best warriors accompanied him. Taraksh’s soldiers relied heavily on brute force, rather than relying on battle formation and planning. It’s not that they didn’t follow formations or tactics at all, but their usage was limited.

  The armies came closer and clashed with each other, Taraksh in his chariot quickly made his way through the enemy lines. He was an ace archer and possessed many divine arrows in his arsenal. His arrows had the power to cause explosions, electrocute his adversaries, and pierce impregnable armours. His speed of firing arrows was unmatched - an arrow in less than a second - thus giving an appearance as if he was firing five arrows at once. Taraksh wreaked havoc on his opponents from his chariot. His charioteer was constantly steering the chariot in such a way, that there was enough room for escape between the opposing forces and his chariot.

  As Taraksh was busy doing what he did best - massacring the enemy, four chariots from the opposition drove in close to him, clearing the way between the formations. The four chariots carried five princes - Zekrar and Vedhas of the Verxanda Kingdom who rode on the same chariot, Maharam of the Urvayu Kingdom, Neel of Parshetra Kingdom, and Aganar of the Taniksha Kingdom. They were the best archers of the coalition and had entered the battlefield to halt the progress of the rampaging emperor.

  This was the first time that the Emperor had come face to face with the princes. Prior to this, they had never initiated a direct combat with him. Their plan, back then, had been different - to trap Taraksh,
devastate his army, and force him to retreat.

  This time however, the twins wished to confront the ever- looming threat once and for all.

  Taraksh smiled, as he laid eyes on the enemy. He commanded his charioteer to steer towards the Princes. When the distance was right, he ordered him to halt, scanned the Princes and roared at his adversaries.

  “So, finally you have come to face Taraksh! Cowards, you have been hiding for too long! Now, I’ll show you my wrath!”

  “Time will tell who the coward is!” Zekrar replied.

  “Oh, I see! Zekrar, I have heard that no human can kill you, and that you are blessed by the gods. But you should not forget one thing. I, Taraksh, have been challenging the gods ever since I was a child.”

  The princes were not intimidated; they considered themselves equal to Taraksh.

  “Even I have heard a lot about you. But it seems you can only talk, not fight. Come on, don’t mutter, let’s fight!” Maharam retorted mockingly.

  An angry Taraksh immediately aimed an arrow and fired it at Maharam.

  “Then Take this!”

  Maharam retaliated by shooting an arrow, intercepting the King’s arrow before it reached him. The moment the arrow was blocked; all other princes entered the contest and started showering arrows at Taraksh. Even though the King was outnumbered; he possessed superior skills compared to his adversaries and protected himself well against the onslaught. His hands moved faster than lightening and his arrows sliced all the arrows fired at him.

  The aerial collision continued for some time, after which an unfortunate thing occurred for the coalition. Taraksh fired an arrow that pierced Prince Aganar’s chest. He died painfully. A moment later, Taraksh claimed another victim, as Neel was killed by an arrow that penetrated his neck.