The Oath of The Vayuputras (46 page)
Sati couldn’t remain holed up on her anchored ships. Ships are unassailable from land when sailing fast, but sitting ducks when they are anchored, susceptible to bombardment and devil boat assaults. So she had decided to garrison herself on land, which would offer protection to her ships as well, by deterring the Meluhans from coming too close to the river banks.
She had chosen a good location to dig in her army. It was on a large, gently-rolling hill right next to the Saraswati. The trees between the hill and the city of Devagiri had been cut down. Therefore, from the vantage point of the hill, Sati had a clear line of sight of enemy movements at the Devagiri city gates ten kilometres away. The height of the hill also gave her another advantage: charging downhill was far easier than advancing uphill, which her enemies would have to do. The elevation also increased the range of her archers significantly.
Having occupied the high ground, Sati then opted to assume the most effective of defensive military formations: the
Chakravyuh
. The core of the
Chakravyuh
comprised columns of infantrymen in the tortoise position. The tortoises themselves were protected to the rear by the river and the Saraswati fleet at anchor, in the middle of the river. They would provide protection against any Meluhan forces that might attack from the river end. Rowboats had been beached and tied in the river shallows, as a contingency for retreating, if necessary. Rows of cavalry, three layers deep, reinforced the core towards the front. Two rows of war elephants formed an impregnable semi-circular outer shell, protecting the formations within. The giant
Chakravyuh,
comprising fifty thousand soldiers, left adequate space between the lines for inner manoeuvrability and for fortification of the outer shell by the cavalry in case of a breach.
All the animals had been outfitted with thin metallic armour and the soldiers had broad bronze shields to protect against any long-range arrows.
It was a near-perfect defensive formation, designed to avoid battle and allow a quick retreat if needed.
Sati intended to remain in this formation till she heard from Shiva.
Sati sat on a tall wooden platform that had been constructed for her, behind the cavalry line. It gave her a panoramic view of the entire field and the city of Devagiri in the distance. She watched the city where she had spent most of her life, which she had once called home. A nostalgic corner of her heart longed to be able to revel in its quiet, sober efficiency and understated culture. To worship at the temple of Lord Agni, the purifying Fire God, a ritual she had adhered to as a Vikarma, an ostracised carrier of bad fate. Despite being so close, she couldn’t even enter it now to meet her mother. She shook her head. This was no time for sentimentality. She had to focus.
Sati checked her horse, which had been tethered to the platform base. Nandi and Veerbhadra waited next to the platform, mounted on their stallions. They had been designated her personal bodyguards.
Sati knew this would be a difficult period – the time till Shiva returned with Ganesh’s army. She had to keep her soldiers in war readiness, and yet, avoid war. As any general knows, this can sometimes breed restless irritability amongst the troops.
Her attention was pulled away as she detected some movement in the far distance. She couldn’t believe what she saw. The main gate of the
Tamra
or
bronze
platform of Devagiri was being opened.
What are they doing? Why would the Meluhans step out into the open? They are outnumbered!
‘Steady!’ ordered Sati. ‘Everyone remain in their positions! We will not be provoked into launching an attack!’
Messengers below immediately relayed the orders to all the brigade commanders. It was important for Sati’s soldiers to remain in line. As long as they did, it was almost impossible to beat them. It was especially crucial that the elephant line, at the periphery of Sati’s formation, held position. They were the bulwark of her defence.
Sati continued to watch the small contingent of Meluhan soldiers marching out of Devagiri, perhaps no more than a brigade. As soon as they were out, the city gates were shut behind them.
Is it a suicide squad? For what purpose...
The Meluhan soldiers kept marching slowly towards Sati’s position. She watched their progress, intrigued. Perched at a height, she soon observed that the soldiers were being followed by carts that were being pulled laboriously by oxen.
What do these thousand foot-soldiers hope to achieve? And what is in those carts?
As the Meluhans drew close to the hill, she saw that many of the soldiers carried long weapons in their left hands.
Archers.
She instantly knew what was about to happen, as she saw them stop. They even had a strong wind supporting them. The Meluhans had clearly planned this for when the winds would work in their favour. She knew the elements well in these parts and realised immediately that her archers would not have the pleasure of giving as much as receiving.
‘Shields!’ shouted Sati. ‘Incoming arrows!’
But the archers were too far. They had clearly overestimated the wind. The arrows barely reached Sati’s forces. The strong wind, though advantageous for the Meluhans, was not working to Sati’s benefit. She couldn’t reply to the Meluhan volley of arrows in kind with her own archers. She saw the Meluhans inch closer, lugging ox-drawn carts behind the archers. In all her years, Sati had never seen ox-drawn carts being used in warfare.
Sati frowned.
What in Lord Ram’s name can oxen do against elephants? What is
Pitratulya
doing?
Sati was clear that she did not want to test General Parvateshwar’s strategy today. It was admittedly tempting because this small contingent would be wiped out in minutes if she sent her elephants. However, she smelt a trap and did not want to leave the high ground. She knew what had to be done: hold position till Shiva returned. She did not want to fight. Not today.
Having moved even closer, the Meluhan archers loaded their arrows again.
‘Shields!’ ordered Sati.
This time the arrows hit the shields at the right end of Sati’s formation. Having tested the range, the Meluhan archers moved once again.
The Meluhans probably have some secret weapon that they are not absolutely sure about. The ox-drawn carts may have some role to play in it. They want to provoke some of my men into charging at them so that they can test their weapon.
The upshot was obvious. If her army refused to get provoked, no battle would take place. All the animals in her army were well-armoured. The soldiers had massive shields, prepared in defence for the very arrow attack that the Meluhans were attempting right now. Despite two showers of arrows, her army had not suffered a single casualty. There was nothing to gain by breaking formation. And, nothing to lose by staying in formation.
Sati also figured that since the enemy had already come close, ordering her own archers to shoot arrows now may prove counter-productive. The ox-drawn carts were not manned. A volley of arrows may well drive the animals crazy, making them charge in any direction, perhaps even at her own army, along with whatever evil they carried in the carts. She had a better idea. She instructed her messengers to tell a cavalry squad to ride out from behind the hill she was positioned on, thus hiding their movement, and go around to an adjoining hill towards the west. She wanted them to launch a flanking attack from behind the crest of that hill, surprise and decimate the Meluhan archers as well as drive the oxen away. All she had to do was wait for the Meluhans to move a little closer to her position. Then, she could have them blind-sided with her cavalry charge.
Sati shouted out her orders once again. ‘Be calm! Hold the line! They cannot hurt us if we remain in formation.’
The Meluhan archers, having moved closer, arched their bows and fired once again.
‘Shields!’
Sati’s army was ready. Though the arrows reached right up to the centre of her army, not one soldier was injured. The Meluhans held their bows to their sides and prepared to draw nearer once again, this time a little tentatively.
They’re nervous now. They know their plan is not working.
‘What the hell!’ growled an angry Vasudev elephant-rider as he turned to his partner. ‘They are a puny brigade with oxen, against our entire army. Why doesn’t General Sati allow us to attack?’
‘Because she is not a Vasudev,’ spat out the partner. ‘She doesn’t know how to fight.’
‘My Lords,’ said the
mahout
to the riders, ‘our orders are to follow the General’s orders.’
The Vasudev turned in irritation to the
mahout
. ‘Did I ask you for your opinion? Your order is to only follow my orders!’
The
mahout
immediately fell silent as the distant shout of the brigadier’s herald came through. ‘Shields!’
Another volley of arrows. Again, no casualties.
‘Enough of this nonsense!’ barked one of the elephant-riders. ‘We’re Kshatriyas! We’re not supposed to cower like cowardly Brahmins! We’re supposed to fight!’
Sati saw a few elephants on the far right of her formation, the ones that were the closest to the Meluhan brigade, begin to rumble out.
‘Hold the line!’ shouted Sati. ‘Nobody will break formation!’
The messengers carried forward the orders to the other end of the field immediately. The elephants were pulled back into formation by their
mahouts
.
‘Nandi,’ said Sati, looking down. ‘Ride out to that end and tell those idiots to remain in formation!’
‘Yes, My Lady,’ said Nandi, saluting.
‘Wait!’ said Sati, as she saw the Meluhan archers loading another set of arrows. ‘Wait out this volley and then go.’
The order of ‘shields!’ was relayed again and the arrows clanged harmlessly against the raised barriers. None of Sati’s soldiers were injured.
As Sati put her shield down and looked up, she was horrified. Twenty elephants on the right had charged out recklessly.
‘The fools!’ yelled Sati, as she jumped onto her horse from the platform.
She galloped forward to cover the breach opened up by the recklessly charging elephants, closely followed by Veerbhadra and Nandi. While passing by the cavalry line, she ordered the reserve cavalry to follow her. Within a few minutes, Sati had stationed herself in the position left open by the Vasudev elephants that had charged out of formation.
‘Stay here!’ Sati ordered the soldiers behind her as she raised her hand.
She could see her elephants sprinting forward in the distance, goaded on by their
mahouts
, bellowing loudly. The Meluhan archers stood their ground bravely and shot another round.
The order resonated through Sati’s army. ‘Shields!’
The Vasudev elephant-riders screamed loudly as they crashed into the archers. ‘Jai Shri Ram!’
The elephants swung their powerful trunks, tied to which were strong metallic balls. Meluhan soldiers were flung far and wide with the powerful swings. The few who remained were crushed under giant feet. Within just a few moments of this butchery, the archers began retreating.
Though it appeared as if the twenty Vasudev elephants were smashing the Meluhan archers to bits, Sati shuddered with foreboding as she felt a chill run down her spine. She screamed loudly, even though she knew that the elephant-riders couldn’t hear her.
‘Come back, you fools!’
The Vasudev elephant-riders though, were on a roll. Encouraged by the easy victory, they goaded their
mahouts
to keep the elephants moving forward.
‘Charge!’
The elephant-riders primed their main weapon, pulling the levers on the flame throwers. Long, spear-like flames burst forth from the
howdahs
. The riders positioned the weapon, aiming for maximum effect as they crashed into the next line of Meluhans.
The elephants continued dashing forward, seeing the ox-drawn carts farther ahead. And then the tide turned. The retreating Meluhan archers spun around with arrows that had been set on fire, aiming straight for their own carts. The dry and volatile dung cakes on the carts had been mixed with chilli, and caught fire immediately. The startled oxen, sensing the blaze somewhere behind them, ran forward in panic, towards the advancing elephants.
It was the
mahouts
who had the first inkling that something was wrong. Attuned deeply to the beasts, they could sense their innate distress. Goaded on by the fiery elephant-riders behind them though, they continued to press their elephants ahead. Soon the contents on the carts were completely aflame, letting out a thick, acrid smoke. But the elephant-riders were too committed to the charge. They rode straight into the blinding smoke.
As soon as the smoke hit them, the elephants shrieked desperately. The
mahouts
recognised the smell.
Chilli!
‘Retreat!’ screamed a
mahout
.
‘No!’ shouted back a belligerent elephant-rider. ‘We have them! Crush the oxen. Move forward!’
But the elephants were already in a state of frenzied panic. They turned from the source of their discomfort and ran. The hysterical oxen, with the fires burning hard on the carts, continued their frantic sprint forward as though to elude the blaze.