CHAPTER : 3 Never Seen Anything Like This.
Few Years after the Great Battle Of Valour
After meeting the old one King directly went back to his Palace, on the way he thought about The prophecy and laughed to himself but in oceans of his mind, it doesn’t sound funny rather it’s mysterious. He wants to take a bath but not in his chamber but in a pond which is at a freezing cold temperature. Blood moon on one side and absolute silence on the other, but all this was disturbed by the sound of the howl of a wolf which made his mind think of wolf kingdom but once again all of this is disturbed by a horse’s neigh he looked back it is Annona, his love, she joined him in the bath, instead of them getting froze, water is heating up. Annona dripped her fingers like silk lines on his face, with strong winds Annona’s hair is being flown by his face, he pulled her towards him so fast and fierce, her breasts and his chest are so close that there is no gap even for a hair. Annona holds his cheeks with hands with so much love as if she was holding a baby, Shivan lifted her, he felt like as if her body was painted by gods themselves, he caressed every curve, touched from every part from head to toe, he is in her and her moans out peaked even wolfs howl. Water couldn’t take their heat and started escaping as steams. In all the darkness, cold water and the sky, they could definitely be there making love and looking at each other for all eternity but he is a king after some time they came back to the palace. They are sleeping in his bedroom. Annona is on his chest and his hands are playing with her hair. Annona: “ how much do you love me, no don’t answer this, say why do you love me”, shivan: “Is this really necessary right now I am so fed up sweetheart,” he pointed her heart and winked. She said, “yes, it’s necessary and I’m not fed up, I am not even sleepy, why didn’t you married till now, your handsome, you are strong, for god sake your King of this whole land?”, he said, “ cause I was waiting for you, my love” Annona: “shut up, I am serious, how many women you have slept with, am I one of them” shivan is in a very deep sleep he is no longer listening to her and murmuringly he said, yes, Annona slapped him so hard that he got up as if there is an enemy right in front of him in his bedroom. He is very angry and seeing Annona straight in the eyes and Annona is not even blinking her eyes after a moment they both laughed so loud, shivan looked around to check if there is anyone. Annona laughed and said, “don’t worry your highness no one is around, answer me or I’m gonna kill you with this knife”, he said, “ it would be my pleasure to die in your hands sweat heart” Annona took her sharp knife to cut off his reaming clothes on his body, she is on top of shivan, shivan said: “I love you more anything, maybe your the only thing I might have fallen in love with till now, I want us to marry soon,” she said, “ Oh, marriage when I saved you, you promised me that you will do anything I ask and I am sure that you love your crown and fame”, shivan nodded his head and said, “no my love, I don’t and coming to my promise you will be queen soon you can do as you wish, any way you know that I am a man who stands on his word,” Annona said “oh!… I thought you stand on the ground” they both laughed, made love and slept peacefully.
After a few days in the court
Orson is in the court along with his ministers waiting for the arrival of the king, Offa is standing in the corner as usual though he achieved many feats no other commander have dream off he felt discontent as if there is still one more thing he has to do. King arrived in the meantime. After few in house settlements, the council of minister started, Nayrog, a minister who talks on behalf of Orson, said “ our treasure is increasing day by day but the rate has been decreasing from the last two seasons, my lord” king: “the rate doesn’t matter as long as we getting the substantial money we need for Army and trading don’t increase the taxes and increase the burden on my people any other concerns?”, he said, “ yes my lord, we have information Ouro Army is on its way to Mangi and their focus will be definitely on the capital, Agartha.” the King: “what is the intention of this…Ouro army, I know a little about them who are they what do they believe in?” Nayrog said, “Sire, they are called the golden army, Ouro is called golden in Galician their armours are made of gold and rest is black, they are one of the most advanced armies in the world. All they want is to expand their kingdoms by invading or by politics and their interest lies in increasing their army and slaves. They are civilised and well versed in the art of warfare. Their king name is Sol Guerriero and the funniest part is that their god is the Sun.” Shivan: “sun, how do they even believe that the sun is a god, we can literally see him even right now if they want invade we will fight, if they want us to kneel and submit to their rule we won’t because we don’t want to give up our culture, our laws, our principles and most importantly our freedom but I am ready to negotiate with them unlike Rogues they are not our ancestral enemies nor we don’t share any grudges. The greatest victory is that which requires no battle at all.” Orson what surprised to hear these words from the king. King asked, “Orson, do you want to say anything.” he sighed to Nayrog, Nayrog said, “ no, sir.” the king asked, “ how many days will it take from them to reach our shores?”, Nayrog replied, “ based on the information we have it may anywhere from 1 to 3 months, they are on the East Glore Sea lastly where our raven saw them.” Shivan: “ is this information reliable and we have to be prepared from this very day.” Nayrog “yes, sire as of what I know there are very ruthless and the tenderness of a kingdom seldom be known by how they treat their slaves and prisoners but they treat them far beyond we ever can imagine, I agree to what you have said but it would be wise to be prepared in every direction.” Shivan said, “ We already know that they are coming, Forewarned is forearmed. Let us prepare. thanks to everyone, now if you please excuse me I have a lot to think about.” He left to this chambers, Annona is there playing with this trident, Shivan: “Annona, there is something that’s consuming me apart from those foolish prophecies and words, its Ouro Army, I don’t want our people to suffer from another battle, we will be either very happy or dead once the battle is over but after many battles in my fights I understood no matter who wins its people that suffer, Annona why do we fight, what is the need but yet all answers at the end are tied to a word called war.” Annona: “ its the way you kings have decided to show off your capacities and capabilities, show me one great king who dares to say that this is enough, no one everyone who was and is being called a Great king said this the very next minute they win the battle that this is only the beginning of our victory we have many more to triumph on, isn’t what I just said is true, my lord?”, shivan: “yeah, it is true, many kings so that because it is the way to show their power to this world…” Annona interrupted in the middle and said, “Power of a man is truly revealed at how kind he can be even when he has all the power and authority.” These words struck shivan hard. Annona: “ Ouro Army is very powerful and elegant I don’t deny it but Agartha has a king named Shivan Ernest, who is often called The king. I have seen and stories about many kings but you shivan are something different you are beyond the battle of power and pride, all it takes is a moment then you will realise your destiny.” Shivan: “I have already my dear, you are my destiny”. Meanwhile, Offa is training his soldiers rigorously, Shivan and Annona visited to see and encourage his army, Annona saw a girl in her adolescence who is practising with a bow but she is hardly above to lift it up, Annona went to her and helped her throughout that day, after some time she asked “ why I don’t get to practice with a sword” Annona thought inside that they think swords are only meant to be for men and not for women but she said, “because, my dear sword is for fools who can only fight but archery is for who can think and fight intelligently if our archers are good there won’t be much work for swordsmen in the first place.” The girl asked, “ then, for whom is that trident for?”
Looking at Shivan’s trident, Annona answered, “it’s for both who have to fight and think little one” the girl laughed and said “ yes, he is king and he might need to both…but Annona I have heard rumours that you and king are going to marry soon is that true?” Annona blushed and smiled at the courage this girl has to ask her “ yes, dear we are ought to marry soon” she asked, “when? Dear one?” Annona raised her eyebrows filled with laughter said, “ We actually have to marry soon but there is a word of Ouro invasion, after that hurdle my dear we will and you will be my best woman in the marriage” girl felt so happy she couldn’t control she hugged her so tight and a minute later she asked, “ dear one, to which country you are the princess of?” Annona: “ I’m no princess, little one, I came from a further far island to Mangi, many people in our village are instructed to go to various kingdoms and let their kings know about our problem and to seek help if there is any.” The girl said, “ oh, then why is king marrying you I heard that king only marriages princess and your problem will be solved he will do all he can because he loves you now dear one” Annona said “that is the same reason why I am not asking his help because I can’t explain it to you but that feels different to be accurate it feels like taking advantage of being selfish and coming to your former question, many years back me and king shivan met in a forest, he was hunting a bear but caught up fighting with a jaguar in midnight I heard someone shouting and came to aid them and rescued him. But back then I don’t know that he was a king or at least that he is going to be a king all he said was that he came to the forest to grieve because his father died and we ended up attracting to each other but after few days I don’t know what he felt he said he has to leave, its time, he promised me that he would do whatever I asked for saving his life and said: “if it is our destiny we will meet again” and he left. Later after many years, I came to this kingdom to seek help from the king, but on the same day, a princess had also come for marriage proposal King saw me from the backside while entering his court and thought that I am princess, but after few minutes the real princess came, while her father is talking about lands and garrisons we suddenly looked at each other, after a moment we both started laughing like hell no one in the court understood this. We have met after that meeting from then we met every day but one day he came to me said, “ I can feel it, you are my destiny, I love you Annona, do you ?” And that is the day from when you started hearing rumours of our marriage.” Both laughed and the girl asked, “but when will you ask the king for what you have really come for” Annona said, “soon, little one, soon by the way what is your name little one ” the girl said, “ my name is Mangi, dear one and I am no little and why is that snake is always beside or behind you I am scared of it”. Annona said: “there is nothing to be scared of it won’t harm you, I am spellbound to this snake at the time of my birth, don’t be bothered.” Annona has spent her time there until it was dawn. Few nights passed whole Agartha is busy with fortifying their defences. King and Annona are sleeping in there their chambers all of a sudden they’ve heard the battle horn, according to what they thought Ouro Army should be hereafter two Full moons, shivan with Annona: “ I Know this, I did this, I anticipated but I didn’t expect that will reach our shores this soon, Annona you are the closest person to me, I love you, its time don’t come outside of the fort if there is a battle.” Annona angrily said, “ I’m not your mistress don’t say this crap, you will win this battle at any cost and I will fight alongside you, holding your hand and watching your back, you cannot stop me don’t even dare to try.” Shivan said: “ please listen to me, stakes are too high I might even die,” Annona stopped him in the middle and said “ no you won’t, you have a promise to keep” they both kissed and looked straight into the eye and both said, “Meet you at the junction mate.”
King is standing before his war room council and with his army in open grounds, “ First and foremost ask all of our people to come inside the fort, give emergency horns, limit the supplies. we are outnumbered but that is nothing new, I have devised a plan and it is revealed to your squad chieftains, follow their lead. Remember even before they raise their swords their heads should touch the ground, Shivan stood in the centre and addressed his army, “ I know all of you here are no less than a lion in a battlefield, the soldiers of Agartha are know as most fierce and fearless warriors on this whole world, this time we are facing a threat of the unknown, they say that Ouro Army has golden armours but don’t we have a heart of gold and body of steel, ahh?” Everyone shouted, yes yes…. “yes, we will be the mightiest soldiers they ever faced, Trust me on this, few of squads are asked only to wear a black dress and nothing else, not even their armour, and tie a blue thread to your legs, ask no questions. I promise that I will be there fighting aside by you, holding your hand and watching your back, ALL OF ME FOR ALL OF US.” Everyone didn’t just shout instead they roared each one of them felt like a rumble of thunder. Every Spirit has uplifted every soldier felt that he is important and valued. First, shivan want to negotiate with them so he sent an Ambassador after few hours he came back, shivan: “have you seen their army what are their strengths and weakness.” He replied, “Lord, their forces are more than what we have estimated, they have very strong helmets too, our archers from far won’t be able to hurt them but their weak spots are their joints which are not properly covered.” Shivan: “we should not go by this, they showed the things which they want us to see and what about the negotiation.” He shaked and said “sire, they asked you surrender and beg for life on your knees…” by listening to this many soldiers laughed with arrogance and many soldiers shouted, “ask them to go fuck themselves”
King sighed to his army to stop, with a sigh of his fingers there is pin-drop silence, the king asked, “ what do they want?” He said “they said, if you do this in front of them, all they want is 2000kgs of iridium, 10000 kgs of gold and a treaty of alliance,” the king said, “ is that it, sure we may lose our wealth but we can gain in no time, soldiers and brothers if is this what they want there is no need to spill blood unnecessarily,” all the solider shouted king with very loud and angry voice: “listen to me we don’t need to fight, there is no reason for us and our country to suffer one more great battle and if it all came to my pride, all the wars are fought no because of reason but because to show their pride and power.” He looked at Annona, and continued “ but this battle shall not be fought because I’m strong enough to keep my pride aside and serve my country, is it not what a king must do. All of me for all of us.” Many didn’t like it but no one could speak up against their king. A meeting is arranged kings and soldiers of either side have come to a place to meet. King Sol Guerriero said, “ we have come to know that you have agreed to our terms.” King shivan Ernest said, “yes, I want to avoid unnecessary slaughter of innocent people”. King solo laughed a sarcastic smile and they shake their hands and their ambassador sighed to Shivan’s ambassador, in the open grounds, the wind is faster than the tide of the ocean, its morning but it has mere dark shade, everyone around is numb and silent, shivan’s hand shivered when he is about to kneel he has tightly held his trident but this time, never before in his lifetime he heard this, but now heard a wolf howling from inside, he could literally feel goosebumps. he remembered what the old one said about sprit’s willingness. This time he felt more than steady he felt that some power is flowing through him, his wilderness has increased, he’s golden eye started glowing more bright, king sol couldn’t able to see him even for a second more, he felt a great surge of power and thought of slaying the person before, suddenly his ego came back saying that you are the greatest king on this planet in that split second he has everything he needs to start a war but far from this place away from all this new pride and power he saw Annona in his heart and these words echoed, Power of a man is truly revealed at how kind he can be even when he has all the power and authority. In his heart with all the weight, he touched his knee to the ground and kneeled. Out of nowhere, they heard a wolf howling so loud, many felt that Wulf Kiba is howling. With the king, his whole army kneeled before King Sol Guerriero and his Ouro Army. King sol and his army marched back to a distance and at a distance that is both audible and movable King Sol Guerriero said, “you fool, you are the weakest king I have ever seen, no one literally no one did this before, you think I’m a fool to not to invade this lustrous land just because a fool kneeled before me, war is inevitable, prepare yourselves and you already lost.” Furiously Annona threw a spear on to him which just missed by a hair, Annona yelled, “You bastard and son of a bitch, he is no fool, you on yourself said that that you have never seen any king like this, that’ means he is the strongest king of all you have seen and you will ever see you are in no position even to kiss my king’s feet. You’re the fool, you just committed your biggest mistake in your life, I promise to you that you will want to kill yourself for doing this.” King sol didn’t care and they left the ground. No one even dared to look at the king, not even Annona, no one moved, no one talked, few of them even stopped to take a breath. King took his trident and hit it on the ground, this time the thud it almost cracked the ground, “soldiers, we have lost nothing, we will ever be remembered in the history for this moment alone, I ought to avoid the battle but instead they humiliated us but I don’t take it as humiliation they have just released the beasts in us and fuelled every single warrior here with rage, let’s teach them a lesson.” With all that he can, he yelled, “Lets us eat those assholes alive”. Whole air has filled with rage everyone soldier is now a lion, they don’t have any senses all that they feel is rage and revenge, their blood just boiled to highest of temperatures. Every soldier said “ALL OF US, FOR ALL OF YOU, MY KING” together. His army didn’t just see a king, shivan Ernest but also King Wulf Kiba standing at his back. War has started, both forces are racing towards each other, they both hit each other as a tide which hits a rock. Their weapons are clanging and clangourous under the seething, spice-filled sky. The ground was lubricated with guts and a nauseating waft arose from it. The king shivan Ernest and his beloved are fighting side by side, the king as promised, trying to protect every soul. His trident is now roaring he could feel Wulf Kiba’s presence and power with every whiff and stroke. necromancers started chanting their spells sitting on elephants in the last row and the drummers started beating drums so loud that their vibrations could move the stones on the ground, King Shivan Ernest, loves the sounds of drums and it fills him the exuberance to fight in the war with glory. Anywhere strike and every step of him matched the beats of the drums but this time Kiba is also with him. Anywhere you look blood is being spilled. As they thought archers are not able to pierce their arrow’s into their armours and helmets from a far distance, king shivan rode to his archers in the way he at least separated 54 heads from their bodies. King: “archers don’t aim at their chest or heart aim to their eyes and nose, if you hit it should straight pierce their nose and their hit there helmets and shake their brains, aim at there archers, use fires and spells, necromancers we need you more than ever don’t stop you chanting even for a second, archer get ready, form one, with fire and spells… loose.” This made a few Ouro soldiers stop who at yet to come into the main battleground. “ form two, loose” The girl, mangi released her arrow it went straight through the nose and has hit to the helmet and made a huge sound. Shivan yelled, “that’s it mangi, that’s it” but that didn’t stop them coming, in numbers they are growing minute by minute. King Shivan is now going to his chieftains, he ordered chieftains to execute their plan now, chieftains now revealed their plan in their old language, the Ouro soldiers their couldn’t understand what are they yelling, every chieftain started yelling the same thing, no Ouro soldier can understand what’s happening, after a few minutes shivan’s soldiers barged and lashed at Ouro soldiers at once, they killed them and they are now taking their armours and helmets and wearing them. King Shivan looked at this far and laughed and gone wild like a wolf. The soldiers who changed their dress went back in line and mixed with real Ouro soldiers, they are coming with them but when real Ouro soldiers came close to Agartha soldiers they are being slaughtered by both the soldiers who are front but also from the back those who dressed just like them. For Agatha warriors to identify their soldiers, they have a blue thread attached to their right leg. Everyone understood what the king said in the meeting. Everyone is laughing with rage and this whole process is getting repeated. Poor Ouro soldiers couldn’t understand what is happening, all that they can see is chaos and slaughter, with blood in his mouth and eyes king shivan shouted: “ no questions asked”, every soldier replied by yelling: “Valhalla it is”. Annona is fighting both with sword and an axe she has bruises but she is in no position to fill them. Both shivan and Annona looked at each other and then resumed to their work of slaying. King shivan can see king Sol, he pointed out this trident at him and looked straight into his eyes and shouted, “ Kneel”. Sol felt a chill in his spine. Shivan is now moving in his direction slaughtering everyone in his path, now no one is able to differentiate Wulf Kiba and Shivan Ernest. His soldiers are able to see that shivan is now looking a bit like a wolf. They are winning over their enemy with chaos and wrath of shivan. They wouldn’t have suffered this if King sol didn’t do what he had done, shivan was so strong-willed that he was able to stop a volcano himself when he is about to kneel, though he felt a huge power surge, at that time instead blood rage flowed through his veins but he oppressed himself for the welfare of his nation and people it seems now all that is bursting out all of a sudden when he saw King Sol Guerriero. But in mist of his anger, he saw something many soldiers are going to the east side of the Agartha fort where there is a secret tunnel to enter, which is created after the battle of valour only a few of council members knew this, very few. Shivan yelled, “we have been betrayed by our own, by our own”. King sol also rode his horse very fast to that direction and ordered his men something which shivan couldn’t understand. It’s too late by the time shivan saw this few men of Ouro Army are already iniside the fort. They choose the battle east-side of the fort because they could do this easily. After all, it gives them an easy fleet. Two of Ouro horsemen are riding straight to Annona dragged her tied and threw her in their chariot. Shivan’ s heart is wrenched, he is crying so furiously. King sol yelled from far, “I am gonna have her raped by every man in my army and show her how our hell looks like”. Annona is trying with all she got but she couldn’t escape. Shivan is mourning he know what to do but he is shivering like an old man now. He is riding fast but he knows that by the time he reached she would be inside the fort. He went to archers and asked mangi to give her bow, he took it and hit the solider who is riding chariot but they have armours from far arrows can’t pierce them he is crying and shouting his voice reached to the very end of the sky, there are thunders and rain in the sky, he asked one more arrow from mangi, his hand is shivering, suddenly he felt he got strength from inside like Kiba is holding his hand firmly. In a minute the chariot will go inside the fort, he gathered all the strength and released this arrow, it travelled, the arrow itself mourned amid the heavy rain and thunder it had hit to Annona straight in her chest, she is badly hurt and with a grim of life left in her he took that arrow with her tied hands and she is trying to stab it in the joints of rider, it is the weakest portion. He fell out of balance as a result horse and chariot too. He has risen up and ran towards the tunnel. King shivan and his army are minutes far from the tunnel, seeing this king Sol killed his own soldier for his failure and order to closed the tunnel with big stones, all they had to do is cut a rope so that stones will close the tunnel. By the time shivan reached there, the fort is closed and Annona is fighting for her life. King went fell on his knee and took Annona`s head to his lap, and said with a lot of grief that “ stay with me, stay with me, nothing is gonna happen to you” the Ouro soldiers from inside started shooting arrows but the Shivan’s soldier formed a shield structure around him with their shields. Shivan said, “please, please sweat heart please be with me, don’t leave me, I’m sorry, I have no other option left. I don’t want to kill you am sorry sweetheart” he cried, Annona with a shrivelled voice said, “pleasure is mine, shivan” this pierced straight into his heart, he cried and said,“ I am gonna kill myself for this..” Annona said “ no, you have a promise to keep ask mangi and I too have promised Sol that he will suffer… you are my destiny..” And she left her last breath. Shivan grieved so much even earth couldn’t bare it. His soldiers took him and Annona’s body far from the range of archers. Everyone came to her funeral, shivan is not more than a dead man who is trapped in this world for two promises. Most of his army is scattered many of them are badly injured, few of them died. His army is suffering from heavy losses. He is standing alone near the pyre and he saw something coming towards the pyre, it’s her snake, it tried to jump off into the pyre but shivan held it back and took to his hands. Meanwhile, Offa came to shivan. The pyre is still burning, it is at its peak. Looking grievously into the fire Shivan said “ I will separate Sol’s head from his body with my bare hands, offa, with my bare hands, but before that, I have to know who betraye…” offa started crying and kneeled before the king and said, “ it’s me, my lord, it’s me.”