The mist engulfed the foothills of the Northern Mines, the air was cold and the sun had not yet risen. Northern Mines was unusual for a mine. It was inside a hill unlike being underground. Many decades ago, it held hordes of precious gems, a rarity in the region and neighbouring areas. They were all mined out by the Dayita kingdom, contributing partly to its prosperity. Faint rumours of yesteryears whispered about yakshas, the forest spirits who possessed magical powers and took care of the mines. Fainter whispers spoke of how the Dayita ancestors purged these yakshas from the Northern Mines for their material greed.
A Kapala soldier stood vigil on the top of the Northern Mines, his black cloak fluttering against a biting cold breeze that made him shiver. He tried to warm his hands with the torch that was lit beside him. Looking towards the city of Arang, he smirked, soon they would lay siege on the city and plunder it to their heart’s content.
He looked below and saw the thick mist at the foothills. Something seemed off. Was it movement he noticed? He lit another torch and threw it towards the foothill and saw the glint of metal shields and soldiers waiting in ambush. He snatched his whistle in a hurry and let the shrill noise shatter the silent dawn.
At once, various crevices on the facade of the dark hill were lit with the glow of torches. Arrows rained from the sky as the black-masked Kapala soldiers released them from the large openings in the middle of the hilltop towards the bottom of the hill piercing into the curtains of mist. The clank of hundreds of these arrows as they hit the dome of shields held by the Dayita Army reverberated in the early morning air.
At the foothill, Aryaman raised his sword in the air, and uttered the battle cry, “To victory!” And led the charge of a part of his army into the entrance of the hill. His battle strategy was a simple one, it played on the information and understanding he had of the Kapala Army and the Northern Mines, whose layout he had studied from the maps procured from the palace archives. He fervently hoped that most of the information was true and accurate. Winning depended on it. The safety of Arang, his capital city, depended on it.
Aryaman’s plan had 5 steps. Step #1 was to take the enemy by surprise. Step #2 was to gain a psychological advantage over the enemy, and appear to be larger and stronger than they actually were. Step #3 was to stealthily take down their main leaders. Step #4 was to surround them and block their exit. Step #5 was victory. The key to all of it was speed.
Aryaman led the charge of one of the formations, which was a narrow straight strip of soldiers, into the mines. The entrance to the mines opened to a vast, echoing cave guarded by some Kapala soldiers and all the Kapala Army horses, were housed towards the far end of the cave. As Aryaman’s group broke into the mines, a second group of the Dayita army surrounded the hill in another formation and blocked external exits. A smaller and stealthier third group led by Sanjaya, a trusted aide of Aryaman and master of spies sneaked into the upper reaches of the hill through narrow tunnels inside the mine’s entrance as Aryaman and his group fought the oncoming Kapala soldiers.
The troop leaders of the Kapala Army distinguished by the twin lines on each cheek on their black masks assessed the situation from one of the openings in the hillside. This attack by the Dayita Army caught them off guard. The Dayita Army seemed to have a sizeable number of soldiers. Did they get the wrong intel that most of the army was away on a campaign? They had to take charge before the situation spiralled out of control.
“We have to send some of our troops down to stop them from advancing, the remaining of us can take them out from here,” said one of the troop leaders.
“Hmm,” said another.
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A Kapala soldier entered and bowed before the troop leaders.
“Did you find the chief?” A troop leader asked the soldier.
“No, troop leader Lakhan,” said the Kapala soldier.
“Of all the times!” muttered the first troop leader.
“Let’s not lose our cool,” said troop leader Lakhan. “We can hold the fort till the chief comes, he’ll get everything in control. I’ll head down with my troopers to fight them, you guys help me from up here.”
Aryaman surged forward like a lightning bolt with his sword and took one Kapala soldier after the one that came his way. His men followed suit and took down most of the Kapala soldiers within minutes. Aryaman raised his hand and gestured to some of his men to free the horses and led the others towards a narrow tunnel-like path up the interiors of the hill.
The next moment, from the path, troop leader Lakhan and his men rushed toward Aryaman and his men stopping them from advancing. Sparks flew as Lakhan’s sword clashed with Aryaman’s. Aryaman pressed his sword against Lakhan’s who held firmly on his own. He manoeuvred his sword and quickly hit Aryaman with his elbow. Aryaman reeled backwards, and having gained breathing space, Lakhan attacked Aryaman to gain an advantage. Aryaman dodged the attack and swung his sword at him, catching him in a deadlock with their swords locked.
As the clatter of the swords echoed in the hollow caves of the mines, Sanjaya and his men dressed in black robes and crossbows hung over their backs and made their way towards the upper part of the mines. Having found a good spot to hide, they lay on the ground, crossbow placed at eye level and aimed at the troop leaders who were still guiding the Kapala Army to release arrows towards the Dayita men surrounding the hill.
The poisoned arrows from the crossbow whistled through the air and took the troop leaders down in an instant. The remaining Kapala men went into panic and disarray and started to run amok.
A shrill noise pierced through the hollow caves. That was a signal from Sanjaya that he had taken down the troop leaders.
Good job, Sanjaya, Aryaman thought to himself.
Aryaman and the troop leader stared at each other a few feet apart, with their swords drawn. The fight was dragging towards a stalemate. The thought hit Aryaman like a flash, the Kapala army troop leader was not trying to defeat him, he was trying to deter him. He was buying time. But for what? Or for whom?
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The old woman had gotten up early that day and readied food for the journey ahead. The preta watched as the old woman went about her tasks and got the little girl ready.
“Little child, we will go find the preceptor today,” said the old woman. “He will help us to help you.”
“Why do I need help, avva?” asked the girl innocently.
“To know about what you are meant to do in this world, child,” replied the old woman.
“I see,” said the girl, pondering the meaning of it. “Who is this preceptor avva? Is he qualified to let me know what I’m supposed to be doing?”
The old woman laughed a little in surprise. Her eminence possessed a sharp and sound mind irrespective of her age or loss of memory.
“Why don’t you judge for yourself when we meet him, little one?” encouraged the old woman.
Somewhat satisfied with the answer, the little girl was deep in her own thoughts. The trio set out towards the city of Arang.
“Are you sure the preceptor would be able to help her Highness?” asked the preta for the third time.
“Yes, I believe so,” answered the old woman, her voice gentle without any trace of annoyance at the repeated questions.
The preceptor in question was an old and wise monk, who lived on the outskirts of Arang in the direction opposite to where the old woman’s hut was located.
The walls of the city came into sight. The preta looked at the protective charms against the undead placed on the gates.
“The charms!" The preta stopped in its tracks. "I cannot enter the city because of the charms."
“Hmm,” said the old woman, she stopped walking. “That does create a hindrance. It would delay us by a day if we bypassed the city.”
The preta fell silent. The old woman waited for him to resume talking.
“I don’t want to be a bother,” it said finally. “I’ll get to the preceptor’s place by myself, I anyways can travel faster than you two can walk.”
“Are you sure about it?” said the old woman. “Won’t you get lost?”
“Lost?” The preta gave a little laugh. “How can pretas get lost? I’ll be alright.”
“I’ll see you on the other side then,” said the old woman bidding goodbye to the preta.
When she reached the gates, she showed a token to the guards who opened the gates for her.