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Chaturmukha Part 3 - mRdayopaliptaM
Chapter Four - Days of Battle
Words can Kill (part 2/3)
Noise of Blood
(Rated R)
Seated on a flat black rock inside the cave and watching the group of white hives hanging from the black roof, The Poet took out a folding knife kept hidden in his Green Pachonthi belt. He held it loosely in his left hand and got up on his feet. He slowly marched towards the decoys while efficiently using the mechanisms of the thumb stud lock of the folding knife to flip the blade out, and then flocking it back in. The clank sound rained inside the cold cave producing an even more chilling effect.
At the centre of the open space inside the cave, there were three rows of suspended white sacks, each arranged with six decoys hanging beside each. Flipping the folding knife, The Poet walked between the pendant bundles. His eyes carried a cruel calmness while watching each of them. Suddenly, when the blade of the knife was flipped out, he punctured the decoy to his right. There was no reaction from the dead. The white cloth started to stain red. Steadily, fluid leaked from the puncture and dripped to the floor forming a tiny pool of blood. The Poet flocked the blade back into the folding knife. He released it again and continued his tour around the cave of corpse. The clank sound got mixed with the dripping noise of blood, producing a horrifying atmosphere.
The Poet slashed random bodies, none cried of pain. When he pierced the ninth decoy, the sack behind him breathed rapidly, and stopped. The Poet turned quickly to face the decoy that breathed but found nothing alarming, it was as still as the dead. He wiped the bloody blade of his knife on the white sack and punctured a hole on the one hanging next to it with a terrifying composure.
The Poet walked back and sat on the black rock again. He continued flipping his knife in his left hand. Before him were the line of bodies inside wet and red sacks dripping blood onto the floor. He slowly bent his head to focus on the single white sack on which he had wiped his bloody knife.
Before reciting ‘A lizard in the Graveyard’, The Poet was uncertain of the sack inside which Sena must be hiding, until he saw a white lizard on the black wall of the cave. The small reptile constantly moved its head forward at a single direction in front of it, which perfectly lined with the third sack hanging in the third row. He watched it closely and found the knot around the neck to be a mismatch. Then and there, The Poet knew the black sheep hiding inside the white sack. He destabilised the intruder by wounding all the bodies around, allowing fear to crawl inside the intruder’s sack. His eyes above the mask reflected his smile. The thought of Sena crippled with fear of death inside the sack amused him. Sena should have hung himself in the darkness sacredly waiting for his turn to taste the Blade of The Poet.
The single white cocoon slowly started to shake. A pointed blade pierced through the cloth and worked its way up. A man dressed in blue tunic, with glittering stars stuck on it, fell to the floor slashing the white sack, and came to a spectacular stop on his left knee. The Poet's eyes opened wide. They could not hide his surprise of seeing Rana in front of them.
The two men stared at each other. Rana knew he had found the untraceable assassin. The Poet cursed himself for under estimating the second spark.
Without a sign of warning, The Poet flipped out the blade from his folding knife and threw it at Rana; immediately he fled out of the cave. Rana followed the knife, its sharp blade cutting its way through the cold air. He steadily caught the fleeing assassin with one eye and kept the other on the knife. He waited for the last moment, and when the knife spun close in front of, he swiftly rolled to his left, dodging the knife and allowing it to hit the wall behind him. With a single gesture, he pushed himself back to his feet and chased The Poet.
Rana searched the jungle for The Poet at the location pointed by the compass Chakora. He turned in several indefinite circles, until he reached a pack of baby wolves outside a cave under Kathi Para Mountain. Something did not seem to fit the environment, Rana noted. The wolves were hesitant to enter the cave. They cried sitting at the entrance and even after several hunger calls, their mother had not responded. Rana decided to enter the cave and he found the Decoy Cold Storage Room. He got inside a white sack and hanged himself from the ceiling. Once settled, he had covered his face with the white pouch and waited for the return of The Poet along with the family of corpse.
The Poet raced past the dense jungle around Kathi Para Mountain. He had an eye behind his head. He was aware that Rana was closing in fast. A trained runner, he thought. Chain of dense growth of tall trees started replacing the thick bushes. The Poet turned and looked at Rana - trees, the friends of an assassins.
With a fluid leap, he jumped on to the first tree clutching to its branches. He climbed up quickly and started to navigate unhindered, by crossing from one branch to another. His pursuer did not take the same path, but ran below following the line of trees from the ground, hurdling over enormous roots and fallen trees.
The white runner had disappeared through the trees, Rana searched for The Poet at the end of the line of trees at the foot of the hill. He moved his eyes right and then to his left. He was panting and had both his hands placed on his hips. When he turned, The Poet sprang out of a bush and started to run towards the mountain. Rana smiled at the running Poet - mountains, the playground for the Treasure Hunter.
Rana chased The Poet over the hill. They both efficiently jumped over hard and sharp rocks that formed the pathway to the top of the mountain. The Poet stretched himself and jumped onto a rock above. Its sharp edge scratched his palm, wetting the rock with his blood. He managed to climb up and without turning back ran forward. Rana had his gloves and leaped to the high rock using his feet to push him up.
At final bend from the top, Rana managed to get close to The Poet. His gloved fingers gripped the hip belt of The Poet, at the same moment, The Poet landed his right feet on Rana's chest using a heavy back kick. Rana floated in the air on his back while the Green belt broke from The Poet’s hip and flew inside the grip of Rana's left palm. Rana fell hard on the dark ground. He quickly got up and holding the cloth belt in his hand, took the bend that The Poet had taken, when he heard a very short but heavy cry.
Rana found The Poet on the top of the Hill, but headless. The Poet had tripped and fell at the edge of the hill where a sharp block of stone had separated his head from his body. The body was still withering over a large pool of its own blood. The black rock around were sprayed with thick red liquid. The headless neck was heavily leaking. The body did not have the green belt. Rana looked at his left hand which was holding it. He bent down and examined the right palm of the shivering body. It had a deep cut, the sharp rock that had slashed The Poet’s palm when he had climbed up. He turned and examined the ground. He found the trace of the trip which aligned to the position of the body. He then check the sharp rock that severed The Poet's head. It was strong and knife-edged.
Rana peeped beyond the edge of the cliff and saw the fallen head on a branch of an isolated tree that grew from the wall of the black mountain. The Poet's eyes above the mask were still alive and were staring back at Rana. The strong breeze pushed the head from the branch and The Open Eyed Poet slowly dropped into the green darkness below.
... to be continued ...
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Chaturmukha Part 3 - mRdayopaliptaM
Chapter Four - Days of Battle
Words can Kill (part 3/3)
Muddled in Mud
Sena, holding a green belt in his hands, lifted his head and looked at Rana.
The belt was a symbol of graduation from the Assassin Academy. It cannot be duplicated as the silk from which it was made of, came from a rare insect bred exclusively at Pachonthi Campus. The belt held tiny images of a furcifer - the highly visually oriented multi coloured lizard that was used as a logo of the Guild - embroidered using multi coloured threads. The distance between each chameleon was specific and there were thirteen of them going around the belt in a straight line. The thread count on the artworks as well the design of the belt were unique. The exact tailoring details were a secret that had never been leaked to the outside world.
Such handmade coloured cloth belts were awarded to the graduates according to their performance at the ceremony of oath. From then, they become assassins taking several types of assignments respectively, called the Contracts, from the Guild. There were seven types of belts, each colour denoting the class and their order within.
The Green Belt was the highest Rank called the Spiked Class. A fully trained assassin whose senses are sharp like the crest of small spikes extending along the spine of a chameleon which helps it to blend into any background.
Only three have managed to win a Green Belt. The position of the chameleon decides the order - facing upwards is the highest order. Sena's furcifer faced right and on the one he held in his hand was inclined at forty-five degrees from the top, denoting that The Poet was a superior to Sena. Vettaiyan held the prestigious lizard standing erect on his belt.
Sena watched the Green belt again. Memories leaked and flowed before his eyes. He saw himself crawling on the dry leaves towards his Father's sword. Men who were wounding him were laughing around and then, a form dressed in white had jumped before him; his unknown saviour wore a Green belt with a glittering lizard sticking on it. Sena remembered the whispers of the leaves during the cold nights and how his shadow raced past him during dangerous mission. Sena was badly injured after an escape, he had blacked out. When he woke, he was inside an empty cabin in the woods with hot water and food. His wounds were cleaned and dressed.
The Poet. Sena knew it was him all along, but still his guardian remained a mystery to him. He had never seen the furcifer that sang while camouflaged in the nature.
Rana had kept his word, he had killed The Poet. It did not give happiness but provoked an undigested lump of sadness inside Sena. He would never know who The Poet was. He would never see his face again. He was revoked from watching The Poet right into his eyes. He will not get another chance to use the sword of his mouth to slash The Poet with questions over the terrible deeds that he had committed. His ears will always remain deaf to The Poet's replies.
But now, The Poet was no more and Sena would never know why he had carried on doing what he did.
Sena closed his eyes.
Vettaiyan opened the tiny box in front of him. He had been gazing at the small wooden box siting on the table in front of him. The package was delivered at the Palace gates by an anonymous. The General stood beside the Emperor, he had his masked face facing the floor. Vettaiyan slowly lifted the box and opened it. He dug out a green cloth belt from inside and brought it before his eyes. He traced the slanting green furcifer embroidered around the belt with the tip of his thumb and index finger. He slowly placed it on the table and removed the tiny piece of cloth which held a hand written note:
Quarrel between mind and brain is eternal.
Trained mind of the monk believes to Be All.
Brilliant brain of the poet boosts to End All.
When they meet at the feet of fate, both shall rest in peace.
Vettaiyan clenched his teeth and made a brisk turn around and growled, "Send for Vitara."
None around him moved. The General stood silent with his head hung down. Vettaiyan looked sharply at the motionless workers and security guards present with him inside the room. His starring eyes pronounced him impatience, as his direct order was yet to be executed. The hesitant people around him spun themselves as scared snakes, as though Vettaiyan's sight was burning them.
It took a little more than just a while for Vettaiyan to realise. His Architect was no more, burnt to ashes. He turned and placed his palms on the table. He smiled at his own reflection on the shiny table, which smiled back at him. His Minister was seated with his own head spinning above his body. And now, his only friend The Poet has come back home in a tiny box. Vettaiyan looked at either side, his agony turned into a calm smile. He timidly nodded his head at The General.
The Emperor whispered, "Get me the Palace mason." He stood in the same posture, bent over the table looking at himself, when he heard hurried foot falls fading away behind him. He walked to the reading shelf and took materials to draw and write. He started working silently. The General stood watching the Green belt lying on the table. His masked face registered no emotion, while his shoulders suggested that he was uneasy and blinking constantly.
Vettaiyan took the Green belt with him to the balcony. He carefully removed a white pigeon from the den, the trained birds to deliver secret messages to The Poet. On one of its legs he tied the green cloth belt and on the other he placed the message he had written for The New Poet.
The Assassin's Assistant is The Apprentice, the thought made Vettaiyan's lips turn into a smile. He had confidence in The Apprentice, even though he had never met him. He was after all trained by The Great Poet himself. He threw the pigeon into the sky. After fluttering its wings and circling twice above Vettaiyan's head, the bird merged with the white clouds. Vettaiyan entered back into his Solar and stared at the fragile man at the entrance. He slowly walked back to the table and picked a papyrus on which he had sketched a design.
"Here", he handed it to the mason, "I want this constructed at the Brother's Cemetery before sunset."
The mason looked at the sketch, then, he raised his head and looked at the Emperor. He again verified the design he was tasked to build before sunset. He slowly talked in a small voice, "King of Kings, with maximum men and the needed materials, this shall take some time to build."
Vettaiyan turned furiously, his strides marked his anger when he approached the mason. He started to circle the mason like a falcon going in rounds around its prey. The room fell silent, except Vettaiyan's footsteps echoing as sword swipes in the air. Vettaiyan stopped abruptly and pulled his hair tied behind his head. Turning its tip with his index finger, Vettaiyan uttered his signature phrase close to the mason’s ear softly. The terrified brick worker retreated from the room without any objection.
"My General”, ordered Vettaiyan looking at the fleeing mason, “Assemble everyone."
The Emperor turned and slowly walked back to the table and looked at his own reflection and said, "The battle has just begun."
... to be continued ...
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Chaturmukha Part 3 - mRdayopaliptaM
Chapter Five - The War Within
First Message
'Know thyself' was written in bold letters over a file sitting fat on a tree bark desk inside the tree safe house.
After delivering the Golden Book to the Emperor, The Apprentice roamed around the city tracking for any espionage activities carried out by the allied forces who were currently camped at the Pirate's Bay. Sitting on the roof under the shadow of the sun, The Apprentice felt restless. He had a lot of questions leaping out his head looking for answers. He decided to ask his Mentor rather than marinating in confusion.
The tree safe house was empty when The Apprentice reached there just before sunset. He looked around the place checking for any sign of intrusion. Nothing alarming, just that his Master was away. He removed the red scarf hiding his face and waited for The Poet. He walked to the closet and took a look at the neatly arranged white clothes of his Master. The centre spot on the top shelf was empty. This row of clothes were special and used for combat purposes. The Apprentice guessed that the Knife Suit was absent from the collection. He always admired the special Knife Suite, wished to try it and wanted to fight in it. He reached the main space of the safe house and approached the desk near the fire place.
Karthikeyaa sat down on a small stool and started reading the contents of the fat file. Two paper logs were placed one over the other inside it.
The one on the top explained the journey of the Emperor - his initial timid nature as a child Dhashakantha; who was trained to become Vettaiyan; who then had killed his nine brothers to reign on the throne as the Emperor. Description of his brothers and their murders were mentioned. The Apprentice noted that the sixth brother of the Emperor was called Karthikeya too, with only one 'a' at the end of the name. He went through the shortest murder description, the death of the third brother who had slipped and fell off from a cliff. The Apprentice chuckled at the fate of the third brother. Details about their resting place at the Palace Garden were present. Several pages included the men who had assisted the Emperor on various stages of his life - The Politician, The Vaithiyar, The Architect, The General and The Poet. Among them Minister Narendhira Verman and The General played pivotal roles in turning Dhashakantha into Vettaiyan. A brief note on the prowess of Vettaiyan as registered by the Pachonthi Guild was attached. The Apprentice was awestruck knowing about The Emperor – Courage and Knowledge, the true hands of Power.
The other file briefed about The Poet, his mentor. His days at the Guild were as impressive as The Emperor's. They both were inseparable and together were unstoppable. The Apprentice quickly flipped the pages to read the real name of his Mentor, but it was mentioned nowhere. He thought of asking him on a right bright day.
While going through half of contents of the second file, Karthikeyaa's eyes opened wide when he came across a name of a village mentioned in his Mentor's file. He immediately flipped through Vettaiyan records and found the same village, Svaha, appearing in them too. He matched several other pages from both the files, attentively examining every single detail.
"The entrance to The Maze ... The Third Tomb ... Svaha ... It finally makes sense", he thought loudly.
He picked up a particular paper log from Vettaiyan record and then another one from The Poet's file. Both had one thing in common – the name Svaha. Holding each one respectively in his hands, Karthikeyaa exclaimed, "The Poet is ..."
Before he could finish his thought, the fluttering wings of a bird near the window disturbed him.
The Apprentice gently handled the pigeon and removed the contents from its legs. He carefully unrolled his Mentor's belt from the leg of the messenger. His face could not seal his shock when he placed the Green belt on the table. After feeding the pigeon with water, The Apprentice read his first message from the Emperor:
Hibernate until the fall,
Rain shall announce the end of all.
And then wait for the call,
Shadow once again shall crawl.
The messages clearly indicated to be safe and get into hiding called Hibernation, a specialized language used in the Guild. The word 'fall' was from the Prophecy of War. The battle field Karmegha carried its own myth - when the war draws itself to an end, it shall rain. Once the Emperor is victorious, The Apprentice can take the place of The Poet and start working for the benefit of kingdom.
With teary eyes Karthikeyaa looked at the Green belt. His mentor was no longer alive, but the killer was. The Apprentice wore his red scarf around his face under the setting sun, its colour matched the eyes above the cloth mask. He gently tied his Master's belt around his hip. "Sena", he whispered angrily and sworn to make the murderer pay for what he had taken away from him.
Holding to the green rope around his hip, Karthikeyaa descended into the abyss of vengeance.
... to be continued ...
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4 Attachment(s)
Chaturmukha Part 3 - mRdayopaliptaM
Chapter Five - The War Within
A Plan for Planning (part 1/4)
The Light of the Spirit
"Be prepared, wait and then, appear from where you are not expected", Rana was woken from his deep sleep by his Father's voice.
Rana had fallen asleep in the planning room. He quickly got up and brought himself back to reality. Seated disjointed and shattered just as the objects over the sand table and on the floor, Rana searched the room for his Father. A dream, few would never become true - Rana smiled at his own state.
The Chief of Army of the Allied Forces had been working overnight inside the Planning Room trying hard to pull out a new war strategies.
http://www.mayyam.com/talk/attachmen...5&d=1477655651
Even though he had confidence on Putran being tight lipped, Rana knew that the Emperor's army, along with Kalingapuri forces, will wash away the allied forces with their unending tides of land troops. He needed to break their strength by decreasing their number, failing which the allied forces shall not see the tenth sunrise at the battle field Karmegha. He wanted to discuss this aspect in detail with Yesodha Putran, but the strategist had gone missing and was yet to be found.
He worked on different set of attack and defence methods using respective military units. He worked and reworked his strategy on the sand table but each time his actual plan was destroyed by his own successive ones.
http://www.mayyam.com/talk/attachmen...6&d=1477655655
Tiredness mixed with anger overtook Rana. Failing to conceive a suitable sphere of action, Rana started to doubt himself. He questioned whether he was capable of leading the army of three nations against the biggest armed forces of the world. He was lost, as the darkness gradually crawled inside the planning room. He threw the military figurines on the floor and disturbed the initial arrangements with rage. The sand table looked chaotic with all the fallen military units scattered all over it. They resembled his thoughts. He kicked the sand table furiously. Several military models jumped up and few settled on the floor. He, then, closed his eyes in vain and fell asleep.
Seated amidst the shattered plans lying around him, Rana got up to exit the Planning Room when his eyes fell on a figurine of a war elephant lying on the floor. It was surrounded by other tiny models of military units. It looked as though the forces around were all scared of the elephant troop that they kept their distance from the war elephants. Rana's eyes glittered with confidence. He took the fallen elephant model and held it in his left hand firmly. He went around the sand table flipping the figurine between his hands.
http://www.mayyam.com/talk/attachmen...7&d=1477655659
He rearranged the sand table. He worked on his new strategy and positioned his troops to derive a new formation that shall strike the enemies like a thunder bolt. Once his new formation was neatly arranged, he placed the war elephant that he held in his left hand at the centre of the sand table.
http://www.mayyam.com/talk/attachmen...8&d=1477655663
At the same time, the dawn announced the arrival of the day, and light peeped inside the planning room absorbing all the darkness it had held.
... to be continued ...
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Chaturmukha Part 3 - mRdayopaliptaM
Chapter Five - The War Within
A Plan for Planning (part 2/4)
A New Strategy
"I mean no offence to our war strategist Putran", Rana talked to the members of the allied forces who had assembled around the sand table. Several noblemen were present in the room. Kali was sitting in a corner making his joint, while Kacha was beside Sultan facing Rana. Sena and Kanakavalli stood opposite to each other, and Kalai was listening to Rana as keenly as Nobleman who was standing to Rana's left.
"I stand as an assurance for many families who have sent their wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons and brothers, sisters, to this war. I vow to take most of them back to their homes. And this new strategy that I will demonstrate here in this Planning Room before you all will be deployed during the battle, and I am certain that it will set the flame of hope glowing during the unfavourable darkness of a defeat", Rana said firmly.
The calmness in the room suddenly toppled. Whispers and loud murmurs entered into every corner of the Planning Room.
"A Defeat!" a nobleman shouted angrily, "A cruel word mouthed by the one who is responsible to lead us vers victory".
"A new strategy!" one of the noblemen wondered. "It will be difficult for the captains to follow such a sudden change within short notice."
"As the army have boarded the vessels", another nobleman confirmed from behind, "there shall be no time to brief them all about anything that is new."
"Failing to understand, will gain us defeat", a calm voice spoke, "The generals and majors may commit mistakes, not consciously though. None shall reach home, at least alive."
Rana listened to the voices, casually tilting his head at the direction of the democratic noise.
"Yes, we should stick to the traditional formations as briefed by Yesodha Putran which were approved by the allied nations -
The Defense: Krauncha Vyuha on the second day, Ardha Chakra on the fith day and Mandala Vyuha on the eigth.
The Attack: Ardhachandra Vyuha on the thrid day, Garuda vyuha on the seventh day, Makara vyuha on the ninth day.
Vajra Vyuha, Trishula Vyuha and Mandala Vyuha shall be deployed accordingly once we are sure about the enemy's strategy during the battle at Karmegha."
One other the members joined to the chorus of objection, "Special troops are trained to tackle even the Chakrashakat Vyuha. If Chakra Vyuha is deployed by the enemy, then we have to sacrifice certain warriors who could enter and battle inside the maze until sunset, so that the war could stop for that day. Chakra Vyuha is as difficult to form, as it is to penetrate or exit the maze formation.
Putran had predicted that it shall be used only once targeting our valuable soldiers. During the time when it is formed, the head of the troops - captains, generals & majors - should be guarded and brought back to safety. He had warned that if the war continues for more than thirteen days, each passing day shall dim the light of our victory. It shall be on this day, the Emperor would call for the Chakra Vyuha", the speaker paused and then continued, "to separate Rana and Sena; capture them inside the maze and assassinate them before sunset."
"Instead of devising a new one, we must find ways to strengthen the existing strategy", they concluded by nodding their head in unison.
Kalai and Kanakavalli, the representatives of the allied forces, concentrated on the sand table before them. They tried to decipher the formation represented by the figurines on the sand table. Sultan looked at the talking noblemen with an arrogant smile on his face, while Nobleman maintained silence. Kali let out a thin line of smoke and Kacha stood watching Sena who failed to show any kind of reaction in his face.
"I shall not be arrogant with you all", Rana raised his voice, "as we are at the centre of a critical situation. The Emperor's army will outnumber our troops, and if we continue defending ourselves, the war shall end within nine days."
He faced the noblemen directly and spoke coldly, "This is not a political debate. This is warfare. I had invited you all to share details to tighten my strategy, and not to seek your approval. The objection shall only be heard if it is pronounced by the members of the allied forces present in here with us. The ranked officials shall take care of the burdens to brief their captains. They are positioned and employed to do so."
Rana paused for a moment and said bluntly, "I feel ashamed to remind you all that before addressing the Chief of the Army, anyone must take his permission and wait for his approval before speaking."
Kalai, the only military trained person inside the Planning Room, immediately took an erect posture facing straight ahead of him. There was silence in the room. Rana looked at everyone around him and broke the silence by addressing to Kalai without looking at him, "At ease Soldier."
Rana spoke uninterrupted:
"This Vyuha (formation) is entirely new to any battle. It will be deployed for the first time in the battle field Karmegha. The formation will guarantee a huge decrease in the enemy the count, as well as crush their morals. The motive of this strategy is to motivate the enemy to charge at us. At a strategic point during the fight, we will circle them without their knowledge. And then we will bury the trapped ones under our feet."
"As a grand strategist, Putran’s design of engineering the clashes are a masterpiece of strategic thinking. There shall be no change in any formation proposed by Putran. The archers and swordsmen shall battle for victory amidst ballistic devices. Separate battalions of mounted soldiers and specially trained ground operatives will close in and destroy the heavy enemy troops. We should except the same from our enemies and strengthen our defence system progressively as we gain ground at Karmegha."
"The only change, where I will put in place my strategy, shall occur once the enemies defence is penetrated during Makara Vyuha, the shark formation, on the ninth day. According to Putran, this heavy attack will decide the fate of the war."
"When we come to this point in the battle, we shall not charge, but retreat."
There were murmurs inside the room. Rana waited for the uninvited noise to settle down and then continued:
"Our soldiers will fight their way back, running away from the enemies to create an illusion of being weakened. Makara Vyuha's tail will be strengthened by archers, and not by the pikemen, who shall defend our retreating soldiers while moving along with them on foot and firing rapidly. They will dismiss or try to slow down the mounted troops from approaching our warriors inside the shark formation."
"The enemy will quickly decode our retreat as their strength and send battalions to ram us over the battle field. We will hold the enemy at the centre of Karmegha and slowly dismantle Makara Vyuha. Seeing the formation completely destroyed, the enemy will send more forces who will come crawling like ants. We will welcome them all, this time inside the new Vyuha which shall be formed discreetly on the battle field during the battle."
Rana made eye contact with everyone present around him, "The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom our real intent. They will charge and charge and keep on charging, we will maintain our defence. And once they are guided inside this Vyuha, before they could realise about the trap, they will already be crushed under our feet."
The Chief spread his hands over the sand table as though covering the entire area and brought them to his side and stood open armed. Rana, watched everyone around him with confidence in his face.
"Our Lady", Rana nodded at Kanakavalli, "Gentlemen", he looked at the noblemen, "I present to you Nihzreni Vyuha - the ladder to our victory".
... to be continued ...
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2 Attachment(s)
Chaturmukha Part 3 - mRdayopaliptaM
Chapter Five - The War Within
A Plan for Planning (part 3/4)
Nihzreni Vyuha - The Ladder Formation (part 1/3)
http://www.mayyam.com/talk/attachmen...7&d=1477834673
"Ratha Gaja Turanga Padati", Rana announced proudly, "the four of our army types, all shall become the four parts of Nihzreni Vyuha."
"Chariots, Elephant troops, Cavalry and Infantry, all will join together to stand as a single force inside a Ladder Formation."
"Nihzreni Vyuha will fill the minds of our enemies with false fears."
Rana took the cue stick and pointed at the figurines he had arranged on the sand table. Everyone watched him attentively when he started to introduce to them his new war formation.
"Six Gana will flank both sides at these three areas - here, here and here - inclining themselves to reduce the space between them while closing into the Point of No Return where the enemies well be assembled by Vahini and Pratana before the stationed Camu", Rana lifted his head and watched the listening crowd around him. He looked at Kacha. He, then, looked at Kanakavalli. Blankness painted their faces, Rana knew they were not used to such advanced military terms.
Rana slowly circled around the table spinning the cue stick in his hand. He halted beside Sena and faced Kanakavalli.
He tapped on a tiny figurine of a standing soldier placed at the corner of the sand table and said, "Smaller their size, lesser the number of military units they represents." He touched the heads of similar models in their ascending order of height which were sitting scattered on the table.
"Patti is the name of a single small unit constructed with a chariot, 3 Calvary and 5 Infantry. It is the prime unit of any army, using which the battalions, huge troops, are formed. Grouping several Patti depends on the type of enemies confronted."
"Sena Mukha," Rana looked at Kanakavalli. Her eyes widened noting that Rana had named a military unit after his own brother. Rana smiled and said, "No, it is not named after my brother. It’s the other way round, my brother got his name from this strategical military unit called Sena Mukha, which is a powerful unit comprising three Patti. It can be deployed anywhere within a very short notice. Sena Mukha unit are quick and valuable military asset. When deployed properly during the right moment, they can change the fate of war itself."
"The growth of the individual military units are in multiples of three: Three Patti form Sena Mukha. Three Sena Mukha form a Gulma."
"Gulma is the highest order of a defence and/or attack troops. Gulma units are good fighters in small battles. And in a war, where the scale of enemy front is larger, Aksauhini is employed which is formed by grouping Ten Gulma together. Aksauhini, the large Gulma unit can ravage the enemies on the battle field."
"Gana, Vahini, Pratana, Camu are the individual troops of Gaja, Ratha, Turanga and Padati, which are five times bigger than Aksauhini. They will be positioned strategically in a battle field, normally at five places - at the head of four directions and one at the centre – along with Gulma units for support, which will turn into Sena Mukha if the battle is being lost, and Sena Mukha will engage the enemies while being scattered, thus, buy time for the retreating forces."
"Anikini is the Top Class. It consits of about half of the whole army power. It is an assembly of Ten of Gana, Vahini, Pratana, Camu togther, becoming the biggest army unit. Immense thought should be put before deploying Anikini unit. This unit's loss is equal to a defeat."
"These are just theories. Army General can bend the multipliers according to the enemies they face. The distribution of the single units can vary according to the battle field. Mountains or Plains, the formation of groups will be adapted - for instance whether to keep a chariot or to include two more depends entirely on the war strategy of the General."
"Such groups of military units are the primary members of a Vyuha, the battle formation. A Vyuha can be for defense or for an attack, and normally it is formed to balance and as a reply to the respective Vyuha employed by the enemy. The war formation takes time to be employed on the battle field. It will be deployed before the fight and never during the fight. A Vyuha can be formed with one only type or more, depending on the formation it tries to neutralise. All four types of the army (Chariots, Elephant troops, Cavalry and Infantry) deployed inside a single Vyuha is very rare. Simply because it is not an easy task to organise and control all the four types at the same time. Mostly Infantry and Calvry are used inside a Vyuha, as they are much easier to organise."
"So ..." Rana left the word hanging in the air and walked back to his initial position between Nobleman and Kalai. The General was still looking straight ahead of him. Rana smiled at Kalai and continued, "So, six Gana, the Elephant Troops, will flank both sides at these three areas. Together they will form the Siddhi Stupa (The Pillars of Success [stupa means pillars])."
"Inside the wall of elephants, Aksauhini will hold them together. They are called Duddhara (The Rope of Strength). From the outside, the crowded unit surrounded by elephant troops would look fierce. The enemy will not approach Siddhi Stupa, but will try to attack the other units positioned in-between."
"Six rows of Gulma called Svargasa Gkrama (The Bridge to Heaven) will connect the Siddhi Stupas positioned on either side. The first two rows of seven, then rows of four and finally two rows of two. Such a decrease in size and number of units will taunt the enemy to advance further inside. Svargasa Gkrama shall lead them straight to the Point of No Return, beyond which Avarsjati (Thunderbolt), the infantry unit will be waiting to strike."
"This is the Phase One of Nihzreni Vyuha, where Svargasa Gkrama (The Bridge to Heaven) will be formed during the war within."
http://www.mayyam.com/talk/attachmen...6&d=1477834371
... to be continued ...
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1 Attachment(s)
Chaturmukha Part 3 - mRdayopaliptaM
Chapter Five - The War Within
A Plan for Planning (part 3/4)
Nihzreni Vyuha - The Ladder Formation (part 2/3)
"The Svargasa Gkrama plays a vital role", Rana explained, "When the Makara Vyuha is broken, the units shall regroup into Gulma and stand directly facing the line of sight of the enemy", .
"As soon as the enemy charges it, Svargasa Gkrama will open and permit them inside. The Gulma will separate and break itself into Sena Mukha and start circling in smaller units (groups of Three Patti). This will allow the enemy to charge further inside to attack the stationary second layer of defence. The enemy will not attack the Siddhi Stupa, as they will be scared of the troops of elephants which are guarded by a large group of warriors, Aksauhini."
"The intruders will be forced to attack the weaker Sena Mukha circling around them and their aim will be to penetrate the other rows of Gulma. Each time they reach a Svargasa Gkrama, the formation will scatter and taunt the enemies to advance further inside. Gulma will not attack, but just push the enemy forward. The Clueless enemy will fight their way through Ksamavarta (Whirlpool of Calmness), the circling Sena Mukha."
"From the enemy front, the overseeing General will not realise that his troops are fighting inside a Vyuha. He will ask them to push forward and destroy our defence."
"Once they had breached the fifth line of Svargasa Gkrama, the first Siddhi Stupa will start to curve itself by charging their elephants. The Duddhara will hold the formation together when the Gana tries to close the Vyuha trapping the enemied inside. The Second Stupa will follow pursuit when the enemies reach the final Svargasa Gkrama. And the last wall of elephant will close in when the enemy have safely reached the Point of No Return."
"This is the second phase of Nihzreni Vyuha, where Ksamavarta (Whirlpool of Calmness), will lead the trapped illness to their doom."
http://www.mayyam.com/talk/attachmen...8&d=1477837006
...to be continued...
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1 Attachment(s)
Chaturmukha Part 3 - mRdayopaliptaM
Chapter Five - The War Within
A Plan for Planning (part 3/4)
Nihzreni Vyuha - The Ladder Formation (part 3/3)
"And now were are at the third and final part", the Chief of the Allied Forces concluded.
"This final phase will threaten the on looking enemy General with realisation: One, his men have voluntarily led themselves into a Vyuha. Two, it’s too late to react. He will be forced to watch the massacre that will follow."
"As soon as the third Siddhi Stupa curves itself, Cuma, the positioned Infantry at the Point of No Return, will move forward sealing the only exit. The first Siddhi Stupa will be completely closed by now and will take a defensive stand, not permitting any enemy to enter or exit."
"Inside the three deadly curves formed by our Gana blocking even sunlight to enter inside, the enemy shall burn in the darkness. A quarter million of the enemy troops will be killed inside Nihzreni Vyuha."
Rana suddenly threw his hands above his head and took a majestic voice while talking about the fate of the enemy at the feet of his magnificent power:
"The panicking enemy troops shall now stand before the mercy of their Creator - Chatur Mukha, the unbeatable four Anikini - Ratha Gaja Turanga Padati, all four united in their menacing form."
"I have deployed the deadliest battalion never formed before, that too, during the course of the battle itself. Mankind shall witness such a power for the first time, and History will remember it forever."
"The four faces of my army will join together to become one. The dirt and dust which have accumulated within, shall now fade away in my Creation - Chaturmukha!"
http://www.mayyam.com/talk/attachmen...9&d=1477837618
(Chatur Mukha - The unbeatable four Anikini, Gaja-Ratha-Turanga-Padati, in their fullest form)
Jaya jaya durgati nashini kamini.
Ratha gaja turanga padati samavruta,
Pari jana mandita loka nute, Chaturmukha.
Victory to the ever loving destroyer of all our ills.
Surrounded by chariots, elephants, horses and foot soldiers,
The whole world bows down to You, Chaturmukha.
... to be continued ...
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Chaturmukha Part 3 - mRdayopaliptaM
Chapter Five - The War Within
A Plan for Planning (part 4/4)
The Hunter's Move
Jala Vyuha - The Net Formation
The war room at Vettaiyan Palace was a large and advanced planning room. Several semi-circular tables with wheels under their three legs crawled over the floor fluently. A circular floor ran above them where Vettaiyan was standing, with the strategists and noblemen, watching the demonstration of his army chief.
Battle strategies were concluded by moving the respective semi round tables. Each moving table represented half of the battlefield and displayed military units gathered in a specific Vyuha. A circular arm was fixed at the curved end which was used by three palace workers to push or pull the desk. Two such tables were met at their flat end, turning themselves into a single large round sand table over which two groups of figurines were aligned to battle with each other.
There were blue and red models of military units over several semi-circular table, the rest carried white figurines.
"Red ones represent the attacking enemy while the blue represents their defence stance", The General informed the Emperor. Vettaiyan looked at his masked General and nodded his head. The General ordered the palace workers and the tables started to roll into place on the floor of the war room. Several red and blue units were pushed and stuck to the table with the white ones.
Three workers pushed their cart desk holding blue units on them arranged like a flying heron. They joined the flat part of the table with the one where white military units were siting in a square formation. Several other workers performed similar movements by attaching two semi-circular desks into one round sand table. The pushing and pulling continued silently for a while, and Vettaiyan observed the proceeding with rolling eyes. The white hawk formation was attached with red half crescent formation. A blue lotus was matched with a white hopping bird. After a while, all the tables holding respective defence and attack formations were set on the floor over their respective sand tables representing the Emperor's white soldiers battling with the red and blue enemies within their deadly Vyuhas.
"Krauncha Vyuha will be shattered with our Vajra Vyuha", The General briefed the Emperor, at the same time a soldier pointed at the respective sand table holding a blue heron opposite to a white square formation. "Ardhachandra Vyuha will be welcomed by our Chayana Vyuha", The General continued talking about the other possible Vyuhas that can be deployed during the war. The sand tables were sometimes rearranged to alter the battle formations and strengthen the Central Kingdom’s strategy at war.
By noon, the sand tables were all arranged according to the defensive and aggressive Vyuha that Central Kingdom was prepared to deploy during the Battle of Karmegha. Vettaiyan nodded his appreciation at The General. He quickly turned and looked at the unmoved circular table at the far end of the war room. He played with his beard under his chin while watching its contents curiously.
"Chakra Vyuha", The General said, "Will be ready to be deployed at your orders, My Lord, any time during the war. Those soldiers will not participate in the war, thus their availability is assured to make the Maze Formation at your command."
Vettaiyan slowly climbed down the spiral staircase and reached the Chakra Vyuha display. "Impressive", he said combing the strip of his hair falling before his eyes back to its place.
"They almost had me, didn't they General", Vettaiyan spoke to his army chief while keenly looking at the Maze Formation before him. The General nodded his head affirmatively. "I entered its mouth and passed through the three circles of swordsmen. They held me surrounded at the centre blocking with their shields. They were assured of victory after catching me inside Chakra Vyuha so early in the Battle of Savuda”, Vettaiyan laughed, "then, the mouth was closed, and the four levels of soldiers started to circle around me generating the maze."
Vettaiyan pointed at two zones inside the Chakra Vyuha, "The centre spiral is a helix, a three dimensional curve. The outer circles are just lines. The helix creates an illusion making the lines look curved too, as the rows of guards on the outer ring standing in a line seem to move in a circular pattern when the soldiers of the helix move circularly. That's the wonder of Chakra Vyuha."
"When the soldiers forming the helix are killed or their defence is broken, the guards who form the outer line move forward to replace the fallen soldiers and close the helix once again. This goes on until the trapped warrior gives up."
"If the helix is broken, the outer walls will be visible for a short period of time - the time taken for the guards to refill and close the helix. At this point, a gap will exist inside the Chakra Vyuha for a very brief moment. Once this unfilled area is discovered, the trapped warrior shall break the helix and continue fighting his way forward smashing the line of guards and after battling with the never ending waves of soldiers, he will finally be free."
"Luckily, you and your six warriors were there when I fell outside", Vettaiyan recollected, "I was already tired and bleeding, you took me away from the battle field."
Vettaiyan laughed, "The look on the face of that enemy chief!"
The General stood proudly. Vettaiyan walked around the table and stood behind The General and asked him, "If I had made out of the Chakra Vyuha, there is a possibility that someone else with a similar training can find the exit too, isn't it my General."
"But My Lord, Chakra Vyuha is not a kids play. It needs immense ...", The General argued.
The Emperor cut his chief without allowing him to finish his answer, "Moreover they will be waiting for me to form the Chakra Vyuha", Vettaiyan spoke to himself. He returned and stood infront of the sand table.
"Tell me, my General, how we hunt elephants?", Vettaiyan asked the masked man while rearranging the tiny military units on the sand table.
"By digging a pit. The calf is separated from the mother by scaring it with blows from hunting horns, and led into the pit. Once the mother comes with rest of the herd to rescue the trapped calf, they all will be surrounded. Either they will be taken down by force, or pushed into a bigger pit", The General replied.
"And then?", Vettaiyan asked while still working on the sand table.
"Captured and trained", The General concluded.
"Excellent. But you missed an important detail", Vettaiyan said, "When the mother elephant comes to rescue her baby, she will be in her most violent form. Her defence shall be her attack. None can approach her, as she will gain the force to befall an entire army."
The chief of army of Central Kingdom nodded his head in agreement. Vettaiyan said pointing at the sand table, "That’s why we use a net, my General."
The General's eyes widened when he saw the rearranged military units on the sand table which resembled a spider's web.
"One is a calf, other is an elephant", Vettaiyan said watching his new war formation Jala Vyuha, "To catch them both we need a net."
... to be continued ...
Author's Note: The Vyuhas and military terms present in Chapter Five: The War Within under the Episode: Plan for Planning, are illustrated in our Epic Mahabharata. Vyuhas : Krauncha Vyuha, Ardha Chakra, Mandala Vyuha, Ardhachandra Vyuha, Garuda Vyuha, Makara Vyuha, Vajra Vyuha, Trishula Vyuha, Chakra Vyuha, Krauncha Vyuha, Chayana Vyuha. Military Terms : Ratha, Gaja, Turanga, Padati, Patti, Sena Mukha, Gulma, Aksauhini, Gana, Vahini, Pratana, Camu and Anikini.
Few were put to excellent use by Emperor Chandragupta Maurya (324–297 BC) during the mighty Mauryan Dynasty, through which he had almost united all of India. The strategies and formations were advised/devised by his adviser Kautilya, famously known in Histroy as Acharya Vishnugupt Chanakya (350-275 BC).
Whereas: Nihzreni Vyuha, Jala Vyuha & Chatur Mukha [including Avasrjati (Thunder Bolt), Point of No Return, Svargasa Gkrama (The Bridge to Heaven), Siddhi Stupa (Pillars of Sucess), Duddhara (Rope of Strength), Ksamavarta (Whirpool of Calmness)] are imaginary. They were coined for fiction. None of the definitions under these fictional terminology should be considered accurate or taken as a proof of history. Such formations never existed.
Moreover, the description of escape from Chakra Vyuha is unreal. No written document or explanation about an exit from this deadly war formation has been registered. The way it is explained in the above episode is fictional.
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Chaturmukha Part 3 - mRdayopaliptaM
Chapter Five - The War Within
Birth of a Saint
"Your mass murder plan will work to wonders", Sena spoke coldly to his brother Rana.
They both were the only occupants of a tiny room with a window facing the sea. Sena was looking at the sky when he spoke.
"At times I think what I am fighting for!" he said while Rana stood beside him. Cold air entered through the window brushing Sena’s face and then hitting Rana’s.
After a brief silence, Sena spoke again, "When I was in the guild, I used to get gruesome missions. I used to enjoy them. I liked the killers. I walked as the murders and laughed at the victims. But after more than a decade now, I ask myself what I am doing here!"
Rana stood silent beside his brother. Sena continued, "I am haunted by these two unsolved cases. They are the same for me, glowing as eternal flames of pain ignited by the absence of Lalli."
"'The Tic-Toc Killer', thats what I called the murderer in the case tagged 'Mirror Murders'. The psychopath always killed two victims and displayed them in the nature. He named his victims 'Two bored Twins'."
"I arrived at the scene. A completely burnt body was seated before me. The victim was alive when the killer had casted his murderous spell of fire. There was a note hand written on the floor:
Tic-Toc Tic-Toc whispered the clock,
Run and bend to make it fast to the dock.
I ran to the harbour, by the time the agents had fished out a drowned body."
"After the fire and water display, we found two more victims - one suspended in the air hanged by neck and another buried alive inside the ground just below the hanging body. And there was a note for me carved on the tree bark which led me to the Temple Tower. A body was lying on the concrete floor with its head completely splattered - pushed from top of the tower and another one was hooked above on the pointed railing. They both were lying parallel to each other in the same posture - 'as above as below' kind of display. There was blood everywhere, as well as a note."
"Following the clues, I could only find twin bodies, but never the killer. I struggled for several days. There was no pattern, and the victims were not twins either - sometimes they were two random males or females; at times both. Only two things were common - the hand written message and the way the victims were displayed."
"During the never ending investigation, I felt that the killer was challenging me. His notes were mere taunts, sending a personal message that he was superior to me. From then, the riddles beside the victims got more and more personal for both of us. The words were more agonising than the victims under my feet. The Mirror Murders pushed me into the rings of madness, until the killing stopped abruptly."
"Years passed, and then, I was sitting all alone in the darkness trying to see what happened at the Festival of Lights. Instead, the Mirror Murders case slowly creeped through the darkness - Two bored Twins. I was scared for you. I wanted to see Yamuna. I wished to feel safe again, as the loss I had incurred cannot be replaced. I came looking for you, as I don't want to lose you both as I had lost our Father and my Family."
"The Mirror Murders is still unsolved after all these years and The Tic-Toc Killer is still on the lose. To catch him, maybe, that’s why I am still fighting for!"
Sena continued without interruption:
"The Cradle Mystery, a tragic event that held the whole nation by its throat with fear. All victims were new born females. It looked as though a girl was born, and the next moment she disappeared into thin air. No trace. No clue. Just an empty cradle and a crying mother beside."
"People feared that the witches were back, but I knew that the kidnapper had something else in his mind. There were no witch craft killings reported, for that the sacrificial grounds of the witches were deserted, they had all fled the city long time ago. None of the babies were found dead, concluding that these babies were still alive, grown up into young girls and ladies. But where and doing what?"
"For years I heard babies crying around me. I woke up to nothingness. It stopped when I first heard Lalli screaming her lungs out, the divine sound of the little red thing kicking in these arms. Lalli became my fear. I never slept. I held to her cradle all night fearing for the kidnapper to jump through the window."
"Now, I poses nothing, to fear for its loss. Maybe, I have nothing else to do here anymore!"
Sena maintained silence. Rana continued watching his brother without disturbing him.
"Sometimes I think I have to find the Tic-Tok Killer and solve the Cradle Mystry", Sena said, "I owe it to Suganthi. She was innocent and had nothing to do with what I had done. She became a part of my life, embracing my death."
"I am the one who should have died, a death as cruel as myself. But I am alive and the ones who deserve to live are lifeless", Sena blinked at passing white clouds over the blue sky above him.
"This war. A victory without you at my side, what shall it be called?", Sena wondered.
Rana tried to speak. He watched his brother gazing at the sky, just as he used to when he was a kid. The journey of his brother ran before Rana. It sent chills across his spine. His brother had suffered. He had carried the mountain of pain on his back all along, the burden he never wished to share with anyone else. Rana knew Sena was tired. His nightmares are back to haunt him, feeding him with fear and drenching him with sweats of scare. As the days close in, each sun rise and sun set is drawing Sena close to the Prophecy. But Rana is a warrior. He will meet his end, and even his fall shall be victorious.
Without uttering any word, Rana stood watching his brother who was watching the sky. Rana confirmed to himself, "Sena is becoming a Saint."
... to be continued ...