The night flowers bloomed under the dim moonlight. The silvery glow cascaded onto the lush forest. The midnight breeze was cool and fresh as it rustled the leaves.


    Smoke billowed in the distance as a vige was burning. The thatched roofs of the small mud huts were burning and running smoke through the vige.


    Vigers were running for their lives as the men on horses stabbed them with theirnces. The ground was scarlet from the blood of the corspes riddled all over.


    The men were killed without mercy. The rancid smell of intestines and fluids permeated the air along with the ck smoke from the hay burning. Moans and groans of the women could be heard in the distances.


    It was the Mughal army raiding a vige along their path on the border with Marathas. The women''s painful and terrified moans filled the vige as they were raped by the Mughals soldiers.


    For the Mughals, this was natural, as they did this in every war they fought. They pige the viges and kill the able-bodied men. Then rape the women for their relief. This was the way of the Mughals. The most despicable way of fighting.


    "ARRGHHH."


    A bloodcurdling scream of a Mughal soldier echoed. He was on the ground clutching his crotch. It was bleeding profusely. The woman he tried to rape had a knife up her blouse.


    She cut his dick off.


    "You scum!! You won''t touch me when I am alive."


    She stabbed her chest without flinching, instantly killing herself.


    The other Mughals soldiers saw their fellow soldier die due to blood loss after his dick was cut off by the woman.


    Bairam Khan chuckled at the scene.


    "You can''t even handle a woman!! You don''t deserve to be in the army anyway."


    "Brother! These weaklings are no good." Babar Khan said.


    They looked very identical to each other. They were the twinmanders of the Mughals. They were notoriously cruel. They wore different stylized clothes to help the soldiers distinguish between them.


    Bairam Khan was the older one. He was the stronger one as well. Both were ordered to march to the outskirts of the Patan town.


    This was where Shahbaz had spread the misinformation of Askar''s march to the Marathas.


    So the king of Marathas would be lying in wait in that region. Babar and Bairam were tasked with taking out the king.


    They both knew the strength of the king and didn''t underestimate him. It was the man who almost killed Askar.


    "Brother, shouldn''t we follow the n of minister Shahbaz?" Babar asked.


    Bairam looked at his brother in confusion. He was doing the n just as Shahbaz ordered but his brother didn''t understand it as he never really mentioned it.


    His brother was the one who couldn''t read the room well during important meetings. This was why Bairam Khan was in charge of the strategic meetings.


    But his brother trusted Bairam with his life.


    "We are already doing it!" eximed Bairam.


    "Really?!! I don''t remember you telling me!!"


    "Yeah, I forgot!!" He sighed deeply. "We have burnt so many viges along our march. I have not killed everyone."


    "Oh!!"


    "The remaining ones would go to the Patan as it will be the closest refuge."


    Babar nodded.


    "We also nted our spies in the refugees."


    "AHHH!!!" eximed Babar. "I understand now, brother!!"


    Bairam nced back at the soldiers. "Pige all the grains and we shall leave the viges." He ordered.


    ''We still have a Trump card. That Shahbaz guy''s n is always so good!'' thought Bairam as he walked back to the camp that was settled just a few hundred meters from the burning vige.


    Meanwhile, in the town of Patan, hundreds of refugees were swarming in the small town in search of shelters as the Mughals were raiding their viges.


    The king''s army was stationed in the town of Patan for the night.


    He looked at the scene of Mother''s crying for their child, who died from the wounds.


    Men who lost their limbs trying to protect their children from the scum.


    He clicked his tongue in disgust.


    ''Askar, is this your way of taking revenge on me?'' He thought.


    "Father, More refugees areing towards the town! Should we take them in as well?" asked Aadarsh.


    He apanied his father in this endeavor to take on the strongestmander of the Mughals, Askar Khan


    They were given information from their spies that Askar would be marching through Patan to the Capital. He certainly found it odd but regardless, he figured it was the work of the strategists, as they wanted Askar not to be stuck in another stalemate like thest time.


    "Take them in. They are our people. We will protect them," said Devendra, clenching his fist to control his anger.


    He turned away from the scene.


    "Etch this scene in your eyes, Son. These are the monsters we will be dealing with soon."


    "Yes, Father!!."


    Little did the King and the Prince know. The refugees they took in had the Mughals special unit mixed in them. The selfless nature of the king was being exploited by Shahbaz. Shahbaz figured that the king wouldn''t turn a blind eye to refugees.


    Devendra asked themander. "How many days of supplies do we have left?"


    "We have a week worth of supplies left and we have bought some more emptying the town merchant''s supplies to feed the refugees as well." Themander responded with a curt bow.


    "Hmm! That should be doable. Increase the surveince of the area and put more scouts on lookout."


    "Understood, Your Majesty." Themander left swiftly.


    "Father, It seems the new group of refugees are from a vige a day away from this town. So we can assume that the army of Askar Khan will be reaching this town by tomorrow." Aadarsh said.


    He came back after ordering the soldiers to take in the new group of refugees that wereing to the town of Patan.


    Devendra mumbled


    "This battle may be myst..."


    "Did you say something, father?" Aadarsh asked, raising his brow.


    Devendra smiled warmly.


    "Nothing, My son. We shall be victorious against those scum."