Sootputra: The Unsung Hero

Magadh King

"What did he say?......." Yuyutsu said. We were back in the capital, after two days of the horse ride. While entering the kingdom, I saw the Army of Jarasandha, He had already gained the outskirts of the kingdom borders. It was like an island surrounded by a black ocean. Our capital was very close to the said borders, If the attack was to be successful then, it will be among the first ones to fall.

"There's a marriage in the capital. The prince is busy with it. It will take time to prepare a short army or even a battalion and then to march them to Anga. Time that we don't have. And also that will leave Hastinapur vulnerable in a crucial time."

"So, no help is coming from the capital....!?"

"I'm afraid not."

"That selfish prickly bastard. That fucker only cares about him." Yuyutsu banged his fist down on the table.

"Leave it, we have to fend for ourselves....."

"How?" He said in a loud voice.

"We don't have any allies. The ones we had, ignored us. And we are outnumbered eleven to one. And that's not even counting the elephants our enemy has. How are we going to win or even survive this war?"

"We have two skilled Archer's though." Ashwatthama came into the room with his echoing steps. "And a little battalion from Hastinapur. That's all they could afford to spare. "

"That should give us some fighting chance." He said with his smug face. He can be way too annoying But I had to say, this time it felt good to have a friend at my back.

"Are reinforcements coming? Or any backup?"

"Heh...I am the backup. I can handle 100-160 on my own." The man displayed his muscles.

"But that's still not enough. At this rate, We will lose this war."

"Hey, you don't want my help."

"I am not saying that," Yuyutsu said.

"Then shut up and accept it."

There was a moment of silence in the room. As I pinned the map on the table.

"Yuyutsu!" his head turned to me.

"Tell me the status....."

"Yes, your grace the total strength of our army is 2537 including the soldiers, archers, cavalry, and the charioteers. We don't have elephants or even above average soldiers in skill, except you two.

While Magadh has almost 18,000 on our borders already and more are coming."

"What about you, what are your skills?"

"I am an above-average fighter sir, but not on the level of you or Ashwatthama. I have wielded and learned spear and can also command the troops but not all of them. Perhaps if we can give the charge of one battalion to Shon......"

"It won't matter, these numbers are outrageous. We can't win with brute force." I couldn't swallow for us all, but it was clear as day that this war was impossible to win. With these numbers, Jarasandha can easily wash down Anga like a flood. So the only question was.

"Why hasn't he attacked us yet then?" Shon said.

He has joined in now too.

"He was going too, The day his messenger came. He told us that there was no point in surrendering, because he would attack, regardless.

But when some courtiers in panic, mistakenly told him that the Angraj was not here.

We thought we were done for. But then after a day, Jarasandha send another announcement, he gave us one week to prepare or surrender. And then he will attack. We were all shocked."