"I am here. Tell me everything I should know," Arya demanded, his gaze fixed on Ashvapati.
Ashvapati did not hesitate. "I will explain the full extent of power distribution," he began. "You need to understand that this is not a mere battle between four warlords on each side. If Sharvas manages to convince our state head to intervene, this could turn into a battle of forty warlords against you. We must prevent him from reaching our state head at all costs."
Arya's focus sharpened as he listened intently. Every detail mattered.
"According to the documents we have, and the records left behind by Yatnish, there are forty-four other warlords and masters under the Ashataraj Triad. You are the forty-fifth warlord. The eight state heads each manage between four and eight warlords under their rule. Our state head governs eight warlords—those of us who make up the Yamsabha."
Rudra, flipping through one of the old scrolls, added, "And these are just the warlords and masters at your level. Each of them may command between one thousand to five thousand soldiers. That means Sharvas and the others could potentially call upon tens of thousands of troops."
Ashvapati nodded. "That's only the beginning. Our state head alone commands an army of over forty thousand foot soldiers, twenty thousand horse riders, and enormous weapons of destruction. And these armies are not just made up of ordinary men—some of them contain beings of unmatched power."
Raghav, now deeply intrigued, picked up another scroll. "There's mention here of warrior ranks. Listen to this—warriors and soldiers are categorised into different levels based on their capabilities."
He read aloud:
Foot Soldier: Armed with either a spear, sword and shield, bow and arrow, or axes (parshus). Some also carry war banners.
Horse Riders: Mounted warriors wielding similar weapons as foot soldiers. (A single horse rider can fight 20-50 foot soldiers.)
Rathi: A warrior in a chariot (rath) capable of fighting 50 horse riders. (A single Rathi can fight 1,000-2,500 foot soldiers.)
Dwirathi: A warrior in a chariot capable of fighting 10 Rathis. (A single Dwirathi can fight 10,000-25,000 foot soldiers.)
Maharathi: A warrior in a chariot capable of fighting 10 Dwirathis. (A single Maharathi can fight around 250,000 foot soldiers.)
Atirathi: A warrior in a chariot capable of fighting 10 Maharathis. (A single Atirathi can fight around 2,500,000 foot soldiers.)
Ativarna: The highest warrior tier, capable of fighting 5 Atirathis. (A single Ativarna can fight 12,500,000 foot soldiers.)
Raghav looked up from the scroll, his eyes wide. "There are people capable of fighting entire armies by themselves?"
Raman, standing quietly near Ashvapati, spoke up. "There are warriors who defy the very laws of the universe. They are so powerful that they can single-handedly destroy armies."
The trio was stunned into silence. Ashvapati himself was already beyond what they had ever imagined possible, and now they were hearing about beings far stronger than him. Just how vast was the world's power structure?
Raghav, still trying to wrap his mind around it all, scanned further down the scroll. "There's a note here that says—'There have been only two recorded Ativarnas in history. No one else has ever achieved that level.'"
Raman scoffed. "Don't believe everything you read. History is written by those who survive. I've fought in the Pit, I've seen monstrous warriors, but I've never even seen a Dwirathi in person. And yet, we are supposed to believe there were two Ativarnas?"
Ashvapati remained silent, observing Arya and his companions. He knew the weight of this information was almost overwhelming.
Rudra, his curiosity burning, turned to Arya. "Do you think our state head is an Ativarna? Or maybe even the King himself?"
Raghav shook his head. "Didn't you hear what Raman said? Don't believe everything you read. And that note specifically said only two Ativarnas have ever existed."
"Then they must at least be Atirathis, or Maharathis at the very least! Can you even begin to imagine the strength of such warriors?" Rudra exclaimed.
Raghav exhaled deeply. "I still can't wrap my head around the fact that Ashvapati is this strong. And now we're talking about beings beyond even his level."
Ashvapati ignored their amazement and turned back to the matter at hand. "What are we going to do about Sharvas?"
Raman spoke firmly. "We need to convene a meeting with Yamsabha before this war becomes inevitable. If we can convince the other warlords in Yamsabha not to support Sharvas, we may be able to stop him before he escalates this to the state head."
Arya considered this carefully. "Then let's have this meeting before we lock horns with our enemies. But make no mistake—if things don't go our way, prepare for war. And I don't plan on surrendering my territory."
There was no turning back now.