"Please, Dhanudanda, understand the situation here," said Parashar, his voice steady but tinged with concern.
Dhanudanda's eyes flashed with irritation, his anger barely contained. He leaned forward, his fists clenched on the table. "No! All of you talk like weaklings! Your plans are defensive, and you're trying to stop something that cannot be stopped. Who do you think we are? Subordinates of Sharvas? We are equals—no, we are stronger than any of them. Sharvas might have been the leader of Yamsabha, but he wasn't stronger than any of us. This is four against four. Not four hundred against four. Have you forgotten your own value and strength?"
The room fell into an uneasy silence as Dhanudanda's words echoed in the air. He continued, his voice rising with each word.
"If you want to sit here like cowards, then fine. I have over two thousand men at my command. I will face them all alone. You can sit here and watch as I crush their heads one by one. But do not ask me to stand down!" He slammed his fist onto the table, causing the wood to shudder under the force.
No one spoke for a long moment, the weight of Dhanudanda's defiance hanging heavily in the room.
Finally, Arya spoke, his voice calm but resolute. "I agree with Dhanudanda. We cannot wait until the end. Sharvas and the others will eat our cities from the inside out. While we sit back, distracted by internal strife, they will stand at our gates with full armies. We cannot afford to let that happen." He glanced around the room, locking eyes with each of his allies. "Rudra and Raghav, I want you to expand your network. Make it bigger. Over the next two weeks, make connections in their cities. Use their help and keep a constant watch on everything. Nothing should slip through the cracks. Anyone or anything that goes against the four of us should be eliminated. You have my permission to make decisions on the spot. You two will be our eyes in this war."
Rudra and Raghav exchanged a look, both understanding the gravity of the task ahead.
"Ashvapati, Savignya, and Parashar, I need your help to understand their strategy," Arya continued. "Parashar, you've been at Yamsabha the longest. You know how Sharvas and the others operate. We need to learn their strengths and weaknesses—understand their next move. We need a strategy to attack and defend. Looking at the numbers, Dhanudanda can handle the offensive side, and I will stand with him on the front lines. Savignya and Parashar, you can hold the defense for us."
Arya paused, his voice becoming more serious. "I have fighters in my pit—over four hundred men and women, skilled in combat. I will station them in the cities to protect civilians if the defensive line is breached. But the defense cannot collapse. It is our only hope against Sharvas and his allies."
Savignya gave a curt nod, her face hardened by the weight of the task ahead. "Understood."
Dhanudanda, his excitement palpable, leaned forward eagerly. "You have a point there. Let's build a collective army and put an end to our enemies." He grinned broadly, his eyes alight with anticipation. "It's been years since I've fought in a real war. This will be fun. I want to crush their heads with my own hands."
Savignya sighed and placed a hand on his arm, trying to steady his fervor. "Patience, Dhanudanda! We cannot rush into a war when we know so little about our enemies."
Parashar agreed. "Arya is right. With everything happening, we cannot wait. Let's take the fight directly to them."
He paused, considering the logistics. "I have an army of over four thousand men—more than five hundred horse riders. I also have high-quality catapults, capable of throwing massive boulders and flaming projectiles."
Savignya nodded in approval. "I, too, have three thousand soldiers at my command. In addition, I have over a hundred elephants, each capable of carrying four to five archers. My cavalry is a bit smaller—only two hundred—but I can make up for that." She hesitated briefly before adding, "I have connections with the Vanmargis. They will help us double the archers' strength."
Arya raised an eyebrow at this, but did not question her further. The mention of the Vanmargis would be addressed later. For now, they had to focus on the immediate battle.
"Very well," Dhanudanda said, his excitement only growing. "I will call for reinforcements. I have connections with the Kaalraths. Let's see if they can be of assistance." He smiled broadly, already thinking ahead to the bloodshed.
Arya turned to the group. "That leaves me. I'm at the lowest capacity of soldiers—about fifteen hundred men, with four hundred horse riders. I'll station my fighters in the cities, alongside the guards, to protect the people."
Parashar nodded, taking a moment to calculate the combined forces. "That brings us to nine thousand five hundred soldiers, around eleven hundred horse riders, and one hundred elephants. With some additional help from other sources, I think we stand a good chance. But do not underestimate our enemies. They, too, are formidable."
Arya's lips curled into a smirk, his gaze hardening. "Let's start, then."
The others shared a look, a shared sense of determination settling in. It was time to act.