Page 150 of Sumanika

It was all covered with the burning oil.

I loosened my fingers, and within a fraction of a moment, the grassy beach was blazing on fire.

Eklavya did the same from the other side, and soldiers boosted the cannon attacks.

But the invaders spotted us and took out their bows and arrows as well.

I placed the arrow down and fired another shot with my gun, signaling the soldiers to intensify the cannon’s attacks. Our soldiers, hidden in the trees, started their arrow assaults.

The noise of cannons echoed through the mountain ranges, shaking the vast stones with earth-shattering tremors. A cataclysmic roar threatened to destroy everything in its path.

The thick clouds rising from the gunpowder smoke drifted high into the sky, while the fiery smoke billowing from the tall grasses added heavy into black clouds.

I coughed and watched the enemy soldiers burning as they jumped into the river, becoming a feast for crocodiles, if there were any, in the water.

It was satisfying to treat them as they had treated others. How could they even think about burning our kingdom, our region?

I wouldn’t leave a single one of them alive. They were trying and struggling. They bleed. One got shot into his head; his head burst open, satisfying me for some strange reason.

I wanted to see them bleed with pain. They had enraged me.

Their cries blurred under the cannon’s attacks. A round shot landed right over a big ship. It cracked into two on the spot. The soldiers burnt. They threw their hands, shredding clothes, jumping into the water, but our archers fucked them, piercing their hearts.

The boats behind the sunk one turned around and fastened towards us. And I immediately fired three gunshots, pinning soldiers’attention to them.

Archers mounted the horses, taking the invaders down.

I climbed on my horse, armed with my gun, bow, arrows, and sword, and gripped the reins with my trembling fingers.

“Come on, Ashwait. I need to fuck them down,” I told my horse, bouncing on his back as he raced faster through the steep mountain in a crisscross pattern, avoiding the trees.

I looked at the invading soldier, lifting his bow to me at the banks of the river, and I grabbed my bow and arrow to shoot right into his mouth, hollowing his head.

He fell back. Ashwait raced even faster to reach the riverbank, filled with small, finely shaped stones. I patted Ashwait’s back to slow him down while attacking the invaders alone.

I hastened, shooting arrows one after another at them. Even the cannons were inching closer, and finally, a troop of soldiers arrived, loading the guns into the boats and running after them.

I yanked Ashwait’s reins to stop him and climbed down. Sprinting toward the river, I plunged into the water to swim to the ship.

The soldiers helped me climb it.

“Give me that!” I exclaimed, snatching the ball from the soldier’s hand. After putting it in the hole, I told another soldier to light the tail with the torch when I signaled. I aimed it at the running ship. The water chilled my fingers and soaked my clothes.

But the blood in my veins boiled with anger, hatred, and countless emotions I couldn’t comprehend at that moment.

"Light it," I yelled.

My gaze, intense at the tail, sparkling before burning down. I tightened my fist on the cannon's handle, aiming at the giant boat.

Boom!

It shook me to the core, visibly.

The release of the projectile was so forceful that my entire body shook from the impact. I watched closely as it soared before landing directly on the ship’s bow, splitting it in two. The soldiers caught fire and leaped high into the air from the blast, and I raised my hand slightly to signal the archers to aim at them.

I did not want any of them alive.

A rain of arrows followed my command, killing almost all the invaders.

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