Empire of India: Rise of the Ruthless Prince

Ballari, Vijayanagara Empire.

The day was bright. The cool air of the morning rushed through the lush forests. The army of Rudra Simha Nayaka was camping outside, getting ready to reach the capital, Hampi, to help the prince in his endeavor.

The distance between the capital and the forests of Ballari was approximately one hundred kilometers. If they leave with such a huge army in the morning, they could reach the outskirts of the capital in a day.

Rudra Simha Nayaka and his son Bhima Nayaka were leading the army. Some big nobles and many local nobles had died at the hands of the Nayakas in the civil war. The patriarch of the Nayakas was confident that the prince would win if the Nayakas could reach the capital.

But he didn't expect a major roadblock that would derail his plans to reach the capital. As the preparations for March were underway.

Some guards beside the main tent where the patriarch stays were knocked up cold. Bhima, who was speaking to the Patriarch, froze up seeing a man dressed in red and black clothes entering the tent.

The man was wearing a mask, his heterochromatic eyes peeking through the mask. A sword hung on his waist, and he stood with a relaxed posture.

Scanning the room without sparing a glance to Rudra Simha and Bhima. He spoke in a deep and hoarse voice.

"Hello. Rudra Simha Nayaka."

Rudra Simha leaned forward.

"Oh! What are you doing here? Rakhtasura."

"Rakhtasura???!!" exclaimed Bhima, regaining his composure.

The man who stood before him was the leader of the Yamaduts and one of the most fearsome individuals in the Empire. Rakhtasura in particular was an anomaly even among the Yamaduts, as the man's origins were only known to the Emperor.

His name became famous among the nobles during the fall of Hoysala Kingdom, where it was revealed the man had infiltrated into the higher noble ranks of the kingdom and compromised all the battle plans to the Empire, ensuring a huge one-sided victory for the Empire.

Rakhtasura's real name and face were never known. Rudra Simha knew the strength of this man. He stood before him without a hint of fear, precisely knowing that Rudra couldn't touch him.

Yamaduts had already surrounded the perimeter of the camp. The knocked-out guards were taken away and replaced with disguised members of the Yamaduts in a matter of minutes. The fact that Rakhtasura stood in the tent with a friendly demeanor meant that he was here to talk.

"Why? You ask after putting up quite a show in Empire with your sudden intervention!" Rakhtasura said.

Bhima wanted to intervene, but he knew it was better to let his father do the talking. It was not his place to talk and mess things up. He knew the stakes.

"Well! You know. We, the neutral faction, decided to take matters into our hands and stop the civil war as the loyal subjects of the Empire!" Rudra Simha said with a fake smile.

Rakhtasura laughed hysterically.

"Come on, old man. You think I don't know about your support for the youngest prince!!."

"So, you knew!" Rudra asked.

"Of course. Although I was a bit skeptical at first. Looking at the prince, I get why you would support him." He said, chuckling.

"So! Why are you here?"

"Orders from the first prince!!"

"First prince? You don't move at anyone's orders other than the Emperor. Does this mean that the Emperor is supporting the first prince?!" asked Rudra with an arched brow.

Rakhtasura scoffed.

"He was granted a favor to use the Yamaduts once." He clicked his tongue in disgust. "I don't know why the emperor granted him such a favor."

"I see! Why are you revealing all this to me?"

"I am venting, and this information can be dug out if you try either way! Why bother hiding it?"

Rakhtasura took a seat in front of Rudra.

"So. Enough chatter! I have come to tell you that your army won't be moving to the capital."

"You will stop me from supporting the prince? You think you can stop me? Rakhtasura!"

"Old man. This isn't like before. I know very well age has caught up with you!!"

Rudra Simha's age has put a dent in his abilities. He had to face the reality. Rakhtasura was a tough opponent for him even in his prime, let alone now. After all, Rakhtasura could have killed him and his son right now, sustaining some injuries if he wanted.

"You don't have an army though!. Yamaduts won't be enough to stop me!." Rudra declared.

"Ohhh!! That's why you were cocky. HAHAHA!"

Rakhtasura turned serious once again.

"Oh, I just took over some army in the wild!. So you don't really need to worry. It may be small. But it can still beat a headless, large army!"

Rakhtasura had taken over the army of Rama Varma. He killed Rama Varma and was disguised as him leading the army. So he had a small army at his disposal to ambush and make trouble for the Nayakas.

Couple with the fact he could kill the patriarch right now. It was a dangerous bid for the Nayakas to take on Rakhtasura.

"I don't want unnecessary bloodshed, old man. I also have to keep the foreign intruders in check. You know very well one of us would be seriously injured in the fight. Just stay here till the battle in Hampi ends."

Rudra Simha pondered for a moment. It was a lose-lose situation.

"Fine! The prince would want to end it on his own anyways!"

"Hooo. He is so confident in winning. But I will warn you that the tides have changed a bit more than I thought."

"Changed? Aren't the first and second princes in a stalemate so far?"

Rakhtasura got up to leave.

"Yeah, but you know. Certain someone decided that they would support the First Prince. Things are not looking good for the second prince! But it's none of my concern."

"Who is that someone?"

"Why do you want to know, old man?. Prince Harsha and the Second Prince will find out very soon the mind behind all this mess."

"So you caught the person who injured the Emperor?"

"Yes. But I can't kill them recklessly."

Someone who Rakhtasura couldn't kill recklessly and control the consequences. This was a huge matter.