Stone Warrior
(Part 14)

                   (Please see my post of 26^th Dec for 13^th part of the story)

“It is Zoran himself; he is very much alive and guarding the post,” said one soldier.

“Don’t be a fool. It is a statue and not Zoran.  He is dead. And even if he was alive why would he stand guard there like a petty soldier. He is the Captain of the post,” Roock said to the soldier.

But Brasian soldiers did not believe him.

Roock said, “Let two of you come with me. We will go to there. You will see for yourself that it is just a marble statue.”

Two soldiers volunteered to come with Roock. They quietly crawled to the place where statue was installed. The soldiers touched the statue and smiled. One of them said, “Yes, you are right; it is only a marble statue. It is not Zoran. We are not afraid of anyone; we will attack the post right now and not wait till sunset. We will capture the post even if a hundred soldiers are guarding it.”

Roock and the fifty Brasians soldiers attacked the post. But the Talavian soldiers were not taken by surprise; they had been keeping a close watch on the Brasains.  Talavians were well prepared and every soldier fought bravely and furiously.

Suddenly a Brasian soldier saw Zoran in front of him. Instinctively he  looked towards the statue. But to his surprise the statue had vanished. Brasian was stunned. He thought that the statue had become alive. Brasian soldier screamed in terror.

Every Brasian looked towards the screaming soldier. Everyone saw Zoran standing in the battlefield, ready to fight. Everyone looked towards the statue. Everyone saw that the statue had vanished. Everyone thought that the statue had become alive. Everyone was stunned and terrified.  

Zoran attacked the Brasian soldiers furiously. Many of them got seriously wounded. They all ran away from the battlefield for they were all frightened of Zoran. They had never seen a warrior fight the way Zoran was fighting. They all ran for their lives.

When the defeated soldiers were leaving for Brasia, they looked towards Eastern Post. They were surprised to see that the statue of Zoran was majestically standing at its pedestal.

“After his death Zoran has turned into a stone warrior. He was standing like a statue on that pedestal but when we attacked the post he became alive and fought with us like a tiger.  By some magic Zoran has turned into a stone warrior. No army can now attack Talavia. Stone warrior is protecting Talavia,” lamented one of the wounded Brasian soldier.

Soon word spread through all neighbouring countries that Zoran had, by some magic, turned into an invincible stone warrior. Every soldier of every army was frightened of fighting stone warrior.

King of Brasia, however, did not believe this story. He shouted at the Brasian soldier who was narrating events of the battle.

“You think I am a fool. You lost the battle and now you are telling me this cock and bull story. A statue of marble can never turn into a man. Talavians played a trick on you and, like silly girls, you fell for the trick.”

But when every soldier told him the same story he became suspicious. He was also very angry with everyone at losing one more battle with Talavia. He decided to lead the army himself and attack Talavia once again.

After a few weeks, five hundred chosen Brasian soldiers led by their king marched towards Talavia. They were all well-trained and well-equipped soldiers. They laid their camp in a forest near Eastern Post. The king sent out his spies on a secret mission.

Next day the spies reported to the king that there were about fifty Talavian soldiers at the post. Zoran was not there. He was dead. His statue had been installed near the post.

“Excellency, we have personally checked the statue. It is marble statue. It is firmly fixed to the pedestal on which it is standing. It could not have changed into a man. It appears Talavians did trick our soldiers during last battle. Our soldiers fell for the trick and ran away from battlefield. We should not fear the Talavians; we can easily defeat them.”

King of Brasia decided to attack Eastern Post. He was confident of a quick victory because Talavians were outnumbered.

Battle started when Brasians attacked the post. Talavians were prepared for the attack. They were aware of the arrival of Brasians soldiers in the area. Though outnumbered they fought bravely and fearlessly.

On the King’s direction Brasian spies were keeping a watch on the statue of Zoran. They were to quickly report to the king if the statue changed into a man. Spies were alert and were watching the statue without blinking their eyes. As the battle progressed nothing happened; statue did not change into a man. 

                                                                                  (To be continued)

                                                                                           © i b arora
              You can read next part of the story here

Stone Warrior
(Part 13)

(Please see my post of 24^th Dec for 12^th part of the story)

Statue of Zoran was installed near Eastern post.  Everyone who saw the statue thought that it was Zoran himself who was guarding the post.

Spies of king of Brasia also got fooled. They promptly reported to their king that Zoran was seen guarding Eastern post. He was not dead. He had survived the wounds suffered in the battle and he was back on the post, defending his country from the enemies.

King of Brasia was wild with anger; he thought that Roock had lied to him. After the battle, Roock had told the king that Zoran had suffered fatal wounds and he would not survive.

After a few days he had informed the king that Zoran was dead, “My Lord, I have some spies in Talavia. They have informed me that Zoran had died even before the King of Talavia could come to Eastern Post. The royal doctor of Talavia did his best but he could not save him.”

But when, after a month or two, news arrived that Zoran was alive and guarding Eastern Post, king of Brasia lost his temper. He ordered that Roock be beheaded for lying to the king.

Roock was arrested. He was in a pitiable condition. He did not want to die. He wept and begged the king for mercy. But king was not be mollified by his tears.

“I will remit your death sentence on one condition. You must personally go to Eastern Post to find out whether Zoran is dead or alive. If he is alive you will have to challenge him and fight a duel with him,” king said in an angry voice.

Roock promptly agreed. He had no intention of going to Talavia to challenge Zoran. But he had readily accepted king’s proposal because he just wanted an opportunity to run away from Brasia .

“Don’t even think of running away from Brasia,” king had read his mind, “A beautiful, muti-coloured bird will keep a watch on you, all the time. If you try to run away, you will be killed.”

Roock was shocked. He did not know that Arwiz, the wizard, was assisting the king.

“Arwiz has given me that bird to keep an eye on you,” king said with a cruel smile on his face.

Roock knew that bird would report everything to the king. It would be impossible for him to escape.  He would have to follow the order of the king.

Roock came to Eastern Post. He stayed in Moon’s Inn in the garb of a merchant. He was hoping that someday Traytur would come there to drink beer. He would then try to again entice him. But he waited in vain for the Talavian soldiers had stopped coming to that inn.

Roock hired a greedy shepherd to spy on Eastern Post. His spy was unable to get any information about Zoran. But he did learn that Talavians had installed a marble statue of Zoran near the post.

“What everyone sees is a statue and not Zoran,” reported the spy.

“Why did they install a statue of Zoran?” Roock kept asking of himself. All this time the beautiful multi-coloured bird was always nearby, keeping a close watch on the activities of Roock.

One day his spy told him that Zoran was actually dead. But king of Talavia had decided that this information would be kept secret. His spy had got this information from a soldier who had served under Zoran. That soldier had since left the army and was now in the habit of remaining drunk.

Roock was overjoyed to learn about the death of Zoran. But he did not know that he was falling in a well-planned trap laid by Talavians.

He immediately left for Brasia. He suggested to the king that it was an opportune time to attack Talavia, “Zoran is dead. Talavian soldiers are demoralised. If we strike now they will not be able to withstand our attack. We will win the battle and capture Eastern Post. Our army can then march into Talavia.”

King thought for some time and said, “We will attack but not with a large army. Just take fifty soldiers with you and raid the Eastern Post.”

Roock was scared of attacking Eastern Post with just fifty soldiers. But he had no option. He had to obey the order of the king.

He came with fifty soldiers to Talavia. It was early morning when they reached Eastern Post. They all hid in a thick grove near the post. Everyone could clearly see the statue of Zoran. 

                                                                        (To be continued)

                                                                              © i b arora

                                    You can read next part of the story here

Stone Warrior
(Part 3)

(please see post of 7th Nov for second part of the story)

Zoran had now acquired a formidable reputation. Even in far off countries people knew of a fearsome warrior who was invincible; who fought like ZZaraan the legendary warrior of times gone by; who could not be defeated even by hundred soldiers.

The king of Brasia was wild with anger. He could not believe that his army had been twice beaten by Talavian soldiers. He was angry because the attack had been planned for months. Still his soldiers could not even capture one post. They had all been badly beaten. When he saw his soldiers he was shocked; they did not look like soldiers, they looked like dirty street urchins.

The king of Brasia was thirsting for revenge. He wanted to teach Talavian army a bitter lesson. But he knew that as long as Zoran was guarding Talavia his army would never succeed. Zoran had to be killed before his army attacked Talavia again.

There was an ambitious soldier in Brasian army. His name was Roock. He was not a brave soldier; he was not even well-trained. He had fought Talavian army; but every time he was sent to the battle he had managed to cleverly run away from the battle field; every time he escaped being killed or wounded.

Roock was a wicked and a dishonest person. He wanted to rise in the esteem of the king but did not want to work hard. He did not want to face any danger; he did not want risk his life in the battle field. He wanted rise in the Army by deceit.

He had befriended a wizard, Arwiz, who lived in an old palace in a dense forest. Arwiz, the wizard, knew every type of magic and sorcery. But he was a kind man and did not hurt even a fly. He spent all his time in his forest palace, experimenting with magic wands and magic potions and concoctions and with fiery dragons and what not. He had some faithful and loyal assistants who stayed with him in his palace.

Roock was son of one of these assistants of Arwiz who had, unfortunately, died young. Arwiz had looked after Roock after the death of his father.  But he was not happy with boy’s unruly behaviour and bad manners. He advised and admonished Roock many a time but the boy was not willing to change himself. One day Roock asked him to leave his palace and join the army. He thought that military training and discipline will do him some good.

Roock joined the army. He remained in touch with the wizard. In time, he learnt to pretend that he had become a brave and disciplined soldier. Arwiz was pleased with this change. They became good friends, even though Arwiz was much older than Roock.

Roock visited the wizard in his forest palace. He pretended that he was badly wounded and some rest to recover from his wounds.

“What happened?” asked the worried Arwiz.

“Did you not hear? Our army fought a battle with Talavian army. It was a fierce battle. We had almost beaten the enemy who were trying to capture our country. But then they played a dirty trick. They took help of a vile magician. We fought like true and brave soldiers but enemy fought us with magic and sorcery. All of us lost our vision in the battlefield; we became blind temporarily; we did not know what was happening to us. And soon we were badly beaten. I too was badly wounded. But I refused to give in and kept on fighting till my friends dragged me away from the battle field,” Roock lied smoothly.

“That’s very unbecoming of Talavians. They should have gallantly fought like soldiers. But I hear they have a brave and a great warrior in their army. I think his name is Zoran. Was he there in the battle?” Arwiz asked.

“Yes, and he was leading the enemy. It was he who took help of the magician. No doubt, he is big and stong, but he is not a brave soldier. Now that they have an evil wizard to help them we can never beat them. They can attack us any time they want. They can capture our country whenever they want. It is so disgusting for us, any day our women and children will become slaves of Talavia,” Roock spoke as per a plan.

He wanted to take help of Arwiz. But he knew that old man would not help him to fight an army of brave and chivalrous soldiers. He was too decent to help him in the treachery he was planning. He had planned to deceive Arwiz and take his help in killing Zoran.

Arwiz was fooled by false story that Roock had told him. He thought that Roock was speaking the truth and that made him angry. He was angry for he believed that magic and sorcery should never be used against soldiers in a battle field. Magic could be used only to fight and crush evil forces.

(to be continued)

© i b arora

You can read next part of the story here