Your touch, like a gentle rain,
Soothes my soul, relieves my pain,
You are the one who sets me free,
And in your love, I'll always be.

Hussain, the other two warriors and I make our way towards the enemy. Except me, everyone was on foot.

Stopping a feet away from them, I did not dismount my horse.

"A duel, between me and you. The winner takes the other prisoner."

Thinking over the possibilities, the wheels in my head churned. Looking to my side at Hussain, he glared straight ahead.

To everyone else here, I am the son of Amir. If I back out now, the name of Amir will be tarnished. I am already pretending to be the Amir - a lie already too great - I cannot tarnish the name now that I am shouldering it.

Nodding without any further thoughts, I dismounted my horse. Standing infront of the wannabe general.

Everyone took a step back from the two of us.

Sword in one hand and a blade in the other, their leader was first to attack.

Dodge.

I moved away from his like of attack but he was faster, changing the direction of his attack,

Block.

Our swords clashed, clanking sounds filling the area. He overpowered me in strength but I believe that I had somewhat clear image of the attack I had in mind.

Using my dagger swiftly, I plunge it at his shoulder, his attention situated on my sword.

The man yelped and instinctively slam a punch on my cheek. I almost lost my balance and stepped back, breathing heavily. His blood slightly and slowly seeping out of his wound. My ears had started to ring and my eyes started to almost black out.

This was getting difficult.

His punch had power and if I receive another one, I am definitely not getting back up.

It feels like blood in my mouth.

This time I charged first, attacking overhead, he block easily and kicked me in my side.

A whimper almost escaped me but I bit my lip.

Oh my god, it hurts!

Quick on my feet, my eyes assessed him. The man was breathing fast, his blood loss catching up to him.

That shoulder of his must pain to move, best if I target that.

Charging forward once again, my challenger swings his sword at me and I side step, swinging my sword over his bleeding shoulder.

My sword slash his shoulder, enlarging the wound and blood sprayed out on my face.

"Ahh!" His voice of pain was shortlived has he made his way to me in complete fury and pain.

He swings his sword again and again and I try my best to block. The moment I see an opening, the moment his attacks falter, my leg kicks him in the stomach, force enough for him to loose his balance and fall on the ground.

My sword stopping mere inches away from piercing his throat.

If it weren't for his bloody shoulder, he might not have slowed his attacks. He would have won.

"Amir wins this duel!" One of my warrior speaks. Oh my Allah, this was so difficult! Thinking before every move, the time too little to decide my next move. Fear engraved in my heart of many 'what ifs'.

Ya Allah thankyou.

The man laying on the ground at the mercy of my sword twisted his lips in a weird snarl, "Long live the Amir."

My heart stopped.

"Amir!" Hussain seems to shout, his heavy body colliding into my side and fly forward into the soil.

"Ahh!"

My eyes black out from the attack for a minute and it feels like Qiyamat (day of judgement) had arrived over me, the way the loud shouting voices of people reached my ears and the ground vibrated.

Finally peeling my eyes open, I take in the scene.

Hussain stood over me, an arrow logged into his chest yet he continued to strike down the many warriors swarming him, trying to kill me.

On another side of mine stood my other two warriors, also fighting off the enemies.

What just happened?

My body tried to stand up only to sit back down. Ahhhh! Move! Move!

My head was still throbbing and it felt like all the energy from my body was taken.

Using my sword as a support, I stood up.

"Amir! Stay down! They broke the conditions of duel! An archer intervened from their side. We will take care of this." Hussain seems to shout.

No No, they can't take down so many men themselves.

Looking back at the archers, I raised my sword and brought it down, signalling them to shoot.

And they did, enemy warriors dropped like flies but it was not enough. Many of our archers had missed.

Pulling out the small knives from my waist band, I took aim with as much precision as I could with the throbbing head and swinged. Releasing my knives, they plunged themselves in many warriors neck and shoulders.

Where is my sword? Did I loose it amongst the fighters?

Nervousness etched into me as I could not find it.

Hussain and the other two warriors did not stop for even moment, slashing the warriors. My eyes hooked themselves to Hussain, the arrow plunged deep in his chest worried me. His blood was trickling down, staining the soil. My other two warriors were also bleeding from various spot.

It was too good to be true! To think that all 301 of us would make it out alive . . . Wasn't it.

Grabbing one of the swords that was lying on the ground, I picked it up and started striking aswell.

I could count them on fingers now, they were that less.

I could not see their leader anywhere and I hoped it was best if he was killed somewhere here aswell.

Hussain was strong! I do not know how I did not notice him at first but he was an amazing swordsman, taking on so many men at once was astonishing.

Fo a minute, everything stopped. Saif was hunched down, breathing heavily and so we're the other two warriors of mine.

The few enemies that were left had also stopped fighting. They threw their weapons at our feet.

"We have lost, do as you will." Looking back in the direction of my archers, I give a slight nod and immediately they jump down from the trees, a battlecry of victory escaping their lips as the ran over to us.

Thud.

My eyes widen as I look back at Saif who laid face first on the ground.

Rushing to his side, I flipped him over with little struggle and my eyes almost bulged out. It was not one arrow but several that I had not seen before.

He had cuts all over his body and his face was deathly pale.

"Hussain." A whisper escaped my lips and he smiled.

"I killed more than 100 enemies of Allah. Is that enough?" My eyes burned. Is this how . . . How people die in battle? With a look of content?

My heart lurched as his hand tried to find his sword and someone handed it to him.

"My Amir, take this sword." He pushed it in my lap.

Tapping my hip, I pull out the paste of herbs I had grinded the night before.

"This sword shall never stop slashing the enemies of Islam." Stay with me, I wanted to to say but my lips were numb.

Several other men knelt down around him.

My hands were shaking, looking for places to apply the healing herbs but I could not even decide where to start. He defended me and yet, I can do nothing to help him.

"La ilaha ilalah."

Those were the last words to grace his lips.

He reminded me of my brothers. It hurts as if I lost one of them today. My heart hurts yet I cannot put it to sounds or words.

His sword rested in my lap with the blood of enemies.

"Amir, we have rounded the horses and tied the remaining prisoners." I nodded.

Do men in battlefield do not even get the time to mourn?

The one who gets to recite the qalimah at the time of death has the best deaths of all.

Hoorain is devasted, you'll see it more in the next chapters!