"No monarch nor governing body can permit certain slights to pass, the more grevious the slight the more hostile the reaction. It is not a mark of arrogance but a simple political reality: to permit another to walk over them without repercussion is to admit defeat and lose face. However, and most dangerously, it means that others will perceive them as weak and suseptible to invasion or worse. As such some wars must drag on long after they have lost purpose in order for the nation to save face. It may not seem logical to those dying but in politics only one thing is understood: sheer and unrelenting force of arms, for all government is born from the edge of a sword."
-Lisimba-

Fareed felt perfectly relaxed upon the silken cushions he lay upon, the day was done, all was quiet once more and business as usual had returned to the city. All trade deals had been concluded, emissaries long departed and all that remained was a rumor of their passing. No squabbles had broken out either which was a pleasant surprise this time, everyone seemed eager to simply keep things as they were after making the usual claims and mild arguments which were quickly brushed aside by both sides and the papers signed. Stretching his legs a little and rolling onto his back he wondered if the other task had been completed or not. A thump at the door caused him to open an eye as some whispered to the guard and sticking one hand out he waved them permission to enter. Scurrying inside the stallion kept his head low.

"Send him in then." Nodding quickly the stallion left and Fareed watched quietly as Xerin walked into the room and standing a short distance away he gave a short bow. "Well? What is it that requires my attention at so late an hour?"

"As mandated by contract I must inform you that we had an issue that needed resolving regarding a low ranking officer in one of the more esteemed mercenary companies."

"Mostly trifling affairs that I shall not bore you with, I have had him under surveillance for a time now but they were caught conspiring with one of your tax collectors." Fareed turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "They to are in holding awaiting your decision, it was a minor attempt to skim proceeds, nothing that would have ever been noticed had someone not been listening in and watching. It was a good plan to, the guards already skim from the merchants as they enter and their plan was to collect a smaller fee in order to turn a blind eye to the merchants smaller transactions locally. Truth be told it was so paltry a sum it hardly seemed worthwhile."

"Until you multiply that number by however many merchants the collector was due to tax in my name..."

Xerin nodded. "Very true, but still not enough to be entirely worth notice, however as it involved a public official I was bound to report it at once rather than just deal with it and save you the time."

"No, this is worth my time." Fareed scooted into a half sitting position. "I will deal with the collector, as for this mercenary, was there anything else I should be aware of?"

"Paltry, just the usual shake downs and skimming from the guards as they charge them with your fee for entrance into the city. Other small things of the sort, but his strong arm tactics were raising too many questions and drawing a great deal of attention. I believed it prudent to bring this to an end before he set his eyes on something more ambitious."

"Cheating me out of what I am owed, no matter how little, and conspiring with one of my tax collectors no less, is not only very ambitious but foolhardy. What have you done with him?"

"That is the unfortunate part, he is very well liked amongst his company, a good leader, fighter and has proven himself in many battles as both a fierce fighter and courageous. He is also a minor alnabil but all his relations died of the plague a few years ago as I understand it. His lands were sold off for his commission and-"

"He hails from somewhere on the western border with Salai, he is not one of yours."

"Ah... One of them. That does not make for the most loyal of servants, but still." Fareed glanced at Xerin. "His fate? The contracts state in the event of treason-"

"I am planning to have him stripped, branded, all his possessions seized which was a tidy sum and-"

"If you want him beheaded..." Xerin held his hand out towards the door and moved as if ready to depart at once.

"No, not this one. His popularity may cause issues and being of noble birth, even if he lost his titles which were foreign, would not look good in the eyes of my own. Had he been a coward or of lacking character it would be of no question to just kill him and be done with it but a certain act of attempted theft recently and the aftermath has upset the local nobility along with certain other problem individuals and is proving to be rather aggravating, it would only complicate things at this moment. Very well, you say he has served me well?"

"So be it, brand him, seize everything he has and exile him. Should he ever set one hoof within my kingdom again he is to be killed on sight. I shall afford him this little mercy in recognition of his service to me among other reasons. At least that is what you shall tell him. What is his name? Would I know it?"

"Ahh him, yes I recall that name... Made quite the name for himself at the siege of Tuli." Fareed nodded. "Let him live, if only just. As for what was seized, liquidate everything he had and take a quarter of it for yourself and then pay out a smaller portion as a small reward to the spy you employed. Of what is left, take half and hire an assassin to end him once he is out of sight and mind. Make it look as if he was sufficiently punished before sending him away, they will quickly forget once he is gone. Oh and, have the assassin kill him a few days away from the capital hm? Preferably a week after his release when he has crossed the border."

"He has already been soundly beaten and whipped in accordance with the law, no one will notice him disappearing a few days after release."

Xerin shrugged. "A question though: shall we dump him across the river or on this side?"

"I imagine one such as him will be crafty enough to make it home one way or another and besides it will not matter, just throw him outside the gates with a signed paper that if he has not vacated my lands in a timely fashion he will be killed by whatever means his capturer decides. It should provide him some motivation to run so the assassin wont have to finish him on my doorstep. Oh and, any news on those marauders that crossed the border?"

"No, just the one runner from the south so far. Quite the force of bandits I must admit but if they target anything of value the nobility will simply dispatch them with their levies."

"The area they are attacking is not exactly worth much in regards of tax revenue and it would cost more to send an army to destroy them than whatever I would get back... It will mean sending some of the levies home in order to hunt this small band down but-" Fareed stopped and narrowed his eyes a moment. "Send a small force to hunt them down at expense or allow them to run rampant... Oh well, if there is nothing new about it then the local chieftains must have dealt with them already and extra troops were already dispatched."

"Yes of course, I am not going to call it off just because one or maybe two hundred bandits-"

A short shouting match outside followed by a heavy thud as something slammed into the door caused both Xerin and Fareed to stop and stare as the interior door guard backed up a moment with a hand on his weapon. They waited as a call went out to open the door and once it had been unlocked and opened Adil stepped inside and forcibly shoved the mercenary guard to the floor in a heap causing their armor rattled as they slammed into the hard marble floor. Fareed watched him as he marched across the room quickly with a panting stallion in tow who looked utterly exhausted as sweat dripped from his body and old, dried rivulets matted his damp fur together.

"We have a problem on the southern border." Adil glanced once at Xerin making the mercenary flinch a little before handing over a scroll to Fareed. "Your kingdom is being invaded and Iuny is under siege, if it has not already fallen."

Fareed watched him with a deeply confused expression as a deathly silence hung in the air before he stared at the stamped scroll. "I presume you opened this?" Adil nodded. "Very well..." Looking at the mark he recognized it as Tasid's stamp and examining it more carefully could not make out anything unusual. Unraveling it slowly while still eyeing Adil and Xerin cautiously before finally looking past them at the manhandled mercenary guard who was cursing quietly as they picked themselves up from the floor before departing, he waited until they had removed themselves and once the door was shut promising their security he began reading the message. "Let us see what Tasid has to say-"

His words slowed before completely dying in his throat. Confusion, anger, annoyance, utter disbelief and other emotions flooded forth in a tidal wave as the fur on his face stood upright but he continued to read the short message. Stopping for a moment Fareed just held it loosely with his fingers and stared before checking the stamp and hand writing again.

"It is his... Hurried, but his." Looking it over again he glared at Adil. "How long ago did this arrive?"

"Not long, a small craft arrived half crewed and exhausted, this one here is their captain..." Adil motioned at the panting stallion. "I myself did not believe it but he to has more to add if you would permit it."

"When we departed Iuny the situation was most dire, I know not what the message says but know my crew has suffered horribly and lost much-"

Letting out an annoyed snarl Fareed eyed down the stallion with rage in his eyes. "Get on with it!"

The stallion staggered a little in an attempt to bow but decided against it for fear of falling down. "Whoever attacks your most glorious and just kingdom seized most of Iuny. When we departed they had set fires and the only parts still under control of the local garrison were trapped in the harbor or wealthy and walled in districts. They have also burned their way north along the river-"

"Your great majesty, if I may?" The stallion kept his gaze down. "He but not arrived after the attack began." Looking up a little he put on a fake smile. "But as I said, this news of such courage by your nobles came at great cost to myself and the crew, we left with more than forty crew and have but twelve left after-"

"Be silent." Fareed snapped at the stallion and sat upright before beckoning a servant over while he smoothed his fur and calmed down. "Take this one and..." Fareed clicked his fingers and taking up a quill made a rapid scrawling on a piece of parchment. "Deliver him to the servants quarters. He is to remain HERE until the morrow, under guard. You will explain yourself in detail to whomever I send for further details, leave nothing out because your life depends on it. Should you have spoken truly then you will be rewarded for your efforts."

The servant did not touch him nor offer assistance as they motioned the stallion to follow and depart the room, after they had left Fareed sat quietly for a moment and then stood.

"Who would dare invade from the south? They are too busy fighting with each other and if they came from the direct south then there are but chiefdoms and petty rulers, why would they furnish so much for an invasion? Surely they know there is no chance of victory. Do they hope to steal what they can and run away? What could they hope to accomplish by invading without a proper force... Or is this only the skirmishers running ahead of their main body?" Fareed stopped and looked at Adil. "So we know nothing? I am unaware of any kingdom that could furnish such an expensive expedition from our south."

"I know not of any my sultan." Adil shook his head. "Perhaps they intend to invade and remain here? A tribal expansion? Colonization?"

"Such things have not been heard of for years! Centuries even! But neither can we rule out such a possibility at this stage..."

"It is indeed foolish, surely they know your army will march on them and destroy them if they attempt any act of conquest, even this slight against you is-"

Fareed held a hand up. "Yes it if foolish but that has not stopped ones such as queen Sana from her own deviousness. There is just nothing to gain from this!" He threw the scroll Tasid had sent onto the floor. "If they had laid siege to Mjesani this would make at least some kind of sense, they are worth besieging! But to attack Iuny? They are worthless! That is the poorest part of the kingdom and of little to no value, they barely raise enough revenue to be worth taxing and though they may already have Iuny under their control I must say neither am I in the least surprised. Tasid has allowed the defenses to crumble, his paltry garrison to become fat and lazy while the few other local nobles and chieftains are hardly worth ordering forward with their levy if they even have one worth mentioning."

"Perhaps my lord..." Adil nodded slowly. "What to us is but a drop in a bucket to another appears as the richest of feasts ripe and ready for plucking directly from the vine. They must have some intelligence, they did after all attack the underbelly of your caliphate and we know not how extensive their numbers are. But to seize a city within an hour..."

"Or are just blind and lucky, there is a reason it is not worth investing in that region!" Stopping to breath out in annoyance Fareed shook his head. "There is nothing to gain, no kingdom within reasonable distance to furnish this act so mayhaps you were right, they intend to colonize that part of my kingdom which means a great many more are coming if we do not chase them off."

"Yes but if this is allowed to continue the neighboring kingdoms-" Xerin stopped as Fareed broke his line of thought as a furious expression crossed his face.

"I will not allow this insult to stand. Adil, take the army south and find these... Vagabonds, that dares to invade my kingdom and put them to the sword. March with all haste and see that Iuny is relieved or recaptured at once. Leave the standard garrison along with an extra unit or two just in case this is some crazy, half baked plan by one or more of the surrounding kingdoms to draw my army away. Do not get trapped if this is a ruse to lure my army south and into an ambush, I know not what they are playing at but be prepared in any event. I want an example made of them so any who might follow will know better than to trifle with my kingdom. Is this understood? "

"Do not waste any time Adil and another thing, take those mercenary companies we talked about with you as well, it is time they earned their keep."

Ismat stood outside patiently waiting for her grandfathers return, the palace had returned to a state of absolute silence now that the guests had departed but as was with all things in life; when things are the quietest it becomes the loudest. A lone ship with an exhausted crew rowing for their lives had arrived and by chance Adil had been nearby to handle it but whatever message they had sent him racing off to see Fareed while another messenger chased her down at home with a very simple order: arm herself fully for immediate and report to him at the palace prepared for departure with either the army or a smaller force with the intent to engage an unknown entity.

Standing by the doors leading into the inner cloister where Fareed resided come evening she could only stand there looking odd to the few servants who were still about finishing their sweeping or the occasional group of guards be they mercenary or otherwise who wandered past on patrol. She felt strange just standing there waiting on him to arrive as wearing this set of armor was familiar to her but unheard of inside the palace. Looking down at herself a moment she sighed at her state of dress. This was not the elaborate dress uniform she wore to impress visitors with its obviously visible mail which was oiled and polished to a very high sheen. Nor was the helmet the dress variant that put on more a display than functionality. Shifting the dull metal helmet around in her hand before waving off a mosquito Ismat straightened up, this was exactly what her grandfather had said to wear and she had. It was purely functional, not the least bit flashy like the other officers and even had a few very pricey plates of steel protecting her vital spots.

Her ears twitched as the heavy door groaned a moment and Adil stepped out quickly, not a word was spoken as he waved for her to follow and falling in behind him, she kept up with his rapid pace as Adil raced for the palace gatehouse.

Ismat closed her mouth and remained silent, this was perfectly normal even at home. Ever since she was but a filly he would reprimand her for speaking out of turn even if she had cause to ask a question or make a statement. Following him out they both quickly boarded the waiting two wheeled buggy, it was not the glamorous way of traveling that most of the wealthy chose as this one was built for moving staff officers while on the march. Adil grabbed a nearby soldier and after a few quick words gave a shout sending the two stallions pulling the buggy running before he finally stopped to actually regard her presence.

The agonizing wait began as the carriage sped onward and out of the city, through the slums and finally turned hard west and towards the primary camp where the local levies had been mustering. No effort was made to hide any of the camps be they on the north or south side of the river, Fareed did not care if his neighbors knew and neither did they attempt to hide from him. It would do no good anyway, from this central location it could speed off in a number of directions and if anyone was truly trying to hide their intentions by keeping said forces out of sight it only raised more questions. Hiding in plain sight worked the best for Fareed she was forced to admit, to actually obscure the army from vision when it was raised only made all of his neighbors anxious and raised alarms which served no useful purpose.

Rolling to a stop in the middle of the main camp Adil slid off the seat and strode directly into the large, round and colorful tent at the center of the encampment. Staring at two of the only soldiers inside as he slept he kicked from their sleeping mats and shouted at them to gather those officers who had gone home for the night.

"I wish to speak with you in private first, they will all arrive in time but the army can not depart until morning as it is." Ismat nodded quietly. "Have you done as I instructed?"

"Good. Watch your back." Adil unlocked a chest and removing a map spread it out on the table. "Such luxuries as tables will not be afforded when we leave. Now, tell me. An invader has struck from somewhere down here... And moved north and towards Iuny, besieged it quite successfully and are burning their way down the river. Numbers unknown, kingdom unknown, we know absolutely nothing about them other than the fact they are all zebras."

"Watch my back? Why? From whom?" She watched him a moment before shaking her head. "Tribals?"

"Sound reasoning, they lack heavy infantry from what I gathered but that means..." Adil stopped and stared at her.

"They are making up for it with speed, their intention is to strike fast and depart before being overwhelmed."

"Unknown, but I am debating whether or not to send ships to assist. A small battalion could be boarded tonight if the warships are run out in the darkness from their berths and prepared in haste, it would take them only a short time to reach the city but it would mean I have a battalion less to command."

"From the reports Iuny is poorly defended, even more poorly commanded and... If they are not all dead already I would be surprised."

"As would I, but that messenger had a few details he did not yet report to Fareed that I got out of him when he first arrived. He will also be questioned by me again later so no one shall know."

Adil stood upright and ears moving around a moment gave her a harsh stare. "When you achieve what I have you will know that sometimes there are some things the sultan is better off not knowing."

Ismat felt terribly confused and worried, he had never spoken this way before and no matter how hard she tried, not once had such an idea ever been uttered or even hinted at. "As you command general... But what-"

"A fraction of what is outside would be sufficient to defeat them in a standing battle but not to save the region. Most likely he now believes this to be something grander than it actually is thanks to careful wording, if they came to settle the region there would have been foals and long baggage trains. Instead they seem more interested in looting. They also move so slowly that the villages have time to flee before their arrival, which is either on purpose or a blunder. The first warning from the area stated just how slowly they were moving, they gave time for everyone to flee but for some reason threw themselves with great recklessness against Iuny. One moment they move furiously, the next behave as if frozen in place. There is more than ample lands between the south where they came from and here to settle, lands less likely to be contested so heavily by an army. What was first seen was not their main body but just a part of it, the forward scouts. After that came the main body so I can say with a reasonable amount of assurance that they number in the thousands but not anywhere near as many that the sultan has come to believe. Should their numbers have been so grand they would not have been stuck fighting to control the harbor at Iuny either. They only won due to someone leaving those decrepit gates open because they believed that the main body had already passed them by. Also, mercenaries were sent before Tasid left Iuny to fortify the city while he was gone and to oversee things, neither have they departed as Tasid had refused to permit their retreat from Iuny by boat. Therefor he has a chance no matter how slim. Do you understand?"

Ismat nodded as he continued. "They attacked in two waves, the first warned the outposts, the second attacked Iuny after the garrison relaxed about two to three days later. What we now know is they have deployed in full force and are in a set piece battle which makes the situation less fluid and manageable. As for their intentions... I can not fathom them at the moment but I do recall a report from some time ago attesting to the southern kingdoms and city states employing large formations of zebras, skirmishers all, in battles. They are mercenaries and match the description given tonight, they rely entirely on speed and coordination to win instead of brute force. Armor is foreign to them as is siege warfare but if given the chance to outflank an opponent they can be most bothersome even to the most well drilled and heavily armored force, quite deadly if the reports are accurate. If the sultan knew this he would scale back our efforts tonight in favor of saving regions that produce more revenue. His only interest would be in regaining Iuny, destroying them within reason so as to save face with the other kingdoms and in so doing allow them to run wild while the local levies hunt them down one by one, if they can."

Adil tapped the map. "To him this region means nothing as it is poor and he is correct, but he also forgets that other enemies to the east have successfully made large incursions across the river on small rafts in the past. However, it is a barrier that only serves as an obstacle because those to the east believe it is defended. Allowing this incursion to run on will give them the impression it is not guarded at all, which has been the truth for some time but that need not become fact. What is now a pinprick could easily become a larger problem later on and as word spreads that the caliphate has several soft areas it will entice others to invade even if only for short term gains. The sultan wishes us to defend his lands, drive out the enemy and help him save face in front of the other rulers, we shall, but it must be done with all the force we can bring to bear. Crushing these... Zebras, without mercy nor hesitation will send a very clear message to all and they shall understand it. That the sultan is willing to go to great lengths to repulse invaders and will not hesitate to stamp out any who think he is weak despite the costs involved."

"I..." Ismat stopped and looked at him strangely. "Do the lives of those in the region not matter?"

"No." Adil shook his head and setting out a quill, ink and parchment began writing quickly. "They are peasants, tribals, they are barely worth conscripting and offer the caliphate nothing other than their existence and a paltry tithe. Do not concern yourself with their lives, they exist to serve the sultan and if need be die in his name as is their duty and ours. We will endeavor to save what we can however, they are needed to work the land and provide what little they can but the objective is to destroy the hostile forces in the region with haste. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Ismat nodded and looked at the map. "How can you be so callous to their suffering?"

Adil watched her a moment before glaring. "Do not forget who you are Emira Ismat. The lives of peasants are beneath our notice, we the nobility exist to command them and direct their efforts for the good of our noble families and the caliphate. This is how things work best, they know and understand their place as do we ours. Do not attach yourself to them nor concern yourself with whatever fate befalls them, that is none of your concern, only that they obey you as and when instructed to do so."

"Good, now then..." Adil watched the first nobles and officers filing in. "The first orders... I shall explain what is happening to all of you later, for now understand this and pass word along quickly! We are marching the army south with great haste to meet the enemy and destroy them, time is not on our side and so we must make time as best we can. First, you, send a courier to the harbor and order the ships prepared, also order the seizure of all vessels capable of bearing troops as required to bear at least one thousand including their supplies. A battalion will be sent by river to relieve Iuny, take this message to the north camp, their orders are held within and they can handle the situation. Now then, fortunately for us the army was already mustering in advance and the levies should be battle worthy by now, supplies have been amassed, wagons prepared, beasts of burden collected and drivers employed. No time need be wasted on these things so we shall set forth come first light. Runners will be sent to Mjesani to prepare more supplies for our arrival as we will not be stopping nor slowing if it can be helped. As the supplies are used up the wagons and animals will be left behind in groups which will make their way back to the city with a minimal amount of guards. Once the army has reached our destination we resupply at Mjesani, use the seized wagons and slaves to march east and force our enemy to show themselves."

"And the bandits which plague the road?" One of the nobles spoke up and pointed at the long road between the two cities. "They might make a go at the wagons left behind, not that they have attacked military convoys in the past..."

"If they dare then they shall be hunted down and slaughtered one and all, a contingent of mercenaries will be coming with us to reinforce our ranks as those levies left behind manage the wagons. Several other groups of mercenaries will also be accompanying us-"

Ismat sighed internally. "They only avoid our convoys because they are employed by Fareed to attack those who do not pay for protection."

"You will be taking your levy directly south tonight. I had already sent word for your force to be prepared to march upon your return before calling on you, march well into the night if you must but do not rest until the sun is at high noon. Rest briefly and continue on, you are to see that everything required is ready and waiting on our arrival when we reach Mjesani. We shall not tarry but remain only as long as is required to collect our new baggage train, make a short rest and then move on, this shall be a forced march but our efforts double after leaving Mjesani. Seeing as the enemy is relying on speed to make their advance I strongly suspect they are living off the land and will soon be without forage if they stay in one area too long. Iuny is not the richest land but has sufficient forage for such raiders to keep them going as they advance along the river. Should they persist on this course we shall drive them north and trap them with their backs to the river once their supplies have run out, no army shall go very far without forage which is most likely why they are sticking to a course along the river. During the final advance you shall reconnoiter their location, define their area of intent, any paths of egress along with any supply lines they may or may not have..." Adil stopped for a moment. "Most likely they are hoarding their supplies in one location, if that can be found our task shall be easier... Should we be so fortunate as to seize their supply chain it shall drive them to desperation which suits my plan quite well, keep your eyes open for those who may have escaped them and drill them for information. This force has left behind any and all wagons so they are most certainly using slave gangs to move supplies which will be slow moving and easily captured as they tire, I want you to take whatever initiative you deem prudent to the situation at hand and constrict their options severely; a starving army moves slowly and is an easy target. Do you understand your orders and my intentions?"

"One more thing." Adil handed her the scroll he had been working on. "Now off with you."

Returning his attention to the growing number of nobles in the tent Ismat departed and boarding the buggy ordered them to her encampment, as they picked up speed she unrolled the document and began reading it by the light of a small candle lamp hanging beside her.

"You do not only serve as the forward unit in charge of collecting our supplies but also in clearing the path should they have turned west. This is a most doubtful prospect but in the event they have done so you are to avoid a general engagement with them and only harass or if possible hold them in place until the main body arrives. The same order shall apply when we leave Mjesani and march on Iuny if required. Should you make contact with them adhere to the following as little is known of their tactics save this: watch your flanks, stick to the high ground and beware encirclement. If they are indeed as suspected, they are fleet of hoof, you are not. Be careful and watch yourself."

Ismat rolled it up and stuffed it into her pouch and chewed over his words, they were smart enough and able enough to besiege a city which meant they were if nothing else opportunistic. Then again by what few accounts existed they were lacking in any ability to actually siege someone out, which was made up for with their speed. Shaking her head she stared at the dark shadow of a city and wondered if they would actually engage her or flee.

"My force is large but not the largest, but they are well drilled and more capable than most. Slow, but quite capable, dedicated, skilled and proven. No general engagement, fast moving enemy... I will need scouts to look for terrain in advance so I can deploy before they have a chance to attack and hold the best ground or give it up if need be." Looking at her pouch again she furrowed her brow remembering his last five words. "He has never said anything like that before so why now? Never has he shown any concern for my well being, he only gives orders and expects them to be obeyed so why the sudden..." She choked on the foreign word. "Feelings."

Isibuso stood with his mouth slightly open in a silent and angry scream as his forces fell back from the barricades again, they had been so close, so many times, it was driving him insane that his forces had not only been driven back, but now the enemy had actually seized ground from him in the ongoing battle and had narrowed the battlefield down even more. To his north the worthless Sebanwi had failed to wipe Wete off the map and had called for aid while they kept the villagers trapped, meanwhile his own forces suffered setbacks but thankfully the losses had been acceptable. The harbor had simply become so hardened a target they could not get inside any more and the longer he withheld aid to the Sebanwi in the north the more vocal his chieftains became about abandoning the siege in favor of moving on. The damage had been done, there was nothing left to gain that would be worth the amount of lives required to overrun the defenders who had continued to put up stiffer resistance as the siege wore on. If they did not move on and immediately they feared Wete would be much the same if not worse from the report given.

"So close, can see big building with much cargo..." Isibuso stared longingly at the warehouses brimming with gold and jewels, crate after crate of shiny objects that would make him the envy of all the tribes and force his father to acknowledge his skill.

Khada watched Isibuso a moment blankly before speaking to no one in particular. "If no send force soon, Wete become so strong not even Rwasa and Sebanwi combined able to defeat. Give them much, much time to prepare... This not given time prepare for us and strong, Wete be worse soon. Very soon... No keep this up."

Isibuso saw the other chieftains begrudgingly nod in agreement with Khada, their loyalty was swinging in a different direction he did not care for and if he did not relent he would lose far more than just a battle. "We go. Bring all tool we have with us for attack Wete, need tool to make ladder and things so we attack them good. Set all on fire here, no leave them nothing. No grain, no roof, burn gate to. Burn all! "

"You very wise young prince Isibuso." One of the chieftains nodded in relief and left quickly leaving a now irate Isibuso staring at Khada.

"Great prince Isibuso, not my place to question but did say it wise to no stay here, best to take and go."

"Sebanwi pathetic, is worm! Where Rwasa shit Sebanwi eat! Is useless! No able to take small village but I take most of big, big city!" Isibuso waved his arms at the surrounding ruins. "Rwasa come, take, destroy and Sebanwi not able to destroy tiny village."

Khada swallowed his rage and finally shrugged. "Sebanwi not great Rwasa tribe, is but small tribe, meek, obedient, loyal to great king Sibusiso but Sebanwi do as told and try, try hard. No argue with great prince but say that Sebanwi lead way in many wars and prove selves many times. Sebanwi fail this time to destroy little village, but maybe is fate."

Isibuso spat on the ground. "We leave now, run hard to Wete and show you how to destroy little village and you no just watch! Sebanwi attack and kill hard or be killed! We show you how kill!"

Khada gave a nod and took a step back before carefully and cautiously departing. "Maybe if you lead way then die first and solve many problem for many."

Tasid's nerves were shot, gone, wrecked, burned out, ashen. He stood as a shaking, twitching nervous wreck of an emir on the wall looking down at the harbor and the rest of what remained of his fiefdom. Everything was a shambles, the granaries pilfered, large portions of goods that had been in the city center for the merchants had been hauled away in full while the oxen had all but been taken away save a few in the harbor. There was no panic anymore as he watched the latest skirmish conclude. Despite his state it was all just a hellish haze now, one more push that was once more followed by another retreat leaving a few more corpses or wounded along the fortifications and soon the wounded would be hauled away by both sides. It was barely enough though, if they made just one more large push in earnest it was now quite possible they would breech the rickety defenses and overwhelm them leaving only his walled in area standing while the harbor burned. They were holding by a raggedy and worn out thread.

The losses were catastrophic, in the first assault they had killed more than he wanted to remember but they had put up such a front that the enemy had fallen back to just watch and pick at them for days. His personal garrison had lost over half their number during the siege, the mercenaries over a quarter their number and climbing while the tribals had suffered much the same. Otherwise empty warehouses were packed with the dead and dying as those with any know-how or cared to bother tended to them. At the behest of the mercenary officer the dead were not dumped into the river less the invaders get an idea of just how much damage they had done and instead wanted to burn the bodies as needed which proved very problematic. The risk of plague was rising as the bodies were only burned once it was clear they could not be stored any longer and were heaped atop flammable material, doused in oil and set ablaze.

Oil, a most precious commodity after the siege began was being rationed. It served to help get the bloated bodies burning and then again by the one surviving catapult he had in his armory. The mercenaries had found it and after the first wave it was decided to rescue the contraption and reassemble the worn out engine atop one of the towers. Said towers were then lost and had to be recaptured but thankfully the parts had been left behind as the attacking hoard had no idea what they were for nor the round pots which had been moved inside the tower. The whole thing had become a back and forth war where he was forced to stand, watch and often times partake in the blood letting. He despised the mercenary officer more than Fareed now, at least the sultan would have just killed him and been done with it. But no, this bastard wanted him to suffer through every moment of the siege and he hated him.

Tasid's head shifted a little as a bright light departed the catapult tower and arched across Iunys' skyline before plummeting back to earth. Burning bright the fire-pot careened to earth sending the invaders running in all directions as it burst on the ground sending flaming oil lashing out in all directions. From his lofty perch he could see some dancing in pain as their legs were splattered in oil while others kept running, a few brave souls who knew it would be a long while before another shot was fired rushed in to help their comrades and tried to put the flaming bits of fur and oil out.

It had been worth it the first time the catapult had fired, he was not even certain it would work anymore as the device was left behind after some forgotten campaign and relegated to his arsenal for city defense. No one knew how to put it together let alone operate it but the mercenary officer did and after some instruction it was operational. But still, that first shot...

"How you gazed up at the sky in wonder as it flew flaming over your heads and then how you ran like rats when it hit its target."

Tasid's smile grew. It had been pure luck under the circumstances but that one shot had done more to bolster morale for the defenders while scaring the enemy more than anything else. They now knew if they dared to set one hoof within a set radius the catapult was able to take a shot at them and though it almost always missed by a mile the sheer terror it instilled in the simple minded tribals was worth it. Attacks had been broken up, stress relieved at key points and even a few advances made. All were the idea of the mercenary of course, all of them. Shows of strength to keep them off balance so that they would never figure out just how dire the situation was while they continued to improve the defenses. But, only so much could be done. Inevitably lines stretched thinner as losses mounted and though they had narrowed their defensive line down it was only enough to stave off another attack. There were no more alleys to take, no more streets to block off, it had all been done and with heavy losses. The highest losses were when he sent a detachment to beat them back and hold a street while it was blocked off and to his horror he had watched as his soldiers were cut down rapidly after they had been set upon from all sides via small side alleys or doorways.

Tasid followed where he was pointing and felt a joy so great welling up from within him that he wanted to sit down and cry in relief. In the distance little lines had formed up and had begun to depart quickly while their sentries in those towers that they still held, which was most, abandoned their posts and fell back.

"I want to kill them all! Push them into the narrow gate and slaughter them like rats-" He stopped as his good mood was turned dour. "Chase them with what? Ghosts? Once they are gone the gate must be sealed shut and... Where are they going?" He could not tell where they were going and noticed how they seemed to be turning to his right instead of left and going south. "You, go to that tower and see what direction they are traveling."

Tasid waited as the archer sprinted away and after an agonizing wait they returned.

"Why would they go north? Even a fool knows you do not leave an enemy stronghold behind you so it can attack your rear... Do they believe me so weak that I could not-" Stopping again he closed his eyes in defeat. "They know I haven't the chance to chase them. Yet." Watching them depart worry began to swim to the surface as the repercussions of allowing them to just leave began to form. "If Fareed discovers I did nothing he will be outraged, I..." Tasid watched as pillars of smoke began to rise. "They are setting my city on fire!"

Unable to hold it in any longer he let out an angry scream from the ramparts that turned a few heads of the archers nearby but they looked away quickly as he grasped onto the crenelation and shook with rage. There was nothing he could do about it until they had left, only then would he be able to take the gatehouse, seal it and then set the locals about putting out the fires. So much had been lost in the first, smaller fires, but now they were intent on finishing him off if not one way, then another.

"Peasants... What peasants!? They took them as slaves! My farmers are gone, the oxen gone, all I have left are these damned tribals and what locals were able to run or climb over the barricades during the fighting! Who will work my fields!?" Trying to calm himself he eased his grip and looked away. "When they have gone the gatehouse is to be retaken, sealed and the fires put out, make certain the tribals and those mercenaries know this, understood?"

"I will just have to wait for aid, that will give me time to make up an acceptable story."

Verik rolled the modified axe around in his hand before standing it upright while Shahid watched him quietly, Altayih stared over the wall looking bored and after shaking his head stared at him.

"Captain, why did you have the smith put such a ridiculously long handle on that axe-head?"

"Its a pole axe now Altayih, it will have more weight, force and speed behind it now, perfect for smashing through those flimsy shields of theirs."

"It did the job just fine before, you successfully amputated that one poor stallions arm quite efficiently."

"Yes but did you see how they are holding their shields? We hold ours out and forward like a wall, they hold them at an angle so the blow glances off better but they do not lock their shields either. A bad idea when confined as we are as they leave spots open but when they climb up its a bitch, right Shahid?"

"With this I now have extra reach, when they climb up I can reach out and get to know them better."

"Captain..." Altayih shook his head. "Need I remind you what you said? That your duty-"

"Yes, I know. But they have been sitting out there and just watching us, quietly, they make no attempt what so ever to attack which means a whole hell of a lot more of them are coming and when that happens, not if... There will be no one standing back and watching, every single one of us is going to be on that wall stabbing, slashing and pounding away at them because our lives depend on it. At least now I have something a little more suitable for whacking them as they come up ladders."

"Battashur saw them sneaking in lumber early this morning, they must be traveling a good distance to get them but they would only be keeping logs that long intact for one reason and one reason only: ladders."

"But you have fire yes? Throw fire on ladder and-" Asha threw her arms out. "Poof! No more ladder."

"Very true, but we only have so many pots and they are free to keep making as many ladders as they want but we can not replace our pots."

"Well we could..." Verik looked at his pole axe and thought it over. "We need several long poles with forked ends to catch the ladders as they put them up and then force them to the side, assuming they don't just run up and slide them into place from below. Heavens know we have been making the walls a little higher during the night in places when they are not looking but still..."

"Take Battashur with you and see what you can figure out." Asha nodded and yelling at the Arabian stallion waved him off, Verik watched them a minute before staring at Shahid and Altayih. "A moving shield wall."

"What?" Altayih stared at him a moment. "Ah! Yes... Unfortunately captain..." He looked at Shahid who shook his head.

"Bad idea, they good at standing in wall but no moving. No time for teaching things or practice, they learn much but not practice. Tried to have move as you say and they unable to stay in line, make gaps, some trip over own hooves."

"Well they had bettered learn and fast, get them all up and we will begin drilling them while we wait on the next attack. We will need that skill if they overrun one of the walls and we need to fall back in a hurry, running for our lives individually will get us all killed, you both saw how fast they can run when they want to. If they catch up we need to be able to stop, turn as one and drive them back before retreating again."

"Yes, very bad for those sent to water fields..." They looked at Jelani a moment before waving her to sit with them. "Much luck these not so eager to attack and like watching more. Happy to wait so fields water and no die, very good."

"Unless they want us to keep the crops alive so they can steal them." Altayih smiled at her.

Verik shrugged. "Well at least they leave them alone including the water collectors, if they start attacking them we are going to be in very serious trouble."

"When happen I think Tendaji make that you problem hm? Wete used to ration though, stay in huts and no in sun mean no sweat, no sweat need less water."

"Well that only lasts so long considering how many mouths we have needing water, we can go weeks without much food but only a few days without water and in this heat I would say less if we are doing any hard fighting."

"Maybe, but potter making fast as can before wet clay in storage pot dry... Much clay left but-"

"It will never be enough, we have every single pot in the village full of water or tar and those poor bastards keep firing up that kiln of theirs to meet demand which is impossible as it takes so long just to make a few pots."

"True, but tell that to the ones who lost at lot drawing and have to go get said water."

"Until they suddenly decide "no more water for Wete" and slaughter them while they are out getting water or irrigating the fields." Verik stopped and stared at Shahid who continued to fiddle with his spear unhappily. "All you do is mess with that thing, whats wrong with it today?"

"No like this. Reach yes but they just block with shield, no stab through. This.." He tapped the spearhead. "Not pierce, just glide. Maybe make narrower but this no good."

"Oh!" Jelani snapped her fingers and smiled. "No forget, you get few more today!"

"You cause much problem with little fire and sacrifice, some go before Tendaji and say they no more fight with you, you very bad juju."

"So Tendaji say okay and give them Sefu but take some from Sefu who no care and send you."

"Is that all? Don't want to take, I don't know... The other half or so? I had twenty on day one but attrition is a bitch and a half."

Jelani shook her head. "No, it all okay now. Also send you more for... What you call them?"

"Yes, some them go to, some ask to come here so Tendaji and Sefu take care of things."

"I think that just about replaces everyone I had before save Battashur, Tam-Tam and a few others who seem to like it here."

"A general once said that, very... Colorful and feudal fellow, but quite capable and effective."

"Hmm... He maybe have point, things get bad and they fear you they no run away. Is good sometimes, bad other. Some of these I send also send because they maybe help with "other" thing yes? Good they see how you think, fight, makes confidence."

Jelani nodded. "Uwalia, yes, but Tam-Tam... No. That one here because he like how you fight but not able to train, he lost draw when decide who you give training to."

"Hmm... Many see from behind while you fight, also watch Sefu group, very happy, much impress. More want learn and join but no possible. Some want join Sefu, some you."

"Yes that is very nice but how many votes of confidence did I get? I lost... I don't know, half so far and then some-"

"Never mind, so a hundred wanted to join my little shield wall... That is somewhat flattering and takes the sting off the droves running away."

"You no get all though, but Tendaji happy with how you chase them away and not supposed to tell you so no talk! But he maybe extend what you control of wall. Impress some, think have better chance with you."

"I think he needs to make up his mind whether or not I am going or staying, one day he wants me gone the next I can stay."

"Is chief, very hard decisions need make every day. Now it very hard but blood is fast way to prove self. You proving self very good but think you prove self more soon."

"Yes. They making many, many ladder. When they come it be many, many in many, many places. Very bad. Very bloody. But! They keep waiting we get stronger, walls grow little more each night and taller."

"Yes but no good at long range, only hit what close. Need much more practice to hit far away."

"Anyone else get winged by a rogue rock or have they finally managed to keep their shots within the range?"

"Yes of course! But take time. Some stone very, very hard, some soft so take much time or little. Depends."

"Already do that. They very good at smoothing stone so it go faster and hit hard with much bone break."

"Oh we are going to need every pebble far and wide soon. Tell the night crew that as they feel around in the dirt they collect for the wall to put aside-"

"Right, don't know why I bother. Your way ahead of me and I am barely keeping up with how to throw those ladders back, partly thanks to Asha... And I am still trying to figure out how to keep everyone else alive. I have read more than enough books on this but so much is left out on the "how" end."

Jelani stood up and patted Verik on the head. "No worry, spirits want you dead, you die long, long ago. Fate is fate, what happen, happen. So no worry. Get worry, take that stick axe and smack them hard when they try to climb up wall. Make feel better."

"Yes, they climb and me smack hard with sharp axe like Lurg the barbarian. Make me feel good, they no feel so good though."

Zebrican Warlord

by Arelak

Chapter 84: Reaction in Force