1.
The temple of Set
loom over the city with its high narrow tower. Its wall gleaming white stood
like an elephant tusk in the horde of treasure. The people of Mina had been
busy with the god offerings on that day, while the priests were all in their
best robes to received the offerings be it gold or services. The city cover a
large tract of land with the river streaming on the west side and the acrid dry
plain land on its east, while the land to the south laid its vast farms and
orchards. The land to the north was devoid of farms as it held the pits that
bred the animals for the city population. It was a city build with an rectangle
shape shouldering the river as its guide. The high walls of the city build with
clay and stones held its edge high to prevent the sand storms and also the
brigands who roam the plains
The city holds a
population of twenty thousand with its three section of dwelling; the rich, the
traders and the slums. The last outnumbered the other two but it was controlled
well by the local enforcement garrison of a hundred city guards who patrol the
city. There were the usual skirmishes ad conflicts but nothing that the guards
could not handle.
With the festival,
it was filled to almost thirty five thousand people including the newly arrived
devotees. For such a big crowd, the city had to called on the local army
garrison of two thousand guards under the command of its leader, Al Syarif
Thurh. He was a noble man's son who had used his influence to promote the young
son up the ranks. A rank which does not suit the inexperienced man whose real
interest was elsewhere this leaving much of the works to his senior who hold
the lower ranks. One of them was the Senior Hasin Oma who commands four hundred
guards on the city walls. The Senior was dressed in full armor; chest plate and
leather arms guards with tough shoulder pads over his tunic t5hat reached his
knees. His feet was in the knee high sandals held by the leather strips that
was tied around his shins. He was armed with the long curved sword favored by
the Stygian while a dagger was seen on the left of his waist belt. His head
piece was scarlet shade cloth wrapped around with the tail end flowing onto his
back.
"Senior Oma,
tell me how much of the entrance fees have we collected today?" The
commander of the garrison was behind his table tabulating the previous
collection. The commander was young in age, was dressed in the simple tunic
that reached his knees and plain sandals. He had just returned from the temple
of Set after having paid homage to the God.
"We are still
counting. I reckon maybe a thousand gold pieces. The devotees are willing to
pay regardless the rate." Hasin replied. He had knew that Commander would
asked but he had pocketed himself some to set off against expenses. It was then
the local guards commander, Karthum Masin; he himself was a former gladiator
and mercenary then re-enlisted to serve the new city as local guards, had
stepped in. Unlike Oma, Karthum was dressed only in a skirt with the leather
waist belt holding his curved sword and fighting stick for close combat. His
upper torso was bared except form the tattoo done by the priests on his back
and left breast. It spoke of words from the Gods to protect him from harm. His
head piece was a simple scarlet hair band that was tied to the left side, with
its end covering his ear to the neck. Like most Stygian warriors, he was bald
on the head as a tradition look reserved for warriors. There was one
distinctive mark on Karthum which made him look fearsome; a scarlet birthmark
that streak downwards on the left side of his face. The priest who first saw it
told his mother, that the child was a Guardian.
"Commander
Thurh, the devotees are complaining of the high rates. I had heard of they are
paying more than the previous years." Karthum asked the commander.
"Yes,
Guardian Karthum, we have increase the rate. It was to offset our loss of gold
to fight the brigands." Commander Thurh replied. " An unforeseen
event but needed to employed more warriors."
"I feared
that your increase had created dissatisfaction among the devotees."
Karthum had stifle his view that he had seen suspected brigands among the
devotees. "I feared we may had too big a crowd to monitored."
"I have
assigned a thousand of my men to help you. Was that not sufficient?"
Commander Thurh retorted back. "My two patrols of fifty men have yet to
returned. The others are needed elsewhere."
Needed somewhere?
Karthum smiled to himself. He knew the extra guards was mostly deployed to
guard the rich and traders homes. He sighed and left the local commander post
to returned to his own. He was joined by his own second in command, Aby Jawab;
another ex-mercenary who found retirement was best be with a sword in the hand.
"They admit
to it?" Aby asked him. Karthum nodded which made the other shook his head.
"Guardian, I
counted maybe two hundred among the ones I could identified. We cannot stop
them as they are here as devotees. Set is a great God in the plains."
"A God which
made no qualm on wars or killings." Karthum replied. "We can't stop
them but we would if they forget their role here. Spread the word; the devotees
are to be protected. The real ones, if there was any outbreak of fights."
With that command,
Karthum approached the main gate to the city. It was a short walk there, but he
was hindered by the flow of devotees. When he reached there, he saw the Senior
Thunan standing by the open wide gate. It was normally close on one side but
that day, on the instruction of Commander Thurh, it was opened wide.
"Salute,
Thunan." Karthum joined the other to looked at the outside plains. They
were on the western wall side where three main gates are situated. The one
which they were standing at was the middle one.
"Salute,
Karthum. A busy day for you and for me, an anxious one." Thunan replied.
"My two patrols are late. I feared for their safety. Commander Thurh is a
fool."
"The sound of
your voice could travel. Beware my old friend." Karthum cautioned him.
"I am more concerned on the devotees in the city. We are overwhelmed by
their numbers."
"Devotees?
You are misled. There are not all devotees, but brigands in disguise. I have
refused entry to many but I am at one entrance when we have eight to contend
with." The other five entrances are smaller ones and located in different
parts of the wall.
"Behold, I
see my patrol." Thunan shouted out at the sight of the dust column which
was typical of a fast moving group of riders. "They ride home in haste. My
poor boys are probably hungry and does not want to missed the festival."
It was not one
group but a solitary rider pulling behind him another horse. Thunan saw the
rider and asked for his own horse. He mounted and rode out to meet the rider.
He met the rider and was given the grim news. He then turned his horse to ride
back towards the city wall. He was met by Karthum, who held onto the horse
while the other dismounted.
"Close the
gate! The brigands are coming!" Thunan shouted out but soon his voice was
to drowned in his own blood. He was shot in the throat from inside the gate
with an arrow. Karthum turned to look and saw the devotee armed with the bow
had notched in another arrow. Other fake devotees have shed their praying robes
to reveal their weapons hidden on their half naked bodies. They were engaging
the guards at the gate. More to it, the brigands there outnumbered the guards.
Karthum rushed
forth to assist the guards, and met his brigand with a deep cut on the right
rear shoulder. His cut severed the sword arm and he gave the brigand a kick on
the back to move onto to the next brigand. His second brigand was prepared to
faced Karthum but the more experienced warrior did not pause in his moves, and
end it with a forward thrust of the blade into the brigand torso.
"Sound the
alarm!" Karthum shouted to the wounded guard to fire the bonfire near the
gate. It was to alert the others that they are under attack. He then turned
back to ,look at the gate, but it was then manned by brigands than the guards.
"Rally to me.
We would push them back!" Karthum shouted out to the surviving guards.
They were outnumbered two to one, but nevertheless, Karthum charged. Three
arrows ended his charge; one on his chest, and two on his thighs. He fell down
in pain but the worse pain was to see the gate still wide opened. He saw on the
horizon were the brigands, and they numbered more than three thousand.
Karthum then fell
into darkness.
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