BOOK II OF III: The Reign of the Sultan (19 page)

Everyone fervently chanted back, “Yes,
Sultan!”

After securing his megaphone to his saddle,
Baltor unsheathed both swords in one quick movement, holding them
high over his head and crossed. He yelled, “For the honor and the
glory of the Sharia Empire!”

“For the honor and the glory of the Sharia
Empire,” they chanted back.

Baltor cast his eyes to his left, where
Humonus sat on his horse, and commanded, “Ruling-General Humonus…
Execute your battle plan!”

“Yes, Sultan,” Humonus replied. Using his own
megaphone he commanded, “Cavalry—rear face!”

They did.

He looked back at Baltor, and then ever so
quietly said, “God’s luck to you, Baltor…my Friend and Sultan!”

Humonus turned his head to look ahead, and
was about to snap on the reins in order to spur his horse on, so
that he could ride to the left side of his troops, but then he
heard Baltor excitedly reply, “Wait…I’ve got something for
you!”

Humonus relaxed his grip on the reins, looked
back over, and then asked in surprise, “What is it?”

“Actually, it’s something that you gave to me
a long time ago—a good luck charm that I feel will best serve you
now, as it did me…as I found out, it truly does make impossible
things become possible!” Baltor said, while extending his closed
hand out.

Already, Humonus knew what the object was …
the gold necklace with the gold arrowhead pendant—the very
arrowhead that had gotten lodged into Baltor’s left forearm during
one of his special tests to become a thief as a young boy; later,
Humonus had transformed it into this elegant piece of jewelry that
had rarely ever left Baltor’s neck!

Humonus replied, “I can’t take that—who
knows, maybe you’ll still…ah, yes, thank you my Sultan!” Even
though there was a bit of hesitation to his movements, he did
extend his right-gloved hand to take the necklace.

After having put it firmly into Humonus’s
hand, Baltor added, “Trust me…you’ll need it! This magical charm
has saved me from destruction too many times to count, but I want
it back when it’s all over, and that’s an order.”

Humonus, who had just finished taking off his
helmet with one hand and donning the necklace around his neck with
the other, replied with a wistful tear in his right eye, “Yes, my
Sultan!”

Baltor spurred his stallion a couple of
steps, quickly swiped the tear with his left index finger, and
rubbed it on Humonus’s head in a circular motion.

Even though a single bloody tear poured from
Baltor’s eye, which Humonus easily identified as blood, Humonus
quickly swiped that tear with his gloved hand, and rubbed it on
Baltor’s head without a word spoken. All the while, Cheo smiled as
he instantly recognized the Chao-chu-sha-maen ritual for his two
best friends becoming “soul brothers.”

Without another look back, Humonus and Cheo
spurred their horse-drawn chariots onward into a prance, but before
either could snap their reins, so they could break into a full
gallop, Humonus first called out loudly over his shoulder, “I love
you, Chelsea!”

“I love you, Humonus, my husband!” Chelsea
cried back. “Wait—come back to me for one more second, please, my
husband…”

Humonus obligingly turned his chariot around,
and rode back to his wife. Cheo, who had been riding alongside,
stopped his chariot, as well.

Chelsea had already hopped out of her horse,
and was now running toward his direction with arms fully
extended!

Humonus took that cue, stopped his chariot,
hopped out, and then embraced his wife—she hugged right back. In
between all her kisses, she said, “I love and will miss you very
much, my wonderful husband!”

Humonus, in between his kisses, replied, “I
love you and will miss you too, my wonderful wife! But now, I must
really go… I promise that we’ll meet again soon enough, my beloved
wife—in this life or the next!”

She gave him one last tender kiss on the lips
before letting him go.

Humonus headed back to his chariot, climbed
back in, and snapped the reins repeatedly on his horse. Cheo rode
alongside him a second after. Once the two were to the left of the
cavalry division, Humonus called out over his megaphone, “Forward,
ride!”

They did.

Chelsea watched her husband the whole time
until he disappeared into the darkness of night.

Meanwhile, Baltor turned to Hawkins, and
said, “Good luck in your mission, governor! Your Sultaness and I
have put an incredible amount of trust and responsibility into your
hands. Please do the best that you can, while always aiming for the
peaceful resolution first!

“Oh, the possibility does exist that the dark
army may come after Mauritia, sooner or later—alert the forces
there of this possibility, and ensure that they always remain on
red alert!”

Even though Hawkins sat on his horse, he
replied with a bow, “Yes, my Sultan! I swear on my life, and the
lives of my ancestors before me, that I shall not let you down—you
are the most honorable man and Sultan that I have ever met…and it
has been a privilege and honor to serve the Sharia Empire, and also
you, my Sultan!”

To his soldiers, Hawkins cried out, using his
own megaphone, a moment later, “Attention! About face! Forward
march! Column half-right, march!”

Hawkins’ army immediately carried their
orders in precision by first marching in the eastern direction.

Slowly but surely, the army angled itself
toward the southeast. About fifteen minutes later, the last of
these soldiers disappeared into the darkness of night, while going
southeast toward Mauritia.

Hawkins had already joined the commanding
general on the left-hand side of the army, the guide-on bearer
bearing both flags of the Empires, and Vaspan’s youngest son,
Bradmir.

Meanwhile, Baltor turned his head toward
Brishava, and sighed, “The time has come for us to depart ways now
too, my love…”

“I know…my love! But before I let you go, I
also want a hug and a kiss from you!” With that, she climbed out of
her saddle, and met her husband halfway.

A moment later, Baltor hopped off his
stallion, gave his wife a tight hug, and then a very soft and
sensuous kiss that lasted nearly a minute. Finally, Baltor pulled
away from the kiss, and replied, “I really must go now.”

Brishava said, “Wait, I have a gift for you
to remember me by!”

With that, she pulled off the scarf wrapped
around her neck, and then wrapped it several times around Baltor’s
wrist. With a girly smile, she then cooed, “I spiced it up with
that perfume you especially love me wearing—I love you, my
husband…goodbye!”

“I love you too, my wife—in exchange, here is
that necklace you gave me in Valakan, my love. Let it always remind
you of me, and how precious our love really is!” Baltor said, all
the while taking off the jeweled necklace and donning it around
Brishava’s neck.

“For the Sharia Empire, my Sultan,” Brishava
said before giving one final quick kiss on Baltor’s lips.

Baltor concluded in a command tone, “For the
Sharia Empire, my Sultaness!”

He next looked over to the bulk of his army,
calling out through his megaphone, “Attention! Right face! Forward,
march!”

Baltor rode to the left of his troops,
alongside the guide-on bearer bearing the flag of the Sharia
Empire, his commanding general, and Thorn, of whom carried a lit
torch in his hand.

Once Baltor had nodded at Thorn, he waved
that torch high into the air, which was the signal that the other
forty thousand troops—navy sailors and marines waiting readily upon
seven thousand ships—to begin sailing north. Besides the troops,
the ships carried catapulting and siege machines, food, and
water.

Brishava looked over at Runas, who was her
commanding general. She ordered, “Bring our forces back into the
city.”

“Yes, my Sultaness,” Runas replied. After
turning to face those thirty-five thousand, twenty-eight soldiers
that still remained, he then called out through his own megaphone,
“Forces of the Sharia Empire, about face! Forward, march!”

Together, with Brishava, Runas, and Chelsea
in the lead, they either marched or rode their way back into the
city gates of Pavelus.

Baltor, and his one hundred, ten thousand and
four forces, all traveled their way north to Lasparus, by land and
by sea.

His army consisted of fifty thousand
infantrymen that marched in columns of one hundred—side by side.
Behind them, five thousand soldiers who rode on camels, horses, or
in horse-drawn chariots, which he labeled the “assault cavalry.”
Five thousand additional soldiers, also on horses or chariots, were
the “support cavalry.” The final ten thousand horseback-riding
soldiers were the “officers.”

The most important officer within Baltor’s
forces was Commanding-General Han—he was in charge during the day
as Baltor slept. The next-in-line was Admiral Bryce, who was in
charge of all the naval forces. Behind him was Major-General
Petrol. Thorn was the fourth-in-command as a brigadier general.

During the course of these next six weeks,
the army marched by night and slept during the day—other than the
three hundred swordfish sleuths that patrolled all around the
fleet, the rest of the navy purposefully went as slow as the
army.

While camped, Baltor slept within the command
tent that Jamar had specifically designed so that no sunlight would
ever enter.

Right after sunset each night, Baltor woke
up, bathed, and put on his underwear. He would then call in a
couple of his soldiers to assist him into his battle armor that had
proven to be as “comfortable” as clothes, as well attach his
sheathed swords to his back.

While a few soldiers brought in dinner for
their Sultan and his top-generals, the remainder began unsetting
camp. Once dinner was over, these leaders exited the command tent
and issued the command for the army to “form ranks.”

Baltor’s next mission was to train his
troops—army and navy—in his “master martial arts fighting skills.”
Most of the time, Thorn was the dummy … although there were the
infrequent occasions when Han would volunteer.

Once that training was complete, sometimes
several hours later, they would then march, ride, or sail
north—that is, until thirty minutes before sunrise when camp was
set up again…

Six weeks later, and not coincidentally an
hour before sunrise, Baltor’s forces arrived just one mile south of
Lasparus. It was then and there that he ordered the men to set up
camp ... they did.

When Baltor had awoken just after sunset, he
went through his normal routine. So far, there had been no reports
of enemy movements.

An hour later, just as he was just finishing
his dinner alone, Han entered the command tent.

Han reported, “My Sultan—the advance scouts
have reported seeing the enemy ranks forming outside the city walls
of Lasparus, by the glinting of their armor off the lights from
both moons in the night sky! We suspect that they may either be
intending either a night attack, or the pre-battle talks—we don’t
know which!”

After delivering a short nod, Baltor replied,
“Perfect, either way. Commanding-General Han, assemble the men into
formation outside.”

“Yes, my Sultan,” Han said, just before he
snapped a salute, exited the command tent with all his generals
following right behind, and once standing in the midst of the
soldiers, he lifted his megaphone to his mouth and called out,
“Form ranks!”

Once the soldiers had formed ranks in front
of him, about thirty seconds later, Baltor exited the command tent,
borrowed Han’s megaphone, and then called out, “Forces, as of right
now and until I say otherwise, we shall hold a defensive position;
that is, until the catapult and siege machines arrive tomorrow and
we place them around the city walls. If the route of peace can be
achieved first, then this is my first command!

“Simply put, do not attack unless I give the
vocal command to do so. Also, send word to Admiral Bryce of my
orders. Do you all understand my commands?” Following his question,
Baltor gave the megaphone back to Han.

At the same time, seventy thousand and three
soldiers cried out in unison, “Yes, my Sultan!”

While crossing his swords into the air over
his head, Baltor yelled out, “For the honor and the glory of the
Sharia Empire!”

“For the honor and the glory of the Sharia
Empire!” the troops yelled fervently back.

Baltor sheathed his swords, looked over to
his generals, and then calmly said, “Commanding-General Han, ensure
that my horse is brought to me on the double.”

Han looked over at his colonel with a nod to
his head. That colonel hurriedly left to get his Sultan’s
horse—even though it wasn’t his job, it was his privilege and
honor!

Not even a minute later, that colonel
returned riding on Baltor’s stallion, Grasha, while also securely
holding onto the reins of the two top generals’ horses.

Except for the very first night that Baltor
and his forces left Pavelus, he observed that Grasha was wearing
her battle armor, which gold-plated steel not only protected her
body, yet her head—her helmet bore the etched-symbol of the Sharia
Empire.

Once the colonel had gotten off, and snapped
a salute, Baltor returned the salute, and grabbed the reins. He
then tenderly patted his stallion’s face while chatting
pleasantries to her for nearly a minute before climbing into the
saddle. Meanwhile, Han and Thorn had already climbed into the
saddles upon their horses, waiting patiently for Baltor’s next
order.

Baltor looked at his men, and ordered,
“Generals and Guide-on-bearer, follow me.”

He then lightly snapped the reins, spurring
Grasha into a trot—the officers and the guide-on-bearer followed
right behind.