BOOK II OF III: The Reign of the Sultan (28 page)

“With him at the helm, the Sharia Empire
shall soon encompass the whole earth and there will no longer be
any Vispano Knights and Province, altogether—I can feel it! Please
trust me on this one, my number one.”

After releasing a deep sigh, Travail
answered, “I do, my Duke. If he agrees to the duel, then so shall
I… I just hope you’re not killing an honorable leader, if that’s
what he actually is!”

“Would an honorable leader steal another
man’s fiancée?” the Duke countered.

“Is that the man you told me about who rushed
in on you while you were having dinner several years ago back in
the palace at Lasparus, asked where Princess Brishava was, and when
you said you didn’t know, he escaped into the night without
identifying himself?”

“The very man—I’ll never forget his
face.”

“I see…then yes, my duke, I shall accept the
duel, should he also accept! There is no honor in stealing another
man’s woman.”

“Excellent, my friend, I knew I could count
on you…for the Vispano Province!”

Travail replied, “For the Vispano
Province!”

Two hours later, Baltor, Petrol, Thorn,
Valiante, Travail, the duke, both guide-on bearers, and of course
La Pax, who sleepily carried the bag with the head in it, met in
the middle of the field. All of Baltor’s soldiers, other than those
on guard duty and his generals, were allowed to sleep.

While pointing toward both Baltor and
Valiante, the duke began, “Well…it appears that I was wrong in one
way, and the two of you are wrong in another way!”

When both men looked confused, the duke
explained, “I was wrong in the fact that the Sharia Empire and the
Vispano Province do indeed share a common enemy! Lieutenant La Pax,
first relay your report and then show everyone what’s in the
bag.”

After La Pax had finished relaying his
report, he then showed the head to everyone—of course, several
other soldiers had brought lit torches so they could clearly see
the head.

While everyone studied the head in shocked
silence, the duke added, “What you are both wrong about is the fact
that it is I who choose the best warrior of our faction to fight
the best warrior of your faction, Sultan Elysian. As my number one
officer is my best warrior, that makes Commander Barquoth’s fight
with you invalid. Sorry!”

Though Baltor’s face contorted to anger, the
duke nonchalantly continued to say, “But I’ll tell you what… I’ll
honor
The Code
by relinquishing Lasparus back to the Sharia
Empire, and even allow our forces to fight together against this
common enemy, if the best of your forces honorably beats
Senior-Commanding-Knight Travail in combat where someone must die,
and obviously with no exceptions to the rule this time!”

“I am the best fighter within my forces,”
Baltor replied.

“So I’ve heard,” the duke said without
emotion. “Therefore, Sultan, if you lose and die, then the Sharia
Empire, your forces and even your bride will belong to me. If you
win, our forces will fight together, and we shall forever have
peace and prosperity between our two nations, once this common
enemy is eradicated—do we have a deal?”

Baltor asked with angry tones, “Duke, I’ve
got a better idea—how about this duel be between me and you, and
the winner inherits the loser’s property?”

The duke quickly answered, “I’m too old to
combat you now, young man, or I would. So, do we have a deal or
not?”

Baltor answered, “Other than my wife, we have
a deal! She will never marry you, but you must swear on your honor
that you will let her go in peace wherever she wants to go.”

“Fine, I swear by my honor. Senior-Commanding
Knight Travail, are you ready to fight right now?”

Travail snapped, “Yes, my Duke… I am!”

Baltor asked, “Well, Senior-Commanding Knight
Travail, before we commence with our duel to the death, may I be
allowed to tell you something?”

“Of course, your Sultan,” Travail answered
respectfully.

Meanwhile, everyone—besides Travail and
Baltor—gave a wide berth for the two men to fight.

Three seconds later, Baltor said, “Let me say
that it will be an honor to combat with you, though I would have
much rather had you assisting both the Vispano Province and the
Sharia Empire in eradicating this common enemy.”

Travail asked, “Why are you telling me this
now instead of later in the battle, especially once you’ve seen how
good I am in combat, your Sultan?”

Baltor answered, “Because, in my very first
series of maneuvers, my true opponent will be punctured by the very
tip of your very sword, and that opponent will die!”

“We’ll see about that, but thanks for the
warning, your Sultan,” Travail said. “Oh, and it was an honor to
fight you, as well.”

Baltor nodded his head affirmatively once,
and with a quick flick of his wrists, both swords were in the ready
position. Travail now carried a long sword, as well a medium-sized
metallic shield that was rectangular. The two men began to walk
slowly around a circle, while facing each other the whole time.

Suddenly, Baltor began to swing both of his
swords around his unmoving torso going in the same direction—one
after the other—that is, until the blunt of his right sword not
only scooped a small rock off the ground, yet flung it toward
Travail.

Even though Travail’s shield caught the rock,
which bounced harmlessly to the ground, he had to shift the shield
several more times to deflect four more rocks that were flying in
his direction—the dust had just begun to get into his eyes as
well.

Meanwhile, Baltor had been drawing nearer as
his rapidly swinging swords flung each rock. Right after the sixth
rock was cast, he first swung the left sword into a very wide
roundhouse, immediately followed by his other sword!

Travail’s shield deflected the first
sword—and his sword deflected Baltor’s second sword attack, which
caused Travail’s own sword to in turn bounce off his shield.

From that second impact, the pointy tip of
Travail’s sword surprisingly shattered, which then flew through the
air until it punctured through Marlborough’s brain via his left
eyeball, of whom was sitting on his horse nearly thirty feet away!
Instantly his corpse fell out of the saddle on dropped onto the
ground with a heavy thud.

Everyone, but Baltor, gasped in utter
shock!

Baltor had already sheathed both swords with
one quick movement. As he looked around at the still astounded
crowd, he called out, “Now that my true opponent is dead, let us
ride together to face the gnome army which will soon destroy this
entire world if they are not stopped. Together!”

Though there were only a handful of people
present, all cried out, “Hooray!”

A second later, Baltor decided to add, “An
army led by a giant black dragon, I kid you not…”

“What?” Both Travail and Valiante asked in
shock.

A few moments later, Baltor answered, “Yes. I
did not want to mention these trivial facts about there being
gnomes and dragons to you, Commanding-Knight Valiante, because you
would have thought me insane, but now and with no pun intended…the
proof is in the bag!”

Valiante asked, “But how did you know that
there were indeed such creatures as gnomes and dragons, if you had
no proof prior to seeing this gnome’s head?”

Baltor answered, “Thanks to the testimony of
King Cheo, of whom I told you about.”

“Ah,” Valiante answered.

Baltor added, “King Cheo is a close friend of
mine who is a king of a nation that exists far to the southeast
within the Jungles of Galgaa—your distant-distant neighbors. His
nation is called Chao-chu-sha-maen.

“Tragically, it was this gnome army that
destroyed my friend’s two cities and killed everyone but my best
friend, the king—and after they had captured him, they tortured him
mercilessly, and then, cut out his tongue…

“Once the gnomes had concluded with the
torture sessions, they even gave my friend a horse and let him go
so that he could find his way to me.

“While traveling to my capital city of
Pavelus, he swore that he saw a giant-black-dragon flying in the
skies to his west! As for me, I never doubted my friend’s
horrifying and grief-stricken words, not for a single moment!”

Surprisingly, Valiante snapped a sharp salute
with his sword, and then said, “You truly are an honorable
individual, Sultan Baltor Elysian!”

Baltor nodded his head, and humbly said,
“Thank you.”

Valiante said, “Because you are the victor by
The Code
, it is in my opinion that you should become the
next commander-in-chief, as the Sultan of the Vispano Province.
What do you think, Senior-Commanding-Knight Travail?”

Though Baltor looked shocked upon hearing
this, Travail answered, “Yes, I agree. Not only for this reason,
yet another that none of you are aware of…I have within my library
at home a seven-hundred-year-old scroll which clearly proves that
your ancestors, the Elysians, once ruled the Vispano Province, as
well lands far beyond!”

Baltor asked with even more surprise,
“Really?”

Travail answered, “Really…however, it’s
written in a foreign language that took me nearly a dozen years to
interpret—my personal hobby. The diary belonged to a young man
whose name was Sultan Pasho Elysian the 5th!”

Baltor asked inquisitively, “Would it be
possible to see that diary, sometime?”

“Of course, my Sultan!”

Baltor then asked, “Will there be any other
next of kin, nobility, or soldiers loyal to the duke who will feel
differently, and may even resist the transfer of power?”

“There may be a few, my Sultan,” Travail
honestly answered, “but we shall allow them to leave your city and
lands peacefully, so long as they remain honorable throughout.”

“Excellent,” Baltor replied. “In one hour, I
shall need statistical figures so that I can figure out exactly how
many of your soldiers will be aiding us in the fight against the
army of evil gnomes and the dragon!

“Also, if possible, I shall need to look at a
current map of the entire Vispano Province, especially the lands
leading up to Scarthan, okay?”

“Give us one hour,” Valiante promised, “and
you shall have all your commands fulfilled, my Sultan.”

“Excellent!”

Once the two knights had bowed and left,
Petrol and Thorn walked up to Baltor’s side. Thorn asked, “My
Sultan—do you trust that the Vispano Knights will be
honorable?”

Without hesitation, Baltor answered,
“Implicitly, Major-General. I can clearly see the truth and honor
in their eyes, just as clearly as I could yours the night you
confessed your alternative plan.”

Upon hearing that answer, Thorn couldn’t say
anymore, as all three men made their way to the command tent. One
hour later, Travail and Valiante arrived inside.

After saluting, Travail reported, “My Sultan,
after I reported to the Vispano Forces all the events that
transpired tonight, as well showed them the head of the gnome as
proof, not a single man left.”

Baltor nodded his head, and continued to
listen as he sensed that Travail had more to say.

Travail confirmed, “You now have a grand
total of two hundred thirteen thousand, two hundred forty
additional Vispano soldiers under your command, my Sultan!
Specifically, you have one hundred nineteen thousand, one hundred
and two infantry soldiers, twenty thousand archers, and seventy-two
thousand, six hundred sixty-eight cavalry Vispano Knights!”

Baltor’s mind instantly translated that he
had a grand total of three hundred twenty-three thousand, two
hundred forty-one soldiers under his command … an unbelievable
number except for the fact that it was now true!

He replied, “Senior-Commanding-Knight
Travail, I am going to ask that you personally lead fifty thousand
infantry soldiers, fifteen thousand archers, and thirty thousand
Vispano Knights, and fight with us in battle.”

“Yes, my Sultan! But what should we do as for
your coronation ceremony?”

“We don’t have time for that right
now…later.”

“Yes, my Sultan. I perfectly understand!”

Looking directly at Valiante, Baltor added,
“As for you, Commanding-Knight Valiante, I am going to leave you in
charge of Parthway as governor, and ask that you keep the rest of
the forces here on red alert!”

After taking a deep breath through his mouth,
he added, “Of course we shall periodically send messengers along to
relay the successes of our battles, as well whatever types of
supplies that we need…especially food and water.”

“Yes, my Sultan!”

“Senior-Commanding-Knight Travail, how soon
will your men be ready to march?”

Travail answered, “Two days, my Sultan.”

“Excellent,” Baltor replied with a nod. “I,
and my army, shall be leaving right after dawn, as scheduled. When
you and your men are ready, join us with great haste! Are there any
questions from anyone?”

Travail asked, “One more question, my
Sultan…did you want me to retrieve the scroll for you now, or wait
until later when we meet down the road?”

“On the road is fine, thank you.”

“Of course.”

Baltor asked, “Any other questions from
anyone?”

Everyone replied, “No, my Sultan!”

Baltor concluded, “Then…execute!”

Ten minutes later, Baltor called his forces
to “form ranks,” and he and his army departed southeast—a messenger
was immediately sent to Admiral Bryce back in Lasparus to now begin
sailing his fleet north and east around the continent—just in
case.

It would take two weeks for the messenger to
arrive on horseback at a full gallop—which would be shortly after
Baltor and his army should have arrived at Scarthan.

And the time it would take to reach the
Galgaa Jungles would be at least two months, depending of course on
how long it would take to conquer Scarthan.