BOOK II OF III: The Reign of the Sultan

by J. Eric Booker

  “Yes, sir,” La Pax replied. He quickly retied the bag with the head in it, walked over to a spear that was hanging on the wall, and slipped the knot over the end of the spear. With a yawn, he snapped a salute, and said, “I’ll be back, sir.”

  “Thanks, lieutenant,” the duke said while returning the salute. He then looked over to Travail, and said, “It appears that that Sultan Baltor Elysian and Commanding-Knight Valiante were right! This changes things a bit now…doesn’t it?”

  “Yes my Duke, I believe that it does,” Travail replied.

  “In two hours, you and I shall personally go to the Sultan’s camp with the white flag raised, and call for a meeting with both Commanding-Knight Valiante, and him.

  “By the way, are you willing and ready to die for the honor and the glory of the Vispano Knights should it become necessary, my Senior-Commanding-Knight?”

  “As always, my Duke,” Travail answered. “Why do you ask?”

  Instead of answering the question, the duke asked another, “Do you trust my decisions implicitly”

  “Up until your decision to fire down upon Commanding-Knight Valiante and your loyal forces this evening, my Duke, yes,” Travail replied truthfully.

  “I see….besides that?”

  “Besides that one faulty decision, my Duke, I have always trusted you!”

  The duke said, “Good, my friend, then trust me with this one. You are the best warrior in my kingdom, as the Sultan is in his, and so it shall be the two of you who fight by The Code for the proper claiming of Lasparus, to the death… I have no doubt, my friend, that it shall be you who comes out victoriously honorable!”

  Travail stammered, “You—you want me to duel to the death with the Sultan? Is not Commander Barquoth’s battle sufficient to prove the man’s honor? Why must we provoke more death between each other as our two nations truly have a common foe?”

  The duke sighed, before calmly answering, “Because, my friend, this Sultan must die. He shall, if not stopped immediately, become a threat to the Vispano Knights and the Province!

  “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.

  CHAPTER XII

  Back in Pavelus—the same day…

  Since the very first night that the Sharia Empire’s forces had split, Brishava remained unbelievably busy governing the successful trade relations with more than a dozen oth
er major cities and seaports. Her schedule was all that much busier because she had to ensure that all three divisions were continuously supplied with food, weapons, and supplies, which made her personal time “nil.”

  On this very day, during lunchtime, she and Chelsea were eating in the royal dining hall. Not even five minutes after lunch had begun, the exterior guards opened up the doors, and in walked a soldier whose uniform identified him as a colonel.

  Immediately after that officer saluted, he began, “My Sultaness, my name is Colonel Manin, and I bear a written and sealed message from Governor Hawkins.”

  After Brishava had swallowed a small bite of smoked salmon, she said, “Show me the seal first, and then go ahead and read it to me, please.”

  “Yes, my Sultaness,” Manin said just before he stood straight up.

  After showing her the wax bearing the emblem of the Sharia Empire, breaking it, and then unrolling the scroll, Manin read aloud, “‘My Sultaness, it is with great honor that I report to you that the entire mission was successful! The lands of the Vaspan Empire, as well their wealth, armies, and cities—Mauritia and another city called Driven—all now belong to the Sharia Empire!’”

  Manin had to clear his throat before he continued reading, “‘If you would grant your permission, Sultaness, I request that you allow your cousin Lord Bradmir to be promoted to Lieutenant Governor. Had it not been for him, we would have had at least thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of casualties! In my honest opinion, Lord Bradmir has certainly earned the right for this esteemed position, but has not yet proven his worthiness to be a full governor just yet. My second request is that you delegate a new governor for the city of Driven, which is also now under the control of the Sharia Empire.’”

  Again, Manin had to clear his throat, before reading.

  “’My third request is that you send an ambassador to the Kingdom of Thorium as soon as possible. After all, there are already reports of territorial disputes, due to lands stolen by the former Vaspan Empire that once belonged to this kingdom…