The roar of flames reaching towards a smoke-filled sky could not diminish the wails of villagers being hacked down by marauders. Women and children ran through the streets as thatched roofs aflame atop adobe buildings showered cascades of fiery debris upon them. People leaped from burning tenements and tossed screaming babies to waiting hands below. All the while the marauders continued their orgy of rape, pillaging and burning of the once peaceful Palm City.
In utter desperation, the men of Palm fought with everything at their disposal. Atalals, spears, clubs, axes and knives all tipped or hewn from obsidian were deployed against the enemy. But the marauders brought something new to the battlefield few in Palm had seen. In their hands were weapons made of the ‘Red Metal’ and they carried large shields that blocked everything the men of Palm used against them.
As more men lost their lives, the marauder’s numbers seemed to increase! It took two skilled warriors of Palm to take down one marauder and no sooner done, two more came forth to take the fallen’s place. The men of Palm fought bravely, but the marauders were not fighting like simple raiders.
No, they could not be challenged to single combat and the matter settled like civilized people. Instead, they fought as a single unstoppable animal! It quickly became all too clear the city was lost. The only option was to fall back into the Palm Forest where they had a chance to flee for their lives….
****
It was overwhelming to see from the ridge overlooking the main road the many fires lighting the night sky. Palm City was lost. The treaty with the people of the desert called the Tenaree was broken by them easily as a child breaks a strand of straw. Words and oaths forged between civilized men obviously meant nothing to the Tenaree. They were like locusts which descended from the sky to devour all that is green!
N’Sisi turned away from the fires burning far off in the distance. There was nothing she could do. By now the city was overrun and the Royal Family had been killed. While the Tenaree gorged themselves on rape and murder of the remaining populous, it was her task as a Royal Guardian to escort Minister Agozi and his daughter Meru to safety within the walls of nearby Sea City. Their journey would be fraught with danger as Tenaree raiders and scouts scoured the Palm Forest to find good forage and survivors fleeing the mass of enemy warriors.
Being a seasoned warrior and Champion of Palm, N’Sisi could not fathom how quickly the city fell. The few survivors they found told a grim story of how swarms of warriors attacked and killed all who breathed. No formal challenges to do battle were offered, no exchange of names and family achievements, only murderous bloodshed was brought forth without mercy!
N’Sisi’s soot dusted brow knitted at the thought of this new kind of enemy who killed at will. Even the mighty lion and elephant roared their challenges before doing battle. This was a danger none in Palm had ever encountered. The Tenaree made treaties and not long after clasping hands in agreement, they bared their fangs and ripped out the throats of Palm’s people!
Looking back towards the bedraggled group in her care, the warrior sympathized with the anguish at the loss of their homes. But the sounds of warriors and the screams of those whom death had found were drawing near. They had to push on to Sea City. With Minster Agozi being the only member of the country’s government known to still live, it was imperative to keep him that way. Gesturing with her hands, N’Sisi beckoned everyone to get to their feet.
“Let’s go now! We must reach Sea City before dawn to keep the cloak of night about us in the forest.”
The Minister’s daughter Meru had been fanning her elderly father and turned to entreat the taciturn warrior.
“N’Sisi! Please give us a few more moments so Ba’ba can catch his wind. It was all we could do to sprint away from the King’s guest quarters and out of the city with your help. So much effort has left Ba’ba barely able to breathe!”
“Meru, Ba’ba is my Spirit-Father and you my ‘Spirit-Sister’. Can you hear the enemy in the distance? They are searching for everyone who fled the massacre. Right now, our only defense is to stay well ahead of them and hope time and distance makes them lose interest in pursuit. Come, this ridge is no longer safe. We must all melt away into the forest. Or would you prefer to put Ba’ba and all these women and children in peril for a few moments rest?”
The warrior placed a strong callused hand upon her shoulder and Meru saw the wisdom of her ‘Sister-in-Spirit’. She gave a sharp nod and turned to help her father and beckoned two other women to get him to his feet.
“Come Ba’ba! We will walk from here so you can catch your breath,” said Meru shooting a look at N’Sisi for her to agree.
****
For hours they walked on through the forest unmolested. The moments where they had to stop hunker down and wait until the sound of refugees being killed in the distance to stop were exacting a toll. The group only took breaks long enough for N’Sisi to climb tall palm trees to get their bearings and look for signs of pursuit.
With the group now looking worse for wear from their flight, Meru begged the warrior to let them rest. They were a considerable distance away from the mayhem and all signs of pursuit were gone. Grudgingly, N’Sisi agreed. Climbing down from the palm tree, the warrior laid out the plan.
“I saw camp fires ahead. There is a charcoal maker’s camp not far from here. That is most likely who has the fires going. We’ll be able to get water and food from them. We can spend a couple hours there and then we must push on until daylight. Can everyone make it that far?”
Under the canopy of palm leaves in the dappled starlight, the Warrior saw heads nod and weary bodies rise to their feet.
The group pushed on hard with the pending reward of water and food being nearby. Just when those tired bodies were ready to give in, the smell of charcoal fires became present in the forest. With the goal being so near, some of the group excitedly ran towards the glow of campfires now visible in the forest.
N’Sisi did her best to try and keep the group together. Though they were far from the Tenaree by now, it made sense to remain cautious. Upon reaching the clearing containing the charcoal maker’s camp, it was clear they were in the right place…but at the absolute wrong time. The ground was stained with the blood of slain charcoal makers and covered by the tents and carts of a Tenaree raiding troop!
The camp was active despite it being so late at night and in the grasp of several Tenaree warriors were several of the group she’d unwittingly led into this trap. A warrior called out and pointed in their direction as others from the group thinking they were safe walked into the clearing. With all in the group being dead tired, there was no chance they could outrun these murderers and make it to Sea City.
Gripping her long-bladed war spear, N’Sisi looked to Meru who had a look of abject terror chiseled into her dark-skinned face. The look said, ‘run’ but they both knew what the outcome would be.
Turning back towards the now advancing enemy N’Sisi growled, “Goddess of War, lend me the strength to strike down my enemies!”
Not waiting for the Tenaree to surround her, N’Sisi went straight at the largest warrior in her path and then suddenly pivoted to her left! Allowing her obsidian spearblade to swing in a tight arc, the incredibly sharp stone blade cut through the hide covered wicker shield along with the fingers and wrist of her shocked opponent.
Before a scream could leap from the crippled man’s throat, N’Sisi drove the black granite capped spearbutt into the opposite warrior’s shield hard enough to fold it in half thus breaking his arm. As the scream of the first wounded Tenaree finally came forth it competed with the sound of smashed wicker and bone!
Using the momentum gained from striking the second warrior, N’Sisi pivoted again this time back towards her original target. The much larger man’s eyes were wide with astonishment at her display of blinding speed and savage accuracy.
Being a seasoned warrior, the Tenaree leaned backwards as he pivoted to avoid being impaled. Barely able to deploy his shield in time to deflect the vicious spearblade, the warrior did not escape the thrust unscathed.
So sharp was the edge of the obsidian tipped spear, it sliced through the tough animal hide, through the layered wicker and through his shield arm deep enough to scrape along the bone! Bellowing with rage, he slammed down his copper short sword in an attempt to shatter the blade.
N’Sisi experienced many opponent’s attempts at breaking her spearblade. Using the power of his stroke, she allowed the spearhaft to whirl behind her back. Caught off guard, the black granite cap crashed into his skull causing him to collapse like a wet sack of grain! With the sudden death of the large warrior, came an equally abrupt silence.
“The Chief is dead!” growled one of the Tenaree warriors.
In a flash, N’Sisi took in the appearance of her enemies. The warriors were painted in black and red stripes from head to naked toes. Their hair was a mat of hardened clay that acted as a helmet. The mass of dark eyes glared at her with murderous intent and she realized she’d lost the momentum of the skirmish.
Surrounded, N’Sisi knew at best with her fearsome skill at killing she would not survive. With the blood of their Chief still dripping from her spear at both ends, N’Sisi smiled and settled into her attack stance.
“Thank you great Goddess of War for this gift of servants to attend me in the world beyond!”
In waves the warriors held their weapons made of shining copper reflecting the campfires light as they readied to attack the lone warrior. Behind them a brilliant point of light appeared and then expanded like a woman’s birth canal when bringing forth life! A startled N’Sisi saw the scene of a strange mountainous land at twilight as something burst through the aperture….
****
All present flinched in terror at the strange giant creature with wild black hair flying and covered in angry stripes like a zebra only they were black and bronze in color! Riding atop the creature was a man covered in black and white cloth that flowed wild as the strange creature’s hair. On one arm hung a large black circular shield with an image of a gold and sapphire spear across its surface. In his hand was a curved black short sword of strange design and made of a stranger looking black substance.
The warrior did not stop for those before him as both he and the beast rode into the mass of cowering warriors. N’Sisi was stunned for as the black sword swung down, showers of blood burst upwards and the screams of dying men set the fearsome Tenaree to running in blind panic!
As the majority of soldiers dashed headlong towards the forest, the beast flung shining hooves outward as it reared crushing those still before it. Several of the Tenaree regrouped amidst the panic and a leader among them roared, “It’s just a man astride a strange beast. Kill them!”
Copper tipped spears flew toward the lethal pair only to be deflected off the shield like straw thrown against the hide of an elephant! The beast turned its attention towards the approaching warriors. Launching itself into the air, the beast landed amongst them whirling and kicking out savagely with its hind limbs. Shields shattered from the blows and men were tossed about to pinwheel into their fellows.
At first glance, N’Sisi thought the creature fought in a frenzy. But her battle trained eye recognized man and beast worked together as a single fighting entity! That black shield and sword wreaked havoc upon those who got too close and worked to defend the beast from flung spears and fired arrows.
Several more soldiers rallied to the group fighting the newcomer. Suddenly, the rider leaped from the back of the beast to somersault into the group. His sandalled feet contacted a warrior full on the shield and the newcomer’s momentum crushed him to ground with the sound of snapping bones!
Fluidly, both sword and shield engaged the remaining members of the first group to attack. Their copper weapons could not penetrate his shield and the black sword flicked to and fro fast as the Mamba can strike!
The Tenaree were so focused on the newcomer, N’Sisi had been forgotten. She did not know how to react to this and then remembered her charges hiding nearby. The warrior turned away from the carnage for the screams were already starting to thin.
Running to find her charges, N’Sisi found Meru, her father and several of the women and children. Unfortunately to reach the path leading to Sea City, they must cross the campsite where the bloodletting continued.
“Come, fast as you can run across the camp to the trees! Do not stop once you reach the path. There will be other Tenaree in the forest who fled the Newcomer. Be careful. I will catch up to you all at the gates of Sea City, now go!”
The refugees broke cover and made the mad dash across the blood-soaked and body-strewn camp. The battle with the newcomer continued as determined Tenaree tried to surround him and the beast. Young and old made the crossing and a trio of women helped Meru get her father across.
Once they reached the treeline Meru shouted, “Take Ba’ba with you!”
A badly winded Agozi replied, “Daughter…don’t be a fool! N’Sisi can…take…care of herself!”
Defiantly Meru announced, “She is my Spirit Sister and I will not abandon her Ba'ba. We will catch up I promise!”
The trio of women helping the Minister was too frightened to stand around for an argument between father and daughter. Despite his protests, the women carried Agozi off into the darkened palm forest. Meru turned back to see her Spirit Sister helping along the last of the refugees and then turn towards the fighting....
To be continued....
© 2016 H. Wolfgang Porter. All Rights Reserved.
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