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The Battle of Anibak

(As recorded by Sismun, prince of Dosterras, and soldier of the Mehtkorl Order in the Annals of the Citadel)

I.  The First Wave

It had been five months since our commander, Giljorrean, was slain at the Troatian Ziggurat skirmish, and it had been five months since his grandfather, Allen (who is my eldest brother) took control of the Mehtkorl Order and returned us back to The Citadel.

The Citadel Guard greeted us at the south gate, and we slowly made our way through the swollen streets to the court of Naumiba, my father, who is the master of The Citadel of Dosterras (and who was the first man to come across the Sea-Of-Worms to Bergary in the ancient days).

Naumiba blessed us and sent the Mehtkorl to the River Ghursh (Which as you all know is due west of The Citadel).  But I went with three of the other four sons of Naumiba to the citadel crown and surveyed the land beyond the walls.  The Troatians would return and war would come engulf the valley.  Well, as I said that was five months ago.

But today…today the Mehtkorl returned from the Ghursh and entered The Citadel.  Allen dismounted his camel and blood ran down his forehead.  He removed iron helmet and behold, a gash was cut on his hairline.  His silver hair was stained a red black.

‘Help him!’ yelled one of the Mehtkorl, Kiyore was his name I think, ‘We were ambushed on the river and he was cut!’  Three of the Citadel Guardians ran to Allen’s side and helped him down the street to a healer’s home.

‘What happened?’ I gasped as the Mehtkorl all dismounted their camels and horses.

‘The Troatians,” said the one that I believe is named Kiyore, ‘The Troatians ambushed us while we were sleeping.  A fortnight it was that it happened, I think.  They came in great ships up the river.  Their hulls were very wide and the masts carried tall orange-red sails with the crest of Troatia on the herald…there were at least three hundred of these, coming up the river.  They’re full of soldiers…men, horses, and elephants’

‘So it has finally happened then.’ I said. ‘Never has an army attacked Dosterras.  We need to tell Naumiba.’

‘Aye.’ They all agreed.  And so, I went up the central hill to the home of my father.

‘Naumiba, my father and king.  Behold and come, for your eldest son, my brother Allen has been wounded on the Ghursh and lo the Troatians that wounded him are coming in great numbers across the grassy plain.’

Naumiba alarmed but not afraid stood and walked down the length of his court to where I stood, deeply breathing.  He looked into my eyes and said ‘Sismun, son child, Thou knowest that I cannot issue war against mine own children.  Why is it that thou doth not think as well I knowest not, vetta guin.  It is from my line that all Bergary is decent and you my son a fifth is.  Send an envoy. No, send Orrean, Allen’s son.  Orrean has been to the Troatian’s isle years ago he can stop their advance.’ And so I went to Orrean and he and his only living son, Kalorrean rode west to meet the hoards. ‘It is an evil day, today.’ Naumiba told me that evening, ‘that civil war should again divide men.’

‘That next afternoon, after all of The Citadel had been prepared, as best we could, for the inevitable feud, Orrean and Kalorrean returned from across the plains.

‘It is hopeless.’ Said Orrean, ‘Their King Galgor is bent on taking The Citadel, and the commander told me that once he has taken The Citadel he will be King of all the world!’

‘King of all the world?’ I asked in amazement, ‘Do the Troatians not remember Diordal?  It was the demons of Diordal that corrupted them centuries ago!  They do not remember their past!  Once The Citadel falls, Diordal may take its sweet revenge!’

‘Now, now.’ Said Kalorrean, ‘Not much of a chance of that! Those nasties left these parts years ago.  The northern frost has claimed them by now, I would think.’

‘Lord knows!’ I said, ‘But we needn’t care of them.  What can we do to stop the Troatians?  Father has said that war cannot happen under his call.’

‘Then will happen under mine.’ Said Allen, who had just limped up a flight of stairs. ‘We must counter.  Send for the Mehtkorl to meet at the lower green.  I will lead.  Sismun! You come too.  Send for our brothers, this will be a family affair.’  And it was so.

I, my brothers Allen, Orlyn, Koralda, and Tair and the entire Order of the Mehtkorl rode out on the fastest, strongest steeds and, lo, we did meet the Troatians forty miles from the Citadel South Gate.  There were thousands.  There were tens of thousands that had come off of the ships.  There were footmen. There were Horsemen.  There were men on elephants, on mastodons, on rhinoceroses, on ungols and every tenth man carried an orange-red banner with the vertical sword: herald of the isle of Troatia.  We met them and we were sorry to.  Orlyn was thrown from his horse by a charging rhinoceros and I was cut by a Troatian blade, every one of us was injures and at least four hundred were slain upon the grass.  Allen ordered a retreat and what was left of the Mehtkorl (I and my brothers included) was chased for miles.

The Citadel was in sight but we stood no chance.  We had led them towards it.  What fools we were!  All was lost now!  But, We were wrong!  The Citadel guard fell on the Troatians from the dell they had been lying in and there with their aid we drove the Troatian armies west and we killed their elephants and rhinoceroses.  We overcame the ungols and camels and we stained the grass red.  The Troatians retreated into the west towards their ships on the Ghursh. But as they retreated, horsemen shot bolts at us from their crossbows, and, lo, a bolt from one swarthy man on a spotted white horse came through the air and struck Allen through his heart.  He fell from his horse and gripped his chest.

By the time I had dismounted and ran to his side he was dead.  I lifted his head and closed his eyes.  In moments Orlyn, Koralda, and Tair were there.  And we wept and prayed saying, ‘Oh Yahleohym! Lord of All!  Why does are brother die?’ and we wept and prayed.

II. The Second Wave

         Allyn oifein askjen ui Namba

Ei Babaw ounj Terrasi-un-graatir

Mi SiKau Uin terdiritotu mer beart

On Moora moora in oifen akson naumiba

Oni ni namibak in harso do Troat inga Anibak

            The lamentations rang through the citadel and the farms outside.  Naumiba and his now four sons came to the Citadel Crown and he lit the pyre.  Then we went down from the Crown and watched the smoke rise and join the clouds.

            ‘May that soot rain on Troatia tomorrow!’ called Orrean to the evening.

            ‘They will return,’ said Orlyn, ‘this was only the first of many waves.  Tomorrow the battle may continue.’

            That morning, the second wave came.  At the third hour, shapes were seen over the western horizon.  The Citadel Guard and the Mehtkorl ran to the ramparts, and I and my brothers went to the Citadel Crown.  The Pyre was clean and the air was fresh and there we sharpened our spears and swords.

The Troatian Army and Navy had given forth all their men.  Then I saw something that made me wonder.  I saw Galgor the King of Troatia on his white horse in shining bronze armour he had a long spear and a crown of gold and silver, and he was at the very, very front of his force.

I raced down the streets and alleyways to the ramparts and there I met Naumiba, my father.  He was wearing a long blue cape.  He wore a crown of wood and in his left hand he held Induiseld his sword that came out of Not in the ancient years.

‘Father!’ I yelled over the din of the armies outside, ‘Where art thou going?’

He looked at me and raised his blade, ‘I have business with Galgor he is not welcome in these parts under that flag.’  I stood in awe.  I followed my aged father under the south gate and saw him walk unafraid to Galgor.

‘Oifen’” Naumiba said in the ancient tongue, “My child why do you do this.  You do not know what you do.’

‘Old man’ Said Galgor, ‘long hath thou been resisting the power of Troatia.  Her might has spread from Darlynnion to Haraudlien and now today, old man, Troatia is taking the old Citadel.  Bow before me, old man, and your people will be spared, raise thy sword and ye will pass like sea foam on the wind!’

‘And you, my child, no not of what you do.  You know not of what you even speak.  Behold in the north, man’s bane.’ Then we turned to the north and saw the sky blacken and a storm came up like a surfacing whale.”

III. The Unleashing of Diordal

            It was the Nephilim that came as a black cloud from the north.  They came with great speed over the mountains and descended upon the cattle fields north of the Citadel.  I saw them consume the cattle.  Each could eat an entire cow.  Their skin was an eerie, clammy pale white.  Their eyes were an empty welling black and their feet were cloven into hooves like those of a ram.  Each was the size of ten, no fifteen men and they advanced on us at inconceivable speed. 

            Galgor’s jaw dropped and so did his spear.  I looked at the armies of Troatia everyman was silent and no one dared to move.  I looked onto the rampart and saw the Citadel Guard.  I saw Orlyn on the highest watchtower and, even from there; I could see a tear roll down his wrinkled cheek and fall down, down to the ground.  And then I looked at my father, Naumiba the father-king of all men and no tear nor frown nor sign of disbelief or even discourage was on his face.  He only said, ‘Gahu Yahleohym! Uni?’ which means ‘My God. I need your help.’

            Just then the heavens opened up.  And a host of seraphs came from on high.  Legions and legions came.

            ‘Charge!’ shouted Naumiba picking up his sword and raising it north

            Then Galgor, seeing Naumiba picked up is spear. ‘Forth! Sons of Troatt!’

            All of the forces of Troatia, the Citadel Guard, the Mehtkorl and the Seraphs met the Demons and Nephilim of Diordal north of the Citadel.  And I heard afterward that no man was slain whether Troatian or Dosterran.  The Seraphs in their shining glory aided us and we beat down and slew all of the Nephilim.  I met the Archdemon on the battlefield Keorlan Hadeus who name has struck terror in the hearts of all.  I drew my sword of iron, and it drew its blade of brimstone and he stood up and unrobed himself.  His skin was red like fire or maybe it was blood.  His eyes where black with pupils of a beady red.

            ‘Thasmuin amuyn yn yn ghitde!’ He said in the tongues of angels.

            Naumiba heard it but only one of the seraphs responded to it.

            ‘Hy sae daaart!’ Said the seraph.  And Keorlan withered and ran as a fleeing game into the north and west, and all the seraphs followed after him.

            The battlefield fell silent. All of the Nephilim were destroyed but ten or eleven demons remained untouched.

            Naumiba walked up to one, who shielded his eyes from Naumiba’s presence.  And Naumiba said to him, ‘Go in the name of Yahleohym!’ And it left screaming and hissing.

            Then one of the Troatian soldiers walked to one shivering, ‘Go you demon! In the name of Naumiba’s god Yahleohym!’

But the demon looked upon him smirking, ‘I know who Naumiba is and who Yahleohym is, but who art thou?’  Then the demon attempted to kill him but Naumiba ordered them all to go and never return there, ever again.”

 

IV. Tribute of Troatt

            When the battlefield was cleared we discovered Tair’s lifeless body, with a Dosterran arrow through his back.  We decided that it must have been friendly fire and we took Tair to the Citadel Crown and cremated him on Allen’s pyre.

            Galgor took off his crown at the cremation and knelt before Naumiba. ‘Abbia, Father, for many years I have been blind.  Take now mine crown, it is yours.  You, Naumiba, are the Father-King of All men of Bergary.  I was blind to that nobility forgive your son, my liege.

            Naumiba comforted Galgor and bid him rise.  Then when that day had passed, Galgor sent messengers into Troatia to return with a tribute of surrender.  And, lo, in due time the tribute came and Galgor called it the ‘Tribute of Troatt’ for Troatt the first king of Troatia had never sent his Tribute, years ago.  The tribute came through the citadel as a parade through a town.  Guards on horse tethered elephants and monkeys came with loads of gold and pearls.  And this all came up to Naumiba’s house where it was piled on the front step.

And then Galgor spoke out in a loud voice over the Citadel, ‘See now, oh men of Bergary your Father-King Naumiba Hero of the Anibak the Ania Babaw!’  And Naumiba (who in all the days that followed was called Aniba [the people’s lord]) came forth and blessed Galgor who placed his own crown, as well as the wooden crown on top of Aniba’s head.

And so ends the story of Sismun, the prince of Dosterras and soldier of the Mehtkorl Order.