Chronicles

[Golden Bear]

Originally posted by ChrisiusMaximus

Again dont stop this it is entertaining, especially to a Mongol

Chris! Thanks for the feedback. I started on some continuing stories of Ardos and his friends but backshelved them.

I've been trying to broaden them a little bit which, I guess, makes them more un-civish.

And I took no offense at all - it is just writing and I value opinions. If you told me my writing was cr@p I'd be crushed, but it is a valid opinion and I could try to learn from it

I worked as a technical editor some years ago and I have written a book - but a technical book. I just enjoy words and I hope that what I put down is readable.

I need to wrap up the Micha story first - don't worry, there is action in it!

And no, no topping needed.

[Golden Bear]

Thanks folks for the kind words and feedback which I treasure more than anything. You are good people.

Unfortunately, the Chronicles end here as does Golden Bear.

"Growl." Which means "later, dude!"

[jagjef]

Golden Beer

I hope I will here from you in the Civ4 forum.

Jagjef

[ChrisiusMaximus]

That is a real shame GB, and i just got word from paddy that you are the same Golden Bear who wrote "Green" and "Battle for Atlanta" over in the civ 3 stories section.

I never put it together myself and did not recognise you as that same writer, thay were great pieces which just backs up my observation that you are a talented writer.

I hope you can write again for us all one day either back here or as jagjef says over in the CIV forums

[Ljube]

Golden Bear, what happened to your brilliant chronicles?

[Golden Bear]

Moving forward!

Thanks for the kind words, people.

I don't want to go into the reasons why I fled this forum and quit Babylon. But I feel like coming back.

But here is a concluding piece for Micha's story as a thank you for your support. I have also reposted the two earlier parts of the story.

CB

[Golden Bear]

Micha's Story III

A day had slipped by and then another. The huddled band of travelers alternated between indifference to their fates and raving fear of the surrounding bandits that trailed them. Micha had kept them moving by pleading and threatening. And they did keep moving. However, they had lost all contact with any other units or refugees and still were at least a day away from the patrol range of Inanna’s Throne. The footsore civilians had brightened up that afternoon when they left the plains and began to wind their way through hills and scrub forest.

Micha and his men were not as happy. As horsemen, they knew that they could do a better job in open ground. In brush and woods, they could be surprised and attacked from close range. It would be worse at night. As they clawed their way westward in the evening, Micha pulled the patrols in tight around the refugees so they could not be cut off in detail. He hoped that the multiple beatings that they had given the brigands would be enough to dissuade them for at least one more day from trying anything. But, deep down, he did not believe it.

Camp that night was on a rocky hill. He broke march early and set his men and any others that would help to cutting down trees and brush around the camp. They made piles of branches and wood… placing the driest wood on the bottom so that it could start the fires quickly. Brush gathered into piles made a loose sort of barricade broken up by the prepared fires. Micha had spare arms stacked in the middle of the camp where anybody could reach them. If it came to it, everybody might have to fight that night to make it through until dawn.

As evening came, Lasheer stood and stared while he chewed on some dried beef. “There he is Captain – your friend is still in his saddle.”

Micha looked and saw the evil looking man with the scar on his face looking straight back at him from only a half mile away. He sat his horse on another hill across the road. He had companions. Micha did not care for the way things were setting up for the night.

With all the people and men in the hills and ravines of the forest, night came up swiftly and silently. Aside from the bats, the normal noises and movements of animals were absent. In the camp, torches were lit around the brush perimeter, ready to be thrust into the pre-made fires. Micha took the risk of lighting fires down the slope from the camp. It would ruin their vision but wouldn’t back light the defenders. It might hopefully ruin the vision of unfriendly eyes also.

Tension mounted with the coming of blackness. The moon was not up and away from the torches and fires, the trees were framed in dark. Children and others needing protection were huddled in the center of the camp. The hill was really too large for the small band to protect everywhere at once. The troopers were all dismounted and shouldered their spears next to the few foot guards that were with them.

Micha made one preparation that might be vital for the night. He gathered five troopers with Lasheer and gave them instructions. “Lasheer, you are the reserve – the only reserve.” Lasheer looked as if he was about to say something. “I know there are only six of you, but there must be a reserve, no matter how small it is.”

“Stay here in the middle of the camp and don’t be drawn into any of the fighting, no matter how bad it is. If it comes to you, so be it… but if you move from this spot without my order, you will be one sorry trooper. And if I drop, well take command and do what you can. Got that?”

Lasheer just nodded.

The nervousness peaked with the onset of dark but soon the weary people could not keep their focus, despite the danger. An hour passed and then another. Aside from some not too close shuffling noises, nothing happened. Micha had men take short naps to try to keep them fresh.

When it happened, it came with a rush. Suddenly their was a great commotion outside the dying guard fires down the slopes. The defenders stood too and stared. Micha made sure that somebody was watching the side away from the noise and then walked towards it. The sound of men walking, occasionally stumbling and cursing came as the wind leading a storm. A scattered mass of men emerged by the fires and saw how close they were now… a voice amidst them shouted, “Now’s the time – one rush and they’ll be done!!!!” The men broke into a run, screaming.

Quickly, women shoved torches into the waiting brush piles and they began to flare up. The few bows of the infantry flung arrows but without effect – it was difficult to focus on a target in the flickering firelight and dark. The yelling stopped with a collective grunt as the running men smashed into the standing soldiers. Micha watched for a second as his men held them at bay briefly with their spears, but there were too many coming. I broke down into man-to-man hand combat immediately. Praying that Lasheer was holding his post, Micha stepped forward into the madness swirling amid the brush piles and fires.

He held his spear with both hands, ready to stab or to use it like a club. He spotted a trooper trying to hold two different attackers at bay. Micha stepped up, planted his foot and gored one in his left chest. With reactions honed by practice, the spear seemed to have a life of its own. Quickly it darted in and found blood. But Micha did not lean on it too hard because it could break or get stuck. With a shout he pulled it free as quickly as he had stabbed. A dark gout of liquid came out – blood but in the darkness looking like the black venom of evil. Micha turned automatically because the drill had taught him not to get too focused on one area. It was fortunate that his training was good because a man was rushing from his right with his arm raised holding a long dagger.

Micha used the momentum that the spear had from being pulled back to whip up the butt end of the weapon and crack the man with the dagger hard across the ribs. His hand went nerveless and dropped the dagger. The man fell, holding his side.

Micha turned again – and again paced and stabbed, and then stabbed again, and then clubbed.

Too few, there were too few of them. The fighting continued and Micha noticed that they were well inside his perimeter. But he didn’t have a chance to take any kind of stock of the situation. His total attention was focused on wielding his spear back and forwards. He took a blow on his head from his blind side while trying to drive a man back.

“Funny,” he thought, “I wasn’t too bad a blow, my mind is still clear.” But why was there dirt in his face? How had the ground moved up like that? Ouch! Now that hurt – as he received a kick in the ribs. He rolled away from the kick and took another. He just couldn’t get himself moving… as he writhed under the rain of blows he saw little Lisa, her eyes huge and her mouth a silent “O.”

“How did she get out of the camp?” his thoughts started but a tiny quiet voice inside told him that he wasn’t thinking correctly… that he knew better.

But the pain stopped, and he shoved himself standing – or tried to, he made it to one knee with the world whirling around him. An arm caught him around the back and yanked him up as he stood. A spear was shoved into his hands just in time to brace it across his chest as a defense against a charging man. The man bounced back surprised and Micha stabbed him. But he couldn’t control the stab this time and the spear went through the man’s stomach and out his back.

“Oh gods,” was all the man could gasp with a pain wracked voice as he fell back and snapped the spear. Micha looked around desperately for another weapon but saw none.

“Sir, sir!!” a voice in front of him spoke. “Sir! Lasheer sent me sir.”

Micha noticed that the fight had stopped. Only troopers and refugees stood on the hilltop now. Lasheer! Micha mentally slapped himself in the head. He had forgotten about him. Some fine commander he was!

“Mr. Lasheer says that you’re going to have to put him on report sir… says he broke your order when the men came over the back fence, as it were, sir.”

Micha, now that he was thinking more clearly, looked around and saw Lasheer’s teeth beaming in his toothy smile on the far side of the encampment. Men had indeed attempted to attack from the other side when the main attack came up the hill. Micha gave a quick thumbs up to the man and then turned around to see who it was that had saved him from the beating and then fought back to back with him.

It was Sharro, with Lisa holding onto her leg and crying. Sharro’s hair had come loose and was wild about her face. She held a piece of wood and her lip quivered.

They fell into each other’s arms and kissed. Their world focused to a light filled orb that held only them. It seemed as if the universe stopped and nature itself stood as audience to the moment.

A day later, they made it into Babylon’s territory safely. More than a few had bruises or broken bones and wounds needing rest to heal. But they arrived strong and proud. More like a family than a band of strangers thrust together. The scouting patrols relieved Micha and his men and brought up wagons to take the civilians into town.

Micha saw Sharro standing in a wagon and helping people up. Their eyes met and they smiled.

The patrol commander addressed Micha, “Captain, I’m sorry to do this to you after what you must have been through, but there is an urgent call for everybody to get north to Zariqum without delay. Sorry, but no time to go into town.”

Micha just shook his head. Already the patrol was passing over food and weapons. Micha would not even get to see the inside of Inanna’s throne. He watched the wagons roll towards town and then turned to the north.

[Beta]

Thanks GB. Good stuff!

Zariqum should be interesting.