317 Gone (1/2)
In a fortified command post in the middle of the Paleres/Desert border, the Black General, General Bakar himself, received reports of the incoming forces from Fal'Herim.
”How dare they invade us! This is an unprovoked attack, without declaration of war!” Bakar fumed.
”Yeah! Just like we did them!” Aide Ali exclaimed.
WHACK! General Bakar smacked Ali over the head with his four star General's hat.
”We should announce it to the international community! The Brotherhood of Six shall know of this!”
Ali cheered. ”Yeah! Cuz everyone's doing the same thing!”
WHACK! General Bakar smacked Ali over the head with his white gloves.
”Prepare the artillery! We're going to pound these desert-rats into the dirt!”
”Except… you know… the desert don't have no dirt. There's only sand…”
WHACK!
”You wanna give the orders?!” General Bakar said threateningly.
”Yes, sir!” Aide Ali leapt up. ”Sound the alarm! All civilians to the main keep! Reinforce the palisade! Rouse the local militia and have them barricade the gates! Divide the cavalry into two units and prepare for harassing maneuvers!”
WHACK!
”What nonsense are you spouting?! Arm the magic cannons!” General Bakar snorted. ”We'll bombard them from afar!”
”But sir! There's no more mana!” Ali protested.
”So? Have the magi power them manually!”
”But, sir, our magi are already exhausted and threatening to quit!”
WHACK!
”They dare to threaten me?! Me, the burning general?! How dare they! They will suffer for this! Execute them! Execute them all!”
”But, sir, if we kill them, who's going to power the cannons?”
WHACK!
”Get other magi, idiot! The world is full of them! Threaten their families if they refuse to come!”
”But… but there ARE no other magi! Everyone's already been hired by someone else! And besides… there's no time!”
WHACK!
”There's time if I say there's time! Now, go get the magi!” General Bakar roared.
Ali stiffly saluted and left.
He never came back.
***
Four hours later, another Aide, Aide Abu, came in to report. ”Sir, the Fal'Herim raiders are acting suspiciously.”
”What do you mean, suspiciously?” General Bakar grouched. ”And where is Ali and my magi?”
”I don't know about Ali, sir, but the enemy is skirting around our perimeter, just out of bowshot. The captain wants to set up a few catapults.”
”Catapults? We should blast them to bits with the magic cannon! Where is Ali?!”
”I'll… I'll go find him, sir.”
***
Three hours later, Abu came back. ”Sir, I can't find Ali. Also, there's bad news.”
”Can't find Ali? Then you go get us some magi!”
”There's… there's no point, sir. The enemy has left.”
General Bakar stared at him blankly. ” 'Left'? What do you mean, 'left'?”
”They've turned around and gone back to Fal'Herim, sir.”