Dishon Chapter 2

The Others
IN THE TENTH YEAR OF RECAB, KING OF DISHON
"I'll have to agree with Polad on this one" said the king, Shallum. "The Man should be put to death."

"Right" mumbled Miktesh, jotting down the king's decision. "One more item of business here. The country of Dishon wants us to help them fight against Marram."

"Dishon?" questioned the king. "Never heard of them."

"They're a small country located about right here" said Miktesh pointing to the map.

Recognition filled the kings face. "Ah yes, I remember now." After a pause he added "What's in it for us?"

"Excuse me" Perez cut in "but you can't possibly be considering fighting against Marram. May I remind you that Calet is not as powerful as it once was."

"Perez is right" agreed Polad. "I'm with him all the way."

"I'll hear your opinions after I hear the facts" said Shallum, a note of irritation in his voice. "I'll repeat my question: what's in it for us?"

"Dishon is offering us," Miktesh paused "a little gold."

"Give me that" said Shallum, grabbing the letter Dishon had sent. His face showed a little surprise. "Dishon must have done a lot of penny pinching to get this much. I would have never thought there was that much gold in a kingdom that small." He put down the letter. He tried to hold an emotionless face, but it was clear he was quite interested in the gold. "I'll hear your opinions now," he announced.

"I retain my initial feelings," Perez declared. Polad nodded his agreement.

The King turned to Miktesh, expecting an answer. Miktesh believed it was foolhardy to attack Marram, but he hated to agree with Polad. He and Polad were the two most powerful people in the kingdom and always at each others throats. "Well" said Miktesh, trying to look sincere, "I think we can easily defeat Marram, and for that much money...well, you know." Shallum looked very pleased with the advice and Miktesh realized in horror how little persuading the king actually needed in order to attack. He make up his mind to sacrifice his honor and lose the argument to Polad on purpose. "After all," he thought to himself, "What is my personal honor compared to the welfare of Calet."

"And why do you think we can defeat Marram," asked Shallum, eager to receive affirmation.

"I'll tell you why," blurted out Polad, like Miktesh knew he would. "Because he's a traitor. He wants to see the king die in battle so he can assume the throne himself."

Miktesh swallowed his fury with great difficulty and kept his cool composure. "The lord my king knows that is not true."

"But in fact it is true" continued Polad. "Everyone knows how little Miktesh knows about war, or anything for that matter, but I think he knows clearly what a great risk this is to your life, O king."

Miktesh was having difficulty controlling himself, but he was able to not break out into his own string of arguments by reminding himself that he was doing this for Calet.

"If I was the king I would execute the scoundrel for treason."

"I wonder how long it will be before be stops attacking me and starts attacking my plan," thought Miktesh.

"Why Miktesh isn't even fit to clean up after my horses" Polad cried, with a look in his face that showed he was enjoying this too much.

That did it! Miktesh simply couldn't take it anymore. "Polad says my plan is foolish, but in all this time he's been blabbering he hasn't pointed out one fault in it. He just doesn't want the king to win glory." Miktesh paused for a minute as he realized what he was doing. Then he kept on talking. Polad had left him no choice. He would just have to gamble that Calet would win. Then he could rub it into Polad's face. "Why I have complete confidence that the king could wipe out the armies of Marram completely."

Shallum looked at Miktesh with renewed faith. Perez, knowing how serious the situation was, knew he had to act. "Oh great king, for almost ten years now I have been your official military advisor" he began. Shallum nodded and he continued. "During all that time have I ever given you bad advice about anything."

"No, you haven't" answered Shallum with out even bothering to think.

"Then listen to my words carefully. Calet was once greater then any other kingdom was, or any kingdom shall be again. We will someday return to our old glory, and even surpass it. A wise ruler, like yourself, will make that day come soon. But right now, Marram is the world power. If we tried to stand against them, they would destroy us. We must not fight them."

The king thought for a moment, and then replied. "Perez, I understand your concern and it has not gone unnoted, but never once have you failed me when I put you in charge of a war. I don't expect this time to be an exception." Perez opened his mouth to argue, but Shallum stopped him. "Enough. I have spoken." The king then walked out, leaving a room filled with tension.
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A frightened slave girl hurried quickly to her master, Azom, emperor of Marram. The girl was originally from the country of Higmash, which had been conquered by Marram. Her father had died in battle, and so was spared the pain of seeing his family destroyed. Her brother had been killed with the rest of the males, and she had not seen her mother since the day her country fell. She had been five when all this had happened. Now she was nearly thirteen, but she had not yet manage to leave those memories behind. I will not even go into the brutal treatment she had suffered at the hands of her Marramiane masters.

She quickly cleaned up after Azom, who had just finished eating. Azom watched her silently as he stroked his vulture, Azet. She deeply hated Azom for what he had done to her.

Having gathered all of Azom's plates on her tray, she hurried back towards the kitchen. "Girl" Azom called out to her. "Girl come here!" She froze, overcome by a mixture of fear and rage. Her heart beat rapidly and she broke out into sweat.

"I zaid come here!" shouted Azom, and she knew she would be punished for not answering immediately. As she began to walk toward him, the tray slipped from her sweaty fingers. She watched with horror as several of Azom's dishes were shattered. She looked at Azom's face to see what he would do, but his face betrayed no emotion. The girl thought of what punishment awaited her, and could not help but cry. However, she was totally unprepared for what really happened.

"Feed her to the zharks" said Azom calmly, motioning for two guards to come forward. The girl stood still, shocked for a moment, and then bolted for the door in terror.

Although even if she would have escaped the room, the whole palace was filled with guards.

But the guards caught her before she got far. She screamed franticly and struggled against them. One of the guards began violently striking her in the face, but Azom stopped him. He wanted her to be fully conscious when the sharks got her. "Mind if I watch?" asked Azet. Azom shook his head and Azet flew off, following the guards.

Azom didn't usually kill his own people. After all, for Marram to become great the people must be loyal to him, and who would be loyal to a guy who might kill them at any minute. The slaves though, were a different story. All the slaves in the Marramiane empire were women from conquered countries. "That'z one of the reazonz Marram haz become zo great" thought Azom to himself. "They left no remnant of people to rize againzt them later." All the children that slave women produced were immediately snatched away, and made Marramianes. Because of all the killing Marram does, it has more then enough territory for all its people. But, like many other nations before it, Marram seeks to conquer the whole world.

Marram conquers one nation after another after another. Finding soldiers for these wars hasn't been a problem yet. Because of all the captives, each man had many wives, and these wives were used to make many children. Right now Marram was getting ready to conquer... Azom tried to remember the name of the country they were going to war against, but could not. He usually took command of the armies in war, but this country was so small he was just letting his generals take care of everything. "One week max," they had assured him. "And the country will fall."

Azom decided to take a walk to his shark tank, and ask the sharks about their dinner.