“What great victory have you come to report this time?” the general snapped sarcastically.
The officer slowed his approach and walked to the desk cautiously. He knew better than to challenge the general’s mood when Romero was sarcastic.
“They destroyed our siege engines again,” reported the officer.
“I ordered you to create them far from our encampment,” shouted the general. “How would the Sakovans even know we were building them? Did you manage to take any prisoners this time?”
“No,” the officer shook his head. “The Sakovans vanish as soon as they attack. I had men strung out in the forest as sentries to detect their approach, but no one came or left. It must be some kind of magic that we do not understand.”
“Did they use that magical light again to destroy our machines?” asked General Romero.
“They did,” nodded the officer. “Some of my men tried to block the light with their bodies. The blades sliced right through the men and continued onward to destroy the siege engines. We have no defense against such spells, General.”
“Well start all over again,” bellowed General Romero. “I must have siege engines to get past their walls. Get out of here before I have you whipped.”
The officer hurried out of the tent, relieved to be out of the presence of the general. As soon as he left, a senior officer, who had been in the tent listening to the report, walked over to the desk and sat before it.
“Don’t take it out on the men,” the staff member said soothingly to the general. “They are doing everything they can. The fact is, General, that we have been outmaneuvered this time. Without siege engines, we will never defeat General Manitow.”
“Without food,” snapped General Romero, “we cannot even retreat to Tanzaba. We must get into Alamar now, or this army will die.”
“Then it is time for negotiations,” suggested the staff member. “Perhaps you can barter food for the retreat of our army?”
“If they even have enough food in there to feed my men,” sighed the general. “It is not a bad idea, though. I know Manitow. Perhaps I can bully him into surrendering. That would certainly shorten this siege. Ready my horse.”
“You are going yourself?” the staff member said with alarm. “Is that wise?”
General Romero snorted and stared at the senior officer as if the man’s fear was misplaced. He did not want to admit that he could not trust any of his men to go into the city. The general knew there was a good chance that whoever he sent would never return. Who could blame a starving man for staying where there was food to eat?
“I am not afraid of Sakovans or Manitow,” declared General Romero. “Ready my horse.”
The officer nodded and left the tent. General Romero straightened his uniform and gathered what he would need for the trip. When he stepped out of the tent, the officer was waiting with the general’s horse. The general mounted his horse and rode towards the city walls.
General Romero thought briefly of a defender shooting him with an arrow, but he quickly dismissed the fear. As he approached the city, he could hear shouts rippling along the wall. It was obvious that the general had been recognized for who he was. Few officers had only one arm, so he knew that he was easily identifiable. He rode straight for the closest gate. As he neared the walls, the gate opened to admit him into the city. The general rode through the gate and stopped when a wall of pike men confronted him.
“If the general will dismount,” stated an officer of Alamar, “I will take you to General Manitow. Your horse will be cared for until you return.”
General Romero felt awkward inside the city of Alamar. He was grateful for the officer’s welcome as it gave him a chance to retain his dignity while crawling to the enemy. As the general was guided to the headquarters of the Imperial Guard, his eyes wandered in every direction. He observed the number of men upon the walls, and the state of their armor and weapons. He was dismayed to find no faults with either.
General Romero had never been to Alamar before, but he felt as if the officer was taking too many turns to reach the headquarters. Still, he had no choice but to follow. The tour wound its way through the marketplace, and the general nearly stumbled as he failed to watch where he was going. He halted and stared at the stalls of the market. Food was heaped upon the tables, and the prices were ridiculously low. His eyes widened as he watched a butcher carving up a large wasooki.
“Sorry, sir,” the officer said disrupting the general’s thoughts. “I should have warned you about that rough spot in the street. Are you all right?”
“Fine,” snapped the general. “I am just fine. Lead on.”
Although the general could not see it, the officer was grinning as he continued to lead the general through the city. The next thing the general noticed were the tradesmen that dealt in weapons. Thousand upon thousands of new arrows were piled high in front of the shops. New swords, axes, maces, and pikes were stacked thickly along the sides of the stalls. The general shook his head and followed the officer.
The general continued following the officer while seeing everything that he could. He noticed a lot of warriors were out of uniform, and he wondered why. He finally decided to ask the officer.
“Why does General Manitow allow those soldiers to appear in public without their uniforms?” he asked. “I thought the general was more intelligent than that. Doesn’t he realize what that does for the morale of his troops?”
“The people without uniforms are not Imperial Guards,” answered the officer. “They are part of the Citizens’ Brigade.”
“What is the Citizens’ Brigade?” asked General Romero.
“They are normal citizens,” answered the officer. “They only take up arms when the security of the city is threatened.”
“Preposterous,” the general shook his head. “What is the purpose of such a foolish thing?”
“The purpose, General,” smiled the officer, “is to enlarge the army of Alamar by five times.”
“Five times?” echoed the general as he halted in the street and stared at some of the warriors passing by. “Are you telling me that there are four thousand citizen warriors defending Alamar?”
“In addition to the one thousand Imperial Guards,” nodded the officer as he urged the general to keep walking. “Many of them are quite skilled. In fact, the Citizens’ Brigade often defeats the Imperial Guard when games are held. They are quite impressive. Ah, here we are.”
General Romero looked up and saw the headquarters of the Imperial Guard. The officer escorted him into the building and along a corridor to the office of General Manitow.
“The general is not in at the moment,” announced one of the sentries outside the office.
“I will let General Romero get situated,” answered the officer, “and then I will go find him. Right this way, General.”
The officer ushered General Romero to a chair and then retreated from the room.
Chapter 33
Generals
The officer closed the door to General Manitow’s office, leaving General Romero alone. The officer immediately went to a room across the hall and entered without knocking. General Manitow looked up expectantly as the officer entered.
“Did General Romero get the tour?” asked General Manitow.
“The full tour,” grinned the officer. “He nearly stumbled in the market place and actually stopped and asked me about the Citizens’ Brigade. I feel confident that his impression of Alamar has changed drastically since entering through the gates.”
“Excellent,” smiled General Manitow as he rose. “Wait outside my office to escort him back to the gates. If I do not mention that he is defecting, make sure that your path to the gates takes in the harbor. There are two Khadoran ships in today. I would like him to see them on his way out.”
The officer nodded and grinned as General Manitow crossed the room and opened the door. He stepped to the door to his office and opened it. He closed the door quickly and marched to the chair behind his desk. He sat down and locked eyes with the Omungan general.