Duran was unique in that it was the only Sakovan city that was inaccessible by land from any other part of the country. It occupied a small shelf of land between the Wall of Mermidion and the sea. The Wall of Mermidion itself was a towering range of cliffs that ran along the coast of the Sakova for hundreds of leagues. Duran was an isolated city, but most of the residents preferred it that way. They were a close-knit group that had little dealings with outsiders, even when they were part of Omunga. During the war, the city had been the first Omungan city to swear allegiance to the Sakova in exchange for the promise of food to feed the starving citizenry. Ever since, the Sakovans had sent shiploads of food to feed the people of Duran until they were once again self-sufficient.
The boys reached the foot of the Wall of Mermidion and gazed upward. They could not see far through the fog.
“We should have brought rope,” frowned Jackle.
“Got it,” beamed Kenda. “Why don’t you go first? I will follow you up.”
“Makes sense to me,” grinned Jackle. “I am the better climber. Just watch where I place my hands and feet and then follow me up.”
Kenda smiled and nodded as Jackle began climbing. He wasn’t entirely sure that he agreed with Jackle’s assessment of their skills, but this was Jackle’s expedition, and Kenda had no intention of spoiling it for his friend. He watched as Jackle slowly faded upward into the fog and then started up the cliff himself.
The cliffs were totally vertical, and the rock face was fairly smooth. There were few places to gain a firm purchase, so the technique the boys used the most was to find a narrow crevice and wedge his body into it. They would then move upward by keeping a firm pressure on each side of the crevice. It was an exhausting way to climb the cliffs, but both boys were excited to be doing it. They climbed for over an hour before Jackle found a spot where they could sit and rest.
“This is harder than I thought,” exhaled Jackle. “How far up do you think we are? I can’t see anything below us or above us. The fog is still too thick.”
“We have barely begun,” replied Kenda. “We will be lucky to reach the top before nightfall. We can still turn back if you want.”
“Don’t mention that again,” scowled Jackle. “I am not stopping before I reach the top. I don’t care if it takes two days. I will never get this chance again.”
“Alright,” shrugged Kenda, “but I want you to know that I will never think less of you if you decide to turn back. I guess what I mean is that it will be alright if we do.”
“Are you scared?” retorted Jackle. “Is that why you keep bringing it up?”
“I am scared a bit,” confessed Kenda, “but not so much of falling. I am afraid of doing something stupid, like refusing to quit when we are beaten by this cliff. There is no shame in understanding your limits and acting accordingly. I fear that you might not understand that.”
“I don’t understand it because I refuse to accept failure,” declared Jackle. “This cliff is not going to defeat me. You can go back down when you get scared, but I am going all the way to the top.”
Kenda sighed and stared off into the fog. He truly was not afraid of climbing the cliffs, but he was worried about his friend. He decided not to bring the subject up again.
“I thought this fog would be burning off by now,” Kenda changed the subject of the conversation. “We haven’t had such a fog that I can ever remember. I wonder if the fishermen will even take their boats out today?”
“I hope it clears soon,” replied Jackle. “The view of the city from up here must be fantastic. Let’s start climbing again. When the fog does lift, we will have an even better view.”
Kenda nodded as Jackle rose and squeezed into the crevice. The boys continued upward for another two hours before stopping again. Kenda took a loaf of bread out of his pack and broke off a couple of pieces. He gave one piece to Jackle.
“It still hasn’t lifted,” frowned Jackle as he munched on his bread. “Fog never lasts so late in the morning. Look towards the ocean. You can practically see the outline of the sun trying to break through the fog.”
“It is strange,” Kenda admitted. “I wonder what our families are thinking right now? Surely, we have been missed by now. Will they worry that we might be lost in the fog?”
“I figured that they would see us climbing the Wall of Mermidion,” confessed Jackle. “I suppose they will be worried if they can’t find us. I hope this fog lifts soon so that someone knows where we have gone.”
Suddenly, a tremendous force of wind blew up the face of the cliffs. Both boys instinctively leaned backwards to press their bodies against the wall of the cliff. Within seconds the fog was blown upward and the sun shone brightly in their faces.
“What was that?” Jackle asked with alarm. “I thought we were going to be blown off the cliffs.”
“Look out towards the harbor,” Kenda said excitedly. “Those ships are huge.”
The boys gazed at the sea just beyond the harbor wall. Half a dozen monstrous ships were heading towards the city.
“What are they?” asked Jackle. “I have never seen ships so large. Look how small our ships look in comparison.”
“Those are warships,” Kenda said haltingly. “I don’t like the looks of this.”
Suddenly, huge balls of fire sprang from the decks of the monstrous ships. The fiery projectiles slammed into the buildings of Duran, and fires sprang up throughout the city. The boys watched the citizens of Duran scurrying around in confusion. People ran in every direction. Distant shouts of alarm drifted lightly on the air at the citizens of Duran were roused from their homes. The Imperial Guards gathered in front of the Mayor’s building and formed ranks, but there was no one for them to fight. As the huge fireballs continued to soar into the city, the invading ships began lowering smaller ships to ferry the soldiers ashore.
“Even their small ships dwarf most of our fishing vessels,” Jackle said softly. “I can’t imagine how many soldiers those ships must hold.”
“Probably more men than the number of citizens in Duran,” frowned Kenda. “Our people will not stand a chance.”
“We have to start down,” Jackle declared as he moved to the edge of the cliff.
“Don’t be a fool,” snapped Kenda as he reached out and grabbed his friend. “We have been climbing for hours. By the time we reach the bottom, the battle will be over.”
Jackle slowly nodded and eased his back against the cliff. “I don’t like being up here,” he stated. “We should be down there helping the defenders.”
“We would be no help to anyone down there,” sighed Kenda. “I am sure that the mayor will surrender promptly. The citizens cannot hope to defend Duran against such a force. Look at the number of small boats that are streaming towards the shore.”
The fires in the city multiplied as more fiery projectiles flew from the decks of the large ships. The boys watched the destruction, unable to distinguish individuals from their height, but with a good enough view to read the hopelessness of the citizens. A figure stood before the Imperial Guards and led them down to the waterfront, a large white flag clearly visible to the boys.
“You were right,” conceded Jackle. “The mayor is surrendering. This has to be the quickest battle ever. I thought the Imperial Guards would at least kill some of the invaders before surrendering. Their first ships are just reaching the shore now.”
“The mayor is wise,” countered Kenda. “We are a farming and fishing city. Even our Imperial Guards are not true warriors. We have no business being involved in battle. Surrender is the appropriate course of action. The mayor understands our limits and sees no shame in admitting defeat. He is saving the lives of the citizens.”
The first of the invaders’ boats ran up on the beach, and soldiers in red uniforms jumped out. Boat after boat landed unopposed and soon hundreds of foreign soldiers were marching through the city. One large group of foreigners marched towards the mayor and the Imperial Guards. The Imperial Guards were easily outnumbered, yet hundreds of more boats were still streaming towards the shore.