14. Shah Mat


    “General Faiz preparations for the landing are complete,” a lieutenant told his superior.


    “Good, Nova will be captured and Moru can conquer the kingdom of Peria without any obstacles.”


    Their army landed on the coast, encountering a 2000 Perian force including some Church of Order shock troops. Lightning bolts were shot by the Church of Order troops which created some casualties with fireballs being shot back, creating some as well. The Moru army smashed forward with 5000 cavalry, flanking and making the Perians collapse into flight. Through rocky outcrops, roads eventually pointed to the grand city of Nova. An important naval hub, and logistical centre for any invasion force. General Faiz was successful, he marched into the city, his fleet having already secured the harbour. The Moru flag was a green flag containing a yellow flame, and it soon came over the battlements knocking down the Perian flag, a brown flag with a yellow thunderbolt.


    “The Church of Light will rule all!” Faiz said, “make sure the disbelievers pay their religious taxes. God is merciful. We are not!”


    The castle walls had banners of Moru unfurled, the cheers of the Church of Light creating an orchestra of gloom for the Church of Order loyalists in the city.


    “Our city has been taken… nothing will stop them marching inland,” a woman said in great fear.


    “By the lord, why have you forsaken us, surely our lightning mages should have bested them.”


    While Faiz celebrated his victory over the Perians, a new design by forces he had no idea about, were being made.


    “These are our symbols. Symbols are for the symbol minded, but they are important unifiers,”Mardonius said, offering cloth.


    He had secretly made thousands upon thousands of banners, tasking various Hiru citizens with the production of the flags as well as sigils for the new nation.


    “Green. Blue. Yellow. The God of Water, irrigates so the God of Farming can grow, and the God of agriculture is taken by the God of Trade for our prosperity, horizontally,” Mardonius explained, gesturing to show how the flag would look, “these are sigils, the plough, a wave for water and a cart for trade. With these we shall conquer.”


    “We still need to hire the mercenaries of Moru city,” Mercurius said.


    Wood and hemp was sold in the markets of the world, before acquiring the 10,000 gold necessary. It was late afternoon, but Mardonius had given flags to many of the supporters of the new.


    “Not yet Mardonius, we need to win supporters in Moru city,” Salutius warned him, “this is seditious material you know that.”


    “They need to be captivated, these banners mark the beginning of a new age.”


    All that time ago, with a mere statue you began the chapter of a new age. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Mercurius and Salutius subtly proselytised to the masses. Urban workers, shop keepers, and local peasantry. It was evening, and the revolution was culminating. Mercurius and Mardonius giving food and drink to their supporters across the five important cities, and even the villages. Ethrib, Fes, Halb, Moru city and Mina were all mobilised. Banners and the symbols of the three gods were given to ex slaves and urban poor. Local informants to the authorities did indeed inform of some impending disaster, but the proportion of dissent was dismissed as fanciful.


    “Large sections of the population are against the regime?” A spy in Fes scoffed, “that can’t be true.”


    Again gold was accumulated, so much spent trying to mobilise the masses of Moru against the government that they were only left with 200 gold.


    “I will try and gather gold,” Mercurius said, “enough for a few necessary bribes if necessary.”


    He would end a few hours later at midnight with some 2000 extra gold coins, selling a lot of wood to the Hunur nomads.


    It is a miracle that they don’t recognise me. I am selling to my enemies, but these people will have delivered one Church of Light country into my hands. They don’t even know what they’re doing, or who they’re messing with do they?


    Night turned to day, the morning of the year 570, summer; 2000 mercenaries in Ethrib, 2000 in Mina, 4000 in Fes and 10,000 near Moru city marched on the governors palaces. The gates opened without a single drop of blood being spilled. Suddenly like on command ex slaves and urban poor put out their flags from their windows, from their rooftops, from many balconies.


    “Glory to the God of Trade, Water and Farming! Glory to the three!”


    “Glory to the three!” Was the cacophony heard over so many cities.


    The city of Halab had no mercenary presence, instead relying on ex slaves, gangsters and urban poor storming barracks and intelligence offices. The green, blue yellow flags fluttered, the sigils carried by zealots. Emir Ras lost control of Ethrib almost immediately, every tower fluttering the new flags. Church of Light priests tried to control the masses burning the mobs, only to be broken to pieces.


    “We will build new temples!” Salutius screamed, to ululations by the crowd, “Hiru’s wealth will be shared to all. Our nation is only just beginning!”


    “Glory to the three!” Was the deafening reply.


    In Moru city, there were street battles between loyalists and revolutionaries. 10,000 mercenaries with the help of ex slaves and urban poor managed to subdue royal guards in their barracks. The bazaars were mostly on the side of the God of Trade, the tricolour put over many rooftops. King Khalid’s palace was stormed by 1000 mercenaries. He found a secret exit through a tunnel that led to the docks. His navy although surprised mobilised to save their king.


    “Where is the King?” Mercurius asked one of the mercenary captains.


    “He’s escaped sir,” the mercenary said.


    “Damn it, he’s going to be a pain in our arse!” Mercurius seethed, “ok never mind, secure the city, tell them their king has fled.”


    “Your king has run away!” Mercenaries shouted from the palace walls.


    The tricolour replaced the green flag with a yellow flame, the sigil that represented the three gods unfurled on the palace walls. The city walls were being adorned with the new regime’s symbols. Mardonius was right, the Church of Light sympathisers in the city soon lost heart. ‘The three’ had triumphed. The city of Halab although occupied by a much more disorganised militia succeeded, Ethrib was taken, Fes was taken and Mina was taken without even bloodshed. Army garrisons were bribed, in other cases the mercenary forces told them the cities were taken to devastating effect, morale in the Moru army collapsed, their forces disintegrating. Moru had collapsed in a morning, its king fleeing on the ocean current toward Poltu, no doubt to organise a counter attack.


    “All our work has paid off,” Mercurius whispered looking over the balcony of the palace of Moru city, “but this is only the beginning.”


    “Their army disintegrated,” Salutius said, a little too optimistically.


    “You know that it isn’t so simple, there are many Church of Light countries, plus that guy who went on an expedition to Peria. He might come back, like I said this is only the beginning…” Mercurius said wistfully.


    The sight of a city completely taken over by the God of Trade filled Mercurius with a smile.


    “You did well evangel. But now begins the true test,” the God of Trade said in his head.


    Now it begins.