Episode 18 : The Dawn Surprise - Part 3

 The entire Mongol army was in mourning.

 At the head of each battalion, the battalion, company, and platoon flags, which usually hung proudly to the wind, were all lowered to half-staff, so that they appeared to be long, narrow triangular flags.

 Several streamers were folded, and all the captains wore black cloths of mourning on their arms and headgear - a mourning badge of knightly attire that most people never thought would be needed on the battlefield.

 As long as they are in the field of battle, warriors are not allowed to mourn the death of their friends, brothers, and siblings. It is only after all battles are over that we mourn the dead, and until then, even the corpses themselves remain abandoned on the battlefield.

 However, it is a common practice that there is a difference in rank even in this case. Even in the Mongol army, which is rigid and does not mourn for thousands of dead, the situation is different when the dead is a general of a noble and venerable rank.

 It was the fierce death of Old Earl Mars, the lord of the remote castle of Two Reed, who led 2,000 blue knights, a great nobleman who even served as the regent of the Grand Dukes, that crushed the Mongol army, which did not dare to stop its fierce march even after the tragic death of Little Earl Regan, the captain of the Red Knights.

 It was not only an unexpected event for the Mongol army, but also an extremely great loss. The one who led Mongol's army was Amneris, a young princess of 18 years old.

 Even if all the soldiers in the army were devoted to her and swore allegiance to the Grand Duke of Mongol and acted as his hands and feet, it would have been an overwhelming task for a girl of only eighteen years old to take charge and control this magnificent expeditionary force. Moreover, even a loyal vassal like Asturias, who was more than just loyal to Amneris, would not dare to call this ice princess gentle and extremely sensible. Amneris was ice, but hot, fierce, hard ice. His anger was sometimes too direct and he did not know how to soften his words or consider the feelings of others.

 For an expeditionary force with such a commander-in-chief, old Count Mars, the oldest of all the captains, experienced and renowned for his thoughtfulness, was the real support and de facto confidant.

 It was only when the Count of Mars stood by the side of the Princess of Amneris like a shadow that the whole army moved vividly, believing in the reason and victory of our army. If the young duchess was too hasty in her decision, the old count would gently restrain her, and if the duchess was too severe in her reprimand of her men, Count Mars would casually soothe the discouraged men.

 But the old Count is no more.

 It was not surprising that all the troops of the Mongol army voluntarily covered themselves with mourning badges, which were rare on the battlefield, and solemnly quieted down as if they were saying to each other with few words.

 The most forlorn and voiceless were, as might be expected, the noblewoman and her bannermen's counsellors. Even the mighty Amneris was stunned by the news, and without the strength to take remedial action, he had a tent pitched and shut himself in it, refusing to let anyone near him, and weeping tears over the death of his grandfather, who had been her guardian as a child. The attendants, unable to console Amneris, only walked about in a state of anxiety, their footsteps hushed, their voices hushed, and their eyes fixed on the scene in the tent. Only Feldric, the captain of the bannermen, and the mage Gayus, his counselor, were invited in, and the curtain at the entrance to the tent remained closed for a long time.

 On the other hand, the common knights and infantrymen were not so lucky.

 They were no less shocked by the death of Count Mars than the commanders. But as well as their grief at his death, they were anxious and perplexed about the more practical future.

"I wonder what will become of the Mongol army now."

"Will this expedition still be able to continue even though we have lost Count Mars?"

"How long can this go on? How far do I have to go to get home?"

"We lost Regan's men and now we've lost Mars' men. Between that and Shem's frequent surprise attacks, we're now only half as safe as we were when we left. Will the expedition still continue?"

 No matter how many messages were sent out to rebuke the rumours, they could not stop the soldiers, who had begun to feel uneasy, from gathering together and whispering to each other in secret. In any case, the lady, who was completely devastated by the death of Count Mars, and who, if he were still alive, would have rebuked and condemned him, immediately saw the seriousness of the situation and, instead of gathering her staff to discuss countermeasures and to take measures to calm the agitation of all the generals, she shut herself up in her tent and stopped giving orders. Instead, they stayed in their tents and stopped issuing orders, so that the Mongol troops remained at a point in the desert and made a makeshift position, and there was nothing to do. This was also a major cause of the soldiers' anxiety and restlessness.

 After setting up a sentry post to prepare for the battle, the Mongol troops, who were now less than 10,000 strong and had wounds on their bodies, gathered their horses in one place, smoked cigarettes and ate rations even though it was not yet time to do so, and spent their time talking about internal affairs without bounds.

 The captains looked at their adjutants, wondering what was the matter with them, but the truth was that they were all tired of the expedition and were feeling somewhat overloaded. So, taking advantage of the absence of the messenger, they allowed the soldiers to relax their minds by chewing vachaça fruit and lying down in the shade of the horse, and they also dismounted from the horse and rested their feet.

 There were also strange but strangely credible rumors circulating secretly among the soldiers, which could not have come from anywhere.

"Hey, you hear that?

"What?"

"Haven't you heard yet, idiot? How about I tell you what Captain Mars told me-- I heard it from Yvain, so I have no idea if it's true or not. All right."

"All right, all right. --quick, tell me, quick."

"That's what I'm saying--that the recent annihilation of the Mars Corps--"

"Mmm, mmm."

"That's the rumor that's been going around, that there was a traitor."

"Traitor?"

"Shh--don't scream so loud."

"What the hell is going on? A traitor in the army of Mongol?"

"Don't talk so loud. Rumor, rumor. But at that time, when the Mars Battalion was led to the Valley of Death, and then waited for them, I can't help but think that there was someone inside our army who contacted the monkeys of Shem and lured them there."

"But we are the Knights of the glorious Grand Duchy of Mongol... what kind of madman would dare to communicate with those filthy, speechless monkeys? That's impossible. We have no way of communicating with those monkeys."

"I told you it was a rumor."

"No, I don't think so."

"Oh-- quick-eared Goran. You know something, don't you? Then tell me."

"Um, this was secretly overheard from a friend of Ilm's who was on his way to rescue the Mars Squad just now..."

"Hmm, hmm."

"It seems certain that there was an informant."

"There's been a raid!

"I can't believe it."

"But it's true. And apparently, even their names have been revealed. We lowly common knights have no way of knowing this, but a friend of Ilm's told us that when they came gasping into the Valley of Fire, the poor troops of Mars were enveloped in flames, rocks were thrown down, poisoned arrows were shot at them, and ninety percent of them were already dead. But when at last they had put out the fire and were examining the heap of corpses with tears in their eyes, they found that some of them, though badly burned, were somehow still alive, even if only in their worm's breath, for they had been fortunate in having been under the bodies of their friends. And, apparently, they had grasped Captain Ilm's hand in their burned hands and whispered the truth of his treachery and the traitor's name with their wounded lips at the end. Perhaps the name of the one who, having escaped the calamity beforehand, had leapt into the arms of his unholy allies, the Shem, and lived alone."

"--Oh, my dear Janus, ... what a surprise."

 The knights cut the sign of Janus fearfully and looked at each other softly.

"You're talking to Shem? I don't know what you're talking about, but I don't believe it."

 The stubborn one froths at the mouth and refuses to be persuaded!

"How can a man and a monkey be in alliance? After all, a Shem is nothing more than a monkey."

"But he must be a wise monkey to be able to lure Count Mars into a trap and make another plan."

 The well-informed knight was annoyed by the suspicion,

"First, look, remember that monster. Even though he has a leopard's head, he's still human. Even if we don't form an alliance with Sal, there might be someone who can relate to that Leopard-head."

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen that monster in a while."

 When one of them slipped up, I panicked,

"Shoo!"

 The guys around me got him.

"Don't tell me. Some say it's an evil spirit in human form. What if I say something that doesn't show up and it brings them back?"

 If you've been bitten, cheer up,

"By the way, I'm not afraid of a monster like him showing up. If he were to appear anywhere near my troops, I'd grab him and expose him for what he is."

"Oh, yes, yes, yes. I'd be happy if your mouth didn't start screaming at the drop of a hat."

"My God!"

"Well, come on, the name of that traitor, only the chiefs of staff know it, don't they?"

"Sounds like it."

"Who do you know, who do you know-- who do you know in Mars?"

"If that's the case, I don't want to be that guy. I can't stop thinking about the tortures that traitor would go through if the Shem were to fail and he were to be caught."

"But how could you do such a thing? To sell a battalion of Mars to those filthy monkeys and their leopard-headed monster... what kind of reward would make you want to do such a thing? To be King of Saroo, to rule over the Id and the Sandhills of Nosferus, to never see your people again, to never set foot on your homeland?"

"Hmm, you're right... why the hell not?"

 There was no one to answer. The knights looked around the messenger's face with a pale face and seemed to be scrutinizing him to see if there was anything on his face that might be an answer.

Why the hell--?

 It was an all too plausible and unanswerable suspicion for everyone.

"Betrayal-- but why?"

 And around that time--

 The question had also come from a more noble mouth, as if spitting.

 For a long time, Amneris had been confined to his tent, allowing no one but Feldric and Gayus to see him, basking in the memory of Count Mars' death.

 This idleness lasted about half a day, and all the while Ilum of Talos and his second-in-command, Goran, were vexed by the fact that they had begged their attendants to send for Amneris and had been rebuffed each time. Even for these two great men, the death of Count Mars was not without its bitterness, but more than that, they were impatient to convey their thoughts to their general as soon as possible.

 It was not until they had been waiting for five or six hours that they were finally allowed to enter the tent. In vain they waited for the guide, and the two captains, entering the tent, saw that the light in the lady's tent had been almost completely extinguished, and that the interior of the tent, which had no light, had been darkened as if it were night. She was dressed lightly in a girdle and was sitting on a couch behind the tantalizing tent, no doubt to prevent her men from seeing her weeping face at the death of her protector, who must be the "Lady of the Ice" to keep her composure at all times.

 But even then, Ilm and Lieutenant Goran had no time to worry about it.

 They came forward at once and told him the astonishing fact which they had been informed of when they had gone to the relief of Mars, and which was so threatening to the loyalty of Mongol.

 At first the duchess, who had sunk into the gloom, her face hidden by her golden hair, hardly seemed to be interested in their report. Rather, it was Feldric and Gayus, standing close behind her on the couches, who listened to their report with intense interest.

 It was only when Ilm, stammering and excited, mentioned that the traitor in Mars had apparently been the only one to escape the flames and return to his unholy allies, that the lady, startled, raised herself on the chaise longue and questioned him as if she could not believe her ears.

"You idiot!"

 Amneris, his face half hidden in the gloom, involuntarily forgot his self-control and, as if in rebuke, uttered the same words as the knight who had heard the rumour.

"What would a Mongol-- assuming he is a Mongol-- do in league with the Semites? And for what purpose?"

"It's ...."

 Ilm looked at Lieutenant Goran and made a gesture that said he could not say anything.

 Amneris, forgetting his long loss, rose involuntarily and wildly, and began to walk about in the tent. So much so that the information stirred her heart and dragged her forcibly out of the grief of Count Mars' death.

"Unthinkable."

 Amneris said in a stern voice as he folded his slender hands and twisted them together.

"I can't imagine. How is that possible? ... None of my men have fought in battle after battle since entering this expedition to Nosferus, and probably none of them have been able to sneak away from the camp and contact Shem. There must have been no one who could sneak away from the camp and contact Shem. What good would it do him to do that? What does it promise? To never set foot on Mongol soil again and to live with Shem in the midst of desert monsters for the rest of his life... what kind of Shemite could do that to a Mongol? No, I don't believe it."

"What if--"

 And Gayus, who had been silent until then, suddenly opened his mouth, and they were astonished.

"If he is of the people of Mongol, that is."

"What?"

 Amneris turned quickly and glared at her mage.

"What do you want me to say, Gayus?

"The traitor," he said, "was neither a Mongol nor a Mongol who owed allegiance to Mongol. The traitor was not a Mongol who had sworn allegiance to Mongol, nor was he a Mongol who had sworn allegiance to Mongol. ... That is to say, either Paro, the fallen kingdom, or Kumu, or Yulania, two of the three great duchies of Gora, had sent him beforehand, a man of the hand of one of those enemy nations."

"Wait!"

 Amneris suddenly stopped pacing irritably.

 She seemed to have recovered completely from the shock of the misfortune that had befallen her and her army. She raised her hand to restrain Gayus, but clapped it together and called for her kinsman to bring her a cool drink. Then she continued.

"That's not going to be easy, Gayus."

"Is--"

"You know what you've just said, don't you? This expedition is the best-kept secret in the world,..., and the fate of Mongol depends on it. If there is such a thing as a secret agent of the enemy country entering the expedition under the pretense of a loyal vassal and devising this and that, Mongol will be punished in a way that can never be recovered."

"..."

"It also means that the enemy's hand is reaching out to the frontier guards and even inside the Golden Scorpion Palace."

"May I remind you, sir?"

 Stealthily, Ghayus brought it to the Lord's attention.

"The twins of Paro, the prince and princess who fled the crystal city, have survived many captivations and have finally fled with the Shemites to the far reaches of Nosferus."

"Oh--!"

 Amneris gave a low cry.

 Then he raised his voice low again and clapped his hands together violently.

"I'd forgotten . I forgot about that-- the Paro twins. How dare you, Amneris!"

 Then, in an effort to compel his irritated mind, he stretched out his hand, grabbed the cup of honey wine offered by his kinsman, drank it down in one gulp, and began to walk around as if he were trying to collect his thoughts again.

 But this time, unlike before, it was clear that her precise mind was spinning madly beneath her blonde hair. A silence settled around them. Ilm and Feldric stood still, not wanting to disturb the lady's thoughts.

"Paro--"

 Eventually, Amneris murmured.

 Immediately, raise your voice as if you're sure.

"Paro. Yes. Of course it is. It's always Paro-- it's always this old kingdom of magic that stands in the way of Mongol, that stands in the way of Mongol, that stands in the way of his ambitions-- Paro's spy! I was so careless!"

 I clenched my lips tightly, thinking not only of the twins and their deformed guardian gods, whom I had once held in my hands but let escape so easily, but also of the resistance of the people of Paro when I was in the Crystal City as commander of the occupying forces. I may have thought of this as well.

"Gayus."

"is."

"What do you think?"

"I think it's safe to say that there's no doubt about that... because the agents we've sent to Kumu and Yulaniya should have reported to us if there was any movement in either of those countries that they were aware of Mongol's intentions. Besides, the hiding of the Paro twins suggests that there was already an alliance between Shem and the remnants of Paro."

"If that's the case, it's not going to be easy."

 Amneris tightened his lips and repeated.

"Feldrick."

"Ha!"

"As soon as possible, we need to make a list of those who have joined this expedition whose identities are not clear."

"Yes, sir!"

"If only I had known sooner, or--no, I'll say no more. If there are still some of Paro's minions in there, at any point in the future, it would be unfortunate for them."

"..."

"Never let a suspicious man live. A mercenary with an unfamiliar accent. Anyone known to be in Paro's employ or of questionable behavior, bring him to the bannermen for questioning."

"Yes. I understand."

"Send out an order to all the captains to watch out for those who tend to defend Shem in the midst of battle, or those who take the trouble to dodge and fire arrows at him. --and Ilm!"

"Ha!"

"The traitor's name I have heard from the mouth of the dying Blue Knight," you said.

"Yes. The only one of the Blue Knights who was still breathing when we arrived in the valley made it clear that he was the one who had earned Count Mars' trust, betrayed his favor, and led the Blue Knights to the valley, claiming to have found Shem's village. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's had to deal with this.

"What is his name?"

 Now, once again, the Lady of the Ice seemed to have regained her perfect control. Clutching the silver cup tightly, Amneris asked.

 And Ilm lifted up his bearded face. The words rang out clearly in the ears of all those in the tent.

"Argon's El-- and ...".

"Argon's El: ..."

 Slowly, as if savoring the sound of his name, Amneris repeated it twice, three times. And then he said.

"Let me remind you. If he's unlucky enough to fall into the hands of Mongol's army alive, he'll be ..."

 Amneris waved his hand, as if to say, "What kind of sour-nosed fate awaits him after that is left to each one's imagination.

"Okay--okay."

 Eventually, slowly, he'll come to a conclusion.

"Assemble the captains in their tents, Feldrick. No more haughty Shem. Their women and children will not live to see tomorrow's sunrise. divide the scouts into platoons and send them to the east, the west, the north, the south and the south in one direction each to finally discover the location of Shem's main army or stronghold. In the meantime, the main body is to discuss and prepare for the final battle here. Good."

"Yes, sir!"

 The words, spoken in a calm, quiet voice, had a greater effect on his men than any shout of anger. Feldric rushed out of the tent. Then..,

"Oh, and then."

 Amneris said.

"Tell the captains the name of El of Argon and let them remember it. Whoever captures him alive will receive a reward of 10,000 rand and a position in the company, and whoever kills him by mistake will be punished with a hundred whippings in my presence. The Leopard-headed monster, the Paro twins, and the traitor, take them alive. And Shem, not one of them shall live. This war must be our last, truly... and I will not allow it. Hunt them down if they retreat. Slaughter them if they surrender. This is a battle to bury Mars.

"Ha!"

"Go!"

"Ha!"