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Baron Storm Nattas
Carrot & stick
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Ah, that is quite the view, Storm thought spreading his legs on the rest stool placed in front of the comfortable sea tavern’s bamboo armchair. Novesium’s well-maintained ‘public’ beach, less crowded now weeks after the festival had ended, but the weather and comforts of the city ever pleasurable. There was another beach if one followed the coastal south street outside the city, more private and with even more pleasurable view, frequented by the younger citizens that wanted to fool around away from prying eyes, but Storm hadn’t gone there for many years.
“She really wanted to visit,” Sudi commented laid back on a similar chair, a large hat protecting his skull and eyes.
Miranda was his meaning.
“She’ll grow out of it,” Storm retorted not likening the interruption.
“I got her that dress from the tailor,” Sudi said. “A couple of undershirts and some bed sheets.”
“What’s wrong with the ones we have there?”
“They are from last season?”
Storm stared at him blankly and then reached for his iced green tea. He hated the darn thing, but everyone was drinking the foul stuff outside and Storm looked to avoid being seen as an uncouth plebe in Ursus city.
“What about the ships?”
A fleet had arrived in the port the previous day.
“Unloaded troops as you feared.”
“Redshark is Peter Brakis ship,” Lord Nattas grunted and stood up straighter in the chair, the sun bothering him and the tea making his mouth numb. “How many?”
“At least five hundred marines. Not that much considering we counted nine transports there and four Brigs.”
“Still that’s most of the fleet,” Storm said with a grimace. A waitress approached. She wore sandals on her tanned feet, the quality of the skin’s color –easily seen going all the way up the rest of her leg through the thin garb- telling the Baron she was visiting the ‘naughty’ beach in her spare hours.
The thought of her bathing in the nude stirred his blood something fierce.
Abrakas toes!
“Anything else Baron Nattas?” She asked in her Novesium accent, all dimples and heavy perfume for the time of day.
Storm almost slipped up, but he got ahold of himself and waved her away.
“Is the tea any good?” A relaxed Sudi asked.
His right hand man was having a coconut based juice because it helped his teeth regrow or something.
The teeth were long gone, but Storm allowed him to hope for a miracle since it cost him nothing.
“Like stale piss, but tasting of unwashed arsehole, or feet.”
“It’s the beach, all the sweat,” Sudi remarked sucking on his sunken cheek.
Ugh.
“I almost asked her to suck my cock,” Storm admitted and sighed trying to remember what they were talking about afore the girl’s appearance.
Ah, yes.
He turned to Sudi, but his lackey made a gesture not to and Storm paused to glare at the approaching official.
“Lord Nattas,” Seth Darius said, airing his face with a fan. The Mayor had the unfortunate habit of wearing a woolen cape over his shoulders, which kept him warm in the mild winter and twice that in all other seasons. “I was informed you were in the city.”
“Darius,” Storm retorted mockingly. “I’m shocked. I was trying to sneak in and out without anyone noticing.”
The bookish man frowned thinking it through and Nattas took a sip from his tea, the taste worsening by the minute.
“How was the festival?” he asked, seeing as the official had turned into a mute.
Probably on the verge of a heatstroke. Loose the cape ye buffoon. Good grief!
“A great success,” Darius replied waking up. “Considering… the circumstances.”
“So not as great,” Storm argued half-mockingly. “As in previous years?”
“Well,” Darius grimaced and wiped his face with the back of his hand. “Anyway, ahm, Lord Ursus would like to extend an invitation to you Baron. Say before noon?”
Hmm.
“It’s quite the walk to the palace dear Darius,” Storm replied. “Can he take a raincheck?”
“Not with his coming schedule Baron,” the Mayor of the city retorted. “I’m afraid you’ll have to inconvenience yourself.”
“We don’t want to inconvenience the Duke of course,” Storm murmured sourly.
“Right. I’ll leave you to it,” Darius agreed not catching his undertone. “The sun is really bothersome here.”
Storm watched him navigating the tables for a moment, a phony smile on his face that changed as soon as the man was out of earshot.
“That sounded ominous as fuck,” Sudi noted stating the obvious.
“How many men do we have in the city?” Storm grunted under his breath.
“You’re thinking of breaking out?”
“What? No you idiot, I’m thinking if that cretin has me killed, you’ll get to avenge me!” He glanced around frustrated and then got up. “Let’s return to the port.”
“He might just be curious,” Sudi argued getting up as well.
“That doesn’t prevent him from murdering me, so your point is mute,” Storm countered stringently. “Still I could perhaps navigate this. He might be worried about his plan leaking and me being here.”
“What plan? Everyone saw the ships mooring in the port,” Sudi protested a little pissed Storm has dismissed his earlier argument without a second thought.
The Duke knew how to run brothels but not a campaign so Lord Nattas left that last query unanswered.
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“Are they still there?” Storm probed after they had walked out of the tavern. He had to wait for Sudi to pay the owner, but the respite helped him collect his thoughts.
“The waitresses?” Sudi asked a guilty look on his decrepit face.
“The ships,” Nattas grunted with a glare.
“I’ll have Damion check it out.”
“Have that other idiot meet us at the restaurant,” Storm hissed and started strolling down the road clasping his hands behind his back.
They cut vertically to Harbor Street and strolled slowly –Storm not wanting to tire his sore leg and Sudi due to carrying a cane- towards the port and the junction that was West Street. Storm paused there mostly to catch his breath, but also spy at the ships in the harbor.
Damion approached them navigating the busy street, casting hateful glares at the citizens and workers bumping onto him.
“That thug will get himself arrested,” Storm commented with a grimace.
“Chief, milord,” Damion said addressing them both. “They are gone.”
The transports was his meaning.
“Where’s the other idiot?” Nattas grunted.
“Grin is checking on the lads,” Damion replied.
This was an actual sentence, Storm thought bewildered.
“Meet us at the restaurant,” Sudi said. “We’ll discuss it there.”
“Might as well all walk together,” Storm griped with a last look at the large harbor and started up the street leading to the large City Guard building. “You found them hostels?”
“Cheap,” Damion replied. “Away from yours milord.”
“Mmm,” Storm grunted. “Any spare coin you give to Sudi.”
“None was spared milord,” the crook replied sadly.
An ambiguous retort at the very least.
“You kept a receipt for the expenses though, yes?” Sudi asked to prop his man up.
Damion turned even unhappier. “Not at these venues chief, I didn’t. They don’t like the practice.”
“No thief does,” Storm noted sourly ending the conversation afore the temptation to have the thug killed and tossed in the harbor overwhelmed his shallow clemency.
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Baron Ursus had always been a thinly constructed man, not too tall and not particularly short, with a protruding small belly he hid under a brace, the latter concealed under his doublet. The small detail given to him by a whore, not overly important. The Duke of Novesium had a sword strapped on his fiercely green satin sash to appear more dashing, but the whole image was ruined by his nervous fidgeting and dark hollows under his eyes.
He shifted on his gold leaf covered throne, the design more garish than elegant and eyed the stiff Nattas with a grimace that hard as the Duke had tried, it still failed to resemble a cordial smile. Storm buying Moon’s Haven from under him and then turning it into a Barony right in his back yard had soured their… not particularly friendly relations. Of course they knew each other for a while, with Ursus making his fortune mostly in the brothel business and Storm spending a good portion of his there.
Novesium had a whole district of pleasure houses.
Not the temples, or priestesses variant –though there was a temple of Naossis in the city- but straight up good quality harlots.
“Dear Storm,” Ursus said through his teeth. “I thought the worst when you missed the festival.”
“Didn’t have the legs, nor the glutes for it Duke Ursus, so I stayed in my humble abode.”
“How was… Moon’s Haven version?”
“Rather pale in comparison,” Storm retorted truthfully. “Uneventful.”
“Always a bad outcome at the festival,” Ursus commented.
Storm shrugged his shoulders and eyed the chair a manservant had brought him.
“Let’s use the table,” Ursus said cordially. “I’ll have dinner later.”
Nattas waited for him to take a seat at the nearby conference table and pulled a chair out across from him to rest his weary legs as well. Behind them the manservant carried the chair he’d brought away, wearing a sour look on his face.
“So, to what do we owe your visit?” Ursus asked brusquely deciding that was enough of court manners to last both of them the whole month.
“I came to get some supplies for the winter,” Storm replied.
“Yourself? You economize on the help Nattas? Building that village must have cost a lot.”
That’s unfortunately true.
“It’s half a day journey, no reason not to see the city Ursus. I really like Novesium.”
“As do I, so you understand that having the former Master of Silence in my backyard at this crucial time is making me nervous.”
“Retired,” Storm said. “There’s a new guy running the show.”
“How do you know?”
“I took a guess,” Storm deadpanned. “The position was vacant.”
“Jeremy…” Ursus rolled his eyes. “Appointed Marc Laudus.”
“Ah, you don’t say,” Storm pretended ignorance.
“Baron Scylla’s man,” Ursus grunted. “Military guys sneaking in from one side, navy from the other.”
“Perhaps it’s a prudent strategy given what’s at stake.”
“You don’t have to tell me Nattas,” Ursus snapped. “I’ve the most to lose here. But I’ll take a lot of people down with me afore that happens. Which it won’t by the way.”
“Never doubted you’ll find your footing Ursus,” Storm replied.
“My concern is where you’re heading,” the Duke measured him up. “You’re not really retired Nattas.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Storm shrugged his shoulders. “I got a small piece of land and served the realm for years. I’ve modest tastes to be honest and an easily satisfied character dear Duke.”
“You’re still young enough.”
Younger than you.
“You know my condition,” Storm replied. “Each year makes it more difficult.”
“You seem better.”
“Only because I walked away from the game.”
The Duke smacked his lips and stared at the table for a moment.
“You know Sula is finished,” he finally said.
“I didn’t actually. He seemed fit as a bull last time I saw him.”
“Brakis will attack from sea and land,” the Duke continued with a grimace of annoyance. “And I will move down the coast, squeeze him from the other side. He’ll give up.”
“Lord Sula is extremely unlikely to do that dear Duke,” Storm told him truthfully. “Has Brakis started the assault already?”
“He has.”
The fuck are you waiting then? Storm wondered. Get moving you cretin!
“You give him too much credit Nattas,” Ursus said. “This is Regia’s south coast. Warm and friendly. A fucking tourist destination. We sell vacations and make good trade deals. Whether it is a nicely smelling cunt, a decent wine, or fine cotton bed sheets.”
You do, Storm thought but did not stop the man from sharing. The truth was that the Duke’s final point had alarmed him.
“My point is,” Ursus continued. “We don’t like that uncouth fool smack in the middle of it disturbing the natural course of events.”
Storm eyed the silver goblets on the tray the returning manservant had brought to the table.
“Demames has more silver than all Regia’s cities combined Ursus. He doesn’t need, nor want tourists. They are still running everything as if they are a fiefdom unto their own. The King had decreed there was no need for a military school in Demames, but they built one anyway. It’s better to give in than argue with a Sula. It is just too bothersome. Have you ever felt the need to visit Atetalerso by the way? No. Do you know they don’t have an animal market? The Bank uses nearby Faro’s for that and will fine you for leaving turds on their asphalt. Not the King’s law. Their own. They just don’t like cobblestone. They prefer bitumen. They put it on buildings, pour it on their streets. A black dour place. Unattractive. Inhospitable. But it’s on purpose and because they care little for other people’s opinions other than their own. They are too rich and powerful to bother.”
“As I said Lord Nattas, you value him too much,” Ursus grunted. “He’ll bend the knee, because he’s surrounded from all sides.”
“How many men you have here?”
“Enough.”
“I’m sure you’ve thought this through,” Storm replied with a shrug.
“I have,” Ursus assured him. “I also have a proposal for you. Your daughter is married I heard?”
Sit on Abrakas cock.
“Uhm.”
“Any children?”
“A son,” Storm replied, cursing under his breath.
“It’s a pity you allowed the marriage to go through Nattas,” Ursus commented. “I’ve a son that could have taken her off your hands.”
Ah.
There’s a carrot somewhere here, Storm thought doubly worried, since the unassuming vegetable was known to prefer foul company.
“It’s a matrilineal union Ursus,” he murmured.
“Good for you, still the groom isn’t exactly something to talk about.”
“We’re not in Kaltha. It’s a long lineage that has produced both scholars and public officials,” Storm pointed out, but the Duke shrugged his shoulders in turn.
“Not anymore. Anyway I’ve a daughter also,” he added switching the subject. From his second wife Lady Elvira. “Good blood in her. Ursus and Brakis aye. You are bachelor Lord Nattas yes? What do you think?”
Wow.
“I admit I stand bewildered at this moment dear Duke.”
“You know Labiena?”
No.
“Sure, of course,” he said instead.
“I had her with me some years back, during a King’s Hunt in Alden.”
“She came along?” A stunned Storm just couldn’t recall her.
“What? Stayed back of course haha. We’re not Issirs Lord Nattas!”
“I believe they bring them along as décor dear Duke. Now the Northmen are a different matter altogether,” Nattas retorted stalling as long as he could while gulping down nervously.
“Well?” Ursus asked him and poured himself a cup of white wine.
“I can’t possibly… you honor me Ursus. But is the girl of age?” Storm croaked and pinched his own thigh under the table to focus.
“What do you care? She’s almost there,” Ursus retorted and stood back on his chair satisfied. “Well, it appears the answer for your longevity is pretty simple dear Nattas. You wish to hear it?”
Storm hated being surprised, but he just nodded irate absent other options.
Ursus returned the nod. “You have absolutely no moral compass, not an iota of loyalty.”
Said the brothel owner and ruffian that probably had his own king killed, afore helping usurp the throne from his firstborn.
For a plaguing Duchy.
While Nattas could understand the motive, even justify it, he couldn’t pretend it wasn’t a crime worth of having your head chopped off.
Or getting knifed in the kidneys.
“I’d like to meet the girl,” he told him.
“There’s time for that,” Ursus dismissed his proposal and stared at a map of Regia hanging from the east wall of his hall. The large room painted a light green and yellow. From the open windows the peaceful sounds of the two small artificial lakes and the Baths entered the silent hall.
Here it comes, Storm thought.
“Cartagen will send me two thousand men,” Ursus said his face hardening. “Enough to guard the city and strike at a preoccupied Sula’s sides. They’ll be here in less than a week.”
Storm stood back on his chair, breathing out slowly. Lord Nattas wasn’t going to sample it initially, but he reached for his already filled Valeria-glass silver adorned goblet and had some of Ursus’ bitter local, but strong wine.
Woke him up proper.
“Brakis didn’t return to Illirium,” Storm finally said and Ursus smiled as if he had been vindicated.
“Nope. That wouldn’t have been much of a plan.”
“You’ll bully Valens into releasing the men to you.”
“The King’s men,” Ursus reminded him. “Cartagen isn’t Valens city.”
“You need more men than that and what about Lesia?” Storm asked shifting on his chair nervously.
“Eh, dear Storm I knew you had your ear planted firmly on the ground,” Ursus replied with a smirk. “Lesia wants a piece of land to have access to the new road. They are not really a threat to the King.”
To this king they might be fool, Storm thought and grimaced, his stomach burning.
“This union will help us both,” Ursus reminded him. “Don’t squander the opportunity Nattas. There is really no other road for you.”
Storm nodded, his face hurting trying to pretend he was pleased with their conversation.
“I’ve never considered another road dear Duke,” he croaked.
I need to have this motherfucker killed soon, Storm thought. But the opportunity might have slipped through my fingers.
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“Boss, how it went?” Storm asked him much later while they were dining in a fancy restaurant on West Road very near a villa he owned in the city.
Storm had no appetite at all.
“Ursus wants me to marry his daughter Labiena,” Storm said and Damion paused chewing on the chicken wing, juices running down the sides of his mouth. Nattas tossed him a towel frustrated. He missed his face, but got him good on the chest, the towel landing in his plate.
“The big one?” Sudi asked casually.
Huh?
“You know her?” Storm asked surprised.
“Seen her in the baths,” Sudi admitted. “The girl is difficult to miss.”
“What where you doing… never mind that,” Storm blurted out. “When you say big. Do you mean bountiful?”
“Ah, no just fat. She’s has a lot of lard on her and meat, I guess,” Sudi retorted with a shrug and Damion shallowed to avoid chuckling, which almost killed him outright, the ‘mercenary’ rolling on the ground gasping for breath and Storm staring him but not moving to help, until Sudi did.
“So, that was the carrot,” Nattas continued after Sudi managed to save Damion –he’d turned blue in the face in the meantime, several patrons present murmuring quick prayers to Oras to take him quickly so he wouldn’t suffer- and they both returned to their chairs rattled.
“Wait, you’ve accepted?” a heavy breathing from the effort Sudi asked. “Are you sure?”
“Sudi, you can’t not take the carrot,” Storm explained. “Else the stick will get you.”
“What’s the stick?”
“Brakis went to Cartagen to bring more men here,” Storm grunted. “So we are in a bit of a conundrum all of a sudden.”
Damion cleared his throat and blinked in the effort to speak.
“What?” Storm asked giving him a glare.
“The ships returned milord,” Damion whispered.
They had left very early in the morning and it was not that late in the evening.
Bullshit.
“Are you drunk?” Storm probed not amused.
“Me throat hurts. It bleeds,” Damion complained.
Storm didn’t give a shit about his health.
“You saw the ships return?” Sudi asked, stopping a livid Storm from breaking his cane on the lackey’s head.
“Aye. Not all of them though.”
Huh?
“How many?” He snapped.
“Four…?” Damion showed him five fingers. Storm blinked a bit confused and a sweaty Grin entered the fancy venue drawing stares from the few patrons still enjoying the chilly but pleasant evening and waltzed straight for their table.
Vile Abrakas, you are to sodomize me even more at this crucial moment? Storm wondered unhappy.
“Missive… from Moon’s Haven,” Grin stumbled through his words under their scrutiny.
“What does it say?” Storm grunted irate and wiped the sweat off of his brow.
“Ahm… he can’t do it milord,” Damion said sadly. “Tis bad lack to speak letters loudly.”
“What?” Storm gasped not believing his ears.
“Also… I can’t read?” Grin added smiling toothily.
That bastard has a donkey’s crooked teeth in that mouth.
Fuck’s sake!
“Give it here,” Sudi intervened, seeing Nattas ogling his eyes on the verge of apoplexy. He hummed reading it, wrinkled face loose on the cheeks where he was missing most of his teeth and frowning, afore he wiped his shaved skull with a hand. “It makes sense,” Sudi concluded after checking it a second time.
“What does?” Storm croaked and glared in frustration at a couple murmuring and looking their way annoyed with the tumult coming from their table. The man made to stand up, but Damion turned his head and gave him a warning stare, so he sat back down deflated.
“Brakis landed in our port,” Sudi said and gave him the missive.
“He stopped there?” Storm asked not looking at it.
He hadn’t turned superstitious. Nattas just felt completely drained.
“He didn’t have much of an option boss,” Sudi replied. “They came in a boat sort of. The Mayor has taken prophylactic measures per your orders to keep the ladies safe.”
They were under arrest was his meaning.
“What happened to the rest of the fleet?” Storm growled, not minding the murmur of the crowd.
> In the early Fall, the year 192 -praised be the Five, Admiral Brakis used the force assembled at Aegium and Illirium’s strong marine force to solve the Lord Sula problem for King Jeremy. The two thousand regulars and over three thousand marines were split in two groups, the first group marching on Dev’s Mother straight down the road under the command of Sir Vel Sextus-Brakis and Regia’s transport fleet under Peter Brakis landing almost two thousand marines three kilometers behind the lines in the barren shores.
>
> The surprise attack overwhelmed the defenses of the walled town, but word got out and Lord Sula all but marched down the road, before his advisors and close family stopped him from reacting too hastily. They feared a direct landing on the blockaded Demames, but the attack stalled and didn’t come immediately. While an angry Sula –the Duke’s Shield Baron Rinus Cato had been cut off in Dev’s Mother- worked on a plan to strike at Aegium through the desert from the direction of the West Silver Mine, where he had a decent force assembled -as the Duke was preparing another raid himself- Peter Brakis’ busy Fleet reached Novesium. He resupplied there unloading a smaller force to bolster Lord Ursus numbers and then sailed the next day for Cartaport.
>
> The Council under Lord Doris, Lord Scylla and Brakis had agreed on a plan to neutralize Sula while Ligur kept Lucius and Holt in check beyond Framtond. Peter Brakis was to land in Cartaport and force High Baron Montague Valens to release the King’s Guard stationed in Cartagen to them. He would then load them on the transports and bring them to Novesium. This now much bigger force would strike at Lord Sula over Crying Hag’s River and catch Demames in a stranglehold. They were hoping Sula would see reason and surrender rather than fight without possibility of relief, with all his allies thousands of kilometers away.
>
> Whilst there were holes in the plan, it was a decent idea weakened by the number of troops Lord Sula had already trained on top of his old-legion sized standing army, his willingness to fight to the bitter end and Lesia’s attack fleet sailing that same week for Cartaport. The Bank of Trust jumped at the opportunity to use the cover of the large departing transport fleet and dispatched their newly built armoured massive three-masted galleass Ocean Harpy (the archaic imperial design still favored in smaller sizes on Eplas), her sister ship Crying Valkyrie and three brigs to leave the gulf in the cover of darkness.
>
> The two Lesia navy squadrons split in the dark with the smaller fleet traveling towards the edge of the Novesium peninsula at full speed. The reason for the secrecy understandable, but not known at the time, as the Ocean Harpy as it was known then was carrying an outrageous fortune in gold coins. Kaltha’s wartime loan intended to keep their additional armies and navies in the field.
>
> Peter Brakis also fast moving transport fleet met with it outside Nattas’ Cove in the middle of the night. The large mercenary force hired to protect the gold reacted violently to the encounter with the surprised Regia’s mostly transport vessels. The Lesia captains were also aware of the landings that were underway and probably acted under some sense of camaraderie for their fellow sailors.
>
> In the savage night naval battle, Brakis managed to ruin two of the escorting Brigs, but his smaller force was quickly overrun by the superior numbers and massive galleasses that could fire two large catapults from bow and stern, his own ship Redshark sinking with almost all hands after the powerful Ocean Harpy rammed it amidships and split it in two. The transport fleet surrendered and was escorted back to Cediorum by the Crying Valkyrie, one of the two remaining escorts and the Ocean Harpy with the other one –a surviving brig- continued its sailing away from the coast in the dark, never to officially be seen again for years.
>
> An injured Peter Brakis found an upturned boat and climbed on it along some survivors until he washed ashore in Nattas Cove that morning. Five slow moving transports managed to turn around and escape to Novesium, bringing the news of the catastrophe to Lord Ursus. With the plan already underway, the Duke decided to move with the force he had available and informed King Jeremy of the events in Cartagen.
>
> Lesia had dispatched the Second Legion, Armium’s and Cediorum’s regulars (the latter swearing to avenge Lord Lennox after a rousing speech by his niece the Black Baroness of Balard’s Castle given in the large city’s central square, which a very moved Queen of Lesia and the late Shield’s daughter had attended.) The Barons of Flauegran had taken it upon themselves to secure the northern approach and the new legion road coming from Oras Navel, until the professional force marching from Dokamna reached them.
>
> While all these events were unfolding in the Lorian Kingdoms, Lord Anker’s third attempt to take Colle was successful. A new weapon helped the High Regent’s armies penetrate the city’s defenses, so powerful that when the bombardment ended, there was no one left to fight back and the Second Foot marched in the devastated city without resistance. The defenders had either fled to a suddenly exposed Castalor, were piles of unrecognizable dead flesh, or were simply gone.
>
> ‘Turned to smithereens.’
>
> The phrase coined by a shocked Sir Mark Est Ravn reporting to his father in a letter written later that day ending with the ominous, ‘Colle is no more. We should have never opened the vault.’
>
> Ironically the first use of the weapon that came to be known as the ‘Deliverer’ was to come a week earlier -though in a lesser scale- in the misty shores of Serene River by the engineers of the First Foot causing Lord Van Calcar a lot of distress.
>
>
>
> Lord Sirio Veturius
>
> Circa 206 NC
>
> The Fall of Heroes
>
> Chapter XXXV
>
> (Lord Anker Est Ravn,
>
> Duke of Midlanor,
>
> Keeper of the Forests, Guardian of Nordland Pass,
>
> Uher’s First Sentinel and High Regent of the Realm.)
>
> The Bank’s Galleass Fleet
>
> & the Navy Revolt
>
> Volume II
>
> -The legend of the ‘Mighty Saracen’ & Forty tons of gold-
>
>
>
> Circa,
>
> Fall of 192 NC – winter of 193
>
>