The Tionghoa was not the first to have invaded Santara. During the Age of the Holy Empire, Santara faced many invasions from beyond the archipelago. Some came from the Northern Continent, where Yakob once sojourned, others came from the south, the arid Australis Continent. Others still came from the sea; those buccaneers were the ancestors of Santara’s Sea Peoples.
Or to be more precise, those that remained of the invasion force were the ancestors of Santara’s Sea Peoples.
You see dear readers, each and every one of the invaders were beaten back by the mighty High Kings of Santara. With Isildur on hand, the king was unstoppable. Having the Isildur on your side is like having an additional five thousand soldiers in your army. Perhaps an exaggeration, but I have seen for myself the extent of its power.
The legends speak of the mighty green sword whose powers can scatter armies. For generations, the forest green glow of the Isildur had inspired hope amongst the Yakobinians as they fought to protect their homeland.
Astute readers will notice that I said the Isildur was glowing green. This is not a mistake. In fact, the red glow of King Aron’s Isildur was yet another mystery on our hands. In the excitement of battle and victory, none of us realized this strange contradiction until much later.
Why was Lord Aron’s Isildur glowing red while the Book of the High Kings clearly states that the Sacred Sword should be green?
We asked this question to Athanasius who revealed himself to us shortly after our victory over Diem Fu’s army. Unfortunately, his answer was not reassuring in the least:
“I have no answer to satisfy your curiosity,” the prophet said to us. “Only that it is the will of El Shaddai that only those bearing the mark of Borromeo should wield the Isildur.”
“You refer to the Machabe,” I said, more to myself than the Wandering Prophet.
Aron frowned. “And yet I was able to wield it. Why is that? Why didn’t El Shaddai strike me dead for sacrilege? You told me that I will be punished if I take the sword; that I will die. Yet here I am.”
“You will die, King of Dun-a-din,” Athanasius said somberly. “As punishment for your transgression, you will die on the battlefield. El Shaddai had decreed it so.”
The words of the Wandering Prophet left my lord rooted to the spot. As a matter of fact, we were all stunned. Even Kochba looked sorrowful.
This revelation definitely took the wind out of our sails. We were so happy, so optimistic about our chances, after our victory at the Tomb. But the revelation that King Aron was to die on the battlefield was disheartening, to say the least.
Even so, we had to push on. We had to keep fighting so we can win our freedom from the Tionghoa. To that end, we aimed to capture Khmer, the capital of the Tionghoa Southern Holdings.
Once we annihilated Diem Fu’s army, Tionghoa military presence in Kaliman island was practically nonexistent. From the Tomb of the Patriarchs, we marched back to Khatulistiwa. In that time, our Sea People allies had secured the coastlines of southern Kaliman.
When we finally reached Khatulistiwa, we learned more good news. All of the Sea Peoples decided to ally with us, having been inspired by our victory at the Tomb of the Patriarchs. This meant the Seribu Islands – that archipelago of small islands between the Western trifecta of Samara, Kaliman, and Malang islands – had become Padri territory.
All of a sudden, the Padri had the upper hand. Our freedom was not just possible, it was inevitable. We were raring to strike at the colonial capital. But one final obstacle remained before we could do so: the city of Bandar. Bandar was located at the western coast of Samara island, the westernmost major island of Santara. It was also the second largest Tionghoa port in the archipelago.
Taking Bandar was critical to the Padri’s war effort. Here’s why:
* In order to win this war, we have to take Khmer, the colonial capital and the seat of the Governor General.
* In order to take Khmer, we would have to siege it. A direct assault would have been suicide in all but name.
* In order to siege Khmer, we would need an uncontested naval presence in the Sea of Santara. Khmer is a coastal city, and the largest Tionghoa port in Santara.
* In order to achieve uncontested naval presence in the Sea of Santara, we would have to destroy the Tionghoa’s naval presence in Western Santara.
* In order to destroy the Tionghoa’s naval presence in Western Santara, we would have to take Bandar, where the Tionghoa Southern Fleet was stationed.
I hope readers can follow my line of reasoning. But it was one thing to talk about taking the city, quite another to actually do it. Firstly, it was heavily fortified, definitely more than Khatulistiwa. Moreover, it had a strong naval presence. Finally, it was home to the Tionghoa Hitam.
Speaking of the Hitams, this appears to be the best place to write of the Tionghoa’s reach. As readers may know, the Tionghoa Empire had colonies all around the globe. Santara was not the only overseas dominion of the Dragon Emperor. And the Yakobinians were not the only people to be enslaved by the Tionghoa.
There is a faraway continent – its name escapes me right now. The natives of that land have skin so dark it is as if they are made of coal. The local kings there engaged in wars for reasons I do not know. Those taken captive were then sold at the slave market. Tionghoa merchants, enterprising if nothing else, purchased these slaves. They were then brought into Santara to be either laborers or soldiers. The Yakobinians call these people “Hitams” or “Tionghoa Hitam”.
As soldiers, their strength, skills, and bravery were well known. The “Hitam Brigade” became the Dragon Emperor’s enforcers in Western Santara. They possessed not just an army, but also a fleet. The Hitams were an obstacle we had to remove in order to have a chance of even taking Khmer.
I was sure of our success as long as we have Lord Aron and the Isildur. But at first, my confidence seemed misplaced.
The issue was King Aron himself. Athanasius’ prophecy had rattled him. He had been sullen in our voyage through the Sea of Santara. Once we boarded the Leviathan, he locked himself in his personal cabin. And he consistently refused to talk to anyone – not me, not Arphaxad, and not Drusus.
I could understand myself or even Arphaxad. But Drusus? The two had been close friends since childhood.
Things became desperate when Lord Aron had yet to show his face when our fleet was only a few days away from Bandar. A battle was upon us, and our king was unready for the fight.
We had to do something. And I knew the one person that my lord would not reject: Paradisa, the woman he loved. We had to reach out to the Puncakian fleet which was lagging about a league behind us. So, we sent Drusus to them.
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In the days that followed, I remember how fast my heart was beating. Every hour Drusus did not come with Paradisa, I couldn’t help but fear the worst. But thanks be to El Shaddai, my fears were misplaced. After three days, I saw a wyvern and a pegasus flying by, carrying Drusus and Paradisa respectively.
But we were not out of danger just yet. We were all nervous as we watched Paradisa knocking on King Aron’s door. That feeling intensified when we heard the response she received:
“Go away, Drusus!”
Paradisa yelped. She looked ready to flee, but she caught sight of me and Drusus. I gave her the most desperate pleading look. And it worked like a charm as she turned back to the door. “It’s not Drusus, Lord Aron.”
“That voice… Paradisa?”
“I am. May I come in? Let us talk.”
“Of course,” Aron responded, his voice gentle. “The door’s unlocked.”
As for me, I eavesdropped on their conversation from outside. I missed a lot of details, to be sure. I was able to fill them in later on, thanks to Paradisa.
This was what happened inside: it began with the two embracing one another.
“I miss you so much, Paradisa.”
“And I you, my lord.” The two broke their embrace. “Drusus told me stories. That you refused to talk to anyone, that you hardly eat.”
Aron looked away. “It’s nothing to be worried about.”
“Is it?” responded Paradisa. “I know you’re still bothered about what Athanasius told you. I know you’re afraid. Afraid that you’ll die.”
“Should I not?” Aron said. “The prophet said…”
“We all know what the prophet said!” interrupted Paradisa. “That doesn’t mean we should start making assumptions.”
Aron gave Paradisa a questioning look. “Assumptions? The prophecy was clear as day: I will die on the battlefield.”
“But which battlefield, Lord Aron?”
This question gave the King of Dun-a-din pause.
Seeing her interlocutor’s silence, Paradisa continued on. “There is also another prophecy: a High King shall rise once more, and he will come from the line of Borromeo. Don’t you see, Lord Aron? How can you die on the battlefield if you have no children to continue the line of Borromeo?”
“Paradisa, you… make a lot of sense,” Aron said.
Paradisa smiled. “I’m no prophet, but I am sure you will not die. Not before our children are born.”
“Our children?”
Paradisa jumped in surprise. “Apologies for my presumption. If it is my sister that you love…”
But her speech was interrupted as Aron kissed Paradisa on the lips.
“Lord Aron!” she cried in shock. “You…”
“After we win this war, I will marry you, Paradisa.” Aron said. “And I refuse to be shared.”
And such was the extent of their conversation. If anyone claims that anything untoward happened between the two in that cabin, let him be denounced. I was there and so was Drusus. As soon as they made their marriage promise, the two parted ways. And Paradisa returned to the Puncakian fleet.
With King Aron having regained his will to fight, our confidence returned. Just in time too, as our sailors had spotted the Tionghoa fleet. And given our location, we knew those ships were manned by the Tionghoa Hitam.
Though the Tionghoa fleet was strong, we had the numbers thanks to the influx of Sea Peoples joining our cause. Once we learned of the Hitam fleet, Sea People ships began to sail towards their location. And with our huge numbers, we were able to pin down the enemy fleet while the Dunadinians, the Paloeans, and the Puncakians were free.
Bandar was now wide open, and we intended to make the best of this opportunity.
Unlike in Khatulistiwa where we had to contend without our seafaring allies, this time we had the Sea People fleets, those who did not engage the Hitam fleet, to siege Bandar from the sea for us.
This newfound naval advantage gave us the ability to land wherever we wanted. The flat geography of the surrounding coasts also helped us. The Paloeans under Kochba landed south of Bandar while the Dunadinians (meaning us) under Lord Aron landed north of the port city. As for the Puncakians, their army was split. One was under the command of Inferna, those Puncakians were to assist Kochba. Meanwhile, the other army was to assist us; they were under Paradisa’s command. A surprise, but we knew Inferna had a soft spot for her little sister. Additionally, being the lover of the Isildur’s holder had its benefits.
With the Paloeans from the South, the Dunadinians from the North, and the Sea Peoples from the sea, the Hitams were all but doomed.
We sent a messenger to ask for their surrender. They refused.
We made the first move with cannons and onagers. At the same time, Inferna and Kochba launched their fire magic to assist the Paloean siege engines.
Would you believe that both armies were able to punch a hole in the Walls of Bandar at the same time? Readers are free to scoff at my claim, but what I write is the truth.
With the walls breached, the Padri rushed into Bandar. Naturally, we had the advantage over our Paloean counterparts. Not only did we have the Isildur, but the Dunadinians have always been adept cavaliers amongst their Yakobinian cousins. Meanwhile, the Paloeans tend to focus more on foot and heavy-armor soldiers.
Of course, Inferna’s fire magic really helped, but so did Paradisa’s healing. And in terms of magic, we had Livia and her dark magic; I’d say the Nodian matched the Puncakian pretty well in the destructive arts. And in the end, the Paloeans had none like Drusus, the warrior without equal.
Between Lord Aron’s glowing blood red Isildur and Drusus who rode atop his terrifying black wyvern, it was a surprise that the Hitams did not simply flee Bandar in terror. But such was their bravery.
If it sounds like I’m describing an easy battle here, that’s because in some ways, it was an easy battle. The outcome had been ensured from the start.
The real fight was not so much against the Tionghoa but which one of our armies, the Paloean or the Dunadinian, would take more of the city. Thanks to our mobility and raw power, we were able to win that battle. I estimate that we took about two-thirds of the city while the Paloeans had to make do with the rest.
The Tionghoa general was a Hitam named Daqin Wu. Unfortunately, I did not know much about him. During the battle, he was at the southern end of Bandar. Witness accounts differ on how he met his end. The Puncakians said he was roasted alive by Inferna’s fire magic. The Paloeans said he was captured, and then roasted alive by Kochba’s fire magic. I have no reason to believe one account over the other.
I leave that mystery for future chroniclers. Now let’s move on.
In the aftermath of the battle, it was easy to figure out which part of Bandar had been taken by either the Paloeans or the Dunadinians. The latter was damaged, but otherwise intact. Meanwhile, the former was largely flat, having been burnt down by fire magic.
As fate would have it, we also happened to run into Daqin Wu’s son, Daqin Heian. The northern part of Bandar was where the commander’s family lived, and Drusus had captured them during the battle.
They were not the only ones as we were able to capture thousands of surrendering Tionghoa Hitams. They were the only prisoners since the Paloeans massacred theirs. Kochba wanted to do the same with ours. But this time, we had the upper hand.
Even so, what King Aron did next was surprisingly bold. The Tionghoa Hitam second-in-command was called Zhou Tan. We spent some time looking for him, as we attempted to find someone who could speak for the Tionghoa Hitam since their general was dead. When Zhou Tan was brought before King Aron, he stood tall, showing grace and poise. I was shocked, having expected savagery or otherwise uncouth behavior.
Aron asked Zhou Tan a question: “How do you wish to be treated?”
But before the Tionghoa soldier could answer, Kochba interjected, “Why are you asking him this question, Aron? He is an invader and a savage, kill him and be done with it.”
“This is where you are wrong, Sultan Paloe,” responded Zhou Tan. “For in my homeland, I was king. That is, until my kingdom destroyed, my people butchered, and I thrown into slavery. I was here because the Tionghoa purchased me as they did my brothers-in-arms.” The Tionghoa Hitam turned to Aron. “King Dun-a-din, you ask me how I wish to be treated. My answer is this: treat me as you would a fellow king.”
Lord Aron was deep in thought. And he finally spoke, “Then I have a proposition, O King. Join our cause! I can see that you are a man who values liberty. We Yakobinians also seek our freedom. For so long, have we chafed under the Dragon Emperor’s dominion.”
“Surely you jest, Aron!” Kochba cried.
But Aron put up his hand, silently commanding the Sultan to be quiet. And Kochba acquiesced. Just like that. How a single weapon had changed the dynamic so much.
“And if I refuse?” asked Zhou Tan.
“What do you think?” Kochba said.
“Peace, Kochba!” Aron cried before he turned to Zhou Tan. “That is for me to decide, though I am not one for moot hypotheticals. You won’t refuse, O King. I can see it in your eyes.”
“You are right, King Dun-a-din,” responded the Hitam. “I accept your offer.”
I was surprised by this turn of events. But looking back, I shouldn’t be. After all, Lord Aron was a charismatic one; I too was quick to join his cause. Out of all of us, there was only one person who saw this coming, Livia. Her knowing smirk when all this was happening was unmistakable.
Regardless, this was a great victory. And we were looking forward for the next battle. The battle for our freedom: The Siege of Khmer.