Battle of the Kingless – Ch. 1 | KT OLLA

IN the Age of Darkness when no law or king ruled the Land of Promise, an alien pack reigned instead. Their name was Terror.

But Terror was born some savage beasts, with fiery breaths that could raze down whole cities. So the people cried and died every passing day, for they’d brought this fate on themselves.

Yet now their own lord of war arrived. But he was born worthless.

[c.1140 – 1030 BC]

1

XARXUS came and his arrival was war.

For donkey years, vicious lords of Philistia terrified the people of Gilead in Israel. But when Xarxus joined their league, all hell broke out.

Indeed, the ruthless king of Ammon knew nothing else about repression other than fighting battles of conquest.

And that first day on the battlefield of Gilead, he swore to crush Israel’s knees to a definite bow.

Yes, that first battle. It was a hard-bone fight.

Gilead matched out to resist the warrior’s incursion on those border regions. Their armies were the fearless defenders of the nation’s gates.

But in front of Xarxus Tamer of Dragons, those packs were fireflies with no fires at all. And they grinded their teeth in fear as they resisted that king of war.

Yes indeed, the commander of the Gileadite army couldn’t take that invasion. It was to mean a doubled oppression and slavery for the people, he knew that.

So he sought for the best words now. For that fellow was a man of words and wit. They called his name Elar.

So now Elar faced his army, and aloud he roared: ‘Stand your ground! Stand your ground! Defend your country to the grave!’

Then the soldiers growled a fierce response and beat their shields with their brazen spears.

But Xarxus was never to be fooled by that bold front. So after a big laugh he sounded to his men to attack.

And that attack met the Gileadites unprepared still.

Thus, the soldiers of Ammon charged out on chariots and horses, galloping with a crushing speed towards those defenders of Israel’s proud gates.

Their chariots flew. Their horses leapt. And those horsemen wielded swords like they wielded a lightning bolt.

Elar’s heart hopped out of his chest that instant. But Gilead must face that battle, not turn their backs and run. So he sounded his command at once.

‘Attack!’ he cried. So his soldiers picked themselves up and charged towards Ammon on foot.

Thus the two armies crashed into themselves the next instant. It was a brutal clash.

But Israel fought and stood their ground, hacking down the enemy’s horses and breaking the wheels of their chariots.

Then when those great horsemen came falling to the ground, they pinned them down with their spears and slew them down there.

So, in no time, the Gileadites had killed about a hundred men and the Ammonites just about forty.

Xarxus turned round and saw that fatal twist. He was shocked that this could even happen.

So, from the hill where he masterminded the fight he ordered a counterattack.

‘Crush the enemy! Crush the enemy!’

But the Ammonite soldiers knew what to do with that order. So, they sprinted their horses around, stirred them up when they came on the Gileadites…

Then they knocked the men down with those proud chargers and struck them down with arrows.

So there in the open vale flew arrows of the Ammonites, slaying Gilead’s stoutest men ever before they could hack down the horses and their riders.

Thus, Gileadite soldiers died in hundreds in the plains of battle. But Xarxus wasn’t satisfied with just a few hundreds.

So then, that pitiless lord of Ammon called from his chariot on the height where he led that battle.

He cried. ‘Get down and slay, warriors of Xarxus! Get down and slay!’

Then that command travelled as far as to the ends of those plains, as Xarxus’s commanders of regiments echoed the order through the battleground.

‘Get down and slay! Get down and slay!’ they repeated ferociously.

Right then the Ammonite soldiers started jumping down their horses and chariots, drawing out their blades and bows straightaway.

So they ran through the army of Gilead, slashing heads and piercing ribs as blood and water splashed and splattered.

Then in about a couple of hours, a thousand was down on Gilead’s side. With Xarxus’s men still standing, still slaughtering.

Gilead’s commander, Elar, fought up until now. But by this time his strength had waned like some thawed ice. And so was his morale, too.

He looked round and saw his men being slashed in pieces by Xarxus’s monsters. He watched that daunting slaughter and cried.

Now Elar was certain his men could fight no longer. So, aloud he roared his next command.

‘Retreat! Retreat!’ And that order, too, flew as far as to the ends of that field.

So then, as if Elar’s soldiers had been waiting for that order, they turned round all too suddenly and fled that valley of slaughter.

Gilead ran as fast as a frightened hare, and the soldiers of Xarxus pursued them with a hunting chase.

They kept fleeing, admitting defeat. And the Ammonites kept pursuing and slaying.

But Xarxus was now satisfied. At least, for the time being. So he ordered his men to retreat and they ceased chasing the routed horde.

But then… just right then, Xarxus looked over the plains from the hilltop. And what he saw frightened him.

It was the first time, the very first time.

That the Tamer of Dragons trembled.

 Copyright © April 2022 by Kayode & Tola Olla