KINGDOM OF AIDNI TSAE: Chapter 2 - Dorswinniatirb Palace Outer Defenses

Nhoj Sknab was almost nodding off when Nodsnuh nudged him awake

. As he rubbed his sleepy eyes, he saw Ttekceb coming out of the gate.

His two bulldog soldiers who all this while were keeping their eyes on them quickly moved to the side of the main door. As they stood at an attention on their hind legs, with their lances by their right side, the main door opened slowly from the inside.

First, a battalion of heavily armed bulldog soldiers marched out and formed an inverted u-shaped cordon. Behind this cordon came Droffats the fox riding on a black walnut wooden chariot pulled by a velvet clothed donkey. Tied by a chain to the left side of his chariot was a Billy goat, the otter trimmings of his clothing indicated that he was a noble but now treated like a slave petrified with fear.

Nhoj Sknab wondered, what was the purpose of Droffats dragging a chained Billy goat along with him?

Droffats wore very light armour befitting a noble and a gentleman but surrounded on all sides by four running bulldog soldiers who looked like they just came out of hell. Their chest armours had sharpened three inch iron spikes which were one inch in thickness that is meant to pierce an enemy's heart through a deliberate killer embrace in close contact fight. They were physically twice the size of Ttekceb's bulldog soldiers, more crueller looking and were armed with a twenty-four inch meat cleavers. On their backs they all had crossbows with a bundle of arrows strapped to the bottom of the stock. Their whole butchery appearance was meant to intimidate even the bravest soul.

On a signal from Droffats, Ttekceb moved to where Nhoj Sknab and his friends were standing and requested that they hand over their rapiers. They did so without objections.

As Nhoj Sknab was handing his rapier to Ttekceb, he was mulling in his mind that Droffats the fox must have many enemies. As the chief counsellor to Queen Htebazile and head of the Privy Council with the title of secretary of state, he was the second most powerful person in Niatirb Taerg. Yet anywhere he goes, he is surrounded by soldiers who look like butchers from the slaughter house. Great powers seem to bring great loss in terms of personal freedom and privacy. But this loss was a necessary inconvenience especially when assassination attempts on the fox had happen more than once.

Nhoj Sknab was wondering how this fox even makes love to his vixen with this kind of security arrangements. What fun would there be with so many eyes watching your every move. He wondered whether Droffats even knew what it was to have a romantic time.

"Don't think too much my friend, as you have much in store for you yet," Ttekceb said in a brotherly tone as he tapped him lightly on his shoulder waking him from his engrossment.

Ttekceb instructed Nhoj Sknab and his friends to walk behind him surrounded by twelve soldiers who formed a protective ring around them.

As they came earlier, the battalion of soldiers reversed their formation still keeping a cordon around Droffats as they marched into the arch doorway.

Once inside the doorway, Droffats stopped the chariot and got down and signalled to Nhoj Sknab and his friends to join him.

"Welcome to the outer defence grounds of Dorswinniatirb Palace, the official home of Queen Htebazile."

Looking at Nhoj Sknab, he said," Ah! I see that you have questions in your mind," Droffats exclaimed as if he was a mind reader." We can talk about whatever you have in your mind later but for now I want to give your friends and you a tour of the palace grounds, so as you walk with me, just observe everything around you and give me your comments later. And also, please walk only where my soldiers and I walk, don't stray."

Accompanied by his four personal bodyguards, he took Nhoj Sknab and his friends on an eye opening tour.

As instructed, Nhoj Sknab started taking mental notes of everything.

The first thing he noticed was that the six foot high wall of blackthorn shrubs was reinforced behind by a five foot 11 inches high stone wall that was six feet in thickness. There were sentinel posts at every twenty feet interval that was big enough to house twelve soldiers. In each sentinel post, there was a mini armory of weapons that included cross-bows, long bows, spears and rapiers. Tunnels beneath each post were wide and high enough for two soldiers to walk side by side interconnected all the posts, ensuring shelter from enemy arrows and providing safe logistics routes. The five foot eleven inches high stone walls and all its sentinel posts running all around the palace complex were camouflaged on the outside by the six foot high wall of blackthorn shrubs.

What a deception to temporarily foil would-be-attackers whose ignorant presumption would be that the wall of Dorswinniatirb palace was merely made of blackthorn shrubs. Nhoj Sknab said to himself, "a lesson in strategic deception to fool an enemy by displaying a false overt weakness."

Beginning from the inside of the arch doorway, right in the centre of the inner walls was a cobbled stone path that was wide enough for riding two donkey chariots side by side. The path led from the arch doorway to the edges of a thick green wood forest on the opposite end around quarter of a mile away whose green wood trees were so thick that they provided another natural wall.

On each side of the cobbled stone path and between the parameter walls and the thick green wood forest, were dry brownish grass covered fields that emitted an oily smell with no plants, trees or animals of any kind.

Nodsnuh who was just behind Nhoj Sknab whispered. "Do you notice that none of the soldiers are walking on the fields? They seem to walk along the edges of the walls or on this path but not the fields."

Droffats suddenly exclaimed, "so, we have an observant stag here!"

Nodsnuh was astonished at the sharpness and alertness of the fox.

Droffats turned his gaze on Nodsnuh. Nhoj Sknab introduced Nodsnuh as his assistant. "Ah! You have a very smart and valuable assistant indeed. Let me demonstrate the answer to your question."

He signaled to Ttekceb while pointing to the chained Billy goat.

Ttekceb immediately unchained the Billy goat from the chariot and dragged him to Droffats.

"Gentlemen, this is Ygla our former minister of law. He feels that I have not been fair in my treatment of our citizens of Niatirb Taerg."

Ygla dropped to his knees and pleaded with Droffats. " No sir, I do not think you are unfair. Indeed, you are the fairest and none can match your fairness."

Droffats looked down at the wailing Billy goat and smiled. "So, Ygla, now you think I am the fairest while in our ministers' meeting you thought otherwise."

"No sir. I am sorry sir. That was a mistake sir. It will not happen again sir." Ygla was literally wailing and pleading with Droffats to spare his life. Seeing the petrified Ygla, the seven stags of Aidni Tsae suddenly realize the fate that awaits them if they ever cross the fox.

Droffats held his foot out to Ygla," come rise. Since you said I am the fairest and considering your past loyal service to Niatirb Taerg, I am going to give you an opportunity to save yourself."

As Ygla rose, he kissed Droffats foot while thanking profusely. Nhoj Sknab thought, "what a poor stupid bastard? He thinks he is being spared. He must be a fool indeed."

Droffats seem almost to be a telepathic as at that moment he turned to smile at Nhoj Sknab.

Droffats ordered Ttekceb to remove Ygla's chains and give him a drink.

Nhoj Sknab thought, "Ygla, you fool, this is your last drink."

Droffats patiently waited for Ygla to finish his drink. He then held Ygla by his left shoulder as a close friend would do. "Ygla, this is what you must do to be spared. Just run across this dry field until you reach the green wood tree-line on the other side and I assure you on your nanny goat's life, nobody will do anything to you. Can you do that to prove to me that you are obedient and will do what I say in the future." Ygla said," yes sir," "immediately sir."

Ygla ran. He did not even reach twelve feet when the dry brownish grass beneath him gave way and he fell with an unearthly scream.

Droffats mumbled, "an obedient minister indeed."

No one moved a muscle as they froze in total shock. "Now gentlemen let me show you the answer that I promised you a while ago." As Droffats spoke, he moved to the edge of what now seems to be a very deep pit created by Ygla's fall.

As the seven stags looked down, what they saw caused Yelhgrub to vomit violently. Ygla was lying at the bottom of the pit impaled by two sharpened stakes through his neck and chest. The pit was almost thirty feet deep and the bottom was a bed of sharpened stakes.

Droffats signalled to Ttekceb who threw a torch down the pit. A fireball shot out of the pit almost burning the faces of the stags that fell backwards trying to avoid the flames.

As the stags were getting up, Nhoj Sknab understood the purpose of Droffats lessons to them. The fox was demonstrating his powers as well as his zero tolerance for dissent. It is now dawning on Nhoj Sknab that whatever happens among thieves, there is no stealing from or crossing the fox. The wider lesson in strategic war is that home defences must be deceptively deadly.

It is no wonder that Droffats is trusted by Queen Htebazile who lets him run the land with a free hand and only answerable to her. The Privy Council, the Parliament and other national institutions are mere decorations of respectability. The real power in Niatirb Taerg was with the queen and Droffats.

Droffats said," I believe I have answered your question. If the enemies were to breach our walls, they will still die a fiery death with no foothold to stand on or for the matter to advance forward. Both fields on either side of this cobblestone path are made of many pits filled with stakes, poisonous vipers and oil. This cobblestone path would be laced with oil in the event of a possible breach. Any army advancing on this path will be presenting themselves as targets in sequence for our archers whose arrows will cloud out the sun on this path. There is nothing but death waiting for our enemies if they can breach this outer defence walls. The idea is to decimate as many as possible before they can advance to the enchanted Liagiba forest. Now gentleman, I am hungry. We shall take a break for lunch before proceeding to Liagiba forest which you can see at the end of this cobblestone path. Come let us eat and I would like to hear your comments."

As Droffats led the stags to the sentinel post beside the main arch doorway where a lavish lunch spread was being set-up by a group of beautiful does."After lunch I have a little entertainment set-up for your pleasures."

A beech wooden oval table with matching stools had been set-up in the sentinel post, big enough to accommodate Droffats and the seven stags. The table was laden with all kinds of fruits and vegetables for the stags while two specially roasted succulent kids were placed before Droffats. Two large drums of apple and grape wine were placed nearby. The mugs were filled by one of the beautiful does. While Droffats and each of the stags had a doe standing just behind to serve them.

The stags became uncomfortable on seeing the roasted kids. They wondered the origin of the kids. While they were eating, they heard growls and the muffled and torturous bleats that sounded like a nanny goat in pain.

Sensing their discomfort, Droffats whispered something to one of the attendant does. She quickly went out of the post and after a while the sound of bleating stopped.

As they ate, the stags subconsciously knew that they wouldn't be enjoying the forth-coming entertainment.

Nhoj Sknab was losing his appetite seeing Droffats tearing and eating parts of the kids as if he was a lion. Now he wished he never made the business deal with Droffats.

The other stags sensed the same thoughts but they all pretended to be happy with Droffats lunch treat.

After lunch was over, Droffats clapped his feet together, "now for some entertainment "as he led the stags out to the same pit where Ygla fell.

The stags were traumatised by the sight of an unconscious nanny goat which was obviously the wife of Ygla. She was tied on a cross at the edge of the pit completely naked as her shredded otter trimmed clothes laid at the bottom of the cross. Her face was swollen.

The bulldog soldiers who had been having fun with the Nanny goat stood around gaping at her like hungry wolves.

Fresh blood was still dripping from her torn udders. There were bite and scratch marks all over her body. It is clear that she had been tortured and ravished.

Nhoj Sknab suspicion was confirmed. The roasted kids that Droffats enjoyed for his lunch were her children.

Here was a fox that could become a lion to his enemies, killing everyone, even the children without mercy.

Unlike the time when he introduced Ygla to the stags, he conveniently ignored introducing this brutalized victim. He knew that they knew.

Droffats ordered the stags, "gentlemen, please collect your crossbows. I want to see who among you the best shot is."

The seven stags knew they couldn't refuse. But even as nobles with slaves at their disposal, they had never participated in such savagery as they were experiencing now.

Nhoj Sknab knew he had to put an end to the misery of the Nanny goat. So he volunteered to be the first to shoot.

"Bravo!" "Bravo!" Droffats praised Nhoj Sknab as he took aim with his crossbow. Just as he was about to squeeze the trigger, he whispered, "forgive me madam," and as he squeezed the trigger, he closed his eyes.Thud! And when Nhoj Sknab opened his eyes, the nanny goats head was lying lifeless to her side. The arrow had pieced her heart giving a merciful death in her unconsciousness.

Nhoj Sknab had never killed a female before though he had a history of taking lives especially in duels. But this was murder. He made up his mind that he will kill the fox when the time is right. He thought that Droffats would be satisfied with seeing the nanny goat dead. He was wrong. Droffats was a blood thirsty sadistic and revengeful demon from hell. He forced each of the remaining six stags to shoot at the lifeless body until they ran out of arrows. Then, he ordered the bull dog soldiers to push the cross with the mutilated body into the pit. He then walked over, raised his clothes and pissed into the pit in a slow and deliberate manner.

If this was what Droffats could do to his law minister and his family, imagine what he would do to his real enemies. Foxes are renowned for their cunningness but this fox was a cunning demon, whose every action was calculated strategy meant to have optimum impact on its objects.

Nhoj Sknab now knew how a slender and fragile fox like Droffats, could control all the brutes that surrounded him. Fear, intimidation, pain, torture, and death the perfect weapons, which most creatures understood without explanations.

Nhoj Sknab also realized that Droffats not only taught practical lessons needed to defend a country from its enemies but also the use of power to keep order and manage even the most brutal of all creatures. But this required the power wielder to be the beast among beasts.

Nhoj Sknab knew the lessons learned here is exactly what is needed in conquering and ruling faraway exotic lands. After today's experience, Nhoj Sknab was prepared for whatever was in store for him and his friends in the enchanted Liagiba forest.

KINGDOM OF AIDNI TSAE: Chapter 2 - Dorswinniatirb Palace Outer Defenses

By: Thesigan Nadarajan

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