Juani cocked the sniper rifle for the last time as he watched the a fleeing barbarian tumble down. He was one of the five chosen to bear sniper rifles. Long before he got the rifle, he was the lead scout, and the best shot with the bow. Some people are just born with the gift.
He looked down to count the shells he'd spent. Thirteen shots, which meant thirteen kills. These were not his first, but it baffled him how easy it all was. Aim, pull the trigger, cock the weapon, and start looking for the next target, repeat again.
At some point, he'd found himself hesitating, almost as if he was unwittingly giving the other guy a sporting chance. Only, the guy wasn't so lucky, Juani watched as the man's head exploded into a pink mist. Other snipers were on the battlefield too.
Once the signal was given, he got down from his firing position, going to the preassigned rendeavou. Others joined in, and soon, everyone was gathered.
There was a subtle change in attitude. Previously, the soldiers were nervous. They tried to conceal it, but it showed in their movements. Who would blame them, they were going to face an army that outnumbered them ten to one. Even with better weapons, how could they bridge the gap.
However, things were different. They had experienced for themselves how destructive these weapons were. Previously, they only had Jim's words and their imaginations to go with.
Due to how close everyone was to one another, they got to see their bullets penetrate more than three people. This was more so for the snipers, who saw their targets as they went down. For instance, the real number for Juani was definitely higher than thirteen.
The soldiers who were danger close, just meters away from the enemy, got to witness a wall of bullets. No matter how much the horde charged at them, as long as they kept firing, they couldn't get close. It had only lasted for maybe five seconds before the horde charging was depleted, not even getting a chance to turn back.
"Listen up, that was just the first wave, the shock troops. The rest of the horde is right behind them," Jim spoke, bringing everyone back on point. "By now, they would have heard the commotion, so they must have already taken steps."
"Juani, you and your squad are to go ahead," Jim said. The fact that he knew his name was testament to Juani's prowess. He had even impressed and outdone Jim in marksmanship.
One thing that pleasantly surprised Jim when he was interacting with the soldiers was how well the army was organized. Right from the grassroot, there were five-man squads. Four of these formed a twenty-man squad, which, combined with five others, formed the hundred-man platoon.
Juani was a twenty-man squad leader of the scouting twenty-man squad. Unfortunately, his squad had consisted mostly of archers. Jim ended up reshuffling the group, such that every group had a sniper and good marksmen. Fortunately, the majority were still scouts.
Once the order was given, the group started grabbing their provisions to ran up the trail. Just as they were about to leave, Jim called out to them. He took his pack and pulled out two devices.
Looking at them, the group did not even know whay to make of it. It was a box, had lots of holes on one side, and a protruding tube on the top side. It was perculiar to behold. Jim had two.
He pressed some buttons on the side, and the two devices each made a sound. The soldiers were shocked. Jim quickly showed them how to use the devices. Turns out, they were short wave radios which could communicate over short distances.
Jim had been hesitant to produce these devices, fearing some unseen danger, but he had grown fond of this group, he did not want any to perish. Moreover, if he became king, he would have to introduce the radio at some point. Nothing like mainstream media to move the masses.
As for Juani and group, the order had been given. Once they came out of their stupor, they quickly learned how to use the device, and set of. Fortunately, they were in the highlands, which made it easier for them to conceal themselves, as opposed to the plains.
"Don't forget to keep the device's volume down, otherwise they will give away your position," Jim cautioned as he watched them leave.
They didn't take long to track down the horde, especially since they were not even making an effort to hide themselves. Staring at the group through the scope, Juani was horrified. He had never seen such a sight.
Brutish, barbaric, such words did not seem to do the group justice. They seemed even worst than beasts, charging with their mouth wide open. Some had forms and saliva coming off their mouths.
The group consisted of men and women, and they were all in various states of undress. However, none of the Asis were aroused by the sight, some even feeling disgusted. They had heard stories, but seeing this was much worse.
"This is what is coming to meet our people?" Someone said in the back, his voice sounding weak. Of the group gathered around Juani, only he had the scope. However, the others did not require it, since they were close enough to see with their eyes.
Juani had placed his scouts evenly along the various high points, and he had a security detail bearing assault rifles to watch his back. It was one of these guys who spoke.
"This is why we are here," another said. "We cannot let these animals get to our people!" As they spoke, resolve filled them, and they held their weapons tighter.
"This is why the Goddess gave us Jim," Another whispered. The group exchanged looks and went silent.
...
"Your Majesty, the task cannot be rushed," one of the elders said.
"Your Majesty, managing soldiers is hard work, not something to be done lightly," Lord Masila was present. In his heart, he sneered, you thought you could just through people's lives at the problem, how daft.
"How many soldiers do you have ready to move?" Shana demanded, getting exasperated. Lord Nakhim remained silent. He'd already pledged five hundred soldiers, and coupled with the one thousand under her, she had a sizable army. However, the Queen understandably wanted more.
Other than Nakhim, none of the other Lords seemed supportive of her, and they all claimed they were unable to volunteer any men presently. They were all convinced the Queen needed them, so they believed they could leverage her. Their refusal today was an attempt to gain a better position.
Poor fools, Shana thought as she regarded them, how could they know this was all a trap Jim had set for them. By doing so, they were revealing their hand too early, and once Jim obtained the victory... Well, if he obtained, Shana added a thought.
"Alright," Shana pretended to concede, "If you cannot volunteer any men, how about grain and food for the soldiers. Provisions for them to match?"
Hearing her words, Masila could almost not hold back his sneer. "Your Majesty, such a thing will be hard to do. As you know, the people might suffer great hardship soon, and we need reserves in case trgedy strikes."
What was that if not a slap on the face. What other tragedy could he be alluding to. The Queen looked at him until he became uncomfortable. She wondered, what gave the man the right to speak to her in this way? Where was his confidence.
Had she and her mother before her allowed these people to take over the kingdom, such that they saw them as nuisances. Her gaze filled the entire throne room with tension, and even the soldiers began reaching for their swords. If the Queen commanded, they would strike down the offending party without hesitation.
For the first time, Masila became apprehensive in front of the Queen. Even in this state, she was still the ruler, and he was subject. He knew he couldn't go against her, not yet. A plan was forming already. If he managed to secure the bride for the Zithilite King, then he could exchange her for benefits. After all, someone had to rule the Asis, even if by name only.
However, looking at Shana, he got the feeling she would not be easy to remove. Perhaps he shouldn't have been hasteful in removing the previous Queen. He may have unwittingly landed the keys to the kingdom to a lioness.
"Your Majesty, his words are hard to hear but he speaks the truth," another chimed in.
"Your Majesty, we must set the task now in restora..."
"Enough! All of you are dismissed." Shana exploded with rage. These treacherous fools, she couldn't take their words any longer. She dismissed them and left in a fit of rage.
Once their were a suitable distance, a few exchanged meaningful glances and quickly walked away. Whatever these glances meant, it was anyone's guess. Nakhim saw it all, but was ostrecized, he was seen as a traitor to the cause.
Meanwhile, back in the palace, Shana went to her communicator and switched it on, hoping for some good news. What she saw made her scream with joy.
First battle: Victory!