Page 104 - Microsoft Word - FANG EMPIRE - NOVEL.docx

“The guards were not Moroccan military. The invasion force was mostly slaves and

mercenaries like yourself.”

“Of course, and our lives matter less,” said the mercenary with a resentful sneer.

“Fatigue unfilters my words,” the soldier replied. “I only meant that after the Battle of

Tondibi, the Sultan did not want to strain our forces on such a light campaign. The king was a

weakling and Ramoth was our inside man. The victory was a rout. It took only one night to take

the city.”

The mercenary paused. “Do you hear rumbling?” he asked.

The soldier listened. “Yes.” He looked up at the sky. “A storm must be coming.”

The mercenary stopped his horse and turned to look behind them.

“What are you doing?” said the soldier.

“A mercenary’s ears are sharper than those of a mere soldier. The storm is not overhead.”

The mercenary strained to see into the night. A dusty cloud of sand appeared in the

darkness.

“What is that?” said the mercenary.

The soldier looked. “It’s just a shamal blowing in from the deep desert.”

The horses sensed the danger before their riders did and bucked. Omar and Sygnosis

leaped from the dust. The men barely had time to gasp as their heads were chopped from their

shoulders before they could sound the alarm. The vampires ran up to the rear of the caravan and

the slaughter began. Sygnosis snatched soldiers from their mounts and Omar slew them with his

sword. Ten men fell to the blade and several were trampled under foot of their panicked horses.

“Bandits!” shouted a soldier and the caravan master at the front of the line was alerted. He

turned and yelled, “Defend the line! Defend the line!”