Game Of Thrones Joffrey Baratheon Purple Days

-15 days since departure-

"Major Joffrey" muttered the officers under Joffrey's command as they stood up.

"At ease gentlemen" Joffrey said as he closed the tent flap behind him.

The six men sat back down as Joffrey rounded the inside of his command tent, finally getting at the 'head' of the imaginary table. His command tent, as with all the others of the Expedition, were but a far cry compared to Renly's Grand Pavilion. The tent was round and squat, lacking any ornamentation besides its grey camouflage. His officers sat on top of small cushions, legs folded as they started on their meals.

Getting this mixed bag to actually mix and integrate… has been a little harder than I thought…

A serious problem, one that reflected on Joffrey's abilities as a commander in his opinion. A grave matter, but he was so hungry right now that he didn't care.

Oh gods yes… Mixed Jihuan…

Joffrey sat on his own cushion, devouring the spicy jihuan rice with his sticks, relishing the almonds and dry meats peppered throughout the bowl. To his left sat his former Half Sun and now commander of the 17th Patrol, Captain Hu. To his right sat Captain Han, old friend, commander of the 11th Patrol and his defacto second in command. Both of them immediately assaulted Joffrey for information in typical scout fashion.

"What's the word from The General, Joffrey?" asked Han after digesting a particularly hard rice ball.

"Supplies are looking good for now but Major Xu reports there's no sign of any of the Shryke shantytowns yet… their inhabitants, that is…" Joffrey told them, eying Captain Xon-Mi warily as he pelted their resident mage with food. He was patiently using his sticks as makeshift catapults to now and then send a single rice grain sailing over the middle, trying to score a hit on Captain Jhos.

None of the grains seemed to be hitting him though, to Xon-Mi's growing interest.

The newly promoted Captain Hu looked a bit shaken, trying to scratch his nonexistent Yi-Tish beard. "Damn… it would be one thing if we found them burnt to the ground or full of sabered bodies… but just empty… I'm glad the Long Patrols are securing them before we get there…" he said with a shiver.

"Speaking of which… Captain Shah, Have you ever found them like this before?" Joffrey asked the Captain of the 1st Long Patrol, by far the most experienced man on the room.

His face was full of creases and his hair was a silvery black. The veteran scout nodded once before setting his bowl down and placing his hands on his lap, always solemn.

He spoke with a faraway look and a strange longing, clear signs of Grey Overexposure and Brain Mush.

The Scouts are loyal and competent, but no one said they weren't hypocrites, he thought, amused as he listened.

"Aye Major" he almost whispered, only using the words as precisely as he could, almost a parody of what the rest of the Legion thought of the Scouts. "I had heard only rumors and tales from some of the older hands before me… until I found one almost fifteen years ago. The signs of a struggle were evident, but there were no bodies, and no loot had been taken…" he said, earning the attention of Captain Jhos who shuffled slightly from within his black robe, turning his slightly pale head towards the man.

"And no blood?" asked the commander of the Leaping Frog Constellation, his deep voice sending shivers through Joffrey's back.

"Hmm… there was, old and dry. It was only the bodies that were missing" said the Deep Scout.

Captain Jhos frowned slightly at that, as if confused by that piece of information.

"Something not making sense with magic? Surely a momentary setback for those who wield the sword-without-a-hilt" Captain Xon-Mi mused, leaning back.

"Not every problem requires an explosion, Captain" Jhos said as he contemplated Xon-Mi as one would a particularly intelligent dog.

That little exchange summed up their problems quite nicely… Joffrey thought.

"A wise man has the tools for the work at hand, and the work at hand is rather massive. The shovel does not berate the pickaxe" suddenly said Sabu, commander of the 4th Rangers, resident formation straight man and wielder of both the biggest battleaxe and the greatest beard Joffrey had ever seen.

For being the captain of the group of Scouts that specialized in pure destructive potential, Captain Sai was remarkably soft spoken and tranquil. He fitted right in with the Scouts.

The Lion's grab bag they're already calling us, thought Joffrey in amusement and slight irritation.

Joffrey thought each of the six officers under his command had been chosen for a reason. He supposed The General had not been lying when he said he had a knack for dealing with the unexpected, though he thought that had more to do with luck than any particular skill he might have. Still, each man brought with him a unique set of skills to his command, and Joffrey couldn't help but feel that he was being somehow tested by the Night Hawk…

The fact that The General had been looking alternatively at Major Yham and back to Joffrey in amused silence during their command lunch was… ominous.

He let the relative lull in the conversation (such as it was) guide his mind as he used the small bit of free time to think. He haven't seen the Silver Lion since his surprise visit at the ruins beside the oasis… and curiously, neither had he felt what he thought was his heart condition

Where had it come from? There were no records of Lions within a hundred miles of Lin's Watch, and he'd found no record in the Greytower's library about silver furred lions sporting a white-blond mane.

Joffrey thought it was somehow connected to the strange happenings in the Beyond, but he couldn't figure out in what way.

The Beyond… the corpses and the disappearances…

And that was another bag of mysteries. It was clear someone or something was harvesting living beings, and that at least some of those harvested beings were being turned into what he'd heard one of Jhos' Quarter Moons refer to as 'undead' in controlled awe and fear.

I think… Wights they call them in Westeros… Perhaps all those children's tales had something to them…

Westeros… Wonder how the War of the Five Kings is turning out… maybe Balon Greyjoy sits on the Iron Throne, he thought, suppressing a snort.

He suddenly realized all the officers had finished eating, and were politely staring at their empty bowls in silence.

Joffrey shook his head. Damned Yi-Tish discipline.

He pushed his bowl forward with a nod, "We'll decide the marching order for our formation tomorrow at first light" he dismissed them.

They stood up in varying speeds, some more determined than others.

"Sir" they acknowledged with a small bow.

Joffrey nodded back as the officers left and Sunbeam Loh entered. He cleared the bowls and made space for his 'Long Bed', the warm, portable pseudo cocoon the Long Patrols used in their travels.

A servant… the world has a twisted sense of humor…

"Thank you Sunbeam. That will be all" he told him.

"Sir!" he saluted, turning back and exciting the tent.

Its getting late… but I think its time I get to know my officers properly. No time while out there in the field…

He nodded as he stood up.

He had work to do, and people to get to know.

Is it work if you like what you do? He suddenly thought.

…I love this job.

After all, his wonder sense could use both places and people.

-.PD.-

An hour had passed since the awkward dinner, and Joffrey was now looking at the Jade Half Moon leading both of his sections in some kind of ritualistic dance.

"KHAI!" shouted Half Moon Dishi, planting both feet firmly on the ground and slightly flexing his knees as he slammed both of his fists together vertically, stopping right at the middle of his chest.

"KHAI!!!" roared a bit less than 50 men, slamming their fists together in the same manner and in perfect synchronization.

The Half Moon shuffled his hands in somewhat halting but powerful movements. He moved them around with strength, shaping strange forms with his arms that seemed to be contained to the area around his chest, always erect, his arms not sporting an inch of flexibility.

The two sections were named Twilight and Moonlight instead of Red and Orange as the rest of the Legion. Both had their respective Quarter Moon's (The Jade Scribe's Sunbeam equivalent) in front of each, following the Half-Moon with the rest of the men.

"KHAI!" Shouted the Half Moon, the rest of his men answering again as they repeated the motions, concentration supreme.

There had been some rumblings amongst the men to kick the Leaping Frog Constellation out of camp when they practiced their strange, noisome ways, but Joffrey had put a firm stop to that. After the first week, the men of the Support Formation had decided to go with the flow instead of fighting it. At least those that belonged to the Scouts had taken it in stereotypical amusement, using the precise timing of both morning and night rituals to time their sleep like a smallfolk farmer would use a rooster.

The members of the 12th Flying Artillery had to make due with shoving their heads under their Long Beds… or just stared at their Fire Lances in longing.

Joffrey walked to Captain Jhos' tent, giving the assembled Jade Scribes a wide berth as he fought the doubts that were already forming within his head.

The mysterious Jade Scribes…

Rumor said that they'd originally been an order under the command of the Bloodstone Emperor, an order of powerful and ruthless magi who defected from their master at the height of his madness… They said that was the reason why they didn't go by Legion ranks.

Whatever their origins, this small branch of the Legion worked differently than its sister branches. The higher ranks were scarce, and each Constellation carried four Half Moons instead of one, their Lieutenant equivalents. They were very picky about their men, and they usually served for life even after their service terms were done.

All of this, besides the obvious area of expertise served to set them bit apart from the rest of the Legion, and it was something that Joffrey did not want to be reflected within his command.

Arming himself with another bucket load of determination, Joffrey opened the flap to Jhos' tent, which was curiously unguarded.

The tent was flooded with incense, a relaxing scent filling Joffrey's lungs as he closed the flap and coughed.

He peeked again, this time holding his breath. He saw what was probably Captain Jhos, a bundle of dark robes sitting in the middle of a few cushions, right in the middle of the tent.

A bundle of dark robes that shuffled slightly in Joffrey's direction.

He had already decided to close the flap again and call it a day when Johs extended a hand a beckoned him inside. "Major Joffrey, you want to speak with me?" he said in that deep voice of his.

Joffrey swallowed, entering the tent and half expecting it to be full of spiked heads and body parts.

Alas, aside from a few curious knickknacks the Full Moon's tent was surprisingly mundane. "It's nothing urgent, it can wait if you are busy with your… ritual…" Joffrey muttered awkwardly, eying the Captain's widened pupils and tranquil expression.

"It's not a problem Major. As for my… ritual… it won't be affected" he said.

Joffrey nodded as he walked inside the tent, sitting where the Captain pointed. It was a spot in between him and the metallic incense ball.

Joffrey sat there in awkward silence yet again as the Captain seemed to leave the conversation's initiative to him.

Fol-Fing's ninth battle strategy! When surrounded and outflanked, attack!

"I was wondering about the fighting potential your men could bring to our formation, Jhos. Can I call you Jhos?" he suddenly asked.

"Of course, Major" he responded.

"Please, call me Joffrey" he countered.

The Captain nodded and spoke, "As you will… Joffrey. My men are well trained and ready to face whatever threats we encounter out there"

Joffrey nodded thoughtfully, a pleasant buzz surrounding his body as he spoke. "I'm sure they will, but I was thinking about their more… esoteric abilities…" Joffrey pronounced carefully.

The good captain actually chuckled, a both unnerving and incredibly funny sight.

"Are you asking whether we are all 'magi'?" he asked him.

"If you put it like that…" Joffrey kind of agreed. He was wary around the subject, all of his encounters with magic had been… scarring, to say the least.

"The men possess no skill that would be considered 'esoteric' as you say. However, they have a grounded theoretical knowledge of it, and they are trained in the ways to detect them as well as ending them… permanently" he said.

"And the Officers?" Joffrey pressed.

"The Officers… we are knowledgeable in some of the many Old Arts, both their history and their more… practical uses. We have our ways…" he said in an exaggeratedly ominous tone, with… a slight… smirk?

Is he making fun of me?

"You're not going to turn all shadowy and try to stab me in the heart, will you?" Joffrey suddenly blurted, immediately putting a hand on his mouth in surprise.

Jhos' eyebrows rose in surprise before laughing, harder this time.

"Alas, I am incapable of doing that. Where did you meet a Shadow Binder anyway? A master one at that?" he asked, thoroughly intrigued and leaving behind a bit of his erect posture.

"Oh man that's quite the story, you know I'm some kind of exiled prince right??" he asked him.

"I've heard some of the rumors" Jhos conceded, slightly tilting forward in interest.

"Well, thing is, 'my' supposed kingdom is a snake pit of treachery and intrigue. Like, 'hey, can I read some books over here for a while?' and everyone like 'Nope! Stab stab!' and I'm like 'I just want some quiet damnit!' and everyone else like 'Excuse me? Did you say STABSTAB! We have poison too! And more staaaaabs!'" Joffrey said with an infectious giggle, "You know the type?" he suddenly asked the Full Moon.

Jhos was chuckling, nodding again and again. "Oh I do, believe me I do! What do you think those five lumps of black rock are protecting?" he said with another chuckle.

"Yeah I figured. So, I'm like minding my own business, reading stuff, when this pampered idiot who couldn't find his own ass with both hands and a Tyrell helper comes around and kidnaps me. Long story short, he's my 'uncle' who wants 'my' throne, though he could have had it if he just asked! Anyway, he's living the good life being the hero the kingdoms deserve, when obviously reality comes knocking in typical westerosi fashion. Stannis, his brother who's camping with his army right in front of him, comes around and says like 'Excuse me, did you want to be happy? But--"

"STAB!" suddenly shouts Jhos, laughing his ass off.

Joffrey struggled to contain his spittle as he laughed too, "Damnit that was my line! Anyway, he's been surprise stabbed by someone in his tent, and everybody's like 'Stabbed? Must have obviously been good old Ser Loras crying over there, forgot which hole he was supposed to stab and aimed for the heart instead of the butt!!!' BUAAAHAHAHAHA!!!" Joffrey laughed and laughed as if someone were extracting laughter demons out of his belly. Jhos was holding his mouth with his sleeve, struggling to contain his own amusement.

"So! So, there's no bloodied knife around and Loras keeps whispering about this 'shadow' in between sobs, and everybody's too busy running around like headless chickens to think about that. The rightful heir to the throne has been camping right in front of them for just one night and suddenly their pretender is dead, supposedly killed by the man that loved him the most, with no weapon in sight. The supposed murdered is in shock whispering about shadows and the wound on Renly's heart is so precise you'd think Loras studied under a master surgeon in the Citadel! And the wound itself is so thin you'd think the stiletto that stabbed him would break with a heavy wind! So, what do you think the rebellious lords do?" he asked Jhos.

"Bow down before the obvious Shadow Lady and beg for mercy?" he asked.

"Nope!" Joffrey proclaimed grabbing his head.

"Run for their lives?!" Jhos asked him, hoping that at least they did that.

"Nope! Obviously the best course of action is to stand right there and proclaim me as king!" he suddenly blurted.

"They didn't!" Jhos whispered.

"They did! So, Stannis waits all day in his camp grinding his teeth all like 'What's taking these idiots so long?' while said idiots crown me and place me in the same godsdamned chair that the pampered fool that just got murdered sat upon barely a few hours ago!"

"That's just bad taste…" muttered Jhos, shaking his head.

"Tell me about it! And everybody's feasting like nothing happened, all like 'Oh hello there King, remember when we were laughing about you being the bastard spawn of incest? We neither!!!'" Joffrey said, snorting so hard he had to take his napkin out of his pocket and clean his nose.

He blew hard into it, and tried to fold it again so it could fit into his pocket.

This seems to be taking an eternity, he thought as he struggled to fold the napkin back into his pocket for what he thought must have been a full hour.

"And?" Jhos asked, curiosity supreme as he emptied the incense container and stuffed another chunk of herbs on it, the hot charcoals beneath warming it up.

"What were we talking about?" Joffrey asked.

"Hmmm, I think you stopped at a feast?" Jhos reminded him, scratching his chin.

"Right! The feast! So, everyone's there trying to manipulate me so transparently you could have built a pure glassed Myrish far eye so good Archmaester Vaellyn would have broken down in tears, and I'm like 'Seriously?!' and all the fucking schemers are like 'Yeah seriously!' And I'm like 'fuck this!' and scramble back to my tent… and that's when he appeared." Joffrey said, trailing off ominously. This time he was the one fooling around with the good Captain.

Jhos was on the edge of his cushion, almost falling back as he gripped it with strength. "And then?!" he demanded.

Joffrey tilted forward, as if he was about to deliver a terrible secret, his face right over the incense container. He felt like some kind of ancient storyteller delivering his tales in between ominous amounts of arcane and mysterious smoke.

"And then… he was there… Torso made entirely of shadows, legs but a whisp of air as it floated over me, his face unmistakable. It was Stannis, the Sorcerer Lord of Dragonstone Island, peering down at me with infinite rage and hatred, his face a rictus of disdain and fury…" Joffrey whispered as he trailed off.

"And then?" whispered Jhos, this time leaning forward in total attention.

"And then… he rose his hand…" Joffrey whispered quietly, taking in as much air as he could fill in his lungs and cursing the damned smoke, he had to time it right.

Jhos was quiet as he stared intently at Joffrey's head, the only movement where the smoky whirlwinds that shuffled around him.

"He rose his hand… and he BLUAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGH!!!!!!!" he shrieked as he stood up with no warning whatsoever, hands raised and flailing around.

Jhos screamed as he tried to stand up and fell on his back, arms flopping to his sides.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he managed to sit back up. He gazed at Joffrey's still form as his superior bit his arm, face red.

Suddenly the tent's flap opened up and a Jade Quartermoon entered, a silver shortsword grasped firmly in his hand, "Moon Jhos! We-"

Jhos waved the man away, still staring at Joffrey, who was struggling with what he internally swore was, if it managed to get out, the greatest roaring chuckle he'd ever had. Joffrey was sure it would wake up half the camp and the Night Hawk himself would swoop in and clobber him senselessly, if it got out...

Johs raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards slowly but surely.

Joffrey grunted a bit.

He grunted again, a bit louder this time.

Jhon snorted as the corners of his mouth kept tilting up every time Joffrey grunted.

"S-so…" Jhos struggled against the impending apocalypse.

"Y-you could say…" Jhos stuttered, force of will supreme as he tried to get the words out.

"Don't say it!" Joffrey suddenly blurted, his voice slightly muffled as kept biting his arm.

"Y-you could say you were…" Jhos closed his eyes tightly, tears of laughter trailing down his cheek.

"P-please d-d-don't!!!" Joffrey begged.

Jhos took a deep breath, and his lips slowly settled, face relaxing as he managed to contain it.

Joffrey lowered his arms, taking deep and slow breaths, trying to settle down.

Suddenly Jhos' face disfigured itself as he suddenly screamed with all his strength.

"STAB STAAAAAAAAAAB!!!!" he screeched.

"You just hahd toaa shay hhiiiiit…"Joffrey jabbered quickly, his speech decomposing as he grabbed the cushion he had been sitting on and slammed it on his mouth with all his strength.

"MMMMMMMMMMMMMHHHHHHHUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHA!!!!!!" he screamed in muffled, demented laughter, the recoil making him fall on his back.

He laughed and laughed until all the air on his lungs had been expended. Then he rose for another breath full of that damned smoke and slammed his head back on the cushion, giving up and just letting it out as one would a bad case of explosive vomit.

He shouldn't have bothered. Jhos' laughter could have woken up half of King's Landing.

-.PD.-

They spent a while more, talking and laughing, exchanging stories and anecdotes.

"Thank you, by the gods I'm thirsty…" Joffrey muttered as he accepted the cup of cold tea, drinking it whole.

"Aaaahh… that hit the spot…" he muttered.

"I'm glad you like it, it has a few bits of mashed gol-pear in between, gives it just the right touch of sweetness" said Jhos, drinking from his own cup at a much more sedately pace.

Joffrey sighted, content as he enjoyed the pleasant buzz.

Jhos was looking at him thoughtfully, "I'm still surprised you lived through that encounter" he said. "I've never seen one, but Shadow Spawns are a devilishly tricky bit of shadow bindery. You don't even need line of sight to guide one to your target, and they're fast… the fact that you even saw it, much less managed to dodge its attack… and the blood potency required…" he said as he shook his head.

"Blood potency?" Joffrey asked, intrigued.

"Yes, you need either a lot, and I mean a lot of blood, or else the bloodline of a powerful sorcerer… Your uncle Stannis must have had a blood harem… " Jhos said thoughtfully.

"That sounds bad. Is it as bad as I think?" Joffrey asked.

"Depends on what you are thinking. It's a somewhat common practice for powerful Shadow Ladies in Asshai, though 'common' is maybe too strong a word when you could count their numbers with both hands… They have carefully cultivated bloodlines of previous, mostly fallen families of powerful magi, some of which stretch back for thousands of years. They have sexual intercourse with the men, sucking them dry like a Sothori Mosquito while they shriek in ecstasy. It is one of the most pleasurable ways to die…" Jhos said. "Or so I've heard" he added, nodding sagely.

"Damn… that's fucked up… wait, something is not fitting with that explanation…" Joffrey suddenly said.

"I was confused as well. I thought that out west the likes of Stannis were deposed by their people immediately…" Jhos told him.

"The likes of Stannis…?" Joffrey asked, confused.

"Yes, a man with the sexual organs of a woman. That particular spell certainly needs that…" Jhos commented with both eyebrows raised.

"S…S-stannis… Stannis Baratheon… hehe, haha… hahahahaha!" Joffrey started laughing again, lowering his refilled cup so it would not spill.

"You want to get half of Moonlight Section's swords around you again?" Jhos asked with a chuckle.

"Nonono…" Joffrey muttered as he controlled himself, taking a sip from the tea. "Its just… Imagine Stannis… no… just no…" he said with another chuckle.

"Ah, well… He can't wield that kind of powerful of magic without the equipment, so…" Jhos rose his shoulders in a vague shrug.

Joffrey sat there, thinking. His mind was unusually flexible as he thought about that old assertion.

Was Stannis really a powerful sorcerer? The man who broke the Iron Fleet in two and regarded the law as the ultimate liege lord?

Stannis Baratheon?

Stannis Baratheon???

The more he thought about it the more ridiculous it seemed.

There's a missing piece somewhere… blood… powerful blood for spells… gods why does that sound so familiar…

He closed his eyes, chasing that slippery train of thought.

"Didn't the Red God give you Renly, Stannis? Didn't he give you Tywin? Didn't he give you this city for you to take with your armies?" whispered a voice within his skull. "A bastard he may be, but he still holds the blood of kings" said the red woman, walking towards Joffrey with a torch in her hand "Imagine what I could do with the blood of the Kings of the Rock" She said, eying Joffrey with hunger.

"Holy seven fucks…" Joffrey muttered. "Hey Jhos!" he suddenly startled the dozing Captain.

"Yes?" he asked, blinking.

"The face on the shadow demon, baby, spawn, whatever. Does it have to be the sorcerers?" Joffrey asked urgently.

"Hmmm, not necessarily. I'd have to consult my books at the Dawn Fort, but I remember reading that if the connection with the target was stronger with the 'giver' than the sorcerer, then the shadow could sport the 'giver's' face, but it's rare. For the sorcerer the giver is just fuel, why target someone connected to him?" he asked.

"Why indeed! By the gods, Stannis is not the sorcerer, he's the fuel. The Blood of Kings indeed! But it's not kings, is it?" Joffrey spoke quickly, filled with adrenaline by the sudden deduction.

"Not king's blood, you need a sorcerer's blood right?" he suddenly asked Jhos, who nodded.

"Right, but they're not necessarily incompatible!" Joffrey almost shouted.

"Most families have buried or downplayed it since the Andal's conquest, but even accounting for myths and legends, history paints a clear picture… The most powerful First Men kings were sorcerer kings, Bran the Builder, Garth Greenhand, the Durrandons! The Baratheons have Durrandon blood!" Joffrey said as he pressed a hand to his palm.

"By the gods it's all making sense now! The red woman, some sort of R'hllorite fanatic, she's the sorcerer, and she's using Stannis as fuel for his own benefit!" Joffrey deduced triumphantly.

…

"But why?" Joffrey muttered.

Solve a question, another one rises to take its place… The motto of my life…

"Have you ever heard or read about a sorcerer serving the… 'giver'?" he asked him.

"Definitively not. As I told you, they're barely anything more than fuel for the user. Precious fuel sure, more valuable than gold, but fuel nonetheless…" Jhos sentenced.

"Damnit… for once I hoped I'd solved one…" Joffrey muttered.

"Life's full of mysteries, Major…" Jhos muttered sagely, looking at some sort of silver medallion that hanged from the center of his tent.

The mention of his rank brought Joffrey's concerns back.

"Shit, it must be late… Captain Jhos, its been an honor. If I could join you some other night after our meal…?" Joffrey asked.

"Please, by all means Major. I haven't laughed this hard in ages…" Jhos said, his pale head regaining a bit of color as he chuckled.

"Excellent! By the way, you're not going to… errr finish your ritual?" Joffrey asked lamely.

Jhos blinked, confused. "Ritual?" he asked.

"Yeah, the focusing… stuff you were doing? With the incense?" Joffrey clarified, gesturing at the incense ball.

"Incense..? Oh, oh! Nonono, the incense ball is back over there, I wouldn't have let you enter the tent if any of those concoctions had been on. The Old Arts are a treacherous mistress, especially for the uninitiated…" Jhos said as he shook his head.

Joffrey scratched his head. "But then… the smoke…?"

"Merely a soothing herb. We use it to relax ourselves after strenuous activity, or to help with finding a solution to a problem" Jhos said.

"Huh... well its certainly effective… I'll see you tomorrow Jhos!" he waved good naturedly as he stood up.

-.PD.-

By the Old Gods and the New, I could eat a camel whole…

Joffrey walked out of Jhos' tent and closed the flap. He walked for a bit before he stretched, mouthing off a truly monstrous yawn.

"UUuuuuaaaaarrrrghh... Well, that was a smashing success…" He said to no one in particular as he strode around the perimeter, his spirit unusually high.

That herb stuff really takes the edge off after a day under the blasted sun… I have to ask Jhos for its name the next time we talk…

He saluted the guards as he walked around his formation, inspecting the troops. The Expedition made orderly and structured camps every time it stopped for the night, and Joffrey's part was no exception.

Stakes look good… guards alert… nonessential carts still on the outer perimeter… essential ones on the inner…

Everything seems in order. Though didn't Han's Orange Section had the dusk shift? I was pretty sure it wasn't Hu's Red Section… they had the dawn shift…

The dawn shift…

… The Dawn Shift…

Joffrey suddenly twisted his head towards the east.

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon.

I have a meeting with the General in about fifteen minutes… he thought in mounting panic.

"Sunbeam Loh!!!" he shouted as he ran towards his tent.

-.PD.-

"Good of you to join us, Major Joffrey" The General said without looking as he kept gazing at the map in the table.

"Sir!" Joffrey saluted, rigid.

"At ease" The Night Hawk said immediately, extending a hand and beckoning him forward.

All the other formation commanders were there, they all shuffled slightly to the sides leaving just enough space for Joffrey to squeeze through. They were below a tarp supported by four long bamboo pillars and the audience was clearly using the rising sun to warm up quickly.

"We were discussing our next destination, Major Xu was just giving us his opinion right now, if you care to repeat your point for Major Joffrey's benefit, Major Xu?" The General said, Greatbeam Leng standing to his side as always, an eternal shadow.

The Red Gorilla nodded at Joffrey, "As I was saying, my forward patrols have done a fine job combing the nearby areas for Shrykes, but that's just it! They're all empty, devoid of anything living. I say we've done enough zigzagging for now, we should march straight towards Shiz, they can't have abandoned that" he sentenced, almost slamming his fist against its symbol on the map.

"Unlikely" conceded Major Pigu, tracing an imaginary route with one of the small bamboo rods while his other hand still grasped the dagger on his belt. "It will take about two week if we march straight for it" he said.

"Yes, and leave us a predictable target for any Horsechief brave enough to tangle with us" Joffrey said.

"We can smash through them, Major Yahm can be the hammer and the Rangers will act as the anvil while we strike from the sides, we should obliterate any group foolish enough to attack us. They'll strike at other, lesser armed prey" Xu said.

Major Yham grunted, "I usually abhor following a fixed route, but time is of the essence. The longer we spend not knowing the exact details of what we are facing means the Legions will have less time to prepare… I say we dash straight for Shiz" Said the Dark Rhino.

"We could take an alternative route, it will take longer but it should be a lot safer. We take the southern trade route through Shmah and then Kish. We should take three weeks, four at most before entering Shiz from the south" Said Major Wuhan, tracing an alternative route.

"This seems the most sensible option. It has the added benefit of scouting Shmah and Kish too" agreed Major Pigu.

"Two more shantytowns like the last five others we've crossed, they'll be as empty as the rest. I say we dash straight through. We are bound to find someone in Shiz if we move fast enough!" Said Xu, crossing his arms.

"It seems our opinions are divided. Which course would you recommend Major Joffrey?" The General asked him suddenly before the debate could continue.

Joffrey had been turning that very same question inside his head for a few moments now.

We can't delay… we must find the answers as fast as we can… but if we are annihilated then no one can report back to the Dawn Fort…

Hmmm... Let's take it cautious for now…

"I'd say we take the alternative route, sir. We can't report our findings if we are annihilated" he said, pointing at the route with his own bamboo rod.

General Yu nodded, gazing intently at the map. He looked at it for a few minutes, his face still.

"We'll take the direct route. Time is of the essence" he said suddenly.

"Yes General!" the officers saluted, though Joffrey was thoughtful as he placed his fist over his heart.

He didn't follow the majority of his advisors… his officers… but command is part of that, isn't it? To be able to go against the current when you are sure you know the correct course of action…

"Having said that, the survival of this Expedition is obviously a priority, and I have noticed a deficiency in the men's saber drill. Some are still flailing it around as if it was a fat katana…" Joffrey shuffled awkwardly, willing that the rest of the officers didn't look at him.

They didn't. The General did.

"We will delay an hour each morning and each night for redoubled saber drill, the men must be ready for another attack by the reanimated… Your own drill could also use a bit of polishing, Major Joffrey." he said.

… You could say that… Joffrey thought as he felt his head burn a bit.

"The survival of my officers is an even more important priority, you, all of you, are not expandable. For that reason Major Yham has offered to tutor you personally during those hours. His considerable expertise with the saber should ensure fast progress" he said.

Major Yham was looking at Joffrey with a predatory smirk, and Joffrey felt he was starting to sweat.

And it's not even that hot yet… he thought dejectedly as he tried to stifle a sudden yawn.

"Very well sir. May I ask when do we start?" Joffrey asked the General, already preparing his body for the pain.

"Tonight" answered the Dark Rhino, his smirk widening.

-.PD.-

"Stop, stop stop stop!" Major Yham said suddenly, lowering what in Westeros would have been called a 'tourney saber', if someone over there had actually used one anyway.

Joffrey stopped his move in midpace, a bastard between a water lounge and a knightly cut. He was covered in bruises and sweat, the chilly night not doing much to cool him. Only a few nearby lamps illuminated the surrounding carts and supply crates as a few guards passed by, patrolling the camp's perimeter.

Major Yham raised a hand to his chin, nodding to himself. "You've got the principles all wrong. You're dashing all around with the saber as if it were some sort of, not even a katana, a rapier maybe… " he said thoughtfully.

Joffrey just huffed, using the precious time to take more air in.

"Come Major, let's sit for a moment" he said in his strange, lilting accent.

"Gladly, Major" Joffrey huffed as both of them sat on a small wooden bench beside a Long Cart.

Yham was quiet for a bit, flexing one of his powerful arms before looking at Joffrey. "You know, the saber is not a flashy weapon. Here in Yi-Ti it its use has been adapted quite successfully for the Camelry, but at its core the principles of its use remain the same, principles which in the Summer Islands we know well…" he told him.

"Ahh, a fellow barbarian then?" Joffrey asked with a smirk before taking a deep drink from his canteen.

Yham chuckled, a deep, throaty laugh. "Takes one to know one, though we are not exactly hard to spot, are we?" he asked Joffrey.

Joffrey snorted, "Not really" he said.

"In the Summer Island, the saber emerged from a different ancestor. It was first used as a tool for cutting down and making ones way through thick rainforests and jungles, and in battle they ultimately serve the same goal" Yham explained, grabbing Joffrey's hand and placing his own saber on it.

"Powerful cuts are the mainstay of the technique, powerful but swift strikes that can cut a man in half during the right circumstances… Some think its brutal and ugly, but I think its use is even more complex than the water dancing instruction you have obviously received" he said.

Joffrey was surprised at that, and quickly intrigued. "How so?" he asked.

The Major took a sip from his canteen before speaking again. "The saber is heavier than many other weapons out there, something that gives it an advantage in striking power but a disadvantage in speed. Its technique emphases those traits even more" he said as he shuffled Joffrey's hand on the pommel, changing its grip and mimicking combat motions.

"A badly timed overextension is even more dangerous with a saber as the time required to reposition is longer than with a sword of similar reach. Other heavy weapons such as the longsword have the advantage of a longer reach to go with their heavier weight, but not the saber"

"Hence the complexity" Joffrey said, mind churning.

"Exactly" Smiled the Dark Rhino. "It's a mental game, you have to decide not only where to place the strike, but its timing as well-"

"Like your style of charging?" Joffrey suddenly interrupted.

Yham nodded with a smirk "Indeed. While what I'm trying to say applies to all melee techniques to some degree, with a saber you should take it to the limit" he said, standing up with Joffrey and going back to the ring.

He demonstrated the motions again, and Joffrey felt he was beginning to understand.

"On camelback, such things matter less, but on foot they are compounded. Heavy saber users use a lot of small feints and parries, and while one might think the opponent is buying time or delaying in search of what to do, they are actually opening you up for a devastating strike" he said as he demonstrated, placing Joffrey's arms in various positions as if he were attacking Yham with a normal sword.

"Some have called it brutal and short, and they're right. It is not a weapon for chivalrous combat. With an opening in sight you pummel through whatever weak parry or defense the enemy presents, and deliver a sundering blow on the place of your choosing. For expert heavy saber fighters there should only be one, fatal wound. Combat is decided quickly as a mistake is noted or created, a mixture of both skill and tactical awareness…" he sentenced as Joffrey's ghostly parry crumbled under a well timed, powerful strike that Yham mimicked. "Do you understand now?" he asked him as they both faced each other again, sabers at the ready.

"I think I'm starting to…" Joffrey muttered as he shifted his grip on the heavy saber.

"Do not overextend yourself, and use the whole motion of your body for each strike… the saber is but an extension of all that coiled strength" said Yham.

An extension of the self…

He nodded, readying himself under the light of the half moon. "Lets do this"

"Very well" said the Dark Rhino as he charged.

-.PD.-

The dice rolled through the table, one setting on an eight and the other one on a two..

"They didn't roll right!" said Captain Han, slamming his head on the table.

"You have no dice senses" Joffrey said with a chuckle, taking the dice and giving them to Captain Sabu.

"Its all on you now Sabu! Show the uppity Major how real scouts roll em!" Said Han as he leaned back on his chair, trying to mask his shame at losing to his former pupil.

"How real scouts roll em? If I remember right, riding properly was not the only thing you taught me Han, I'm pretty certain a game involving a couple of eight sided dice whose name I can't recall right now was on the list of 'things to teach the rookie' eh?" Joffrey said with a raised eyebrow.

"More Siwine anyone?" asked Captain Hu, gesturing with the bottle as he entered the small supply tent. As the first to lose the game the young captain had been serving as their cupbearer for the whole evening.

"By the Night Lion Hu! Don't speak too hard or Yham is sure to find us!" Han said in near panic.

"I thought the General had suspended saber drill for today?" Hu asked, confused.

"Yeah, except for voluntary training. And everyone here knows what that means for the Dark Rhino…" Joffrey said as all four scout officers trembled in unison.

Joffrey had thought about inviting the rest of his officers to the impromptu dice game, but apparently playing games of chance with one's superior officer was bad form back at the Dawn Fort… Not that the Scouts cared.

All of Joffrey's subordinates from the Scouts were there except for Captain Shah, who had said something about 'preferring to smell the evening in peace', typical Long Scout cryptical nonsense. Han had translated that as 'need to mush my brain a bit more'

Typical scouts, we're a bunch of hypocrites… he thought, stifling a chuckle.

And now Captain Sabu of the 4th Rangers had finally grabbed the dice. He was looking at them as one would a shiny piece of rock found on the road.

"Focus Sabu! Generations of Rangers are looking down upon you, rob the upstart of his dignity! Oh, thank you Hu, just what I needed" said Han as he nodded at the Captain, taking a sip from his refilled cup.

"Come on Hu! I'm dying over her!" Joffrey berated his Captain, shaking his cup in longing.

"I'm coming sir" said Hu as he suppressed a snort, refilling Joffreys cup with the cool Siwine.

Captain Sabu had not been acclaimed as the 'Ice Bear' for no reason, he was as chilly as a Winterfell storm, slowly shaking his hand and trying to defeat Joffrey against all odds. Only the two of them remained in the game.

"Nervous Sabu?" Joffrey asked the Captain.

"Not at all Joffrey. The dice will fall where they will, nothing to do about it" he said as he suddenly tossed them at the table.

"Thirteen!" Hu almost shouted in excitement, a draw.

"SSSSSSSHHHHH!" Han and Joffrey shushed him, possibly making more sound than his pseudo shout.

"Shit, I thought I had this in the bag… This requires some concentration, stay here everyone, got to pee" Joffrey said as he stood up.

"I'll go too, if I hold into it one more minute I think Siwine is going to start oozing down my ears…" Han said as he stood up too, "Siwine down my ears… gods what a blessing that would be…" he muttered in longing.

They had eschewed the usual water ration betting for obvious reasons, but that had just raised the stakes, as it was now dignity which was being betted. They exited the small supply tent as Hu started giving Sabu all manner of advice from throwing techniques to good luck charms.

He was a bit salty after Joffrey had absolutely destroyed him during the first round…

I'll keep following Colonel Jin's advice, stick to the dice and leave the cards to better men!

Joffrey chuckled as they walked to the camp's designated waste zone, a long trench which reeked of shit.

Certainly beats throwing the waste bucket out the tent flap…

Joffrey and Han relieved themselves in silence, looking up at the rising moon. Joffrey swore that out in the Beyond the thing looked even bigger.

"Still having doubts?" Han suddenly asked.

"No" Joffrey said reflexively before backtracking "Uh, what doubts?"

Han shook his head. "You are a terrible liar Joffrey, it's pretty obvious you've been having doubts about your promotion to the men…" he said.

"Oh gods… is it that obvious?" Joffrey muttered in near panic. "They must be praying I get an arrow through my skull and that the General chooses someone more competent…" Joffrey said as he shook his head in self-loathing.

"Don't be a barbarian. They actually find it endearing… The Scouts have competent officers as the norm, but that doesn't mean all officers care about the men the same way you do, nor does it mean that every officer that passes through the Trash Tower has the humility to admit he may be wrong sometimes…" Han said.

Joffrey was nonplussed for a second. "They don't think I'll get them killed?" he suddenly asked.

"Apparently that remains to be seen, but they're slightly optimistic given the good word your former unit has put out within the formation. Putting the 17th in the supporting formation was a stroke of genius for the General, not surprising I guess…" Han mused.

"As long as you act decisively when the time comes, the men will be with you Major" he said as he saluted.

Joffrey was touched, paradoxically feeling a great weight lift as another one took its place.

"I… thank you Han. That really means a lot to me…" Joffrey said as he saluted back before lowering his sight a bit.

"Ehh, you forgot to…"

"Ah, right. The lower armament was getting a bit chilly…" he said as he stowed said armament.

Joffrey chuckled as he turned, "Come on, we should get back before Hu convinces Sabu to load the dice…"

They walked in companionable silence, taking a bit of time to check that everything was still in order around their part of the camp. They'd left suitable arrangements for their small escapade, and the Sunbeams of the supporting formation seemed to be doing their jobs just fine without the officers breathing down their necks.

"You really think I'll do well enough, Han?" he suddenly asked his friend.

"More than well enough Joffrey… Just remember what you are fighting for…" he said.

Joffrey was going to ask what that was exactly when they reached the small supply tent and the question fell by the wayside as the quickly walked inside. Joffrey was already feeling the smoky taste of Siwine when he was confronted by the pale and deflated face of Captain Hu. Though it couldn't be anything serious or Sabu would have changed his tranquil demeanor… probably.

"What now Hu? Don't tell me the dice fell below that damned crate again…" Joffrey said good naturedly as him and Han sat on their stools.

"I'm sorry!!! He must have followed me when I got back with the Siwine!" Hu suddenly confessed, almost on the verge of tears.

"What?" Joffrey asked, confused.

"Such a… peculiar pastime… especially considering the precious time it uses" A voice said suddenly from behind.

Joffrey and Han both stood up, turning as the stools crashed back and they both took in a sharp breath.

The wide form of Major Yham blocked the tent's entrance, his smirk beatific and generous.

"Time that could be spent so much more effectively bettering oneself…" The Dark Rhino trailed off ominously.

Han looked back lighting fast, quickly scanning the tent for openings before remembering it had none besides the entrance.

"It's over lads" Said Sabu as he stood up and rolled his shoulders. "Best get it done with dignity" he added, shaking some crumbs from his massive beard.

The scout officers exited the tent like deserters to the targeting post, followed by a happy Major Yham carrying an armful of training sabers.

Joffrey suddenly felt movement to his left. He quickly gazed at it, and was surprised to find Captain Shah sporting a rare smirk.

…

"Brain Mush my ass! Shaaaaaaaaah!!!! You damned traitor!!!!!!" Joffrey bellowed at the man, but in between breezes Shah was gone, no doubt intent on mushing his brain a bit more with the rest of his men as they laughed about their superior's misfortune.

…

I'm starting to hate sabers… Joffrey thought in despair.

-.PD.-

The Expedition was only five days from Shiz when they were finally attacked.

They had bumped with smaller groups of refugees or raiders before, but they'd all scrambled when they'd spotted over a thousand legionaries marching right towards them. The few groups that had been brave enough to trade with the Expedition had all shrieked about the shambling legions of corpses that roamed the Beyond to the north east, a thoroughly unhelpful summary.

Joffrey had been cantering on his horse at a quick pace, the Expedition making good travelling time as the hardy wagons made for this type of long journeys sped along, the long column rising and lowering along with the small hills as the green pastures of the lands of the Shrykes very gradually gave way to grey sand.

From one moment to the other, the long, clean horn of the scouts had resounded throughout the column. Three sharp blasts.

Prepare for battle.

"FORMATION! HALT! BATTLE BANNERS OUT!" Joffrey bellowed, reining in his horse.

He peered intently at the standards that were flying in the middle of the striking formation, way to the front.

A series of medium sized flags rose to the air, suspended by long bamboo poles.

Mounted enemy sighted, Centre advance and hold, Support in reserve.

"Reanimated?!" asked Han as he reached Joffrey atop his horse, quickly followed by the rest of the officers and three Sunbeams who carried a similar, if smaller, sets of flags and horns. One of them carried Joffrey's personal banner as was his due as a Major of the Legion. A dozen Threerays that served as his bodyguards and messengers surrounded him too.

"I don't think so, they're mounted so it's either Horsechiefs or Camel Tribes, or anything else this deep…" Joffrey said as the center kept advancing and merged with the dismounted Rangers of the striking formation. Soon he could see sections of heavy camelry sallying out from the left, the Dark Rhino himself leading a flanking action if the medium sized black flag sporting two crossed white tusks was any indication.

Joffrey's own battle flag sported the generic two suns of his rank. He'd been delaying the creation of his personal sigil ever since his promotion, as he felt the two orange suns served their purpose well enough.

"We need to join them sir! Our arrows will cut them to shreds before they can even get to melee range!" Said Captain Hu excitedly.

"Not yet, we are in reserve. We wait for the General's call" Joffrey sentenced as he looked back at his formation.

"I want the men ready to spring out in any direction with but a word, get to it!" Joffrey shouted as his officers nodded and scrambled back to their men.

Joffrey could see volleys of arrows being loosed from the center, though he couldn't see the enemy because of the small hill strike and center were upon.

There were sounds of indistinct battle to the front of him for a bit over half an hour with no signs of further orders from the General besides a hurried messenger who'd said 'Engaging horsechiefs, stay in place', when someone shouted to his right.

"Sir!" shouted a man from Hu's 17th as he reined in his horse brutally. "We have wounded scouts coming in from the right!" he alerted Joffrey.

"Show them to me!" Joffrey commanded, spurring his horse after the scout and being quickly followed by his command retinue.

He rode with the man to the right where a gaggle of bloodied men were collapsing down from their horses, quickly being surrounded by Body Scribes and other men from his formation.

They were arriving in threes and twos, bloodied and exhausted. "Who's in command here?" Joffrey shouted.

"S-Sir! I am!" shouted a Half Sun who sported the bloodied sigil of the 16th Patrol.

"What happened?! Where's Captain Fihua?" Joffrey asked him quickly, still astride his horse.

"He's, He's dead sir… Major Pigu detached us for screening duty on the right flank when the Horsechiefs jumped us… it was a perfect dune ambush… By the Night Lion… we didn't even see them until the sand erupted all around us and another force suddenly charged from the side… We must be all that's left of the 16th sir…" the scout muttered desperately.

Shit, that's at least half of the 16th Patrol gone in a heartbeat and our right flank is now so opened you could fit the Greytower in it…

"How many men?!" he asked the dazed soldier.

"At least… at least some four hundred sir…" he said as he finally collapsed and the Body Scribes took him into one of the hospital wagons.

Joffrey looked desperately to the front, willing the signal flags to move.

None of them were raised, and the fury of pitched battle had even intensified in the meantime.

Over four hundred horsechiefs hitting from the side… we could even loose part of our supply wagons if we are unlucky… they could even decapitate our command if we are really unlucky…

Fuck it.

He turned his horse back and pointed at the scout that had originally warned him. "You! Ride to the General and tell him exactly what you heard here, and that I'm going to try and stop them at that hill!" he said, pointing now at a small hill perfectly positioned for intercepting the strike.

"Yes Major!" shouted the man as he rode his horse as hard as he could towards the front.

"Threeray, tell Captain Shah he's in command of the formation and to await for further orders!" he told one of his bodyguards. The man nodded as he galloped back.

"Sunbeam Jehi!" snapped Joffrey.

"Sir!" said his Horn Scout.

"Sound 'Fast Gallop on Me'!" he snapped.

"Yes sir! 'Fast Gallop on Me'!" repeated Sunbeam Jehi as he took his horn and quickly started sounding out the order.

"Sunbeam Colba, signal for the 11th Patrol, the 4th Rangers and the 12th Flying Artillery!" He ordered.

"Aye sir! The 11th, the 4th and the 12th!" the Sunbeam repeated as he took out the respective flags, each one being snapped on a metal socket at the end of the main bamboo pole and being raised to the air before being removed and making way for the next one.

Joffrey took a deep breath.

"On me!" he ordered as he charged for the nearby hill to his right, the perfect spot to defend against the flanking attack.

"With you sir!" shouted Sunbeam Lho, his aide and personal sigil bearer as he galloped slightly behind him and to his right, quickly followed by the rest of his retinue.

Joffrey quickly reached the small hill, and he could already see the enemy. Must have been over 450 riders clad in bronze, sporting javelins, spears and sabers. They screamed their famous battlecry as they spotted Joffrey and the first soldiers to reach him up the hill, slightly altering their course to meet him. They couldn't wreak havoc in the rear without leaving their backs exposed in turn to Joffrey's force. They'd have to kill him first before they could flank the General.

"uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzhhhhhhhhhhhhAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!" they screamed as they charged, quickly eating up the distance.

"Orders sir?" asked Captain Han as he reached Joffrey with the rest of his unit.

"Get a bit downhill and pepper them! Be ready to fall back at my signal!" Joffrey commanded, not having the time to doubt his own orders.

"On it!" he said as he turned back. "ELEVEEENTH! ON ME!" he bellowed as he rode a bit down the slope, the 11th Patrol scrambling after him, still mounted.

"Sir, where do you need us?" asked Captain Sabu next as he reached Joffrey at the top of the hill. He was clad in heavy iron lamellar over chainmail, his helmet imitating some kind of shrieking monster with its mouth opened.

Joffrey thought furiously for five seconds before nodding.

"Get your rangers dismounted a bit back over there and form a line of stakes! You'll be the final surprise for the fuckers!" he told the big man.

"It will be done" he said, cool as ice as he rode back to his men, just a tiny bit downslope to Joffrey's rear.

"SCOUTS! LOOSE AT WILL AND PREPARE FOR FALL BACK!" Han bellowed from the other side, his orders quickly being drowned by the sound over 40 bows releasing their deadly arrows.

The Horsechiefs started taking casualties, arrows suddenly appearing in necks, chests and heads… but that didn't seem to faze them much as they started reaching the beginnings of the slight slope, screaming.

"uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" they bellowed as Joffrey felt the hair at the back of his neck raise in foreboding.

Joffrey waved a hand forward at Captain Xon-Mi, who's speedy, sturdy cart cleared the back slope surprisingly fast. Three other carts followed him, each pulled by six horses.

Joffrey sped forward on his horse, quickly getting on Xon-Mi's side. "What could you bring!?" he shouted at the Captain.

"My Light Support Section! Four repeaters and twelve Fire Lances!" he shouted back, gesturing at his driver.

"Put half on the right and half on the left, pound their sides! Make them funnel through the center!" he commanded before spurring his horse again and getting back to the center of the hill himself.

The 11th Patrol was to his front and below, loosing arrows and taking down Horsechief's every three seconds.

Behind him he could hear Captain Sabu repeating his orders again and again.

"STAKES ON THE GROUND! WIELD HALF PIKES! HALF PIKES OUT!!!" He bellowed powerfully, calmly walking behind the rapidly forming line of stakes and rangers wielding half pikes, his big lungs making sure every one of the armored Rangers could hear him as they took their equipment and heavy weapons from their horses waiting twenty meters behind them.

The Horsechiefs were a quarter of the way up the slope when Xon-Mi's carts stopped at Joffrey's flanks, two on each side.

The sides of the carts collapsed to the sides, revealing six men each who quickly jumped to the ground. Half of the men were carrying long bronze tubes whose top ends ended in snarling snake heads, while the other half carried packs full of long, serrated spears.

Joffrey could see three soldiers atop each cart after the six man teams got out, operating a stubby ballista full of levers and small springs.

"REPEATERS! AIM AT THE FLANKS AND LOOSE AT WILL!" he heard Xon-Mi shout at his men as the repeaters swiveled to the sides and down, facing the enemy.

THUNNG! Snapped the four carts almost simultaneously as the superbly drilled operators finished setting them up and loosed.

The short bolts slammed into the flanks of the Horsechiefs, sending men flying back and horses tumbling down in agony.

KA! The ballista's screeched as their operators pulled from levers and the loader placed another bolt from the top, letting gravity jam it in place.

Barely five seconds after loosing their load, the repeaters spoke again. Their strangled THUNNG's were short but high pitched, a sound that meshed with the shrieks of agony of horses and men.

They were halfway up the slope when the Fire Lancers got into the action.

Twelve men on each flank ran to the edge of the slope as the repeaters loosed. Six crouched and stabbed their 'Y' shaped wooden aiming aids on the ground before placing their bronze tubes upon them. At the same time, the other six crouched beside the tubes, taking off long backpacks and taking out wickedly serrated spears from them.

The spears were quickly loaded into the tubes, and Xon-Mi's voice was unmistakable as he shouted from atop one of the carts.

"BY VOLLEYS! FIRE!!!"

ttttthhhhhsssssssshhhhhhhTSHUUUUUUUUU!!! Screeched the bronze tubes as tongues of fire erupted from their mouths, propelling the spears with an immense force. They weren't very accurate, but with over 400 horsechiefs riding up the slope, they didn't need to be.

The spears made a sibilant screech as they rained from the sides, tearing off limbs and impaling men to their horses. Joffrey saw one graze one man's arm, taking it out entirely as the spear kept going and implanted itself on the horse of another.

As the combined pounding from the Scouts and Xon-Mi's light support section reaped a bloody harvest on the barbarians, Joffrey could see their resolve finally starting to unravel. Some of the raiders were looking to their sides in panic as their flanks bunched up in the middle, making an even better target for the 12th and the 11th.

They're about to break! Yes! YES!

Suddenly, Joffrey saw one of the horsechiefs taking the lead from the rest of the mob. He wore bronze shards for armor, and his helmet was made from a Sandrake's skull.

The massive man, their Horse Chieftain himself, raised his two handled battleaxe into the air, and bellowed a battlecry that was soon taken up by the rest of the men, hardening their resolve.

"UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" they roared, a quarter of the way up the slope.

They're still coming…

They keep dying and they keep coming…

Joffrey shook his head, hard.

"Jehi! Sound 'Fall Back'!" Joffrey snapped, hands tight on his reins.

"'Fall back' aye Major!" the Sunbeam shouted back, looking at the horsechiefs in near terror as the great, ragged mob neared.

The Sunbeam blew his horn, sounding fall back. As soon as the 11th heard the sound they spurred their horses back to the line… but Joffrey's command had been too late.

The front line of horsechiefs threw their javelins with surprising strength, the long leaping darts looking more like ballista bolts than javelins. "UUUUUUUUUUUZZZZZHHHHAAAAAA!!!!!" they roared as they threw the long darts.

They rained on top of the 11th with force, brutally piercing backs and horses, the scouts screaming as they died.

Han was at the middle of his unit, roaring and rallying his men back to the line. The horsechiefs were almost upon them when most of them managed to control their horses and disengaged.

"TO THE LINE!" bellowed Han, desperately gesturing at his men "FALL BACK! FALL B--" He suddenly stopped shouting as he wobbled atop his horse, a javelin emerging from his chest.

"HAAAAAAN!!!" Joffrey screamed at the top of his lungs.

Han looked drunkenly at the javelin that peeked from his chest, before looking up the hill at Joffrey.

He mouthed something before the Horse Chieftain suddenly appeared to his left, emerging from the whirlwind of sand all the horses had unleashed, battleaxe descending and cutting off his head.

Joffrey gazed at the barbarian, hands trembling as a red cloud started to envelop him "Sir! SIR!" suddenly shouted Sunbeam Lho at his ear, "THEY'RE ALMOST ON TO US! ORDERS SIR!?" he roared as the bloodied riders of the 11th struggled by, rushing for the line.

That served to shook Joffrey out of the haze as the last of the 11th passed him by.

"To the line! Now!" he ordered, turning back and galloping as fast as he could.

His command group made it back intact as they rode through the small holes in the line of stakes, the 4th Rangers setting the last of them.

"ELEVENTH! PREPARE ONE LAST VOLLEY! CAPTAIN SABU! PREPARE TO RECEIVE CAVALRY!" Joffrey bellowed at the men as he dismounted and rushed to join the front line.

Captain Sabu was walking just behind the line of rangers, his battleaxe over his shoulder "RANGEEEEERS! PREPARE TO RECEEEEEIVE CAVALRYYYYYYYY!" he roared as the 4th Rangers lowered their half pikes with a snarl.

Joffrey raised his saber, gesturing at the 11th as they readied their bows "DAAAAAAAAWWWWN!!!" he screamed.

One second, the top of the hill was empty.

One second later, the horizon was filled with hosechiefs, eyes wide in fear and excitement, sabers and spears raised in killing intent.

"UUUUUUUUUUUZZZZZZZHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" they roared at the same time as Joffrey slashed down with his saber and the men of the Dawn Legion screamed their defiance.

"DAAAAAAAAAAWWWWNNNNN!!!!" roared the legionaries as the 11th loosed and the mass of horsechiefs slammed against the line of half pikes and stakes like the Hammer of the Smith upon His Anvil.

It was madness, madness and chaos. Joffrey stumbled back with the force of the blow, the comrades behind him shoving him forward and reinforcing the line. Horsechiefs rained from the heavens in demented shrieks, crashing down on men and sabers. The melee soon became even more chaotic as the swirling vortex of death dragged Joffrey around with a will of its own.

Joffrey slashed with his saber left and right, screaming, roaring, crying as he unleashed fountains of blood from severed limbs and crushed chests. He sabered a horsechief's neck from behind as he prepared to execute a downed ranger, and he stabbed a raider in the eye with an arrow when his saber was stuck on the man's ribcage.

Suddenly, somehow, a clearing formed around him. He saw the Horse Chieftain's battleaxe descend with a roar into the torso of a scout on the ground. The scout's chest exploded as the Chieftain rose his weapon to the air, screaming.

"UUUUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZHHHHAAAAAAAA!!!" he bellowed, the cry being taken up by his men.

"DAAAAAAAWWWWN!" Joffrey roared as he charged the man with his saber, trying to cut him in two from the clavicle to the hips.

The Chieftain parried the blow with the head of his battleaxe, shoving Joffrey's saber to the side before trying to gut him at the neck.

Joffrey crouched, feeling the sharp iron whistle above him.

Deliver the killing blow! An extension of the whole body!

He crouched slightly, coiling and delivering heavy strikes on the Chieftain, who somehow managed to block them each time, grunting in exertion.

Joffrey tried to saber the Chieftain's head, but he overextended. The barbarian parried the blow and went low, taking out Joffrey's legs from below him with the wooden haft.

"UUUUUUUUZZZHAAAAAA!!!!" he bellowed as the battleaxe descended faster than a dragon for Joffrey's torso.

He rolled to the side, barely avoiding the strike. Joffrey leaped to his feet in what the Braavosi called a 'Deck Recovery' twisting his legs and rolling back to his feet just in time to avoid a blow that almost took his right arm.

Find the Point! Deliver the Killing blow!

Joffrey was standing again in front of the Chieftain, semi crouched as he feinted without end, trying to make the man commit a mistake. The Chieftain attacked relentlessly, and Joffrey was soon covered in shallow slashes, near misses all. The immense strength of the Chieftain made Joffrey's bones rattle painfully every time he parried, breathing desperately.

Suddenly the Chieftain raised his battleaxe and lowered it diagonally, trying to bisect Joffrey with his great strength.

There.

He tilted minutely to his left, and the battleaxe wisped by, cutting a bit of his cheek.

Joffrey roared with all his might as his right hand moved in a slashing motion, his whole body twisting and uncoiling his combined strength as if his hand were a kind of whip.

The saber broke the Chieftains clavicle as it kept going, stopping just above the sternum.

The Chieftain dropped his battleaxe as he grabbed Joffrey by the arm and then the neck, bringing him closer and strangling him with the last of his strength.

Joffrey raised his hands to his neck, trying to get the barbarian of him and gasping desperately for air, but he was too strong.

He grunted as he took his dagger and stabbed him on the side of the neck, opening a small river of blood that quickly spurted sideways. He kept stabbing and stabbing but the man kept squeezing…

Suddenly the Chieftain's incredible strength evaporated and he was suddenly propelled on top of Joffrey by some inexplicable force, slack.

Joffrey kept stabbing. He was thoroughly confused for a moment, not knowing where up or down was as the still eyes and blood filled mouth of the Chieftain seemed to sneer at him.

Abruptly he realized he was on the ground, and the dead Chieftain was top of him, pinning him with his great weight.

With a roar of strength he shoved the body aside, taking in gulps of air as he struggled to get up.

Suddenly a couple of hands helped him, and Joffrey had to resist the impulse to stab them too.

"You okay sir?" asked a Ranger as he handed Joffrey his saber.

"… … I… Yes… What's the situation..?" he asked in between breaths.

"We annihilated them sir, they broke when you almost split their leader in half" he said with respect.

Joffrey looked around him. He was surrounded by the dead and moaning, both scouts and barbarians.

"Major" nodded Captain Sabu, his heavy plate positively bathed in blood.

"Captain" Joffrey nodded, looking at the all the dead bodies in a bit of a haze.

Why didn't I position the men better?

"Sir! At last!" Suddenly said a scout with a messenger's band around his arm, reining in his horse and bowing quickly from atop it.

"Threeray" nodded Joffrey, urging the man to get on with it.

"From General Yu: Enemy force routed, consolidate and establish camp at my position. Request report as soon as able!" The Threeray said.

"Flanking force defeated, casualties…" Joffrey trailed off as he looked at the battlefield again.

Why didn't I sound fallback sooner…?

"Sir?" he suddenly asked.

Joffrey blinked. "Estimated moderate to substantial, moving out soon" he told the man.

"Aye sir!" he saluted before spurring his horse back down the slope.

"Captain Sabu, I want the officers here for a quick status report in five minutes… and find me my damned banner scout…" he said, looking around.

"I'll get to it. Some of the horsechiefs can still be saved if they're attended by our Body Scribes. What do we do with them?" he asked, tilting the head of one of the moaning, surviving horsechiefs on the floor with his battleaxe.

Captain Han mouthed something, blood seeping from his mouth as the Chieftain emerged from all the stirred sand behind him, cutting his head off.

…

Joffrey shook his head.

"We don't have the supplies nor the time. Execute and loot them" he commanded.

Sabu nodded as if Joffrey had asked him to bring him breakfast.

"I'll tell the men" he said as he raised his battleaxe.

The fallen barbarian screeched something in his arcane tongue before Sabu cleaved his head in one blow, killing him instantly.

-.PD.-