Based on the Farsala Trilogy by Hilari Bell

Disclaimer: I do not own the story, character, or places made by Hilari Bell

Desert Paradise

Chapter 1

The Gates of Arbian

"War is not its own end, except in some catastrophic slide into absolute damnation. It's peace that's wanted. Some better peace than the one you started with." - Lois McMaster Bujold

The sun slowly began to rise over the horizon, the clear sky was painted with pastel oranges, golds, and reds. It was early summer and the few desert animals were rich with life and energy. In fact, some animals crept out of their shaded homes to watch as unit after unit of Hrum soldiers marched past them heading towards a walled country in the distance.

Decimaster Jiaan of Farsala rode beside his friend Patrius another commander of the Hrum, but unlike Jiaan he actually belonged to the Hrum's vast empire which consisted of 38 separate countries their armies had managed to capture over the centuries.

Jiaan shivered at the thought of what the armies have done and how they almost had 39 countries. His own country had gone into war with the Hrum when they tried to invade. And they almost won too, if it wasn't for him and many others who managed to get the peasants to help fight. There was also the merchant, Kavi helped by spying on the Hrum and by spreading the legend of Sorahb and start the rebellion, and even his half sister, Soraya helped too.

However, now it was five years later and Jiaan was now in the Hrum army, voluntarily of course. Substrategus Barmael had actually invited him with Patrius' help to serve in the army as one of the commanders. Meanwhile, Kavi was the councilherd for the Farsalian government while his sister was out in the desert canyons with the Suud people that lived there.

Jiaan sighed, he hadn't seen his own home for five years, he wished he knew how everything was going with the new government. Now that the deghans had almost no power anymore they almost had the same amount of power of any other peasant.

"Jiaan." Patrius called from his side. Jiaan blinked, he was blanking out again. He quickly shifted on Rakesh's saddle to straighten his posture.

"Yea?" He asked in his now fluent Hrum.

"We're almost there." Patrius stated calmly.

"Arbian, right?" Jiaan asked.

"Yes, be ready, all of our spies that had gotten past their walls had told us they couldn't find any plans of an army ready for our arrival."

Jiaan nodded, it was odd how the spies never found anything. Usually the countries they have invaded had a large set of soldiers ready to defend their country at their borders. However, with Arbian not one plan was found and an army hadn't been gathering since they knew that the Hrum were coming just under a year ago. This made all the Substrategus nervous, it was the first time this happened, and they didn't know what to do. It was Jiaan who suggested they take a quarter of the ready units, which was only 10,000 to the walls. The idea came from his own country when the Hrum came his countries entire army was waiting at Sendar Wall, but they lost and badly.

Jiaan rolled his shoulders, even though all his wounds were healed from the war he still felt a faint pain from them whenever he thought of the battle that started the struggle for his home. He closed his eyes for a moment allowing his father's old faithful horse Rakesh lead him as he got his self to focus on the task at hand.

This was going to the be the 5th country he was helping the Hrum invade and take over, it was a small but very wealthy country that was settled on the end of the Badlands that led to the canyons in Farsala. It was true that Farsala and Arbian were neighbors, but they never had conflicts and were very distant from each other.

Arbian was a peaceful and very well protected country with a three story inclined stone wall that protected it. No one has ever been able to get over the wall since the bottom half was straight then suddenly curved like a dome until it reached the top where guards patrolled watching over the distant wasteland for any unwelcome visitors. Even in their harbor the walls were impossible to get past, it was said that the gates that protected the harbor were made of an iron that could never rust was able to close swiftly to protect them against sailing invaders.

No wonder the Hrum waited so long to take this country, who could? However, they wanted it, and now more than ever. Arbian had been getting even more wealthy than ever before, trade had increased incredibly by sea ever since the Hrum was making it an objective to capture at least two countries a year. Not to mention with Arbian's ports the Hrum could control trade for their entire continent. It was their first step to taking over over continents on their world.

Suddenly a thought came to Jiaan's mind as the shadow of Arbian's incredible walls were creeping on them. What did Arbian trade? They were in the middle of a desert, what could they grow or herd here?

Well, the answer to that was coming soon, because they had finally approached the gigantic iron and bronze clad doors that led into the Southern end of the country. Above them on the walls 100 guards stood gazing down at them with great influence over the Hrum soldiers who were all gaping at the massive size of the walls and the beauty and craftsmanship of the gates.

The walls themselves looked smooth and graceful and were made of large stones held together by some sort of gray mortar and glimmered in the hot desert sun with... gold?

Jiaan had to take a double shot, but there it was, gold was placed into the walls. He smiled, clearly the man who had originally build these walls didn't waste anything on them, and wanted to show of the county's wealth. Or, perhaps he used the glimmer as a defense tactic to blind those who attacked it whenever they looked at it forcing them to shade their eyes and thus lose some of their vision area. He laughed, very good idea indeed.

As he continued to examine the walls he noticed holes in the walls that were spaced evenly on the side the army faced and were five feet above were the arch in the wall began. A weakness? No, they were archer views, even now he could see men standing or crouched in them ready to shot arrows if necessary at their enemies below, and when he looked more carefully he could see hinges where the holes could be closed and locked.

Jiaan turned to tell Patrius about the archers, but as he faced his friend and fellow commander he could tell the young Hrum also saw the arrows noched and aimed at them.

"I'm impressed," Patrius suddenly spoke up softly, "the Arbian people know how to protect themselves from whatever they are hiding inside."

"Or protecting." Jiaan mumbled.

"Guardians of Arbian!" Barmael suddenly called from his position in front of the group. "We, the Hrum, have come to fight, open your gates and face us like men!"

Jiaan looked at the guards above, they didn't seem to react at all. What was with these people, didn't they realize the Hrum were the strongest and most powerful army out there. They could beat almost anyone, almost of course.

Then again, this gave him a chance to see what the guards wore for armor. Even though he was far away his eyes could still see what they wore. It looked like they wore a bronze helmet that seemed thin and spacious so that they didn't get overheated from the sun, but how would it do against a Hrum sword?

Going on the guards wore long red cloaks with red embroidery with bronze colored armor underneath. Each one had a sword at their side, and the head guard which stood directly in the center of the arch way that was over the gates had two swords. This was interesting, how was it that they didn't seem to be overheated? Even he was beginning to get hot in the half Hrum, half Farsalian armor that he wore.

"Open the gates!" Barmael called again to the resistant and non responsive guards.

Barmael grumbled death threats and curses under his breath and turned to Jiaan and Patrius.

"Get ready with archers Jiaan, it looks as if our first battle might have to be outside the wall." He told them then went to get his own unit ready.
Jiaan looked at Patrius who gave him a nod and went off to his own unit leaving Jiaan with his archers. Slowly he rose his hand signaling them to noch their arrows and get ready. Ahead of him on the front lines he saw the soldiers with the shields get ready to block any of their opponent's arrows.

Just as he was about to send the order to shoot everyone a loud creak came from the gates, suggesting that they were opening. Jiaan froze along with everyone else but still held his bow ready to shoot if necessary.

Everyone held their breath as the gates slowly opened, Jiaan personally felt as if the speed the gates opened the only for dramatic effect since he had always heard that they closed and open quite quickly.

As soon as they opened, he made his way to the front with his bow resting on his leg. Once in front of the group he met up with Patrius, Barmael, and other high officers. He gazed past the gate's arch to see what they were looking at.

"Where are they?" Another decimaster asked. "Is it a trap?"

As they gazed out they saw nothing but deserted sand dunes, a wind blew past them gently and with them a tumbleweed came bouncing past on the other side of the gate.

"I don't think there's an army here." Someone stated slowly although he also sounded unsure.

"They're probably hiding." Barmael stated as a fact.

Then, Jiaan noticed something shimmering in the distance, and it seemed to be coming towards them.

"What... or who is that?" He asked indicting the moving object.

"A solider." Patrius claimed.

"No, they ride too lightly to be a soldier." Barmael stated as they all squinted to try to see it better.

Above them the Arbian soldiers watched them with mocking ease. Jiaan hated how they looked at them.

"It must be a messenger," someone finally stated as the object, which was actually a white stallion with a person in a lightweight white sari and hijab that cover her entire face except their eyes.

They sat on their horse patiently a few kilometers from the wall on a sand dune and gazed at the Hrum army.

"What now?" Jiaan thought as the morning sun hit his face.