GODS AT THE CENTRE ( EDITING)

CHAPTER IX, VAXES: BAITING SHARKS

Vaxes watched the injured and defeated trail back to the safety of her lines. She met the eyes of some of them, bloodied, some missing limbs.

One was wailing in anguish, clutching his bleeding stump of an arm. A rider fell off his horse, his back was embedded with more arrows than a porcupine's hide.

Some crawled, others walked defeatedly. Their eyes said their thoughts-this wasn't the glory she promised them. She had failed them.

She shuddered slightly at the thought. She had never experienced a mutiny. She didn't pray to. Here and now, it would mean certain defeat-if she was lucky.

There were stories of generals torn from limb to limb by disgruntled soldiers. Two hundred years ago, Akita the unrelenting was impaled on his on banner by his own men!

After three years of an unsuccessful siege at Tahita, that claimed more lives of his men. It was said that he groaned for days while birds tore out his eyes and feasted on his flesh!

That was not her fate.

Beside her, Ivack's dark eyes smoldered with a cold intensity. He had striped his injured arm of armor, he had bandaged it. And yet he still returned to the front.

He hadn't led a charge since then, but his eyes told her that even a one handed Ivack was deadly. His fighting spirit was still there. No doubt, he would be the first to reach for her when a mutiny starts.

Be calm, she willed herself.

This was the fourth assault altogether. Each one followed the other with at least an hour's interval.

She wanted to look desperate, to appear unhinged and reckless, battering her armies senseless against the enemy, to look vulnerable and baiting. She had to sacrifice them. It was for the good of Thigia, the ultimate good.

They now smile with the gods.

Did she really believe that? No! Her faith can wait later. Now, she was thinking and unless the gods were willing to perform a wonder as in the tales, they had better not disturb her thinking.

Each time she sent an assault, she increased it, made it more the previous, more tempting for the Alamarians to pursue down into the plains, into her waiting jaws.

She had used her men for life bait and the bloody fish wasn't biting!

She had started with acting desperate but now she was really becoming desperate.

The sun was obscured by a passing cloud and a cool fell with the shadow. Her men were tired, she hoped the Alamarians were too.

She sighed, offed her helmet and scratched her hair.

What would father do?

No answer came.

Sighing and scratching was what she did, until the sun was out again.

Late afternoon, she was running out of time. This battle wasn't meant to take more than a day. Much was at stake. The Alamarians must not be allowed to get reinforcements. Alamaria was her price! Her hope!

What to do? Her eyes narrowed to slits. To catch a big fish, one must use bigger bait, irresistible bait!

A shark wouldn't fall for worms, so the fishermen say.

It was a gamble, reckless, bigger than any of the assaults she had ever done. Gods if they could hear her now, she was about to play the biggest gamble. Virani of the sea, Hira of the winds and all gods, should stop and watch her.