Colossal Legs of Stone

Chapter 9

Ozymandias rode his horse through the dense forest, feeling the wind on his face and the sun on his back. The green leaves rustled and the birds chirped as he passed by. He was followed by General Horemheb and his brave soldiers, who trusted their king and his plans, even though they faced a formidable enemy.

Ozymandias turned to Horemheb and asked, "How far are we from Kelba?"

"Not far, my lord," Horemheb replied. "But we have a problem."

"What is it?" Ozymandias said, raising his eyebrows.

"Our spies report that the Kelbans have gathered a large army. They outnumber us three to one." Horemheb said with concern.

Ozymandias smiled confidently: "Is that so? Well, then we have to be smart."

Horemheb looked intrigued: "What do you have in mind, my lord?"

"I have a plan. Listen carefully," Ozymandias leaned in and whispered.

Horemheb nodded in agreement.

When they exited the forest, the mighty gates of Kelba loomed in the distance. Leaving three quarters of his men hidden in the forest, Ozymandias took the rest and approached the city gates of Kelba. He saw the walls lined with archers and spearmen, who looked like a swarm of bees ready to sting.

"Keep the men out of bowshot," Ozymandias ordered the general. He took no weapons, the only thing he carried was a ram's horn. He approached on horseback, close enough to be clearly heard by the gate keepers, raised his hand, and signaled for a parley. He wanted to give them a chance to surrender peacefully.

"Greetings, people of Kelba! I am Ozymandias, king of Egypt and conqueror of lands. I have come to offer you a choice." He spoke loudly and confidently.

"If you surrender peacefully, you will become my vassals and pay me tribute. You will keep your country and your lives. But if you resist, I will show you no mercy. I will burn your city to the ground and enslave your people. What say you?"

The men on the walls were silent and stoic. No response. They seemed unafraid and unimpressed. Ozymandias frowned; he was unaccustomed to being treated like a beggar at a feast.

"What? No answer? Are you afraid of me? Or are you too proud to admit your defeat?" He taunted them with a smirk.

"Come on, show me what you've got! Come out and fight me like men!"

His words had the desired effect. The gates opened and a horde of Kelban warriors rushed out. They were fierce and angry, wielding swords and spears. They charged at Ozymandias and his men, hoping to overwhelm them with their numbers.

"Ah, there they are! The brave Kelbans!" Ozymandias smiled wickedly and blew the horn signaling retreat. This was what he wanted. He turned his horse around. He pretended to be afraid and panicked.

He led his men back towards the forest, followed by the Kelban warriors, who shouted and cursed at them. They thought they had the upper hand. Before they reached the forest, the Kelbans returned to their city.

When evening came, Ozymandias walked amongst his men, pretending to be disinterested but actually listening carefully like a hawk.

"We're wasting our time here. How can we conquer this city with such a small force?" one of the men complained to his comrade.

"Yeah, they have more men and better defenses. We should retreat and regroup."

Ozymandias was angry. He stopped pretending and turned to the men. "Silence! Do you doubt your king's wisdom? I have a plan, and it will work. Trust me."