Bitter war

The Eastern black gates had opened, and General Khalifa led her men into the city of Bintan.

Ever since they had received word from Meliesse that one of Majeed's sons had betrayed him and was ready to cooperate with Hadia, Sultan Burak had ordered General Khalifa to take some of their forces to aid in the subjugation of Bintan. Once Bintan was theirs, they would use its resources to help in their campaign and win the war.

Whatever happened here and in the battle of Sworis/Amresh would play a great part in deciding who would emerge triumphant in the war, so the general knew there was no room for failure. Bintan would fall to Hadia today, and nothing would stop that from happening. The general made her way into the city with her army and was greeted by their allies, who had helped them open the gates. She stared down at the men from her steed with disgust. Although they had helped open the gates, she had no respect for men who would betray the one they were meant to serve.

She pointed her spear at one of the men before speaking.

"You. Do you know where Rashid's mansion is?" she asked.

The guard nodded in response as he stared at the general. General Khalifa was a dark-skinned woman with braided hair. She wore red armor, with her helmet tied to her steed, and wielded a long spear.

"Lead us," the general said, and the guard quickly led the way.

A lot of people in Bintan who had witnessed the scene stared at the army—some in shock and others in horror. What they had feared for so long was finally unraveling before their eyes.

**

In the Jasim family mansion, Meliesse and her men were hiding, watching the mansion, and waiting for the right moment to strike. They concealed themselves among the common citizens near the mansion, observing it closely. Their mission was to wait until the news of the gates being opened and of the approaching army reached Rashid. Once he sent Ramon to deal with the threat, they would attack and capture the Sultan. Once this was done, they were sure Ramon would surrender, and Bintan would be successfully captured.

But to the men's surprise, when the news came that the gates had opened and an army was approaching, the man tasked with facing the incoming general was not Ramon. It was another man—someone they had not considered a player in Bintan, someone they didn't think was even one of Rashid's men.

"Who's that?" one of the men watching the mansion asked their leader as a man with two swords strapped to his back led Rashid's soldiers to confront the approaching army. The leader stared in shock, his mouth quivering as a lump formed in his throat.

"That's Karkal, a lieutenant of Mars. We have to inform Lady Meliesse, now," the man said.

His partner's face dropped when he heard that name. They could not believe the Sultan of Bintan had employed the services of a lieutenant of war. It seemed his dealings extended beyond food and weapons.

The man quickly snapped out of his shock and hurried to meet Meliesse, who was waiting for word in one of the houses close to the mansion.

When he entered, Meliesse stared at him and asked,

"Is it time?"

The man opened his mouth and spoke in a shaky tone.

"Uh—it seems Lord Rashid has employed the services of Mars. One of their lieutenants was seen coming out of the mansion, leading Rashid's men to stop General Khalifa, which means…"

"Ramon is still beside Rashid, and things just got more complicated," Meliesse said.

Her face remained calm, showing no sign of panic. She thought for a moment and then spoke in a light tone.

"We proceed as planned. I'll deal with Ramon. Rashid's forces are still divided, so we have to capture him before all the men Karkal brought arrive. The only thing that has changed is how quickly we need to take the mansion. Let's move in," Meliesse ordered, and the man immediately left to relay the message to their allies.

After the man left, Meliesse allowed herself to frown.

Rebecca noticed this and spoke.

"Is it that bad?"

"Very," Meliesse replied.

"Karkal is strong. Very strong. Dante fought him once, and even that maniac didn't win."

"So he's as strong as Lord Dante?" Rebecca asked.

"Don't be foolish, child. I said Dante didn't win; that doesn't mean Karkal can match his strength. It's just that anyone who can survive a fight with Dante is a wild card. I know my chances of surviving against him are slim. I don't know if I can win against someone like that. I can only hope our dear general is strong—because if she isn't, we'll be dead by day's end," Meliesse explained.

"Rebecca, change of plans. I want you and your group to leave the city," Meliesse said.

"But why?" Rebecca asked. "We can also fight, and our mission is not complete until Bintan falls."

"You have a new mission now. You are to wait and watch the outcome of the battle. If we win, you can return. But if we don't, go back to Hadia and report what happened to Nostos and the Sultan."

"What about you?" Rebecca asked.

"What about me?" Meliesse replied. "You're cute when you act genuinely worried for someone like me.

I don't plan on dying here, silly child. I'll be fine. Just do as I ordered," Meliesse said.

Rebecca nodded and immediately left to carry out her mission. After she left, Meliesse looked up.

"First it was him, and now I have to deal with another monster. Today is shaping up to be a lovely day," she thought with a smile and left the room.

It was time for them to take Bintan—or probably die trying.