CHAPTER 1: BRAVE 1

A strong well armored man halted his horse and dropped down, gazing at the camp with his sharp eyes. Behind him followed an array of soldiers, matching tactically towards a grand tent. The camp, popularly known as the golden camp was enormous sitting on top of a huge wide plain mountain, giving a spectacular view of the northern part of a very vast land. The view stretched out to the whole kingdom and far into the drylands.

The golden camp was heavily guarded with soldiers in every lurk and cranny, with some entangled in a heavy combat, some soldiers sweating from clanging their sword in a vicious attack, some shooting arrows weirdly by facing away from the target and yet nailing it while others watch and wait for their turn.

Several smaller tents were deposited everywhere but the grand tent belongs to the great lion of war's tent. The general of the golden army. Feared by all, conquered the most strongest armies, and never enervated. His battle tactics are outrageously stealthy, precise and accurate. He always won battles even the most fearful ones.

He is the brave great lion of war who tears his enemies apart in one strike, he erupt the battle field with rain of fire and whoever the fire touches he diminishes. He is none other than the son of the former leader of the golden army, shamsuddeen. Whenever the king assigned him with a task of bringing down a kingdom, that kingdom is doomed. Nothing shakes or scares him, not the sharp tip of a blade, nor the arrows that fly through the air, not even the spear that pierce through the skin. Their family was well known for being brave, powerful and formidable. The brave ones, they were called.

Hardrock kingdom was the largest and strongest kingdom in the Hausa land. Over the years, they have encountered numerous wars from other foreign kingdoms who tend to seek power but had conquered all. These made them the most cautious, formidable and strongest kingdom with an army of a hundred thousand soldiers. This is clearly unheard of, to have such a great army yet the war kept coming to them, trying to bring them down but their enemies, never succeeding.

Those were harsh times and the former king was able to restore peace and stability back to the kingdom by the power of the army and his invincible general beside him. Years has passed successfully without anyone daring to even raise a dispute. However, seeing the commander of the golden army approaching the grand tent got everyone tensed. This commander doesn't make himself visible until things are out of control.

Whatever was the matter to have such an important person here? What went out of control? Every soldier was wondering. The grand tent looked peaceful until it suddenly exploded into shreds. Every soldier was shocked at this incident as the shreds flew high into the wind dispersed far into the horizon.

The explosion was so strong that it took some time for the dust to settle only to reveal the lion himself, enraged and ready to tear apart whoever got in his way. A tall, bulky, dark, handsome man appeared, his eyes burning with the fire of rage, his chest heaving up and down which got all the soldiers anxious to know what happened.

He wore a gray and black half knee length kaftan and a wide baggy trouser which sits well covering his tall thick legs. His hands were covered with a piece of black cloth, the dust settled on his black boots and his status ring made of silver shine brightly. Every rank has its own ring to identify who a person is within the army. The ring with the black stone signifies the general and he stood his ground, staring hard into nothingness while his sword was shining in the noon light, ready to tear into the enemie's skin.

Shamsuddeen, the lion of war, general of the strongest army, the golden army was known to reside at his peaceful camp, undisturbed by the worldly affairs. He is not to be disturbed until things turns awry. He have been leaving in peace for a few years after the war of the sea crossers. The camp have been a home to him for a very long time where he trained his soldiers and the king's knights at the golden camp in a hot military combat.

The last war that brought them peace for a long time started twirling in his mind. It was in the dry hot season, the season that was so unfavorable to him. He hated moving in such weather especially before the rain starts. The land was scorching heat, the air was thick and there was a lot of dust, impaling one's vision.

It began like a play because he was summoned by the king to look at a letter from the king of the sea crossers, daring the king of hardrock to unlock his shield for the burning arrow will soon impale into the heart of his kingdom and burn it to ashes. Shamsuddeen found it funny, knowing the king of sea crossers was a lazy fat useless goat who likes to seek trouble before retreating and hiding in his luxurious kingdom.

Then how can such a man seek war with their formidable kingdom? That was funny. The general sent out his men to check the situation and was surprised to hear the outcome. Gandoki, king of the sea crossers was well prepared and had gathered several foreign kingdoms to attack hardrock. Knowing how vast and strong the hardrock kingdom army was, then who if not that trouble seeker will gather clueless kingdoms and send them to their deaths.

Well, let him get over with this king and his train of jesters. Shamsuddeen wasted no time in gathering well, his phase army. Hardrock has an army of a hundred thousand, the golden army which is extremely large. The army was divided into ten divisions with each group consisting of ten thousand soldiers, the silver army. Each group was also divided into ten making the army of a thousand soldiers, the bronze army which was grouped into ten also forming an army of a hundred soldiers, the phase army.

Now the phase army consist of a hundred men which was the army the general sent to the battle field of a thousand enemy soldiers. Their enemies ought to know how formidable hardrock is and stop disgracing themselves bringing a horde of army just to be eliminated by a few soldiers. Shamsuddeen sent the silver army to finish off the strong-headed kings and their army of rats.

Each of the hardrock army divisions have a name, the one particularly led by the general is called the golden army who will only act when there is a real threat. Sending the silver army was a great insult to the foreign kingdoms that were well geared to go to the great war ever. They were whooped lashed so badly that only a few escaped.

Many of them were defeated by an opponent holding and arrow who wasn't even facing them and yet impaling them from their behind all the way through. What a shameful way to die. However, as usual, gandoki who instigated the war was nowhere to be seen. That was how the enemy army was disgracefully defeated.

Every time after each war, shamsuddeen goes back to his to his camp to rest until the next mission. The next mission did come but he wasn't expecting it that way. The bearer of the bad news stood in shock behind the general, looking around in amazement. He have known shamsuddeen to be powerful but never had he expected the general to explode his tent in one strike with his sword. He is well displeased with the news. Looking at the remnants of the tent, he saw that it was divided into two parts that fell apart revealing the heart of the tent

'Those who dares to stir trouble are done for.' Thought the commander.

"Horse." Said the general, his voice hard as a rock.

Immediately, the general's mount was brought to him and in a flash, he mounted it and left the camp together with his commander and his train of soldiers, leaving his camp commander in charge and in anticipation of the unknown.