The horse galloped across the vast land of Mongolia as the tidal waves seemed to match the rhythmic circles of the birds. The women were busy in their house affairs--From bathing their children to washing their clothes in the river.
Men worked on the fields, sweat trickled down from their foreheads--And there were children running round occasionally.
The horse began to slow down as the man decided to hop off for a fleeting rest.
Just then--A boy came Infront of it--The man stopped it as he then got off. Both their eyes met--One sparkled with curiosity while the other just watched.
The man stepped in closer--As he then crouched down near him--What's your name child? he asked in a commanding yet soft tone.
The boys stared at him--Sucking on to his thumb--he then mumbled something. The man then smiled softly--Just as he reached to ruffle his hair--A woman quickly sprinted to them--Snatching away the boy--Her worried gaze swept through him as her chests heaved.
She then shot a glare at the man--Her voice was low yet lethal--Saying something in her language--She then called him a name--And quickly turned on her slippers and walked off.
The man's gaze faltered--He didn't need to be a genius to know what she said. He sighed then hopped on--And with a lashing of the horse--He continued on his journey.
Meanwhile...
Cloud surrounded around the nomad tents as men carried out their work--They weren't just any men--They were the noker or soldiers who were serving their khan (ruler)
Work for your bread! yelled Batu Oyuntulga--The right-hand man of the khan. As he then walked off, peeking subtle glances at the men.
Just then further away a horseman arrived--He narrowed his eyes as the man then reached their tent.
He then got off--Walking towards them.
The men all drop their work as they soon swarmed around the new visitor--Their eyes were cold--And unlike the child they saw him as a threat--As one of the men quickly stood out and grabbed his sword.
The man barely had time to react as they made him completely defenseless.
W-What...Hey! he stammered as he then held out both his arms--I'm a messenger from Byzantium! Just then---Batu made his way to him--The crowd quickly made a path as they then parted. He then stood Infront of the man--Eyeing him from top to bottom.
Messenger you say? for whom?
"For our emperor Augustus"--The Mongol soldiers began to throw their heads back as they laughed out loud in pure mockery.
The man's eyes darted as his arms clenched--Batu let out a low laugh as he then abruptly stopped--He then stepped in closer.
Our ruler... He leaned in, you say... He then finally stood Infront of him--Lips curled in a smug smirk,
"a ruler who is coward enough to sacrifice his own son and has sworn to do it once again?" The messenger jaw clenched though he stayed silent.
Batu's eyes lingered--Then he ripped it away. He then turned--Clasping his arms behind his back--"You will meet our Khan" He then turned, looking at him above his shoulder--"Keep your mouth and that filthy glare of yours to yourself, do not even look at him unless you wanted to be fed to the wolves"
The man gulped internally and nodded as he was then led into the enormous tent.
Inside was magnificent--The floor was covered with various of mosaic art--so did the roof. There was music and dancing women. Their movements, precise, practiced as if they were made for it.
The old shaman like man played drums--As he then swirled around in a circular motion.
Right in the center--On a throne sat a middle-aged man--Ilhan Genghis--The mighty ruler of Mongolia and the other vast lands beyond it.
His eyes were closed as if he was doing some sort of praying as he then opened it.
His cold hooded gaze then fell to the hesitant messenger--The second their eyes his lips twitched into a smirk.
As he then reached out for one of the women beside him--His movement were smooth as he quickly pulled her onto his lap. His gaze was alike a predator as his arms possessively wrapped around her waist.
He then gestured for the messenger to come. He did as he then slowly made his way to him--and finally stood Infront.
The man never once looked at Ilhan as he kept his head low--Occasionally seeming to glance at the insane shaman as he then held out a letter--A guard beside him snatched it away from his grasp as he then presented it to Ilhan.
Ilhan's gaze skimmed through it as the smirk in his lips stayed--So... he wants to shed blood again...
Interesting, very interesting.