I've been re-reading one of my former novels trying to decide if I want to do a sequel to it.
I came across this scene, thought you nice people might enjoy the read. I know I did.
Premise, its a Time Travel sci/fi, Modern people in an ancient land mixed with bit of the local culture of the time.
Scene: The guy 'Evan' is a big, I mean BIG Afro-American, a US Marine; he's been leading an army of (the equivalent of today's African) warriors north to confront their oppressors, the 'Shaekel' (based on the Muslim culture but the ancient variety.)
Exerpt:
Deception had worked where previously force had been required and unknowingly and unsuspected, the Shaekel garrison at Tooruk Bel Moojidi had opened the gates to admit the fast-travelling caravan. It hadn’t been until thunder had erupted inside the walls that anyone present realised they had been deceived by the sight this same caravan being pursued by a small force of D’jalon warriors. The D’jalon numbers offered no threat so the commander had ordered what he had assumed were merchants be admitted to safety then once the gates were shut once more, the sturdy walls and stout defenders would be under no threat . He did however despatch four riders to carry the news north to Mahsoor that a small roving band of the black-warriors had somehow evaded the other garrison towns to his south and were now only two days travel from the coast. Undoubtedly, the Shaekel cavalry would be sent to confront this incursion and if any of these black-skinned devils survived the encounter with the mounted forces of the Faithful, the salt-mines would gain additional slaves to endlessly toil for the benefit of the Faith. Two things had conspired against him this day.
The first was his very faith. The Shaekel were lords and masters of all they surveyed and being safe within the walls of Tooruk Bel Moojidi and so close to the populated shores of the sea, duty here was good with plentiful supplies of everything they required readily available, they wanted for nothing. Time had proved to be the other conspirator. Generation upon generation had served here and not once had they ever been called upon to exercise their martial capabilities in defence of the Faith and as such, numbers that had once numbered in the thousands had slowly been reduced to just couple of hundred. The recent losses the armies of the Faithful had suffered at the hands of the unclean had seen further demands placed on the garrison to provide a few replacements to rebuild the decimated Sabaoaths. Time, easy duty, lack of any training and men grown fat and lazy due to those causes was never going to offer much resistance to a determined foe. They had relied for too long on a history of no threats and stout walls to maintain security and they were paying for it now. With no one able to get near the gates to close them, the black warriors that had been giving the appearance of chasing a fast-running camel caravan simply ran in the open gate.
“That’s how easy it is, Zora. Let them see the obvious and they forget that not everything is obvious as it seems.” Evan grinned as he re-loaded his M-16.
“This woman is very impressed,” Zora replied after wiping her blade clean on the tunic of one of the fallen near the gate and slipped it home into her scabbard.
“Judging by the screams, there must be a few women here. I better go make sure the D’jalon aren’t getting carried away. It was just the garrison I wanted eliminated, not the lonely boy’s entertainment.” Even replied and headed off to break up what sounded like it was becoming a riot.
“Okay, break it up,” Evan roared at the top of his voice then fired a couple of shots from his pistol into the ceiling. “Leave the women alone,” he continued, the shots starting everyone in the room creating a fresh bout of screams from the women and stopping what was going to end up as a mass rape. “Go find the kitchens and get something to eat before your friends get here and there’s nothing left.”
The mention of food got the attention of most of D’jalon in the process of addressing their carnal lusts but it took Evan grabbing a couple of waistbands and physically hauling the men off the top of the terrified concubines and propelling them towards the door before the mayhem settled down. The final act was him applying his big army boot to a couple of backsides and clearing the room of all the lusty warriors. He might be leading almost thirty thousand warriors but by no stretch of the imagination could they be called an army. He’d left the savannah lands with over forty thousand of these warriors but the further north they had travelled, the seemingly endless vista of rolling sand dunes combined with long tiring days walking further and further from their homeland had seen many just turn around and head home. What had begun as the prospect of an exciting adventure at first had begun to pale the further they went and the more tired they had become. Food was running short, water had to be strictly rationed and although they had been able to replenish water at every garrison they had overcome, in increasing numbers, the men were tired, hungry and dis-spirited and had simply walked away whenever they stopped for the night. They were fed up and no amount of coercion or persuasion by Neith or any of the chieftains was going to deter them from going home.
Confronted with over thirty terrified women who had been convinced up until Evan’s timely arrival they were about to be abused and then slain, most likely even eaten if the rumours the Shaekel leadership had widely circulated were to be believed now congregated against the back wall of what was apparently their quarters. Evan may have put an end to their immediate fears but in their eyes, he was by far the biggest and meanest-looking of all the black-skinned warriors who had burst into the room and the thunder of his Beretta firing in the room had them all believing he was possessed of some magical powers. Thoughts that they were being possibly kept alive for some unspeakable ritual or human sacrifice filled many a head due to the rumours and disinformation that had been freely circulated as a means to instil fighting morale within the troops who manned the garrison. Those same troops had widely talked with the women and thus the untruths passed to the ears of these women who served their Faith by serving the sexual needs of the men stationed here. The women were a curious mix as well with some Evan had to admit as being true beauties while several appeared well past their prime and he was left wondering about the strange customs and odd ways of the Shaekel lifestyle where the women of the lands seemed to always be subservient to the needs of the men.
“What is to become of us,” the most beautiful of the women finally summoned the courage to ask, her filmy transparent silken attire and gossamer-thin veil leaving no doubt in Evan’s mind that she was genuinely beautiful.
“I’m sorry about that,” Evan began meaning the sudden intrusion into their lives by the undisciplined warriors he was attempting to lead. “I didn’t know there were women here until I heard you screaming. Don’t worry; I’ll put a guard on the door and you won’t be troubled again as long as I am here. Our fight is with your Shah, not his people so just relax but I’d advise you to stay inside, understand? I can protect you in here but not if you go wandering about outside.”
“You do not intend to slay us all,” the woman further asked.
“Hell no; don’t you even think that. The D’jalon will be camped out around the garrison tonight be we’ll be moving on in the morning at sunrise. What you do after that is your business.” Evan informed them just as Zora walked in and faces that once held fear and were just starting to calm down now looked at the tall Karkeara warrior in amazement. “Zora, can you talk to these women? I don’t think they believe me that we’re not going to harm anyone. I’m going to go have a look around and make sure the D’jalon aren’t going to try and do something else stupid.”
“This woman will do this thing, Evan,” Zora replied then strode into the room, winking at Evan as she passed him and he grinned back.
Once the big US Marine has left and closed the door behind him, Zora took a long searching look at the group of what she knew to be concubines. She had learned about the mentality behind such a profession where the women could make a living selling their sexual favours and in an isolated outpost that offered no where they could spend their earnings, many were in all likelihood rather wealthy. As with the male members of the Shaekel, they too could seek a better lifestyle and conditions for themselves by applying themselves diligently to the teachings of their Faith. Those with families could provide a better life for their kin whereas for others, it was simply a means to acquire a dowry before contemplating marriage and the woman who could bring some wealth to the matrimonial commitment was far more attractive in the eyes of a prospective male suitor than one without it. For the women of the Karkeara, warriors all who accepted no man as a better and very few as equals; it was almost beyond belief that a woman would willingly subjugate herself to any man. With a blade in her hand, Zora accepted no man as an equal and they had to earn her respect and any attempt to force her compliance to anything she was not freely willing to offer would be met with a battle-cry on her lips and flashing steel in her hand.