Sequel: Ummatul Iman: The Greater Trials ›
Status: ongoing
Ummatul Iman: Nation of Faith
Chapter 5: The Lion and The Fox pt.1
Rajab 27th, 1663
Madrid, Spain, one of the few major cities of the world that remained slightly intact, was now a small sanctuary for one of the few Christian strongholds in the world. At the advent of Kwaade's rise to power, religious persecution hit its peak. Anyone known to believe in any deity or practice any religious beliefs was an enemy of the Kwaadi Empire and deemed unfit to reside in society. Under Kwaadi rule, the faithful were often exiled or hanged. Kwaade had convinced himself and those under him that religion itself was evil, and that it was religion that brought about all the great wars of the past, leading humanity to the desperate situation they were in at present times.
Due to disunity, many religious groups fell to Kwaade's power. In the end, only two of the world's major religions remained evident on Earth: Christianity and Islam. No matter how fierce the fighting, these two groups remained determined to fend off Kwaade's evils. Eventually though, the Christian side was weakened. With spies on the inside, Kwaade managed to infiltrate the Church and buy his way to power for the most part. Many priests and Christian Noblemen were swayed by the offer of power and wealth, and so then remained the few and faithful, forming a united resistance group known as the Cross Defense Force (C.D.F or The Cross)
The Cross Defense Force consisted of three major territories: one on each of the three remaining continents of the world. On the African continent, they were wedged between Kwaadi territory and Qafara Fuchain, the deadly wastelands left uninhabitable by the Great Wars. On the South American continent -the only American continent remaining- they enjoyed a bit more peace, even if in a smaller amount of space. Aside from their Kwaadi neighbors above them, and Qafara Maiqwa - more deadly wastelands- the Christians were also living beside unclaimed lands where various tribes lived peacefully. Skirmishes would occur occasionally when outsiders would invade the jungle villages of the tribes, but that aside not much fighting was present. In the European continent, the largest Christian territory was in the remaining parts of Spain. This territory was locked between Qafara Ōuzhō -European wastelands- in the east, Kwaadi lands north east, and three Muslim territories, one south of it and two small islands east of it. Aside from the stronghold in Spain, tiny groups of Christians remained hidden in Kwaadi lands far east.
For years, Madrid and all of Spain -or what remained of it- was kept safe from Kwaade's clutches by what many believed to be a hero sent by God Himself. Every attempt Kwaade made on Spain was thwarted largely in part by one man; Gabriel Guerrero. He was a firm believer and an excellent warrior, whose ferocity on the battlefield earned him the title El Leon de España, The Lion of Spain. He was known to rush headlong into battle, sometimes without a weapon; he would be the first on the battlefield and the last to leave.
Currently, Gabriel was at the southern front, having recently dispersed a small group of bandits who'd been stirring up trouble in the local villages. He was kneeling in a tiny building the locals had built as the village's only church. After finishing up a prayer, Gabriel stepped outside and took in the blinding light from the sun. The golden warmth felt pleasant on his brown skin. He looked into the sky with his hazel eyes, thanking God for giving him the strength to protect the weak. Just then he felt a strange presence.
"Who's there?" he spoke in a deep voice, his thick accent betraying his Spanish origins. He looked around but saw no one. From the corner of his eye he saw a moving shadow. Gripping his trademark battle ax, he cautiously approached the shadow that stood behind the church. Leaping around the corner, he stood to face his hidden foe, only to see instead a tiny puppy shivering in fear. He chuckled to himself before letting out a loud sigh.
"It's okay perrito*," he spoke to the puppy. "I will not harm you." He put his ax away and slowly walked toward the dog. He reached his hand out for the puppy but suddenly with withdrew it after feeling a tingling sensation down his spine. It was that strange presence from before. The dog picked up on it as well and began to bark into the sky. Gabriel stood up and looked around once again, before turning his attention to the nearby rooftops. Yet again he could see no one around. "Strange," he pondered aloud. "Muy extraño.*"
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Rajab 28th, 1663
The crescent moon sat high among the few scattered clouds, barely illuminating the cold, night sky. The city was at rest; all villagers were in their homes, safe within their sanctuary. Or so they thought. Just outside the city's gates a small army of 200 hundred men were closing in for a night raid. With steely eyes and swords gleaming in the dark of night, the army approached the city to launch a surprise attack.
At the forefront of the army stood a shadowy figure. Standing 7 feet tall, the man wore a black cloak with a blue turban blowing in the wind. His scarred face revealed a lifetime of fighting. He stood at the gate wielding a long curved blade. Raising the sword up high he signaled for the army to launch their attack. From the front row twenty archers stepped forth to release arrows dipped in flames towards the city. After their arrows were shot another twenty archers came forth and shot further into the city with their burning arrows.
As buildings and plants began to catch fire, the guards within the city were alerted to the attack and immediately sounded the alarm bells of the city. All of the town's defenders were summoned to protect the city from the invaders. The invading army rushed the gates pouring into the city slaying frightened villagers left and right as they shouted cries of "Allahu Akbar!" No mercy was shown as the soldiers broke down doors and dragged men and women from their homes, slaughtering them in the streets before their petrified families. The city guards rushed to their defense but were unable to put an end to the brutality.
One soldier of the invading army pulled an old man from beneath a tree he was asleep under and struck him down with his sword. Next he prepared to loot the man's few belongings when suddenly he noticed a large shadow behind him. "Have you no shame, que perro sucio?*" a voice spoke. It was none other than Gabriel Guerrero, the Lion of Spain.
"You dare to lecture me on shame you Cross worshipping outcast?" The man replied. "I will slay you where you stand."
"I will hang you by your own turban cloth," Gabriel spoke with confidence as he spun his ax in his hands.
"Come; let me show you the reality you have been in denial about."
Gabriel gripped his ax with both hands and charged at the man. The man swung for his head and Gabriel dodged below it. He came up swinging the ax at the man's midsection. The ax blade cut through the man's torso with ease and he fell to his knees writhing in pain. Gabriel lifted his ax above his head and spoke loudly, "In the Name of God, the Lord of all Creation, die you spiller of innocent blood!" With a mighty swing Gabriel brought down his ax and struck vengeance upon the dying man.
Standing nearby another invader caught sight of his comrade's slaying and his face went pale. He dropped his weapon as he slowly started to back away, stammering for words. "El Leon de España!" he shouted. "El Leon de España!" The shouts filled the air as he fled from the city. The invaders all turned on their heels, fleeing from the legendary Lion of Spain.
Gabriel and the other guards fought the remaining invaders and pushed them from the town. When the army was far enough from the city, Gabriel and the guards returned to finish off those that remained. Nurses were quickly on the scene tending to the wounds of the injured guards and the surviving citizens. A team of citizens were gathered to put out the fires.
After ensuring that no invaders were hidden or remained living, Gabriel stood looking at his city. Within 20 short minutes it had gone from a peaceful slumbering town to one of grief and sorrow. Women in the streets wailed at the loss of their loved ones. Frightened children filled the air with sorrowful cries as the bodies of their mothers and fathers flooded the streets with blood. Gabriel fell to his knees fighting back tears. "And these, "he spoke. "What have they done wrong? Their trials from hence forth will be hard and long. Blood of innocents paints my streets, but I will make those responsible pay, so long as my heart beats. Hear my vow as I swear to You my Lord up High: most certainly by Your Will I will fight the unjust 'til the day I die."
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Rajab 29th, 1663
Gabriel sat at a large table amongst a conference with the three heads of the city and a few of the villagers in attendance. With no officials from the C.D.F present, Gabriel wondered how they could properly decide on the task at hand. The important meeting was called to order for the sake of planning out a stronger defense and alert system for the city, as well as addressing the city's thirst for revenge. "Defense before offense," a gray haired woman shouted across the round table. "We must ensure our city's borders before we worry about going out after our enemies, otherwise we'll leave ourselves open to more attacks."
"The time is now," a short, stout man hastily replied. "If we don't strike now while the wounds are fresh, our lands will fall into unrest. Even though we have strained relationships with some of the other cities, they still look to us for leadership in the absence of C.D.F commandments. How will they react if we sit and allow ourselves to be kicked around? They will think us weak, and it will weaken their own resolve to remain faithful. Kwaade's prideful godlessness will be more acceptable to them than weakness under belief. We of the Cross are a minority in this word, and we are getting closer to extinction even in our own lands."
"He's right," another man chimed in as he stroked his moustache. It was the council head, Juan Guiterrez. "We must defend our honor and our faith. I remember the tales in my childhood of a past where Christianity was the largest force in the world. We dominated several lands and had the most followers of any faith. Now here we are, a minority beneath the godless Kwaadi and the heathens from the east. We don't even have a stake in the Holy Lands because of these. We are forced into hiding in three desperate lands, meanwhile the Muslims and the Kwaadi enjoy spacious empires! What wicked times these are!"
"Yes but what can we do about it?" the councilwoman queried. "We've been able to hold off Kwaade but now that he Muslims have attacked we can't possibly stand to fight them both."
"No," Juan spoke. "We haven't got the manpower to take them both on at once. But, it is well known that the Muslims are a much smaller quantity than the Kwaadi. If we shift our focus from keeping out Kwaade just long enough to build a strong force and attack the Muslims, I believe we can wipe them out for good. It will be a magnificent strike of vengeance and a glorious conquest that will benefit us in two ways. We will have defeated our enemy and also gained more territory with which to confront Kwaade. This is worth the small temporary sacrifice on the defensive end up north against Kwaade. Wouldn't you all agree?"
There was silence around the room as the others pondered the proposal. Eventually, they began to nod in agreement with the idea. It seemed that all were in favor of eradicating the land of all Muslims. The focus then shifted to to Gabriel, the only person of importance who had yet to speak his opinion throughout the entire meeting. "And what do you say of our plan?" the councilwoman asked Gabriel.
Gabriel closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "Praise be to God, Who spared my life those years ago so that I could become a devout servant and I seek to please Him in everything I do. As for this matter here, you do not know how severely my heart aches for all the victims of last night's massacre. And I believe if we are acting to defend them and avenge their grievances, then we should consider their opinions in the matter. You all know I would be the last of you to fear the fighting, and yet I say to you that if we go on the offensive, we become even more of a target. This does not apply solely to the warriors out on the battlefield, but also to the women and children sitting at home, the noncombatants remaining in the village. And yet if we do nothing to defend their honor, then we become blameworthy and may incur the wrath of God for allowing our enemies to murder the innocents. This city may not be in close unison with the other ones nearby, but even so all of Spain is under the protection of the C.D.F; and so it is that everyone residing in it has volunteered their voices to the C.D.F to decide. Thus I think it best that we address this matter to the high council of the C.D.F. To the best of my knowledge, a delegation of 3 is journeying this way even as we speak. According to the most recent reports, they should be arriving within 2 days. I suggest we hold off on this matter until they arrive, and we should present our ideas before them and let them decide, and may God Guide them to what is best."
The room went to murmuring as the people considered all of what Gabriel had said. Some were against his opinion, regardless of their high respect and adoration for him. Others felt that he had the most right of anyone to decide what should be done. Eventually, a decision had to be made, and so it was put to vote. The councilwoman cast her vote in favor of Gabriel's plan. Juan voted against it. The third council member agreed with Gabriel. With a tally of 3-1, Juan knew even his high office did not give him a favorable outcome. Having heard the deliberation from the villagers in the room, he called for the consideration of their voices too. Five votes were in favor of waiting and four favored an immediate retaliation to the attack. The outcome was still in favor of waiting two days to address it to the C.D.F officials. As a show of goodwill to those who were not in favor of waiting, it was decided that if the C.D.F members had not arrived within 3 days, an army would be assembled and an attack on the Muslims would be plotted.
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Sha'ban 2nd, 1663
The city was on edge as the sun set on the second day of waiting. Within 24 hours, a decision would be reached one way or another in regards to an attack of retaliation. Business slowed and the people returned to their homes. While everyone else was just going inside, Gabriel was preparing to head outside. He put his three children to bed, reciting to them verses glorifying God's Greatness and Kindness so that they rest easy and secure. His wife, who was pregnant with a fourth child, was also preparing to rest for the night. A look of concern came over her face as she noticed her husband strapping his boots and reaching for his ax. Everyone else felt that no harm could ever befall the Lion of Spain, but as a wife she was always worried that the worst may come upon him for the people's sayings and praises of him.
Gabriel just walked over to her and placed a kiss upon her forehead, with is thick beard tickling her nose. He gently held her face in his calloused palm, looking into her eyes. "Most certainly I am but a servant of God, doing the Lord's Will," he spoke quietly. "It is my duty after He has blessed me and made me to excel in this skill. Worry not, for I am with you and you with me through whatever goes on, we are together before the eyes of God, mi corazón."
He slowly slid his hand down her face as he turned away to go patrol the city. "God Willing, I will return shortly. It's just a nightly patrol so that the people feel safe in their homes."
Gabriel stepped outside his door holding a lit torch in his left hand and his ax in his right. He was hastily greeted by little Perrito, the puppy from before. Perrito had taken a liking to him and began following him around for the past few days. It seemed even a dog couldn't dislike the Lion of Spain. "Come on boy," Gabriel spoke. "Let's make our round for the night and I'll see what scraps I can bring out for you afterwards."
He set out with the puppy close at his side. Walking down the stony streets of Madrid, Gabriel pondered his course of action for the next day. If the delegates from the C.D.F failed to show up by sunset, the city would raise its own army to go out and fight the Muslims. Gabriel didn't fear fighting the Muslims, especially not after the recent night raid. Still he had a strange feeling in his gut.
Just as Gabriel made a turn down a narrow passage way, he felt a familiar sensation and quickly turned around. He saw standing at the opposite end of the path a young man of medium height and a lean build. He was dressed in the familiar Islamic garb of the Muslims from the south, with a few slight differences. He was in black pants and a brown thobe over it, with a sash wrapped around his waist. His face was covered by the dark brown turban he wore which wrapped down over his face up to just beneath his brown eyes. Both of his hands were covered in black wrapping, and he wielded a 7 ft. bo-staff.
He stood downwind, eying Gabriel as the winds began to slowly pick up. Gabriel kept his eyes locked on the mysterious youth, wondering for what purpose he had come. "You are the Lion of Spain no doubt," the young man spoke up at last, breaking the silence. "Strolling about your territory with the courage only a lion could hold in the face of the enemy."
"My reputation precedes me," Gabriel spoke. "But I am only brave because I fear God; I serve a Mighty Lord and you should be wary of earning His wrath. Now tell me, whoever you are, why are you here?"
"There are rumors of a plan to annihilate the Muslims of the neighboring towns. Rumors that you will lead an army to fight the Muslims in the nearest land. I'm here to see to it that you do not."
"Hm," Gabriel sneered as he gripped his ax. "You should know assassin, I don't take kindly to threats!" He threw the torch at the man before charging after him with his ax at the ready. The young man smacked the torch to the ground with his bo-staff and he spun up into the air as Gabriel charged him swinging the ax. The man came down swinging his staff and Gabriel held his ax up to block the attack. Gabriel swung the ax at the man's side but he jumped back just barely evading the heavy blade of Gabriel's ax.
The man swung his staff low to sweep Gabriel but Gabriel leapt into the air. The man came spinning back around swinging at Gabriel's side but the attack was blocked with the grip of the ax. Gabriel slid his ax down the staff 'til the head had curved around the staff and he yanked at it, pulling the man toward himself. Gabriel struck out his elbow, knocking the man back and disarming him. Gabriel quickly rushed forward to strike the man with his ax but the man parried the attack and flipped out of the way.
Gabriel came forward again, swinging his ax down with a heavy swing, but the man dodged again and this time dealt Gabriel an attack of his own. He slammed his knee into Gabriel's stomach and was preparing to strike him in the back with his elbow but Gabriel caught hold of his arm and punched him in the chest. The man stumbled back a bit before regaining his composure and pulling out a small dagger from his belt. He stood, staring Gabriel down. Gabriel stared back, a small grin on his face. "You seem so young," he spoke. "And yet you are a better fighter than over half the men I have slain before. Such talent, it's almost shame that I have to take you down."
The man jumped forward faking a right punch with the knife before he surprised Gabriel with a left uppercut. Gabriel stumbled back before spinning back around with a fist of his own. The man ducked and came up in a spinning horse kick to Gabriel's side. As Gabriel continued to stumble backwards, the man jumped forward and kicked off of his chest, doing a backflip into the air before charging forward to punch him. Gabriel crossed is arms and blocked the punch, before he swung his ax at the man's head. Jumping back the man just barely avoided the sharp edge of the ax head. Gabriel went on the offensive, continuously swinging his ax at the man as he was left with no choice but to keep evading the blade.
Gabriel was luring the man to the wall of a building, hoping to corner him there. As they neared the wall, the man changed his tactics and started looking for an opening to attack Gabriel. Finally on one of the downward swings, he caught hold of Gabriel's wrist with his left hand. He threw a punch with his right hand, hoping to cut Gabriel with the back facing knife. Gabriel caught hold of his hand before any damage was done and the two were locked in a struggle for dominance. Gabriel quickly gained the upper hand using his brute force and he slammed the man against the wall.
Gabriel released his ax and the man let go of his arm in an attempt to catch the ax before it landed on foot. Seizing the opportunity, Gabriel reached out and grabbed the man's turban, pulling it down and using the cloth to wrap up his arm in it hoping to further restrain him. With his free hand, the man punched Gabriel in the face multiple times, but to no avail. Gabriel yanked him forward and spun him up into his own turban, trapping both of his arms. He then kicked the man over onto the ground.
"Now," Gabriel spoke as he walked over to grab his ax. "Before I send you to meet your Maker, tell me, why are you here? Who sent you Assassin?"
With piercing dark brown eyes, the man stared at Gabriel from down on his side. The two stared at one another in silence for nearly 2 minutes. Suddenly the man rolled over on his side and with great speed cut his way free from the turban with his knife. Gabriel stepped forward to attack him before he had the chance to ready himself to continue. But even as Gabriel raised his ax into the air to swing it down on him, the man had drawn his knife and struck it out, stopping just at Gabriel's throat. He looked up to see the ax blade stop just above his own head. The two remained still for another minute or so.
"Let me be clear," the man spoke. "I am no assassin, nor have I been sent by anyone with any purpose. Rather it was my own conscious that has brought me here. My faith that someone of noble character like yourself could not help but do what is right and fair. And so, as I told you before, I am here to see to it that you do not lead an attack on the innocent Muslims of the nearby lands."
"Innocent?" Gabriel questioned, his anger clear in his voice. "After purporting a breach of peace you dare to call yourselves innocent?"
The man let out a sigh, before lowering his weapon. "I trust you will not behave in a cowardly manner," he said as he slowly moved to put the knife away. Gabriel lowered his ax to his own side, still keeping a firm grip on it in case the man tried to employ some sneaky tactic of his own. "Good. Now, answer me this, is it not true that you captured and killed a good number of the men who attacked your village?"
"Yes."
"And what became of them?"
"We hung them by their turbans on trees and posts outside the city as a warning to anyone else planning such a cowardly attack."
"Indeed you did. Now, do you remember what these men looked like?"
"They were dressed the same way all of you do, except in dark blue clothing, and they were older men of a light brownish complexion."
"Indeed they were. Now, you have Muslim neighbors to the south who fit this appearance, but they are more than a month's journey away and would have to cross through Kwaadi lands to get here. What strategy is there in planning such a small and useless attack with a small army and such a risky journey? Furthermore, your Muslim neighbors east of here neither wear these colors, nor are they of the skin complexion you mentioned, rather they are a of a pale complexion by comparison. As for the colors they wore, this is closer to the way of the Ikeqi, not the Muslims."
"Are not the Ikeqi your allies?"
"They are not the allies of the Muslims, rather they had a peace contract with the Muslims, until a few months back when they broke it and launched an attack in the Saharan lands."
"So you are saying to me that the Muslims have not committed this heinous act against us?"
"Indeed. I have been travelling through the lands of your neighbors in recent times, and they are in no way harboring any ill-will towards your people. Their only wish is that Kwaade did not have any power in the region, if that means they fight him or you do they have no issue."
"All of this information sounds important and very heavy, but how do I know I can trust you?"
"Have I not explained to you the error in assuming the attack was purported by your Muslim neighbors? Do you not know that our Prophet (pbuh) ordered that even in war women and children are not to be attacked, nor the noncombatant elders. That he forbade us from even cutting down the trees? How then could the Muslims have disobeyed and disregard their religion when our religion is all we have in these days, and our fight is to keep hold of that even against the wishes of Kwaade."
"As is ours. And I have faith that God will grant victory to the faithful believers; most certainly it will not remain that evil controls the world and ungodliness is mandated upon the people, for surely then will come the Punishment of God."
"Indeed."
"With this information you have provided, things are now complicated even further. How shall I address to the people in the morrow that I have met a stranger from amongst the Muslims who tells me they are not the enemy, when the people witnessed with their own eyes men who looked to be like you killing their families and burning their village?"
"My suspicion is that this was done purposefully to strike conflict between the Muslims and Christians. The very fact that they shouted 'Allahu Akbar' while committing the evil is clear enough proof that they wanted people to believe they were Muslims."
"And just how did you know that much even after the matter?"
"Because I was present during the attack, and fought a few of them myself. I have been in your city for a few days now, wandering."
"Why? Who are you?"
"I am called many things, to some I am Ishaq*, the Wandering Fox. To some I am simply Al-Gharib, the Stranger. And there are others."
"Hm, I think I have heard of you on one of my travels."
"In any case, if my suspicion is correct, and it is an elaborate plot to get the Muslims and Christians in this area to start fighting again, Kwaade must be up to something. He must be planning another attack, this time to wipe us both out once we have weakened each other already."
"Of course, it sounds just like the kind of cowardly move that serpiente* would pull. This is a very complex issue now. Tell me friend," Gabriel said loosening his grip on his ax and relaxing a little. "Would you care to stay for one more day and join me at the conference tomorrow. I will defend you against anyone who wishes to harm you, on the condition that you speak everything you have told me before the conference tomorrow. There are some very high officials from the C.D.F coming and perhaps we may convince them of a new plan and a possible alliance between our peoples."
"Yes, I am well aware of the coming of the Cross delegates, and I am not in fear of them; though I thank you for your concern and offer. I will stay, as my mission is one of peace and good conscious."
"¡Excelente! Perhaps there is hope for peace between our peoples after all."
"So long as there are people like you, I don't doubt that there will be."
"What do you mean?"
"Hm," Ishaq smiled. His brown face was lightly sprinkled with tiny brown freckles on his cheeks. Gabriel could see a radiant glow on his face, one that could set the heart at ease. "I have been watching you, and I do not think Guidance will evade a man of your sincerity and devotion for too long." Looking up at the moon, Ishaq sighed. "Everything in due time, only as our Lord Wills."
Gabriel looked up towards the moon as well. "Yes, I should certainly hope guidance comes to me soon. I don't know what I will do in this matter without it. Should the C.D.F fail to come, will you remain and assist me in trying to convince the people not to go to war? Or do you think your conscious will lead you to prepare your people for an oncoming attack instead?"
There was silence. Gabriel looked back to his side only to see that Ishaq had vanished. He looked around and saw no sign of him. Neither the turban, nor the staff remained; all traces of Ishaq vanished along with him into the shadows. Gabriel looked over to the puppy who seemed to be just as confused as him. "Muy extraño."
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GLOSSARY/TRANSLATIONS
Perrito: puppy
Muy extrano: very strange
Que perro sucio: You dirty dog
Serpiente: snake
Ishaq (pronounced "iss-haq" not "ish-shaq"): Arabic equivalent of Isaac
Madrid, Spain, one of the few major cities of the world that remained slightly intact, was now a small sanctuary for one of the few Christian strongholds in the world. At the advent of Kwaade's rise to power, religious persecution hit its peak. Anyone known to believe in any deity or practice any religious beliefs was an enemy of the Kwaadi Empire and deemed unfit to reside in society. Under Kwaadi rule, the faithful were often exiled or hanged. Kwaade had convinced himself and those under him that religion itself was evil, and that it was religion that brought about all the great wars of the past, leading humanity to the desperate situation they were in at present times.
Due to disunity, many religious groups fell to Kwaade's power. In the end, only two of the world's major religions remained evident on Earth: Christianity and Islam. No matter how fierce the fighting, these two groups remained determined to fend off Kwaade's evils. Eventually though, the Christian side was weakened. With spies on the inside, Kwaade managed to infiltrate the Church and buy his way to power for the most part. Many priests and Christian Noblemen were swayed by the offer of power and wealth, and so then remained the few and faithful, forming a united resistance group known as the Cross Defense Force (C.D.F or The Cross)
The Cross Defense Force consisted of three major territories: one on each of the three remaining continents of the world. On the African continent, they were wedged between Kwaadi territory and Qafara Fuchain, the deadly wastelands left uninhabitable by the Great Wars. On the South American continent -the only American continent remaining- they enjoyed a bit more peace, even if in a smaller amount of space. Aside from their Kwaadi neighbors above them, and Qafara Maiqwa - more deadly wastelands- the Christians were also living beside unclaimed lands where various tribes lived peacefully. Skirmishes would occur occasionally when outsiders would invade the jungle villages of the tribes, but that aside not much fighting was present. In the European continent, the largest Christian territory was in the remaining parts of Spain. This territory was locked between Qafara Ōuzhō -European wastelands- in the east, Kwaadi lands north east, and three Muslim territories, one south of it and two small islands east of it. Aside from the stronghold in Spain, tiny groups of Christians remained hidden in Kwaadi lands far east.
For years, Madrid and all of Spain -or what remained of it- was kept safe from Kwaade's clutches by what many believed to be a hero sent by God Himself. Every attempt Kwaade made on Spain was thwarted largely in part by one man; Gabriel Guerrero. He was a firm believer and an excellent warrior, whose ferocity on the battlefield earned him the title El Leon de España, The Lion of Spain. He was known to rush headlong into battle, sometimes without a weapon; he would be the first on the battlefield and the last to leave.
Currently, Gabriel was at the southern front, having recently dispersed a small group of bandits who'd been stirring up trouble in the local villages. He was kneeling in a tiny building the locals had built as the village's only church. After finishing up a prayer, Gabriel stepped outside and took in the blinding light from the sun. The golden warmth felt pleasant on his brown skin. He looked into the sky with his hazel eyes, thanking God for giving him the strength to protect the weak. Just then he felt a strange presence.
"Who's there?" he spoke in a deep voice, his thick accent betraying his Spanish origins. He looked around but saw no one. From the corner of his eye he saw a moving shadow. Gripping his trademark battle ax, he cautiously approached the shadow that stood behind the church. Leaping around the corner, he stood to face his hidden foe, only to see instead a tiny puppy shivering in fear. He chuckled to himself before letting out a loud sigh.
"It's okay perrito*," he spoke to the puppy. "I will not harm you." He put his ax away and slowly walked toward the dog. He reached his hand out for the puppy but suddenly with withdrew it after feeling a tingling sensation down his spine. It was that strange presence from before. The dog picked up on it as well and began to bark into the sky. Gabriel stood up and looked around once again, before turning his attention to the nearby rooftops. Yet again he could see no one around. "Strange," he pondered aloud. "Muy extraño.*"
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Rajab 28th, 1663
The crescent moon sat high among the few scattered clouds, barely illuminating the cold, night sky. The city was at rest; all villagers were in their homes, safe within their sanctuary. Or so they thought. Just outside the city's gates a small army of 200 hundred men were closing in for a night raid. With steely eyes and swords gleaming in the dark of night, the army approached the city to launch a surprise attack.
At the forefront of the army stood a shadowy figure. Standing 7 feet tall, the man wore a black cloak with a blue turban blowing in the wind. His scarred face revealed a lifetime of fighting. He stood at the gate wielding a long curved blade. Raising the sword up high he signaled for the army to launch their attack. From the front row twenty archers stepped forth to release arrows dipped in flames towards the city. After their arrows were shot another twenty archers came forth and shot further into the city with their burning arrows.
As buildings and plants began to catch fire, the guards within the city were alerted to the attack and immediately sounded the alarm bells of the city. All of the town's defenders were summoned to protect the city from the invaders. The invading army rushed the gates pouring into the city slaying frightened villagers left and right as they shouted cries of "Allahu Akbar!" No mercy was shown as the soldiers broke down doors and dragged men and women from their homes, slaughtering them in the streets before their petrified families. The city guards rushed to their defense but were unable to put an end to the brutality.
One soldier of the invading army pulled an old man from beneath a tree he was asleep under and struck him down with his sword. Next he prepared to loot the man's few belongings when suddenly he noticed a large shadow behind him. "Have you no shame, que perro sucio?*" a voice spoke. It was none other than Gabriel Guerrero, the Lion of Spain.
"You dare to lecture me on shame you Cross worshipping outcast?" The man replied. "I will slay you where you stand."
"I will hang you by your own turban cloth," Gabriel spoke with confidence as he spun his ax in his hands.
"Come; let me show you the reality you have been in denial about."
Gabriel gripped his ax with both hands and charged at the man. The man swung for his head and Gabriel dodged below it. He came up swinging the ax at the man's midsection. The ax blade cut through the man's torso with ease and he fell to his knees writhing in pain. Gabriel lifted his ax above his head and spoke loudly, "In the Name of God, the Lord of all Creation, die you spiller of innocent blood!" With a mighty swing Gabriel brought down his ax and struck vengeance upon the dying man.
Standing nearby another invader caught sight of his comrade's slaying and his face went pale. He dropped his weapon as he slowly started to back away, stammering for words. "El Leon de España!" he shouted. "El Leon de España!" The shouts filled the air as he fled from the city. The invaders all turned on their heels, fleeing from the legendary Lion of Spain.
Gabriel and the other guards fought the remaining invaders and pushed them from the town. When the army was far enough from the city, Gabriel and the guards returned to finish off those that remained. Nurses were quickly on the scene tending to the wounds of the injured guards and the surviving citizens. A team of citizens were gathered to put out the fires.
After ensuring that no invaders were hidden or remained living, Gabriel stood looking at his city. Within 20 short minutes it had gone from a peaceful slumbering town to one of grief and sorrow. Women in the streets wailed at the loss of their loved ones. Frightened children filled the air with sorrowful cries as the bodies of their mothers and fathers flooded the streets with blood. Gabriel fell to his knees fighting back tears. "And these, "he spoke. "What have they done wrong? Their trials from hence forth will be hard and long. Blood of innocents paints my streets, but I will make those responsible pay, so long as my heart beats. Hear my vow as I swear to You my Lord up High: most certainly by Your Will I will fight the unjust 'til the day I die."
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Rajab 29th, 1663
Gabriel sat at a large table amongst a conference with the three heads of the city and a few of the villagers in attendance. With no officials from the C.D.F present, Gabriel wondered how they could properly decide on the task at hand. The important meeting was called to order for the sake of planning out a stronger defense and alert system for the city, as well as addressing the city's thirst for revenge. "Defense before offense," a gray haired woman shouted across the round table. "We must ensure our city's borders before we worry about going out after our enemies, otherwise we'll leave ourselves open to more attacks."
"The time is now," a short, stout man hastily replied. "If we don't strike now while the wounds are fresh, our lands will fall into unrest. Even though we have strained relationships with some of the other cities, they still look to us for leadership in the absence of C.D.F commandments. How will they react if we sit and allow ourselves to be kicked around? They will think us weak, and it will weaken their own resolve to remain faithful. Kwaade's prideful godlessness will be more acceptable to them than weakness under belief. We of the Cross are a minority in this word, and we are getting closer to extinction even in our own lands."
"He's right," another man chimed in as he stroked his moustache. It was the council head, Juan Guiterrez. "We must defend our honor and our faith. I remember the tales in my childhood of a past where Christianity was the largest force in the world. We dominated several lands and had the most followers of any faith. Now here we are, a minority beneath the godless Kwaadi and the heathens from the east. We don't even have a stake in the Holy Lands because of these. We are forced into hiding in three desperate lands, meanwhile the Muslims and the Kwaadi enjoy spacious empires! What wicked times these are!"
"Yes but what can we do about it?" the councilwoman queried. "We've been able to hold off Kwaade but now that he Muslims have attacked we can't possibly stand to fight them both."
"No," Juan spoke. "We haven't got the manpower to take them both on at once. But, it is well known that the Muslims are a much smaller quantity than the Kwaadi. If we shift our focus from keeping out Kwaade just long enough to build a strong force and attack the Muslims, I believe we can wipe them out for good. It will be a magnificent strike of vengeance and a glorious conquest that will benefit us in two ways. We will have defeated our enemy and also gained more territory with which to confront Kwaade. This is worth the small temporary sacrifice on the defensive end up north against Kwaade. Wouldn't you all agree?"
There was silence around the room as the others pondered the proposal. Eventually, they began to nod in agreement with the idea. It seemed that all were in favor of eradicating the land of all Muslims. The focus then shifted to to Gabriel, the only person of importance who had yet to speak his opinion throughout the entire meeting. "And what do you say of our plan?" the councilwoman asked Gabriel.
Gabriel closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "Praise be to God, Who spared my life those years ago so that I could become a devout servant and I seek to please Him in everything I do. As for this matter here, you do not know how severely my heart aches for all the victims of last night's massacre. And I believe if we are acting to defend them and avenge their grievances, then we should consider their opinions in the matter. You all know I would be the last of you to fear the fighting, and yet I say to you that if we go on the offensive, we become even more of a target. This does not apply solely to the warriors out on the battlefield, but also to the women and children sitting at home, the noncombatants remaining in the village. And yet if we do nothing to defend their honor, then we become blameworthy and may incur the wrath of God for allowing our enemies to murder the innocents. This city may not be in close unison with the other ones nearby, but even so all of Spain is under the protection of the C.D.F; and so it is that everyone residing in it has volunteered their voices to the C.D.F to decide. Thus I think it best that we address this matter to the high council of the C.D.F. To the best of my knowledge, a delegation of 3 is journeying this way even as we speak. According to the most recent reports, they should be arriving within 2 days. I suggest we hold off on this matter until they arrive, and we should present our ideas before them and let them decide, and may God Guide them to what is best."
The room went to murmuring as the people considered all of what Gabriel had said. Some were against his opinion, regardless of their high respect and adoration for him. Others felt that he had the most right of anyone to decide what should be done. Eventually, a decision had to be made, and so it was put to vote. The councilwoman cast her vote in favor of Gabriel's plan. Juan voted against it. The third council member agreed with Gabriel. With a tally of 3-1, Juan knew even his high office did not give him a favorable outcome. Having heard the deliberation from the villagers in the room, he called for the consideration of their voices too. Five votes were in favor of waiting and four favored an immediate retaliation to the attack. The outcome was still in favor of waiting two days to address it to the C.D.F officials. As a show of goodwill to those who were not in favor of waiting, it was decided that if the C.D.F members had not arrived within 3 days, an army would be assembled and an attack on the Muslims would be plotted.
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Sha'ban 2nd, 1663
The city was on edge as the sun set on the second day of waiting. Within 24 hours, a decision would be reached one way or another in regards to an attack of retaliation. Business slowed and the people returned to their homes. While everyone else was just going inside, Gabriel was preparing to head outside. He put his three children to bed, reciting to them verses glorifying God's Greatness and Kindness so that they rest easy and secure. His wife, who was pregnant with a fourth child, was also preparing to rest for the night. A look of concern came over her face as she noticed her husband strapping his boots and reaching for his ax. Everyone else felt that no harm could ever befall the Lion of Spain, but as a wife she was always worried that the worst may come upon him for the people's sayings and praises of him.
Gabriel just walked over to her and placed a kiss upon her forehead, with is thick beard tickling her nose. He gently held her face in his calloused palm, looking into her eyes. "Most certainly I am but a servant of God, doing the Lord's Will," he spoke quietly. "It is my duty after He has blessed me and made me to excel in this skill. Worry not, for I am with you and you with me through whatever goes on, we are together before the eyes of God, mi corazón."
He slowly slid his hand down her face as he turned away to go patrol the city. "God Willing, I will return shortly. It's just a nightly patrol so that the people feel safe in their homes."
Gabriel stepped outside his door holding a lit torch in his left hand and his ax in his right. He was hastily greeted by little Perrito, the puppy from before. Perrito had taken a liking to him and began following him around for the past few days. It seemed even a dog couldn't dislike the Lion of Spain. "Come on boy," Gabriel spoke. "Let's make our round for the night and I'll see what scraps I can bring out for you afterwards."
He set out with the puppy close at his side. Walking down the stony streets of Madrid, Gabriel pondered his course of action for the next day. If the delegates from the C.D.F failed to show up by sunset, the city would raise its own army to go out and fight the Muslims. Gabriel didn't fear fighting the Muslims, especially not after the recent night raid. Still he had a strange feeling in his gut.
Just as Gabriel made a turn down a narrow passage way, he felt a familiar sensation and quickly turned around. He saw standing at the opposite end of the path a young man of medium height and a lean build. He was dressed in the familiar Islamic garb of the Muslims from the south, with a few slight differences. He was in black pants and a brown thobe over it, with a sash wrapped around his waist. His face was covered by the dark brown turban he wore which wrapped down over his face up to just beneath his brown eyes. Both of his hands were covered in black wrapping, and he wielded a 7 ft. bo-staff.
He stood downwind, eying Gabriel as the winds began to slowly pick up. Gabriel kept his eyes locked on the mysterious youth, wondering for what purpose he had come. "You are the Lion of Spain no doubt," the young man spoke up at last, breaking the silence. "Strolling about your territory with the courage only a lion could hold in the face of the enemy."
"My reputation precedes me," Gabriel spoke. "But I am only brave because I fear God; I serve a Mighty Lord and you should be wary of earning His wrath. Now tell me, whoever you are, why are you here?"
"There are rumors of a plan to annihilate the Muslims of the neighboring towns. Rumors that you will lead an army to fight the Muslims in the nearest land. I'm here to see to it that you do not."
"Hm," Gabriel sneered as he gripped his ax. "You should know assassin, I don't take kindly to threats!" He threw the torch at the man before charging after him with his ax at the ready. The young man smacked the torch to the ground with his bo-staff and he spun up into the air as Gabriel charged him swinging the ax. The man came down swinging his staff and Gabriel held his ax up to block the attack. Gabriel swung the ax at the man's side but he jumped back just barely evading the heavy blade of Gabriel's ax.
The man swung his staff low to sweep Gabriel but Gabriel leapt into the air. The man came spinning back around swinging at Gabriel's side but the attack was blocked with the grip of the ax. Gabriel slid his ax down the staff 'til the head had curved around the staff and he yanked at it, pulling the man toward himself. Gabriel struck out his elbow, knocking the man back and disarming him. Gabriel quickly rushed forward to strike the man with his ax but the man parried the attack and flipped out of the way.
Gabriel came forward again, swinging his ax down with a heavy swing, but the man dodged again and this time dealt Gabriel an attack of his own. He slammed his knee into Gabriel's stomach and was preparing to strike him in the back with his elbow but Gabriel caught hold of his arm and punched him in the chest. The man stumbled back a bit before regaining his composure and pulling out a small dagger from his belt. He stood, staring Gabriel down. Gabriel stared back, a small grin on his face. "You seem so young," he spoke. "And yet you are a better fighter than over half the men I have slain before. Such talent, it's almost shame that I have to take you down."
The man jumped forward faking a right punch with the knife before he surprised Gabriel with a left uppercut. Gabriel stumbled back before spinning back around with a fist of his own. The man ducked and came up in a spinning horse kick to Gabriel's side. As Gabriel continued to stumble backwards, the man jumped forward and kicked off of his chest, doing a backflip into the air before charging forward to punch him. Gabriel crossed is arms and blocked the punch, before he swung his ax at the man's head. Jumping back the man just barely avoided the sharp edge of the ax head. Gabriel went on the offensive, continuously swinging his ax at the man as he was left with no choice but to keep evading the blade.
Gabriel was luring the man to the wall of a building, hoping to corner him there. As they neared the wall, the man changed his tactics and started looking for an opening to attack Gabriel. Finally on one of the downward swings, he caught hold of Gabriel's wrist with his left hand. He threw a punch with his right hand, hoping to cut Gabriel with the back facing knife. Gabriel caught hold of his hand before any damage was done and the two were locked in a struggle for dominance. Gabriel quickly gained the upper hand using his brute force and he slammed the man against the wall.
Gabriel released his ax and the man let go of his arm in an attempt to catch the ax before it landed on foot. Seizing the opportunity, Gabriel reached out and grabbed the man's turban, pulling it down and using the cloth to wrap up his arm in it hoping to further restrain him. With his free hand, the man punched Gabriel in the face multiple times, but to no avail. Gabriel yanked him forward and spun him up into his own turban, trapping both of his arms. He then kicked the man over onto the ground.
"Now," Gabriel spoke as he walked over to grab his ax. "Before I send you to meet your Maker, tell me, why are you here? Who sent you Assassin?"
With piercing dark brown eyes, the man stared at Gabriel from down on his side. The two stared at one another in silence for nearly 2 minutes. Suddenly the man rolled over on his side and with great speed cut his way free from the turban with his knife. Gabriel stepped forward to attack him before he had the chance to ready himself to continue. But even as Gabriel raised his ax into the air to swing it down on him, the man had drawn his knife and struck it out, stopping just at Gabriel's throat. He looked up to see the ax blade stop just above his own head. The two remained still for another minute or so.
"Let me be clear," the man spoke. "I am no assassin, nor have I been sent by anyone with any purpose. Rather it was my own conscious that has brought me here. My faith that someone of noble character like yourself could not help but do what is right and fair. And so, as I told you before, I am here to see to it that you do not lead an attack on the innocent Muslims of the nearby lands."
"Innocent?" Gabriel questioned, his anger clear in his voice. "After purporting a breach of peace you dare to call yourselves innocent?"
The man let out a sigh, before lowering his weapon. "I trust you will not behave in a cowardly manner," he said as he slowly moved to put the knife away. Gabriel lowered his ax to his own side, still keeping a firm grip on it in case the man tried to employ some sneaky tactic of his own. "Good. Now, answer me this, is it not true that you captured and killed a good number of the men who attacked your village?"
"Yes."
"And what became of them?"
"We hung them by their turbans on trees and posts outside the city as a warning to anyone else planning such a cowardly attack."
"Indeed you did. Now, do you remember what these men looked like?"
"They were dressed the same way all of you do, except in dark blue clothing, and they were older men of a light brownish complexion."
"Indeed they were. Now, you have Muslim neighbors to the south who fit this appearance, but they are more than a month's journey away and would have to cross through Kwaadi lands to get here. What strategy is there in planning such a small and useless attack with a small army and such a risky journey? Furthermore, your Muslim neighbors east of here neither wear these colors, nor are they of the skin complexion you mentioned, rather they are a of a pale complexion by comparison. As for the colors they wore, this is closer to the way of the Ikeqi, not the Muslims."
"Are not the Ikeqi your allies?"
"They are not the allies of the Muslims, rather they had a peace contract with the Muslims, until a few months back when they broke it and launched an attack in the Saharan lands."
"So you are saying to me that the Muslims have not committed this heinous act against us?"
"Indeed. I have been travelling through the lands of your neighbors in recent times, and they are in no way harboring any ill-will towards your people. Their only wish is that Kwaade did not have any power in the region, if that means they fight him or you do they have no issue."
"All of this information sounds important and very heavy, but how do I know I can trust you?"
"Have I not explained to you the error in assuming the attack was purported by your Muslim neighbors? Do you not know that our Prophet (pbuh) ordered that even in war women and children are not to be attacked, nor the noncombatant elders. That he forbade us from even cutting down the trees? How then could the Muslims have disobeyed and disregard their religion when our religion is all we have in these days, and our fight is to keep hold of that even against the wishes of Kwaade."
"As is ours. And I have faith that God will grant victory to the faithful believers; most certainly it will not remain that evil controls the world and ungodliness is mandated upon the people, for surely then will come the Punishment of God."
"Indeed."
"With this information you have provided, things are now complicated even further. How shall I address to the people in the morrow that I have met a stranger from amongst the Muslims who tells me they are not the enemy, when the people witnessed with their own eyes men who looked to be like you killing their families and burning their village?"
"My suspicion is that this was done purposefully to strike conflict between the Muslims and Christians. The very fact that they shouted 'Allahu Akbar' while committing the evil is clear enough proof that they wanted people to believe they were Muslims."
"And just how did you know that much even after the matter?"
"Because I was present during the attack, and fought a few of them myself. I have been in your city for a few days now, wandering."
"Why? Who are you?"
"I am called many things, to some I am Ishaq*, the Wandering Fox. To some I am simply Al-Gharib, the Stranger. And there are others."
"Hm, I think I have heard of you on one of my travels."
"In any case, if my suspicion is correct, and it is an elaborate plot to get the Muslims and Christians in this area to start fighting again, Kwaade must be up to something. He must be planning another attack, this time to wipe us both out once we have weakened each other already."
"Of course, it sounds just like the kind of cowardly move that serpiente* would pull. This is a very complex issue now. Tell me friend," Gabriel said loosening his grip on his ax and relaxing a little. "Would you care to stay for one more day and join me at the conference tomorrow. I will defend you against anyone who wishes to harm you, on the condition that you speak everything you have told me before the conference tomorrow. There are some very high officials from the C.D.F coming and perhaps we may convince them of a new plan and a possible alliance between our peoples."
"Yes, I am well aware of the coming of the Cross delegates, and I am not in fear of them; though I thank you for your concern and offer. I will stay, as my mission is one of peace and good conscious."
"¡Excelente! Perhaps there is hope for peace between our peoples after all."
"So long as there are people like you, I don't doubt that there will be."
"What do you mean?"
"Hm," Ishaq smiled. His brown face was lightly sprinkled with tiny brown freckles on his cheeks. Gabriel could see a radiant glow on his face, one that could set the heart at ease. "I have been watching you, and I do not think Guidance will evade a man of your sincerity and devotion for too long." Looking up at the moon, Ishaq sighed. "Everything in due time, only as our Lord Wills."
Gabriel looked up towards the moon as well. "Yes, I should certainly hope guidance comes to me soon. I don't know what I will do in this matter without it. Should the C.D.F fail to come, will you remain and assist me in trying to convince the people not to go to war? Or do you think your conscious will lead you to prepare your people for an oncoming attack instead?"
There was silence. Gabriel looked back to his side only to see that Ishaq had vanished. He looked around and saw no sign of him. Neither the turban, nor the staff remained; all traces of Ishaq vanished along with him into the shadows. Gabriel looked over to the puppy who seemed to be just as confused as him. "Muy extraño."
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GLOSSARY/TRANSLATIONS
Perrito: puppy
Muy extrano: very strange
Que perro sucio: You dirty dog
Serpiente: snake
Ishaq (pronounced "iss-haq" not "ish-shaq"): Arabic equivalent of Isaac