The Wrath of the Unchained-Chapter 104 - Shadows on the Tide

Emperor Gelawdewos sent his own secret service, the Emperor’s fang, to intercept any messages leaving Gondar at night. Any suspicious persons were quickly taken care of, any birds in the sky shot down.

That night, muffled cries rang throughout the alleyways of Gondar.

Spies intercepted on their way out to their leaders. Some noble messengers were taken out. Others were left to their devices to lead the Emperor’s men to their true masters.

"Don’t let those we let go out of your sight! They will lead us to the traitors of our kingdom." Their leader commanded.

Abyssinia would be free of traitors, one way or another.

Back in the Nuri Coast, King Lusweti and General Malik were busy preparing for the inevitable clash with the pirates.

He went through plans, maps.

"Malik? How is our navy? They have had quite a bit of training. Do you think they are ready for a clash at sea?" he asks.

Malik nods with pride.

"If the fight is unavoidable, they will fight. Those men know these waters like the back of their hands. I have pushed them harder than ever before. We will be ready," Malik replies firmly.

"Do we have enough ships?"

"Yes. Kilwa already had a few vessels used for its defense under the previous ruler. Add that with Almeida’s fleet, he had a lot of warships with well equiped cannons and the new ships we’ve been building—we have more than enough."

"What about weapons? Khisa provided us formulas. Have we managed to make use of them?"

Malik nods with pride. "From what the blacksmiths told me, they were able to recreate the guns. Some are even better than the ones Almeida had. The gunpowder is still in its trial stages,we have enough for the war but to make ours better they need more time to experiment, our people are working tirelessly to improve it. We’ve also managed to use Prince Khisa’s blueprints to craft the new weapons. Explosive arrows and grenades will definitely help us in the battle. His ideas are extremely innovative, the pirates will not know what hit them."

"That’s good. How is the mood at the coast in your opinion?" Lusweti asks.

"The people are hopeful but still anxious. The previous war is still a fresh wound, but they believe in our strength, a lot of them were scarred by the slavers, but since we begun focusing on development and growth, they are delighted by this path of less bloodshed." Malik says.

Lusweti sighs, shoulders weighed down with the crown’s invisible burden. "That’s good. As long as we are still healing, then everything will be fine. I really need to finish up quickly and get back home. I’m sure my wife misses me terribly. I haven’t seen my wife and young daughter for a long time."

Malik chuckles softly, "She probably does, Sire."

"How is the government restructuring going along?" Malik asks.

"Things are going smoothly so far, but as usual, we have stubborn elders refusing to relocate or give up their power. The road construction is almost done. Farmland has expanded greatly, so we have an abundance of food. Once the capital starts construction, I expect more people to relocate there.

"I will need a competent person to take over affairs here. We can’t afford to lose this port to enemies,even one oversight will take us right back to the Sultan’s reign. These people have suffered enough, let us do our best to protect them." Lusweti says.

"Set out to sea tomorrow morning. I want to know the moment those pirates enter the vicinity of our waters. That battle must not reach our shores," Lusweti commands.

"Yes, Sire," Malik says, bowing slightly before leaving.

Lusweti sits, deep in thought.

You are always causing your father trouble, son, he thinks with a reluctant smile.

The next morning, the Nuri navy boarded their ships, all directions of the coast covered.

The docks were abuzz with tension. For many of these young men, this was their first deployment at sea. The last time they were at war, they were enemies of Nuri, this time they fly the Nuri flag proudly. Uniforms crisp, weapons checked thrice over, brows furrowed with focus. There was pride in their eyes—pride in defending their kingdom—but also the quiet fear of the unknown.

Captain Enzi stood at the helm of one of the newer ships, a hand on the railing, eyes scanning the horizon. He had been a fisherman before the war. Now, he was leading a crew of warriors under a unified banner. He lost his family in the last war, Almeida’s mercenaries tore up his family before his every eyes. King Lusweti was the saving grace he needed. After that, he swore to dedicate his life to the navy so that vile people like Almeida would never breech its shores.

"All hands ready?" he called out.

"Aye, Captain!"

He looked over at the other ships sailing out beside him, the banners of Nuri fluttering in the sea wind—navy, gold, and crimson. The sunlight hit the sails, making them gleam.

On the docks, the people murmured, scared but hopeful.

Two merchants leaned on stacked crates, watching the ships sail out.

"I’ve traded all across the Swahili coast. Never seen a navy move like that," one said.

"Neither have I. They actually look organized. Disciplined," the other added, wide-eyed. "You think they can really stop those pirates?"

"They better. If those devils make it to shore again, we’re finished, our business will be ruined. But... I don’t know. Something about these soldiers feels different."

"Feels like... order," the first murmured.

A soldier passing by paused to reassure them.

"As long as no harm comes to Nuri’s citizens, you are protected under her navy," he said, saluting briefly before jogging off to rejoin his squad.

The merchants stared after him, stunned by the formality.

"This place has changed, huh?" one said.

The other nodded. "For the better."

Meanwhile, in a secluded forge behind the main camp, the blacksmiths were hard at work.

A loud bang echoed as one of the new rifles fired, startling nearby birds.

One of the apprentices dropped to the ground. "That one sounded mean!"

Master Jengo, the head smith, grinned, wiping sweat from his brow. "That’s the point."

They watched as the shot split a wooden target clean in two from a distance.

"We’ll need more iron, but it works. And these explosive arrows? With enough range, they could rip through a small ship."

The young smiths cheered at the success. All their long nights melting metal, testing casings, refining powders—it was finally paying off.

One apprentice whispered, "King Lusweti wasn’t just dreaming... he was building something real."

Naliaka and Ndengu had rested and were finally ready to get back into action. They went to meet with King Lusweti.

"Where do you need us, my King?" Naliaka asks.

"Khisa told me to take care of you. Would you like to join the navy?" he offers.

Naliaka and Ndengu exchanged glances.

"Actually, Your Majesty, we have a better idea," Naliaka began. "The training we went through under Prince Khisa was intense and extremely useful. Without it, we would have died at sea. We would like to bring that here.

"We faced a huge problem in Abyssinia—we were extremely limited in what we could do because of our numbers. We need to expand and create a bigger force. An all-elite squad that will cover all of Nuri, with superior intelligence and better networks, skilled in battle and infiltration."

Lusweti’s face lit up. "That is an amazing idea, Naliaka. A new branch? Would the two of you be willing to take charge of this matter?"

"Leave it to us, Your Majesty."

"What do you need to get started? Of course, I don’t expect them to be usable for the next couple of years, but this is an investment that could change the future of our defense," Lusweti says.

"First things first, we need recruits—anyone between fifteen and twenty years old. Both men and women. They have to be willing to undergo extremely harsh training," Ndengu explained. "We also need a big area, some place hidden where development won’t reach for the foreseeable future.

"We need as many recruits as possible. If they don’t perform, they will be dropped. We only need the best. We’d also need a few soldiers to help with training and security—preferably younger warriors who’ve experienced battle."

"You have grown up. I will arrange it right away. In a few days, word will reach all across our territory."

As they stood to leave, Lusweti paused. "This squad of yours... it needs a name. One that will last generations. Like the Shadow Guard."

Naliaka’s eyes glinted. "Then let us be the Mkono wa Giza (Hand of darkness), Your Majesty. Where the Shadow Guard shields the kingdom, we strike when no one sees it coming."

Lusweti smiled, pleased. "Then go, Mkono wa giza. Nuri’s future is in your hands."

They bowed and left to begin their own preparations.

Lusweti returned to his desk, overlooking the moving ships from the high cliff.

Nuri is shaping up to be the place we believe it to be, Khisa, he whispered.