-XXXI-
Flames of Deceit
Historians have pondered why Chelkhalt of T'kuyatum chose to go to war with Wayam in 1128 in defense of their ally Ktlatla. Doing so meant Chelkhalt risked causing the greatest war the Imaru Plateau had yet seen. Chelkhalt's realm faced far more war in the proceeding years, and economically remained precarious. If there was a reason, it is because Chelkhalt overestimated his position. He and his allies held control over the major mountain passes and most notably, he and his allies controlled the supply of metal to Wayam thanks to controlling the mines formerly relied on by Wayam at Winacha and Ktlatla. Lacking metal, Chelkhalt believed the Wayamese nobles might pressure Q'mitlwaakutl for a peace favourable to him.
Yet Chelkhalt underestimated the alliance between Wayam and the Maguraku at Ewallona far to the south. Although the old prince of Ewallona Daslats-Lwelolis died in 1120 and his confederation fell apart, his son Wat'ihak still possessed many useful connections amongst the Maguraku to use in consolidating a new powerbase. He borrowed from Q'mitlwaakutl's innovations to create an influence and patronage network that reformed much of his father's confederation. Indeed, his links with the Wayamese ruler and his rising power along the Imaru convinced many nobles to support him. Trade supplied Wayam with the metals and goods it needed and in some cases, even superior goods as more and more Pasnomsono bronze goods--including weapons and armour--arrived in Wayamese lands.
In 1127, Wat'ihak's men assassinated the prince of Lallaks, Ewallona's rival, and through an internal coup and string of murders installed a puppet ruler as prince of that city. This opened the way for Wat'ihak to give greater support than before to his son-in-law. In 1127 and 1128, he embarked on fullscale campaigns against the Hillmen along the White Road and forced them to cease fighting Wayam, Ewallona, and allies. And most importantly for the sake of the Wayamese, Wat'ihak offered Q'mitlwaakutl four hundred warriors for his army under the command of his son Daslatam-Ch'oyes, whom Wat'ihak held high hopes for.
This offer came at a desperate time for the Wayamese. Having their initial incursion defeated by T'kuyatum at Tkwatatpamash and now facing an offensive from Chemna aimed at their allies, Wayam needed all the help they could get. Q'mitlwaakutl himself retreated back to Wayam to take command of a large force assembled in April. While some urged him to return to the Tabachiri Valley to finish the battles there, instead Q'mitlwaakutl opted for a second option--march to Chemna and destroy that ancient rival.
---
Along the Imaru River, April 1128
Around a rock beside the cliff underneath a hastily erected reed tent, Q'mitlwaakutl glanced at the nobles assembled in the war council. Burning incense gave a strong scent to the room and warded off the mosquitos active at the morning dawn. The men who fought beside him for many years knew him well enough, but a few of the warriors, mostly the foreign mercenaries but also his brother-in-law from Ewallona seemed distraught at his plan. Although dressed in leather and copper armour of a Wayamese noble (an old gift to him), the man's brash, crude Hillman nature shone through in more ways than just his difficult speaking Aipakhpam.
"We will lose everything in the Tabachiri Valley and leave Wayam open for attack if we do that, my prince," Daslatam-Ch'oyes said. The veteran warriors gave him strange looks, stranger than they did when they first met this Hillman lord. "We will sacrifice those hundreds of men who saved you."
"We don't know what their actions will be," Q'mitlwaakutl replied. "Half of them may well march right back to Chemna." Daslatam-Ch'oyes remained unconvinced.
"Each man is valuable," he replied. "To sacrifice a man in a foolish action like that is to treat him as no better than a slave! I strongly disagree with your actions."
"I'm sure my grandfather and great-grandfather sacrificed plenty of men in their own wars, eh, uncle?" laughed Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh, Q'mitlwaakutl's son. Daslatam-Ch'oyes glared at him in rage, and Q'mitlwaakutl's stern glance wiped the smile off his face.
He has much to learn and much immodesty to overcome. Should he become miyawakh, I hope his elder half-brother can restrain his worst impulses and strengthen his best, he thought, thinking of his oldest son and co-prince Plaash-Nawinatla back at home in Wayam.
"On the battlefield it is easy for a man to be a slave," Q'mitlwaakutl said. "He is a slave to the orders of his superiors, he is a slave to the actions of those around him, and he is a slave to his own spirit. Yet a skilled warrior feels none of that. He balances the need for obedience and subservience and makes the orders given to him the mission he excels at, he forces the enemy to obey him and his allies to emulate him, and he controls his spirit so that it works together with him as one." Daslatam-Ch'oyes fell silent.
Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh stood up. "I see what you mean, father," he said, "and I understand what you are after." Q'mitlwaakutl nodded.
"Even that youth understands," he laughed. "We are not returning to the cities of the Tabachiri. We will be marching to Chemna along the north bank of the Great River and cross the hills in five groups on five passes all much east of Taptat [1]. We descend upon the Chemnese heartland and conquer their allies and we besiege and conquer Chemna itself." Q'mitlwaakutl looked upon his nobles, examining their faces for any doubts. At this point, his men seemed perfectly fine with this plan.
"So you wish to fight the Chemnese outside their city walls?" Wiyatpakan, his trusted lieutenant, asked. "What of Imatelam? They'll try and stop our armies." Q'mitlwaakutl smiled.
"I will urge them that fighting is pointless considering their current state," he answered, thinking of the recent defeats inflicted on them and the rumours of disputes amongst their ruling nobles. "But should they send an army, the men who cross the ridge last will hold them off. I will give you that task, my friend. But it should not be a very hard one, for our friends from Ewallona will be harassing them every step of the way."
"If T'kuyatum ceases to be distracted by our warriors in the Tabachiri Valley," Wiyatpakan asked. "Wayam will be safe, right?"
"That is why I am not requesting any more men from Wayam or nearby towns," Q'mitlwaakutl said. "I am requesting many supplies and pack animals. We will not return to Wayam for many months. Not until the Prince of T'kuyatum fears my name and the treasures of Chemna are in the hands of our families."
"Wayam is secure," Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh confirmed with a grin. "The watchtowers and fortifications are impenetrable and there's plenty of men around to make their task impossible. They will run out of supplies long before our people do."
"He is correct!" Q'mitlwaakutl continued. "We have little to fear from an attack over the pass! To do so only further invites the enemy's defeat for they will face our warriors all over the countryside and find their paths blocked at every moment." His son knew it as much as he did. In front of that pass lay so many fortified villages and especially the town of Khainaksha [2] with fortifications oversized for a town of that size thanks to its strategic location. He expected Khainaksha might fall should T'kuyatum's prince attack Wayam, but Wayam itself would be unscathed.
He looked over his nobles and once again examined them to see if they held any doubts. When contented by their confidence in him, he left the smoky tent and gazed at the steady flow of the churning Great River in its flood stage in perfect meditation.
---
Tkhopanish, May 1128
Chelkhalt faintly smiled as a slave stabbed the prisoner of war before him with a butcher knife to the sound of agonised screams. As the man collapsed in a pool of his blood, Chelkhalt turned to the shaking young lord seated beside him, dressed in a finely embroidered imported cotton robe and jewelry.
"There are many more just like him waiting to be killed like that," he said in perfectly fluent Aipakhpam. "You don't want to pollute your hall with bloodshed and vengeful spirits, spirits angered at how you might have stopped their deaths. Your men have been sheltering those raiding parties since they escaped, where are there camps?"
Around them stood several dozen of Chelkhalt's soldiers, enjoying the scene before them as entertainment. The
miyawakh of Tkhopanish, perhaps twenty years old, barely said a word out of fear of his enemy's occupying his palace. Chelkhalt tried nearly everything these past few months to figure out where Q'mitlwaakutl vanished to. He suspected that the prince of Wayam had returned home to lick his wounds, but the men he left behind caused nothing but trouble.
"I do not know where they are! They cannot talk with me because you have imprisoned me in my own home!" the miyawakh shouted.
"Shall we bring up another prisoner your son captured last night, my lord?" one of his men asked. Chelkhalt shook his head.
This is going nowhere. It had been over a month of this same nonsense. His men subdued many enemies in the Tabachiri Valley including Tkhopanish, Wayam's greatest ally, captured a great amount of loot, animals, and slaves and even raided into the valleys south of there and approached as close to Wayam as they dared, yet no decisive battle occurred as he wished. As long as Q'mitlwaakutl stood at the head of thousands of Wayamese soldiers, no amount of victories here mattered, nor did even the alliance with Chemna his great vizier Nmachwitst worked so hard to achieve.
A stout, scarred man in stained armour walked in, whom Chelkhalt recognised as Maheqen of Kawakhtchin, perhaps his most brilliant lieutenant. Even being the nephew of that dethroned ruler hadn't stopped him from following Chelkhalt.
"Still no sign of those raiders," he reported, gazing warily at the body on the floor. "Are we going to ever leave this place, my lord?" Chelkhalt stood up to greet him and motioned to his men to be quiet as the slave carried the body out of the hall, dripping a trail of blood on the dark wooden floors as he went.
"I suppose we must switch our strategy. We will draw Q'mitlwaakutl into battle by moving into the Satus Valley and occupying its cities. If he still does not come, we will move on Wayam itself." He grit his teeth. He wondered why Q'mitlwaakutl refused to return to the Tabachiri Valley. The lords of Ktlatla told him the Wayamese considered Tkhopanish their dearest ally, yet he captured the city and all its allies with not a single response besides those raiders. Somewhere south of here was supposed to be the decisive battle, where his men on one side and Kaatnamanahui of Chemna on the other wiped out the Wayamese to a man. Why would Q'mitlwaakutl not risk a battle on protecting his allies?
"Perhaps the Wayamese are off doing their own thing?" Maheqen mused. "Their prince is rather intelligent after all." The thought hit Chelkhalt as well. Perhaps Q'mitlwaakutl chose to sacrifice the Tabachiri Valley in order to deal with the Chemnese. It was not a foolish strategy, as one always needed to ensure neighbours were either weak or peaceful before challenging a powerful foe.
"Attacking Chemna? The Chemnese forces are not far from here, though," Chelkhalt said. "I suppose he wishes to force the Chemnese to return home."
"It is not the warriors of Chemna he seeks, but the city," Maheqen said. "Or perhaps Imatelam. He seeks to remove a potent threat so that he may face us unimpeded." Chelkhalt smiled at his insight.
"That is why I have you!" Chelkhalt boasted. "Our foe is daring and willing to take risks, and so must we! Whether it be Chemna or Imatelam, his men are far from home. We shall warn the Prince of Chemna and let him deal with Q'mitlwaakutl. I believe we have a new destination."
"Wayam," Maheqen smiled with approval.
I will gamble much on this, Chelkhalt thought to himself. The Chemnese and their allies would bloody the Wayamese so much they'd have little choice but to sue for peace, even if the Wayamese defeated them. And a weakened Chemna gave them even less leverage when T'kuyatum needed food, goods, or warriors. He did not expect to conquer Wayam, but certainly his men would do plenty of damage against their allies and keep Wayam peaceful in the future.
He felt a shiver thinking of these fights, a sure sign his brother-in-law was watching from a distance. Even in summer, the north wind can always blow strong.
---
Chemna, May 10, 1128
Q'mitlwaakutl stood in his canoe beached on the shore of the Tabachiri River, gazing at the men before him. In a field reclaimed from the floods of the river by earthen walls (and now denuded of whatever crops grew there), thousands of men gathered. Simple wooden mantlets and sections of palisades covered in tule mats lay scattered in front of the tents of his men, shielding them as they cooked, ate, and dedicated themselves to the continuance of the siege beneath the orange rammed earth walls surrounding Chemna. Atop those walls stood wooden posts where Chemnese archers sheltered themselves, always ready to take shots at anyone leaving there.
Already his men had been bloodied taking the many towns and villages around Chemna, fighting and destroying an outnumbered and hastily assembled force as they attempted to cross the Tabachiri to lay siege to Chemna by land. Only Kw'sis held out due to Q'mitlwaakutl needing to concentrate on Chemna. In the distance, smoke from the cooking pits of that town, an ominous signal that Chemna still held a powerful ally in the area as much as they cowered behind their walls.
And Q'mitlwaakutl needed allies of his own. He sent messengers to Imatelam to tell them to desist in joining Chemna and sent messengers to the Tsupnitpelu cities to ask for their aid. The fools at Imatelam predictably tried to fight, yet the warriors of Daslatam-Ch'oyes ambushed them as they descended on the few hundred men he sent to cross that pass and were promptly cut down. Had they sent a larger army they may have won, but clearly their rulers were too half-hearted to attempt that gamble.
The Tsupnitpelu as yet made no response, but he hoped by smashing Chemna they might choose to support him. They looked out for their own interests first, as deferential as their emissaries always were when they arrived at Wayam.
Should we win, perhaps they will cease imitating Chemnese speech and imitate Wayamese speech, he thought to himself with a smile [3].
His son Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh appeared, dragging along a prisoner with him, an old man dressed in the richly embroidered robes of a noble. A long life under the sun darkened his skin and shriveled it into wrinkles and only wisps of his white hair remainded. Despite his capture, the elder seemed peaceful and without fear.
"My scouting party captured this old man near Kw'sis, he claims to be the miyawakh of that city and wishes to speak with you. The four soldiers who were with him surrendered peacefully." Q'mitlwaakutl nodded in approval, curious of this development.
"Strange," he said. "I will talk with him. You've done good work, continue scouting the area." As Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh left, Q'mitlwaakutl turned to the old noble.
"If you wished to meet with me, you only needed to open up the city gates and let my warriors in." he spoke. "It is not right for a ruler to abandon his people in such a time of crisis."
"Abandon them I did," the elder spoke. "I was never a great ruler yet being miyawakh of a city like Kw'sis left me with no opportunity for greatness."
"I can make your city great," Q'mitlwaakutl said, wishing to get to the point. "You need only ask your people to fight against Chemna."
"Kw'sis will never become great again," the man replied. "It is told in all our histories. The foolishness of our rulers led to our downfall in the days my grandfather was but a boy. It cannot be restored for it is already dead. The future holds Kw'sis will forever remain enshadowed by Chemna much as the future holds the spirits of all men will pass to the west. To fight fate only causes great harm to everyone around."
"By what authority have you determined this fate?" Q'mitlwaakutl questioned. "Although it is set in stone, few can ever truly know the day of a man's death."
"My own dreams, interpreted by my brother who was called by his spirit to be a shaman. And I wish to inform you of this vision as it relates to my city, Chemna, and you, the great Prince of Wayam." Q'mitlwaakutl sat down in his canoe with interest.
"In my dream, oh great Prince of Wayam, I saw the sight of my ancestors defeating you countless centuries ago and how we conquered our home from your dear ally the Prince of Kw'sis. Yet we married amongst the people of Kw'sis and our hearts grew close to this city. I realised I must restore balance in my family line and to do so I must gain your forgiveness by assisting you in your time of need. I will lend you the strength of Kw'sis." Q'mitlwaakutl widened his eyes momentarily and then began devising a plan.
"You will be forgiven should you aid me," Q'mitlwaakutl said. "What else did you see in your vision, Prince of Kw'sis?"
"Chemna shall be destroyed, yet it shall rise again afterwards. Kw'sis will never be restored, no matter how much you or those who follow you try and aid it. You and your followers must realise that and never make an enemy of Chemna lest Chemna not only defeat these foolish efforts but rise again even stronger and pay back the indignity inflicted on it twentyfold." Q'mitlwaakutl stared at the old man, taking in his every word. He felt a spiritual power in the man as he recounted such a vivid dream, a spiritual power that confirmed to him the great conviction the man held in his words. He sensed no hint of deceit, no thoughts of betrayal in the man.
"And so through my warriors Kw'sis will have vengeance on Chemna for the defeat so long ago," Q'mitlwaakutl said. "And the line of your ancestors will be redeemed." He rose from his canoe, ready to meet with Wiyatpakan. "I will assure you this shall come to pass very soon. I will need the assistance of yourself and your men."
"As you wish it. I truly have faith in you, Prince of Wayam who returned from the cliff."
Q'mitlwaakutl summoned Wiyatpakan over to him, his trusted lieutenant nursing a few broken fingers and a black eye from his recent fight against Imatelam's warriors. Blood stained his once shining armour now covered in dents.
"We have a willing ally to help us take Kw'sis," Q'mitlwaakutl said. "He will attempt to negotiate with the city's leaders and gain its warriors, but should he fail we will need warriors to assist in opening the gates."
"I will find several men to take the place of the soldiers we captured," Wiyatpakan said. "If they fail should we leave Kw'sis be?"
"Indeed, as Chemna is where our main efforts lie," he replied, turning his attention back toward the high earth walls. "Yet perhaps we can take both cities with this," he mused. He felt in his heart a fire starting to burn, his guardian spirit speaking to him. If he only took Kw'sis downstream on the eastern bank and Chemna still held on the western bank, would not that create a spiritual division between the conquered old city and the unconquered new city? He must take them both at once and create balance.
"What do you mean?" asked Wiyatpakan, to which Q'mitlwaakutl smiled.
"We retreat, the warriors of Kw'sis march in, and they take the city for us." An absolutely opportunistic strategy, but one which seemed like the best option. "All we need to do is figure a convincing way to abandon this siege."
"The Chemnese warriors aren't far from here," Wiyatpakan noted. "It is apparent why we might flee from them."
"We have around four thousand warriors," Q'mitlwaakutl noted. "The Chemnese likely have slightly less but combined with their warriors in the city we'd be outnumbered." He turned away and looked toward the sacred Mount Laliik [4], its shadow hanging in the dusty distance and drifted back into thought for how he might plan his retreat. The Chemnese would be marching under its shadow as well.
"We still stand a great chance of winning if we surprise them alongside the warriors of Kw'sis," Wiyatpakan said. "And they suspect something is wrong if we flee from here."
"Yet I am now enamored by the proposal to capture both cities at once," Q'mitlwaakutl said. "My spirit calls for it and it sets a spiritual balance in this land for our future success. I must prove to the Chemnese I truly am Q'mitlwaakutl returned and to do so I must show them strength both spiritual and physical."
"So we're taking both cities?" Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh interrupted as he approached them, a grin on his face. "Brilliant, father!" Q'mitlwaakutl once again glared at him.
He truly has inherited the wild nature of his mother's ancestors.
"That we are," he replied with a hint of irritation. "You sneaked up on me well, boy. Perhaps you should do the same to those in Kw'sis and in Chemna. Do not return to my sight before you sit in the throne of the princes of both cities." The youth seemed puzzled, yet gave an evil grin.
"A--are you sending me to capture these cities?" Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh asked. "With the old noble I captured?"
"Correct. There will be few of our men alongside the warriors of Kw'sis, and we need someone as witty and clever as yourself there," he replied.
My test to you, boy, are your pranks simply foolishness or are they more inspired, a manifestation of your spirit? Either way, he wanted to see what his son might do so he might teach him a lesson. "It is only a few warriors, and I trust you'll be able to lead them should anything go amiss."
"I most definitely will, father! You can trust in me perfectly!"
"I will find you a skilled warrior to accompany you. Two of the warriors of Kw'sis will accompany you as you secure that city," Q'mitlwaakutl said.
"I already know who I want with me," Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh said. "I will take my good friend Luts'ashashik, he's a brilliant fighter."
The son of the senwitla of Tinainu? Q'mitlwaakutl assumed as much. The two were great friends after all and Luts'ashashik truly was a skilled fighter. He and Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh trained together nearly all the time, having studied under several brilliant warriors of towns under Q'mitlwaakutl's rule.
"Prince of Kw'sis!" Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh shouted, awakening the old man from his meditation. "Shall we fulfill your vision?" The old man smiled, and the two walked back into the camp.
"As for us," Q'mitlwaakutl turned back to Wiyatpakan. "I believe we should split our forces in response to this threat. Only if we divide our forces can we pull off a retreat. At nightfall, you shall lead a thousand men to the west and establish a camp at the slopes of Mount Laliik. You will be certain to make it so if blood is shed on that holy ground it is the Chemnese who start the fight."
"I certainly will do so," Wiyatpakan answered. "And the other groups?"
"It will be done in the same way as we crossed the passes. Night by night three groups of men after your own will leave the camp. One group shall cross the river and raid Chemnese allies to the east and be sure to demonstrate power to Pashkhash and Siminekem [5]. I don't believe they will take part in this fight. Our Hillmen allies of Ewallona will split off themselves and raid to the north and reinforce you. The remaining unit will move back to the southern ridge and alongside your men, harass the Chemnese. If you see an opportunity to encircle and defeat them, you will take it."
"And you will remain here?" Wiyatpakan asked.
"With four hundred men I will retreat to Tanakhalu [6] and prevent the Chemnese from retaking that strongpoint. When the gates are open, I will cross the river and occupy Chemna."
"It is an interesting strategy," Wiyatpakan said. "But are we not making the same mistake you have caused the Prince of T'kuyatum and his Chemnese allies to make? If we divide our forces, we are easier to be destroyed."
"It is balance," Q'mitlwaakutl answered, speaking from his heart. "Sometimes things must be divided. Sometimes things must be united. The world is a fluid place, and those who flow with the spiritual rhythms of this world rather than fight against them are the ones who succeed."
---
Kw'sis, May 15, 1128
Everything proceeded according to Q'mitlwaakutl's plans thanks to the efforts of Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh and the old Prince of Kw'sis. The council had been assembled and the nobles there chose to join the Prince of Kw'sis, although not without some persuasion, evidenced by the bloody smears on the bronze axe slung around the back of his friend Luts'ashashik. Standing a head taller than him, he was quite an imposing figure and the best fighter Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh knew. But as they left the hall of the miyawakh of Kw'sis to meet with the warriors of the city, they heard a sudden rush of footsteps.
"Out of here, out of my palace, out of Kw'sis!" a young man shouted. He drew a copper dagger and ran at Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh and Luts'ashashik. Luts'ashashik dwarfed the short man in size and grabbed his arm tight and flung the man to the ground, sending his knife across the room. The man stood up and ran at them again, to which Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh grasped the noble youth by the golden chain of his necklace and yanked it at, tearing it from his throat and breaking the golden ornaments from the necklace. The boy fell to the ground from the force.
"Don't be an idiot, Apapma-Tukhunani!" he shouted, kicking the youth. He pitched the largest chunk of the necklace at the youth, hitting him square in the head. He smirked. "I'll give you time to think about it. You seem smarter than you look, I can tell in your spirit."
The boy picked himself up off the ground, wiping the blood from his lip. Tears streamed from eyes out of confusion and pain.
"What nonsense is this? Why has Kw'sis betrayed Chemna? Why are you forcing our city into this foolish fight?"
"Ask your great uncle like I have," Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh replied. "You are a miyawakh of Kw'sis as well, descended from that same old Dena line who clashed against my own ancestors. But those days are long gone, your great-uncle wishes to cleanse that Hillman stain by supporting the Prince of Wayam returned."
Apapma-Tukhunani clenched his fist, clearly wanting to restart the fight, but ceased doing so.
"Wise choice," Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh sneered. "I've got nothing against you, I'm grateful for Kw'sis's assistance. I'd like it even more if you came with me to rally your men as we open the gates of Chemna in five days."
"Wh--Why should I do anything more than what I'm already doing?" Apapma-Tukhunani stammered.
"If we fail, you'll likely be drowned in the river or shot with arrows in more places than just your arm," Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh noted to which Luts'ashashik laughed at the pun on the man's name [7].
"Fine, I will come with you," he conceded. The three walked outside of the palace and noticed the torchlights of the warriors of Kw'sis. Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh counted around a hundred of them, the torches illuminating the faces of mostly youth and old men.
"I expected more," Luts'ashashik noted. "I counted many longhouses in this city."
"This is all the men we can provide for you," the old Prince of Kw'sis said, stepping forth from the crowd. "We already sent our best warriors along with the Prince of Chemna."
That morning, a few men from the camp surreptiously slipped into Kw'sis. Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh recognised them by the paint they promptly applied to their face and the constant scowls on their faces--they were
wawyatla, men sent to drill the boys and old men of Kw'sis and keep an eye on Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh. They also brought additional weapons and armour, which Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh and Apapma-Tukhunani made a point of distributing.
"Five days of this," Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh muttered to Luts'ashashik as he watched a wawyatla shout at the men to keep their pace up. "I wonder if all they're doing is making them resent us. Five days isn't enough to train a boy to be a warrior."
"Or make an old man remember how to be one," Luts'ashashik continued in agreeance. "But between myself, you, and the wawyatlas, we have enough men to create the chaos we need to open the gate."
After five days of training, feasting, and deliberating with the nobles and warriors of Kw'sis, the war party departed in the morning alongside reindeer laden down with goods and walked the path along the river to Chemna. Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh looked over at the setting moon, so nearly a full moon, low in the morning sky and immediately realised the intent of his father.
He intends to use the full moon to make a night attack. Perfect for spreading chaos. They saw no sign of campfires from the besieging army, only the haze of dust in the distance. Hours passed as they walked and the sun rose higher in the sky, and Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh lost himself in the anticipation of battle, eagerly chatting with Luts'ashashik and even Apapma-Tukhunani.
They halted at a nearly abandoned village in front of the town of Tanakhalu, immediately across the river from Kw'sis.
That is where Father is at, waiting to strike. Only a few old men and women remained in the village, in a few longhouses stripped of anything valuable. Everyone else fled, were fighting elsewhere, or had been killed. Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh kept in mind the desperation of this village. Desperate people made easy friends.
After crossing the river on canoes, they marched through the field Kw'aawinmi-Tlametkh spent the last few weeks in. Not a single warrior remained, although he noted a few fresh graves. Much debris from animal bones to acorn shells to arrows still littered the field, and although vacant for nearly five days it still reeked of human and animals. The walls of Chemna likewise seemed bereft of soldiers, although a few archers stood guard, watching their every move. The wooden gate carved in the wall was finally open, and Chemna itself so near. The dramatic eyes of the mythological heroes in their animal guise watched them from the faded tan walls of Chemna. Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh grinned at the sly look the painting of Coyote gave.
"They do not know it is through Coyote's help their city will fall," he said to Luts'ashashik, pointing to Coyote.
Several warriors greeted them outside the gate with raised spears and shields, their armour rough leather with strips of copper.
"Our scouts inform us you are warriors from Kw'sis. What business do you have in Chemna?"
Apapma-Tukhunani stepped forward, and Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh felt the youth's unease.
"W--we wish to defend your city when the warriors of Wayam return," he answered.
"Focus on your own damn city," the guard laughed. "If those are your warriors then the Wayamese need only walk through the front door!" The others laughed with him, as did Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh.
"You should treat him with more respect," Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh interrupted, stepping forther. "For he is the miyawakh of Kw'sis. And I am the son of the Prince of Wayam, defected from my father for his greedy nature." He took out a golden medallion from the pockets of his robes, handing it to the guard. "Your enemy is at Tanakhalu and has temporarily retreated his best men so to lure into you a false sense of security so that you might open the gate for his men." He wanted to burst out laughing right there at the performance he was putting on for these soldiers, that they would be so fooled. "I wish to meet with your miyawakh or senwitla."
The guard seemed puzzled, but then relented. "Should your information be right, perhaps your men are more needed here. Do not expect much food or shelter," he said, stepping aside and letting the war party march into Chemna.
Inside, Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh walked into the city of Chemna, the greatest rival of Wayam, for the first time. It seemed far less interesting than his home city, lacking the monumental cliff architecture and the great watchtowers, and resembling little more than a vastly overgrown town. Many longhouses stood around him, each painted with many murals indicating the clan of the families who lived there. The dusty streets seemed far more haphazard than Wayam's planned layout, although they were lined with small canals that gave water to the tall, carefully pruned oak and soringo trees that gave them shade on this warm spring afternoon.
"For such a great city, it reminds me more of Tinainu than Wayam," Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh commented to Luts'ashashik, to which his friend playfully slapped him.
"Hey, you insulting my home?" he laughed. "Perhaps," he raised his voice so the guards might hear him, "When Wayam is destroyed its wealth will be transferred here and Chemna shall replace it as a city for the ages."
Little impressed Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh of Chemna. Many animals, large and well-bred towey goats, dogs, and a few reindeer, roamed the streets along with their owners. A few market stalls offered meat, fish, and all sorts of food to passing people, although he noticed the siege made their baskets mostly empty. Yet the palace of the miyawakhs of Chemna, his destination, managed to interest Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh. Standing on raised ground, it combined colorful stone walls with very visible and even more colorful cedar posts depicting the ancestry of its rulers, with the fierce visage of bears all about.
Well, the Chemnese rulers do all have names referring to bears [8], or so he'd heard. The extensive use of stone in such an important building seemed odd to him, but almost natural, a sign of spiritual balance between the spirits of a living thing like a tree and the spirit of the land like a rock. Few other buildings in Chemna had that balance, yet the examples Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh found--elaborate longhouses presumably belonging to nobles--fascinated him.
They entered the gates of the palace, surrounded by a high wooden palisade to separate it from the rest of the city. The guards forced all but a few soldiers to wait outside the gates, although ironically allowed many of the well-armored wawyatla to enter alongside Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh, Luts'ashashik, and Apapma-Tukhunani. Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh's attention immediately came to the verdant green garden, full of well-arranged rocks and stones, fish ponds, and all manner of greenery laying beneath the shade trees. A few slaves pruned the trees and shrubs and collected their fruits into large baskets in what seemed like a great space of peace and luxury in the chaotic and overgrown city.
They passed through the elaborate interior of the palace, careful to note the appearance of the guards in equipment, size, and alertness. There not many, but those who stood around wielded clubs of jade and wore cloaks of cotton and breastplates and helmets of gold and silver that gleamed in the afternoon sun.
Ceremonial soldiers of the miyawakh of Chemna, Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh thought.
At last they were received by the miyawakh of Chemna in a room lit by a skylight angled toward the back of the room. The miyawakh, a middle-aged and obese man, rose from the illuminated cedar bench he reclined on, putting down a silver cup he drank from. Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh analysed him. He seemed somewhat lazy and his long black hair ran rather thin, yet the elaborate jewelry of gold and silver and stones of jasper as well as the crown he wore over his cotton robes impressed Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh. The carvings on the walls, the sculptury of animals and spirits, it all seemed perfectly arranged and very neat.
Everything seems well run around here, he must have skilled subordinates.
"Be aware, you are in the presence of the great miyawakh of Chemna, the exalted Nch'ianahui who inherited that name from his illustrious ancestors the rulers of Chemna, may he forever be honoured!" An elaborately dressed herald clad in gold threaded clothes announced [9]. Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh glanced at Apapma-Tukhunani to do the same for him.
"And you, my honoured miyawakh, are speaking to my follower the great Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh, his name inherited from mighty spirits who helped his ancestors the rulers of Wayam and Ewallona. May this meeting serve the both of you well."
"My people say you are the son of the Prince of Wayam yet you wish to betray them, why is that?" he asked.
"My father is a greedy man who seeks conflict and war to increase his wealth, yet I'm a man of peace who seeks to understand people," he replied. "I wish to teach my father that understanding others leads to far greater wealth than violence." His heart pounded, yet he felt his guardian spirit keeping him calm and giving him the ability to tell straight-faced lies. Even though some of what he said he truly believed, for to truly fool someone you must understand them.
"Sons should not teach fathers, especially not sons as young as yourself," Nch'ianahui replied with a smile. "Perhaps you should seek understanding with him rather than fleeing your home." Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh winced. He may be lazy, yet he's intelligent. He could feel the miyawakh of Chemna eyeing him closely and sizing him up.
"You are correct, my lord, yet I must make this mistake to correct the far more serious errors that my father commits. I would never dream of doing something like this, yet I must do so for personal balance in my life and for the sake of others," Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh pleaded. "My youthful inexperience made it so I cannot reach understanding with my father, and my father's cruel heart and evil spirit has made it so he will not seek to understand me."
Nch'ianahui laughed. "You grovel well, boy! I certainly hope you do not cry when we celebrate the news of your father being cut down by my great brother in the field of battle! He is coming to Chemna soon to disperse your men who fled into the hills and retake what is ours. Thousands of warriors from Chemna and every village and town shall soon arrive."
"And I wish to join them along with my followers," Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh said. "I beseech you to grant me this request. I wish to find my father on the battlefield and capture him so he may still see the light of truth and understanding." Nch'ianahui laughed again and took a long drink from his cup.
"Yes, you may be what I and my people need. You are certainly a clever youth and seem strong in spirit. The man beside you is also skilled with words and has the aura of a warrior all about him. I suppose you lot may serve me." Nch'ianahui picked up his cup, staring at the grooves on the edges arranged in fanciful patterns. "It is always well a ruler knows how to choose his followers. That the Prince of Wayam would not choose men like yourself and your friend is his flaw. You may dine with my household tonight, the hour we eat is near."
Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh and his small party ate well that night, eating well-spiced camas and salmon with a berry sauce and downing it with fine cider. He did not drink much, knowing the mission that was still at hand, although discussed much about the layout of the palace and garden with Nch'ianahui, several nobles with high office, and the captain of his guards. Nch'ianahui left the table early, having drank a little too much with his meal. Gathering up the men with him, they retreated into the garden with permission of Nch'ianahui as the sun began to set, awaiting nightfall and the rising of the full moon. He carefully gathered bundles of poison oak that grew beneath an oak, storing it in a small woven bag. He hoped that as Alkhaikhyai [10] lit up the night, his rays might enable the spirits of his allies to grant them great feats in the coming fight.
"Truly a performance worthy of Coyote," Luts'ashashik commented with charming sacrilege. "That miyawakh is clever, yet not as clever as yourself." Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh grinned at the praise.
"Indeed!" he laughed. "Coyote smiled on my spirit and helped me perform such trickery!"
"You men will set fire to the palace and retreat over the walls to join the rest of our men, who will open the gates," he spoke to Apapma-Tukhunani in hushed tones. "Us two shall deal with N'chianahui, the noblemen, and guards here," he said. He sighed. Nch'ianahui was a clever man who would have made a fine ally despite his overly luxurious tastes. And capturing him alive would be impossible thanks to his heft.
Although perhaps he suffered from the fatal trait of speaking too frankly while drunk, a trait he did not warn his men against. It is fortunate that father cautioned me about that from when I was a boy, and that I am wise enough not to live up to the drunkenness that all Hillmen are prone to indulge in [11]. And thanks to this drunken frankness from the nobles of Chemna, Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh knew much of the layout of the palace and number of men inside.
At the last rays of the sun, the plan set into motion. The soldiers on the inside gathered bundles of dried twigs, branches, leaves, and fragments of their own robes and set fires all about the outside walls of the palace with stolen torches. They lit smaller fires about the garden to provide light for the coming fight. Small containers of pitch smuggled in helped spread the flames. As flames spread amidst the wood structure, the men retreated, all aside from Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh and Luts'ashashik who stood in wait for any men who dare exit the palace from its main entrance on the east side [12]. Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh stood ready with his dagger-axe [13] and Luts'ashashik with his larger double-headed axe. The flames flickered on the Pasnomsono bronze surface of these weapons as the Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh felt his spirit burning.
Two guards ran out, shouting about the fire in the palace, and the two men struck each of the guards in the neck and nearly decapitated the both of them. They pulled back, waiting to strike anyone else who fled. Several more guards ran out, seeking the source of the commotion, to which the two men eliminated them one by one after a short, yet fierce clash of weapons.
"The smoke blinds them!" Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh shouted over sharp breaths. "Now let us check the northern entrance for that miyawakh!"
Assuming he's even still alive given how he fell asleep from drunkenness. Grabbing a burnt twig, he lit the bag of poison ivy aflame and threw it into the front of the burning palace and quickly fled alongside Luts'ashashik. As they ran over they surprised and cut down a soldier who escaped the building. What seemed to be a few women and children fled out in the distance, but they did not pursue for they had better targets. Looking at the smoldering stones around what once was the doorway, they found the fire burned so quickly the structure collapsed and blocked the exit.
"To the other entrance now!" They ran back around, noticing the main entrance similarly collapsed in on itself and a few men and women choking to death on the ground outside, hardly worth the effort to kill. The palace seemed to be burning quicker than ever now. Yet over by the southern door
A few gathered over by the southern door, including a few nobles they had dined with earlier, but a few women, children, and elderly slaves as well. A great clash ensued as the two young warriors rushed at them, pushing back the spears and daggers of the guards opponents and clobbered them through the limbs and head. Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh took a deep blow to his face and at least one crossbow bolt to his thigh, not that it phased him as his spirit burned, while Luts'ashashik seemed even more completely possessed by his spirit and ignored the pain of numerous slashes to his face and especially limbs to hammer home repeated blows against the men. He scarcely noticed the slaves, women, and children amongst them as he cut them down as well as they tried to flee, only awakening from his battle trance when he noticed he faced no more resistance.
They made a grisly scene. Heads, limbs, weapons, and armour lay scattered everywhere amidst pools of blood. Most of the men killed here seemed to be slaves wielding nothing but whatever they might find in a household as well as nobles who had not come dressed for battle. The bodies of a few women, mostly slaves appeared, but the finery a few corpses wore suggested some noblewomen had been cut down as well. Screams of women and children suggested some escaped the killing ground they created, no doubt through the power of their spirit.
"Fantastic work as usual, friend," Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh praised between catching his breath. He plucked the bloody crossbow bolt from his thigh, sniffing it to check if it was poisoned. "Let us leave here and aid the rest. Our work here is finished." His brow furrowed as he noticed his friend clutching his hand in pain, noticing deep red everywhere.
"There must be good plants for medicine in this garden," he growled over the pain. "Don't think some of my fingers are going to make it." Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh felt a pang of fear, yet quickly banished it from his thoughts. It was fortunate Luts'ashashik drew most all of their attention. He might have suffered far worse than the cuts and bruises on him.
"You might lose your fingers," Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh joked to lighten the mood, "The enemy has lost everything but their fingers."
All but the head. Although he wished to have killed Nch'ianahui himself, no doubt the man choked to death in his own bed from the smoke thanks in part to the great amount of alcohol consumed at dinner. It seemed impossible he escaped. As the palace began to collapse with great roars and bursts of flames, Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh took in the lesson of that miyawakh's life.
All the skill in the world is needless if decadence clouds the spirit.
As they made a quick yet careful retreat from the palace garden, checking for any enemies in ambush, war cries and drums heralded the arrival of the Q'mitlwaakutl to Chemna. An arrow whizzed past Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh, and as Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh saw the archer in ambush, the man fell to the ground as several arrows pierced him. The two men sheathed their weapons and rushed toward the main gate.
"We are not enemies, we are friends!" Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh shouted. "We have burnt the palace of the miyawakh of Chemna and killed his guards! Help us kill all who remain!" Warriors ran toward them, checking who they were as they surrounded the two and ran past, seeking the remaining survivors from the palace arson. A familiar face stepped forth illuminated by silver moonlight, the fierce glare of Q'mitlwaakutl beneath his bronze helmet and ringed by elaborate patterns in red paint. Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh smiled in greeting.
"Well done, boy," he complemented, gazing around at the scene of destruction. "And to you as well," he added, thanking Luts'ashashik. "Chemna has fallen and all that remains is the defeat of its other miyawakh who leads its army."
"It was truly a fierce fight," Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh said with a weary smile, hoping to elicit more praise. "Yet thanks to our skill we won."
"No, thanks to your deceit and lies," Q'mitlwaakutl corrected. "What happened this night is the price of deceit and lies, a ruined land and many killed. It is a weapon far too dangerous for people to wield. You may think you are applying the lessons of Coyote, yet long ago I met Coyote and by believing in his promises my warriors died and I became stone. Skilled as you are, you are far too loose with your trickery and it will hurt you one day. I pray it hurts no one else."
---
Lord Nch'iyaka of Wapaikht, Saga of Wayam (1500, translation 1974)
In that month the full moon did herald not only the fall of Chemna yet also the fall of her rulers. On that night the son of Q'mitlwaakutl Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh and the great warrior Luts'ashashik set flames to the palace of the prince. In the inferno the corpulent Prince Nch'ianahui burnt to ashes in a drunken stupor. For though Nch'ianahui possessed great wisdom and wit he did fail to see the tricks of Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh and did underestimate the strength of that man and his warriors. The tricks of Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh as orchestrated by the great Q'mitlwaakutl opened the gates of Chemna and the city thusly fell.
In his great wisdom Q'mitlwaakutl treated Chemna with kindness for they fought well and long ago they aided him against the Hillmen as all Aipakhpam cities had. He said unto the nobles of Chemna, "We seek only your friendship so that all might prosper and spiritual balance thrive in this land under its rightful leader, the Prince of Wayam." Q'mitlwaakutl did not permit his men to loot the city, for they already gained much loot in the villages and towns near Chemna. He only demanded that the daughters of Chemna might marry the sons of Wayam so that the peoples might come together. Foremost among these women were the daughters of the Princes of Chemna whom he gave in marriage to the eldest sons by each of his four wives, not the least the younger Prince of Wayam, his son Plaash-Nawinatla, and Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh, the great hero of this battle.
Earlier on that day the forces of the Prince of Takspash, the great Wiyatpakan, did engage the warriors of Kaatnamanahui camped at the hearths of their allies in Taptat. Far outnumbered against the warriors of Chemna and Taptat they took many losses and thenceforth retreated to the hills. Yet the scouts of Wiyatpakan did succeed in contacting their own allies as well as those brave warriors still in the Tabachiri Valley. Now the Prince of Takspash revised his strategem and prepared to correct his mistakes. The silver moonlight thus gave strength to a new victory. The scouts of Wiyatpakan guided the warriors of the other captains to encircle the foe as they slept.
The moon shone high and illuminated the path of the warriors of Wayam. Truly Alkhaikhyai did shine upon their spirits! Not a single path of escape remained for Kaatnamanahui and the Chemnese. They could not cross the Tabachiri River lest they fall prey to the Wayamese warriors on the other bank. They could not retreat upstream nor downstream lest they fall prey to two groups of Wayamese warriors who trapped them in the pincer. Only death and chaos awaited the Chemnese.
Then said Kaatnamanahui, "My allies of T'kuyatum will soon join me! We shall be safe behind the walls of Taptat until victory arrives!" Thus the forces of Chemna retreated behind the high palisades of Taptat. Fires in the night burned outside the gates of Taptat as the army of Wayam dealt with the spirits of the many they slew in the fight. Their armour and weapons became the fist of the battering rams the warriors of Wayam spent the night building.
Five more days passed and the great Prince of Wayam, Q'mitlwaakutl, did arrive to the siege with four hundred more warriors and said to Wiyatpakan, "Great are these siege implements you have built in such short time. Our victory is at hand."
So did the Wayamese storm the walls of Taptat. The spirits of the dead gave the battering rams terrible strength as they called out to their allies in Chemna, "Join us, leave this harsh world and reside with us in the Land of the Dead." The walls collapsed before this attack of both physical and spiritual force and the men of Wayam rushed into Taptat and cut down all who dared stand before them.
Said Kaatnamanahui to the Prince of Taptat, "Why are my allies so late to come aid us?" The Prince of Taptat did answer, "He will not come to our aid for he has betrayed us for his own benefit. And as he betrayed us, I must betray you for my own benefit." Thus the Prince of Taptat slew Kaatnamanahui and presented his head to the great Q'mitlwaakutl and said to him "Here my lord, I have given you the head of your foe! Allow me to serve you thenceforth!"
Said Q'mitlwaakutl to the Prince of Taptat, "You have served me well in slaying this great foe. May you serve me well in destroying Taptat with my men." The Prince of Taptat fell into shock at Q'mitlwaakutl's order and answered, "Why must I destroy my city and kill my own people?" Q'mitlwaakutl replied to him, "For you are my follower from this moment forth and my followers are obedient to what I ask of them. Yet I believe in your heart you are fit only to be a ruler. Perhaps instead you should be in a place where you might rule over your soldiers, your followers, and the Prince of Chemna," and he struck him dead.
Soon thereafter arrived the captain of the warriors who had remained behind in the Tabachiri Valley as Q'mitlwaakutl ordered him to several months prior. Spoke the captain "The warriors of Wayam yet remain in the Tabachiri Valley yet the warriors of T'kuyatum do not. They have crossed the pass and seek to conquer Wayam!" To this Q'mitlwaakutl praised him for his leadership and knowledge and prepared to lead his army in triumph to Wayam where they might do battle against that strongest foe, the Prince of T'kuyatum.
---
Author's notes
Some stories of the decisive war between Wayam and T'kuyatum, as well as introducing people of note later on (including ancestors of later important figures). Next chapter will cover the great clash between Q'mitlwaakutl and Chelkhalt and the aftermath.
War is never a pleasant thing, and like elsewhere in the world during this era (including the people of this region OTL), massacres of non-combatants wasn't unusual. We'll discuss more on early Fusanian warfare in a coming update, likely when I finish Q'mitlwaakutl's story.
I was late on finishing this entry because I was concurrently drawing up a map of the contemporary political situation in Fusania and because I had some writer's block (the narrative segments are difficult to write for me). There may be slower updates in the future as I go work on maps for this. I know for sure I will do a map regarding the campaigns of Q'mitlwaakutl and Chelkhalt.
Thanks as always for reading. There's much more to come in the future.
[1] - Taptat is Prosser, WA
[2] - Khainaksha is Goldendale, WA
[3] - The Tsupnitpelu are known for their reverence of Aipakhpam culture and habits, as we will see in a later entry. Although they come into contact with several dialect groups of Aipakhpam, the Chemnese dialect is the one they prefer thanks to Chemna's strength. Chemnese is classified as a northern dialect of Aipakhpam, quite distinct from the southern dialect spoken at Wayam.
[4] - Laliik is Rattlesnake Mountain in Benton County, WA, a prominent ridge. It is considered a sacred mountain to numerous peoples OTL due to its association with legends of the Deluge
[5] - Pashkhash is Walla Walla, WA and Siminekem is Lewiston, ID
[6] - Tanakhalu is immediately across the river from Chemna, located a bit north of West Pasco, WA.
[7] - A pun on his name. "Apapma-Tukhunani" roughly means "Shot-Through-Arm"
[8] - "Anahui" ("bear") occurs in the names of many Chemnese rulers, related to the guardian spirit of the prince Tamanwitkan, who in 980 AD threw off Kw'sis's rule to found Chemna as a major power. His descendents have taken on names related to the black bear and are thus known as the Anahuinmi ("of the bear") dynasty.
[9] - A typical, less formal introduction in many Fusanian cultures--having a trusted third party announce the name of the one being introduced as personal names are treated with reverence. Amongst nobles, serving as their herald is a prestigious position, and amongst rulers is a step toward becoming a senwitla.
[10] - Alkhaikhyai is the Aipakhpam moon god, the younger brother of the Sun and a powerful Transformer god who helped make the land inhabitable to humans
[11] - This is not to say Kw'aawinmi-Tlamtekh's particular Hillmen ancestors like Wat'ihak or Daslats-Lwelolis were alcoholics, merely a negative stereotype civilised Fusanians hold of Hillmen.
[12] - A nobleman's dwelling or palace will typically have three to five doors, the largest main door facing east (almost all Fusanian buildings have their doors on the east) and two to four secondary doors facing north and south, which connotates balance. For spiritual reasons there are never doors facing west (the direction of the land of the dead).
[13] - Best translation, it's a sort of halberd similar to the Chinese ge (also translated dagger axe). We'll discuss Fusanian warfare and weaponry soon enough.
![[OZC]Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 - Stardust Memory Remastered E06 'The Warrior of Von Braun'.mkv_s...jpg](https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/data/attachments/505/505365-43f400b43bb51ae3edaa59c693c33012.jpg "[OZC]Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 - Stardust Memory Remastered E06 'The Warrior of Von Braun'.mkv_s...jpg")
