The army of Geroge

Geroge
Written by: Ellis

“One day, you will have a deliverer, he will come on a horse as dark as the night, with the power of light with him; he will come with news of terrible and unimaginable things. War will persist, foreigners will plaque the land like a host of locust, but through him you will walk in freedom!” Screamed the exasperated prophet on the wooden platform in which he stared down at the silent crowd of people.
“But when will he come?” asked one peasant in the crowd. “When will this savior you speak of come?
“Their will be many more years of wars until he comes, but I warn you when he comes, heed his warnings and do what he says for if you don’t you shall surely perish,” replied the prophet in a rasped voice.

“Then and there the prophet fell down and died, with the last of his prophesies finally prophesized to the people,” said Patricia. “This story was told to me by my father who heard it from his father, but now go to sleep we have a long day tomorrow.”
“But Mom what happened to the prophet didn’t they bury him?” asked Jon.
“If I tell you, will you promise to go to bed and not trouble me anymore?” asked his mother.
“Yes, yes,” exclaimed Jon.
“Alright, after the prophet died the people took him and put him on a boat in the river so that the body would float over the cliff and into the water far below. But as the boat neared the ravine a sudden mist came over the river, swallowed the boat, and then disappeared as fast as it had come.”
The land of Geroge has been under control of the Ottomin Empire for more then three generations. The people’s rights have slowly over time, been taken from them and in time the people of Geroge where mere slaves. There were some people who believed in the prophecy others did not. The ones who believed either believed because they had nothing to look forward to anymore or others who truly believed, and honestly prayed to God that maybe one day the savior would come, either in their time or in their children’s time to come and rescue them from their oppressors.
I believed, for only one reason and that was because of a dream I once had. When I was little I seen a vision of me playing in a green valley full of brilliant flowers with colors of the rainbow. I was running and skipping along the grass for it was a beautiful sunny day and I couldn’t help but remember how happy I was. Then, I looked up into the sun which at the time was right above the hill, and there was the man. He had a beard which looked like it could house a whole flock of birds. His skin was like the color of honey neither to dark nor not to light, and I could always remember his voice even to this day. It came from somewhere in the sky it surrounded me like a mother surrounds her child on a cold winter day. The voice was as soft as a purr of a lions, but just like a lion the voice commanded power and spoke. Someday Jon, you will realize who the savior is and will come to his aid and you will raise him and teach him.
Now as a child you could probably imagine my surprise. Wow! That was some crazy day dream, but ever since then I dedicated my life to serving the lord. Not as intent as the Hindus in India, but I longingly believed and respected God for I knew he was there and it was him who spoke to me that day. It’s weird to comprehend that God is there the only way that I can really describe him is by the wind. You can’s see the wind yet you know its there you can see the gentle breeze rustle the branches or feel the gentle touch of the wind on your cheek. Over time, I learned the bible and had great wisdom of not only the book, but also of the world. When I looked at the trees, I didn’t just see tall irregular green figures, I seen a living organism full of spirit, life, and hope. Hope in the future for all creatures strong and tall, small and weak. But then as I got older and seen all the terrible things going on in Geroge all the wars and famine, I couldn’t just sit around


“Jon wake up its time to go,” exclaimed Bret.
“Okay, but I’m not used to this getting up so early in the morning,” Jon replied groggy from sleep.
“Did you hear the army is setting out for flounders and is going to attack tomorrow afternoon,” Bret said.
“ I don’t get it why do they always attack I mean our Generals suck and they always get confused and scared in battle, if I was them I would stay right here make some trenches and a good defensive position and wait for the enemy to come,” Jon complained.
“Well, the generals are really confident about this one.”
“Well let’s hope your right because if we lose, nothing can save us except a miracle, and that I don’t think we have.

“Sir we have divisions ready to move, we have 6,000 cavalry 15,000 pike men and then the rest are foot soldiers, that is a total of 42,000 men.”
“Good, good captain have our scouts come in yet?”
“No sir, we haven’t seen them for three days now”
“Very well, lets move out it’s a half days march to flounders and I want the men rested and ready to fight tomorrow morning.”
“Yes general Viers”

“Alright soldiers, now we march to flounders when we get there, get the camp set up and be ready to fight in the morning, now move out,” yelled General Viers. So we moved out to the dreaded battle field and only when we reached it did we have our fears confirmed. We made camp at the top of a huge hill to the east of the enemy camp and then I went as a scout to see the enemy camp where I imagined them to be at. I arrived at the place called flounders right when the sun was going down the on the west side of the valley the red yellow streaks was just a sight to see and in my whole life time I have never seen a more beautiful sunset. Now I knew that the valley of flounders was big but what I seen nearly took my breath away. As I was on the east side of the valley I faced the great river Lodinier it was always deep even in the dry summer spells; and ran down all the way to the ocean for miles, even though it was deep it was not very wide probably the width of two horses, but the treturous fast moving water more then made up for the width of the river. Then directly west in the horizon was the mighty forest solriesta, but that wasn’t what took my breath away not the great river or the huge forests. No, what took my breath away was the enemy camp, there were tents all across the northern side of the valley as far as the eye could see, smoke rose from the many camp fires, and the men, they were as numerous as the sand.
“I can’t believe it! 80,000 soldiers, will we ever have peace in this land!” Exclaimed General Viers and then, he began to cry this monster of a man sharp brown eyes with brown scraggly hair at least a head taller then any man, shoulders as broad and wide as an ox began to cry!
“Sir, we don’t have to fight tomorrow lets do it another day where we can find a better position and get a better defense; let them attack us sir,” said Captain Geoffrey.
“No, we will attack tomorrow as planned, plus we have the advantages of the high hills and trebuchets,” replied the general.
“We will mass our troops at the southern end of the valley were there will be enough room to fight and we will set up the trebuchets on the other side of the river were they will be ready to fire,” said the gruff general.
“Sir, you can’t do it, you must not attack, its suicide! If we attack tomorrow, not a single soldier will survive. Our soldiers they will be overwhelmed, killed, you say that we have advantages; well all I see is a trap!” I exclaimed.
“How would you know, you’re just a kid you don’t know anything about war,” the general snapped.
“Sir, I know enough about war to see that you’re bringing us into a trap!” I exclaimed. “The enemy is smart; they picked a perfect place, to the east they have the river Lodinier guarding them. To the west they have the forest protecting them making it hard for us to go through and then to the north that is the steepest part of the valley to steep for horses to go down, even to steep for a soldier. And you oh mighty General can’t you see the danger in the south?” I asked. But before he could even reply I kept on talking. “The hills in the south aren’t steep, I guess that is an advantage, but once in battle the enemy with their superior numbers will encircle you, and you will be doomed to your death. While the trebuchets in the east will be taken and turned against you, is that what you want general,” I asked him. I waited for a little bit to let what I just said sink in and then I repeated the question.
“Sir, is that what you want, your whole army wiped out, and all the years of fighting and getting all the land of Geroge free, gone to waist?” I asked.
“No, no that is not what I want,” answered the general all of a sudden looking much more tired and sad. “But can you tell me one thing were did you learn so much about the battle fields and war,” he asked me. Now that question really did surprise me how did I know so much about war and the lay out of a battle field or even being able to predict what someone else was about to do even before they even did something. I guess it all started when I was really small.

“When I was little I loved to play shatranj, I don’t know what it was about that game but I loved it, the strategies the thinking, the cunning I don’t know. But when ever I played that game with my friends I could somehow I don’t know how but I could imagine myself as the opponent. And imagine the moves that he would make so I could counter them before he could even make the move and it seemed it worked every time and I could predict every single move he made, I guess that is all part of the game but there is more. As I grew older and my mind matured I began having a spiritual awareness of the world and of people. When I looked at a person I didn’t have to talk to him to know his personality, all I had to do was look at him and I knew what his hobbies were and what his interests were. I guess that gift has stayed with me,” I answered
“You know kid I need more people like you, so tell me what is your plan,” asked the gruff general with a lighter happier expression. And that is how I became the second most powerful person in the whole of Geroge’s army and also how the General became almost like a father to me.


TO BE CONTINUED.......