on purpose so that the enemy would spend all his explosive ammunition. Enemies reload their guns very quickly. For about five seconds, pulling on the sleeve, on the side, reminiscent of a drum on revolvers, and putting powder capsules there. Distracting attention to themselves, they allowed the iron snakes to descend from the first wall, and crawl into the very holes below, which they themselves rammed. This method of crawling iron snakes is not used for the first time. It was already practiced by King Shadakh, more than two hundred years ago, when he took the double walls of the fortress of Jericha. But, then the events were not so large-scale, and these snakes were much smaller. The Nahmau of Rohvem adopted this tactic, similarly, by resting their heads against the wall and crawling up, the machines practically paved a bridge between Vayelon and the treacherous Fimirelians. However, on the second wall, an unpleasant surprise awaited them. Even though the arrows have run out. Ammunition was still more than enough. Instead of explosive arrows, huge barrels of gunpowder were thrown at them, roaring so hard that the earth shook in the area. The mechanisms of the steel worms could not stand and, having jammed, most of them collapsed to the ground, at the same time crushing their own soldiers. But, some creeping ringed creatures still managed to climb. Only three pieces, but that was enough. The mouths of these lizards opened and began to spew hellfire, setting fire to the troops of the Osiris, just as they burned the Fimirelians on the first wall. The commanders of the defense, once again, went astray. They thought that through their mouths, the soldiers would rise, and pulled as many people as possible to them to fight. But it was not there. Scattering to the sides, the survivors of the war, to save themselves, jumped from the wall, in their armor hot as frying pans. The battle was almost lost. Vayelon’s collapse was only minutes away. Reinforcements from the south did not have time to approach. Satisfied priest Maktum, sits in his war chariot, just before entering the first gates, as if waiting for them to be opened, and he will ride with honor along the central street of the captured state. On the back line of the enemy, a defense was lined up of a thousand riders on camels and horses, and the same number of infantrymen. They knew that reinforcements were coming to the Osiris and were ready to meet them. Reinforcements arrived a little earlier than expected. And, it was not the southern army. They were the Shelber Nahmaw, led by Apod Rift!
By some miracle, he managed to persuade the governors to give an army to protect the Osirian state, and, to have time to drive him seventy kilometers from here. But, they were a little late. On the other side of the city, over these beautiful walls, enemy airships were already flying. From the air, they began bombing the largest objects and places of concentration of people. On the second line of defense, a fierce battle between the Osiris and Fimirelians unfolded, at the same time the battle began behind enemy lines with the knights of the Shelber governors. Outnumbered, they ruthlessly defeated two thousand opponents, and moved on to the burning city walls. They rescued frightened helpless children, weeping women and old people. Noble knights of foreigners were greeted as heroes who had no weak points. They, like fairy-tale characters, are completely invulnerable. The city dwellers did not even pay attention to the fact that in the formidable battle not only did not one Shelber warrior die, but not one of them was even wounded. They unrestrainedly slashed soldiers, animals and various monsters surrounding them from all sides, as if they were enjoying it. Ultimately, using their carriage-mounted machine guns, they shot down the deadly airships. These fantastic, rapid-fire weapons simply thrilled the imagination. They were transformed, right when shooting, and in an interesting way. Gold glasses, like the sleeves of which the body consisted, jumped out, over the entire surface, on folding holders, and, shifting, moved back. When fired quickly, these magical things looked like seething, self-loading golden bubbles, emitting a hail of fiery rays. Vayelon’s men were triumphant. Crazy with happiness, they fell at the feet of their heroes – the omnipotent guards of Shadakh, in which a curse had long been sitting, raising their strength and power to boundless and immeasurable proportions. By order of Daligen, in the forests of Shelber, they went into hibernation for the coming decades, along with the rest of the population of the valley. They will remain there, waiting for their awakening, taking root and mummifying.
Aprod Rift ascended the throne in triumph. He ruled like a true king, marrying an Osirian woman and founding his own dynasty. However, over time, he began to devote little time to politics, and willfully, most of the power he entrusted to the council. He dedicated his life to science, philosophy, entertainment, music and culture. The first theater, a children’s school, and numerous monuments were built in his honor. Many praising books have been written about him, although Aprod himself denied the cult of personality, considering this phenomenon harmful to society. Namely, the cult of personality was the reason for his self-restraint by power. Until his death, he maintained good relations with the Shelber Valley, and bequeathed to cherish them to his only son, heir and future king, a half-breed. The Rohvem Valley fell into oblivion. Quite interesting changes have taken place there, though. The Hamhharaf clan fell. The heiress of the dreadful queen Biel the husband-hating, her own daughter, was not far from her mother. By the way, after the death of Maktum, during the siege of Vayelon, there were no serious contenders for the throne, and if they did appear as a true dictator, she quickly eliminated them. Despite the depressing situation of the people, Biel ruled until old age, falling asleep and choking in a pool strewn with rose petals. Her daughter was also a lesbian and persecuted men for their successes. In some ways, she even surpassed her crazy mother. At festive ceremonies, for example, the new queen ate the fried testicles of her own eunuchs. And at religious rites, during sacrifices, she drank the blood of the most powerful men in order to gain wisdom. Fortunately, she was stopped by the then gaining momentum in politics, the grandson of Maktoum En-Ali, who had been in exile all his life, wandering through the villages of Rohvem. He gathered enough followers, and violently staged a coup d’état. Having publicly outraged the queen, he personally performed not a good procedure, dishonoring her, and gouged out his eyes, taking away to the forest of the dead. Since then, gender issues have only worsened in Rohvem. Constantly hesitating, going to extremes from the stage of matriarchy to the stage of patriarchy and vice versa.
An ERA of PROGRESS
Vayelon, 7748 BC.
Forty-seven years later, the Osiris city-state continued to develop at an unprecedented pace. It is difficult to compare this unique metropolis with anything in our world. This is a kind of a mix of entire eras, enclosed in one time. There is electricity, but no car. Samples of nuclear energy received, but no firearms. Ultra-strong, fullerene materials have been developed, but a computer has not yet been created. Here the antediluvian technologies of ancient Greece are intertwined, with those that do not exist even in the twenty-first century. Such a strange alignment does not make civilization backward or developed against the background of others. In this order, their priorities and needs are arranged, nothing supernatural. In the political structure, little that has changed since the time of King Ormon, but they experiment with the economy every year, introducing innovative ideas in the field of taxation, the first social benefits. Loans and private equity communities are emerging. But even the economy did not keep pace with technical progress. The first metallurgical plants and conveyors were built. Hydroelectric power station, steam engines, and continuous automation: electric elevators, gates, construction hoists and much more. It even went as far as the first micro-board assembly built in to control the new fountain in the park area. The new king loved advances in technology. He saw his authority grow exponentially. Not at all afraid that during his lifetime, like his father, they would begin to deify him. On the contrary, the new king, Narus Rift, loved to be admired. Especially when you don’t even need to do anything for this. Narus was born in honor and prosperity, as they say, in golden swaddling clothes. Megalomania, from childhood instilled in him by those around him. Only thanks to the upbringing of his father, he has nobility, simplicity and justice. He is not trying to get rich wildly and enslave neighboring cities. Although, at this time, he could already bring the whole of Mesopotamia to its knees, and therefore the whole world. Having created a modest strong family, he was a role model for the common citizens of Vayelon. By the age of forty-five, he had five children from his only wife. And, for the first time, he made polygamy and polyandry not fashionable, although even