Coastal Coalition Headquarters...
The small, run-down town in the centre of the Kimo clan's lands was very lively. Numerous messengers and envoys ran through the narrow streets, pushing the locals who had been drowning in the sea of newcomers.
The roads were clogged with carts and riders, each of whom thought that his task was more important than all the others. Armed monks and warriors in bright red and tight blue armour stood everywhere and everywhere.
In the palace of the local ruler, although this building could hardly be called a palace, it was rather called a big house. But for want of anything better, it was the central headquarters of the Coastal Coalition.
In a spacious but modestly furnished room, Hin and Janko sat at a large table, surrounded by advisers and commanders, who had just been informed of the results of the night's raid on the barbarians.
One of the monks was reading the message aloud, and with each word, Hime's heart was pierced by a sharp knife, causing terrible heartache. But now the only thing left for him to do was to count his losses; Janko, sitting next to him, was pale as chalk, a woman fumbling with a fan and staring at the wall with dead eyes.
After summarising all of the above and checking the messenger's words with the numerous reports, Hin said quietly. - Today we lost three and a half thousand men, and two-thirds of the Kimo clan's fleet, but Hin was consoled by the fact that the barbarians had paid a bloody price for every life. - The abbot muttered despondently to himself and exhaled heavily.
Watching the reports, Hin quickly calculated the losses of the enemy and there was not a lot: eight sunk ships and ten badly damaged. How many of enemy's had been killed and wounded, he could only guess. But the man wanted to believe it was a lot. Looking at the reports Hin missed something, it was not only him who had read them.
The head of the clan Yanko - a usual cheerful and graceful woman changed in the face with each readable line, there in these hastily written letters lay a good half of her clan. Each name she knew made her temples ache and her heart grow heavy, and she knew many, many people. Yanko was not just the leader of the clan, she was the mother of the clan, and in every member of the clan she saw not just a person, but her own blood - they were all children to her, whom she had sworn to protect.
She read, and the lists of the dead and missing kept going on and on, many she had known since childhood, some she was old enough to be a mother to, tears dripped from her eyes in slow succession, and her fists clenched involuntarily to the point of crunching.
After half an hour of such torture, her face, covered with swollen veins, was exuding an almost palpable venom, her expression clearly saying that she was furious. She knew perfectly well what war was, and that people died in it, but it was one thing to know, and another to realise that yesterday her clan had suffered an irreparable loss, and many people whose presence was a given had simply disappeared into the waters of the ocean.
Hin seeing the deplorability of the situation slowly grasped her hand, with anger in her eyes she raised her eyes and quietly said.
"Everyone out." Those present looked at each other, the most disgruntled was Officer Kimo, who was attending the council on behalf of the clan while Walt was leading the defence of his province.
But even he, seeing the explosiveness of Kimo's head, left the room with a quick step, the others following suit. Hin and Yanko were left alone in the room.
She grabbed Hin by his kimono and looking into his eyes, she said threateningly.
"I hope your plan is worth it and the sacrifices of my men will not be wasted!"
Hin calmly withdrew his hands and replied, "Yes, it is worth it, I hope you remember what is at stake, if we lose it will happen to all of us, and most likely will be even worse." After waiting for a while, the abbot continued.
"I am truly sorry for your loss, it is a very heavy loss, and in your heart it is a shame that your clan has had to bear the heaviest burden. But no matter how heavy it is, there is only one thing for us rulers to do, to accept it and move on."
"It's easy for you to say, monk, it's not your people who shed their blood, it's not your people who are now swimming in the ocean, feeding their meat to hungry seagulls." Yanko was literally boiling, the woman could not contain her emotions, she just needed to talk.
"Soon it will be our turn, now Niro and Bolt are defending the province of the White Cranes." Hin spoke calmly, in his heart he realised that soon his men would be written in those yellow sheets, which sent a chilling chill through the man.
"I need some privacy." quietly said a slightly chilled Janko, Hin nodded silently and continued to dig into the reports, patiently waited until the woman left the room, he returned all those who had left, that patiently waited outside and continued to dig into the reports. Trying to get some solid information out of them, useful to the overall cause.
"Is it that bad?" Asked the young man with the Kali clan crest.
"I can't give you a definite answer to that question, we dealt a painful blow, very painful, we prepared for this attack, but no one could imagine that these barbarians would dare to attack at night."
"Kimo's warriors have performed admirably and have decimated the ranks of their fleet, but this is only the beginning."
"Now my father and Prior Niro are fighting in the south... I'm worried about one thing, what's happening in Umi Province?" His sharp question was welcomed by everyone present, and they all stared at the monk, waiting for an answer.
"The foreigners landed in the port city of Hakore without resistance." Unhappy whispers ran through the crowd.
"What do we plan to do about it?" The son of Bolt continued.
"Nothing." Hin said in syllables, looking tiredly around at the bewildered faces of the crowd.
"What?" shouted one of the northern monks.
"They're coming up behind us, we have to stop them." Said a warrior dressed in bright red robes.
"Those Umi bastards, the fucking jackals sold out to the eastern barbarians." Shouted the third.
"I don't think that cunt Hito, is not so simple, he must have some kind of plan." The northern monk disputed the previous one's words.
"Quiet!" A Kali clan warrior shouted through the crowd. After waiting for everyone to shut up, Hin spoke.
"I understand your concerns, but I hasten to answer that there is no reason for them."
"Explain!" The son of the Kali clan leader blurted out, glaring at the abbot with an angry look. Hin only sighed tiredly and lit the receiver.
Niro's monks had dispersed the local peasants, and Hito had summoned his troops and all his vassals as well. Not only that, but he had gathered thieves and assassins from all over the kingdom under his banner. The kid may be a psychopath, but he's not an idiot, letting foreigners into his lands is like signing his own death warrant.
"And no matter how stupid you think he is, he won't go for it." Hin finished, but the audience kept glaring at him.
"There are any questions."
"The Mena clan must intervene!" roared angrily at the son of Bolt.
"And what will you achieve, the Umi clan is not even part of the coastal coalition, even if Ason invades to fight the foreigners, the Umi clan will see it as an invasion of their lands, I don't think you need to explain their actions."
The wolf's son bowed his head to the floor, there was nothing to object to, the Umi clan were psychopaths, and anything could be expected from them, including a sudden stab in the back.
"Kin I understand your concern, but understand that we are not omnipotent, and sometimes all we have to do is wait, if the Umi take out the foreigners with their own forces, then honour and praise them. If not, Ason will take on the threat."
The rest of the council went on as normal, the defenders' plan didn't change much, considering it was as simple as a stick. It was as follows. Wait for the barbarians to land, properly harassing them in the process.
Then burn and hide everything of any value, especially food and water. Don't forget to strike disturbing blows, then just wait for an epidemic to break out in their army and sweep away the weakened and hungry invaders with a powerful blow.
...
A hill not far from the port city of the Umi clan...
Hito, accompanied by a couple of trusted men, sat on the hill, watching the foreigners disembark. The infantry, cannons, cavalry, and supplies were coming ashore slowly, using boats and small craft. Which slowed the whole process down.
Their scouts had already scoured the city and found no one, the city was empty and everything of value had been taken.
"Sir, I counted 5,000, but judging by the ships, it's three times that."
"I am more concerned about their artillery, they have quite a lot of it," said the second attendant, looking at the dozens of cannons standing right on the shore.
"We're better off, the good cannons will make excellent trophies," Hito said, and getting up from the grass, walked towards the horses. There was no need for him to be personally present in the scouting party. It was just that he wanted to see the invaders himself, and he was not impressed by them.
Greedy for other people's goods, they gutted house after house, and when they found nothing they were angry and swore so loudly that even Hito could hear their angry shouts.
"Tonight everything will be decided, fun out while you can, you don't have much time." The head of the Umi clan said quietly, and then cast a farewell glance at the city and climbed on his horse.