Gukyun

That morning, the sun in that small southern town refused to rise, and the darkness, which usually dissipated closer to dawn, on the contrary, grew thicker. The dogs, as if sensing danger, barked and ran around the yard, forcing the horses in the stable to neigh in fear and beat their hooves. No one went outside, no one calmed the enraged animals or checked the yard. The owner of the house was sitting by his spouse's bedside clutching to his chest a bundle wrapped in a coarse cloth, which, by his arrival in this world, sent his mom to another.

“Murderer,” the man whispers and strokes with his thumb the scar the baby was born with on his left cheekbone. “Your name will be Seljuk, and this will be the last life you take."

After sitting next to the deceased spouse for a couple of minutes, the man passes the baby to the midwife and leaves the room.

When Jeon Seljuk killed for the first time he was only thirteen seconds old.

Seljuk was born into the family of a former warrior, now a small landowner Jeon Hyungwon, who lives in the small town of Miras in Epdokiya. Hyungwon, who did not come from any noble family, had three sons. He received the land on which the dwelling was built as a thank you for his service from the ruler of Miras and was more than satisfied. Hyungwon was against all forms of excess, did not spoil his children, taught them to be industrious, and guided them in every possible way. After the death of his spouse, Hyungwon no longer brought women, he raised the children himself. He did not obey the persuasions of his loved ones that he should get married again or at least, like most of the city's men, choose a woman for himself. The eldest son of the man, Un, showed the obvious inclinations of a warrior, by the age of fourteen he was already an excellent archer, had a good command of the sword and could outrun any of his father's entourage. Devon, who was two years younger than Un, did not express any particular interest in anything, despite the constant reproaches of his father, he did not even study military affairs, instead wandering aimlessly around their land. Devon had one favorite pastime - bullying the youngest, ten-year-old Seljuk, who, oddly enough and despite the death of his mother, was loved the most by his father. Devon was jealous, and sometimes this jealousy reached its climax and cost the youngest new scars and bruises. Once, when the brothers were playing in the mountains and Seljuk was just five years old, Devon tied him to a tree and left him under the blazing sun for several hours until Un found him. Devon denied intent, blamed everything on the fact that he had forgotten to return for his brother, and supposedly thought that he had got out on his own. Seljuk then received a sunstroke and could not recover for a long time, Hyungwon was even afraid that he would lose his son, but he turned out to be strong. Devon stole coins from his father, which he then spent in the city on various delicacies and dice games. If it was found missing, he immediately blamed everything on Seljuk. Devon is the only one who could openly call Seljuk a freak because of his scar, and even hammered into Un's head that his brother was cursed.

Seljuk grew up as a gloomy, uncommunicative child. He showed an interest in languages, spoke fluently three, read a lot, and, unlike his brothers, loved to listen to his mentors. He could sit for hours on the roof of the stable alone and watch the stars. He also loved it when travelers or merchants passed by. His father always gladly received guests and spread a tablecloth for them. After a hearty supper, they would sit around the fire and, drinking kumis, told about the news from outside. On nights like this, Seljuk forgot about sleep, listened to their stories, and walked around daydreaming about them for several days. He was very interested in war and stories of battles. Hyungwon noticed how his son's eyes lit up when he heard about campaigns and conquests, and deep down he was proud of him. Seljuk trained for a long time with his uncle in the yard and learned how to wield a sword and shoot a bow. He showed a fantastic ability to catch everything on the fly, not lose heart after defeat, and fought to the last, even if his exhausted hand refused to rise.

"The path of a warrior is difficult, when entering it for the first time, you are scared. You don't know if you will return or if you will see the dawn. But there, in the thick of the battle, you don't think about danger and risks, you just live by them. It's then, holding your sword tightly in your hands and moving between enemies, that you feel alive" Seljuk sees his father sink into memories and the wrinkles on his forehead smooth out. “I won back this land, this house, these gardens and pasture for us. It was all brought to me by the blade and its power. Master Do from the East, who now lives in the city of Isfan, will, one day, make a sword for you too. You will have your place under the sun, build yourself a house, and start a family."

"I want the whole world," the child raising his eyes looks at his father.

Hyungwon stops doesn't even breathe for a couple of seconds. There is such unshakable confidence in Seljuk's words that even Hyungwon can feel it. He is silent for a couple of seconds and then changes the subject.

Hyungwon rarely goes to the city if not to attend the elders' meeting where he can stay for several hours, listening to their stories and predictions. Returning from one of these meetings, he learns that Devon fell off a cliff into a gorge and died. Even the child's body was impossible to reach from the infamous gorge. The grief-stricken father sits for a long time on the ground by the house’s entrance and demands Un tell him what happened on the rock.

Devon and Seljuk, as always, had a fight in the yard, after which the elder went up the hill to take a nap in his favorite clearing. Seljuk followed him. When Un arrived at the scene, Seljuk was sitting on the grass, leaning against a tree, staring thoughtfully at the sky. The boy's shirt collar was torn, and fresh scratches were visible on his face. Seeing his brother, he simply nodded in the direction of the gorge and, getting to his feet, went to the house. Un caught up with him at the gate and asked the question:

"You pushed Devon?"

"We had a fight, he lost,'' Seljuk replied coldly and disappeared into the stable.

Un omitted that part when talking to his father, convinced him that it was an accident, and began to bypass Seljuk.

When Jeon Seljuk killed for the second time, he was ten years old. His father's prediction did not come true.

A rebellion began in Cremona, the capital of Epdocia, which was supported from outside by neighboring tribes. The rebellion led to the fact that the territory of the state was divided into two parts, and Miras, together with the adjacent towns, became a city-state, headed by the former leader of one of the famous tribes, named Min Jihyun. The man, famous for his cruelty and greed, had once been a warrior himself, even leading a whole detachment under the previous ruler. He turned against his own leader and helped to overthrow him.

Hyungwon was very worried about the situation in the city. Miras turned into a closed city fortress, from which it was impossible to exit and into which it was impossible to enter. In addition to his troops, Jihyun summoned his tribe to the city and established absolute control over everything. He mercilessly plundered the population, doubled taxes, and demanded tribute for any service. He severely punished all those who were indignant. The closure of the city led to a decline in trade, which hit the treasury hard. Jihyun ended up opening the gates again, but he began to let anyone who was willing to pay inside the fortress. As a result, not only merchants but also mercenaries and robbers began to flock to the city. Several respected people in the city gathered and went to talk to him. That night, Jihyun fed them their last dinner — nobody returned from the palace, which belonged to the formerly slain administrator, and no one spoke against him, fearing his army.

Seljuk had just turned eleven when Jihyun's men came to their house and called his father in for a conversation. Seljuk, hiding behind a well in the courtyard, eavesdropped, and from what he could hear, he learned that his father was required to leave the city. Jihyun is not only cruel and calculating but also very cowardly. He understood perfectly well that a warrior who was revered in the city, who had fought for the former head for half his life, now unable to rise up against him due to his age, would hardly instill a love for the new leader into his children. Hyungwon refused to leave his native lands, especially the house in which his two sons were born. After the intruders left, he called his men for instructions and, for the first time in so long, posted a sentry at the gate. Hyungwon himself sent a messenger to a neighboring city, where Jihyun's enemy ruled and asked for assistance. Jihyun acted quickly, calculating Hyungwon's actions in advance, so his house was attacked at sunset the same day, without waiting for help. Seljuk, grabbing one of his father's sabers, rushed into the yard to his brother, but Hyungwon caught him by the scruff of his neck and pushed him against the wall.

"You are too small to fight, I need you to grow up," the man fought to restrain the struggling boy. “If we fail, someone has to take revenge. It is not proper for our family to look at the same sky that our killers will look at. Don’t you dare climb off the roof of the stable cause you’ll be falling to your death."

Thus, lying on the roof, from which the little boy admired the stars and dreamed, he watched how his father's people fell one after another, how the enemy sword pierced Hyungwon into the very heart, but he still stood on his knees, refusing to fall until he was hit again, this time in the back. Mortally wounded, Un was tied to the horse of the leader of the attackers and taken out into the city, declaring the whole family to be traitors and informers. The enemies set the looted house on fire, after taking the horses for themselves, ransacked everything around in search of Hyungwon's second son, but, not finding him, they decided that, given that no one ran out into the street, he would burn in the house. Seljuk gasped from the smoke on the roof, felt the iron rods holding the clay-molded bricks heating up, but endured. Even when a firebrand burning from the roof of the house fell on his hand just below the elbow, he gritted his teeth, endured this pain, and did not move, perfectly seeing the warrior standing below and looking attentively at the roof. Only when he turned away did Seljuk toss the firebrand away, and as soon as everyone else left the corpse-littered courtyard, gasping for breath, he slid to the ground.

Seljuk suffered a severe burn on his arm that night, which, even years later, will remain, shaped like a skull with horns. He lost everything he had to live for, but at the same time gained a new meaning, which was just starting to kindle in him as smoldering coal. Afraid of being discovered, the boy could not even say goodbye to his father. He left the place that he used to call his home, put a piece of cloth torn from his shirt to his wound, and hid in the garden of one of the houses.

As darkness fell, Seljuk emerged from his hiding place and climbed into one of the many laden carts heading towards the gate of the fortress. After several hours on the way, he slid off it, realizing that it was heading north, and, hiding behind a hillock, waited until the caravan was out of sight. Holding his wounded arm, he walked on foot to the East across the steppe. Seljuk knew that if he didn't come across another caravan or at least a settlement soon, he would die of dehydration or be eaten by animals. Either fate turned out to be favorable to the boy, or the Devil really kissed him on the cheekbone, as Devon insisted, but after four hours of travel, he was picked up by a caravan of merchants heading to the East. The boy introduced himself as Guuk and said that he had escaped from the city because of hunger and wanted to become a warrior, and for that, he had to get to Isfan to master Do. The owner of the caravan, a narrow-shouldered, thin man, Syo, laughed at his words, ruffled his hair, but promised to leave him in Isfan. Seljuk had the wound treated, and a new bandage was applied. He helped the caravan on the way, watered the horses, cleaned up overnight, and even stood guard together with the soldiers guarding the goods. Syo said that he was carrying silks and dishes, but Seljuk was sure that one of the carts was loaded with gold, otherwise, the merchant would not need a guard of fifteen mercenaries. After eight days on the way, robbers attacked the caravan. The boy with a bandaged and still healing hand surprised Syo with his ability to use a sword and, along with other warriors, helped them fight back. After the robbers scattered, Syo summoned him and asked how much he wanted to go to Isfan.

“I see the inclinations of a warrior in you and I believe in your name and past just as much as my environment believes that I don’t paint my mustache,” the man grinned. "You can go around these lands with me, you will always have bread and a place to lie down."

“I don’t need bread and a place to lie down,” the boy said firmly, bandaging his hand. "I need the whole world."

Syo was upset but did not show it. As he promised, after a month and a half on the way, Guuk left their caravan and entered the city.

Isfan was much larger than Miras. It was said that the ruler of Isfan recruited the best craftsmen to the city, and therefore it was famous for its beautiful buildings and interesting architecture. Seljuk spent the first day on the stairs of an open bazaar in the square, watching petty thieves cleverly empty the pockets of the men and women walking in the square. In the morning, Seljuk will find out where the great master Do lives, and will definitely ask him to forge a sword for him. Now he needs to sleep.

He wakes up at dawn not so much from the pain in his bones resting on stones, but because of the noise around him, and sees a large man dragging a frail little boy to the middle of the square. People are gradually gathering around, preparing to witness another spectacle, and the man, brandishing an ax, shouts to the entire square about theft. The boy cries collects dust with his knees, but cannot escape. The man throws him over a wooden counter, on which juicy peaches were scattered yesterday, and, stretching out his hand, brandishes an ax.

"You will never look at someone else's pockets," the man hisses, but the next second he recoils, holding the back of his head, which is rapidly turning red, with his palm. The next stone hits his face, but the man manages to bend down. While the man is trying to come to his senses, another boy of the same age runs up to the boy and, grabbing his hand, runs up to the stairs, but two men block their way.

Seljuk gets up from his seat and, stocking up on rocks, throws the stones at the men, aiming right in the face. The boys manage to slip into one of the narrow streets while Seljuk runs in the opposite direction and, hiding behind one of the many buildings, tries to catch his breath. It will not be possible to find the master today. Seljuk is afraid to go outside, thinking they are looking for him. Until the evening, dying of hunger, he sits in a shelter and only at nightfall moves towards the bazaar to pick up rotten fruits that were thrown into the garbage pits. He is already almost approaching the square, when he, abruptly grabbed by the elbow, is dragged into the passage between the two houses.

"Are you crazy, there are sentries!" Seljuk sees in front of him the same boy who saved the other from losing an arm.

"I want to eat,'' Seljuk barely moves his dry lips. “And drink."

"Follow me," the boy tells him.

The boys, meandering, reach some kind of building that looks like a small abandoned stable. Inside, Seljuk finds three more boys, the youngest of whom is seven.

“My name is Khosrov,” his new acquaintance says to Seljuk, and holds out a jug of water, which he greedily drinks. "We are orphans. Who are you?"

"I'm Guuk. I am an orphan too," the boy wipes his lips with his sleeve.

“You helped us,” Khosrov crumbles the bread into milk, “and we are not in debt. Eat," he hands him a bowl and with a smile watches as he eats.

"I'm looking for Master Do, can you help me find him?"

“I don’t know who he is, but I can find out. Why do you need him?" Khosrov frowns at him.

"He will make me a sword, and with it, I will chop off the heads of my enemies.'' After eating every last crumb, Seljuk returns the empty bowl to Khosrov. "Do you have enemies?"

“We are thieves, everyone in this city considers us enemies,” Khosrov laughs. “But I'm afraid you won't get off with one sword. Get some sleep. In the morning I will find this Do and pay you for your kindness."

The boys did not talk about anything else and scattered in the corners.

The morning began with a couple of blows to the sides. Seljuk grimaced and pulled open his eyelids with difficulty when he saw Khosrov above him. He silently stood up and followed him into the city by secret routes. Master Do was found by dinner, sitting on the carpet in the courtyard of his house, and chatting with guests. At first, the two ragamuffins were not allowed to see him, but the owner of the house, hearing shouts at the gate, demanded that the boys be brought to him.

"Who are you and where are you from?" the man with snow white hair asked while attentively examining the gloomy boys.

"I'm nobody now, but you will make me a sword and hear my name,'' Seljuk told him firmly.

“Interesting,” the old man smiles, stroking his beard. “Do you know that I make swords for the best warriors?"

"I have nothing to pay you with right now, but I swear by my name, I'll shower you with gold from head to toe,'' Seljuk moves forward, but freezes nailed to the spot by the unkind glances of the men standing behind the old man.

"What kind are you? Which family?"

“Now I don’t…” the boy stammered.

"You don't want to say. I understand," Do shakes his head. “But I won't make you a sword, and it's not about gold, it's about your eyes,” he sighs, not taking his eyes off the instantly deflated little boy. “Darkness oozes from your eyes, and your hatred and anger are in the air. Until you curb your demons, the sword will not help you. You will fall immediately with at least two such swords in your hands. Remember, it is not weapons that make a man warrior.''

"I came all this way,'' Seljuk says, lowering his head, not so much for reverence as to hide the sparks of rage in his eyes. "I really need this sword."

“Come on,” Khosrov pulls him toward the gate, realizing that it’s better to leave before they get thrown out. "We have to go."

"I'll be back for it,'' Seljuk shouts from the gate. "I will definitely come back for it. Start working on it, old man."

"What will you do next?" Khosrov draws a sneak on the ground with a stick as they walk back into cover. "You can stay with us. I think extra hands won’t be too bad."

"And engage in theft?" Seljuk looks up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Why should I steal what will be mine anyway. Are you going to live like this all your life?"

"My father was not a warrior, I come from a family of a cattle-breeder, but I cannot get myself cattle until..."

“Come with me,” Seljuk interrupts.

"And what will we do?"

"Let's go out the gate, join the mercenaries."

"We are too small for this, we will be ridiculed. I grew up on the streets, I can fight and I love it, but I’ve never held a sword in my hands."

"You'll learn,'' Seljuk grabs his arm, forcing him to look at himself. “You haven't seen anything but this city. Do you have any idea how much there is outside the gate? Do you really want to steal half your life and, if you are not caught, buy a couple of cattle and wait to get old? I don’t want to live like this, moreover, I don’t want to die like that. I want to die on horseback and with a sword in my hands, I want to take revenge on my enemies, I want to subjugate this world. Come with me and you will have everything."

“Or nothing,” Khosrov grins.

"But you will at least try and not live in a barn eating stolen bread,'' Seljuk mutters through his teeth.

Khosrov doesn't close his eyes until dawn. He keeps thinking about Guuk's words, deciding whether the ghostly uncertain future is worth leaving the city, his settled and familiar life. There is such strong confidence in Guuk's words that it infects him. Khosrov didn't show it, but as Seljuk spoke, he felt something start to move in him, the fire in his new friend's eyes making his blood boil. Even now, in the silence where only chirping crickets can be heard, he feels like the thought of the future that Guuk was describing makes his breath spiral.

In the morning, Khosrov says goodbye to the named brothers and, throwing a knapsack with meager belongings over his shoulder, goes with Seljuk to the city gate, into another life.

The boys will spend four years in merchant caravans, first helping them, then protecting them. During this time, they will perfectly study the nearest roads, get a handle on sword and bow control, and see many different cities - both large and small. Despite everything, the fire in Guuk's eyes does not go out, and Khosrov feeds on it and does not complain about anything. They eat from the same bowl, sleep outdoors, and dream. Every night before going to bed, Seljuk talks about a different life and new lands, every morning Khosrov wakes up with the idea that today is the day.

One evening, while the caravan was taking a rest, a horseman came to them, begging for help for the neighboring caravan, which was attacked by robbers. The owner of the caravan agreed to send his people for a certain amount, among them Khosrov and Seljuk moved out. It was in that battle that caused the bandits to turn back that the Jeon brothers would show their strength. The owner of the injured caravan did not release the soldiers immediately but offered them to join him.

“My cousin is the head of a fortress in the north, and a storm is coming upon him. I think you can make good money and show yourself,” the man told the guys.

The boys returned to their caravan and, taking their belongings, joined the second.

For five years, the Jeon brothers will be mercenaries, they will gather around themselves, albeit a small one, a detachment of former warriors left without a leader, robbers, and all those who wanted to earn extra money. The Jeons generously shared everything that fell to them, and this earned them the reputation of honest leaders. Khosrov honed his weapon skills, becoming not just a named brother and closest associate of Guuk, but the only one he trusted to protect his back. The Jeon squad was hired mainly to suppress riots or participate in internecine wars. Seljuk was very stressed, and he kept thinking about how to increase his income and start collecting an army for himself. Unfortunately, they did not receive offers to participate in wars, some simply did not take into account their number, and some were afraid that they would attract an uncontrollable force that could turn the outcome of the war in their favor. Mercenaries were people who, for money, could turn their bayonets towards their customers at any time, which is why during all these years the Jeons had to do what Seljuk believed was small work. In addition to the always completed work, the Jeons were distinguished by special cruelty, which at times frightened even the rulers known for their love of bloodshed. The brothers always left behind a pyramid of heads, which became their signature. It was by their cruelty that they killed all desires to go against them.

In the fifth year of their stay as mercenaries, the brothers participated in suppressing the rebellion in one of the largest cities in the lands of Kho - Imris. After the well-done work, they were summoned by the ruler of the city Mensu. During the feast set in honor of getting rid of the traitors, Seljuk watched closely Mensu's right hand, a certain Qwiju. Mensu, noticing such an interest in his companion, asked Seljuk about the reasons for such attention.

"This is the first time in a long time that we've been summoned to such a large city,'' Seljuk says, putting down the goblet. "I confess, I was surprised because I am well aware of the attitude of the rulers to the mercenaries. By what we saw in the city, and by the scale of the damage done to you, even before our arrival, the mutiny broke out here a long time ago. You only turned to us when the rebels went to the palace. You were lucky that we were returning from a neighboring city and actually arrived in a day. I wonder why, risking not only power but also your life, you delayed asking for help for so long after you were convinced that the central government would not be in time for you."

“I don’t know where you’re getting at,” the man grows gloomy, “ I was expecting help from ruler Ho just the other day, but he’s late. The rebels were not supposed to get to the palace so quickly, we successfully repelled the attack."

"Can I find out exactly who sent a messenger to the capital with a request for help?"

"How dare you!" exclaims Qwiju. "Do you doubt the words and tactics of my master?"

"No," Seljuk chuckles, reaching for the wine again, "I doubt the messenger that was sent."

Mensu, frowning, rubs his forehead with his fingers, and the guests, getting up from their seats and taking the payment, leave the palace.

Seljuk does not allow to leave the city walls and demands his squad to stay for another day.

“How do you know that the mutiny was led by Qwiju?" asks Khosrov who has climbed on his horse.

“I don’t know,” Guuk shrugs. “He just didn't really want to celebrate, and no matter how hard he tried, the smile came out fake. I wondered why the ruler didn’t send people to help Mensu, because it’s not logical to lose his city. The only explanation is that he is not aware of what is happening here. Of course, I could be wrong, but I threw the dice anyway. Now the move is for Mensu, let's see if he picks it up."

Seljuk is summoned back to Imris at dawn the next day to participate in the execution of the accused of treason, Qwiju. As a token of gratitude, Mensu asks Seljuk to take his place, but he, refusing, returns to his squad.

“Nice job, you could stay,” Khosrov grins as he watches the squad get ready for the trip again.

"I won't serve a small dog who doesn't understand people so much that he fed a snake from his hand, and now he'll send an army against me,'' Seljuk tells him.

"I thought about that too," Khosrov nods. "There is more than enough honor in them, he is unlikely to sleep peacefully, knowing that someone turned out to be smarter and made him look like an idiot."

"That's why we need to take our time,'' Seljuk winks at him. "Be ready."

Seljuk's predictions come true, the squad is attacked at dusk, but there were neither Guuk nor Khosrov are among the fighters. The men, for whom one dinner was enough to roughly explore the palace, sneak into the chambers of Mensu, who is waiting for good news from outside.

Seljuk, having cut the throat of the head of Imris, demands his second assistant to announce the new ruler to the city. Mensu's army, exhausted and not yet recovered from the rebellion, has already lost its leader, and throws down its weapons immediately after hearing that Seljuk will open the treasury that was closed during years for them. Seljuk sends to the ruler of Ho a caravan generously laden with gold from Mensu's palace and a letter asking him to let him stay and serve him. In return, Seljuk is given a seal with the official appointment as Imris's new ruler.

Seljuk gets tired of sitting on the throne after six months - neither wealth nor numerous women delivered from different parts of the earth please the man. Seljuk decides to meet with the ruler of Ho and drives out to him at dawn on a winter morning.

Malek, who runs the state he inherited, is famous for his love of wine and women, squanders the treasury, and does not rule well. As a result, the heads of his cities are committing lawlessness and are increasingly moving away from the center, threatening a real internecine war. Malek reluctantly listens to Seljuk who has been serving him these last months and replenishing the treasury.

“You, my ruler, can appoint anyone in my place, but my sword in its sheath is rusting, and clouds are gathering over Ho. Raise my rank to your military leader, give me an army," Guuk is not embarrassed that the military leader of the state is standing to the right of the master's throne and looks at him with an unkind look. “Give me this power, and you will own not only Ho but also nearby city-states such as Merit and Dagan."

Malek can hardly be distracted from the bowl decorated with precious stones and laughs for a long time. The whole yard joins him. Khosrov, always close to Guuk like his shadow, stomps from foot to foot and nervously strokes the sword attached to his belt.

“I am not appointing you as the military commander. I can even remove you from your current position,” Malek, sprawled on silk pillows, continues laughing. “Do not think that you are allowed to tell me what to do."

“Who am I to tell you,” Guuk humbly lowers his eyes to the floor. "I want to increase your wealth and make you the ruler of this part of the world. This is my only desire."

“I’m being informed of planned riots in small towns,” Malek is flattered by Guuk’s words. "Start with them, prove it to me with deeds. But I will not give you an army and I will not appoint you. I will give you my seal."

"This is unrealistic, we can't do it with our current strength,'' Khosrov says quietly to Seljuk.

"As you wish'' with a respectful bow, Seljuk walks towards the exit.

Seljuk suppresses uprisings in three small cities, replenishing not only his treasury but also the army. He takes personal control of all three cities, deploys his people there, and returns to Imris, preparing for the next strike.

For the first time in his life, Malek, having heard supposedly good news, does not reach for the wine but calls his assistants, because now an army of many thousands, assembled from a total of four cities enslaved by Guuk, is coming to the capital Ho.

Khosrov was right when he said that it was impossible with their forces to attack so many cities at once, but Seljuk quickly convinced him. After returning to his fortress and having several hour-long conversations with Khosrov and his warlords, Guuk came up with a plan that «either should have worked or should have worked». The ruler’s warriors made their way into city centers for a month under the guise of merchants, and then, on the orders of Guuk, hit the palace of the governors. There were no battles or bloodshed in the cities. Guuk quietly removed the top and, opening the treasury, addressed the enemy's army. He poured gold in front of them and declared that those who did not raise a sword against him would receive it. As a result, the rulers who were left without an army were executed, and the handful of soldiers who expressed resistance was hanged at the gate.

Seljuk broke into the capital Ho with a 20,000-strong army, which drowned the entire city intending to resist the "barbarians" in blood.

Malek was executed in his own palace, in which Seljuk ordered not to leave a stone unturned. Jeon abolished the old name of the capital and named the city Iblis. He demanded that the best craftsmen be brought to him to build the residence of the new ruler. Seljuk himself, leaving one of the trusted people in control of everything, together with Khosrov and the army moved to Merit and Dagan. After the fall of two more states, rulers of other cities and states began to gather around Guuk. Most of them sent gifts themselves and came at the mercy of the Devil, and those who refused to show respect or resisted, perished, taking with them the lives of not only their families but also most of the townspeople. From the cities that refused to surrender, Guuk took all the gold and the most beautiful women, he ordered to burn the city itself, moreover, the main fire was kindled in the very center - and these were usually the heads of warriors and former rulers folded into a pyramid.

Everyone began to fear Guuk, his name alone instilled fear even in seasoned warriors, and moms now told their children fairy tales where the main evil was the Devil from the East, who always came at dawn. Before each battle or attack of the Devil, the unfortunate ones heard a drawn-out ‘Guuk’ coming from the blowing horn. People began to pray never to hear this sound because it marked the beginning of their end. Those who saw him talked about a scar on his face, about the Devil's mark on his arm, about his hair the color of the night. All of this passed from mouth to mouth, and as a result, Guuk actually lost his true face and took the guise of Satan in the fear-saturated imagination of the people.

"He will mix the world with dust and ascend above it, piercing the firmament of heaven with devil horns, and we will all obey him. His tail will, like a whip, cut through the air, and his gaze will cut our flesh," the elders repeated, sitting on the rugs in front of the chapels and continuing unsuccessfully to cry to God for a savior.

His indomitable energy, lust for blood, and subtle mind were amazing. He is not one of those rulers who sit in a palace and enjoy the benefits of civilization. Guuk almost never left the saddle, was always in the steppe and always at the head of his army, accompanied by his brother and best warrior - Khosrov, who was called the Raven. The taciturn, eternally frowning Khosrov was always on Guuk's right side, and his palm rested on the hilt of his sword. It was said that he moved so silently that, only after losing their heads, do men realize that Khosrov had already swung his sword. Guuk fought shoulder to shoulder with his army and was the only ruler who did not differentiate between himself and his army. His warriors idolized him, and called him father, Guuk, in turn, ate only with them, as always, shared the loot, and did not allow anyone to call him ‘ruler’.

“I am a warrior,” Guuk said once, and everyone remembered.

Seljuk returned to Iblis for a month or two, gave the troops a rest, sat in thought for a long time, gained strength, and again broke into another campaign. As soon as Guuk moved out of Iblis, the rulers of all nearby cities and states sat in fear and wondered whether he would express an interest in their lands or not.

At twenty-one, Guuk marries the daughter of a powerful ruler of the East, thus enlisting his support, and moves to the north. The campaign has to be suspended after a month, without reaching the goal, because the ruler learns about the betrayal in Iblis and the rebellion against himself. The instigator is the ruler, with whom Guuk signed a contract, enlisting the support of neighboring lands, seized Iblis, and established control over all nearby cities. Guuk knows that his army will not stand against the united army of the three states and decides not to return home. He decides to gain strength and ponder on further steps. The people who fought with him and against him are well aware of how clearly the commander's brains work, and Guuk does not have to prove anything to anyone, the soldiers themselves begin to gather around him.

For the first time in his life, Guuk decides to ask for help and moves to the largest city-state in the southeast to the ruler of those lands, Kan Arslan. Guuk often heard of Arslan as a strong warrior, and when he learned that he, overnight, without any help, annexed a neighboring state that was superior to him in strength, he was filled with respect.

Even though Guuk formally fell, the fear did not stop living in people, which is why Arslan's assistants dissuaded the ruler from the meeting, but upon learning that Guuk entered the city only with his brother, and left the troops behind the wall, Kan accepted him, did not make himself a coward.

Kan Arslan is twenty-two years old, he is a descendant of a famous family in the north and inherited the throne. As the son of his father's fourth spouse, Arslan had to stand in line to the throne for several years, if not his entire life. He prevented eighteen attempts on his life from his own brothers while his father was still alive. In the end, having seized the throne with the help of his father's assistant and his right hand, Arslan ordered to strangle his two older brothers, and the rest were given a warning.

Seljuk walks into an ornate, spacious hall and stops in front of the throne of the Southeast’s biggest ruler.

"I need your troops, in return, you will receive all the lands along the Darnath River to the very Khivon," Guuk immediately gets to the point.

"You're a great warrior, but you're horrible in administration,'' Arslan grins. "You made an alliance with the viper, and put the wrong person in charge in your residence, so, where is the guarantee that you will not go to war against me tomorrow?"

"I won't lie, your lands are on my list, but I'm a man of my word, and if we fight shoulder to shoulder, you will no longer be on this list,'' Seljuk replies.

"You do understand that you have fallen, whereas I am calmly sitting in my place. It will take you too much time and energy to attack me, so stop shaking the air and frightening those around me,” Arslan smiles.

"I stand in front of you on my own two feet, the same way I stood ten years ago, and so I will stand in another ten years. I started out with a crooked dagger, no army, no support. I'll start again like that now. But tomorrow, when I do it without your help, do not expect mercy."

"You are threatening me?"

"I offer cooperation."

Guuk refused to spend the night in the city and after negotiations that ended in nothing, returned with Khosrov to his troops, and did not close his eyes until morning, pondering further steps.

In the morning a messenger from Arslan came up to him. Guuk left Khosrov with the army and returned to the palace.

Guuk was an excellent warrior, but his main distinguishing feature was the ability to persuade. Everyone who spoke to him was infected with his strength and faith. The current owner of his land did not count on this, therefore, seeing an army approaching him like a locust, he could not believe his eyes. Guuk destroyed his army and personally executed his unfaithful father-in-law. The warrior found his spouse hiding in one of the houses belonging to the traitor's companion. Seljuk nailed the woman begging for mercy with a sword to the wall and, smiling at her attempts to pull the blade out of herself, left the unfortunate woman to die, painting the floor under her feet red.

The corpses of the enemy and his family were beheaded, and the heads were collected on the square in a pyramid. Having arrived to congratulate his new companion and not distinguished by special kindness Arslan, got tired of counting from the window carts crawling along the streets blackened with blood, and loaded with corpses. All those killed during the capture of Iblis were taken out of the city and burned in a huge pit, which was immediately covered with earth.

In honor of the victory, Arslan presented Guuk with a black horse, which immediately became the favorite of the ruler and henceforth bore the name Mammon (demon). Guuk spent a long time in the stable, personally looked after the horse, stroked the black wool, shining in the sun like satin. Arslan presented Khosrov a chestnut horse of the same breed. Khosrov did not differ from his brother, did not come off the horse, and gave him the name Khan (ruler).

Arslan stayed in Iblis, sat for a long time with his new associates, and discussed the future; no one spoke about the past. From now on, Kan Arslan was also present in all negotiations with Guuk, just like Khosrov.

"In the East, you no longer have anyone to fight. I hope you have calmed down?" Arslan asked Guuk before parting.

“I’ll rebuild the city, go to the North, and then I’ll come back here, check the position, take the sword and go to the South,” Guuk answered without hesitation.

“I thought you wouldn’t be interested in the South, given that it’s too poor for your appetite."

“I’ll go to the South for the heads of my enemies, and only then can I look at the sky without shame,” Guuk breathes and looks up at the black canvas strewn with stars.

*Kumis is a dairy product similar to kefir, but is produced from a liquid starter culture, in contrast to the solid kefir "grains". Because mare's milk contains more sugar than cow's or goat's milk when fermented, kumis has a higher, though still mild, alcohol percentage compared to kefir.