In a series of demands and treaties, the Lengelzai Temujan secured his Southern and Western front against civilized attack. His warlords and advisors called it genius, securing peace with an enemy to consolidate our strength. Temujan called it cowardice.
But, he recognized his nations strengths, and economic strength was not one of them. Undoubtly, he could defeat the forces of the Southern Alliance, but it would sap the strength of his army, while the Southerners could use their wealth to pay for more men, while the Lengel army would be bogged down against the numerous civilized armies.
This presented a quandry. At the present size, his empire would be sustainable, but it would not be able to defeat the southern alliance. But the danger of expanding more to bring in more warriors, and capture economically sound civilized centers was the danger of overstreching his empire. As it was an empire forged in blood and blood alone, a defeat could weaken it greatly, or anything that upset the status quo would topple it.
Thus, the empire would need to go beyond battle and blood, beyond loyaltly, and become fanatism. All the people in his Empire would need to believe that the Empire was worth sustaining, that this empire was not forged in blood and battle, but by the will of the Divine.
Already his father had started the process. His defeat of the Maugots, people calling themselves Gods, made him considered an Avatar of more Powerful Gods. And as for himself, Temujan cemented that belief by marrying Anya, one of the Maugots. They believed that he was an Avatar of a Great God, and Anya a Lesser God, and thus their son's and daughter's were worshipped by former Maugots, barbarians under Lengel rule, and the Lengel's themselves.
"Papa!"
Temujan turned from his contemplation to his son, who had a semi-light skin color. The product of the union between him and Anya. Speaking of, as his first wife (he had taken several more wives since then, and had sons and daughters from them as well) entered into the room, a light smile on her face.
The defeat of her people meant little to her now, many years after the fact. The wounds remain still, but her children are her main concern now, and Temujan never mistreated her, or any of his other wives. It was mutual exchange, and all parties benfited from it.
"I'm sorry, but he could not wait until you came to fetch him. He keeps babbling on about learning to hunt."
It was said with a tone of admonishment, but the smile on her face belied her tone. The little boy glared at his mother, then jumped into his father's arms. He smiled at his son's carefreeness, even here on the harsh plains. Lengalzi was the administrative capital of the empire, but its plains were still harsh to the people living there. In the Lengel's opinion, such struggles for life and death were what made life meaningful. It was in large part the main reason why they fought. That, and the belief that all things in this world were meant to serve them.
"So, little Jebe wishes to learn to hunt? Very well, gather your brothers, and I will teach you everything you need to know about hunting..."
*****
Temujan indeed taught them hunting. But then he taught them war. He taught them to read and write in the Southern languagues (those Scholars that Vanitas brought with him were very useful in establishing a means of connection with the south, and Temujan used the Veritas language to create his own, written Lengel version). He taught them the history of the Lengel people, and how to war and fight like a Lengel.
His son's learned quickly. Tutoring under Temujan, the best general yet created by the Lengel horde, his victories in Nkondi well-known, while his father had been known for his crafty intelligence and brutality. Temujan was kinder, but still would slaughter towns that resisted his rule. Paci taught his sons the warfare of the Southern states (as he had learned from his father, Vanitas), and they learned how to counter it with the Lengel hordes. How to defeat their enemy with speed. To conquer them before they could resist.
And so, the years passed, until the Lengel horde grew restless with peace. With lack of conquest. The Horde was called by the Lengelzai. And the sound of hooves echoed in the plains, until they were lost in the mountains...
******
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