Chapter 41: The Southern Uprising and the Rise of Fandor
And in the south did the oppressed rise up against their tyranny and the streets of the cities were filled with violence and bloodshed and though they were but ordinary people and fought with tools of industry, rather than of war, they were not easily brushed aside and the cities did burn and the oppressors were hard put to defeat them, for the violence was widespread and would quickly disperse and reappear elsewhere.
And soon all of the south was in uproar and leaders emerged who led them and gave them weapons of war and to some armor and training and in some cities were the oppressors overthrown and the people made free. But retribution was swift and the legions of Amman mustered and put down those that would fight them and many died and their bodies displayed for all to see and their families murdered and enslaved.
So small armies of peasants and farmers and craftsman and slaves and ordinary folk formed armies of their own and followed those that would lead them and all over the south did armies spring up who made war with Amman, though they were ill equipped and ill trained. And where they met the soldiers of Amman they were defeated, but others would spring up to take their place and they would cause the people to struggle against their oppressors and the south fell into turmoil.
And the lot of the people became a bloody one and they were oppressed with great violence, yet the fighting continued and was like a great fire that seemed beaten, yet would spring up again elsewhere, as if from the air, and so it was all over the south and thus did the chaos consume the years of the occupation there and armies grew and were defeated and families murdered and homes burnt and uprisings common and the people there would bow their heads no more.
Thus it was that two emerged from the flames of that time who would lead their people. One was Fandor, who was Aslah, and in him flowed the line of Onnus and Desdemar renewed, though he was not yet made aware of this, and the other was Mynax, who was a man of great charisma and ability and whose might and skill with the sword was legendary. And they stood against the might of Amman and people flocked to them and they fought their enemies and beat them and were branded outlaws.
So their armies made from place to place and would attack with surprise and the forces of Amman were weak and hard put, for they were needed to police the cities, which would break into turmoil and would overthrow those that oppressed them if they could. So Fandor met with Mynax and Mynax did fall on his knees, though he knew not why, and he pledged himself to Fandor and their armies became one and the cities of the south fell before them and those that fought them were swept aside and the names of Fandor and Mynax filled their enemies with dread and they would run before them.