Sons of Muziri II – The Tourist Battalion

Part 2 of five, released weekly

Remember how our fathers or grandfathers narrate stories about all these kingdoms and hidden cities where there were beautiful maidens and brave warriors. This story is completely fictional.This is the story of Muziri, a harbor town lost through the pages of history.

 

 The Tourist Battalion

 The horse led the trail to a huge camp in the hills.The foreigners who had travelled the seas in search of Muziri had allied together, masquerading as traders and merchants. They were the Chinese,Persians and Arabs. They traded precious stones,jewels for the spices and textiles offered by the Tamil kingdoms. The trade between the local kings and the international traders took place at the small hamlet of Muziri.

That itself made it a priced jewel on anyone’s crown. The masked man started speaking to the foreigners. He coughed up more details to the highest bidder. The armies knew about the Prince’s masterplan. The heads of the three groups namely Qin Jung Shi, Sharaman and Samad Mualim were alerted to rally the troops as they wanted the port town at any cost.

Messenger:Sire!It is true. I saw them planning an attack on the neighbouring kingdoms to establish Muziri as an independent kingdom. The prince shall take over if the campaign is successful.

Qin Jung: We would not want to make things easy. This disunity can prove costly and become the dragon that can engulf the entire region.

Sharaman:Well, tell us more about this plan and we shall anoint your tongue with gold ,messenger!

Messenger:Sire the Yuvaraja has organised a  guerrilla attack on the troops planning to collect the imports from Muziri day after tomorrow at dawn.

Samad:So, we shall capitalise by sending our troops to steal the goods and then we can torch the ships.

Messenger: Stealing our own goods to create chaos, sire!

Samad:Small price to pay.We will arrange horses for a small coup to sweep down and rob them.

Sharaman:That is indeed a brilliant plan.This can ruin the relations between the Chola kingdoms who will strip the Raja off his duties and even to make our worth visible.

Qin Jung:No one will trust the Yuvaraja from now onwards and with more brainwashing, Muziri will become under the traders. A truly deadly serpent to begin slithering and coiling up to strangle the neck.

Sharaman:So, let us plan in peace men!.We should take them by surprise at dawn.

The fires around the tents were lit and all the foreigners assembled to plan their next moves very carefully.

Back at Muziri,both father and son were in deep conversation.

Raja: Son this plan is very unexpected and that is one of its core strengths. But after this terrible ambush, our resources will be drained. Therefore, we need to make sure that we get the goods in those ships safe and sound.

Prince:Father! I have confidence in the virtue of freedom and individuality. Each move will inch us closer to becoming a Muziri that will be feared from generation to generation.

Raja:May the gods be kind and bless us with a valiant victory son!.But just for the record,if the chief came to know,he would pierce my head onto a sword and keep it for display near Kaveri.

Prince:Father! Do not speak of such things.I shall vanquish all our enemies and bring honour to our kingdom.

Both father and son retired to their respective chambers as the moon shone upon the kingdom and cool breezes of rebellion filled the air.

Prince:About a thousand boxes of gold,silver and other precious jewels will be delivered to the kingdom through the fleet of ships.Our job is to attack the ships,loot the gold before the neighbouring Chola kingdoms can catch a whiff of it and use it to start a whirlwind campaign.

Raja:Alright.What about the foreigners.It is their capital for trading.Both sides will be enraged.

Prince:We need to ward off attacks from both sides.We have the arsenal for that.Now about transporting our people away,we will use our huge fleet of ships,making Muziri a proper battlefield.

Raja:What about the pepper we are trading with them?

Prince:It will be delivered by us directly to the foreigners.We do not need the Maharaja stuffing his hand into what is our rightful payment.

Far away,near the great kingdom of Mahodayapuram,the Maharaja’s best warriors were eating their suppers before the great journey ahead.

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