The sands of shade

[Greywall]

Faruk Somani rolled in his luxury silk sheets bumping into one of his many wives or concubines with reckless abandon. The sultan of abbadon lived a life unknown to many in his cooled place outside the capital.

The light patter of bare feet broke him from his half sleep in the early morning as a female servant entered his room. “Your grace, Sultan Zaeed is here”. Somani stretched pulling his nude body from the bed and clapped his hands stirring his wives and concubines into dressing him. He wore golden colored robes, jewels and necklaces that showed his wealth before rudely shooing the messenger out as he walked down the painted hall outside his room.

Sultan Zaeed was a man who presented himself in a military uniform full of medals he didn’t earn and gaudy decorative laces and feathers. He held a helmet he never wore that he handed to one of his people the moment Sultan Somani entered, “ahhh my old friend! Shaum Shela’s finest!” They embraced and hugged as the both of them were loosely related, they had called this meeting to discuss their mutual hatred of Diria.

“Water servant! Bring us something to drink!” Somani barked mad that they didn’t comply already, “the diria continue to undermine us cousin, their republic confuses our people on what is proper. We must address them immediately” Zaeed said, Somani was tired from the night of mounting he gave himself but nodded as he yawned. “I have it figured out dear Kin. Price war.” Somani tapped his finger covered in rings on his cup to nonverbally instruct the drink bearer where to pour. “Price war?” Zaeed said amused, “we sell our oil, cheaper than them and we bankrupt that republic. We also cease access to our ports and roads. We will starve them out.” Zaeed sneered as he took his drink “to the death of the Dirian republic “ they sent messengers to both of their countries to begin dropping the price of oil in Abbadon and Shaum Shela. Diria would be cut off using their ports and roads as well.

[KyferLegs (Diria)]

More than three days passed as the Dirian government did not respond to the actions in its south, besides initiating its Citizen Debt Brake. Then when the weekend came, the Dirian government still needed to give an official response to its neighbors. To the observations of political theorists, some began to believe the only answer would likely be silence from the Federation. However, as the weekend ended, the Federal Council approved a proposal that was comprehensive and utterly different from the Dirian status quo, economic reform. The bill, then act, went through the Dirian Legislature in record times, and when the final copy reached the people, news, and soon following the world, it was quite a significant change compared to the status quo Diria loved. However, as the changes waited for their countdown to become laws of the land, the official response came the next day.

The response was simple. The Dirian Federation officially condemned their actions, and Dirian roads, railways, ports, and markets would be indefinitely closed to Abbadon and Shaum Shela. Furthermore, the message given by Foreign Affairs also demanded that Abbadon and Shaum Shela raise their oil prices back to the average market value by the end of three weeks. If the two nations didn't raise their oil prices to the previous market value, a "stern response" would follow.

[Greywall]

"A goddamn outrage!" Sultan Somani was raging with his generals, a large pine table with a map of Nardras carved eloquently into it sat in the middle of a room with a large open air window to its left to let cool air circulate in what was the Abbadon war room. "They sail warships as a response!? Then drop the price of our oil again. Drop it an entire Jewel's worth!" the generals stirred with concern, "Your grace...that is...our own economy will be harmed." The Sultan waved his ring covered hand in dismissal, "Send forth emissaries to secure oil treaties. Once we have exclusive buyers I can fill in the gaps needed later, tell my cousin to do the same. We shall form a unified oil company to sell to the Agenbi* and end this stupid Dirian Feederation once and for all." the room was silent til a general spoke up, "Federation sir".

"What?"
"You said Feederation. It's Federation."
"Whatever, its peasant governance and it shall not be tolerated. General Zule, prepare my armies and our own show of force have my cousin Zaeed gather those gemstone loving nobles and their armies. Diria wants to play at the big boy table I shall adhere to the fox and beat them at the game."

*Agenbi is Arabic for foreign

Shaum Shela and Abbadon lower the price of their oil from 3.61 a ton to 2.61.

[Greywall]

The crack of rifle fire across the sand flats disrupted what would otherwise be a peaceful cool winter day in the desert. Abbadon infantrymen were running more fire team drills than usual with tensions rising in the region.

“Heard we might kill Dirians.” Said one soldier as he struggled putting in a stripper clip into his rifle. “Roll your thumb Shala, and how do you know it’s not the Lusatia we are fighting again?” Said another before firing off three of his five rounds down range, “damn thing is off again.”

“It’s the sultans, princes are losing control of the regional governors over this oil war and letting his servants stir up the foxes.” Darjin Huandin was the man that just spoke, a crook and thief he chose military service to death or castration. “These silly rich men play a dangerous game for the affection of lusatia and the oil market, why do you think we are out here in this hell firing off rounds to make sure the rifles are precise?” They remained quiet, to be honest they hated Darjin, he was rather bold to command staff and spoke poorly of the powers that be. But they mostly hated how he was right more than not. The man had some education implying a background other than a simple crook but somehow he ended up here In conscription with the abbadon military.

“I see no one opposes my opinion.” He said smiling, “you speak too much and too loudly” said a private marking down the rifle issue on paper before placing it in a box marked, maintenance. “A few more and we head back on that thing?” He pointed to a truck the military purchased to transport supplies and to a certain extent troops, the abbadon didn’t bother to remove the pomaz markings on the truck just putting their flag logo and a serial number on the hood of the truck. “This is as good as we’re getting. Load the rifles up and let’s go back. You ride in the back.” The private said knife pointing at Darjin who simply grinned and slightly chuckled at the petty man. “It’ll be a nice ride back, it’s always pleasant in the Nardras during winter.” They groaned at his comment and went to work loading rifles, they had been doing this for weeks, days on end as abbadon began militarization in response to Diria.