{"id":295,"date":"2025-12-04T11:12:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T11:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/andrewjharvey.com\/ajh\/?page_id=295"},"modified":"2025-12-11T02:52:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T02:52:50","slug":"freebies-selk-a-messenger-to-the-dragon","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/andrewjharvey.com\/?page_id=295","title":{"rendered":"Freebies: Son of the Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Son of the Sun<\/h1>\n

by Andrew J Harvey<\/p>\n

Submitted to the monthly Vignette competition held on the Sea Lion Press Forum Aug 2025
\n(https:\/\/forum.sealionpress.co.uk\/index.php?threads\/vc88-the-sun-son-of-the-sun.7527\/)<\/p>\n

\u201cGeneral Quiso,\u201d his aide said, jumping to her feet as the Incan General entered the small, single-room building that presently served as the headquarters for the army besieging Lima, the Spaniards\u2019 newly declared capital. \u201cI wasn\u2019t expecting you for another hour. Did our orders arrive?\u201d<\/p>\n

The general gave a curt nod. \u201cYes Huaco, although we might have done better without them.\u201d<\/p>\n

His aide paused. \u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour brother had a dream,\u201d Quiso said dryly. A breeze brought the stench from the nearby river, and he wrinkled his nose. Despite the best efforts of the officers, it was becoming increasingly difficult to persuade the soldiers to use the latrines that had been dug for them, particularly when there was a river only a short distance away.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd?\u201d Huaco prompted.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd in that dream he met Inti, who personally gave him our orders.\u201d<\/p>\n

His aide\u2019s face remained perfectly deadpan at the mention of the sun-god\u2019s name, but Quiso could sense her mind racing and nodded, sensing the unspoken question. \u201cI have been ordered to line my soldiers up and march them against the walls. Arquebus, cannon, cavalry, all be damned. Apparently our god, and the Inca\u2019s direct ancestor, has promised him victory.\u201d<\/p>\n

He watched his aide, the Inca\u2019s sister, he reminded himself, suppress a snort as she began to pace.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you are not minded to disobey?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

The general shook his head. \u201cI gave my oath to Manco. I will not break it. This revolt your brother leads is now three years old, yet it still balances on the edge of failure. The Inca can not afford another civil war while the Spanish tear out our hearts. Besides, Manco has spoken in the Sun\u2019s name. Who is to say that he has not dreamed true?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe orders you quoted. That is their precise phrasing?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

That was what the Quiso admired about her. She was not merely the Sapa Inca\u2019s sister, set beside him to ensure Quiso\u2019s continued loyalty, but a brilliant tactician and strategist in her own right. Her ability to quickly identify a problem and suggest a solution often surpassed his own. It was thanks to her that his army had been so successful in nullifying the effect of the Spanish cavalry around Lima by digging trenches and lining them with stakes, robbing the horses of their momentum, and then using their bolas to trip and maim then. And then when the Spanish had held their mounts back, that ambush in the mountains when trapped in a pass, the horses had proved easy targets for the Inca. Over 100 killed. Unfortunately, the damned Spanish continued to hold the city.<\/p>\n

Quiso handed Hiaco the Khipus, the orders encoded into the knots and dies of the cloth\u2019s fibres. He knew all too well what the cost would be if he obeyed. He was not afraid to die, but to die with no possibility of success, and to lose the army as well, that hurt.<\/p>\n

Huaco\u2019s fingers scanned the Khipus\u2019 coded cords. Coming to the end, her fingers paused as she considered various possibilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe letter or the spirit of the order,\u201d she muttered to herself before raising her gaze to meet the General\u2019s. For a moment they simply stared at each other, before she gave a single nod. \u201cIt comes down to the phrasing. she said softly. \u201cFor some reason Inti did not specify your army, but rather \u2018your soldiers\u2019 which implies a special relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps those from just my tribe?\u201d Quiso offered uncertainly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen so be it. At least I can spare the army.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I think we can do more than just that?\u201d Huaco said, her gray eyes suddenly softening. \u201cI can\u2019t promise a victory, my General. Only the Sun can do that. But perhaps \u2026,\u201d she trailed off. \u201cThe orders specify at dawn?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, we have much to do before then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now General Quiso stood in front of his personal guard facing the walls. He nodded to the warrior who\u2019d been selected to carry the crimson and golden flag the Spanish thought so highly of into battle. They\u2019d captured it a month ago, in that ambush in the mountains, and now it would serve as, what was that term the Spaniards used \u2013 as a red flag to a bull. His mouth felt dry and he swallowed uneasily. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face those lined up behind him. Only one deep, with every second person an archer, the line stretched the full length of the walls facing them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not a time for fear,\u201d he said, his voice\u00a0 reaching out to each of those he was to lead to their death. \u201cRather, it is a time to show the Spaniards that if they come for our lands, for our people, then they must be prepared to pay and to pay again, and again until there is nothing left. Today, we will show them the true cost of their error. Their blood to feed our god, and to water our rivers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silence met the speech, but he could sense that he had them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the future, the Inca will remember this moment, when we few, gave our lives for their liberty. When, with our sacrifice, the Spanish were driven from our lands, never to return.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning to face the walls again, he raised his arm, and the drummers started their slow, methodical beat.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou better be right, Huaco,\u201d he muttered to himself before pointing at the sun rising over Lima and bellowing. \u201cOur god watches us.\u201d And now for the first time a high wailing rose from the line behind him as the drums began to beat a quicker rythmatic tatoo.<\/p>\n

On the wall, the parapet was rapidly filling with the Spanish reinforcements that he had to prevent from joining the fight around Cusco.<\/p>\n

Quiso smiled and led the line forward. Ahead of them, the main gates opened and a squadron of mounted soldiers rode out. Quickly forming a line, they charged, obviously intending to sweep Quiso\u2019 soldiers away. But even as Quiso watched, their commander went down in a tangle of falling horse-flesh as they reached the line of small bronze four sided caltrops, that Huaco had been hoarding for the past couple of months, and had ordered placed on the field during the night. \u2018Yes,\u2019 Quiso hissed as Huaco\u2019s little surprise was more successful than even she could have expected, and only five horses and their riders staggered back to the wall.<\/p>\n

A cheer broke out from those following him, and the pace picked up. But now the cannon on the wall fired, and for a moment the line flinched. But the use of a single line meant losses were minor, and now the haze of smoke from the cannon shrouded the top of the wall, providing cover from the arquebuses, which were now firing blindly through the haze.<\/p>\n

Panting, Quiso finally reached the wall, his remaining warriors only steps behind him. There they stalled, held in position by the fire from overhead. On either side of him, the archers responded, and while the Inca\u2019s soft woolen tunics minimized the effect of the arquebus, and the cannon could not lower their aim, Quiso\u2019s troops continued to take losses.<\/p>\n

But one of the rope throwers had finally got his rope over one of the merlons that ran along the top of the wall and had begun hauling himself up on the rope. Without thinking, Quiso followed him up. Scrambling over the top of the wall, he looked up to find himself facing a Spaniard arquebuser. \u2018Shit,\u2019 he thought as a gout of flame burst from the barrel and he felt something heavy smash into his chest. For a moment he teetered before falling backward over the edge of the wall, and then nothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cGeneral Quiso,\u201d a soft voice prompted. Then, \u201cQuiso,\u201d more urgently.<\/p>\n

Quiso opened his eyes to find Huaco\u2019s face staring down at him worriedly. \u201cI take it the plan worked?\u201d he said, trying to ignore the sharp pain in his chest, and shortness of his breath that left him feeling unable to breathe. His heart wasn\u2019t helping, it was beating so fast<\/p>\n

Huaco nodded, her eyes filling with tears as he coughed, trying to clear his lungs of the blood that threatened to drown him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have horses,\u201d she told him.\u201dTen, both male and female. And Francisco Pizarro is dead, garrotted as all of his family should have been at birth.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Quiso was no longer listening, he was picturing last night, when under cover of darkness, the rest of the army, under Huaco ,comprising nearly 34,000 warriors, crossed the Rimac River, which abutted the back end of the city\u2019s outer walls. Taking cover they had waited until dawn when, with the Spaniards and their ally\u2019s attention firmly fixed on Quiso\u2019s own attack, Huaco had launched her warriors, taking the wall before anyone was even aware they were there.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u201d He gripped her hand and tried to squeeze it but his strength was already leaving him.<\/p>\n

He felt the heat of the sun on his face, and a voice, somehow terrible and yet quiet at the same time whisper his name and opening his eyes he found himself wrapped in the flames of the sun.<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome home, my son,\u201d the voice said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWas it enough?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cRest,\u201d the voice told him gently. \u201cYour task is finished for the moment. Now it is time to pass it onto others.\u201d The voice paused for a moment. \u201cI will walk with my daughter in her dreams tonight. Her tasks are just beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe horses?\u201d Quiso guessed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmong other things,\u201d the voice confirmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut was it enough?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was,\u201d the voice assured him. \u201cAnd because of your sacrifice, the Spanards will be barred from this land for all time. Now rest.\u201d And for a moment, surrounded by the flames, he was granted a vision of the future. He was looking up at a tall column in the center of an enormous square. Around him, the square was thronged with people dressed in strange clothes. At the foot of the column, a priest in the vestments of the sun god officiated wielding a knife over the sacrifices as they were presented to her. A goat, a chicken and even a horse. His eyes returned to the column of stone, following it up to the statue of gold on its summit. The gold so bright it took him a moment to recognize himself. And then the statue turned and smiled at him.\u201d<\/p>\n

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  Son of the Sun by Andrew J Harvey Submitted to the monthly Vignette competition held on the Sea Lion Press Forum Aug 2025 (https:\/\/forum.sealionpress.co.uk\/index.php?threads\/vc88-the-sun-son-of-the-sun.7527\/) \u201cGeneral Quiso,\u201d his aide said, jumping to her feet as the Incan General entered the small, single-room building that presently served as the headquarters for the army besieging Lima, the … Continue reading Freebies: Son of the Sun<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-295","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/andrewjharvey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/andrewjharvey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/andrewjharvey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andrewjharvey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andrewjharvey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=295"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/andrewjharvey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/295\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":680,"href":"https:\/\/andrewjharvey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/295\/revisions\/680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/andrewjharvey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}