“Well, I see, you want to share whatever is coming to your men. That’s your decision. We respect your decision and can oblige that.” And, with his mighty hands, Subutai tore her clothes off, exposing the pregnant but still beautiful body pushing her to the ground. A cry of horror rang from the walls accompanying the Duchess cries of pain. Subutai was at his peak raping her in front of all these people as a prelude and a sneak preview to the rape of Russia. It was so symbolic besides being so brutal. Russia could not survive what was coming, and that was happening to every city, every corner of this country.
Kiev was the biggest city of Russia and, if Kiev falls, nothing could stand against the Golden Horde. Nothing else was big enough for that. That was the breaking point in the war. The Mongolian soldiers moved closer and closer to the walls not hiding under the colorful shields of peace any longer. The spirit of the city was finally broken, and the final attack was in the making. No one could stop what was going to happen. No one would even think of trying it. One needed the will to fight, and there was no will any longer. The intention was taken away by us. We crossed the breaking point for the Russians. I have to give it to Subutai, he was the master of war. The Kievan Russia had to figure out how to survive without Kiev until it was rebuilt and prospering again. The Mongols would level it out and then, run the wild horses over for a thousand times. They did not want to erase the memory of the place but to keep the horrifying memories alive. That war would last for a few years more and the Golden Horde for hundreds of years more.
Subutai took his time torturing the Duchess and then, a couple of Tatars took their turns. They considered it an honor to be the followers of Subutai the Great. After all, he was a hero from the old tales. That’s how they did it back then and still, do it now. She was quiet, not even sobbing. Blood was freely running from her womb. She was not dead but probably unconscious or on the way of losing her mind. Then, Subutai stepped forward again. He had a dagger-shaped in the form of a crescent with the sharp edge on the inside of the curve. These daggers were mainly used to cut the throats of animals and people alike. It was quick and painless, but who could tell it sure. After your throat was brutally cut and you bled out, you were dead less talking. And, Subutai slowly cut her ample ready to feed the new life breasts off. Thus, maybe it was a painless merciful death or perhaps not. We have no way of knowing. I have a dagger like that and used it for a few times, and I felt no pain. Ha, ha… The blade happened to be well suited for that task as well. She did not scream of the sudden and terrible pain but moaned in the wake of the dying dreams, the hastily fading future. She should be dead in a matter of seconds. Her spirit was gone already to a better place and was not coming back.
With the next stroke of the dagger, Subutai slit her belly open, looked inside with uncluttered interest, and pulled the unborn child out. Another cry of the despair came in waves from the wall. Subutai smiled and skewed the fetus on the pike of one of the soldiers standing right next to him. Then, he threw the pike aiming at the gates. The Mongols and the revulsion were close enough for that. The pike, with its message of horror, hit the target promptly in the center. Everyone was quiet standing still. Then, there was a crackling noise coming from the gates. All heads turned toward the sound. The gates were opening, and the white piece of close on the end of the stick indicated the peaceful request that even the Mongols and the Tatars would honor. This was one of the few things important enough for everyone.
“Sir… People… We want to take the bodies of the Duchess and the child. Can we? If you give us the Duke and the Boyars, we would appreciate it. Please do. We would bury them. We just want to honor and to bury them like Christians. That would be just right. Can you do that, please? Then, we can kill each other.” It was a man’s loud voice.
“Yes, go ahead. You can take the Duchess and the baby. But, the Duke and the Boyars are not ready yet. We will let you know.” Said Subutai and the gates opened. A few weary Russian soldiers in fine metal chainmail (Kalchuga — Russian), helmets called “Shishak” in Russian and with the sheathed swords came out hurriedly moving toward the body of the Duchess while two more soldiers were trying to pull the pike from the wood of the gates. None of them had any other weapons or the shields to have the free hands to carry the bodies. It was a grisly task one would accept only out of sheer necessity and never out of desire. Blood was still dripping out of both bodies — the small one, never been born and his mother that maybe regretted to be born.
The Tatars were laughing like they enjoyed the walk in the garden on this warm day. Subutai was quiet and thoughtful, looking at the Russians and at me like he was trying to decide if he should kill them as well. I motioned, “NO.” Killing these soldiers may make the defenders too angry so, they will fight harder, more determent, to the death. My grandfather used to teach us that there always should be a feeling of possible escape left to the conquered. They should feel that nothing was final, and they may survive. People would not fight to die; they would hope to live. They would even accept the surrender if offered. And, if there were no chance of escape, they would fight to the death. Strangely, the Duchess was still alive. Her beautiful blue eyes, blood-shot and full of hatred, were still following every move of Subutai. If eyes could kill, Subutai would burn in fire by now. I firmly believe that only this power of hate kept her alive so far. Nothing else would have that kind of power. By all measures, she was dead a long time ago, when it started. Yet, she was still alive and even conscious. She hated him; she hated us so much that she could not die, not yet. She wanted some kind of closure but could not get one. She passed the point of no return. By now, she probably did not even feel the pain any longer. What an unusual time we live in. Hatred rules the world, and we just follow its orders.
“Now!” Yelled Subutai and struck the closest Russian soldier with the same dagger he used to assault the Duchess and her child. I pulled my sword out and pointed at the gates. Thousands of arrows hit the walls, and the people gathered there, killing many of them and creating a panic of the citywide dimensions. No, we could not hold it back. Not now. Even I did not have that power. The Russians made a mistake of trusting us. It was not for the first time. This was the opportunity that did not come too often. We had to use it and storm the city. Now, now, now. What was there to wait? The city was ripe for the taking so, take it. There was no fighting spirit left in there, but we were in high spirits. Of course, my grandfather was right when he told us not to waste an opportunity, but he never had an opportunity that good. No one ever had it that good, not even the ancients. I wonder what he would say if he saw it now. I think he would lead the charge.