Osman II: Rebirth of a Dynasty

Thank you so much to Iemayr_3815, Ridwan_Nugroho_0749, daoist_northsky07, m_jonas, Daoist8ZKfWR, damian_taminua, Muhammad_Al_Aizat, and Nirvana_homeless for your generous support in sending Power Stones to Osman II: Rebirth of a Dynasty! Your contributions mean a lot and inspire me to continue writing. I truly appreciate your encouragement and dedication

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Moonlight washed over the vast plains with a pale glow. The horses' breaths were visible in the freezing air. Before the raid began, the Tatar leader, Korkut Khan, gathered his warriors. Determination and ruthlessness gleamed in his eyes.

"Ulanlar!" Korkut Khan roared, raising his sword high. "The Lehlis have set their sights on our lands. We will take their riches and turn their villages to ash! Leave no one alive!"

A voice rose from the crowd. A young warrior named Timur drew his sword and shouted, "There's no returning without bloodshed, my Khan! Today is the day we show our bravery!"

As the Tatar horsemen approached the village, wild laughter filled the air. Korkut Khan barked, "Silence!" reining in their excitement. "The first arrows for the sentries, then death for the whole village."

At the village entrance, two sentries stood shivering by the fire. At that moment, Korkut Khan raised his hand, and an arrow shot from the bow. One sentry collapsed to the ground, while the other, panicked, tried to cry out but was silenced by another arrow piercing his throat.

"Now!" Korkut Khan bellowed. The Tatars stormed into the village like a hurricane.

Timur kicked open a door, finding a family huddled in a corner in terror. Drawing his sword, he stepped toward the man. "Where are the treasures?" he shouted. The man, paralyzed by fear, couldn't answer, and Timur slashed his sword. The woman screamed, but her cry was silenced by Korkut Khan's soldiers.

In another house, a young warrior named Almas stood with a torch in hand. "Burn this village down!" he shouted. The wooden houses quickly succumbed to the flames. Villagers attempting to flee couldn't escape the Tatars' blades.

Korkut Khan stood in the village square, surveying the chaos of blood and fire. "This is it!" he said with a proud grin. "We will show the Lehlis who we are on these lands!"

By dawn, the village was reduced to ashes. The Tatars, laden with loot, retreated beyond the border. Timur glanced back at the burning village, savage satisfaction glowing in his eyes.

"My Khan," Timur said, riding up to Korkut Khan. "Lehistan will fear us. They will understand the price of fighting against us."

Korkut Khan laughed, baring his teeth. "This is only the beginning, Timur. We will return to make even their kings tremble."

And the Tatar army vanished into the forests, proud of a victory written in blood.

The local governor of Smolensk, Bohdan Krzyżanowski, was studying old maps in his office. Tensions along the border had been rising for some time, but he hadn't expected an attack of this scale. A sharp knock at the door startled him. A guard entered quickly, his expression grim.

"Sir, we have dire news," the guard said, panting.

"Speak," Bohdan replied, without lifting his eyes from the maps.

"The Tatars raided a border village. They've completely destroyed it. People were killed, and the survivors were taken captive. A few villagers managed to escape and bring word."

Bohdan straightened, his face darkening. "How much damage?"

"Severe, sir. The village is utterly ruined. The Tatars may have acted with Ottoman support to advance this far."

Bohdan took a deep breath, gazing at the map on his desk. "This isn't just border unrest. This could be a message from the Ottomans, testing Lehistan's strength."

The guard nodded. "What should we do, sir?"

Bohdan made a swift decision. "We must inform King Sigismund III Vasa in the capital. He needs to understand the severity of this attack. Prepare one of our fastest messengers immediately."

As the guard left, Bohdan muttered to himself, "If this is the Ottomans' game, we may be facing a far greater problem. But I cannot handle this alone."

After days of arduous travel, the messenger finally arrived in Warsaw, exhausted and covered in dust but resolute in fulfilling his duty. When he reached the palace, he was quickly directed to King Sigismund III Vasa's chamber.

Sigismund, seeing the messenger's worn-out state, spoke at once. "Speak. What news do you bring?"

The messenger took a deep breath and began. "Sir, a border village near Smolensk has been raided by the Tatars. The village has been completely destroyed, its people either killed or taken captive. This was no ordinary raid. The Tatars may have acted with Ottoman backing."

Sigismund frowned deeply. "The Ottomans? How much damage was done?"

"The village was left in ruins, sir. Governor Bohdan Krzyżanowski believes this attack is a message from the Ottomans and that immediate action is needed."

Sigismund turned to his advisors in the room. "We must convene a meeting immediately regarding this matter. If the Ottomans are involved, this is not merely a border conflict. But we must tread carefully—against both the Ottomans and the European powers eager to exploit this situation."

The messenger bowed, having delivered his message. Sigismund exhaled deeply and addressed the room. "This is only the beginning. We will examine every detail and decide our next move. Be ready."