It was 1220, the year of the dragon, when Genghis Khan finally entered a city.

For his entire life up to that point, he had spent his nights in a traditional Mongolian

tent, a gare.

He was so disgusted by agricultural civilization that he always declined to even enter the

cities that he conquered.

But on this occasion, he wanted to make a point.

The city was called Bukhara, and it was a part of the Quarism Empire.

Genghis Khan had sent a trade caravan to the Quarism, packed to the gills with gold, spices, silks, and more.

The Quarism had killed his merchants and taken all the treasure for themselves.

But Genghis Khan was the most powerful man in the world. Surely, he thought, no one would be

stupid enough to so brazenly defy him. This must be some sort of mistake. So he subsequently sent

a diplomatic envoy to assess the situation. And these people had the audacity to murder his diplomat and mutilate the diplomat's companions.

The Quarism had felt themselves safe from Genghis Khan because they lived on the far side

of an impassable obstacle, the Kizal Khum, the Red Desert.

Because of this barrier, Genghis Khan would be forced to march many thousands of miles around the desert through well-traveled and well-fortified trade routes.

Only he hadn't done that.

Genghis Khan had appeared in Quarism territory like some sort of phantom.

One minute he wasn't there, and the next he was, surrounded by a massive army, Genghis Khan had appeared in Quarism territory like some sort of phantom.

One minute he wasn't there and the next he was, surrounded by a massive army of not only Mongolian horse archers, but Chinese siege engineers.

He had done the impossible, and with careful planning and night marches, had made his way

across the supposedly impassable red desert.

Once in Quarism territory, Genghis Khan was deliberate, almost leisurely, about attacking Bukhara.

...