It was early in the morning when a new messenger entered the Praetorium of Tarentum citadel. Julio Strabo, comander of the roman garrison in the city was dealing with daily affairs. He had been in charge of the local government until the Senate elects a new Praetor for the province.

The messenger handed him a wax tablet. It was a report from a coastal defense tower: Hellenic and Cilician ships had been spotted near italian shores. Julio Strabo, after reflecting for a moment, wrote a few lines and handed them to his lieutenant. A new messenger departed for Rome at once...

Later, after a new moment of reflection, the roman officer wrote a new letter:

QUOTE:

To the Leaders of the Hellenic and Cilician Fleets in front of Apulian coast:

As interim Roman governor for Apulien, I take the liberty of asking you about the reasons that lead your ships to the Ionian Sea. I trust you will understand that the appearance of such a big armed contingent before our shores without previous warning has worried both local population of Apulia and Roman authorities, so we would appreciate much a clarification of your intentions and destination.

Respectfully yours,

Julio Strabo,
Comander of the Roman Garrison in Tarentum

It is an alert outrunner ship that halts the Roman messenger ship.
Much was the curiosity but as it came direct and did not shadow the fleet like a spy so the messenger was recieved with good decorum and civility.

After reading the message beside Hellene King, Shazir looked to his friend and said....

I will write a reply my friend, so I can introduce the Romans to our people for the first time.
You are welcome to add your words to mine or perhaps you prefer your own words from a Hellene?

The tablets were brought and then Shazir realized he must write it in Greek as taught to him since the Roman did not likely understand Cillician letters, newly introduced as these two tribes were.

QUOTE:
To the Interim Governor of Apulien,
Comander of the Roman Garrison in Tarentum,
~Julio Strabo,

I am introducing to you myself and my people. We are the Cillician Corsairs. The tribe which has grown the unbeatable Hero of Tibiscum, Beranos.

We claim the right to sail where we like. This is no matter of yours.

There is no reason for your concern. Except maybe a small feeling of your own guilt for the disapearance of merchants along your sea coasts.

Perhaps if you watched them as well as you now watch us, then my corsairs and myself would not need to be here with my Hellenic brothers and sisters.
We investigate why these vital lanes of sea trade are become hazardous to the merchant ships of the Hellenes.

It seems late now for the Roman Authorities to worry. It surprises me not at all that the commoners worry.
I am only speculating why. Perhaps
1-Your people are the culprits and fear a reckoning
-or-
2- Your coast guard are unable to properly defend those under their care.

Either way, we are here at the behest of our great ally, Dogun, to investigate.
You would do well to be on best politeness while we do this.
Already we have no great reason for trust of your nation.
May the Daevas give your tongue wisdom.

With civil regards,

King of Cillicia's free corsairs
Herald of the Truths of Zoroaster
~Shazir Heart of the Flame~

Marcus Aurelius was still thinking on the last letter from Tarentum when a new messenger came into his tent. Despite of the distance, had only taken 2 days for the message to reach the Roman Capital.

Roman Censor broke the seal and started reading, recognizing quickly Tarentum comander’s writing. Julius Strabo sent an answer from the leaders of the Cilician and Hellenic fleet spotted in Ionian Sea. After reading the message, Marcus asked an officer to go and search in the Tabularium for reports from the Southern Italy watchtower system and for registers of that region harbours.

After informing Princeps Senatus and Consules, he started working on the documents that Lucius had brought him. There was a lot of information about arrivals and departures of greek merchant ships in recent months, but nothing about their disappearance, not even about complaints from the Hellenic rulers.

Marcus spent a few moments reflecting and then started writing a new letter:

QUOTE:

To Shazir Heart of the Flame,
King of Cillicia’s Free Corsairs,
Herald of the Truths of Zoroaster:


I must admit that, despite having searched our archives for a long time, I have not been able to find references to previous contacts between our two peoples; nevertheless your prestige and reputation are well known in Rome thanks to the stories brought to us by eastern merchants.

I have also been searching for references about greek ships dissapeared, and for any letter from Hellenic government about that question, but I haven’t been able to find anything. As your greek allies must know, Roman Republic has been engaged for a long time in a civil struggle, and only a few months ago we finally ended it up and started rebuilding our nation. Maybe some pirates took advantage of that instable time to harass eastern merchants, but I can assure you that since Southern Italy returned to roman hands, no greek ship has dissapeared in our coasts, no complaints from your allies has reach our Senate, and none of our citizens has asked any help to fight pirates.

Our coast guard may not be the best in the world, but I can vouch for its effectiveness, even more so having been responsible for your sighting. Nevertheless, we will accept any suggestion from your seafaring people to improve it. The Roman Republic isn’t a great naval power, we recognize every nation right to travel and trade in the Mediterraneum, but you may also understand that the appearance of an unknown fleet before a nation’s coasts is at least a motive of interest for its government.

We don’t feel culprits, even more not knowing about any disappearance and not having been informed about them by your greek allies. Nevertheless, we are ready to help you with the investigation and the solution.

I look forward to your response, and I hope our Peoples will have from now on new opportunities to collaborate.

I wish you Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds, as Zoroaster taught.

May Iuppiter Optimus Maximus be with you...


Marcus Aurelius
Senator and Censor of the Roman Republic

Marcus closed and sealed the document, giving it to the messenger. Soon, a roman trireme will set sail to find the Cilician flagship and deliver it.

While passing Northward toward the heartlands of the Romans Shazir was still keeping eyes to all directions.
He made strong note of the people the Hellenes spoke of as Sicilians.

These were another tribe also that needed the sea to be calmer for their prosperity.

As the sun rode toward the noon one day a black sail was sighted, moving North away from another burning ship. The watch called the Alarm and all hands came on deck for battle stations.

A chase was begun, with some of the Hellene merchants stopping to help the damaged ship.

Two bells later a Roman trireme came on from the Eastern coastline and cut toward the Cillician flagship.
Since the black ship was further East and North the Roman never saw.
To avoid a diplomatic incident Shazir gave away the chase to answer the Roman trireme demands to answer a message from the Republic Authorities.

As he replied he thought of only following the Black Ship to "question" them.

QUOTE:
To Marcus Aurelius,
Senator and Censor of the Roman Republic


The joys of rising with the sun do not go for all on your coastline.
But to you nestled safely inland along the River Tiber the morning is still a bright rising light from the East.
That is as it should be. I wish you a smile to enjoy the light from the East.
It is an honor to know that you are looking into this matter with the proper concern that I also share.
I have brought my own eyes though to see more clearly.

Today I found a boat being burned to the waterline and the passengers in the water. Most dead.
I wait to see if they are Greek or Roman or Sicillian or maybe another people completely. I know the people of Carthage sail these waters also. The Greek merchants I escort have saved what they could of them and I will speak with them later.

I had been pursuing a second vessel leaving the wreckage but halted at the demand of your messengers.
The triremes you use are in need of redesign, slower still than my own warships. I lose half a day at least on this ship. A fast raider but we were gaining wave by wave.

You say no Greek ships have disapeared on your coasts. Perhaps. For the time it is a possibility you do not know. It is also a possibility that you were not told of non-military vessels by the watch towers.
Only the tax men would be interested and the harbormasters I would think.
Of course. It must be an oversight of such simple proportion.
Unless there is a plan to raid them and never admit they existed.

Of course, the unarmed diplomats of my allies would be no less at risk before such a plan.
Yes, dead men do not complain as loudly, especially when "swallowed by an angry sea".

I am still reserved on my judgement of the coast guards quality or true actions since this very morning I saw signs of loss with my own eyes.
I will ask the Greeks to report or the passengers who survive to do so themselves, later.
I am glad that you know some of the wisdom of Zoroaster.

Zoroaster also writes:
The truth is not always what a person wants to hear, but truth is always needed to make them a better people.

We proceed Northeast in pursuit. I will contact also these people the Hellenes call Sicilians as well as my friends in Carthage.
Maybe their records will say different than yours also. Perhaps you should contact others you know of with an interest? Perhaps rely less on the watch towers who cry most certainly loudly at warships and least at merchants?

These are your choices to make. I have made mine. I follow what I find by my own eyes.
I Will Have Answers for my friends.

Shazir Heart of the Flame,
King of Cillician Free Corsairs,
Herald of the Truths of Zoroaster

A second letter is begun as soon as the Roman vessel clears the Battle Group.

QUOTE:
To the Melek of Carthage,
Jarucha the Witch

To the King of the Sicilians,
Grimuald

Greetings and Strength to you both!
I introduce myself again to one of you and yet for the first time to both of you as the leader of your nations.
I am Shazir Heart of the Flame. King of the Cillicians.

My people are free corsairs who have been born in blood and rise like the sun from the East.
I am now in these Western lands and waters only to aide a people I call my friends. The Hellenes.
We mean not to cause fear of harm to any of your people.
In truth we hope to bring them safety.

As I visited them I had the news that things were not going well for the merchant vessels of his nation ever since the rise of Roman presence here.

That presence should have guaranteed a merchants safety in these seas. Today with my own eyes I have seen what appears to be the opposite. A vessel burning in the water while a second one fled before our armed ships.
I do not know if the vessel belonged to your nations. Truly little remins to say of her. The crew are brought to me later. I just needed to give you this news.

All in all it does not speak well of the safety thatRome should provide but I will not ask you to think poorly of them. I just ask some small things.
~~Have your ships had difficulty with disapearances lately?
~~ Do your people know safety on the sea? At least safety from thieves and human treachery?
~~ I ask you to answer if you will help me secure that safety?

I welcome you both to speak plainly as it is the best way to determine a truth.
I pray that the vessel we chase today will see justice done.
When truth is known so will those that the murdering thieves are hiding among.
Whoever they may be.

May the sun rise with brilliant light on all the days of your glorious lives!

Shazir Heart of the Flame,
King of Cillician Free Corsairs,
Herald of the Truths of Zoroaster

The two copies of the clay writing were delivered to messenger ships that carried the colored sails and design of the Hellenes. This was almost certain to be recieved more easily than a foreign designed ship of Cillicia. A third copy was kept for record and use by the Hellenes to keep them informed.

After a second thought Shazir chose not to send a copy to Roman lands. The Roman leaders knew well enough why the Cillician and Hellene fleets were here.
Shazir just wondered if there was something the Romans were hiding.

Zoroaster taught that in the end truth never could be hidden long, but only fools swore to know it before they had uncovered it themselves.

To Shazir Heart of The Flame, King of Cilicians

Greetings to You and all Cilician Corsairs.
It is good news to see your ships near Carthago, we were waiting for you since we mett long time ago in restless lands of Dacia. I am waiting to see you soon.

We had a lot of trouble previous time with our merchant ships.. we were desperate to establish some water routes between Cathago and eastern tribes. But as our merchants were leaving, we hardly could see them bac. a lot of men, and a lot of treasures drowned in deep waters. We know that our ships dissapear, but we do not know why. maybe our maps are not to precise, or some sea monsters attaced them? or - what i am not sure - some pirates plundered and killed our brothers.

I hope that Cilician armed merchants will alow us to face the truth.
Once again I salute you Shazir, and all Your Men. Let you be guided by light.

Jarucha The Witch
and Carthago Council.

After recieving the Carthaginian messenger ship, Shazir was glad to see his allies join him with word that they had seen the Black ship moving near the coast of Castagniccia.

Shazir directed the fleet that way and sent the Roman Authorities a letter to describe his intent and to tell them of what there watch-towers apparently did not.

QUOTE:
To Marcus Aurelius,
Senator and Censor of the Roman Republic


I have recent response to a letter of inquiry I sent toward Carthage.
I quote my honored friend and now monarch of Carthage, Jarucha the Witch:

.....We had a lot of trouble previous time with our merchant ships.. we were desperate to establish some water routes between Cathago and eastern tribes. But as our merchants were leaving, we hardly could see them bac. a lot of men, and a lot of treasures drowned in deep waters. We know that our ships dissapear, but we do not know why. maybe our maps are not to precise, or some sea monsters attaced them? or - what i am not sure - some pirates plundered and killed our brothers.......

You see now how even they have had difficulty? Do you understand how this brings me great concern for the watchers you trust so much. Even for the implications this suggest are possible under Roman eagles?

Surely you can see how it is from my eyes. The posibility of fraud or incompetence come strongly.
No fear though. The Cillicians have chased the Black ship of a possible sea raider to the coast of Castignicca. A land that your nation does not apparently have influence in.
For this I am a little relieved. It seems that if you do not control their ports, perhaps you are not responsible for the black ships actions. Actions that still need proving but are coming closer to a reckoning of the truth.
Wave by wave the Light of the East slides toward the Answers I seek among that crew.

Good news also. I have word that no less than 3 of the crew from the burned ship survive and I can speak with them about the misfortune they had leaving them in such a status.

I advise you allow me to resolve this matter without interference. Perhaps we will have matters to discuss afterward.

May the Truth Enlighten You,
It will Always make a burden less painful to bear.

Shazir Heart of the Flame,
King of Cillician Free Corsairs,
Herald of the Truths of Zoroaster

It was late in the night when the messenger arrived in the Roman Forum. As usual Marcus Aurelius was still working. His meeting with Princeps Senatus Ralen and Consules Egil and Aeneas ended only a few minutes ago. The optio custodiarum, in charge of that night guard, came into the Censor office followed by an experienced naval officer, surely he was member of Cilician fleet in Tyrrhenian Sea.

Marcus exchanged some words with his assistant, cilician galley had arrived Ostia late that evening with a new message from Shazir. Marcus ordered to provide the crew and ship everything they needed, and to be given the messenger comfortable accommodation and whatever he asked while waiting for his answer. Seated in his desk, he broke the seal and began to read attentively...

Without a doubt cilician leader was suspicious of roman intentions, even not having received any negative or offensive answer from the Republic. In the other hand, he seemed to have no interest in the strange attitude of those who followed him, calling firstly for assistance and investigation in the Eastern Mediterranean before talking their own neighbours in the area.

Marcus had made great efforts to find letters, reports, complaints or notices from citizens, governors, roman garrisons or watchtowers about merchant ships disappearances, without success. Perhaps, as Shazir indicated, fraud or ineptitude had something to do, although since the restoration of the Republic roman archives system was at his command and had been reorganized and purged to avoid problems and failures.

However, what most surprised him was the absence of foreign diplomatic communications. Although Hellenes seemed to have suffered at length the problem of piracy, they made no attempt to contact Rome for help or information about. As for Carthage, even deeply feeling their problems, their boats seemed to be disappearing in the routes of the East and, either along the southern shore of the Mediterranean or in the northern path, from Sicily across the Ionian Sea to the Peloponnese and the greek coast, both areas were away from roman influence. Marcus started writing...

QUOTE:

To Shazir Heart of the Flame,
King of Cillicia's Free Corsairs,
Herald of the Truths of Zoroaster:


I have read your last messages with great interest. I really feel the tragedy suffered by the merchant ship you found, and I thank the Gods that your ships were able to rescue survivors and prosecute their attackers. I hope you find new information in those people to find the Truth about this question.

To reassure you, as you said in your recent words, Rome has no interest in interfering with your actions. Corsica is out of roman territory, even if we started its conquer under Ildico's rule, so the Republic has no intention of dictating policy that has to prevail there.

As I wrote previously, Rome is only interested in finding the Truth about this problem, and we are ready to help you in this if you need. I've started and investigation about our watchtowers efficiency, but I'm still more concerned about the absence of diplomatic letters from your friends. Before your arrival, we hadn't recieved any word from Hellenes about their merchants disappearance, which in my eyes would have been the first step in finding the Truth and the solution. Even now, the greek leaders still hasn't contacted us.

About Carthage, I would like to help them in their problems but, as far as I can see in your letter, their boats have had problems in going for Eastern Mediterranean tribes, and none of the routes that reach there from their capital is under roman rule, so I can only offer financial support for them or our help to escort their convoys.

Anyway, Roman Senate is very interested in solving this affair soon, so we are ready to help you if necessary. I'm afraid I'm very busy these days with domestic issues of the Republic, but I will be always pleased to answer your letters and help you in whatever you need. Also my proposal for you to visit Rome and help us making more effective our watchtower system is still there.

I wish you Good Winds and Calm Seas....


May Iuppiter Optimus Maximus always be with you !!


Marcus Aurelius
Senator and Censor of the Roman Republic

QUOTE:
Marcus Aurelius
Senator and Censor of the Roman Republic


A battle hs commenced and we have prevailed.
I will forward to you any new information we have from interrogation of the prisoners.
When we have it.

I accept your offer to assist the watch-tower improvement.
I also admit to being skeptical toward Roman Authority on the seas around your home.

Perhaps we will come to this with a united happy ending.
I cannot speak for the silence of my allies.

Since they do not speak with you, it is possible they do not trust.
I cannot be certain. Nor should any King have another speak for him that he does not choose.

Until the details are available.


~Shazir Heart of the Flame,
King of Cillicia's Free Corsairs,
Herald of the Truths of Zoroaster

QUOTE:
Marcus Aurelius
Senator and Censor of the Roman Republic

I have concluded the interrogations of all the pirates captured at the lands of Castagniccia and Corsica.

Fully half of them were outcasts of the Roman Republic because they had followed the former leader Ildico.
You should have not allowed them to live!! Knowing they had no other land that was welcoming to them.

I do not honor them either.
They are courageless assassins of unarmed men and women.
I hold blame against you and them equally for the status they acquired. Their price is paid. Yours is not.

Next time.....execute your criminals.
I have handeled that matter for you already with these.
None were allowed to fall on their swords.
They did not deserve that honor and are instead impailed and their skulls used as fire baskets to light the dangerous shores of Corsica. A land I intend to keep.

You should have heard how they all, Roman or not, begged before the Carthaginian and Hellene Lords I sat in judgement beside. A pathetic sight.

1- For the troubles your people have allowed to walk free I bring a gift.
One you will find bitter to taste.
I am coming to your shores to return the broken Roman blades and the punctured and torn leather currais embossed of the sovereign eagle your nations fly upon your banner.

2- Your watchtowers will most definately consider improving now that I will bring the Blood Debt of my friends to your shores.
A singular lesson that you will not soon forget if the Daevas smile on me.

3- If we are defeated I will still count it as a proper lesson.
One that should never have been necessary for me to bring.
One that shows you have finally awakened to the responsibility you owe of clearing your shores of all the vagrants who hide their to attack others.

Rise to battle Roman!
I will meet you face to face perhaps and show you how to not spare the rod. While we both laugh in the rage of battle.
Your spoiled children already Stand impailed and dead on the beaches I now control.


With Fire and Water I call Rome to battle before me!

I sense in you some honor.
Therefore, You will have one pass of the moon to prepare for the lesson we bring!

Ciillicia and her allies claim the right to defend and bring justice to all the waters of the Mediteranean.

~~Shazir Heart of the Flame
King of Corsairs of Cillicia
Teacher of the Truths of Zoroaster