An odd ship with a white flag of messenger followed and finally caught up to the sleak and fine ships sailed by the remaining navy from the Bloody wake.

After they announced themself as Etruscan messengers they were granted permission to send the diplomat over.


The Cillician ships that survived had been from the force chosen to deliver the tattered roman style armor and weapons to their own shore. The message was delivered successfully to the Coastal Watch of the Romans.
A thing they would not forget soon!

The roman militia had done as they always did. They let the Cillicians land first expecting someone to bribe them to go away. When they were met by fierce corsairs instead of weak kneed merchants they could not even defeat the leader though they ounumbered the Cillicians grossly!

Shazir was appalled at the ignorance of the true world seen by the Etruscan fleet commander.
Their were more than a few things the Etruscan did not see true.

QUOTE:
Lars Porsenna
King of Etruria


I greet you with a fair wind a confident salute. A confidence in my people, and our strength.
Also a confidence that they have the right measure of you already.
I do not, however have confidence that you know what you saw correctly.

You claim:
"we etruscans moved originally to .......defend Italy against your fleet and looting mob."
I reply:
My fleet was neither looter or mob. If we had then we should have landed in your nation while we had finished in Korsika. Also, my own ship sails with precision while you bring strange foreigners by the coracle and boatload from far outside the nations of Etrusca and Rome.
You sir, are the mob.

You claim:
"After our successful battle ...........we found Apulia, a fertile province, devastated by your pirates. Dozens of villages burnt to ground..."
I reply:
How odd, there is never a province I ever knew that was so small that it could be conquered entirely from within 300 spear lengths from a single landing beach. Why do you suppose the rest of the province went into riot after my corsairs landed? Perhaps because the local Roman militia was the true culprit for being blind to criminals in their protective authority for so long? Greedy men turn blind eyes when shown enough silver. Especially those in position of unmonitored authority.
Even I point to the next words you wrote...

You claim:
..."thousands of apulian people ......ready to bring.......slave-market."
I reply:
I wish that ANY single province of my own nation could have so many people! That is a good Laugh!
Are there so poor scouts in your nation that they cannot estimate an enemy strength? I have not even seen enough ships in my lifetime that..... were I to own them all those ships I could not transport so many!
Why would I want to capture and take some soft Roman worker to my own nation?
Never even begin thinking about feeding so many!

My men had orders to land in any way necessary and to remind the Romans of their debts of honor.
You are blind......the slave markets were there when my men arrived!
Or do you know of some divine ability to construct them so well in less than a fortnight???
Go back homeward and look again with your Own eyes, not some informants.

You claim:
.." we etruscans declare war on you and your godless people. We will pursuit your retreating ships, regardless to which shores you will flee. We will fight your pirates, hit your lands, loot your palace and take your wifes with us after destroying each of your ports and shipyards."
I reply:
I see you are not an honorable man from this.
You have not brought a single Roman with you, so you lie.
You have brought a horde of people with no connection to the Great sea we sail home across.
You are NOT a true leader as the honorable Marcus Aurelius, Senator and Censor of the Roman Republic is.
You have not even a feathers weight of strength of your own , like even my corsair High Lord Tiglatpilesar .....except in the foul breath you have.
You are following the gluttonous desires of the barbarians who follow your wake.
In short.
Your fleets come Pushed By Greed... instead of lead by a King.


You claim:
And if you ever .......move westwards again, remember this and forego italian lands.
My reply:
When the Cillician corsairs decide to come west again......we will make a special stop to emasculate such a weak nations males. You who have no strength of your own. No honor.
You do not deserve the privilege of having offspring.

Of course, all this said......Korsika and the pirates were very close to your lands...and you also did nothing.
Maybe my fleet did land on the wrong tribes coast.

Perhaps it was you who supported them all along!
Turn around and go home puppet before we withdraw our judgement and leave your own nation the blame!
I think I will have to ask the Roman Censor if he has indeed been betrayed by someone he calls ally.

.......Perhaps he and I as men of honor can find the deeper meaning of this situation together.


-Shazir Heart of the Flame,
King of Corsairs of Cilicia,
Teacher of the Truths of Zoroaster

The messenger and the letter were returned safely to the Etruscan vessel along with a good portion of corsair urine, because the cesspots were dumped on top of them as they were lowered over the side of the ship.

Shazir did not like this loud man with no eyes of his own.
Especially he did not like the cowardice of him hiding among the Northern warriors who had no true reason to be anywhere involved in this........unless more needed discovering to the West......

Enough for now though. It was time to sail home , the help to the Hellene allies complete.
Fond memories of the Carthaginian friends also shine in the eyes of Shazir's memories.