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Casca #22: The Mongol

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At the great meeting of all Mongol tribes their rivalries are forgotten and during this time all manner of games are played, including trained slaves who fight in an arena to the death. One of these 'animal's is a familiar figure - Casca - who is chained like a beast by his owner, Zhoutai, a nasty Tartar, who throws Casca into a fight against a bigger opponent but Casca defeats him. This is witnessed by a young Mongol called Temujin, a fugitive with no tribe of his own. Temujin, who believes he is fated for greater things, also believes there will be one to help him realize his dream and sees Casca as this one. That night he helps Casca escape, who kills his former owner, and the two flee to the hills where Casca teaches Temujin tactics and strategy based on ancient Chinese teachings. Gradually the two attract followers, and they rescue a young woman called Borte whom Temujin decides to marry and saves the life of a small but powerful tribal leader, Bolar Khan. Bolar's son Chagar pledges fealty to Temujin and becomes his first lieutenant. With Chagar's help, and the help of Temujin's brothers, Temujin regains control of his own tribe from his former boyhood friend Jemuga, now his sworn enemy. By now the various tribes see him as a threat and look to someone to oppose him and the figure of Jemuga seems to fit that bill. Jemuga and Temujin vie for power and eventually, in a battle that takes place along marshland and end in a ravine, as Casca has planned, Jemuga's forces are defeated, but Jemuga escapes. This victory ensures Temujin's hold over the tribes and he is elected Great Khan - or Genghis Khan - at the next meeting. Over the next few years the Mongols extend their power base against the Chinese, always victorious and always with Casca close behind Genghis Khan, advising him and guiding him through all campaigns. Eventually, with the Mongol power growing stronger, Casca realizes he is no longer needed and requests release from Genghis' army and he leaves for whatever adventure fate has in store for him next.

This was Sadler's last novel, found after his death and covered mostly the formative years of Genghis Khan's rise to power. One of Sadler's friends completed the novel when it was discovered. Not too much was covered once he rose to rule all the tribes (after 1205). This early period is easy to cover in such a novel as much of it as we know today comes from legend or exaggerated stories written after Genghis came to power. The chained slave figure reminds me of the scenes from Conan the Barbarian and perhaps that is where Sadler got the inspiration. Although the original dates of Temujin's struggle are imprecise they would seem to be around 1189-1190, and the story ends just before Genghis's campaign against Khorasan in 1219. Casca is left to travel the known world and will not reappear in these stories until 1271 when book #24: The Defiant starts. In between the world knows such events as the Mongol conquests in Europe.

To see where this falls in Casca's life story, click HERE for a Timeline check

Click here to read about the rise of Genghis Khan