Neraph-at-Hep was in a foul mood, the gates of Kition were closed, officially it was a precaution to detain spies, but rumors roamed the street of the ugarithian messenger news.

Now he had to deal with scared merchants all day, just to keep the city from falling into a panic.

And there the accursed face of the garrisons chief, again creeping through the hall to approach him for the hundredth time this day.

The king buried his face in his hands.

"So what is it this time? Did someone notice the city walls aren't made of stone but of donkey shit?"

The chief paused, he wasn't sure what to do.

"Speak you fool what is it?", the king sunk back into his throne.

"My king, son of..."

"Just say what has happened!"

"A ship has arrived at the harbor this morning."

"Is it filled with well seasoned troops, ready for combat?"

"No my King."

"Ofcourse not.", the king mumbled.

"It is full of grain, but the merchants speak of an army before our gates. They tell of Lukka ships, also the flag of the Sherden was spotted amidst other forces unknown to them."

A sharp grunt could be heard from atop the throne.

"You have detained the ships crew?" the king questioned.

The chief hesitates.

"Of Course my king."

"You hesitated. You have detained the crew haven't you."

"Well, as is protocol we detained the captain and navigator..."

With these words the king leaped from his throne in front of the chief.

"You are not telling me, you let the crew freely walk about the city?"

The water front tavern was unusually crowded, yet silent at the same time.

With the curfew in place the fisherman and merchants had nothing to do but spent their time in taverns and brothels depleting the owners dwindling beer reserves.

But tonight was different, the bar was filled to the brim, people were gathered at the windows, all silent to catch the words of the men inside.

"A hundred ships I swear! I saw them. Sherden. Have seen their colors before." a drunk sailor told the mesmerized crowd in the light of a few candles.

"And the Lukka!" another sailor went.

"I reckon they gather on the plane of Themos. Evermore ships arrived when we harbored at Stiien. Surrounded we were."

"Thanks to the captain we could break through, only for a moment there was an opening. If they would have caught us."

"Grains only going to Hattie these days. And us selling to the Hittites."

"They would have had our heads."

Suddenly the taverns door burst open, men of the garrison stormed in, violently making their way inside, they came to detain the three sailors.

It took them no time to grab them and as quickly as they arrived they had already left.

After a moment of silence the tavern erupted.

Like a wild fire the news of the army before the cities gates spread throughout the town. People were awoken in the middle of the night. Torches were lit all over the city. Shouts could be heard from men at the wall. That night twenty five men deserted their service as members of the garrison, ten were arrested while trying to desert and eighth were killed, many more people were detained and even more vanished. Kition was in an uproar.