The vision of the confused Numidian soldier gradually became clear, and the blurry figures turned into Roman soldiers with drawn weapons surrounding them and ready to attack.
The Numidian soldier's expression changed from confusion to terror, letting out an involuntary scream.
"Haaa!"
The sudden scream woke the surrounding sleepy Numidian soldiers and also became the signal for the massacre to begin.
The clone soldiers stopped being cautious and began their offensive simultaneously at the same time.
The first clone soldier drove his short sword into the belly of a Numidian soldier who was still asleep.
Hundreds of clone soldiers wasted no time and also stabbed or slashed the sleeping Numidian soldiers without giving them the opportunity to fully wake up.
The sudden sounds of flesh being cut and lamentations woke the rest of the Numidian soldiers, but the tragic nightmare-like scene they witnessed terrified many of the newly awakened and confused soldiers.
Without a tribal leader nearby, most of the Numidian soldiers quickly became disorganized, causing chaos.
The leaderless Numidian soldiers scattered around the encirclement created by the Romans with the sole objective of surviving.
The clone army advanced slowly, taking advantage of the chaos and maintaining an increasingly tighter encirclement.
Two hours passed slowly, and the encirclement against the Numidian troops gradually tightened little by little, causing the Numidians' blood to stain the sand red.
The Numidians inside the encirclement consisted of light cavalry with very little defense; the confrontation against a Roman legion specialized in infantry combat would result in absolute defeat.
No matter the several desperate attempts by the Numidian soldiers to escape, none succeeded.
The screams gradually died down, and nearly 5,000 corpses of the former allied Numidian cavalry lay throughout the clone camp.
The clone soldiers suffered no casualties, and the few wounded could recover on their own in less than a week. The shield formation easily repelled the desperate attack of the Numidians without much pressure.
The allied Numidian cavalry was completely massacred, and their corpses would be used as firewood for the great bonfires located in the middle of the camp, used to ward off the cold and the animals.
Without wasting anything, the corpses became a good source of fuel for the bonfires in the desert.
The night passed slowly, and the clone army of nearly 7 legions prepared to depart toward the city of Thala.
The screams of the Numidian prisoners with broken knees were replaced by the lamentations of a dozen crucified tribal leaders.
The wooden crosses with the nailed tribal leaders were being transported by carts pulled by camels.
The crosses were tilted upward toward the sky, and the scorching sun of the Sahara Desert slowly tortured the agonizing tribal leaders.
The screams of agony put Septimus in a good mood, making him forget the boring journey and the monotonous landscape.
Without the constant harassment of the Numidian cavalry, the clone army took two days to reach the city of Thala.
The clone army arrived at the gates of the city of Thala, and before the preparations for the siege began, the gates slowly opened.
From the gate emerged Hiempsal II, leading a group of nobles mounted on horseback who slowly approached the clone army.
With a thought from Septimus, the clone soldiers allowed Hiempsal II and his delegation to approach.
"General, the city has fallen, and the usurper Hiarbas is dead," said Hiempsal II with a respectful expression while dismounting from his horse.
The other Numidian nobles also dismounted from their horses and bowed before Septimus.
The capture of the city of Thala by Hiempsal II was very simple and was achieved by taking advantage of the city's lack of troops and the low morale caused by Hiarbas's disastrous defeat.
Without offering much resistance, the few soldiers protecting the city surrendered.
Hiempsal II, as a member of the royal family, had an advantage in knowing the terrain better and being able to use the mobility of his cavalry to go around the main battlefield and enter the enemy rear.
Before they could wreak havoc in the enemy rear, the poorly defended city of Thala mistook Hiempsal II's cavalry for friendly troops and opened the gates to them.
Consequently, the captain protecting the city of Thala, upon realizing his mistake, surrendered without resistance.
The city had barely 1,000 defenders and could not stand against Hiempsal II's cavalry.
Afterward, Hiarbas, together with a dozen trusted soldiers, confidently entered the city and was decapitated along with his soldiers.
In the end, Hiempsal II became a fortunate man for various reasons.
On the other hand, Septimus received a wooden box and observed Hiarbas's head with open eyes and a reluctant expression.
With the deaths of Enobarbus and King Hiarbas, the African campaign had concluded successfully.
Septimus also gained more than 5,000 warhorses that would serve as the foundation for forming a light cavalry force in the province of Africa.
Unfortunately, the large-scale transport of horses by sea would represent a great ordeal for the animals, and the death rate would be very high.
The horses would have to be transported in reduced numbers while taking advantage of good weather conditions to cross the Mediterranean.
The clone soldiers entered the city of Thala and took control of all key areas.
Inside the city, in a luxurious residence, Septimus was sitting on a luxurious chair observing Hiempsal II.
"Great general, I request your support so that I may become the new King of Numidia, and in exchange, I am willing to establish a close protective relationship with you, like Masinissa and Scipio," said Hiempsal II with a sincere expression.
Septimus contemplated Hiempsal II's proposal and, after a few seconds, accepted it.
"You have proven yourself to be a friend of the Romans. Therefore, congratulations, I will nominate you to Rome as the new king of Numidia," said Septimus with a calm expression.
Hiempsal II showed an expression of joy and thanked Septimus effusively.
On the other hand, Septimus, as protector of the kingdom of Numidia, would gain a nation as an ally and an almost inexhaustible supply of horses. Although the horses of the kingdom of Numidia were very short, Septimus trusted that he could perfect an excellent breed of horses over time.
The battle in the Sahara Desert deeply shook all of Africa and Numidia.
Septimus, with seven legions, defeated a Numidian army nearly twice as large, including 15,000 horsemen and 100 war elephants.
This battle alone turned Septimus into a god of war throughout all of Africa; the combat strength of the Numidian army should not be underestimated.
The Romans fought a very hard war during the Jugurthine War. At first, when the Romans were defeated, they thought it would become another Punic War with countless sacrifices.
Fortunately, Marius and Sulla emerged as unexpected leaders, quickly bringing the war to an end, and Septimus's achievements even surpassed theirs.
The news of the massacre of the Numidian tribes that betrayed Septimus also spread quickly throughout the region, and many tribes that opposed Rome surrendered out of fear, while also sending messages of supplication to Hiempsal II asking him to intercede for them.
Septimus did not want to devote much time to dealing with the elusive Numidian cavalry, and to avoid becoming further entangled with the tribes, he sent messengers and demanded large ransoms.
On the other hand, the tribes that refused to surrender and persisted were destroyed, and the few survivors were sold as slaves.
Hiempsal II also took advantage of the Roman army's influence to gain the support and loyalty of several tribes, managing to increase his influence throughout the kingdom.
Septimus also took advantage of his stay in Africa to lead a group of clone guards on a hunting expedition.
In the modern era, hunting in Africa is viewed negatively, and in many African countries it is prohibited; consequently, the cost of finding guides and an ideal place to hunt increases.
Taking advantage of the lack of modern-era rules, Septimus and the clone guards mounted on horses and carrying bows and arrows engaged in a hunt across the African savanna.
Septimus planned to remain in Africa for a few days and enjoy the local culture before returning to Rome.
On the other hand, a new clone caravan dedicated to trade and horse care, along with a group of clone mercenaries, would remain in Africa to ensure a continuous flow of horses.