45. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
The camp buzzed with excitement at the return of the rebel scouts. A handful of men and women wrapped in travel cloaks sat around the main campfire, digging into soup and bread.
They greeted Leukos warmly. He nodded at them, then strode into the main tent. Perched atop the wooden poles, two majestic buzzards with rich brown plumage and a necklace of white feathers peered down at Alena.
Theo held the tent flap open for her. “Come.”
Inside, Xanthos and Pelagios hovered over the map-covered desk. A woman stood next to them, dressed in a sand-coloured travel cloak, dark brown breeches, and boots. She pointed to various places on the map, showing the stiff leather bracers that circled her forearms.
When the woman’s gaze lifted, cat-like brown eyes were revealed, striking against her deep-bronzed skin. A jagged scar ran from the corner of her left eye to the middle of her jaw.
She greeted Leukos first, and then her features softened when she spotted Theo.
“Alena, this is Elishat,” Theo said, leading her to the table. Upon a glance her way, Xanthos pursed his lips. “She’s our chief scout. She was sent with the others to find the legion’s camp.”
Elishat nodded in her direction, and then her attention shifted back to Leukos. “The information you gave me did not lie.” When she spoke, her Parthian accent was unmistakable. “We found them.”
Alena studied the map of the Empire that sprawled from Kantabria in the west to Achaea and its many islands in the east, and then the ancient kingdoms of Kharkhedon and Kemet in the south, across the Great Sea. The Freefolk Council kept a few maps within their storage tents, but none of them were as large or as detailed as the one before her.
Lips parted, Alena itched to touch the map. Instead, her gaze traced every inch of its surface, from the jagged coastline of the Western Lands to the sinuous rivers in the east.
Leukos pinched his eyebrows together. “Where are they now?”
“Further west from us, a week’s ride at least.” Elishat pointed to the spot. “North of Eluvia and close enough to the Western Lands’ borders to warrant concern. According to the treaty, those lands were to remain neutral. No Western hillforts and no legion camps.”
Theo’s head snapped to Leukos. “If the Sixth Legion is based there, the Undefeated might decide to skirt around the Souconna River to the north and continue into Western territory within a fortnight.”
On the map, the Souconna and Rodanos rivers flowed almost in one continuous line along the Western territories’ eastern border, protecting the tribes from any Rasennan attack.
“They’re planning something.” Pelagios crossed his arms, frowning. “Elishat said the legion has been stationed since the previous full moon. They wouldn’t risk violating the treaty for so long unless they were waiting for more legions to join them.”
“And then they could plan a full-on attack before the Western tribes even knew what hit them,” Theo finished.
A knot of apprehension twisted Alena’s stomach as the prospect of a war between Rasenna and the Western tribes came into focus. The rebels fixed their attention on the miniature wooden pieces symbolising the legions’ current positions on the map, and a heavy silence settled over them. Fourteen in total were scattered across the Empire, but only half a dozen were close enough to join the Sixth before summer’s end.
Xanthos drummed his fingers along the edge of the table. “We’re getting ahead of ourselves. This is all speculation. The Sixth could have set up a new training camp and be gathering supplies in preparation to fight the Ice Kingdoms again come winter.”
“So close to unfriendly borders?” Pelagios scoffed. “The Rasennans have fixed supply routes. The Emperor would never risk posting a legion so close, especially the Black Helmets, unless he was up to something.”
Xanthos stroked his pointy beard, watching the board like a hawk. “If the army is truly grouping to attack the Western tribes, they will send all the legions they can. They can’t risk another war stretching over years like it did with the Rebel Queen, not with so many enemies at their borders. They would have to launch a full attack.”
“And leave their homeland undefended,” Leukos added, watching Theo move the wooden legion pieces up the map. “The Tenth Legion, stationed outside of Kisra, protects the city, but none of those men have seen battle in years. A far cry from Dalmatius’ men.”
He knocked over the wooden legion piece, marked with an “X”, that was placed outside Kisra. “We could take them out. They’d be no threat to us. We could confront them on the plains outside the city while a handful of us sneak into Kisra and rescue Prince Galen.”
Alena’s throat went dry. Leukos’ audacious plan to attack the Rasennan capital itself had left her and the others around the table visibly shocked. It sounded like a suicide mission.
Theo spread his hands on the table and leaned in, his muscles straining against his armour. “How could we possibly make it to Kisra without drawing attention? An army travelling through Rasennan Lands won’t go unnoticed for long.”
“Not if we’re careful,” Leukos countered. “We could travel in small groups, take different routes, and use magic to hide in the woods.”
Pelagios snorted. “You’re dreaming, boy.”
Xanthos bristled, ready to scold the bearded Silver Shield, but Leukos shook his head.
“You’re underestimating Tarquinius,” Pelagios continued. “He didn’t defeat the Rebel Queen and her army with his legions alone. He has the god of war on his side, or have you forgotten? Not to mention his allies from the east and the south. Their gods have been worshipped for centuries, and as a result, their Gifted possess magic that could flatten our whole army in an instant.”
Theo exhaled a sharp breath. “Pelagios, we’re trying to come up with a strategy here, not give up hope completely.”
“There is hope,” Elishat cut in, a feverish gleam in her eye. “I heard rumblings from the east. From the copper caravans that crossed the Parthian deserts.”
Xanthos’ face visibly soured across the table.
“The stars have spoken. The Omega has returned.”
Pelagios’ thick eyebrows rose while Theo’s gaze snapped upwards.
Leukos’ face remained guarded. “The Omega is a myth. A warrior sent by an ancient goddess to eradicate evil. I don’t see how this helps our cause.”
“It’s not a myth. There have been stories all across the Great Sea about the Gifted warrior,” Elishat argued. “Many believe the Omega will bring the Empire to an end.”
The Omega? Alena had never come across the name in her father’s scrolls.
“Andromeda was rumoured to be an Omega warrior,” Theo added, casting a pointed glance in Leukos’ direction. “They were well-documented in Megara’s library. King Pandion himself was a fervent believer.”
Leukos flinched at the mention of the late king.
“This meeting is getting out of hand,” Xanthos said. “We need a plan. Now. Not superstitious babble.”
Elishat’s expression hardened, and she grumbled a string of foreign words that sounded neither polite nor friendly.
“Too far, Xanthos,” Theo warned.
Pelagios slammed his palms atop the table, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Omega or not, it doesn’t change the fact that infiltrating Kisra is madness. The Tarquinian Guard that protects the Emperor himself is full of Gifted warriors. You want to save Prince Galen, as we all do, boy, but we need more men. More allies.”
Leukos’ attention reverted to the map, and his lips formed a tight line.
An idea came to Alena’s mind, and she cleared her throat. “How many Westerners can still fight within the tribes?”
The rebels glanced at each other, unsure, until Pelagios answered, “They have half the Empire’s numbers, maybe less. It’s difficult to know how many warriors survived the Battle of Kendrisia. Not every tribe followed the Rebel Queen.”
Half the number of warriors were scattered across lands three times the size of Achaea, with no idea of the Emperor’s potential upcoming attack.
“We need to warn them.” She pointed to the lands in the west, caught between the Empire and the Endless Sea and divided up among dozens of tribes. “If the Emperor is gathering his troops for an attack—if all these legions, as you call them, are gathering north of the rivers to invade the Western territories—then who will stop them?”
Xanthos’ mouth tightened. “The plan was always to rescue Prince Galen.”
“Rescuing the prince was what brought us together,” Theo answered, glancing around the table, “but the end goal is and always will be to bring down the Empire. To free our lands, our city.”
Atop the table, Pelagios’ large hands clenched into fists. “If they take the Western Lands, that means more slaves, more resources, and more soldiers to fill their ranks. The Empire would be unstoppable.”
His words echoed through them all. Across the table, Leukos scrutinised the map as if it held all the answers.
Xanthos’ dark laugh cut through the silence. “You can’t be serious. Going up against the legions? Even with all our Achaean allies, it’s sheer madness.”
It could be done. The history Alena had read about suggested it. No longer able to keep her mouth shut, she cleared her throat. “Twenty years ago, the Western Tribes were your allies.” Her words caught them all off guard: Leukos’ gaze snapped to hers, Pelagios and Theo exchanged surprised glances, and a smile curled Elishat’s lips. “Westerners and Achaeans fought side by side against the Emperor, and together they posed a far greater threat than any of the Great Nomadic Raids.”
Xanthos cut her a withering look. “Might I remind you that the Rebel Queen lost the Battle of Kendrisia, causing the death and capture of thousands?”
Alena held her ground. “And how many have died or been enslaved by the Empire since? Four hundred years ago, Rasenna was just a petty kingdom embroiled in a long and complicated war against its neighbour, Rome. After it won, it continued waging war, expanding its territory, and growing into an Empire that now spans all across the Great Sea.” She swiped the Sixth Legion wooden piece and placed it at the centre of the Western Lands. “Once the Western tribes are also defeated, who will help us then? The Ice Kingdoms? The Parthians?”
The map painted a bleak future as wooden legion pieces sprawled across every known territory. The Ice Kingdoms kept to themselves, fighting anyone who approached their borders. The Parthians, on the other hand, favoured trade over war and had their own peace treaty with Rasenna, which suited them well. The Western tribes were one of Achaea’s few remaining allies, and they all knew it.
Alena looked up, catching Leukos’ dark eyes assessing her.
A smile tugged on Theo’s lips. “Alena is right. We need help and allies if you ever hope to defeat the Emperor, and our best bet right now is to warn the tribes of a potential attack.”
Pelagios scratched his beard, his gaze drifting to some distant memory. “The tribes are formidable allies. Their river gods alone have protected their borders for years. The Western gods are much older and fiercer than the Rasennan and Achaean pantheons combined.”
Elishat winked at Alena. “So are the eastern ones.”
Xanthos glared at them all. “The decision isn’t yours to make. What say you, Leukos?”
“I think we’re all tired and need more time to come up with a plan.” Leukos stepped back from the table, rubbing the back of his neck. “Everyone, get some food and rest, and we’ll talk again tomorrow. Theo, a word.”
Pelagios slipped out of the tent, mumbling about a drink, and dragging Xanthos with him. The councillor seemed disgruntled that Leukos had asked Theo to stay instead of him.
A hand rested on Alena’s shoulder, jolting her.
“No need to linger.” Elishat motioned to Leukos and Theo already huddled together in conversation. “Let those two figure things out. They’ll make the right decision.”
Alena nodded and followed the scout outside.
“How many laps are you up to, Red?”
“Five.” Alena glared at Nik and paced the tree line behind her tent, trying to catch her breath. He’d sent her running around the camp to warm up her muscles while he lounged against a log, picking his fingernails with a dagger.
They hadn’t discussed the meeting she’d had the previous day, nor had he asked. Nik seemed content to spend his mornings training her and then assisting with camp tasks the rest of the day while the rebels figured out their next course of action. Out of all the Megarians, Alena had only seen Theo initiate a conversation with Nik. Leukos, on the other hand, continued to avoid him at all costs.
“Not nearly enough, but it’ll have to do for today.” Nik got to his feet, sheathing the dagger at his belt, and grabbed his wooden sword. “Ready for the real training?”
Wiping sweat from her forehead, Alena gulped down water from the waterskin then picked up the Achaean short sword Theo had given her. She rolled her shoulders and took her stance opposite Nik.
“Let’s practise yesterday’s moves again,” he said.
She leapt forward, thrusting her sword as he’d taught her, catching him off guard.
“Good. Try again.”
They sparred, Alena always the first to attack while Nik countered every move. Then he made her train in the forest against tree trunks using his wooden sword, which weighed more than a steel one.
“Head, chest, shoulder, head, neck, shoulder, chest.”
Nik gave the orders, and Alena followed until the morning sun blazed high overhead.
“I think that’s enough for today.” He handed her the waterskin and took the practice sword. “Tomorrow, we’ll start using weights while you run. Once your arms toughen up and get used to the sword, we’ll find you a shield.”
Alena took a sip and wiped her mouth. “Is that necessary? Can’t I just use a sword?”
Nik gave her a wry smile. “Rasennan soldiers are trained with sword and shield. Without a shield, they’ll knock you off your feet and gut you in the blink of an eye.”
She paled at his vivid description. “I see.”
They walked back to camp, discussing her training until Theo came to greet them.
“Alena, I was looking for you.” He acknowledged Nik with a nod. “Leukos called for a meeting and asked that you attend.”
“Oh.” She wiped the sweat running down her face and passed the waterskin back to Nik. “I’ll catch up with you at dinner.”
“Is our fearless leader displeased perhaps that she’s spending more time with me than him?” Nik mused, glancing at Theo.
The insinuation behind his words made her face burn. “No, he knows we’re training together. I told him.”
His lips twisted into a smile. “And here I thought you were the clever one, Red.” He left, chuckling to himself.
Theo shook his head. “Same old Nik.”
When they walked inside the spacious tent, Pelagios and Elishat were waiting by the table, while Leukos paced the room, and Xanthos scowled in a corner.
“Good, you’re all here.” Exhaustion marked Leukos’ face, and dark shadows underlined his eyes. He didn’t waste any time and headed straight for the map. “We’re going to the Western Lands to warn them of the attack.” He traced his finger from their current position towards the Western border. “We’ll travel north-west around the Souconna River, then head straight for the Green Mountains Tribe or the Fire Wielders. If the Rasennan Legions are indeed planning an attack, they’ll want to know.” He tapped a mountainous area with a handful of hillforts. “Whoever we encounter first will be able to rally the other tribes, and together we can prepare a defence strategy. We’ll help them as best as we can. Elishat, I’ll need you to keep tracking the Sixth Legion’s movements.”
Pelagios glanced up. “We’re splitting up, then?”
“Yes. Alena and I will head for the Western territories. And we’ll bring Nikander. I’d rather he stay with us where I can keep an eye on him.”
Xanthos pounded his fist on the table. “You are gambling away our first real chance at taking Kisra, and all to save Westerners? This is our opportunity to make the Emperor pay for what he did.”
A muscle ticked in Leukos’ jaw. “I, more than anyone, want revenge, but the others are right. We need more allies.”
Xanthos didn’t seem to hear the warning in Leukos’ voice. “And what about Prince Galen? Are we to forget him altogether? It’s been ten years since the massacre—ten years! Who knows what they’ve done to him since then?”
Without warning, an icy gust of wind exploded through the tent, startling them all. Forbidding magic thrummed in the air, cloying Alena’s senses, and the temperature dropped to dangerous levels, gilding the walls and furniture in frost.
Alena shivered alongside Elishat, their breaths visible. Theo and Xanthos went very still. Only Pelagios stood unaffected, his thick arms crossed over his chest.
Leukos held his position at the head of the table, his eyes alight with an ethereal, icy blue gleam.
“I know perfectly well how long it has been.” His voice was soft yet biting. “I know perfectly well how many years it’s been since I ran into the throne room and found their broken bodies lying in a river of blood.”
The colour drained from Xanthos’ face.
“Memories of that day still haunt me at night, and if I could, I would ride to Kisra this instant to find the prince. Westerners be damned!”
Magic rolled off Leukos, thick and stifling. No doubt powerful enough to end the councillor’s life if he so chose, but instead, he released a deep breath and turned away from Xanthos. The icy cold dissipated at once.
Alena stared at Leukos in stunned silence. The memory of the massacre was so painful that it had caused him to lose control over his magic. She couldn’t begin to imagine the horrors he’d witnessed that day. It was no wonder he was plagued by nightmares.
“But we’re not fighting for just the prince’s life anymore.” A touch of sadness laced Leukos’ words before he schooled his emotions behind his usual mask of apathy. “We’re fighting for our homeland, and for our people’s survival. Without more allies, we can’t win against the might of Rasenna.”
His gaze settled on her. “At yesterday’s meeting, Alena was right. Together, we’re stronger. King Pandion believed in the Rebel Queen and their alliance. I won’t betray his memory.”
The solemnity of his words lingered around the table.
“We trust your judgement, Leukos,” Theo said, holding his gaze. “Always. What about the others, what’s your plan?”
“Pelagios and Xanthos will remain here to defend the camp. You’ll accompany Elishat and her scouts to keep an eye on Dalmatius and his troops. Send word the moment they head west.”
Theo nodded, moving the wooden rebel pieces on the map to their new position.
“What about the Blood Wolf?” Pelagios asked. “You should bring more men with you for protection.”
Leukos’ mouth twisted into a wry smile. “He’s bound to find me sooner or later. It’s another reason why I’m bringing Nikander along. His Gift and sword skills will be useful against the tracker.” Glancing around the table, he gave a final nod. “We leave in two days.”
His words were a clear dismissal, spurring everyone into action. Xanthos strode out of the tent without a word. Pelagios and Elishat trailed after him, and Theo peered back at Leukos and Alena, then left as well.
Leukos stared at the frost along the walls. It was already melting into puddles of slush. The rigid lines of his shoulders betrayed the tension raging within him.
Alena lingered by the desk, hesitating. As much as she longed to offer Leukos solace and support, she couldn’t shake his words from the previous day. He was bound to her by honour, nothing else, and she was uncertain how her concern might be received.
Still, she inched closer. “Are you all right?”
He blinked and drew back from the table, running a hand through his messy hair. “I don’t know what came over me. I haven’t lost control like that in years. I’m sorry.”
Alena shook her head.
“I started the rebellion when I was just a child. But I never thought back then how hard it would be to have everyone look up to you to make the tough decisions. To hold the lives of thousands in my hands.”
“I think you made the right decision,” she said, hoping to bring him a little comfort. “What made you change your mind?”
“When you spoke of allies yesterday, it brought back a memory—something my father told me a long time ago.” He grasped a small box and, together, they went about collecting the various wooden pieces strewn across the map. “One day, we went riding out of the city walls and crossed the kingdom all the way to the Crissaean Gulf. From the coast, we could see most of Achaea, stretching along the waters in a semi-circle. It was breathtaking. Then, my father said, ‘Megara is the strongest kingdom, there’s no doubt about it, but it will never be as strong as the whole of Achaea united together’.”
“You mean the Achaean League?” Alena had read about the alliance that had brought together all the Achaean kingdoms under one rule whenever they faced a common enemy.
Leukos’ tone took on a bitter edge. “The League was a last-ditch attempt to stop the Empire when the army was already at our gates.”
She dropped the last wooden piece in the box, and he closed it with a snap.
“You were right.” Leaving the box on the table, he turned to face her. “We need to band together if we ever hope to defeat the Empire. The Twelve and our Gifted warriors aren’t enough. If we couldn’t stop Tarquinius at the Battle of Kendrisia, how could we ever hope to do so now? We need help, and starting with the Western tribes is as good a plan as any.”
Alena nodded. “I’ll stock up my healer’s kit for our trip. San and Kaixo can help gather provisions as well.”
“They’ll be safer here.”
She stilled. She’d assumed Leukos had included the Non-Humans on their trip.
“I promised I’d take care of them,” she said. “I can’t abandon them now.”
“Then perhaps you should stay here with them.”
“Leukos—”
“Alena, be reasonable.” He stepped closer, forcing her to look up as he towered over her. Despite his recent display of ice magic, his body radiated heat. “You have no magic. No fighting skills.”
Frustration clawed beneath her skin. Hadn’t she proven herself enough?
“I can heal,” she reminded him.
His eyes softened around the edges. “Yes, that you can.”
“I want to go.”
“Of course you do.”
“You can’t stop me.”
He hitched an eyebrow. “I could seal your tent shut with ice and trap you inside.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
They stared at one another, both too stubborn to give in until a soft chuckle escaped him, and she bit back a smile.
“I didn’t join your cause to stay safe, Leukos.” Her mind was set, and nothing he could say would make her change it. “And I have my own reasons for going as well. If Katell is headed there, then I need to follow. Besides, you said it yourself, the Westerners might have answers about my mother’s necklace. Its sculpted shape was unique enough that it might be recognised.”
“It won’t just be the legions; the Blood Wolf might come after us, as well.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled a weary breath. “I know I said you’d come with me, but… if something were to happen to you…”
Alena reached out, curling her hand around his wrist and pulling his hand away. He laced his fingers through hers, and in that simple gesture, a newfound intimacy bloomed between them.
Heat spread across her face.
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” she said. “It’s why I started training with Nik—to learn how to defend myself.”
His jaw tightened, and he released her hand. “Fine. Be ready to leave in two days at dawn. Tell the trai—tell Nikander.” He walked past her without another word.
Already, her fingers missed the warmth of his touch.