Angels Ascending - 15. Part Fifteen

Chapter Thirty

The Offer

It was a grand homecoming when James led the fleet back to Aquanos. Once again the Centurions, or more precisely Xavier, had not believed that Jadoor would come back so soon after having left Aquanos so unexpectedly,. The newly crowned emperor was more concerned with the threat of revolt from his own men who were uneasy about his treatment of the Legatio, than another attack. As a result, the city fell faster than in the first invasion. But, this time, James pushed his men beyond the walls of the city, further inland, and taking over several farming villages and three medium-sized towns. He now controlled the highlands that separated this part of Domus from the rest of the empire. He controlled over two thousand square miles of territory, twenty percent of the empire.

Quickly declaring himself governor with the title of Duke, James designed a new flag... two gray vertical strips on either side with a blue one in the middle. A pair of Angel's wings was on each gray stripe, and on the blue stripe, an anchor. It now flew over the old Governor's mansion as well as the bathhouse, where James was building new offices and a mansion as his residence. With his loyal officers lounging in the hot water, James held meetings to discuss the future of his new home. These tended to be very long meetings, as he had to deal with Kyle and the torturously slow lovemaking he would always insist on afterwards.

It was after another planning meeting, and deep into the sex that usually followed, that Amplexor surprisingly walked into the pool, stepping right into the water still wearing his white robe. He went straight to where Kyle and James were engaged with each other.

"Amplexor!" James said, surprised when he saw the Angel come up from behind Kyle.

"Don't mind me..." Amplexor smiled while Kyle gave him an annoyed look.

That proved hard to do; Amplexor had his wings stretched out in full view.

"Why are you here... I thought you would be helping Aidan and Dorian back in Jadoor," James asked.

"They don't really need much help from me. Dorian understands enough Jadoorian now that he does not need me to tutor him anymore. As for running the country... Diana is politically savvy enough to guide Aidan."

"Then why are you here?" Kyle asked, a little annoyed that all this talking had ruined the moment. He had been planning to take his time ravishing his lover.

"I want to make the two of you an offer." Amplexor grinned.

"What sort of offer?" Kyle asked with a bit interested.

"I would like to offer you the chance to become like Aidan and Dorian."

"Like them how?" James asked, confused.

"He wants to change us like he did the King and High Priest." Kyle elbowed his lover as he slipped off his lap, deeper into the water.

"You mean into Demons?" James said warily.

"And Angels," Amplexor added.

"How can you do that?"

"I would have to take you to a special room I have on my ship. You will have to spend some time in a tank, but after that the two of you will be a bonded pair.

"I guess I would be the Demon and Kyle my Angel?" James asked.

"No... I agree that you would make the better Demon between the two of you, but you are too old to become one." Amplexor sighed.

"Too old... I am only in my mid-forties."

"Yes, but during the process you must spend some time as a Centurion. Regardless of when you become one, if you are over the age of forty, you will die. That means Kyle will have to be the Demon."

"But Kyle... he's soo..." James laughed looking down at his smaller, blond lover."

"I can take care of myself you know!" Kyle pouted.

"I know, but I like being the "man" in the relationship."

Amplexor gave James an amused grin. "I would not worry, James... yes, Kyle will grow larger and be stronger than you, but the nature of your relationship will not change. The reason Dorian is so dominant over Aidan is that Dorian was raised to be a Centurion Commander... he is used to giving orders and protecting his men. Kyle will find a new desire to protect you, but you will always be the "man" in the relationship."

"You've seen how Dorian looks..." James said to Kyle with a worried look in his eyes.

"Yes... and I have seen how Aidan looks. I would love to see you with wings." Kyle smiled. "I also wouldn't mind looking a little more... well, masculine."

"You look perfectly fine to me." James smiled as he waded closer to Kyle and embraced him."

"If it is physical appearances you are worried about, there is a way to disguise yourselves so you look the same as you are now... there is only one negative side effect," Amplexor offered.

"What is that?" Kyle said.

"You will feel uncomfortable with your bodies... especially Kyle. In the end both of you will want to look like the Demon and Angel you are, but it might help you adjust," Amplexor explained.

"Alright, how long will the process take?" James asked.

"Six weeks for each of you."

"Why so long?" Kyle asked.

"I need to grow an anima core inside you. That takes time."

"So six weeks without sex?!" Kyle said shocked.

"Yes." Amplexor smiled.

Kyle took hold of James like a wife being told her husband was leaving for a war. "How will we survive?"

"I've gone months without sex." James laughed.

"Yeah, but that was before you had man sex... do you think you can now do without?" Kyle pointed out.

"Well, I'm sure that, as long as I am with you in the tank, your company will be enough for me."

"I'll take that as part of your naiveté!" Kyle grumbled.

"Awwwwwww," James pouted as he hugged his lover tight.

"I can't wait until I can wrap my tail around you," Kyle giggled.

"I can't wait until I take you flying," James agreed.

"Good... when the two of you are ready, meet me at my ship in the port," Amplexor instructed.

"We should be there by nightfall. I want a few more hours with my Admiral... just to make sure he will be missing me while we are in the tank." Kyle grinned, enjoying the hungry look James was giving him.

When they arrived at the pier Amplexor had told them to go to, they found it empty. Then, with a gush, the water under the pier began to bubble and rush apart as a giant metal ship rose up.

Kyle remained stunned, not sure what was happening, but then a door opened in the ship's black surface and out came Amplexor with several of his blue-eyed Disciples.

"Are you ready?" Amplexor asked a stunned Kyle and a wide-eyed James.

Kyle took a few deep breaths before responding. "Yes..." he managed to stammer.

"Do you think I could explore your ship first?' James asked eagerly.

"I could let you explore, but there is little you would understand." Amplexor smiled, as his two men took Kyle and James by the arm and slowly led them to the entrance of the black submersible.

Kyle looked back only once, right at the door, looking at Aquanos as if he would never see the city again or, if so, knowing it would not feel the same. The door then closed and he and James were led down a series of ladders until he found himself in a large room. Amplexor's monks were working at glowing panels, with the tank in the middle of the room.

Amplexor walked up behind Kyle and put his hand on his shoulders. "It's time."

Soon, Kyle was stripped down and in the tank, feeling the warm blue fluid engulf him and James. These were to be his last moments as a Jadoorian. When he finally came out of the tank, he would be a Demon, a Son of the Mother. He hoped that his Admiral would still feel the same about him. He could not help but be reassured by the eager smile James gave him from within the tank.

Chapter Thirty-One

Defeat

Zophar watched from General Darren's tent as the Western Federation Armies began preparations for their final assault against the remaining forces of the Western Army. To the south of the Jadoorian camp, was hill country dotted with Centurion forts guarding the mountain pass to the Gate.

After his lover's betrayal at Sol, Zophar had been treated as a guest. Yes, he was under constant guard and not allowed to ride his horse without a bowman escort, but he did have his own spacious tent and dined often with the generals and their interpreters.

Tonight, though, there would be no feasting of any sort until the fate of the war was decided. Regardless of who won, Zophar knew he could never go back home. By Aegis's actions, he was a traitor and had not forgiven himself for it.

After Aegis, and the men loyal to him, had arranged the fall of the Federation capital, Zophar had remained distant from his lover... if they were still that. Aegis spent hours each day in meetings with the Jadoorian generals, teaching them how to overcome Lukas's tactics. When word reached Aegis that his younger brother had killed himself, rather then be saved by the treacherous actions, Aegis's commitment to see Lukas defeated became his obsession. That left Zophar feeling that his life was now purposeless.

Things finally reached the point where Zophar offered Aegis a knife, telling him he would have rather died at Sol with the other men then to live as a traitor. He wanted Aegis to kill them both and end their treachery. Aegis said he would agree on one condition... Zophar had to admit he no longer had any feelings for him. Aegis, of course, still loved Zophar deeply and, even if Zophar had told him he no longer loved him, he would never let Zophar die, especially now that his last brother was dead. Zophar, for his part, could not deny that he loved Aegis; he just could not look him in the face.

Zophar sighed, thinking about all his problems with Aegis. At least the Jadoorians had kept their word and rescued the men on Eb. He just wished he felt Aegis' betrayal was worth it.

Feeling a warm arm wrap around his waist, Zophar saw his lover looking up at him with a sad expression. "You've come to see the final assault before the Federation attacks the Gate?" Aegis asked hopefully.

"I'm here to mourn the death of my fellow Centurions. You should be doing the same. They are warriors... they know how to die," Zophar said, before realizing the hypocrisy of those words passing his lips.

Aegis did not miss the irony of such a statement coming from his lover. "At least some Centurions know how to die."

"I'm sorry..." Zophar said with a pained expression on his face.

"You have told me that over a hundred times since I betrayed you. You may feel you guided me into my treachery, but it was Lukas who made me do the things I have done."

"But your brother!"

A short twang of pain crossed Aegis' face, but soon disappeared. "I know...and I understand if you can never forgive me, but I could not let you die."

"You let the other men die," Zophar spat.

"Yes," Aegis said sadly. "As I said, you can kill me anytime. We would have died anyway if we had followed Lukas's orders."

"I can't kill you...you know that." Zophar began to weep.

"Then please forgive me."

"I can't do that either."

"I don't know what to do with you then," Aegis sighed.

"Let's run away. We don't have to stay here and help them kill our own people. There has to be a place where we can go to pretend that we are not traitors."

"There is a place..." Aegis replied, deciding to tell Zophar about the Centurions who escaped Eb.

"Eb? Where are they?"

"A ship escaped the Jadoorian blockade of the island and shipwrecked on a beach under the control of Jadoor. There, the King of Jadoor found them. From what I have heard, the king fell in love with the Centurion sea captain. Now the king is bringing all the other Centurion survivors back to Jadoor to live in the capital.

"Could live there too?" Zophar asked eagerly.

"Yes, we could."

"Then let's leave now... go ask the generals if we can go to Jadoor," Zophar pleaded.

"I will... after this battle," Aegis replied.

"Why... why do you want to see our people defeated?"

"I need to see the consequences of my betrayal," Aegis said sternly.

     ***

Field Marshal Lukas looked out over the plains just below the hills on which his forts were built. Marching toward him were tens of thousands of infantrymen, archers, cavalry with siege equipment. It was as if the tide had decided to turn and wipe out the small sandcastles he had worked so hard to build.

There were three lines of defense. First, there was the ditch, lined with sharpened wooden stakes that Lukas hoped would stop any charge by the enemy's cavalry. There, he had placed most of his infantry and bowmen. Five hundred yards from the ditch stood two forts connected by a long wall made of green timber. If the enemy broke past the ditch, the infantry was to fall back behind the wall while the cavalry did its best to slow the enemy down. Inside the two forts and along the long wall between them, were two thousand archers. It would be their job to turn the field into a valley of death... a Mordel, as the Centurions called it. Still, seeing the siege equipment being sent against him, Lukas did not know if even a storm of arrows would stop the enemy.

If the second line of defense failed, all that would be left was the third fort, located on the highest hill, guarding the mountain pass to the Gate. There, he and his men would make their last stand, twenty thousand against a quarter million, defending a line five miles long and two miles deep.

Lukas only blamed one person for the hopelessness of the situation. He had counted on General Zophar to stop the Rapas and Dorsians from joining up with the main Jadoorian army. If Zophar had only held Lake Mahka for a few more months, it would have given Xavier enough time to put down what had been reported to Lukas as a Famulus revolt. At least the general paid with his life for his failure.

The Field Marshal did not know for sure what was really happening in Domus. He had neither the time nor the men to go back and find out. All he knew was that it was preventing Xavier from sending more men to the front, which made him angry. If he did succeed in holding the line here, he would bring the leadership of Xavier into question the next time the Field Marshals met.

Not finding aid from the Home Guard, Lukas went looking for Field Marshal Darius for support but, with reports that the Confederacy had invaded Qul Tos, Lukas was sure Darius was too busy to offer any aid. In over a thousand years there had never been an attack by both east and west against the Domus Empire at the same time. If these were the ‘end times', spoken of in prophesy, then dying in such a battle would be worthy of song.

Yet, he still had a sliver of hope. A messenger from Xavier promised that a solution to the war was soon at hand. What kind of solution remained a mystery but, considering the danger the Empire was in, Lukas took the hazy message as a good sign.

Looking back toward the battlefield, Lukas saw that the Jadoorian infantry had already reached the ditch and were working on overcoming its defenses. Lukas could see his own men using their long pikes and crossbows to slash and shoot down the invaders as they tried to breach the ditch.

Lukas watched with pride as his men forced back three waves of attackers, littering the hillsides for miles with the dead. But, with each attack, the western army came closer and closer to removing the sharpened stakes and building bridges over the gap. In the fourth attack, two holes appeared in the Centurion lines, and enemy horsemen charging through. Once again Lukas' men forced the enemy back, piling up the bodies of dead horses to block the gaps in the trenches. Seeing the enemy once again in retreat, Lukas gave out a shout of victory even as he saw the fallen, blue armored bodies of his men on the ground. A few more attacks like that and his men would be spread too thin to hold back a spring breeze, let alone the determined Jadoorians.

While he knew his men could hold back several more charges against the ditch, continued resistance along the five mile line would result in them being unable to disengage and retreat to the forts. Therefore, and not without regret, he ordered the infantry to withdraw while the cavalry moved forward to guard their rear.

With just the raising of a few flags from the battlements of the third and final fort, the infantry began their organized retreat along the entire five-mile front. The enemy, seeing the ditches were no longer guarded, renewed their attack, hoping to catch the Centurions from the rear. They were, however, soon cut down by Centurion cavalry, allowing the infantry to make its withdrawal. Slowly and surely, however, the Federation's own cavalry began arriving on the other side of the ditch. What had started off as a ten to one advantage for the Centurions on their side of the ditch quickly became a disadvantage as thousands of Western soldiers streamed in.

Lukas knew his cavalry could make Jadoor pay three to four times their numbers in blood, but that would not gain him victory. Also, if the two outer forts left their gates open too long, the enemy would overwhelm them before they could be closed and he would still need the cavalry to hold back the enemy. That is, if he were forced to retreat to his final defense.

On the Field Marshal's command, another flag was raised, sending the Centurion horsemen into retreat. By the time the forts' gates closed, two-thirds of them had made it back safely behind the walls, but the remainder, caught up in holding back the enemy's own cavalry, ended up on the wrong side of the walls and were eventually cut down, trapped between them and the Jadoorians. Once he could see the Federation soldiers approaching the forts, Lukas ordered the arrows released. With their longbows, his archers could cover half the area between the forts and the ditch with their sharp flying missiles, turning it into a Mordel, a valley of death. After the last arrow hit its target, most of the enemy cavalry and infantry involved in the latest charge were dead, the hills littered with the glittering metal of bloodied armor.

It was now noon, and for three hours the enemy did not launch another attack. During that time, the Federation infantry worked to build more bridges over the ditchs and remove the remaining wooden stakes. When the enemy was ready to attack again, they marched in tight formation, carrying heavy shields. The front ranks carried their shields before them, but the dozens of ranks behind carried their shields over their heads, so looking like armored turtles they marched slowly to the forts and the long wall connecting them.

Lukas suspected that, hidden somewhere under all those shields were battering rams and ladders the enemy would use to break and scale the forts' walls. The Field Marshal was not surprised that the enemy was prepared for his archers, knowing he would have done the same. He chuckled, knowing the countermeasures he had planned.

When the attackers reached the steeper portion of the hills, Lukas gave the order for giant oil-soaked bales of hay to be rolled down from the fort walls. It was almost like a game of ninepins as Lukas' men tried to guide the fireballs at the enemy formations. Most would miss completely but a few got close enough to cause the enemy to break rank, cracking the turtle's shell as it were. When that happened, Lukas's archers were ready, sending wave after wave of arrows at the Federation troops, leaving hundreds dead on the ground.

Even with thousands of enemy soldiers being killed, their sheer numbers gave them the advantage. Lukas' men simply did not have the resources to constantly send bales of fire and storms of arrows down upon the enemy. When an archer ran out of arrows, that was that... he became an infantryman. As the sun began to set, the only arrows left were the ones stored at the third and final fort. As fewer arrows flew in their direction, the enemy sensed this and, instead of marching in slow tight formations, they began to run up the hillside toward the long wall, carrying their ladders and battering rams.

From his spot inside the third fort, Lukas could hear the sound of breaking timbers as battering rams banged against the gates. He looked back to the signal flags, now lit by braziers beneath them. Once again Lukas sent up a flag, this time calling for his archers to withdraw to the third and final fort. It would be the job of the infantry to hold the two front forts on their own.

Once he was sure that the order was being obeyed, Lukas went down to the stables where his messengers stood waiting, ready to leave at a moment's notice. "I need one of you to go up the Gate and see if Lord Commander Grecoron will get off his ass and fight."

There was a long moment of silence. Each man knew that it would take three hours of hard riding before he could reach the Gate. He would then need to wait until he received a reply before starting on the three-hour journey back. By then he might find he had no one to whom to give the reply. One of the greatest dishonors a Centurion could face was surviving after all his comrades died in battle.

"Will the defenses hold?" one of the messengers finally asked.

"They will," Lukas promised.

"Then I will take your message as fast as I can. Just promise that the fight will not be over when I return."

"Even if it means it will just be you and I, I promise that we will still be fighting."

"Yes, sir." The man saluted before jumping on his horse and racing out, just as the archers began pouring in.

For several hours, Lukas received reports about how his men were pushing back attack after attack on the broken gates, using the bodies of their dead as barricades. Near midnight, he saw the first balls of dragon fire soar into the air, exploding close to where the forts were supposed to be. It seemed that the enemy had finally moved the heavier siege equipment across the ditch.

Soon there were two giant bonfires lighting up the hills, as the lower forts were burned to the ground. Still, the fighting continued as his men refused to give up the smoking timbers. Two hours after midnight, the fighting drew closer to the last fort as Lukas' remaining men were pushed back. Lukas gave up, ordering the final retreat but, instead of his men rushing to their final sanctuary, only a small stream of men returned and nearly every one of them was wounded.

Lukas continued to hold out hope that more of his men would return. When enemy arrows began to thud against the walls of the fort, though, Lukas knew he had no choice but to shut the gates.

Now came the waiting. Lukas had expected the Federation troops to attack at once and take advantage of his men's exhausted state, but the attack never came. Lukas figured that the enemy was waiting until their catapults were within range but, as time passed and dawn approached, the air remained clear of fiery missiles. When the sun finally peaked over the mountains, Lukas could see what lay before him. The hillside was filled with tens of thousands of Federation troops in their array of colors and uniforms. Jadoorian black was the most dominant. Just outside the gates, however, was the messenger he had sent, looking forlorn, and a man dressed in a Jadoorian general's uniform. Xavier was smiling widely, along with two faces he thought he would never see again in his life, General Zophar and Commander Aegis.

"What is going on, Xavier?" Lukas called from the walls of his fort.

"The war is over, Lukas. You can come out from hiding now." Xavier laughed.

"What kind of deal have you made?!" Lukas demanded, knowing that Xavier had to have something up his sleeve.

"I told you, Lukas... I had a way to save your men. I am a man of my word. Now get down here."

"No... not until you tell me what this peace has cost Domus!" Lukas demanded.

"Fair... may I present to you General Darren."

"As of today, Aquanos and the occupied territories now under the control of Jadoor, are part of the independent Grand Duchy of Aquanos. It will remain under the direct protection of Jadoor, to which the territory will pay a tribute," Darren explained.

"Aquanos is Domus territory," Lukas insisted.

"Yes." Xavier nodded. That had been the price he had to pay for the peace, but he also knew that Lukas would have to pay a more personal one.

"Fine...so you sold off a corner of our homeland to gain peace. I promise, though, you have only paid rent on it. When the time comes, I will raise a new army and take Aquanos back," Lukas swore.

"Yes I know...that is why there is a second condition to the peace." Xavier grinned wickedly.

"And what is that? Are we to arm the Famulus while we put on the black?" Lukas asked with disgust.

"No... it centers on you, my dear Field Marshal. As part of the treaty, you and your men must surrender to Jadoor, where you will be held as hostages to ensure Domus will live up to the treaty." Xavier snickered.

"Prisoners, you mean," Lukas growled.

"No... from what I have heard, the Centurions they have captured so far have been well treated. You, though, Field Marshal, will stand trial for the deaths this war has caused." Xavier grinned.

"They tried to kill me!" Lukas shouted.

"No, Lukas... that was Perils. It was the senator who tried to kill you. We have a written confession," Xavier replied.

Seeing he had been tricked and betrayed, Lukas turned his anger on General Zophar, the young man he had believed to have died at Sol. "So... you were willing to die to the last man!" He said sarcastically.

Zophar, seeing the anger in the Field Marshal's eyes, knew he could tell the man what really happened, and not be believed. The only result from telling the truth that he could see was his and Aegis' murder. Taking a deep breath before speaking, Zophar placed the full responsibility for what happened at Sol on the man who had given the order. "It was you who was the traitor... making us die for your ego!"

"Liar!" Lukas shouted at the top of his voice, almost jumping off the wall to reach Zophar's throat, only to be held back by his own men.

"The two of you will have plenty of time to discuss things during the trial," Darren interrupted.

"What if we choose not to lay down our arms?" Lukas threatened.

"Now, Field Marshal, do you want to be remembered in the songs as the man who murdered the entire Eastern Army?" Xavier warned. "You've lost, Lukas... do not make your men pay with their lives for your defeat. Surrender.

Looking back at the fort, Lukas saw the despairing faces of his comrades. There was no will left in them to continue the fight. It would be a slaughter, not a glorious final stand worthy of song or poem. Turning back to face the Jadoorian General, he dropped his sword over the wall, becoming the first Field Marshal to surrender himself to the judgment of a foreign nation.