The Academy - 8. Part 8

Chapter Nineteen:

Fate of War

"Look at what they are trying now!" Admiral James laughed to his chief aid, Commander Kyle Crane, seeing the Centurion supply ships being pushed into the water."

"Sir... may I recommend we go below deck?" Kyle asked, looking at the rising waves with concern.

"Is this your first battle?" James asked the young blond man. "No sir... but it is my first one during a storm."

"Well follow me then." James grinned as he led the lieutenant to the central mast.

"What are we doing here, sir, if I may ask?"

"You are going to tie me to the mast." James laughed as the wind blew his hat into the sea as it began to toss and turn the ship.

"But what if we get boarded, sir?" Kyle asked with concern even as he did as he was ordered to, tying both of them together.

James reached for his belt and took out a dagger. "That is why I have this. I very much doubt we will be boarded however, not in this weather. It would be too hard to keep two ships lashed together."

"I see," Kyle replied. In the distance he saw ships almost fly into the air as they crested over the rising waves only to come crashing down.

 

Soon, however, the rain began to pour, making walls of translucent water, blinding both lieutenant and admiral from anything beyond fifty feet.

Suddenly a Centurion supply ship came into view like a head poking out of a curtain, moving straight for the flagship.

"Hard to port!" James shouted. But it turned out to be an unnecessary command as the Centurion ship was already sinking... the seams having been broken during the move across the island.

The last glimpse James had of the ship before it disappeared under the ocean was of a Centurion... tied to the mast like he was, giving a final salute.

Once the rain had stopped and the waves calmed down, James cut the ropes, and Kyle collapsed on the deck of the ship having lost all sense of balance.

"Lieutenant, you have permission to go below deck... I am sure that my cabin is a wreck by now."

"But sir... should I not help you out here?"

"Kyle... I need to be alone for a while."

"Yes sir..." Kyle nodded, looking sullen as he left the admiral to his thoughts.

Looking at the beach James saw that most of the Centurion ships now lay broken and stranded on the white sand. A few remained just off shore but were either sinking or being quickly swarmed by Jadoorian ships. They would not last long. Looking back through to the ocean beyond James thought he saw the pinpoint dots of three ships sailing away over the horizon.

On seeing those ships, James made a silent prayer to the Mother, wishing the Centurions on board a safe journey home. For men of such courage deserved better than the watery grave James had been sworn to give them. "Speed well, Centurions... may the Mother guide you home."

"Where has this fool led us?" Darius demanded when Caleb had them stop by a dark pool of water on the edge of the Jasper Mountains.

"This is the way out," Caleb grinned as he began stripping down and entering the pond.

"I think your Famulus has lost his mind," Gideon said as he watched Caleb dive under the winter chilled water.

As Field Marshal Darius' men prepared the night's camp, Darius, Philip and Erik waited for Caleb's return from the pool while Gideon and Kristen looked after the near catatonic Jason.

"That bastard... he most likely drowned," Darius cursed as he spat into the water.

"Then where is his body?" Philip asked.

"Up here!" came a distant shout from above.

Looking up, Caleb was on the edge of a sheer cliff, dressed in an old, moth-eaten blue and silver Tosian uniform.

"How did you get up there?" Darius demanded.

"There is an underwater cave below the surface of the pond... it goes on for about fifteen feet before rising into a two-mile long tunnel. It ends up here at the top of a mountain pass."

"And you did not tell us this earlier?" Philip demanded... suddenly very suspicious of the man.

Caleb burst into laughter... "I wanted to see if any of you had the sense to go looking for me."

Under his breath so that only Philip could hear him, Darius said a few choice words about what he would do to Caleb once he got his hands on him.

"Do you think we will be able to use a rope to lift up supplies?" Kirsten asked looking up at the daunting height from which Caleb was perched.

"Not even if we tied all our clothes together..." Philip guessed, looking up as well. "Caleb, are there any supplies in the cave, like that uniform you have on?"

"Yes, but no food, none that is still edible that is and I don't think there are any uniforms that would fit you and the Field Marshal. Tosians are not built like Centurions, you know.

"Very well... so long as there is something dry for Jason to put on when we arrive. You come back now... we might need your help going through the cave," Philip ordered.

"Yes sir," Caleb mockingly saluted, fist over his heart.

"We might have to go without food for a while." Darius sighed when Caleb finally returned.

"All the food must have gone bad after all these years," Caleb agreed. "The swords are also rusted and the torches rotten. There are still a few oil lamps that work. It will take less than a day to get out of the cave. Then we can make a warm fire and dry ourselves out."

"What about Jason... can he handle being cold and wet for that long?" Philip asked worried.

"What I am more concerned about is the fact that he can't swim all that well," Darius said as he took a seat next to his lover.

"I have a plan for that..," Philip started to explain when he heard a loud barking sound coming from the wagon. "What is wrong with that wolf?"

Then they heard Jason's yell, followed by Jacob jumping out of the wagon, whimpering all the way as if some great injustice had been done it.

Running over to the wagon, Darius was the first to arrive to see Jason holding his hand. Taking Jason's hand, Darius saw the small bite

mark, and the thin stream of blood coming from it. "There, there, Jason... it will be ok." Darius sighed. Soon he felt Jason's tears on his neck.

"Damn... the wolf got away. I will skin his hide if I ever see him again," Philip cursed when he saw what had happened.

"I'm sorry." Jason whispered.

"Why, Jason... why are you sorry?" Philip said calmly, resting his chin on Jason's shoulder.

"I'm sorry I hurt Felix... I'm sorry that I got Varrus hurt... I'm sorry Jacob ran off. I'm a failure as a Legatio and only cause trouble pretending to be a Centurion."

"Yes, Jason, but we all love you exactly because you are a bad Legatio."

"Why?" Jason asked, his eyes red from his tears.

"You are kind, intelligent, and courageous, but most importantly you give your love freely," Philip listed.

"It hurts to love..." Jason realized.

"It can at times, but would you give it all up?" Philip asked as he nuzzled up against the back of Jason's neck while Darius kissed Jason's forehead.

Jason let out a deep sigh, his eyes opening wide for the first time in days. "No," Jason said with a weak smile. With one kiss, Jason passed a single drop of his red anima to Philip. Philip did not know what happened but he did notice the change and so did Darius.

"What's so funny?" Darius asked, seeing the wide grin on Philip's face."

"I don't know..." Philip laughed as he returned Jason's kiss fiercely.

"I can always leave the two of you alone." Darius chuckled.

"No... nothing is going to happen until Jason's 21st birthday just as I promised." Philip grinned as he stared into Jason's green eyes, knowing that time was fast approaching.

Jason smiled back as well before he nuzzled his soft cheeks against Philip's unshaven face.

"I think you'd better go and have dinner," Philip said as he tickled Jason's side.

"I will." Jason smiled. He had no illusions about what Philip and Darius were about to do. While he dressed, he could hear Philip and Darius laughing under a blanket. Jason then made his way to camp where every one else was feasting on a thick split-pea soup containing potatoes and thick chunks of ham, served with flat bread, and applesauce. They would still be leaving a lot of supplies but there was no helping it. Just as Jason was eating his applesauce Philip and Darius returned back to the camp, happy grins on their faces.

When they finished eating, Philip picked up what he had originally gone to the wagon for, a harness made out of the leather fastenings from the horses. He strapped it to his back and bent down for Jason to lash himself to his guardian's back so they were back to back. Philip then carried Jason toward the pool and told his passenger to pinch his nose before they both plunged into the icy cold water. Diving down in the underwater cave they traveled forty feet before surfacing on the other side. A small shaft of light shone down from an opening in the ceiling, revealing a stack of old supplies and four bunk beds.

"You alright, Jason?" Philip asked in the dim light as he removed the straps holding Jason.

"Yes..." Jason said as he kept on trying to clear his lungs.

"It sounds like you took in a little water."

Jason nodded. "I think I did too."

"Well, I think we'd better not try this again... until you learn how to swim better that is."

"What about the others?" Jason asked worried as he slowly stood up shivering from the cold.

"I will go back and tell them we will head out tonight for the mountain pass. I need to get you where we can get warmed up again."

"Yes... I'm freezing," Jason said as his teeth chattered together.

"Hmmmm..." Philip sighed. He saw a blanket on one of the bunks but when he picked it up it sent a cloud of mold into the air. So instead he went over to one of the oil lamps, found some flint and kindling and lit one of the lamps. "Hold this, Jason... it's not much but will warm up your hands at least.

Jason nodded his head while the rest of his body continued to shiver. Philip, not seeing what more he could do, dove back into the ice cold water and was gone. Ten minutes later Philip popped back up followed by Gideon. They found Jason stripped out of his cold, wet clothes still shivering.

"Good idea, Jason." Philip smiled, taking off all his clothes as well.

Soon all three of them were naked and huddled together, trying to warm up again. Then the sun began to set and the air in the cave began to get colder. "Gideon... we need to get moving... You carry the lamp and extra oil while I keep Jason warm," Philip said as he helped Jason dress in an old Tosian uniform.

It took them four hours to reach the mouth of the cave and the mountain pass, lightly covered with snow. By this time Jason had fallen asleep in Philip's arms, his body still shivering.

"What should we do?" Gideon asked worried. They were down to their last jar of oil. "Makes as big a fire as we can. If Jason does not survive the night then all we have done would have been for nothing," Philip replied. He could already tell Jason was burning up with a fever.

Using the remainder of the oil in their lamp and some of the dead branches around, they were able to start a fire and dry their clothes. By midnight Philip was able to wrap Jason in his thick red robes instead of the worn uniform. Still he worried when Jason did not wake up.

That night, while Philip watched Jason sleep, he saw something that disturbed him. From the spot where Jason had been bitten, a green glow began to appear, spreading through the Legatio's veins, until it arrived at the core of Jasons' anima core. There the red anima burst into life... attempting to fight off the green infection... a battle it was slowly losing turning from red to a mud brown.

Out of fear... Philip gave Jason his blue anima. The blue light consumed the green, changing the color from brown to purple, back to red. Jason though remained deathly ill, while Philip was left exhausted. That night, Jason dreamed of wolves.

Hiding in the tall grass three miles from where Jason and his Centurion companions were camped, Thomas waited for Jacob to return to him, the Dalf's mission accomplished. "There you are little fellow. Did Jason taste as sweet as his personality?" He said when the Dalf appeared.

Instead of jumping up and down on seeing his old master again, Jacob let out a deep growl, deeper than one would suspect for such a young wolf.

"Now, now, Jacob, we have a job to do. No reason to get angry about it. The Dominus would be most displeased if you were to disobey

them." Thomas said just as the Dalf jumped into the air, landing on Thomas' back where the wolf pup started biting and clawing the Grau in the back of his neck.

"Don't you dare," Thomas shouted, reaching behind his back to throw the wolf off him, tossing the Dalf several yards away in the tall grass. Reaching the back of his neck with his fingers, he found them coated with a sticky green fluid. "Animus, you think you can turn me into your little pet with your animus! I will destroy you before I let that happen," Thomas said in a booming unworldly voice.

Silence...

"Jacob, where are you?" Thomas demanded, his eyes now as red as his hair. "Do not make things harder on yourself by hiding." When he still could not find the Dalf, Thomas went down to his knees, clawing at the cold earth. "I will get you Jacob. No matter where you hide I will find you. No son of mine will become my master!"

"I will find you..." Thomas swore between gritted teeth as the sun set as Jacob's animus coursed through his body.

Chapter Twenty:

At Death's Gate

The next morning it was clear that Jason was sick and that not even anima could break the fever. Not having the strong stamina of a Centurion, Jason was left weak and shivering, his voice sore from coughing. Philip did not know what to do but he was sure that staying in the windy mountain pass would do Jason no good. "Should we wait for the others?" Gideon asked when he saw

Philip lifting Jason back over his shoulder. "No... we need to find better shelter... that means moving forward," Philip replied as he started down the mountain path. As they make their way, they saw signs that once there had been settlements here, mining towns digging for silver or gems... the great wealth of Qul Tos. These mines, though, had been emptied of their treasures and the people who had once lived in this ominous canyon had long left the area.

By the time that darkness made further travel too dangerous for the night, it was in another cave that Philip was forced to leave Jason in Gideon's care while he went farther in hope of finding some sign of help. It would be a long night.

Six horses, spurred near to the point of exhaustion by their riders, raced across the hilly valleys of northern Yelding in a mad dash toward the border with Uul. All the lands the riders had passed in the last month had been Centurion lands or land just conquered by the empire. Field Marshal Lukas, at the head of his men, could already see the long columns of his Legions moving towards him to the south, instead of pressing onward to Gladmore. The Federation led by Jadoor's Templar fanatics had allowed the Centurions to invade half their lands without much of a fight, only to wait until Lukas's supply caravans were spread over hundreds of miles and the Centurions were busy with the work of occupation before striking with their full force. South, in the Wort Mountains of Freen, the Dorsian pikemen and Rapa riders were attempting to cut the Centurion army in half, while in Uul hundreds of thousands of Jadoorian soldiers with their Drakor and Gladmore allies, were pushing what had been the Centurion vanguard out of Uul, back into Yelding.

Passing his bloodied and battered men, Lukas hurried onward until he finally reached the Western Centurion Army command tent, two hundred miles south of where he had left it. "Report!" Lukas shouted as the horse he had been riding fell to the ground, thrashing about as it entered its death throes, killed by the pace the Field Marshal had set.

"Sir, our forces consist of only fifty thousand men. We estimate that the Jadoorians have over a quarter of a million soldiers moving down on us from northern Uul. The rest of our legions are occupied holding Sol and the mountain passes leading from Dorsa to Freen."

"How can they feed such an army?" Lukas demanded.

"Their Church of the Mother controls a third of all farmlands on the Jadoorian Islands and they have vast stores of grain saved over many harvests. They are shipping it, using the entire merchant fleet, to feed their men. In addition, the kings of Gladmore and Drakor have seized the herds and flocks of every farm within their borders and have donated them to the cause." "Can we stop them in Uul?" Lukas asked.

"Sir, the land is flat with no rivers that a few planks of wood couldn't bridge. It has no natural defenses we can use. If we had more time we could have built a line of sod forts but with the way the enemy is advancing..."

"Is there any place where we can stop them?" Lukas asked looking down at the maps.

"We believe there is, Field Marshal, here, in the heart of the Federation," officer Zophar said pointing to a small dot in the middle of a large lake that bordered four of the Federation kingdoms.

Lukas let his eyes drift down the map until it fell on the small island of Sol in the middle of Lake Mahka. The island not only

controlled all traffic on the giant lake but served as the neutral capital of the Federation. "I see, by holding the lake we prevent the Rapan and the Dorsians from joining their forces with the Jadoorians in Yelding.

"Yes, the place where we have had the most success has been repelling the enemy from the passes in the Wort Mountains between Freen and Dorsa. If we can hold Sol and the mountains the enemy will remain split. Jadoor will then be forced to stop its advance so that Sol can be retaken, giving us more time," Commander Zophar explained.

"And will they succeed in taking the city?" Lukas asked his men.

"If they send a large enough army, which they can, they will. We are now in a race, Field Marshal. We must prevent the invasion of the empire itself long enough for the Federation to run out of food and men," the officer said frankly.

"Is that what you think this has come to... that the enemy would dare to attack the Gate?"

"Sir, it is the only logical reason why the Federation would gather such a force."

"Very well, I agree with your assessment. I also see that you are the only man able to take charge of the defenses of Sol."

"Sir... I am only a commander. The reason I am at this meeting is that my general, the leader of the seventh western legion died in an ambush several weeks ago." Zophar insisted.

"Do your men follow you?" Lukas asked with a stern stare.

"Yes sir."

"Then that is all that is needed. The only unit I can afford to give you to defend the island is your own legion." "But sir..."

"What is your name?" Lukas asked, becoming tired of the man's

protests. "Commander Zophar, 7th Western Legion, sir."

"Well you are now General Zophar. Tomorrow your men depart for Sol."

"Yes Field Marshal." The young man saluted, relenting to his superior's order. "May I be excused to see to the preparations?"

"Yes..." Lukas nodded, his attention now back on the maps on the table. "I better not see you again after tomorrow."

Zophar stopped at the tent's exit. He had suddenly realized what the Field Marshal had asked of him. The Field Marshal had just ordered him to die. His back still facing the interior of the tent, the young General replied;"Yes my Field Marshal," before leaving to find his men.

A week later reports of Zophar's bravery began flowing in. It was not long until Lukas was glad he was sending the young man to die... for the last thing a losing Field Marshal needed was another successful rival.

Under the escort of his personal guard, Aidan had made his way to the vanguard of the Federation armies. Already two of the five

captured western kingdoms, Uul and Rapa, were back in Jadoorian hands. But, instead of letting the original rulers back in power, High

Priest Niles was installing theocratic governments led by his own loyal clerics. Already, new temples to the Mother were being built in cities that had never worshiped her. With a new power base separate from the Jadoorian throne, High Priest Nile would soon be able to act without the approval of the Guild or the throne well after this present war was over. Back home, the raids on the secret places where he and men like him met were on the rise. Several fires, set by Templar fanatics, had burned down many of the places. In one case, the fire had gotten out of control and destroyed three blocks of the capital. Aidan had to use a great deal of his own money to find homes for the displaced slaves and merchants.

Another thing that was sucking the wealth of his treasury was the rapid rate at which he was building up his personal guard. The Royal Guard had had only ten thousand men to begin with. Now, with Diana's help, that force had ballooned to fifty thousand making it as large as the Templar guards. The only problem was that most of them were inexperienced and undisciplined. Aidan's commanders had been forced to promote corporals and sergeants to the rank of lieutenants and captains just to have enough officers.

That was the main reason Aidan went to the war front, not believing he would find a tamed Centurion no matter how hard he looked. As he traveled he searched for army officers who could be persuaded to ignoring the Church's edicts and follow their true king. So far, though, he had very little luck in convincing them, not with the presence of Niles' Templar Guards everywhere. So far the only one willing to promise his loyalty was Admiral James who had the fortunate luck of being at sea and free of the High Priest's agents.

Leaving another of the conquered cities, Aidan led his small force southward down the beach on the Coast of Uul. When the sun began to set, he had his men make camp on the far side of the dunes to avoid the cold ocean spray. After a good dinner, Diana pulled Aidan aside and led him away from the camp for a little lovemaking.

Since she was voted out as Prime Minister, Diana's behavior had become erratic. She had been sure that, without political power, Aidan would want nothing to do with her. That might have been due to fact that while Aidan was fond of Diana, he was not really in love with her. So Diana, afraid of losing the one person who made her feel special, worked hard to show her king how important she still was to him.

It was while they lay naked on a sandy dune that Aidan heard

the sound of weak laughter. "Who's there?" Aidan demanded thinking

one of his retainers had to be spying on them. Out of the darkness of the night came three of the sorriest looking men he had ever seen. They looked battered, bruised and half starved.

What had been blue uniforms were now black with dried blood. Still, while these men looked half dead, they had wide smiles on their faces and talked in an animated language Aidan did not understand.

"Who... are... you?" Aidan asked more slowly, hoping they would understand them.

"They are Centurions," Diana said amazed.

"How do you know that?" Aidan asked in surprise.

"They are speaking Mord. I used to do trade runs between Jadoor and Aquanos," Diana explained as she went looking for her clothes to cover herself.

"What are they saying?" Aidan asked as the three Centurions continued to speak.

"Hahahahahaha... they want to know if they can join us!" Diana laughed.

"Horny bastards!" Aidan laughed as well. Diana nodded. "All Centurions are!"

"You mean you've slept with them?" "No... I'm a woman."

"So the rumors are true... they really are all gay?" Aidan shuddered, wondering if the rumors of rape were also true.

"Yes... but I would not say that word around them. They tend not to like that title."

"Can you ask them why and how they got here?" Aidan asked.

Diana talked to the Centurions in their own language for a while before reporting back to her king. "They are survivors of the Centurion fleet that was trapped on the island of Eb."

"What... Admiral James told that they were still trapped on their island."

"What they told me was that they launched their surviving ships during a storm. It seems that three ships escaped."

"So there are three ships loaded with Centurions nearby?"

Diana talked further with the Centurions. "Only two... one of the ships sank before they could reach shore."

"So how many of them are there?" Aidan said still nervous. He only had five hundred men with him.

"Let me ask... three hundred twenty seven," Diana replied.

"Three hundred and twenty seven..." Aidan thought to himself. Then he looked at these poor men. They looked tired, cold and desperate. They were also some of the best-trained men in the world. Maybe the Mother was looking out for her son... that is if he could control the situation. "Tell them they are now my prisoners... that they will be clothed, fed and taken care of."

"What!" Diana said shocked. "There are three of them and they are armed while we are naked!"

"Tell them," Aidan insisted.

"As your majesty wishes..." Diana sighed. Aidan looked at the expression on the three men's faces. Instead of anger or shock... all three of them smiled, went down on their knees and lowered their heads to the sand. "I take it that they accept my terms?" "Yes... yes they do," Diana said amazed.

Then one of the Centurions stood up and talked quickly to Diana and the two other Centurions. When done, the two other Centurions

stood up and ran off." "What's happening?" Aidan asked concerned. He would have to have Diana teach him the Domus language if he were to bring these men into his army.

"Well he was talking pretty fast but it seems he sent the other two to arrange the surrender of the rest of the men. That... and remove any men who would disagree with that decision."

"You mean kill them."

"Yes."

"Can you ask him if there is any other way?" Aidan asked... wanting every man he could get his hands on.

Diana talked to the man who stayed behind before answering Aidan's question. "It seems that this man is the last surviving captain of the Centurion fleet, making him the ranking officer. By tradition what he says is law but he knows that surrendering would anger some of his men. Those men he says no longer have the right to call themselves Centurions. You should be happy Aidan... you will get a command of your own army of Centurions."

"Fine... but can you ask him why he is surrendering to me?"

Diana asked and halfway into the captain's answer, Diana burst into laughter.

"What is it?" Aidan demanded.

"He says the only reason why he agreed to surrendering to you was that he was not adverse to you sleeping with him!" Diana laughed.

"What!" Aidan shouted flabbergasted.

"It is a Centurion tradition... all soldiers who surrender have to sexually submit to their captors. That's why Centurions usually fight to the death but I guess our little sex act impressed the Captain," Diana explained, her cheeks blushing.

"But I still have my foreskin... I thought Centurions don't have sex with men who are not circumcised?"

Diana asked the captain that. The captain's response was less funny. "He says that the surrender is conditional," she replied nervously. "What condition?" Aidan said, afraid to hear the answer.

"You have to agree to being cut. The captain says that is the only way the other Centurions will recognize your leadership over them."

Not even giving it a second thought Aidan stood up and approached the captain. "How do I say ‘yes' in Domus?"

"Aidan, are you sure!" Diana asked, worried. "Tell me, merchant!" Aidan said angrily. "Aio... the word is Aio," Diana replied, well admonished.

"Aio," Aidan said firmly, looking the captain right in the eye.

The captain nodded his head with approval before taking a sharp gold dagger from his belt.

"Aidan, you don't want to do this!" Diana said panicked.

"Yes I do... and if you ever want to sleep in my bed again you will keep this to yourself. We need the Centurions to accept us, which means we need to take up their customs. Ampexlor demanded I provide him with a Centurion in exchange for his help. Now I have dozens."

"As I said before to waken the old gods is folly your majesty," Diane pointed out to Aidan deaf ears. Seeing he was not listening to her she swore an oath that she would bide her time until Aidan realized his mistake. On that day she would take great pleasure in reminding him of her many warnings and, if she was in a good mood, save him from certain disaster. Watching as Dorian lifted Aidan off his feet and spun him around, Diana could only hope she wasn't made to wait too long for that happy day.

Chapter Twenty-One:

Old Man Rondus

Jason's body was wasting away due to the fever that burned inside him. No food and only melted snow for water was taking its toll on everyone as their bodies burned what little fat they had to keep warm.

Philip didn't know why Jason was still alive. Any normal boy in his condition would have passed on after the second day. Jason was a Legatio though, and they had even more fragile constitutions. He was unaware that the anima Varrus had given him was all that was keeping Jason alive.

With a great sigh of relief they found a cabin built on the side of the mountain pass, gray smoke coming out of its chimney. Not even concerned that they were not invited, Gideon pushed through the fur rugs that were being used as a door to make sure it was safe. Philip, carrying Jason in his arms, waited outside for Gideon to come back.

Three minutes later Gideon came out. "It's alright... someone does live here though. The embers of a fire are still warm."

"Well, get that fire going again," Philip ordered, looking down at Jason's pale face with deep concern.

"Yes." Gideon grinned for the first time in days. Philip brought Jason into the cabin, which was only slightly warmer than the outside. The cabin had a rock floor, a bed covered with goat skins, scattered pots and jars and a shabbily built table and two stools.

While Gideon threw a few logs onto the fire, Philip took Jason over to the bed and covered him with the skins. Then thinking that was not enough, Philip stripped himself down and joined Jason in the bed,

lying on top of him. "What would you like me to do?" Gideon asked when he had the fire going.

"I thought I saw a smokehouse next to the cabin... go see if any meat is in there."

"I will," Gideon nodded.

Philip must have fallen asleep while Gideon was away, for when he woke up, it was to the smell of hot food. Looking around the cabin, though, he saw Gideon tied up on the floor, a piece of cloth stuffed in his mouth.

Panicked, Philip tried to jump off the bed but as soon as he raised his head a heavy club smashed down on it. He did not pass out

as it was very hard to knock out a Centurion but he was left in such a daze he could not give much of a fight as ropes were tied around his

arms and legs. By the time his head had cleared, he was on the rock floor lying next to Gideon.

"What are you Centurion scum doing in my house!" an old, burly looking man with a thick white beard demanded, holding his club menacingly.

"We needed shelter," Philip explained.

"That is what your fellow fool told me... that one of you is sick."

"Jason," Philip said trying to point his bound hands to the bed. "Let me see," the rotund man said, turning his attention back to the bed.

When he came back he had a more friendly expression. "Well you are not lying to me about that. Is he a Legatio...? He does not look like one... too built. All the Legatio I have seen have been as thin as sticks."

"..." Philip remained silent.

After checking on Jason, the old man made his way back to Philip, holding his staff menacingly. "How'd you get here? I've not seen your kind since the last great war."

Seeing no reason to lie, Philip replied honestly. "We came from the cave where the mountain pass ends."

"You should not have told me that," the old man grunted. "That cave is one of the oldest and most tightly held secrets in Qul Tos. The only people who are supposed to know about that are the royal family, the spies they send here, and me."

"Why you?"

"Because I was the darn fool who found that passage!" the old man shouted. The burly man threw down his club and marched over to the large trunk at the foot of the bed. He opened it up and started throwing out several articles of clothing until he took out a long gold scabbard and sword decorated with blue sapphires.

"You see this sword... it was given to me by the old king's grandfather, declaring me a knight... a KNIGHT!" The old man laughed.

"For discovering the secret passage to Domus?" Philip asked.

"Yes... I am even a noble... Baron of the Jasper Mountains!" the old man said, laughing at the absurdity of it.

Philip also chuckled a little. If anything, he would have guessed that living alone in these mountains had made the old man a little senile.

After laughing for a good long while the old man's mood

darkened again and as quick as a dart he drew out the sword and pressed the point against Philip's bare chest, just piercing the skin.

"Now tell me why I should not kill you."

Philip, in automatic self-defense raised his tied hands to deflect the sword. As he did that the blue sapphire ring on his finger flashed in the light of the fire.

As if blinded by the flash of the ring's sapphire, the bearded

man dropped the sword and took a few feet backwards and started

gasping for breath. "Where... where did you get that ring?"

"I was given it by the King of Qul Tos."

"What... are you telling me that the king ripped that sapphire off his crown so you could have it on some cheap ring?"

"How do you know that the gem came from the crown of Qul Tos?" Philip said amazed.

"When King Wiltor, King Daslan's father, asked me what I would like as a reward for finding the pass, I told him it was to wear his crown for one day. The king in his mercy laughed, stepped off his throne and offered the seat to me. I had to explain to him that I didn't want to rule for a day but just hold his crown. King Wiltor, being a generous man, handed it to me. For the rest of the day I examined that crown, memorizing the shape and color of each gem. It was all those sapphires you see. That is why I live here. The cave you passed through

is the mine where the jewels that adorn the royal crown were found.

No one has found any in centuries but that has not stopped me from looking. Holding that crown has been the closest I have ever come to finding a sapphire. So I will ask you again... WHERE DID YOU GET THAT GEM?"

"It was given to me out of friendship from the new king."

"A new king? You mean that witch Eleanor is no longer holed up in her Labyrinth Tower? I hope you are speaking the truth. She had me

thrown out of the palace during the last All Nobles Feast I attended." "The tower fell over six months ago. Eleanor's son was made king."

"Good! So you rescued the crown prince from that usurper. Do you have any proof of this?"

"Yes... his majesty lies in that bed."

"Really!" the fat man said in disbelief. He made his way back to the bed and pulled the furs off Jason, to find an identical sapphire ring on the boy's finger. "He does look like his mother."

"Yes!" Philip almost shouted, hoping that would end the debate.

"He does not look like his father though... Why did you Centurions attack Qul Tos?" the old man growled, his mood switching from giddiness to a more dark temperament.

"Jason is not the son of the old king... his father was General Agamemnon," Philip whispered.

"What! Can you speak a little louder?" The old man jumped up and down.

"Jason is the son..." Philip began to say louder but was stopped when the old man threw a clay pot at him.

"I heard you the first time! I just did not like how you said it as

if you did not want to tell me!" the old man fumed.

Philip, his head now bleeding, watched with great concern as the old man paced back and forth yelling and cursing the misfortunes of his kingdom. Half the time the old man would think of killing all of them. The other half he struggled with the tradition of a host... even when dealing with uninvited guests. It was between murderous rage and Tosian tradition of good manners that Philip, Gideon, and Jason found their lives hanging in the balance.

Chapter Twenty-Two:

New Recruits

If Captain Dorian had been back in Domus and King Aidan a Famulus servant, he would have spent every gold standard he had to buy him as a bed warmer. Now, however, a different opportunity had arisen. Surrendering, according to imperial law, meant exile from Domus, losing one's position in Centurion society and becoming a Famulus in the eyes of Domus. Dorian, though, still felt the lives of his men were worth sacrifices after enduring such hardships on the island of Eb. Seducing the man who would control their fate seemed like a practical way of ensuring his men were well taken cared of.

The morning the Centurion sea captain brought his men to the king's camp many of them looked just as tired as he did. But unlike him they still held suspicions about their Jadoorian masters. To ease those tensions, Dorian went over the Aidan and pulled him into a kiss. The captain then took Aidan's hand and placed it on his own ass, an act of submission. That seemed to relax the men.

Since he had been out on a recruitment mission, Aidan had plenty of the green royal guard uniforms. He had expected the Centurions to quickly put them on but instead they all stripped down and ran into the freezing cold ocean, including the captain. Confused, Aidan had to ask Diana what was going on.

"They are bathing, sir." Diana grinned.

"Bathing? The water is freezing."

Diana laughed, but kept her eyes on the Centurions' bouncing genitalia as the men played in the water. "It is a Domus tradition; they are a very clean people."

"Yes... I heard of their bathhouses. Are they really as big and elaborate as the rumors say?" Aidan asked, curious.

"Well, if the rumors you are asking about deal with the Centurions bathing in the blood of their enemies, I will have to tell you that you are wrong."

"But the steam rooms, the different swimming pools of hot and cold water? The fact that you might spend all day there?" "Yes... all that is true."

Aidan had to admit he found the idea attractive - spending a whole day just relaxing with his friends. "I guess I will have to build one for them then!" Aidan chuckled.

"We don't even know how they are built," Diana said. "I'm sure our new allies will be able to give our engineers a hand."

"You know that the High Priest will see this as proof of your debauchery," Diana warned.

"I don't care. I will build it on the palace grounds if I must. I'm tired of bathing in a copper tub anyway."

"How will you pay for it?"

"You know those four hundred Centurion warships Admiral James captured... they were taken before Niles declared his holy war, which means they are still property of the crown."

"They are war vessels, sir. All materials that can support the war now belong to the High Priest.

"Who says anything about using them as war vessels? I think it's time that I became a merchant. Yes, the ships will still be armed, to protect him from pirates mind you, but their main purpose will be trade with the southern islands."

"Very clever my king," Diana bowed.

"Good. Since you agree with me, I appoint you my agent. You will handle the trade side of matters while Captain Dorian will train the crew. "And where will you obtain this crew?

"With the ships, I also obtained thousands of Famulus slaves."

"Yes, your majesty, but don't you think that Captain Dorian and his men will hold a grudge against the Famulus who abandoned them on Eb?"

"He might, but then I will order that he not be so harsh on them."

"A Centurion show restraint? That is something I would like to see," Diana said, pointing to the wet sea captain coming out of the ocean.

On learning that the Famulus traitors were now in his new lord's custody, Dorian's mood darkened, but he promised he would not kill them.

After all the Centurions were dressed in their new green livery, Aidan gave a speech. He promised that he would never ask them to betray their home country of Domus. Instead they would serve a different purpose: to fight against the growing power of High Priest Niles and the church of the Mother. They would become the weapons masters, training Aidan's large number of inexperienced soldiers. They would also act as a counterbalance to the High Priest's highly trained Templar guards.

When done, none of the Centurions asked any questions. Instead they went on one knee, including the captain. They then stood up and gave a loud Centurion battle cry that terrified all of Aidan's regular men down to their bones.

"Are you really sure this was a good idea?" Diana asked nervously.

"Don't worry." Aidan grinned as he hugged Diana while his

eyes focused on the sea captain. "This is only the beginning."

It had been four days since Philip and Gideon had been tied

up by old man Rondus. For all that time he had to deal with the man's

violent mood swings, changing from admiration for his beloved kingdom to down right hatred of Domus. It was his constant debating over what to do with his prisoners that worried Philip the most. From

the moans coming from the bed, Philip was sure Jason's fever was still serious, but tied up there was little he could do for the young man. All

he was able to achieve was convincing Rondus that Legatio or no, Jason was still his king. Therefore while Gideon and Philip starved, Rondus would at least spoon feed Jason during the short periods that he was lucid. When Rondus dragged in a slaughtered sheep that Philip tried once more to gain his freedom. "I could help you with that."

"Untie you, let you help me prepare my dinner and then snap my neck. I do not think so, my dear Centurion."

"Well, at least feed us... is that not the responsibility of a host," Gideon, who was also tied up, asked.

Rondus, using his bulky frame, lifted the sleep onto the table.

"You are a Centurion. If I do remember correctly you need only eat once a week. Ask me again after a few more days."

Philip, now losing control of his temper, struggled against his bonds. "What do you plan to do with us then, you fat goat!"

"I am a KNIGHT. I am lord of these mountains! And you, I would kill if it was not for the fact that I do not want your filthy blood staining the soil of my birth!" Rondus shouted, waving a butcher knife around.

"Philip..." Gideon whispered afraid that the commander would push the old man into killing them.

"If you are a knight, then you must follow a king," Philip said more calmly.

"Qul Tos has no king... thanks to you Centurions. You left us with that Sithian bitch as Regent."

"And she is dead now," Philip said as if he had said it a dozen times.

"And as I SAID, we have no king, not until the nobles figure which of them is worthy of the title."

"The boy on the bed is the king... the true King of Qul Tos."

"I knew King Daslan, and that boy looks nothing like him. What he does look like is the old Legatio ambassador with his black hair and green eyes.

"You've seen his ring, you know it came from the royal

crown." "Loot stolen when the city fell," Rondus replied as he threw

the sheep's innards at Philip's face, leaving it smeared with blood and bile.

Spitting the foul mix from his mouth, Philip turned his attention back to the code of chivalry. "Is it not the duty of a knight to protect children?"

"I might call him a boy but he is a man as far as I am concerned."

"He is only twenty!"

"We marry our children as young as fifteen here."

"In Domus the law is twenty-four."

"That is the sticking point. This is Qul Tos, not the Empire," Rondus cackled.

"It's no use," Gideon grunted to Philip as he struggled with his bonds. "He will never let us go. He enjoys tormenting us too much."

"Do you think I do not know that? The only reason I still talk to him is to make sure he does not tire of us and decide to cut our throats," Philip whispered back.

"But we have to do something... Jason."

"We only need to make it a few more days, Gideon. Remember the rest of the party will have to pass by here," Philip explained.

"Well, I wish they would hurry up, these ropes are rubbing my wrists raw."

Caleb, being the only person in the party who had any experience of traveling in the Jasper Mountains, enjoyed having the others depend on him for a change. He did not mind being called a Famulus, he just hated that both Legatio and Centurions seemed to think most Famulus were helpless children in need of close watching.

On their four-day race to catch up with Philip and the others, it was Caleb who found the plants and roots that could be made eatable and showed them the hidden caves to protect themselves from the cold night's wind. That did not mean Darius didn't complain about everything or warn Caleb that if he became to uppity he would face Centurion justice.

The main thing Caleb did, however, was comfort the others who were worried about Jason. They all knew that something had to be wrong, only two sets of tracks were seen leaving camps that clearly showed that three people had been sleeping there the night before. As the tracks were made by good-size men, that had to mean that Jason had to be the one unable to walk. Time and time again Caleb had to tell the rest of the party that they would soon be arriving at a cabin, where their comrades would find food and shelter and where he was sure the others would be found. Finally, when a pillar of smoke appeared in

the sky, everyone started running to it, convinced that they would find food, warmth and, most importantly, Jason.

"Who lives here?" Darius, Field Marshal of the East, asked as they approached the sturdy structure.

"Rondus... you will love him. He would come to the palace on feast days and take me hunting," Caleb grinned.

"You sure he would not mind having guests?" Erik, the Famulus servant, wondered.

"That is one of the strange things about Rondus; he hates all the ceremony and formality that comes with being a knight, but feels bound to live by the code. If guests in need come to his house in need, he takes them in whether he likes it or not. But to be safe you better let me go in first," Caleb explained.

On arriving at the cabin, Caleb poked his head past the sheep hide curtain. "Uncle Rondus?"

"Who dares call me that!" the old man shouted, turning around

to face the door, throwing a clay jug in Caleb's direction. "It is me... Calebos. Don't you remember me?"

"Calebos is dead!" Rondus yelled, trying hard not to look at Caleb's face.

"It is me old man. You knew me back when I was a child in the palace. You even let me go to the cave and swim through the underwater tunnel to Domus so we could go spying on the Centurions. Don't you remember?"

"Calebos is dead. You are dead... dead," the old man continued to deny, turning his back to Caleb to hide his tears.

Caleb lifted off his shirt and walked over to the man he called uncle Rondus. He took the old man's hand and let it run down the scar on his side. "Don't you remember this scar?"

"I do..." The old man wept, reaching to touch it. "You know how I got that scar?" Caleb said calmly.

"Yes, one of my goats didn't take well to your teasing and rammed you with its horns."

"Yes... and we killed, roasted and ate that goat the same day." Caleb laughed.

"My prince!" the old man cried as he pulled Caleb into a bear hug. "No longer," Caleb smiled and he wrapped his arms around the old man.

"You should be king... not that usurper," Rondus spat, pointing to the bed where Jason lay.

"No, Rondus... he is the king."

"No, he is not... he is a Centurion bastard!"

"Rondus... am I still your prince?"

"Yes my lord," Rondus said reverently, going down on his knees.

A little embarrassed, Caleb lifted the old man back to his feet. "Then I want you to follow my last and final order as your prince."

"Yes..."

"I hereby surrender all claim to the throne, giving it to Jason. Serve him as you would have served me."

"Never!" Rondus resisted.

"Then I order you as your king to treat him as you would treat me."

"That I can live with," Rondus grunted as he hugged Calebos hard.

"And Rondus... my name is just Caleb now. Calebos died when my need for revenge left me."

"Alright, Caleb... but tell me, what happened to you?" Rondus

asked as he walked past his tied prisoners and offered Caleb a stool.

Caleb told the old man, who had been his childhood friend, all that had happened so many years ago. He told him about being caught sleeping with his father's captain, his imprisonment and latter release to become a chef... a servant for his younger brother, who had assumed the throne in his place. He told Rondus of his thirst for revenge and how he overcame it after the capital fell, when he became the Famulus lover of the Centurion general.

Rondus was shocked, not by Caleb's homosexuality, but how in control Caleb was of his emotions. When the boy had been allowed to spend the summers living with him, he had been a moody, rambunctious, wild child, just as Rondus still was. Now Caleb was a calm and thoughtful man of middle years. He was still in prime physical condition, however, and still had his mischievous, charming smile.

"It is good to have you back, boy." Rondus smiled as he stared into Caleb's pale blue eyes.

"Thank you... now how about we untie my friends," Caleb asked.

Philip gave Caleb a suspicious look as he was freed. "Do you have any more secrets?"

"Just one more... I was hired by Senator Perils to kill Jason."

"What!" Philip swore as he dove for Caleb's neck but was unable

to reach him as his legs were still tied together.

"Don't worry... Jason, Alex, Gideon, and Kristen knew," Caleb said, holding back laughing at seeing Philip fall down on his face.

Philip spat the dirt out of his mouth. "And why was I not told?"

"Because we knew you would kill Caleb to keep Jason safe," Gideon explained.

"But why let him live in the first place?" Philip demanded. "So we could find out who hired him." "Don't you know?" Philip asked Caleb.

"I was paid by a Famulus named Horace... I very much doubt he was the one who wanted the job done though. He was only acting as an intermediary."

"Well, did you ever find out who it was?" Philip demanded as he worked on untying his legs.

"Melkior told Jason that Perils would have the most to gain if he died at the hands of an Easterner," Gideon told Philip.

"Perils... everything that has happened seems to have been arranged by that snake. I would not be surprised if he set up the attack on Field Marshals Lukas and Gorr," Philip said bitterly.

"Where is everyone else?" Gideon asked.

"I told them to stay behind. Rondus does not react well to uninvited guests, as you can see." Caleb laughed, looking at the old man fondly.

"I just like my privacy," Rondus grunted. "Can I have them join us?" Caleb asked.

"Yes Calebos... I mean Caleb. If you can trust them, then I guess I should be able to tolerate them.