Chapter 14
Finally freed from the shackles of their oppressors, the birds took to the sky with reckless abandon. The wind whipped through their feathers, a sweet kiss of freedom. But one man remained grounded, his hand reaching desperately towards the heavens. A king in his own right, unchained and unbound.
‘We have been marching for hours’, Alpheo mused as his foot sank on the hot sand , ‘still the sun is high in the sky we can still go , I want to at least reach a source of water to fill our canteens.’
He could feel the tension rising behind him. Hundreds of men followed his every step, loyal for now but ultimately just waiting for their chance to leave him , while taking their share of the gold they had taken.
He couldn’t let that happen. He needed every able body he could get if he wanted what he desired .
They left a trail of destruction in their wake – a camp full of dead bodies and stolen loot. His friend Clio had urged him to take more, but he knew better.
“The fast pig is the first to be slaughtered ,” he explained.” We take everything and they will ride to us with everything they have. Take some bit and they will do an half-ass job ” And so they rode on, taking only what they needed and leaving behind a tempting trail for those foolish enough to pursue them.He knew that they would still send some riders after them , after all the shame of some slaves slapping them was too ugly to be forgiven .
Though they now had the weapon for that. ‘If they come I will show them my favorite trick’, Alpheo mused as he wondered how much a man can live buried in the hot sand with his head sticking out
Alpheo back then, even considered the idea of burning the rest of the food inside the camp . Their last fare-well gift .
In the end, he did not, the last thing he needed was for the army to come back after seeing the smoke .
The army took one month, to reach the place, by they were many and slow.And so Alpheo remained confident that within two or three weeks, they would catch sight of the lush, green lands of the Empire.
After what seemed like an eternity, they finally arrived at the oasis. With a collective sigh of relief, the men dropped to their knees. Cupping the liquid with trembling hands, they drank deeply, savoring each precious drop as if it were gold.
As the horses quenched their thirst and the canteens were filled to the brim, Alpheo allowed himself a moment of respite,before gazing around them as close to them there should be a village, their lords had paid the emperor a bribe , so it was not sacked.
He noted that, maybe they could make use of it, but for now, he had to deal with something .
The men sat in weary clusters on the hot sand, their faces drawn and tired from the long journey. Some leaned against their bags, while others lay sprawled out, seeking respite from the scorching sun by bathing thier limbs in the water .
Alpheo walked amongst his comrades, their faces etched with exhaustion . He searched the sea of weary bodies for familiar faces, finally spotting Jarza’s tired but resolute expression as he approached. Clio and Egil were not far behind, rising to join Alpheo without hesitation at his beckoning.
As they moved away from the rest of the convoy, Egil asked with a hint of concern in his voice, “Is something wrong, Alph?”
Clio raised a questioning eyebrow and added, “That look on your face tells me you’re planning something.”
Alpheo responded briefly, “Not much, but I need your help with something.”
“Go ahead,” Egil urged.
Turning to face his three trusted friends with an intense gaze they had never witnessed before, Alpheo asked, “Assuming we survive and escape the riders and make it out alive, what are we going to do next?”
The group fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. They all had the same musing: ‘I have never thought so far!’. They had been so focused on gaining their freedom that they hadn’t considered what would come after. Many of them had families they may never see again, either because they were too far away or because they were the ones who had sold them into slavery.
“Do you have a plan?” Jarza finally broke the silence, looking up at Alpheo.
“I do,” Alpheo replied confidently. “I believe our best option is to become mercenaries. We’re armed and we have horses – people will easily believe us. Plus, it’s a way for us to make a living. My plan is to march south towards the principalities of Sharzah. There, we can build a life for ourselves. But I want more ”
A sly smile appeared on Alpheo’s face as he turned to his friends. “I have a plan in mind. I’ve thought about it for a long time, and I believe there’s a good chance for it to work. But I can’t do it alone. I need people I can trust. I need all of you.”
He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing, “Follow me, and you will live in opulence and power. Stick with me, and you will find those things rather easily. You will live like nobles because I will make you one of them; all you have to do is support me now.”
Egil’s skepticism was evident in his furrowed brow and skeptical gaze. “If anyone else had proposed such a ludicrous idea, I’d have given them a good beating for their foolishness,” he remarked with a hint of disbelief. “But coming from you, Alpheo… I’ll trust your judgment. I’m in.”
Jarza chuckled at Egil’s words, his laughter carrying a sense of camaraderie. “Well, I’ve got nothing to lose and only my sword to wield,” he quipped, his eyes gleaming with determination. “Count me in.”
Clio’s contemplative expression softened as he glanced at his companions. “If you’re all in it , then I’m too,” he declared. “Together, we’ll make it work.”
A smile spread across Alpheo’s face, a rare display of genuine warmth .Without a word, he drew his companions into a tight embrace, a silent acknowledgment of the bond that had formed between them over the past two years.
And then with the same voice he had used to entertain the idea of freedom he continued ” If you are with me then now it is time to show it ”.
And so that night the fate of the entire continent waved beneath the fingers of one small young man.