Amazonia

  Both Greywolf and Amazonia jumped at the voice behind them, the Rune sword popping partway out of its sheath on its own before returning with a click as Amazonia realized who she was. Lady Alexina raised an eyebrow as she stopped beside them. “I will have to compliment Jhadra on the excellent craftsmanship of your sword. I have not seen one so lively since the Reaver Knight Gilgamesh.”

  Greywolf glared at her. “Alexina, have you been listening to us?”

  Lady Alexina returned him a cool look. “I am a Daemo. To answer your question, Amazonia,” the Daemo’s gaze locking on Az, “Wotan remembers that the Chaos Dragon was also the daughter of Greywolf’s father, Ghostdog, and that the daughter was a Shadow-walker like Greywolf is.”

  “Papa was there when Wotan kicked us out, and he told Wotan I’m nothing like the Chaos Dragon. Papa said he crafted me to be a living mana node for Asena and nothing else.”

  Lady Alexina put her hands on her narrow hips. “Your father could have done the same thing with a human, like Pan did with the Celtic priestesses.”

  “But—”

  “Greywolf,” Lady Alexina said, a touch of exasperation in her voice, “your father is a power unto himself, who thinks he knows what he is doing. How many times has he put you or someone else in danger because of his recklessness?”

  Greywolf folded his arms across his chest as he gave her a dark look. “Papa means well.”

  “He meant well when he crafted the Chaos Dragon, too.” Greywolf continued to scowl at her and Lady Alexina threw up her arms. “I am not trying to insult your father or say he is an evil person, I am only trying to let Amazonia understand you a little better. I know you believe he means well, and I am sure he often does, yet if he did craft you the same way he did his daughter for some unknown reason of his own…”

  Lady Alexina let her words hang as Greywolf shook his head, the scowl sliding off his face. “Papa wouldn’t do that to me. He wouldn’t.”

  “The Celestials also meant well, at least in the beginning,” Lady Alexina said to Amazonia as she turned towards her. “The human tribes already looked at them as gods, so setting up organized religions was the logical next step. For a while all was well, but over time the Celestials grew arrogant, competing with each other over who would have the greatest pantheon, the greatest influence over the developing nations, and soon their squabbling led to wars of humans fighting other humans.”

  “Are you sure we didn’t have a hand in those? There’s nothing we like better than killing each other.”

  Lady Alexina’s smile had a sardonic edge. “Spoken like a true warrior. Yes, I am sure humans encouraged the conflicts; however, the Celestials turned them into holy wars, with old veterans of the Prince’s War turned out of the civilizations they had helped to build by others who should have known better.”

  “Like Asena,” Greywolf said.

  “Yes, like Asena. Now, of course, the problem is worse because Terra is healing. The Celestials are desperate to grab hold of whatever mana they can, and I fear the wars are going to grow far more savage because of that. Amazonia, your mission, the real reason Jhadra crafted you into a Reaver Knight, is to help keep the Empire of the East from spiraling down into the chaos the old Etruscan empire is going to become.”

  “Crave pardon if I don’t give a pig’s knuckle bone whether this empire survives or not. I’ve got a mission to perform, one that’s likely to get me and my Wardogs killed, but if it doesn’t and the sword shatters for whatever reason, I plan to shake the dust of this empire off my heels and never return.”

  “And where will you go?” Lady Alexina asked. “Old Etrusca will press you into their army the moment they lay eyes on you, as will Aegyptus or the kingdom of the Gauls. Will you throw away what the emperor promised to be forced into becoming a slave-soldier for the Sasnayams?”

  Amazonia put her face close to the Daemo’s. “You have no idea what I’ve endured on the road to this place.”

  Lady Alexina never flinched. “Really? I was once an adviser to a king whose kingdom was overrun by a barbarian horde. Being a Daemo female, I was taken as battle spoils by the khan, then given to the fifty or so of his warriors who rode as his personal retinue. Any other Daemo female would soon have found herself climbing out of the spawning pits. I endured, becoming his slave with golden manacles on my wrists and a golden collar around my throat so I could work no spells against him. Then, after enduring years of his abuse, I made a deal with the khan’s youngest son and helped him take over the tribe, becoming his adviser and court sorcerer. So crave pardon if I do not care a pig’s knuckle what you have been through… champion.”

  Amazonia blinked, retreating a pace back as Greywolf said, “You never told me anything about this.”

  “There was no need,” the Daemo said without taking her eyes off Amazonia. “I have seen civilizations rise and watched them fall, and in all that time have not seen one with the potential for greatness this empire has. Jhadra told me that, if you succeed, you shall be granted the title, Heros Imperii, and adopted—”

  “Into the royal family; yes, I remember hearing that. I also believe it was a lie by Lady Jhadra to encourage me to accept what she was about to do. Why would the emperor want an ex-slave? I’m not of royal blood.”

  “Neither was Konstan before he declared himself emperor. He was a general of Old Etrusca who wanted to break from the corruption, and with the support of the best Celestials remaining in the empire, was able to pull it off. That is why he wants you.” Lady Alexina put her face a hand-span from Amazonia’s. “Give the empire the time it needs to reform itself, and this promise will be kept, because Konstan knows he needs you by his side. Who else understands what it is like to wear the enchanted collar,” she said, brushing a fingertip against the callouses on Amazonia’s throat, “and to endure the abuse of men who would never last a day if your positions were reversed? The emperor knows the old ways have to change. The emperor also knows he needs a hero beside him to make these changes happen.”

  Lady Alexina stepped back as Amazonia put a hand to her throat. “I’m just one person. I don’t know how much I could do, even if the promise does come true.”

  “Alexander of Macedon was one person,” Greywolf said, “but Asena told me he’s the one who shaped the world we know now. She also said if he hadn’t recovered from the illness he contracted after conquering Indus, it might have been the empire of Roma, instead of Etrusca, strange as that sounds… and speaking of Asena, I’d better wake her up so we don’t miss the caravan leaving.”

  “Let her sleep,” Lady Alexina said. “The caravan master told me last night that a merchant from Bukhara wishes to join the caravan, but needs a day to get his affairs in order, so the caravan will leave tomorrow at first light. However, I do have a favor to ask. I more or less forced Ghost, who is now Fox, to become one of Amazonia’s Chaldeans, and since the agreement you and I had, ended as of this morning, I was wondering if you would mind spending an hour or so with her as a reward.” She looked at Amazonia. “With your consent, of course.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Amazonia shrugged. “Fine by me.”

  Greywolf hesitated, clearly torn. “There isn’t any chance Asena will find out, is there? Because she threatened to kill Fox if she ever tried anything.”

  “Only if you tell her yourself,” Lady Alexina replied.

  “You’ll find her in the female bath’s hot pool,” Amazonia said, adding, “And while you’re keeping that a secret, don’t tell your mother about Titan, either. For some reason, he’s angry at her, and if they meet, it could get ugly.”

  The sardonic smile returned to Greywolf’s face. “I seem to spend half my life keeping things from Asena. Hey, I forgot to tell you how much fun I had last night, fighting alongside you and the others. It’s a shame we won’t have a chance to do it again.”

  “Never say never again,” Amazonia replied, holding out her arm. “Safe travels.”

  Greywolf clasped her forearm as she clasped his. “You too.” They let go, then with a jaunty wave, Greywolf strode towards the archway at the back of the building and went inside.

  Amazonia gave his departing back a wry smile. “At least one of my Wardogs will begin this journey in a good mood.”

  “I am more concerned that when you meet up with Greywolf and Asena in Bukhara, he will be much more inclined to help with your mission. Having an experienced Shadow-walker may make the difference between success and catastrophe.”

  “What about Asena? If she’s not inclined to help, he may not be able to do anything, even if he wants to.”

  Lady Alexina raised an eyebrow. “Be resourceful. If she absolutely refuses to render aid, see if Greywolf will help you on the sly. It will not be the first time he has done things behind his mother’s back.”

  “Yeah, we all have our secrets.” Amazonia yawned. “I was going to use the baths, but I think I’ll see about breakfast instead.”

  “While I attend to the body on the stairs,” Lady Alexina said with a grimace. Amazonia turned to leave, but stopped as the Daemo said, “If I might give you a last bit of advice about Greywolf, if he ever creates a creature from the Shadowlands and brings it into the real world, think about parting company with him before the two of them merge.”

  Amazonia frowned. “I’m not following.”

  “Then let me explain. Before she became the Chaos Dragon, I have been told that Zara was the prettiest Celestial child who had been born on Terra, with rainbow colored hair and the ability to work any kind of magic, including opening a gateway into the Grey. However, every time she did so, she would have a halo of a dragon that formed around her. Eventually, Zara somehow learned she could create a Shadow Dragon and bring it into our world, and one evening she must have done so and let it merge with her, because she became the Chaos Dragon and soon after, began her rampage.”

  “You believe the same thing might happen to Greywolf?”

  “I simply do not know… and it frightens me. Just keep your wits about you at all times is all I ask.”

  “I plan to do that anyway,” Amazonia replied, turning to leave as a thought struck her. “Lady Alexina, now that I know the gods everyone thought real are a lie, does that mean there are no gods?”

  “The Daemo do not believe in any,” she replied, “but then, we have no reason to. We do not fear death. However, in those places where the Celestial’s temples never had followers, belief in a single God who created everything is strong. Among the tribes who collectively make up the confederation known as the Crimson Horde, they worship a deity called Tengri, Lord of the Sky, while Xian worships a deity whose name translates to ‘True God’. In the Khitian wastes and the deserts between Sasnayam and Aegyptus, the tribes have similar beliefs.”

  “What about you? What do you think?”

  “If you had asked me that question during the Prince’s War, I would have scoffed at the very idea. However, since then…” Lady Alexina’s expression turned thoughtful. “Remember the story I told you about becoming the court sorcerer for a khan?” Amazonia nodded, and the Daemo said, “Knowledge is a river with many tributary streams, and I learned much of the lore the khan’s Wise Woman taught me, adapting it to my own way of practicing magic. Now, in the Khitian wastes there was a village along the eastern road in thrall to the khan, and one time when we had camped nearby, the Wise Woman asked if I would help her with the village chief’s daughter, who was having a difficult pregnancy.”

  Amazonia looked at her in surprise. “Lady Jhadra told Lord Paulus that she could only remove a woman’s womb, not fix it. I got the feeling that such practices were beneath her.”

  Lady Alexina gave Az a sly smile. “There are many of my people who would rather block tributaries than allow them to flow. The Wise Woman could see into the daughter’s belly but could not fix the problem, while I could mold flesh but could not see. We worked together, and when it was done, the daughter was able to deliver a healthy child soon after. The tribe remained camped there for several months, and not long after the baby was born, the mother came to see me. She said that right before we came, she had prayed for help, and a day later we arrived.”

  “Coincidence?”

  “Most likely, and yet…” Lady Alexina looked away, seeing some distant memory in her mind’s eye. “She told me she would honor the miracle, as she called it, by lighting a candle for me every seventh day and pray for my continued health. I thanked her and moved on when the tribe did, eventually leaving the khan on the borders of Xian. In time, a couple hundred years at least, I was traveling with a caravan west along the same road, when we stopped in what had grown into a good sized town with a temple at its heart. The daughter was long dead, of course, but her family was both large and prosperous, and when I wandered inside the temple on a whim, discovered there was a niche along one side with a crude likeness of my face and a burning candle in a ceramic pot.”

  “Her family continued the tradition.”

  “And still do, the last time I passed through the town. I have never tried to speak with any of her family, of course, yet it is comforting in a way to know that even after I have emerged from the spawning pits someday as a new person, the person I am now will still be remembered.” Lady Alexina’s chuckle had a bitter tang. “Comforting. Truly, I have lived for far… far too long a time.” Amazonia had no idea what to say to that, and the Daemo seemed to understand, for she shrugged. “Enough. Amazonia, now that you have eaten from the tree of knowledge, what are your thoughts?”

  Amazonia stared at her a moment before turning to look out over the city. “If Eurax gets his way and Arcadia submits to the Sasnayams, will it be bad?”

  “You said it yourself: the people will not give in to the Sasnayams without a fight, even if Emperor Arcadia orders it. However, the Sasnayams will eventually prevail and the empire’s provinces will be conquered. The temples will be destroyed and the stone used to build pyramids, any weak slave with a collar will be given to the Storm Lord’s priests to harvest the mana nodes from their hearts, any—”

  “Hold on, why slaves with collars?”

  Lady Alexina gave Az a steady look. “All humans possess tiny mana nodes which normally are not worth the trouble of collecting. However, those who have worn an enchanted device have absorbed mana into those nodes over the years. Gladiators will doubtless become slave-soldiers, many lower born free folk will be pressed into servitude… and Eurax will grow rich as King Midas.”

  “Never,” Amazonia snarled.

  “Then let me tell you what happens if your actions draw the Sasnayam’s attention for a time. Emperor Konstan reforms the military and trains it so the borders can be held, Eurax is defanged, or at least brought to heel, and Jupiter, along with his pantheon of Celestials, will get their mana from the same place they get it now: the Daemo.”

  Amazonia gaped at her a moment before closing her mouth. “You’re serious.”

  The Daemo raised a purple eyebrow. “Did you truly think Jupiter tolerates our presence out of the goodness of his heart? Jhadra and the other Daemo have forged a strong bond with the Celestials, a bond now threatened by the Sasnayam Empire. Save Konstanopolis, become Heros Imperii, and the Daemo will owe you far more than you realize. Do you want to change the world, break the slave collars and ban the practice? The Daemo will help you.”

  “Out of the goodness of your hearts?”

  Lady Alexina snorted. “Out of pure self-interest. A free society is far more stable than one dependent on slaves, and a stable Empire of the East is what we desire.”

  “If I survive.”

  “Yes, there is that,” Lady Alexina replied. “Jhadra and I have weighted the knuckle-bones in your favor as much as we could, yet you are the one making the throws.” Her eyes locked onto Amazonia’s a moment before she spoke again. “I will say one thing, and on the honor of the woman who long ago lit my first candle, I swear to you it is the truth. If you cannot do this deed, Amazonia, then it cannot be done.” She smiled. “So, Reaver Knight, are you ready to roust your Wardogs and begin your great adventure?”

  It was Amazonia’s turn to snort. “Starting with kicking Troll out of bed… though I must admit, I’m looking forward to it.” The Daemo smiled and turned towards the archway, stopping when Az said, “Lady Alexina, if we pull this off and you don’t survive, I swear to you I’ll see a niche carved in the Daemo temple and light a candle to you myself. The person you are now won’t be forgotten.”

  Struck speechless, Lady Alexina could only watch as Amazonia strode through the archway out of the sunlight and into shadow, the darkness swallowing her whole.