The javelin skirmishers broke out of their formations and advanced up the road in a spreading formation, closely followed by the first line of auxiliary infantry.

"Fire!" ordered Septimus.

Perhaps it was his nervousness, perhaps he had simply miscalculated the exact moment, but none of the ten cannon shots, the rumble of which shook the rock, effectively hit the target. Most of them turned out to be too short, and the balls, while managing to bounce and roll despite the rough terrain, caused fairly limited damage to enemy troops.

The second shot was more accurate, but again the results were rather poor with just a few dozen killed or wounded; after all, there was a reason Adrian had suggested to Ron that the archers adopt such an extended formation, very different from the classic closed squares.

Theoretically there was time for a third volley of shots, but due to the bumps they had been positioned behind, by the time the crews finished reloading their guns the enemy had already gotten too close.

Septimus then sent his archers forward to try to limit the damage, but two different shots were in turn thwarted by the extended formation of the skirmishers and the shield wall of the auxiliaries.

Then, when the distance between the two sides was so small as to endanger the safety of the artillery, Septimus had no other choice but to command the advance of his front line, which even before reaching the hand-to-hand combat saw a good number of soldier fall due to the javelins. At the same time that the imperial auxiliaries and the rebel legionaries began the hand-to-hand engagement, the cannons were ordered to leave the foxholes and take position in front of the right wing, from where they could still fire on further advancing enemies.

Of course it wasn't something that could be done in the blink of an eye, and by the time the gunners had reached their new position Ron had already sent the second line forward to reinforce the center and increase the pressure on the enemy.

They immediately opened fire, and this time the damage was much more important, but after the first shot they immediately had to stop so as not to risk hitting their allies with a too short shot.

However, after an initial moment of indecision, the rebel line managed to hold the position and contain the impact of the imperial infantry. It wasn't just about discipline or preparation; everyone knew what was at stake in that battle, and that in case of defeat no one would be spared.

From atop his horse Septimus watched the battle rage before him. He wanted to charge too and join his companions, but Daemon's peremptory words still rang in his ears.

A Commander's duty is not to prove his courage fighting on the front lines, but to lead wisely and coolly the men whose lives depend on his decisions.

Thus, fighting with instinct, he remained immobile and watched, trying to read the unfolding of the clash and to act in the most rational and appropriate way.

Seeing that his men struggled to hold the position he sent forward part of the left wing, which advanced supported by the archers.

His idea was to attempt an outflanking by forcing the opposite wing back and engaging the enemy center on two sides. Unfortunately, as the wings were composed mainly of lightly armed slaves and conscripts, their thrust was not strong enough to push back the opponents, so that in the end that sector found itself engaged in a battle of its own that would go on until the end of the clash.

"Hey, look! What's over there?"

Preceded by a blast of trumpets, a small group of infantry burst out of the forest not far behind enemy lines.

"It's Army of Lions." Oldrick recognized them, who still had the vision of a hawk even with one eye. "But where are they going?"

Both grew pale with fear as they realized that the newcomers, instead of heading into the valley, seemed instead intent on taking up positions at the mouth of the Dorian Vale.

"They want to cut off Daemon's path!"

"I don't believe it. Did they know of his arrival?"

"We have to do something Oldrick. If we can't reunite with Daemon, we'll have no hope."

Septimus attempted to send his right wing against the Lions to support Daemon and break the blockade; too bad it was just what Adrian expected.

First the imperial left wing intercepted the reinforcements when they were far enough away from their allies almost managing to surround them, then the enemy cavalry which had remained on the sidelines until then slipped into the gap created in the rebel formation and charged the cannons left without protection.

At that point Oldrick personally took command of the small cavalry at his disposal and attempted to bring relief, but by the time they managed to reach the enemy and engage them in battle, the enemy horsemen had already left behind dozens of dead gunners and a large number of overturned or damaged cannons.

By now the battle had fragmented into many separate clashes, but even Septimus could realize that while the enemy's front was still able to coordinate the movements his own had completely disintegrated, and it would have been enough for one of his sides to flee to see the entire army routing.

"It's useless. We can't win..."

The same conclusion had also been reached on the other side of the battlefield.

"It's over." Adrian said. "Now all we have to do is deliver the final blow."

In these cases nothing like the sight of an entire army taking the field to the rhythm of the horns could inflict terror on the enemy, so Ron ordered the general advance which would have definitively ended the games.

"My Lord, enemies coming!" suddenly said the usual explorer, arriving galloping and pale as if he had death at his heels

"Let them come. The entrance to the valley is blocked."

"No my Lord, they are in the woods! Right behind us!"

"What!?"



True courage does not lie in acting when one has an obvious advantage, but when one advances despite not having the strength to do so.

This had always been a favorite maxim of mine, and I based many of my victories and some of my worst defeats on it at the same time.

And even though in this new life of mine I had forced myself to weigh my decisions better and not to take too many things for granted anymore, there were times when I simply couldn't help but go back to being myself.

Advance despite everything.

On the one hand I knew I was running an enormous risk capable of nipping in the bud the revolution I intended to unleash on Erthea, on the other the old soldier in me quivered with excitement at the thought of being able to measure myself against an above average military intellect such as was young Adrian's.

Leaving Basterwick early in the morning with three hundred new recruits strong – mostly freed slaves, as well as a few dozen human volunteers and even a few legionnaires – we had strode southwest, and in no time at all we had scrambled up Mount Salt to reach the Dorian Pass.

This narrow and steep choked gorge was one of the narrowest valleys in the whole Khoral range, and had it not been an emergency I would never have ventured to take a whole army, however small, into it.

The good thing is that once you reach the slopes of Mount Salt, the path climbs about a hundred meters reaching a barren plain from which you have an excellent view of the Chateroi Pass, before diving into the gorge.

Naturally, I didn't have the sharp eyesight either to be able to understand exactly what was happening so far away, which is why I asked Mr. Hans to build me a telescope.

Scalia and the others stared at him as if it was something from another world, even if when you think about it, it really was.

"Incredible!" Scalia had exclaimed when I let her try it. "I thought I had excellent eyes, but this thing is prodigious!"

I didn't stop to explain to her how it worked, also because I was sure she wouldn't understand.

Shortly before noon my men were preparing to descend the mountain advancing along the path, while I, Scalia and the others watched from the top of a rock Ron's army preparing to reach the Giants' Mouths.

"What do you see?" asked Jack

"They advance in standard formation, with heavy infantry in the center and skirmishers supporting them."

"And the Army of Lions?" Scalia asked

"I don't see them. They're probably moving through the forest to avoid detection."

My gaze then moved to Septimus' lines, and the sight of how he had set up the artillery made me want to put my hands in my hair.

"But what is he up to? Cannons shouldn't be placed behind natural obstacles that impede their pitching. He's not shooting at a wall."

I had never for one moment thought that Septimus or Oldrick had what it took to prevail against Ron, or even worse against Adrian. Their aim was only to buy time until my arrival, which is why I had ordered them to position themselves in the most defensible point along the route between Dundee and the Castle, where even a trained monkey would be able to set up a line and resist.

Whether I had overestimated Septimus' abilities or underestimated his idealistic determination to avoid casualties among the men under his command, the result was the same; if we hadn't got there as soon as possible, there probably wouldn't have been any battles for us to fight.

"Do you think they saw us?" Scalia asked

"No doubt. In fact, they're practically inviting us to jump on them."

"What do you mean?"

"If they were expecting an attack from us they would think of reinforcing their left flank to absorb the shock, but their formation is perfectly balanced."

"Sound too good to be true." Passe commented

"And it is. Adrian is not the type of commander who commits such imprudence. Once you enter the gorge there is no way of knowing what is going on down there until the very last moment. I bet anything the Lions have orders to block Dorian Pass and cut us off from the rest of our army."

"Can we defeat them?"

"If we had time, probably yes. But time is not on our side. Our army is large, but still made up of poorly trained rebels and slaves. As soon as they see reinforcements being pinned down their morale will start to falter, at which point it will only be a matter of minutes before they route."

"So what can we do?" Scalias asked

Of course, I wasn't so naive as to not always keep a backup plan in case of an emergency.

"See that furrow in the grass that branches off from the road near that rock? It's an old natural path dug by ibexes that leads directly into the valley right over there, where the forest is thickest. Only local hunters use it, so there's no way outsiders like Ron and Adrian would know about it."

"Looks pretty cramped."

"In fact, it would be impossible to get the whole army through. But it's perfect for a small raiding team. So I want you Scalia to take fifty of our best men and go down that path into the valley."

"Should we attack the enemy from behind?"

"Not now. You would be too few to be decisive. What you have to do is reach the forest and wait. When our advance has been halted in the gorge, it is very probable that Adrian will move his whole army forward to frighten our men and send them to rout. And when he does, you must flank the Lions with all your might. Once they are down, the legion will find itself flanked, overrun and vulnerable to a counterattack."

"It looks like a very complex plan. Are you sure it will work?"

"I never rely on luck, Passe. Tactics is nothing more than knowing how to read the enemy's mind and act accordingly."

And I've spent a lifetime learning to put myself in my opponents' shoes.

"Trust me, it will work."

"Perhaps we could find a way to warn Septimus."

"Not at all. In fact, I'm ordering you not to mention this whole thing to anyone."

"Why?"

"To deceive the enemy, one must first of all deceive his own men. If Adrian discovers that we have guessed his plans, the situation could be reversed again."

In the following two hours I completely estranged myself from everything around me, trying to visualize in my mind the progress of the battle according to the sounds that we heard closer and closer in front of us, amplified by the vibrations and by the narrow hole we were walking through.

As I had feared, the cannons were soon put out of action, managing to fire only a couple of times – moreover in a confused and uncoordinated way – and then being silenced almost completely, limiting themselves to a few occasional explosions that probably weren't producing any significant result.

For this and many other reasons, when once we reached the end of the valley we found the Lions lined up and ready to welcome us, my disappointment at the sight of that disaster wasn't as specious as I would have liked.

Now I understood why talking to Septimus I sometimes had the impression that I was dealing with that fish brain Ney.

Same volcanic but easily maneuverable character, same courage, same resourcefulness... and same stupid impulsivity.

I had given him command because of the ascendancy he had over his men, but I now knew that his purpose was to lead the army into battle rather than command it.

To buy time, I ordered everything we had to be thrown at the Lions: obviously, this didn't have any noteworthy effect, but at least it served to divert their attention solely to us without the need to launch ourselves into a risky and costly direct confrontation.

As I had foreseen, the impression of having trapped us drove Adrian to imprudence, convincing him to order a general advance destined to be the final nail in the coffin of the Revolution.

Scalia and the others followed the script perfectly, popping out at the perfect moment and charging at the Lions like a pack of mad beasts, and although a scout managed to locate them before the attack by the time Adrian was informed it was already too late.

Naturally this was not enough to make the enemy give way, but I certainly did not expect a competent and well trained unit like that to fall apart so easily.

However, pressed from two sides, they had no choice but to replace the arrayed formation with a square one, clearing the exit of the gorge and opening the way for the bulk of our army.

"Passe, take command! I'm going to meet Septimus!"

"Leave it to me! You pay attention!"

It wasn't at all pleasant to wade through the arrows and javelins that rained down on me from all sides, but luckily for me the Imperials were terrible archers.

"Sorry Daemon, I'm afraid I've only made things worse." Septimus said when I finally caught up with him

"Don't worry, I'm here now."

The first thing to do was to regroup the front and take advantage of the favorable moment as soon as possible, so I immediately put the trumpeters and drummers to work.

"Oldrick's cavalry must disengage and return to their starting positions! Right wing spearmen, step forward and provide maneuver support! Aiming the left guns towards the center of the enemy formation, elevation twenty-five degrees, three-quarter charge, the right guns at the entrance to the gorge! Use all the gunners we have left! The front line must retreat twenty steps without leaving the fight! At my command, Passe abandons the fight by moving to a safe distance from the enemy formation!"

I was a little sorry to have to blow the Lions away by turning their own closed formation against them; not that I expected to be able to persuade any of them to switch sides, but they were excellent soldiers with a strong sense of belonging and extremely loyal, and for that I admired them.

With the enemy rear so close, and the front line far enough to allow the cannonballs to pass over them without hitting our own, blowing chasms in their formations was child's play, and as the few surviving Lions broke, the enemy left flank collapsed.

The enemy cavalry charged desperately to try and silence the guns again, but the spearmen I had sent ahead formed a schiltron which after forcing them to halt made them an easy target for our archers.

Meanwhile Oldrick's horses had caught their breath, and executing a wide arc at a slow trot they charged the rear and the flank of the enemy command center at the same time dividing into two sections.

Ron wasted no time in sounding the retreat; I saw him turn his horse and take to his heels a moment after seeing his entire army rout, carrying off his few remaining horsemen, his staff and rearguard away with him.

I would have ordered them to run after him and slaughter as many enemies as possible if I could, but by now my troops were on their last legs; besides, it was not yet the time to ruin my reputation with such barbaric conduct.

"What time is it?" I asked Septimus

"Three, more or left."

"Send Thecla to Dundee. At three o'clock on the sixth day of the month of the Wyvern, the revolutionary forces rule the field. The enemy has lost more than half of its troops. The battle is won."