"If you build an army of 100 lions and their leader is a dog,

the lions will die like dogs." 



That evening there was a party like no other in the village before.

Everyone danced, sang, drank and ate, while in the darkness of the valley one could still glimpse the pinnacles of smoke produced by the now extinct pyres on which only a few hours before we had burned the fallen.

It almost seemed that the joy of victory had already made everyone forget the massacre they had survived.

However, I wasn't too surprised.

If there was one thing that slaves and soldiers had in common, it was that they always had to face death, to the point that now accepting and understanding mourning was something their mind was able to do with shocking ease.

As for me, between the march and all the rest, I was so tired that I could not stand up, so I decided to go straight to sleep in a barn.

I was hoping to allow myself just a few hours of sleep and then go back to planning our next moves, but my first real battle in so many years must have reawakened baleful thoughts in me.

I found myself walking across a dark barren plain shrouded in ghostly mist, surrounded by graves and crosses.

As I was trying to get out, it appeared from behind one of the mounds and stopped a short distance from me.

That dog.

That damned dog!

It stared at me with those dark eyes, whining and whimpering so annoyingly my ears popped, and no matter how hard I tried to push it away, there was no way it would obey. That image had haunted me all my life, and now it had come back to haunt me in this one too.

Stop that. Do not look at me like this. It was not my fault. I had no choice. Go away... Leave me alone. Leave me alone!

A jerk brought me violently back into the real world, and never was the interruption of a brief moment of rest more welcome.

"Daemon."

"Scalia."

"Is everything all right? You are pale and shivering, and I could hear you talking in your sleep."

"Don't worry, it's nothing. Just a bad dream. What's up?"

"Passe wants to talk to you. Seems important. Looks like they've captured a prisoner, someone who matters."

"I'll be right there."

I'm not saying I didn't expect what was about to happen, however I wasn't overly surprised when, after entering the hut that we had destined for headquarters, I was greeted by Adrian's enigmatic and decidedly irritating little smile.

"Finally. Don't you know that the commander should never shy away from the celebrations after a battle? It seems to bring bad luck."

"Daemon!" yelled Scalia baring claws and unsheathing fangs "Let me kill this bastard!"

"Calm down, Scalia."

In truth, I myself had never really decided what to do if I found myself in that situation; I knew from experience that those of Adrian's stock were capable of leading your army to victory and butchering you in your sleep at the same time.

And I had no intention of going with such turncoat opportunists again.

"My sister told me what you did to her. Give me one reason why I shouldn't disembowel you here and now."

"Come on, I didn't do anything serious. I haven't even touched her, so to speak. And in any case, I immediately understood that you had something to do with all that history. I could have told my father and got you all in trouble, but I kept quiet. At least you owe me that."

Honestly, I had always wondered how someone with his acumen could not have guessed something unclear in the way I had made Scalia disappear from under his nose, but I had preferred not to investigate further, convincing myself that I had simply managed to deceive him.

I knew now that my first impression of him was correct, and it pissed me off: for as much as he disgusted me, at the same time I couldn't help but admire him.

"Where did you get him?"

"He came to us. He surrendered to our patrol in the valley along with all his men."

"The few ones left. I admit that they had never seen a battle worthy of the name, but I never expected that someone could wipe my unit away so easily."

It looked like Scalia was going to leap on him at any moment, so to keep her calm I pointed my sword at him.

"You have ten words to convince me not to leave you here in my sister's hands."

"Seven is enough for me. I can guide you inside the Castle."

Ever since the world began, every negotiation has been based on a dialectical confrontation in which two or more contenders place an offer on the plate intended to obtain the greatest possible gain from the opposing party with the least sacrifice.

Somehow I knew that although it might seem otherwise, this time it was me sitting on the wrong side of the scale, an irritating situation anyone would hate to be in.

First, it was necessary to eliminate the disturbing factors.

"Leave us alone."

"Daemon, but..."

"Don't worry Scalia, everything will be fine. Trust me."

I had to insist a bit, but in the end I managed to convince her.

"I'm staying out here. If I have the slightest suspicion that something is wrong, I will personally come and tear that smirk off your face."

"I'll keep that in mind."

So we were left alone, though for a few moments all we could do was stare into each other's eyes for the slightest hint of hesitation.

"I assume you know that our aim is to take the governor's head and claim control of this region. Why should you take action against your father?"

"I stopped considering that disgusting creature my father a long time ago. For as long as I can remember, I have never felt anything but contempt for him. I stayed close to him in the hope that he would get better, but that's enough. I will not throw away my life to follow that fool to the grave."

A shareable thought; even if I believed with all my heart in the sacredness of family relationships, I certainly didn't take them for granted.

Respect should always be earned, and Longinus had none of a reason to be respected.

"Let's pretend that I decide to listen to you. How exactly are you going to get us in there?"

Whereupon Adrian called my attention to the map of the Castle on the table.

"With the most classic of tricks. A secret passage."

"I didn't know there was one."

"Because nobody ever bothered to look for it. The entrance is here, at the foot of the southeast tower."

"And how did you find out about it?"

"It was mentioned in some old chronicles. I assume you know that the Castle was built on top of an older building dating back to before the Holy Wars. The passage crosses the old ruins, slips under the parade ground and comes out right here, in the cellars of the palace."

A doubt struck me.

"What if the Governor uses it to escape?"

"He would if he knew it existed. I don't think that pig ever read a book in his life, and the same goes for his men."

As if he expected what I was about to say, the moment I looked up from the map I found him already staring at me.

"Interesting suggestion. But now that you've given it to me, what's stopping me from telling Scalia to go back into this room and let her deal with you?"

"Good luck. That place is a labyrinth. It took me months to find the right path. Without me you'd be lost in two seconds."

"I could always take care of you after I get your dad settled."

"You could. But you won't."

"Why are you so sure about it?"

"For the same reason you saved that dragon. Because we're useful to you."

I admit that the way he looked at me almost made my blood run cold.

"Let's stop this farce. You can fool that bunch of gullible peasants, but certainly not me. There is nothing noble or good about what you are doing. You only want one thing, power. Well, I want it too. But the ambition of both will be doomed to crash against those walls, unless we decide to work together."

Despite what the priests said, I had never considered ambition a vice, but Adrian's was nearly as big as mine; I felt like I was looking in the mirror at myself from La Fere's time, a young braggart who was willing to do anything to achieve the goals he had set for himself.

"I'm fed up, Daemon. Fed up with those arrogant bums of the Empire who wouldn't be able to manage even a pigsty. And I've had enough of fighting against a system that refuses to progress. My father is one of the worst, but he certainly isn't the only one. Whatever happens, after what happened here his reputation is bound to crumble, but I have no intention of going down with him."

"I've never heard of an empire with two rulers. And I'm afraid Eirinn is too small for both of us."

"I'm not that ambitious. And while I'm aware of my abilities, I certainly don't consider myself on your level."

"Then what do you want in exchange for your help?"

"Isn't it obvious? My share of glory in the world you want to build. Whether you like it or not, what you are doing here is bound to shock not only the Empire, but more likely all of Erthea. And I don't want to miss the most momentous change this world has ever seen. Not only that, I want to be a part of it."

One rarely has the privilege of being able to choose his allies when embarking on desperate ventures, and I knew it well.

Adrian could become the most important and decisive asset at my disposal, but I wasn't sure I could handle another... me.

"Time is running out my friend." he said grinning, and knowing he had me cornered. "Ron may be loyal to my father until he dies, but he's no fool. By now he will have already ordered his best scout to run to Baxos to ask for reinforcements. And in Baxos right now there are both the Third and Twelfth Legions. It will take time, but sooner or later they will come here from the north pass to bring relief. Are you sure you can waste time getting entangled in a siege of the Castle?"

Finally, inevitably, I shook that hand: what else could I have done?

But lying would be pointless: I admired him. Because anyone who manages to turn a ruinous defeat into a semi-victory by any means, even the most subtle, from my point of view is worthy of the highest consideration.

Of course Scalia wasn't at all happy to see him leave the room on his legs, and even less so when I told her what kind of deal we'd made.

"Daemon please tell me you really aren't going to do this."

"We have no choice Scalia. If what he told us is true, more reinforcements will arrive soon."

"And we will defeat them, as we have already done."

"Perhaps. But how many would have to die in order to succeed?"

She lowered her eyes, gritting her teeth in frustration.

"However..."

"Sometimes you need to put your pride aside sister. I know what he did to you is unforgivable, but you can't help but admit that Adrian could be a very valuable asset."

"You should have figured it out by now, that guy is the very embodiment of ambition. How do we know he won't betray us if things get bad?"

"He won't."

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"Because by fighting for us, he'll get something he can't get anywhere else."

"And that is?"

"An entire nation in his hands, to be shaped as he pleases."

And believe me, I know better than anyone how great the satisfaction that comes from possessing such a power truly is.

Scalia didn't seem at all convinced, but by now she trusted me to such an extent that she would never allow herself to get in the way of my decisions.

"More reinforcements from Dundee will be arriving the day after tomorrow. For tonight the soldiers can go on a spree, but starting tomorrow they'll have to start packing their belongings. This Revolution will end before the next moon."



Never before had Governor Longinus asked to be sent to administer such a troublesome and remote region as Eirinn.

All he wanted when he accepted the appointment was to finish his ten years as soon as possible and then return to Maligrad and receive a better one, perhaps in the west, where green pastures, pristine beaches and thriving commercial cities abounded.

But to earn a new, more prestigious assignment he had to deserve it, so he had done everything to ensure that things remained calm.

Under his administration, the mines had considerably increased the production of precious metals and reunionism had been almost completely crushed; it mattered little, at least for him, that this had been possible through exhausting work shifts for the slaves and countless executions.

And now that the bubo had burst, he saw everything he had hoped for for his future crumble like crystal.

When he had seen the legendary Fifteenth Legion return from the battle almost halved, he had understood that now all was lost, and that this affair would inevitably tarnish his reputation forever.

All he could do was limit the damage and try to fix the situation as fast as possible; and since the last thing he needed was a gang of rednecks running around telling stories of how he and his men were getting slaughtered by a handful of rebellious slaves, he had ordered to lockdown the Castle and close all the crossings still under their control, preventing anyone from leaving the province.

He still hoped to be able to resolve the situation internally so as not to compromise his prestige even more and to still be able to hope for the Emperor's benevolence, for this he was not at all happy to know that General Ron, immediately after returning, had ordered to go to the north to ask for reinforcements without first consulting with him.

He'd protested at first, but eventually convinced himself that a ruined reputation was still preferable to losing his life.

In any case, he knew that for him there would no longer be a future in the Empire.

"You have nothing to fear, My Lord." said the General during the usual mid-morning meeting in the audience hall. "The Castle is an impenetrable fortress, no matter how hard Haselworth tries, and we still have more than enough forces to defend it effortlessly."

"What if they start using those damn cannons?"

"This fortress was built specifically to withstand cannons, and besides, theirs are quite small. Even using them all together would take weeks to breach. I personally know Generals Plinio and Agrippa who command the Third and Twelfth Legions, they will certainly be here within ten days at the latest."

"Is there any news of my son?"

"Unfortunately, my lord, Lord Adrian is still missing. We have not heard from him since he and his unit offered to cover our retreat by forming a defensive line at the exit of the valley. We have to assume he's dead."

"That idiot. He boasted so much, and in the end a handful of ragamuffins were enough to tear his self-styled champions to shreds."

If he even thought about the fact that the news of what was happening in his province was destined to reach the capital probably within a week, Longinus felt his blood boil with anger.

"I can already imagine the senators and councilors laughing at me. The Emperor won't even want to see me again. Maybe when this story is over I'd better drop everything and try my luck elsewhere. They say the shores of Connelly are beautiful in the fall."

The sudden peal of the keep's bell heralded the arrival of the invaders, so the Governor and Longinus immediately rushed – as far as Longinus was able, given his lack of affinity for physical exertion – to the top of the viewing tower.

Preceded by blasts of trumpets and a white, red and blue banner made of rags, thousands of soldiers armed and dressed in the most varied ways appeared from over the hill to the south, arranging in an enlarged formation and stopping a few hundred meters from the town, beyond the reach of archers, ballistae and other siege weapons.

Ron didn't even have to use his keen eyesight to spot Daemon's white horse in the heart of the enemy line; he stood there, as if he wanted to show off, half hidden behind a heavy cloak and surrounded by orcs, minotaurs and other giants to shield him.

The inhabitants of the city responded to the appearance of the rebels by naturally all rushing towards the fortress, however finding the gates manned by the garrison and about to be closed.

The orders were clear: no civilians were allowed inside the Castle, given that the little food that the army had managed to store in the granaries starving thousands of people was barely enough for the soldiers.

And there was no pity for anyone; someone even lost their skin in an attempt to save themselves beyond the walls by defying the spears of the legionaries.

Meanwhile the rebels had brought forward their own siege weapons; the Governor and the General expected to see those cursed cannons appear and unleash a hail of bullets against the walls and the town, so they were stunned for a moment by what unfolded before their eyes.

"Catapults!?" said Longinus

"And made of scrap, too. They must have assembled them in a hurry. But what are they going to do with it? There's no way they could hit us from that far away."

"Maybe they want to scare us by leveling the city. Let them do then. Fewer rednecks to worry about."

And indeed the rebels threw something, but not what everyone expected.

A shout went up among the citizens in the streets.

"Bread! They're throwing bread at us!"

But the worst was yet to come.

"General! My Lord!" yelled a legionnaire appearing at the top of the tower with a note in his hand. "The rebels are throwing these along with the bread!"



Good people of the Castle!

We are not your enemies.

The governor and his rabid dogs are starving you and using you as human shields to protect themselves.

They don't care about your life.

Leave the village and come towards us.

No harm will be done to you.

Your brothers in Dundee and Basterwick are ready to welcome you.

Our soldiers have orders not to loot or steal anything. Your homes and belongings will not be touched.

The commander of the revolutionary forces.

Daemon Haselworth



"You bastard!" snapped Longinus tearing the piece of paper to shreds "Shoot anyone who tries to leave the village!"

None of Ron's remaining legionaries were from Eirinn; many, however, had friends among the villagers, some even family members.

Therefore, when large numbers of civilians chose to respond to the invitation by running towards the enemy army, most of the soldiers did not feel like obeying, despite their training. The result was that when some others began to aim at the fleeing citizens, a half-revolt broke out on the ramparts.

"Looks like it worked, they're fighting each other." Septimus said looking through the spyglass Daemon had lent him. "Let's just hope they don't realize I'm not Daemon."

"And that creepy dandy didn't trick us." said Passe, standing next to him. "To me, Daemon is taking an unnecessary risk."