"A ruler should keep his promises

only when they bring him a profit."



All nobles loved tea.

It was the drink of rich and cultured people, very expensive to import and buy, and the distant land of Maharadi had built its wealth on its trade.

But Daemon was different.

He appreciated another drink, denser and darker, produced in Torian; it was unpleasantly bitter, but he didn't mind, and in fact he said that the stronger it was, the more it relieved him, because it allowed him to stay awake for a long time to take care of his many tasks.

The people of the Empire and beyond found the stuff so untasteful that they had never even given it a name, so he had given it one.

"Who made this coffee, a drunken salamander?" he protested as he sipped some in the middle of the meeting. "Okay, I like it strong, but it's practically burnt this way."

Not that anyone was paying attention; they were all too busy arguing with each other.

A week after the victory at Mistvale the situation was essentially frozen; the enemy, who had also received reinforcements in the meantime, was still entrenched in Grote Muren, with no apparent intention to leave anytime soon.

Contacts with the outside world were now limited to just the bridge over the Jesi, but the continuing state of war weighed ever more heavily on trade and on merchants' confidence in the future of the Free State.

A solution was necessary, and it was precisely on this that even after seven days of discussions the Assembly was still unable to agree, with the interventionists on one side led by Oldrick and the wait-and-see group on the other gathered around Mary.

By now the meeting hall of Basterwick Town Hall had become a fighting arena.

"I can't understand why you, Lady Wallace, insist on leaving things as they are." said Oldrick "As Minister of Economy you should be the first to understand how desperate the situation is."

"This doesn't justify what you want to do." Rutte said. "Invading Eirinn would be madness!"

"And what should we do? Wait until they attack us again?"

"I agree with Governor Tielde." said Lyrney, lawyer and Minister of Justice. "We all know that crazy cannon Victor. If his father did everything to avoid having to designate him as successor, there must be a reason."

"One thing is certain, this situation cannot continue." Borg said. "Political tension and indecision are more harmful than war, and merchants love this country above all because decisions are made quickly here. If we wait any longer, many of them will leave."

"You're talking about a full-blown invasion!" Zorech exclaimed with unusual vehemence. "It doesn't matter how you name it."

"Messer Zorech is right." Mary said. "We created all this with the hope of giving all our friends a better future. But war doesn't bring a better future, only mourning and misery."

"We didn't want this war, my girl. On the other hand, if we do nothing, the Free State could cease to exist. Do you really want to go back to what was before? I certainly don't."

"Minister Passe is right." Adrian said. "And even if I agree with your thoughts Mary, we don't live in the world of fairy tales. We didn't start this war, but we can decide how to end it."

"We demonstrated our strength. Now they know we can defend ourselves. Maybe if we agreed to negotiate..."

"To negotiate? With Victor?" said Tielde "If he had wanted to negotiate he would have already done so, but only yesterday another two thousand men arrived at the fortress. It seems clear to me that he is preparing to try again."

"And we will push him back again and again if necessary." said Rutte «But if we attack Eirinn we will become the invaders. This would go against everything in our Declaration of Independence. We don't threat the right to freedom, we defend it."

"The problem is that when dealing with those who don't want to listen to reason, violence is the only possible response." Adrian replied funereally. "On the other hand, not responding to such a blatant invasion that disregarded every treaty would make us appear weak."

"Eirinn is a small fish all in all." urged Oldrick "I remind you that we have the Union to the south and the Empire to the north. Showing idleness would be like admitting that any act of aggression against us would have no consequences. If this message gets through, others may soon decide to make their move."

Daemon, who hadn't said a word all this time, stood up, and then everyone fell silent.

"War is hell. But it's also a curse. Gaia, in her infinite wisdom, has made it a triumph of horror precisely because otherwise men would have too much fun practicing it. And the last thing I wanted when I started the Revolution was to see our nation dragged into a conflict it didn't want. On the other hand, however, there are occasions in which the use of force is justified, and sometimes guaranteeing the good of a nation also means annihilating those who have proven to be a threat to it."

"Daemon..." Zorech said as if he didn't want to believe what he was hearing

"The victorious defense of our land demonstrated our strength to everyone. Now it's time to show our resolve. We will send a loud and clear message, and everyone will know from now on that attacking or threatening us will have consequences."

"Are you really sure there is no other solution?"

"I'm sorry, Mary. I know this can't be an easy decision for you, and I don't blame you if you don't agree with me. But our own survival is at risk, and not just because Victor could attack us again at any moment. As Borg said, this war could destroy our economy. Eirinn is our gateway to the East. Even if they do not attack us again, we will be doomed if those trade routes are not reopened soon. For this reason, I ask the Assembly to authorize the start of a military campaign against Eirinn."

"Eirinn is an ally of the Empire." Rutte said sadly. "If we attack them, it would be like declaring war on Ademar himself."

"I remind you that what we occupy is a land that formally belongs to the Empire. Frankly, I doubt our relationships with them could be any worse. Am I right, Daemon?"

"You say it very well, Tielde. We all know that sooner or later the Empire will move against us, and it is very likely that this decision will push them to act. But as I said, sometimes protecting a nation also means having to take risks. So? What's your decision?"

For the first time in five months, the vote didn't result in a unanimous decision, although in the end it was only Zorech who voted against.

"Thank you for your trust. I want to make it clear that it's not my intention to claim lands that are not already ours, and here before you I pledge to cease hostilities the moment the enemy decides to negotiate."

"There is only one problem." Adrian said. «Victor and his army still control Grote Muren, and we all know how hard we have worked to make it impregnable."

"He's right." Oldrick said. "We risk suffering considerable losses right away by attacking the fortress head-on, given that the Gael Pass will certainly still be too blocked to easily cross it."

"We'll figure something out. In the meantime I want a detailed report on the state of our forces as soon as possible. Count to the last man we have, and make sure everyone has enough armaments and supplies. Naturally the ban on looting and raids will remain valid, and anyone who transgresses will pay with the gallows."



Locked in her cell, Athreia had a lot of time to think.

And her thoughts certainly weren't happy ones.

Even though she tried to believe that what she had been told couldn't be true, Scalia's words about what happened on that mountain were stuck in her head, taking away her hunger, sleep and reason.

As she used to do in similar situations, she tried to maintain control with meditation or exercise, but none of these things was easy to do locked in a hole where she could barely move a few steps.

At least by eavesdropping on the guards' conversations she had understood that her sister had also survived the Battle of Mistvale, and this served to give her at least one reason to want to stay alive.

But the days passed, and it seemed like no one cared about her anymore.

Then one evening the cell door opened; at first, she thought they were the guard and the warder bringing her food and she didn't even interrupt her meditation, except to realize that the step of one of the two was too light to belong to that grumpy canine and her boar friend.

"She's coming with me. And of course you don't know anything about it, am I clear?"

"Yes Daemon, don't worry."

As if he was accompanying a friend rather than a prisoner, Daemon led Athreia out of the prison.

"You'll have recovered by now, I suppose." said the boy getting on his horse "And just to be clear, avoid making jokes. You should have realized that it would be useless, besides there are patrols and soldiers everywhere, so you wouldn't go far."

Athreia did as she was told, obeying in a way that surprised even her and following her captor in their silent march to the city gates. There wasn't a living soul to be seen around, and everything around them was immersed in the silence of the night.

"We have imposed a curfew after sunset. I didn't want to explain too much to Scalia or any of my other annoying advisors. But even if someone sees you, as long as you're with me you can rest easy."

And in fact no one, not even the soldiers guarding the gates, asked questions, allowing their commander to leave taking the prisoner with him without saying a word.

After leaving the city they proceeded west at a brisk pace; riding like that normally would have been a trivial matter for Athreia, but the many days locked in prison and the convalescence took their toll on her body.

"That's enough." Daemon then said after a few hours. "Let's rest until the sun rises."

"I can still continue." said the centaur in an almost resentful way

"Don't ask too much of yourself. Besides, I don't feel like dragging you around. You're pretty heavy, you know that?"

With the skill that only someone accustomed to living in the wilderness could have Daemon set up a camp, and once the fire was lit he put some food from his saddle bag to heat.

"You'd better eat something." the boy said, noticing that his guest hesitated to consume the vegetables that he had made available to her. "Tomorrow we have to climb up the mountains."

It was only at that point that Athreia had the courage to ask the fateful question.

"Where are you taking me?"

"There's something I want you to see."

"It doesn't matter what you show me or what you say to me. I don't intend to betray my comrades."

"What makes you think I want this from you?"

"I heard the guards talking. Humans and monsters fighting together. It's clear that you can be very persuasive. But I know where and who to place my loyalty. I am a soldier of the Imperial Army, and will remain so until the end of my days."

Daemon looked into her eyes, and for the first time since her father's death Athreia felt a strange sense of awe fill her.

"Have you ever been outside the Empire?"

"What!? ... Well, no... As a child I visited the free lands of the elves."

"And were there any centaurs among you from other nations?"

"Impossible. We almost all come from the same region. The few of us who are not originally from Vanlia are natives of other provinces of the Empire. Why are you asking me this?"

"It was just curiosity."

Then, as soon as he finished his meal, Daemon went to bed.

"You will take the first watch. Wake me up in three hours."

Athreia really couldn't understand how this boy could trust her this much; maybe he was trusting her fear of the bind, or maybe he was just a complete fool.

He had even left his sword in plain sight next to the bed; she would just have to grab it, slit his throat and run away.

And instead she did exactly what she was asked; after eating, she diligently kept watch well beyond the designated hour, so much so that when Daemon awoke he was already beginning to dawn.

"You should have called me."

"I wasn't sleepy. I slept a lot in the cell."

Daemon then prepared his strange bitter drink based on toasted and crushed grains infused in boiling water.

"Wanna taste? I warn you, it's pretty strong."

And it really was, so much so that Athreia only needed one sip to feel her head tingle and her ears trembling.

"How can you humans drink this stuff?"

"Actually, for now, I'm the only one who drinks it around here. But I'm trying to spread it in the army. As you have noticed, it is excellent for toning the body and keeping the mind clear."

Now Athreia was starting to understand why this seemingly normal boy had been able to overwhelm them in such a dramatic way. The way he cared for his soldiers and all of his subjects, and the respect they had for him, weren't normal at all, especially for a human ruler.

"With all due respect, but you don't really look like someone who's only been in command of a nation for a few months."

"Who knows." the boy winked. "Maybe in a previous life I was a general. Or perhaps even an emperor."

Athreia wasn't a religious person, but she almost wondered if it couldn't be true.



After dismantling the camp, Daemon and Athreia set off again, setting off as predicted along a path that took them into the heart of the mountains, where the forest became less dense, giving way to large pastures.

"We're almost there." said Daemon after a few hours of walking, pointing not far away to a cluster of houses huddled at the base of a rocky ridge.

"What is that?"

«A shepherds' meeting place. They once used it during the summer pastures, but now it is abandoned.»

"Yet looking at it from here it seems still inhabited."

"Indeed it is. You'll understand soon."

But what Athreia saw once they finally arrived was enough to leave her speechless.

The village was indeed inhabited, so much so that many houses had been renovated, but not by human beings.

Centaurs.

That place was full of her kind.

There must have been at least two hundred of all ages, species and backgrounds, from the colts of the northern steppes to the massive warriors of the far west, playing, conversing and working together as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

The first to notice the new arrivals were three children practicing war on the vast lawn in front of the village, who ran towards them smiling and waving their toy swords and spears.

"Master Daemon! You're back!"

"Hi guys. I'm happy to see you again."

"Did you bring us anything good?"

"I'm sorry, not today. I promise to bring you something next time. But don't you ever stop beating yourself up?"

"We want to become strong and learn to fight! So when we grow up we can fight alongside you!"

"I appreciate your determination. My hope is that by the time you grow up, the wars will be just a bad memory. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't become strong, so that one day you can protect your friends and all your people."

"We will definitely do it!"

"Master Daemon, who is this young lady?" asked the only girl in the group. "Will she stay here? Old Lasik has just finished renovating another house, there will definitely be room for her too."

"We have not decided yet. But I told her about this place and she wanted to see it. But now go back to playing."

Athreia was so speechless that she couldn't open her mouth, and the more she wandered around the village the more her amazement increased.

"As you might imagine, centaurs aren't exactly welcome here. I created this settlement to give them a place to stay, and in the meantime I'm introducing some of them into the administrative apparatus to accustom the other monsters to their presence."

"But why are they here? I mean, why would a centaur want to come to a place like this?"

Suddenly Athreia heard someone calling her, and when she turned she saw a gentle-looking, elderly centaur coming towards her, dragging a sleigh full of freshly cut logs.

"Lady Athreia, it is truly you. Amazing, you look exactly like your mother. Sorry, maybe you don't remember me. My name is Lasik, I was your grandfather's lieutenant a long time ago."

"I remember you. You disappeared into thin air many years ago, when I was just a little girl. They said you were dead."

"I was close. They captured me during the border disputes. I was brought to the Union, where I was a slave on a Southern plantation for a long time."

"A slave!?"

"Yes, Lady Athreia. Nearly all who now live here were slaves. When we learned that the Free State was ready to welcome us too, we ran away and took refuge here. Master Daemon gave us this place and gave us back our freedom."

"But it's not possible. I knew that centaurs could not be enslaved. Humans consider us their equals."

"In the Empire perhaps yes, but elsewhere is different. In the Union, in Torian and even in Volkova we centaurs are considered monsters like any other, and as such we can be enslaved. Once, those who could fled to Connelly or the Empire, but both nations have refused to welcome us for some time now. Anyway, I'm happy to see you again. When we heard about what had happened on the Gael Pass I feared for your lives. You'll see that you'll feel comfortable here, Messer Daemon is always happy to welcome those who have talent, right?"

"You said it very well, my friend. Thank you for looking after these people so thoughtfully."

"Thank you for giving us back our dignity."

When Lasik left shortly after, taking his heavy burden with him, Athreia looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"Do you understand now why I asked you if you had ever been outside the Empire?"

"This... this is cruel. You make me see these things so that I can question what I've based my whole life on."

"I wouldn't call opening someone's eyes to the lies they've been told for years cruel. Moreover, many of the inhabitants of this village come from the Empire. Don't you wonder why?"

Athreia, however, was still too shocked and terrified to think about it.

"The Empire may not consider centaurs to be on the same level as all other monsters, but it has certainly always seen you as nothing more than effective war machines. A soldier or legionnaire who becomes injured, disabled, or simply deemed unfit to serve in the army can still hope to find another purpose in life or receive a generous benefit. But a centaur who can't fight is worthless. If he's not part or has never been part of a military unit of any kind he has no right to own a house, land, much less have his own business. All he's allowed to do is put himself at the service of a human, who will be able to dispose of him as he pleases. And don't think that the wounded or disabled fare better; the subsidy they receive is barely enough to survive, and I'll let you imagine how easy it is for them to find a job. And all this without taking into account that centaurs do not have the right to vote, with the exception of the right to elect their representatives in municipal governments, which however must always be approved by the governor. Now tell me honestly how this differs from being a slave."

It was more than Athreia could bear, and hiding her face behind her hands the girl ran away, soon getting lost in the alleys.

All she achieved by wandering up and down without knowing where to go was finding herself face to face with dozens of her kind who happily and smilingly enjoyed their newfound freedom, and who as she passed looked at her almost with pity.

The same little girl from just before saw her as she abandoned herself against the wall of a mountain hut just outside the village, exhausted and terrified, wetting the grass at her feet with her tears.

"Don't cry, miss." she said offering her an apple. "Everything will be fine. You are free now."

But what did it mean to be free?