013: Debt

All heleny receive basic education until the age of twelve and everyone knows who the five races blessed by the gods are: Minotaurs, Heleny, Hyperboreans, Satyrs and Nymphs. These races are ordered according to the control and size of their soul, the minotaurs at the bottom can barely extend it beyond their bodies and the nymphs have spirits so massive and with so much control that they can create entire landscapes. But this order is not eternal, if a race loses favor the one that is one step below can rise, it is one of the reasons why minotaurs and heleny have been at war for more than a hundred years. The other way in which this order can change, is with a sixth race, which predicts the fall of one of the others, because when one race begins to receive favor, another will lose it, until it disappears.

…

Niko had launched an attack without waiting for the polemarch orders, even using his blessing "Πατέρας" without Asterion noticing. The doe was firing one arrow after another, when she was discovered, she didn't even bother, she used the quiver on her back, her projectiles were formed from between her fingers, the arrows not only had a wooden body, the tip looked like a disfigured claw and a short feather at the base, the cynocephalus formed complete arrows.

-Asterion, what do we do?

The polemarch was frozen, in front of him was what could be the destruction of the heleny, the first cynocephalus in history with five fingers, killing her would prevent the cynocephali from rising to power for gods know how much time.

Niko's agility was immaculate, not a single arrow reached him and several cynocephali rushed to attack him.

-BACK!

The doe orders were heard, the heleny had his sword ready to cut them down on the way, but seeing them retreat make him launch his first electric sphere, but before it hit, from the doe shoulder a huge horn emerged that reduced the damage.

-What is this?

Neither Niko nor any heleny had ever seen such a favor before.

-ASTER!

Asterion came to his senses.

-STOP NIKO!

Laconia rushed as fast as he could to stop the confrontation, the doe horn retracted into his body until it disappeared, but more spheres were on her way, seeing that she could not withstand so much damage she ran to intercept the thracian. Niko thought he had victory assured and his first cut made its way from the grass to the cynocephalus head, but she transformed the skin of her left arm into hard scales, the sword buried itself, but did not cut the arm, meanwhile her right hand turned into a huge bear paw, straight towards the man's face who turned his head avoiding a mortal wound, but a deep cut covering his entire cheekbone to the bone had formed, in addition to losing his sword that was still buried in the blessed one arm.

-Bastard.

Niko ring lit up to fill his hand with lightning and the small doe ear pendant shone while a horn grew from his right forearm, before both of them gave the fatal blow Laconia stood in the way, stopping both of their arms before the end.

-What are you doing? If we don't kill her, more like her will be born.

-Let me go, demon!

Asterion approached as fast as he could, the other cynocephali tried clumsily to surround Laconia, it was clear that they had never fought before, fear reigned in all of them.

-Niko, come here.

Laconia let him go, the thracian slowly got up with his hand on his cut cheekbone until he was next to Asterion.

-Listen to me cynocephali, I know that we are your enemies, but right now we are in hostile territory for both of us, help me and we will help you.

The doe couldn't help but laugh at the heleny.

-You heartless assassins, I'd rather die than receive your help.

Metallic sounds could be heard in the distance, another automaton, fighting them wore them out more and more, Niko no longer had any favors and most likely the cynocephalus didn't either because she didn't use one against the thracian.

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-Maybe you'd rather die, but what about your people?

The group of cynocephali was scared, trying to see where the noises were coming from, many were just children.

-Go back to the south.

-Of course, because that way instead of dying for those things, we'll be slaves again.

-I swear to you-.

-Enough of your empty promises, let us die on our own in peace.

-… Laconia, Niko, take care of the automatons, I'll take the cynocephalus to the south.

Both warriors opened their eyes as wide as they could to look at the polemarch in surprise, Niko even grabbing his arm.

-And who will defend you? Captain, they will kill you as soon as you separate from us.

-This time I agree with Niko, even if you help them their hatred for the heleny is much greater.

Asterion withdrew the sword buried in the doe arm.

-Heal her Laconia, she will be my guard.

-What the hell are you saying pigskin?

-You can see the size of my soul, right? I am the weakest of this squad, we will travel south while my soldiers take care of the automatons, once we are safe, let's talk.

Laconia and Niko were perplexed, the bestiary more than anything, he always exposes himself to danger, but never in this way, whatever the plan is in his head, it is something gigantic to have to take this risk.

-Why would you do this for us?

-Because right now, you and I need allies more than ever.

Time was running out and the footsteps of two automatons could be heard echoing through the forest, Laconia fire healed Niko and the Doe wounds as quickly as possible, resulting in scars.

-If you betray me, heleny, I swear I will kill you, in this life or the next, and unlike you, I keep my promises.

Asterion could not hide his smile and walked to his phalanx.

-The longer you delay, the greater the risk of me being killed, don't delay.

Laconia just turned around, ready to fight, Niko took his sword and sighed.

-No matter how hard you try, I don't know what's on your mind, captain, but I hope it's worth it.

The warriors turned their backs on the group of animals and they left, collecting the few belongings they had, only Asterion looked back as they disappeared into the forest.

…

The group had managed to escape, the giant trees that blocked almost all the light from the sky were now left behind, now it was just a normal forest, everyone was tired and hungry from the trip and the materials to set up tents and make a settlement were lost in the north, Asterion was lying on the ground, his body could no longer move from running so much and he was breathing heavily through his mouth, the doe pointed her bow at him as soon as they were far from danger.

- Are you… going to betray me?

- Only if I don't like your words. Why did you help us?

- I... told you... I need... allies.

- Lie, the heleny don't look for allies, only power and slaves. Last chance, tell me the truth or die.

Asterion caught his breath and took his time to think about his answer, with his hands clasped and resting on his chest he looked at the cynocephalus above him with total tranquility.

- You were slaves of the dioskouroi, right?

The cynocephalus bow tightened more and more.

- I'm sure that thousands of your companions are still there in the capital.

- Where are you going with this?

Asterion closed his eyes, as if he wanted to recover a very distant memory, something that the passage of time constantly erodes, but even so the polemarch with all his strength refuses to forget, a memory that right now for him, was more important than his life.

-I have a plan to free each and every slave in Helena.

-Liar.

Asterion stood up quickly, the doe arrow pierced the polemarch arm and almost buried itself in his chest, but the man pounced on her, immobilizing her for a few moments, all the cynocephali ran to help their leader.

-Why would you free the slaves, what do you gain from that?

A thick tail formed on the lumbar of the cynocephali that lifted her along with the weight of the man who was now back on the ground, the doe pushed him with her forearm against the ground and a claw was on its way to ending the life of the polemarch.

-Power.

The claw stopped.

-What are you saying?

-What you said, the heleny only seek power, I plan to free the slaves to weaken one of the archons.

The woman went blank.

-Why?

-I have a plan… to kill the dioskouroi… and take his place, I plan to become an archon.

The doe lowered her head and laughed, the cynocephali stopped their attack and everyone stared at their leader laughter, confused but calm.

-Yes, you heleny are all the same, now I understand, but if you plan to use us as your army you are very wrong.

-No, I just need less slaves, that benefits both of us, don't you think?

Asterion tried to clumsily pull out the arrow, but each movement only caused more damage to the flesh, the cynocephali removed it for him.

-This… is fine.

All the animal heads were excited, shouting that they should not trust the pig and that they should eliminate it and get out of here, but the decision had already been made.

-We will work together to free our brothers, but this is not an alliance.

-What do you prefer then?

-Consider it a debt, for saving us in the north, I and only I will help you, do not involve my people in this.

-As you wish.

…

Laconia and Niko returned as quickly as possible to the south, both were scared that the polemarch had been betrayed, no species would form an alliance with a heleny.

When they left the giant forest and saw the cynocephali surrounding someone, they thought the worst, both rushed to the center to see who they were surrounding and what they found was something unique in the world, a heleny was being treated and healed by a five-fingered cynocephali, Laconia could not help but laugh lightly at the absurdity of the situation. Niko held his head tightly in total confusion, all his life he was taught that if he found himself in this situation, he should kill the target, a sixth race with five fingers only means the death of another race, but it was then that he understood what his polemarch was thinking.

-“The death of another race”, I don't think that's necessarily us.