One of my guards sounded a horn to announce our arrival. They hoisted the woman on their shields. They carried her down towards the center of the village. All of the inhabitants watched us as we made our way down the dirt road and brought her to Cao Tzu. She was in the middle of praying to an idol of Ile’Sethak when we arrived. Alarmed, she quickly rose to her feet and signed off to me, asking me what had happened.

“We found the woman in the jungle.” I replied to her while my focus was maintained on our new guest. Cao Tzu signed again, waving her hands about in gestures that only I could understand. She asked me if I knew who the woman was.

“I know of only two things: I know that she was sent to me by Cora, and I know that she is Roharim.”

She signed to me with a worried look on her face. Cao Tzu had grown to be adept in magic and healing, but she was no miracle worker by her own account. She remarked that the woman should be dead, and that her wounds would be fatal. I simply smiled at her and leaned forward, with an ever determined look in my eyes.

“This woman killed fifteen warriors. She didn’t fight her way here just to die on this table. Besides, you should know by now that Roharim men and women are exceptionally hard to kill.”

Cao Tzu did everything she possibly could to treat the woman’s injuries: disinfecting her wounds, bandaging the scrapes and cuts up, stitching gashes, and putting her broken arm in a sling so it could heal. All that remained was to simply wait for the woman to wake up. Cao Tzu doubted that she would, given her injuries. Yet I reminded her that I survived a similar situation when I faced the bull. If I could do it, then so could that woman.

I kept careful watch over the woman for the next few days. Her body had been battered and bruised. She had not woken up from that deathless sleep she had found herself in. Then one day while Cao Tzu was changing the woman’s bandages, the woman finally awoke, feeling groggy and in a daze. Cao Tzu quickly alerted me. Together with Brutus, we were both eager to see another child of Roharim.

The cuts and bruises on her body were more visible thanks to time. Her tanned skin had mixtures of purple, red and yellow. Much of the swelling had died down, yet her body was still in the long and difficult process of healing. It would take time to fully recover, especially her broken arm. Cao Tzu did everything possible to nurture her. Her eyes opened half way as she became aware of our presence.

“Hrgn…ugh. W-wha-?”

I could see the look on her face that everything appeared hazy. Her eyes tried to focus on Brutus and me.

“Easy there.” I said as I placed my hand on her shoulder as delicately as I could. “You are among friends.”

She grabbed her aching head with her good arm. She sighed and lifted herself up. Though it must have caused her pain, she hid it well.

“Hadrian…” Her vision cleared as she recognized me from the jungle. She adjusted herself on the slab to sit down with her legs dangling over. She then stood. I was about to help her if she fell, but she only stumbled once. I was impressed. Even the regular Roharim citizen would still show off a great deal of pain. I gazed into her eyes again. They were like pools of sapphire water that shone brightly in the light. Yet behind those eyes I could see her struggling to keep herself from showing any discomfort. It was as if she were willing her entire body to obey her and show no hint of weakness.

Brutus chuckled and crossed his arms as he gazed at her form, his eyes scanning her every curve.

“Impressive~.” Brutus leered at her for a moment longer before I cleared my throat and would introduce myself and Brutus.

“Yes, I am Hadrian Damoclesian. This is Brutus Trikon. The three of us are Roharim. A rare privilege when we have been so far from home for this long time.”

She slowly nodded. We were all kinsmen afterall. One of the Roharimae people’s core virtues is that of comradery and kinship. We all suffered and went through great struggle and perseverance to reach adulthood. Our training and strict doctrines cull the weak from our society. Whoever sired the woman and trained her did so with expert skill. She was a perfect example of Roharim strength.

“My name is Kallista.” She said as she rolled her shoulder, trying to get a feel for the sling. She felt some more discomfort but refused to show any more than a grimace.

“Kallista.” I watched her as the name left a sweet taste in my mouth like a fine wine. “You traveled a great distance and fought in many battles to get here. I commend your bravery. May I ask why you’ve come? What brought you to me today?”

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She paused for a moment. She adjusted herself on the floor to find her footing easier. Her legs were sore but her will was strong.

“I have nowhere to go. Roharim is closed to me. I can’t return to the homeland. From what Cora has told me, you are creating something that isn’t too far off from home. If you would have me, I would be honored to join you.”

There was a tinge of pain in her eyes —the first she actually showed— that wasn’t hidden behind her high defensive walls. Whatever set her on that path towards me weighed heavily on her heart. There are many reasons one can have Roharim “closed” to them. Perhaps she was like me and exiled.

“When one is offered a finely crafted blade they would be a fool to refuse. Your skills are impressive. Fifteen men all on your own. The three I saw you killed while you had a broken arm. You are determined to live no matter what comes your way. I respect and admire that.”

She gave me a slight nod before she limped away from the bed. Brutus looked at me while her back was turned and gave me a slight wink before following her. I watched Brutus as he had set his eyes on a new target before I felt someone else’s gaze upon me. I turned my head to see a figure peeking through the entrance to the tent. It was my concubine, Domia. She hadn’t noticed my gaze yet. Her eyes were transfixed on Kallista. I could see the envy in her eyes. At that point she was pregnant with my child for many months. She was due to give birth at any time.

As I said before, Domia came to me for protection. As Kai’Sar, I was the most powerful man in the tribe. She was one of the first to accept a new name. It became a common practice for newly conquered tribes to abandon their old names and be given new names inspired by Roharim. I couldn’t tell you Domia’s original name because she never spoke it. Being one of the first, she enjoyed many privileges. One being my first concubine. However, as I watched her stare at Kallista and rub her belly, I saw the signs of a hidden ambition. I saw the wheels turning in her head and the look of concern on her face. She was worried about losing her position and everything that meant. She caught me looking at her and then stepped back, slinking out of the tent.

I returned my gaze to Kallista and Brutus. Already he had moved in to try to woo her, however Brutus was far more adept in capturing the heart of a prostitute with his words, for she knew that she would get paid. On someone on Kallista’s levels, he wouldn’t have much effect. As he flirted with her, I walked over to where her armor had been placed. I examined her helmet and saw the violet lotus emblem just above the brow. All along the brow and sides of the helmet were vines that were not too far off from a laurel wreath. Cora had outdid herself. The armor was effective as it was beautiful, though the sides of the helmet had been damaged due to heavy sword swings.

“How did you come to meet Cora?”

Kallista turned her head to my direction sharply. She tilted her head and blinked. Her answer was a slight “Hmm?” as she tried to ascertain what I said.

“How did you come to meet Cora?” I looked at her as I held the helmet. I tapped my finger on the lotus for her to see very clearly. Kallista nodded as she understood.

“When I arrived in the Blasted Lands, I didn’t know what direction I was going. Everywhere I looked was flat, a sandy desert as far as the eye could see. Even a mirage would have been a welcomed sight. At least then I could have had a fool's hope of survival.”

She licked her lips at the thought of being in that dry and unforgiving hellscape. It was enough to drive anyone insane through heat and thirst.

“I kept walking, half mad and my brain on fire. I then felt something touch my legs. A River. I thought I had gone insane, but I touched it and started to drink as much as I could. I felt such relief, I didn’t notice when a few warriors came to me. At the time I didn’t know it, but they served the sorceress Lak’Ashara. They brought me to Cora who treated my ailments. When I recovered, I heard about you. How you conquered several tribes these past few months. I wanted to be a part of it.”

I smiled at her and walked over to her. I placed my hand on her shoulder and patted her, trying to be gentle enough not to hurt her.

“Heal up first, then you will taste glory.”

She smiled at me before I turned and left the tent. Kallista would need to recover before she was of any use. Time would tell. I brushed the tarp door away and took a breath of fresh air. I caught Domia off the corner of my eye and turned to look at her. I moved out of the way of the door and gestured for her to follow. She did just so.

“You’re afraid.” I said coldly and straight to the point.

“I-I don’t know what you mean my lo-”

“Yes you do. You’re a terrible liar. Have I not been good to you?”

She stammered slightly, afraid to give the wrong answer. She cleared her throat and nodded.

“You have been very good to me, Kai’Sar. Few men could ever hope to compare to your strength and generosity.”

“Then why do you doubt me, woman?” I turned to look at her, stopping in my tracks. She almost bumped into me. “I’m going to end this before it begins. You have the protection of my army. You have servants to tend to your every need, you even have my child growing inside you which makes you more important than any other woman in this place. Yet, you are a concubine. That is your role. That is the role you chose when you threw yourself at me. If I desire to take a woman as my queen, it is my choice. It may be you, it may be someone else, but at the end of the day I am still Kai’Sar. You will know your place and you will do as I command”

“My lord…” She tried to speak further, but I raised my hand to silence her.

“Enough. I am not a stupid man. Your choice to be with me was a calculated one. You swooped in when you did. You are an intelligent woman. That is why I admire you, and why you carry my child. But never…and I mean never make the mistake that you are more clever than I.”

I turned and left it at that. Perhaps I could have handled it better, yet at the time I said what I needed to say. There was no illusion of control she had, and if there was I had to shatter it.

I decided then to examine the other women. The ones who the men of my legion bedded. I was thinking about the long term. I needed warriors for the future. Warriors that were specifically bred for their new kingdom. Following the examples of Roharim, they would be trained to be loyal to their Kai’Sar. I couldn’t be very picky in those early days, But I would refine it. The men and women fighters in my legions would pick out their sutors and they would give their kingdom many sons and daughters.

The child I had with Domia would be one of these children. She perhaps assumed that our child would be my heir. My intention however was to be neutral. The child would not inherit my throne. They wouldn’t even be told who sired them. They would be with the other children of my empire. To all of the children, their Kai’Sar was their father and their empire was their mother. The banners of our armies would be their swaddling clothes. Their daily lessons would be how to fight and kill. Just as I had been trained since birth to fight and die for Roharim, so too would the children who at that day still rested safely in their mother’s bellies be trained to fight and die for their empire. To fight and die for their Kai’Sar.

Domia was not the only one with high ambitions, you know.