Like unwanted garbage, I was tossed into a cell with no care for my well-being until I sobered up. I couldn’t even support myself to get up. The thing that was the most painful was not the headache that felt like my brain was attempting to grow legs and crawl out of my skull. It was the sheer humiliation that I had been captured so easily after all the effort I went to. My stomach turned at the mere thought of that, or maybe that was just the previous night's revelry coming back to haunt me. Either way, I was stuck here.

Slowly I regained my senses and waited in that darkened cell for some sign that I had not been forgotten. I thought about escape, yet the more I thought about it the more I saw that there was an ulterior motive to my confinement. They captured me, and I was at their mercy. At any time they could have dragged me out into the street and publicly executed me. They had their man and they didn’t seem like the type to give me a fair trial after committing acts of terrorism that spat directly in their faces.

As far as I was aware, Brutus was still out there somewhere. I could only hope that he managed to avoid trouble. By the time the guards came for me, I was sober enough to walk and talk. They escorted me up to the throne room. It appeared that I was to have an audience with the ruler of Akari. When I arrived, I found that I was not alone. Joining me in bondage was Cao Tzu, Mil’Tuk, Staden and Octavian. Still no Brutus. Perhaps my hope of his escape was true. I was brought before the throne with shackles binding my wrists in front of me. The throne itself was empty, and we were left waiting for the ruler. As I waited, someone entered the room. It was her…

The same woman from the cultist’s demonstration, staring with her violet eyes. I turned my head to Octavian, who regarded me with a glare that simply said “I told you so.” Suddenly it clicked in my head. I turned to face the woman with realization. It was her that was the witness. She tipped off the guards to what we were doing. Only this woman who had evaded our detection before could have been the eyewitness to our rebellious act. I suddenly felt very small in that instance. In that moment, I realized that I was but a pawn in a larger game of hers. To what end goal, I knew not what, but the fact remained the same. I believed that the day I was brought before the throne room was to be my last day among the living. She said not a word as she sauntered in and looked up to the throne, waiting just as patiently as us. I saw the royal guards leaving a hallway and stood at the sides of the entrance. I could hear footsteps coming down the hallway, and began to count them like the final grains of sand that were the time I had left to live.

Exiting from the hallway was a beautiful woman in fine silk garments. Her dress was long and flowing, yet I could see the silhouette of her body moving, revealing but not incredibly so. Her light almond colored skin appeared soft. Her arms were clearly visible and covered by only the thinnest veil of silk so details could still be seen, such as the dark blue paint on her arms that depicted fish scales. She wore a jeweled headdress. It was stripped with blue and gold and had intricate patterns of scales on the blue stripes. The centerpiece was a golden fish with sapphire eyes that glistened brightly in the light. She had the face of a living Goddess and carried the authority of one as she walked.

I knew right away that this was the ruler of Akari. Queen Ankarama the golden. She sat down on her throne and placed one leg over the other. The masked woman stood next to her as an advisor. I had no idea what my immediate fate would have been, but it didn’t appear to be favorable.

With but a gesture of her slender fingers, the queen ordered her guards to “escort” me to the foot of the stairs leading up to the throne she sat high upon. With amber eyes she examined me for a moment or two before she finally spoke.

“My associate here said that you had a giant of a man in your employ. Where is he?”

They hadn’t found Brutus. A small sense of relief washed over me. My first instinct was to cover for him.

“I mourn his loss. He died during our last…incident. A simple accident claimed his life when we tested our explosives.”

It was pointless to hide our actions. Most likely the masked woman had more than enough evidence on us. Still, I made an attempt to protect Brutus. If he was still out there, he might have been able to provide a means for our escape before we found ourselves on the executioner's chopping block.

At least that was the plan until mere moments after my sentence, Brutus was dragged in with chains. He had apparently taken out several guards before foul sorcery was used to subdue him. He was led into the room by three robed figures who served the queen. Each had a small gem in their hands of different colors that matched similarly colored gems on Brutus’s restraints. He tried to strike at them, but one of the robed figures simply raised the gem aloft and Brutus was struck as if by lightning. He fell to his knees and clenched his teeth.

The queen gave a sly smirk and a cocked brow, clearly amused.

“Well, it seems the Gods favor you, warrior. You have been blessed by a miracle. Your giant has returned from the dead.”

Every word she spoke had the familiar venom of sarcasm soaked in it. Just like that, my hopes were dashed yet again. I thought to myself “Ille’Sethak, please kill me now.”

She rested her hand on her cheek and her elbow on the arm of the throne. Her leg gently kicked in the air.

“So you are the so called ‘heretics’ that have disrupted Lak’Ashara and the cult of Ys’Tar’s practices. I imagined there would have been a lot more of you. You…what is your name?”

She lazily pointed her foot at me, and I answered.

“I am Hadrian Damoclesian.”

“Hadrian Damoclesian…” She repeated my name and leaned back, her foot still kicking lightly. She switched the positions of her crossed legs to get more comfortable.

“Do you know how much trouble you’ve given me? Several slaves from the cult of Ys’Tar are still unaccounted for. Many of the cultists lay dead, and now even the high priest in the city has been killed. My city is under threat from Lak’Ashara, who has personally made it clear that she is displeased.”

“I thought you were the queen.” I spoke out of turn, and a guard immediately punched my stomach, and sent me down to the ground.

“Be Silent!” The guard spoke with contempt.

Ankarama raised her hand and the guard stepped away.

“As much as speaking out of turn offends me, Damoclesian has a point. I am queen, but the power of Lak’Ashara has made my rule a client one.”

She rose from her throne and descended the stairs. When she stood over me, the guards made sure that I remained on my knees.

“I have enough power to maintain order in my province so long as I abide by her demands. Unfortunately I’m unable to do so thanks to you. You’ve poked a hornet nest and now you got stung. How does it feel?”

I held my head high in defiance and stood up, resisting the guards. The queen raised her hand and silently ordered the guards to let me rise. I stood at my full height, where her head met my chest. She looked up at me and gave the most subtle of smiles as I answered.

“Believe me, your highness: I have been stung much worse.”

I raised my shackled wrists. If she could see the scars of my crucifixion, she’d know how true that statement was.

She smiled as she looked up at me, yet still held an air of command befitting a ruler.

“Nevertheless, your actions since your arrival here have been detrimental to the safety of my people and my city.”

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“Ah, so you sacrifice your people to protect your people.”

I’d almost expect her to slap me for that comment, but she was cool under the pressure.

“It’s better than the alternative. What are the lives of a handful of slaves compared to a city’s destruction?”

I cocked my eyebrow. “Is this Lak’Ashara really that petty?”

“Let’s just say that failure is not an option when the high prophet of Ys’Tar is concerned.”

We stared at each other for a few moments —our words hanging in the air for a short time— before she spoke once more.

“You are an interesting man, Hadrian. After knowing about Lak’Ashara’s reach, most men would submit themselves. But there's a Defiance in you that will get you killed one day.”

“Perhaps I’m simply not so keen on sacrificing my own people in some grand lottery to save my own skin.”

She placed her hand on my chin and turned my head to examine me.

“I could just have you executed and be done with it. Otherwise I could send you into slavery and you can hope for the best. But…”

She trailed off, placing a thumb on the corner of my lip. She smiled mischievously as she toyed with whatever ideas that hatched in her head. The masked woman came down from the throne and whispered to Ankarama. The queen sighed and nodded to her advisor.

“Oh, but you’re right, aren't you? You’re always right. Still…I’ll keep the idea open~.”

She bit her lower lip and gently patted my cheek before turning away to the side and paced.

“There is one thing that you can do that would make all of this go away for me. I let you live, and you do this task. If you die, then Lak’Ashara will be pleased and the situation will be forgotten. If you live, then you proved yourself worthy and you would have removed a very troublesome thorn from my side, and the side of Lak’Ashara. Either way, I am in the clear.”

“And all that it will cost you are the lives of myself and my compatriots.”

“Oh I wish it were different. A specimen such as yourself would do well as a consort…or a gladiator. Whatever the case, it's better for me to secure the lives of my people than to satisfy my own carnal desires. If you happen to survive however, I might just reconsider.”

The masked woman rolled her eyes and shook her head. I however was not interested in the queen's advances, no matter how beautiful she was.

“And what exactly is this task you would have me do?”

The Queen turned to me and crossed her arms.

“I have an issue that I need capable men to deal with. Lak’Ashara demands tribute every year from all of the leaders of the different ‘clans’ as she calls us.”

She stepped away from me, flicking her finger in the air as a gesture that commanded the guards to unshackle my wrists. I rubbed them, though my scars stung me as the air hit them. The masked woman took note of my wounds and tilted her head. As if hearing her thoughts, the queen turned and came closer to examine my wrists. Her fingers traced where the nails dug deeply into my flesh.

“Fascinating…”

She clearly recognized my wounds and the origins of them. No doubt she had seen —much less ordered— a few crucifixions in her rule. She removed her hands from me and continued.

“I have previously sent my tributes to Lak’Ashara, but we have encountered a problem. A small wastrel tribe has decided to raid my tributes. Normally I’d have no problem dealing with wastrels, but every time I send a force to take their heads, I am sent the heads of my own warriors instead.”

“And you want me and my people to eliminate them?”

“Correct. I don’t know much about the history of this tribe. Most of them are pretty much the same anyway. Hostile in every definition of the world. Lak’Ashara is throwing another lavish party. I am expected to go there. My tribute will come with me. You will guard me. Should these savages show up, then you are to deal with them.”

“And if I refuse, you’ll execute us?”

“You catch on very quickly.”

I was not interested in shady —underhanded— dealings. What choice did I have though? My refusal would not only condemn myself, but everyone in my group before we had a chance to really do anything. I let out a short sigh.

“What exactly can you tell us about this tribe?”

“I can tell you that they are great warriors in their own right. Almost everyone I sent to eliminate the tribe was butchered. Only a handful of survivors were left, all reported the same thing. Their leader was a vicious warlord. A barbarian of unmatched strength and tenacity. We don’t know his name, but they call him ‘the bull’ because he wears a horned helmet. They say the bull killed several men by himself with nothing but his bare hands.”

I instantly thought of Brutus in that regard. A worthy match to be sure, but even so. This ‘Bull’ sounded like a barbarian that would make even the legions of Roharim think twice. I resigned myself to this fate and took it in stride.

“Very well. We agree to your terms. As long as you give your word that nothing befalls my people.”

She gave me a coy smirk before ascending the stairs and sitting on her throne.

“My word is my bond, Hadrian. Do well, and this may be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.”

Another simple gesture and a flick of the wrist and she had the guards release my companions. She leaned over to the masked woman and whispered a private conversation to her. To fight for a queen would not be the worst way to die. Yet I had no intention of dying. My ambitions would only be stoked. I was making headway.

With a simple nod that I gave to the queen I signaled that I was ready to leave. My eyes met with the masked woman’s violet eyes for a fleeting moment. Whatever game she was playing, I was forced to be the pawn. Eventually though I’d set out to become a prime player.

We were allowed to return to our place at the Inn to gather our effects and speak among ourselves. Octavian was not entirely pleased with the entire situation.

“So now we are in the service of this queen, who herself is subservient to some other ruler. The layers here are thick with irony.”

“We can’t really complain about our status now, can we? It's better than having whatever foul magic turn us into lifeless husks.”

“Even still, it's rather humiliating. Now we are indentured to this fish queen when greater things are in store for us. And before you say anything, my lord, I know this will probably bring favor to us. I get that. But it doesn’t mean that I have to like or agree with it.”

I crossed my arms and sighed, pondering for the moment. I looked around and saw the faces of the rest of my companions. Everyone was uneasy. Everyone that is, except Brutus. Brutus was primed and ready for another fight. He quaked with anticipation about facing off against a worthy foe.

I crossed my arms, raising my hand up to wrap my index finger and thumb around my chin to think.

“I’m in agreement with you, Octavian. I don’t enjoy my life or the lives of my people being bartering chips. We put ourselves at risk fighting a war that is clearly not ours. If we don’t then our lives are forfeit. Damned if we do, damned if we don't. Simple as that.”

“I fear no Bull! Bring him to me, I’ll find the perfect place to shove that ‘horned helmet’ of his.” Brutus said with all the bolster and gravitas of a bar full of patrons learning that someone had paid for a free round of drinks for everyone.

“Let's not be hasty, my old friend. We need caution. We need a plan.”

Brutus grumbled at my suggestion and began to walk off.

“I have a plan. I fight the Bull. I win. End of story.”

Callously he then used his great strength to pick up a barmaid and hoist her over his shoulder. That Barmaid had become Brutus’s favorite partner in carnal desire, and she clearly had no complaints.

Octavian shook his head and sighed. “Forgive me, my lord but He clearly thinks with one head more than the other.”

I turned to face Octavian and sighed through my nose.

“But we still can’t deny his use. Let him have his fun. We will see who Ille’Sethak favors when we face this so called ‘Bull’ and deliver this prophets tribute.”

Octavian grumbled and rolled his eyes.

“That's another thing. It makes me feel filthy that we are handing this tyrant her tribute when she doesn’t deserve any of it.”

“Agreed, but it's out of our hands. All we can do is wait for our next opportunity.”

At that moment, we could hear the sound of Brutus and his barmaid lover in carnal passion above us. I shook my head and went to the balcony, in a sudden need of fresh air. I leaned on the balcony and looked up at the stars. What had I gotten myself into? Clearly I was way in over my head, but what else could I do? Not much else, that was certain.

Even without her there, I still thought about the mysterious woman who had been watching us for some time. I couldn’t deny that I found the entire thing attractive in a way. My curiosity got the better of me and I imagined what might be under that mask. The enigma was attractive to me as my journey to discover Ille’Sethak was so long ago. Who was she, and what was her role in all of this? These questions confounded me, and they kept me awake. Time —as it ever did— would reveal all before my journey ended. All I could do was be patient.