Steppe S-3552814967 [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/313aaab4-767f-4cea-91cb-69c8d8fbef2a/dh573e7-a90c35a1-4d4a-467e-a258-5c691cc66e2b.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzMxM2FhYWI0LTc2N2YtNGNlYS05MWNiLTY5YzhkOGZiZWYyYVwvZGg1NzNlNy1hOTBjMzVhMS00ZDRhLTQ2N2UtYTI1OC01YzY5MWNjNjZlMmIucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.lvfH-HobalBjd5WFJV08YwCW6pd8D75UPIx-CxJYWEE]

As Tabahn Khan disappeared into the grasslands beyond, Demetrius turned to one of the men who helped escort the Khan out of the town.

"Bring me my horse," Demetrius ordered.

"Yes, despotēs," the man nodded.

A hint of shock crossed Theotokos' face.

"You're leaving already?" he asked.

"Of course, I am," Demetrius answered. "The Baikals won't come back anytime soon with their Khan blinded, so I have no reason to stay here."

Theotokos looked completely confused.

"But don't you want to stay and celebrate?" he questioned.

"No. I have other matters to attend to," Demetrius said.

"We just won a great victory!" Theotokos declared. "And you aren't popular here. Perhaps celebrating with the men would make you more liked?"

The Stratigos held in a sigh.

"That is the opposite of what I want," he thought.

Demetrius turned his voice harsh.

"Listen, Tourmarchēs Theotokos. This was not a great victory," the Stratigos said.

"We sent the Baikals running with barely any losses! Their Khan isn't a threat anymore!" Theotokos pointed out.

Demetrius forced a laugh. Then, he stopped and turned to Theotokos. The boy made his face contort in a mocking expression of rage.

"Yes! We beat one tribe of steppe nomads before they could become a real threat. Meanwhile, there are lots of other tribes that could attack us at any moment. Southeast of here, desert tribes are attacking us. And we are still technically at war with the Alfara Empire, even if we have a ceasefire with them at the moment. And to the West, Theme Warriors are skirmishing with knights and mercenaries of the Zavarni Kingdom. We're not even at war with them, but conflict is brewing," Demetrius stated.

His voice turned low and harsh.

"There are numerous battles like the one we just fought all over the Remen Empire. This was not a great victory. It was such a minor battle that no historian would bother writing it down. At best, it will be a footnote."

To Demetrius' utter shock, Theotokos smiled.

"So, you're saying that this was a mere skirmish?" the Tourmarchēs asked.

"It isn't that minor, but it is close," Demetrius answered.

"That means that even greater glory awaits," Theotokos said. "Some day, I might fight in a massive battle."

Ganzaya chuckled.

"Spoken like a true warrior," the Ulv stated.

At that point, the soldier arrived with Demetrius' horse. The boy approached it. Then, Ganzaya's voice entered his ears.

"Stratigos, would you mind waiting until I get my horse?"

Demetrius turned to Ganzaya with a look of contempt in his eyes.

"Why?" he asked.

"I want to go with you," Ganzaya answered with somber eyes. "If I look for my wife on my own, I will never find her. But I have a chance if I have your help."

The Ulv quickly raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"I'm not asking you to do this for free. While we're traveling, I will serve you in any way you want. If you want me to be your bodyguard, I will be your bodyguard. If you want me to wash your clothes, I will wash your clothes. Whatever you need, I will do it as long as you help me find my wife," he said.

Demetrius was about to open his mouth, but he hesitated.

"That's an incredible offer. It took multiple men to restrain Ganzaya. I don't think he's exaggerating when he says he's the greatest warrior of the Ulvs. I don't need a bodyguard, but I can't let his talents go to waste. And all I have to do is help him find his wife. I should be able to do a few things to help, and no one would be against me having a barbarian bodyguard. Not after the Varangian guard was established. Still, I need to make sure this doesn't go badly," Demetrius thought before speaking. "You do realize that we don't know where your wife is, right? She could be as far North as Varagnia, or somewhere you've never even heard of."

Ganzaya nodded.

"I am aware of that, but you're my best chance at finding her, despotēs," he said.

"You might serve me for the rest of your life without ever finding your wife," Demetrius stated.

Ganzaya clenched his fists so hard they turned white.

"I know. The odds are lower, but if there's even the slightest chance of finding Khaliun, I have to take it. And your help would give me more than a slight chance," the Ulv said.

Demetrius nodded.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Very well," the boy said. "Get your horse. We'll move out the moment we return."

Ganzaya gave Demetrius a grateful smile.

"Thank you, despotēs."

"Don't thank me," Demetrius ordered. "You're serving as my bodyguard from now on. That will be enough."

Demetrius and Ganzaya rode through the steppe. It was a massive sea of grass, green stretching out as far as the eye could see. Islands of melting snow specked the greenery. There were few hills. The land was as flat as a pancake.

Above them, the sky was a bright blue. It stretched unhindered by mountains and trees.

The two saw a herd of saiga antelope as they rode. A pack of wolves darted out of some tall grass, chasing down and killing one of the weaker members of the herd.

After traveling for a while, the sky started to darken. The Sun set in the distance. Demetrius stopped his horse. Ganzaya did the same.

"We'll make camp here," Demetrius said. "We can continue traveling tomorrow."

Ganzaya dismounted.

"I will set up our tents and make a fire," he stated. "Do you have food, or will I need to hunt too?"

Demetrius opened his mouth to say something derisive, but he stopped.

"Making Ganzaya hate me is a bad idea. He's going to be my bodyguard," the Stratigos thought.

"Very well. You may proceed," he said.

Demetrius removed his tent from where it was on his horse. Then, Ganzaya set everything up. Soon enough, the two were sitting around a campfire. They were eating several pieces of dried meat.

"I'm surprised you travel on your own. Important men usually have a large retinue," Ganzaya said.

"Magicians don't need retinues. We can travel safely on our own," Demetrius replied. "It makes logistics much easier."

Ganzaya nodded.

"Yes. Sending one man who can do the work of an army must be incredible for supply lines," he stated. "Still, wouldn't a large retinue be better for impressing foreigners?"

"We have ambassadors for that," Demetrius said.

Ganzaya nodded. He took a bite of his meat. There was a look of concern on his face.

"He's worried about his wife. I should say something," Demetrius thought before speaking. "If your wife is in the Remen Empire, we're guaranteed to find her."

"You have a plan?" Ganzaya asked.

Demetrius nodded.

"Yes. First, you should know that slavery is a bit out of fashion in the Remen Empire. Some moralists have been claiming that slavery is wrong, as ridiculous as that sounds. But they convinced a few slave owners, so indentured servitude is more popular than slavery at the moment. Though, there are still a lot of slaves," he answered.

Confusion crossed Ganzaya's face.

"How could anyone think slavery is wrong?" the Ulv questioned.

"The moralists make some good arguments," Demetrius said before thinking. "And they're not entirely wrong. At the very least, slaves should be treated better."

Ganzaya shook his head.

"We're getting off-topic. There's a lower chance of my wife being here, but we have fewer places we need to look, right?" he asked.

"Basically, but we aren't looking. My servants are," Demetrius stated. "I am part of one of the four magician families. As you can imagine, I am quite wealthy. I will instruct some of my family's servants who are in charge of purchasing things that I'm looking for an Ulv woman slave. Then, if they find your wife, we'll simply buy her freedom."

Ganzaya grimaced.

"I'd rather take the head of whoever bought her," he said.

Demetrius glared.

"Maybe that'd be acceptable in your barbarian lands, but killing him would be murder, and taking your wife without buying her freedom would be theft in the Remen Empire. In fact, I'd say it's murder and theft in most countries. Apparently, the Varangians wouldn't consider it murder and theft, or at least wouldn't care. They're an honorable sort, but their sense of honor is very strange," the Stratigos replied.

Ganzaya pondered.

"And you're certain that your men will be able to find Khaliun?" he asked.

"If she's in the Remen Empire, they will find her," Demetrius answered. "And they might find her if she isn't. They'll at least look into the main slave markets of the various desert kingdoms to the East too. The slave trade is thriving there. They have slaves from all over the world."

The Ulv pondered.

"The Northmen have a lot of slaves too. Do you think Khaliun might be there?" Ganzaya questioned.

"If she is, there isn't much we can do. The Varangian lands are far from the Remen Empire, and the Varagnians live on islands as well as the mainland. It's best to assume that she was taken somewhere else, especially since most slave traders would prefer to sell slaves somewhere closer," Demetrius explained.

Then, a thought came to the Stratigos.

"Do you speak Grekken?" he asked.

"I do," Ganzaya answered.

Demetrius spoke in Grekken.

"Most people in the Remen Empire speak Grekken. So, we'll talk in that language from now on."

He looked to the side and pulled up his status screen, which only he could see.

Named Entities that Love You: 2.

Named Entities that Like You: 2.

Named Entities that Dislike You: 55.

Named Entities that Hate You: 86.

Named Entities that Despise You: 26.

Named Entities that Fear You: 155.

"The new guy that likes me is probably Ganzaya," Demetrius thought. "The people that hate and fear me are lower than before, as expected. Some people probably died of their wounds from the battle. Others got over whatever hatred and fear they had. By the time I get back to Kostaspolis, these numbers will probably be much lower."

The Stratigos looked back at the fire. Then, Ganzaya's voice came to his ears.

"I know you don't want me to, but I will say this: thank you for helping me save my wife."

A great feminine voice echoed out, flowing through the air.

"You have found a new fated bond, Capricorn. May it bring you aid in hardship and joy in sorrow. Your fate is now intertwined with Ares, the ram."

Demetrius jolted up.

"Dammit!" he shouted.

Ganzaya leaped to his feet, sword in hand. The Ulv warrior scanned the area quickly and completely.

"What is it? Did you see something?" Ganzaya asked.

Demetrius sat down with a sigh.

"I heard the voice of Wu Zhi," he answered.

Shock coated Ganzaya.

"The goddess of fate?"

"Yes," Demetrius nodded. "Don't be too surprised. Spellcasters hear the voices of gods a lot, and everyone in Kostaspoils has at least met one god."

"I'm not surprised that you can hear her. I met the god of the sky myself. I'm just surprised that she contacted you now of all times," Ganzaya replied.

Demetrius grimaced.

"She interlinked our fates," he said.

Ganzaya sat in contemplation for a moment.

"So, our fates are intertwined?" the Ulv asked.

"Yes," the Stratigos answered. "There isn't anything we can do about it now. Just out of curiosity, was your wife born under Capricorn?"

"No. She's a Taurus," Ganzaya replied.

Demetrius nodded.

"Then you might have a fate bond with her. Each person is born under a zodiac sign and can have one fate bond with one person of each different sign. These bonds have some benefits, but they're mostly more trouble than they're worth," he explained.

Ganzaya pondered.

"What benefits do they have?" the Ulv asked.

"None worth talking about," Demetrius answered.

A sense of bitterness flowed through the Stratigos' body. He pulled up a new status screen.

Fate Bonds:

Ares: 1.

Gemini: 0.

Aquarius: 8.

Virgo: 5.

"Fate's worthless," Demetrius thought. "Aside from Basil, I haven't gotten along with any of my fate bonds."

Then, the bitterness was replaced with sadness. Demetrius slumped down.

"No. Fate's not worthless. I'm worthless. If I had just reached out more, I could...there's still time. I'll try reaching out to Father and sister again when I return home. I won't be there for long, but I'll at least try to do something...even if it's futile. I don't know why anyone would love someone like me. I don't even deserve love."

Demetrius stood up. He walked over to his tent, making sure to avoid eye contact with Ganzaya.

"I'm going to bed," Demetrius said. "We're packing up and riding the moment I wake up."

"Have pleasant dreams, despotēs," Ganzaya stated.

Demetrius paused.

"There's one more thing you should know, Ganzaya. I'm not the only person you'll call despotēs. You refer to anyone in the Remen Empire with a higher social status than you as despotēs. People will probably not expect much from a barbarian like you, but you should still be careful, just in case," the Stratigos said.

"I want to say something kind, but I should keep Ganzaya from getting close to me. Just like how negative emotions make dark magic stronger, positive emotions make it weaker," Demetrius thought.