"I have," I muttered as harshly as possible. I could recognize the bronze seal in her hands, smirking when she used the small object as a shield. "Your husband is a Centurion? Are you so proud of your man who only leads eighty men? Do you know who I am?"
I swat her hand away from my face, slightly unsettled by her pompous attitude. Any woman who knows of the military will not boast about being a Centurion. For average soldiers, the post of Centurion is the closest they will approach.
Despite this, the woman believed she could threaten me using a Centurion's badge. She thought I was below her status when I am not covered in my armour. People who use status to oppress others truly bug me. Especially a woman who uses her husband's status instead of her own. This woman shielded her daughter from me and Zoticus as if we carried a disease.
I scoff at her behaviour, suddenly feeling the powerful need to put this woman in her place. Summoning the blood in my veins, I wove my best armour from threads of blood and marrow. Soon enough, I stand in the centre of the market with dark red armour and a helmet made of horse bones. I did not bother calling my sword because I can already see the regret in the woman's eyes.
"I do not need to know your husband to know he is below me." In the corner of my eyes, buyers and merchants pause to gawk at my special battle attire. I rarely wear blood armour, but Valesians will recognize me by what I wear. This woman may have never seen me in her life but my armour is a legend amongst the people.
"Is that blood armour?" The woman removed her hands from her child's eyes and sank to her knees, folding her hands together to beg for forgiveness. "Let me atone for the wrong things I have said to you and your partner. I did not recognize you, Marik."
"Marik?" I grit through my teeth, allowing my armour to vanish. The muscles in my neck tightened until the veins in my neck bulged. I wrench my wrist out of a pair of warm hands attempting to envelop mine in a warm grasp. "You are nothing to me, do not call me Marik. I am General of Vales' Elite Army. Do you understand?"
"Ye-"
"I don't need to know if you do, take your child and scram! Do not consider using a Centurion badge to intimidate anyone else. If you happen to meet one of my men and thrust that embarrassing thing in their face," I chuckled softly. I held a finger under my nose. "They would not be as merciful as me."
"Thank you," the woman rose from the ground and tugged her daughter away from me. She apologized for attacking Zoticus, promising she would be cautious with her words. "Come, Priscilla, say good-bye to this soldier before we go."
"Good-bye, this soldier." The girl whose name I assumed to be 'Priscilla' bowed although she looked confused. She must be wondering why her mother told her to pay her respects to me, an ordinary man in the marketplace. Then, she used her short legs to run after her mother.
"Master," Zoticus gulped when I turned around to glare at him. He lowered his voice until his words came out as whispers. "Marik, why are you such a fickle man?"
"Why am I? I am not a pushover like yourself!" I grabbed his jaw, ignoring the hiss that escaped his full lips. I know I handled him too roughly but my mind was full of fire that I silently begged to die. I leaned forward to split his legs apart with my knees. "If no one will stand for me, I only have myself. There is no soul that would protect me except for mine."
"You are too arrogant. Your fall will not be a dear person killing you, but your hot head bursting!" Zoticus slid back to move further away from me. He almost fell over the bench, but he quickly caught himself. "Get your hands off me!"
"I won't mind dying in that way. As long as I perish, I will be satisfied." I carefully remove my hand from his back. I take Lorica off his lap to place her beside our food basket and although he tried to trap me with his strong legs, I managed to keep his thighs apart. "You are more than a slave, remember that."
"Why would I have to remember that?" He spat in my face. "I urge you to keep your head, but you won't consider my words. You are my master and I am your slave, nothing more and nothing less."
"Is that how you interpret my actions? You think I am a villain because I find it is fun?" I grabbed a handful of his tunic until the upper half of his body hung over the bench. I hear passing people snicker, but I continued to descend. "Look at me in the eye and say I don't care about your opinion. Can you say it with confidence?"
His answer was a simple action which was glancing to the side at Lorica. He wanted to avoid my eyes and his fist rapped against my chest. He was pushing me away although he saw through the windows to my soul. He knew I was only trying to defend us.
"You know I only want to speak for ourselves. I'm not worthy of holding the position of teacher or punisher, but it is a man eat man world. If I allowed the woman to continue using the bronze badge she would meet her demise one day." I could not tell if I was lying or not. Instead, I only smiled sweetly.
Zoticus sighed into my face, grabbing my shoulders after his futile attempts at throwing me off him. "Get off of me, you're too close! You should not do this here."
"What am I doing, please clarify?" I leaned in until our eyes were a chicken feather length apart. "Grabbing your tunic, pushing you down and might be thinking about kissing you beside your daughter?"
"You are disgusting," he slapped my face.
My eyes shot open and a smirk graced his face. I held one hand to my stinging cheeks, "You slapped me. When we return home, I will punish you how I see fit."
"Fine, but whatever you do to me I will remember up until the day I can successfully cut your throat." He grabbed my waist and kicked me where it hurts the most. He knew I was caught off guard so he took the opportunity to escape from beneath me. He gathered Lorica and the basket in his arms, looming over me.
I held a hand to shield my face from the bright sun lighting Zoticus' frame. I moved to lie on the bench, sighing wistfully as I reached up with one arm. I hated the fact that I wanted to explain myself to Zoticus. I shouldn't have to tell him anything!
"Let's go, people are staring!" Zoticus zipped away from me, making me think he loathed standing beside me in public. He seems to care about public opinion more than I should but I remembered his origins. As a former public figure, he had to maintain his image. Even when he struggled to carry his load, he jogged away from the market.
I chuckled on the bench, sitting up and throwing myself off to follow him through the colossal archway marking the market's entrance. I blocked my senses to the men and women staring after me as my only focus was the bouncing, golden curls.
I clutched my chest after running after Zoticus. Although I am a strong warrior, I felt the former priest was agile and fast. Even when he ran like the wind the baby and food stayed safe in his arms which I did not understand. Who is Zoticus and how can he outrun me?
Once I reached Kingsdom, I slowed my steps and started to cough violently. My head buzzed yet I pushed on, enduring the blotches of light swimming across my vision. I needed to run more often or I will die at this rate.
Zoticus, on the other hand, waited for me in front of my home. The only sign of his exercise was his glistening skin drenched in sweat. He raked a hand through his hair, breathing out as he does so.
"Took you long enough to catch up. Your defence is lacking." Zoticus tapped the space where my blood barrier should have been.
Did I forget to set it up when we left for the market? I moved to enter the house after Zoticus.
"Marik! Marik, wait!" A voice called out from behind me. The hollering had come from my deputy and friend. Suddenly, Sebastian's face appeared before my eyes. He could blind me if he does this more often!
I blink rapidly, not understanding why my friend would be catching his breath. I think he ran from the army training grounds to my house. "Sebastian, why are you so excited?"
"Xishun has declared war on Vales, they are crossing through the kingdom of Mesoa to reach our new land in Cithen." My friend produced a letter from his red robes' pockets. "This is Emperor Utar's decree. He wants to deploy the Elite Army immediately."
"What did you say? He wants us to go immediately?" I untied the ribbon keeping the folded letter together, ignoring the royal seal for a moment. I unfolded the paper to skim over the letter. "What did you do?"
"I sent five thousand men. It was reported that Xishun is sending only fifteen thousand. Most of our men are dragon riders and the gods of Vales." Sebastian scratched his neck. He shouldn't be worried, but he was.
Vales does not have only one god, Emperor Utar assigns different titles to different men. We have a God of Water, God of Light, God of Poison and so on. Most of the gods serve under me, the God of War and Destruction.
Vales also have goddesses whom Empress Aurora anointed herself. They are not women married to the gods, but they are noble women who must act like goddesses. They must nurture and guide ordinary Valesians and the gods.
A few goddesses joined the army after my predecessors scouted them during the Empire Games. Women have been proven to be hard workers and critical thinkers.
I must admit that my men rely on their brawn more than their brains. The women balance their stupidity.
Vales' Elite Army boasts more power than implied in its name. I am very proud to lead several hundred thousand valiant soldiers who are willing to protect Vales.
No matter how large our enemy seems, our brotherly (and sisterly) love makes us strong. We are always determined to survive battles so that we may see each other's faces for another day. One more day is enough for us to fight our all.
A person can do so much in a single day. Wake up to see the sunrise, greet friends with smiles, share conversations over morning meals, train the mind and body, walk and enjoy food, feel emotions and go to bed late at night. In bed, we hope for another day.
On battlefields, we fight for another day.
Zoticus returned to stand beside me. He looked confused as he read the letter. Then, he laughed. "Xishun is targetting Vales? You won't need to send more than a thousand men if they're crossing Mesoa."
Sebastian looked up from my hands to stare at Zoticus. "You must not know anything about war. A thousand men fighting fifteen thousand? Our men are formidable, but the number is also powerful. Xishun is the nation of the Phoenix. They specialize in the art of fireworks and explosives."
Zoticus shrugged. "I admit, I know little about warfare."
I could hear the sarcasm in his voice, but I let Sebastian have his moment of feeling superior. My friend would soon regret belittling Zoticus.
"Mesoans loathe Xishun because the latter always tests their underdeveloped explosives on fortresses and civilians." Zoticus held a finger in the air with a smile. He knew every kingdom's relationship with their neighbours. "Mesoa defends itself from Xishun more than Vales. If the Xishuns use war as an excuse to trespass onto Mesoan territory?"
The Mesoans will be suspicious of their neighbour because the tension has already been built over centuries. If they open their gates to Xishun, they risk two things. The first being their downfall if Xishun plans to raid the kingdom while 'passing through'. The second issue was losing favour from Vales.
As the world's largest empire, smaller kingdoms and empires wish to hold our hands. Being close to Vales is dangerous, but there is some protection.
This is unfortunate because Vales does not believe in allies. We would dare to wage war against the rest of the world and it has happened before. Seven hundred years ago, when Vales rose to the top.
Zoticus was not finished with his analysis. "Fifteen thousand against one thousand may seem irrational, but why send five thousand? Xishun's only method of attacking is launching explosives and using flame throwers."
I have heard about Xishun's odd strategies, but I have not thought a nation would use fire as their only way to attack. If they are confident waging war against Vales when they only use fire, something is being hidden. Xishun is a small kingdom, yet they have created an alliance with many small kingdoms and tribes.
"You might be thinking they have a trick up their sleeves, but they don't. I've fought them on different territories and each time, fire was everything they used." He paused to recall past battles. "Well, they did have foot soldiers and chariots but they were weak."
"You have a military background?" Sebastian asked Zoticus. His eyes narrowed because he didn't know if he should listen to the man standing to my left.
Zoticus nodded and held up three fingers. "I've fought for Cithen since I was around fifteen. Three years ago. I didn't fight against Vales because the gods didn't allow me."
"You're around eighteen? I don't believe it!" Sebastian leaned into Zoticus' face. He doubted Zoticus' words. My friend touched Zoticus' arms. "You're strong and firm. Marik is so lucky!"
"Anyway," Zoticus cleared his throat.
Sebastian drew away almost instantly. He nodded his head approvingly, liking the blonde man already.
"If you're worried about their expertise with fire, use water." Zoticus pointed at a vase left out in the sun by my neighbour. He knew there was water in the container. "Your men can manipulate water, right?"
"Some of them, but enough to disable a hundred fire devices in a day." I think I was right. I didn't want to overreach or underestimate my brothers.
Sebastian shook his head to disagree. "I've consulted leaders of other armies and the average amount of men suggested was five thousand. It seems reasonable enough."
"You spoke to other generals? Sebastian, I am your friend and I make the decisions about the Elite Army." I draped an arm over Zoticus' shoulders. "Zoticus is well versed in the art of warfare, I know I can trust his judgement."
Sebastian glanced at Lorica who grinned back at him. "Your slave took in a baby! Even if his words are logical, I doubt he is correct. He's too mild for war."
"Being a caretaker does not make anyone less capable of fighting. I dare you to attack the baby, we will see how Zoticus reacts." I knew I said the right thing because the man in my arms clutched the baby tighter to his chest. I removed my arm from his shoulders.
Sebastian shook his head and muttered beneath his breath. "You've become talc for the sunny boy. Did you two do something in bed yet? Marik, you listen to him when you never listened to me!"
"As expected, Marik's friend is as vulgar as himself!" Zoticus pushed me away from him again. He glared at Sebastian and thrust his chest out. "Don't believe me and send your five thousand men for fun. You're not taking Marik with you."
Sebastian caught Zoticus by the arm as the latter was leaving the triangle to go back into my house. "You arrogant Krasean, who are you to tell me what I won't do. Marik, you need to come with us."
I puckered my lips, feeling uncomfortable under a pair of intense gazes. I looked back and forth between Sebastian and Zoticus. Should I listen to the fiery man or the sunny man? I agreed with both Zoticus and Sebastian.
"I am a general, I must be with my brothers even when they will still win regardless. My presence is mandatory as I am their leader and Sebastian," I turned my body towards my friend. If a general must be on the front lines, so should the deputy. "You're coming with me. How long has it been since the five thousand set off?"
"They should be crossing Acheron. The river has been bubbling which is not a good omen." I did not know that my men have just departed from Vales and Sebastian shrugged. "I would have told you as soon as the decree arrived but you were nowhere to be found."
"How long will the battle take? It will take at least a day to meet Xishun's army in Mesoa if we ride dragons. Will they be stalled at the gates of Mesoa?" I knew very little about Xishun and Mesoa because I never had the need to study the kingdoms. I only needed to attack and defend.
As a God of War, I had no plans except to slaughter.
Zoticus shook his head solemnly. He called us foolish as he strode past us and into the yards. When we followed, he held up a hand. "Wait right there, I will gather what we need and we'll go to Mesoa together. I want to see who is correct."
"Obviously, it is I." Sebastian held a hand to his chest and tilted his nose upwards. He and I knew that he was imitating Prince Fabio. "I've had a longer life in the military than you. You're living in fairytales where wars are not possible. Three years on battlefields? How does it compare to ten years?"
Zoticus stopped in his tracks, his fist clenching. It was no secret that Sebastian had struck a nerve. The tanned man whipped around almost immediately. "Three years cannot compare to ten in terms of numeracy, but are you belittling me because you think I lack experience?"
He threw blazing glares in our direction. "I live in fantastic worlds? We all know that is far from the truth."
His deep, dark voice shook me to the core. He was passionate as he spoke to defend himself and lecture my friend. His hands moved to create exaggerated gestures, his face reddened. "You can never guess my past life!"
"That is true," Sebastian interrupted Zoticus as quickly as possible. He didn't look interested in what the other man had to say. "However, it cannot possibly be as terrible as living as a warrior for ten years."
Sebastian waved a hand to disregard his words. He sighed, "I would like to chat more about your dark past, but Marik and I should leave Vales by the first streak of pink in the sky."
Zoticus raced into the house to return with Lorica in his arms. A small bag was slung over his back. He stood with feet spread wide apart and twin balls of fury faced us. A raging wind lashed his hair into his eyes. "I said I will come with you. I will be responsible for Lorica so you two can do what you need to without caring for us."
"He's mad," Sebastian muttered to himself. He shrugged and tugged my arm. "If you want to bring a baby with you to a battlefield, don't blame anyone for your deaths. I've already called Pyro, where is Sangrine?"
"He's somewhere out there," I said. I chuckled sheepishly while summoning my giant serpentine mount. I could see Sebastian's confidence mesh with Zoticus'. The tension and male energy soared higher than the skies. "So, why did Xishun declare war right after Cithen's defeat?"
"Their king is an arrogant bastard." Zoticus pitched into the conversation before falling silent. His eyes showed his strong emotions that Sebastian and I could not understand.
I assumed Zoticus had unpleasant encounters with Xishun's ruler. He must have known the kingdom through first hand experience, but how? As far as I know, Xishun and Cithen had been on good terms.
Cithen was tiny compared to Vales but Xishun is tinier. Perhaps the latter felt threatened by seeing one of their bigger allies have been defeated. Fear does make small rulers act irrational.
I can't understand why Xishun would consider poking Vales, but I had no time to entertain my thoughts. As soon as Sangrine landed loudly in front of my house's gates, Zoticus and I took our places on his back.
Sebastian leapt onto Pyro, tugging a string of golden bells until she lifted off the ground. "Marik, you know where Mesoa is located. I will ride ahead. See you at this time tomorrow!"