The silence crept upon the survivors, darkening their hearts with fear of the uncertain. They didn't know what was happening and where they were heading but one thing was certain. They were being chased by the enemies that were drunk on their blood.
" Damn it. How long do we have to go, Byzantian? We lost our rations and we lost our leader. At this rate, we all are going to die."
One of the paladins looked at Hasan with anger in his eyes, believing it was their fault. The Byzantine soldiers groaned at his words, trying to draw their swords but Hasan calmed them down with a single gesture.
He got up from the dead log, walking slowly toward the paladin with a calm expression. His jet-black eyes didn't leave his silhouette, bringing fear to him.
" Roman paladin, calm your tone. This isn't your home. We are in Byzantian territory. As long as we reach the nearest city, we can shake them off until keep our mouths shut. Your leader was a valiant man. I don't know how he led you nor do I care about it, but in my land, you have to listen. Otherwise, your head will be hung by noon. Our land isn't a kind place like yours. We struggle to live here even though we are a flourished country. The strong eat weak."
Hasan spat out the truth in front of his barren face, his cold eyes didn't leave his face for a minute as the silence descended upon them until Sera went between them. He gave two sticks of fish that he got from the pond, calming them down.
" I know you are angry and tired, Brother Exodus, but we need their help. Besides, think of our deceased leader. He got along with him and trusted our lives to him. We have no choice but to comply with his wishes."
Exodus clicked his tongue with annoyance while biting off the fish. He felt the char of the fish but he didn't spit it out because he was used to it. There was no salt or spice here, so it was expected to have bland food.
" You are a smart boy. If you were in my army, I would have promoted you to be my hand. Pity, you already belong to them and so does that lad."
Hasan noticed these two kids had extraordinary talent in their fields and both of them were rare like his upper echelon men. He wanted to put them under his wing but he had to honor his words. Furthermore, they weren't out of danger, so who might know whether they would make it alive or not?
" Our Byzantian people always pay our thanks. Your leader was a brave man. Perhaps one of the best men in this continent but he fell to such treacherous bastards."
Hasan didn't hide his contempt toward the enemies, bringing the spotlight to their identities. He saw the flag on their back and he found out who they were truly.
"A long time ago when Persia was in its prime. There was a group of people who didn't want the regime to continue. They were few, so they searched for ways to counter the mighty Persian army. Ironically, they didn't find a single way to defeat them until one of them suggested killing the king in secret. He was a thief who came from the slums and he knew how to hide and use daggers."
Sera pushed the wood into the fire, looking at it with melancholy because he used to admire this group.
" Then they trained and did that every day to kill that king. In the end, they killed the king and became the legends. But even great legends would be destroyed by the greed of humans. The Persian king recreated that group, claiming them to be part of their army."
Hasan hated the current rulers of the Middle East where culture used to thrive. The people were rich and kind under the rule of one king, but after the destruction of Persia, the remaining nobles divided the land and created many countries that tried to claim supremacy of the once glorious past.
" Do you know our enemies are that bastards? They leeched off their ancestors and now they are destroying lives of innocent."
However, one has to remember every coin has 2 sides. His words might be true in his viewpoint, but the reverse could happen.