Leon wiped the sweat from his brow, his muscles aching from hours of labor under the unrelenting sun. His body had started to acclimate to the grueling work, but his mind stayed sharp, always planning, always calculating. Today was no different. He kept his head down, working the same as the rest of the slaves, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He needed to find an opening—another crack in the system to exploit.
The wall they were constructing was massive, an imposing structure meant to keep out enemies from other kingdoms. The irony wasn't lost on Leon that slaves—people considered disposable—were the ones building it.
As soon as the overseer's attention wavered, Leon slipped away, pretending to relieve himself in the nearby brush. His eyes scanned the ground carefully, searching for the small patches of herbs and mushrooms he had seen earlier. They weren't much, but they could be useful, either for treatment or to trade. Anything he could find that could give him an edge.
He knelt down, picking a few of the herbs, stuffing them into his tattered shirt when he heard a voice behind him.
"Leon."
He froze for a moment before standing up, his face hardening into a mask of indifference. Grig stepped out from the trees, his eyes wide with fear, darting around like a cornered rat.
"What do you want?" Leon asked, his voice low and cold. He didn't have time for this.
Grig wrung his hands nervously, looking over his shoulder as if Jerik might pop out at any moment. "Jerik came to see me last night," Grig whispered, his voice trembling. "He... he knows something's going on, Leon. He knows about the guards' food and the accident. He's scared, and if he gets scared enough, he'll talk to the overseers, maybe even the other guards."
Leon's jaw tightened, but he said nothing at first, letting Grig's words hang in the air. He had expected Jerik to come sniffing around after the guard's "accident." But hearing that Jerik was talking to Grig meant the pressure was mounting faster than he anticipated.
Grig shuffled closer, his voice dropping to a panicked whisper. "I'm telling you, Leon, this is bad. If they figure out you're behind this..."
Leon cut him off, his eyes narrowing. "Then what, Grig?" His voice was cold and unyielding. "What do you think they'll do?"
Grig blinked, taken aback by Leon's tone. "They'll kill you, man! They'll drag you out in front of everyone and make an example of you. And me... I'll be next. You think they'll believe I didn't know?"
Leon looked at Grig for a long moment, weighing his options. Jerik was a problem, but a manageable one. Grig, though—Grig was a liability. If Grig panicked, if he ran to Jerik or the guards, Leon's entire plan could unravel.
He took a step closer to Grig, lowering his voice. "You listen to me, Grig, and you listen carefully. You don't go to Jerik. You don't go to the overseers. You don't say a word to anyone. Do you understand?"
Grig swallowed hard, nodding frantically. "I... I wasn't going to! I swear! I'm just... I'm just trying to survive, man."
Leon's gaze didn't waver. "You want to survive? Then you keep your head down and do what I tell you. Jerik isn't stupid, but he's not going to make a move unless he's sure. And right now, he's not sure."
Grig nodded again, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. "Okay, okay. But what do we do? Jerik's already suspicious."
Leon turned his back on Grig, kneeling back down to pick more herbs. "I'll handle Jerik. You just keep doing your part and keep your mouth shut."
Grig stood there for a moment, fidgeting nervously before finally nodding and scurrying off, disappearing back toward the labor camp.
Leon watched him go, his mind working through the possibilities. Grig was right about one thing—Jerik was a problem. But Leon wasn't worried about what Jerik could do. No, Jerik's usefulness was running out, and once he outlived his purpose, Leon wouldn't hesitate to cut him loose.
He pocketed the last of the herbs and stood, his gaze turning back toward the camp. Things were starting to shift. The slaves were beginning to trust him, to rely on him. The guards were getting nervous, and the overseers were too stupid to see the storm brewing right under their noses.
As he walked back toward the wall, he caught a glimpse of one of the guards, staring down at the workers with a look of thinly veiled contempt. Leon smirked to himself. It wouldn't be long now before everything came crashing down, and when it did, he'd be ready.
The only thing that mattered now was staying ahead of the game.