Rise of the Blood Empress

II: He Who Would Be King

Alecsei Hido was no fool. Even after running the plan over in his mind, multiple times, he knew it was foolish, at best. He and his most trusted men would be leaving their camp vulnerable, but he had to be certain. He had to know what was coming.

He had to see what he was up against, as if facing an army of immortal men at least three times larger than his own were not challenge enough.

But, even immortal men can be killed.

This thought gave him hope. One day, General Hido would return to his wife and son, and they would all be free. It pained him to know that he could not be there to look after them, to keep them safe during such a tumultuous time, but Lira had promised him she could take care of herself and Rafe; he believed her, she was a strong willed, pistol of a woman, one of the many qualities he found so attractive about her.

When night fell over the Sand Sea, Alecsei gathered his men, a group of five including himself. They all dressed identically, wearing loose, breathable clothing in the muted shades of the desert. Soft leather shoes kept them light on their feet, and minimized the noise they made walking over the sand. The tan scarf each man had wrapped around his head provided anonymity, and each was armed with a short, curved sabre at his hip, wrapped in cloth to keep from catching the light. They all knew the plan, each one had been specifically chosen for his skill and loyalty, as well as his strength of character. The General could not have a repeat of the incident with Varesh; he could still picture his expression, the madness in his eyes, and now, they all risked suffering the same fate.

They all knew the danger of crossing over into enemy territory.

Mounting their horses, they rode off into the night. The hills and valleys of dusky dunes laid out before them, lit only by a thin sliver of moonlight, and the winking stars. With any luck, the gods were looking down upon them favorably.

Hido and his men left their horses at the sacred oasis in the care of the desert nomads that guarded it and kept its location secret. The general only knew of its location after stumbling upon it while wandering, lost in the desert when they first arrived. They made the rest of the way to the immortal encampment on foot.

A few small fires burned around the periphery of the camp. General Hido squinted down from the top of a sand dune. Guards stood at regular intervals, looking deadly and severe in their light, angular armor. Each held a long, sharp spear in his right hand, and carried a short sword at his hip. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, it seemed like everyone, save the guards, was fast asleep in the many tents spiraling around a central tent, larger and grander than all the others. That would be the commander's tent, and if anyone knew anything about a secret weapon, it would be him. Though, Hido suspected he would not be warmly welcomed if he barged in uninvited.

Alecsei slid back down the shadowed side of the high dune, joining his men crouched low to the sand further down. "It looks well-guarded," he spoke in a low voice through his scarf, "But the grunts shouldn't be difficult to handle."

The men around him exchanged glances and quiet, nervous chuckles. Hido could see each buzzing with barely contained energy, they were ready for a fight, maybe even looking forward to it. If all went as planned, violence would be minimal.

"Into formation," Hido whispered, "We move as one."

They flowed down the side of the sand, keeping to the shadows between the dunes. Alecsei paused, signaling for his men to stop. Just ahead, illuminated by a ring of light radiating out from the fire, a guard walked past. When his back was to the mortal squad, General Hido leapt out of the darkness, moving swiftly and silently. His fingers wrapped around the shaft of the guard's spear. In an instant, his curved sabre was in his other hand, and he notched the blade beneath the guard's chin, pressing the cold, unforgiving metal against the soft flesh between his helmet and the wide leather gorget. The guard released his spear and raised his hands in surrender. Alecsei dragged him back into the shadows where he was quickly and quietly stripped, then bound, gagged, and knocked unconscious. It would have been much easier, and safer, had they simply killed him, but the man had surrendered and was unarmed. There was no honor in killing an unarmed man, immortal or otherwise.

Working their way silently around the camp, Hido and his men made similar work of four more guards. Once they had collected a sufficient number of uniforms, they disrobed and stashed their desert garb in the sand just outside of the camp.

Disguised as the enemy, they took up the posts of the guards they had so effortlessly dispatched, patiently biding their time.

Just before sunrise, the general and his men were relieved of their duty by the next shift of guardsmen. They entered the camp, confident behind stolen steel helmets, and observed. Their oppressors began to stir, rising from dreamless slumber, and soon the camp was filled with the sounds and chatter of military men having breakfast.

To keep from looking suspicious – not one of the other soldiers wore his helmet—Hido and his men stayed in constant motion, seemingly either coming from or going to something important. Spreading out, they listened in on conversations, hoping to glean any information about this new immortal weapon.

"-second test today."

Alecsei slowed his steps, lingering near a circle of low ranking men hunched over bowls of something green and sticky looking. Little cubes of unidentifiable stewed meat bobbed to the surface.

"Was the first demonstration not enough?" one of the soldiers grumbled around a mouthful of gruel.

"The commander just wants to be sure," said another, "All that power's useless if you only get one shot."

"One shot is all it took to wipe out that village," the first man again, "completely unnecessary."

Alecsei's jaw tightened. If one shot of the weapon could destroy an entire village, what devastation would it wreak on his army?

"You doubt the commander?"

The first man nearly choked. He dropped his spoon and directed a mean glare at his compatriot, "No, but I think she may have lost perspective."

General Hido walked on, his hearthammering against the plate armor. So, the commander of this regiment was awoman. If she was planning another "demonstration", he had to be there; if hecould find out where it was, maybe he could save innocent lives. What's morethere seemed to be some dissent among the immortal ranks. If he could find a wayto fan those embers of doubt into flames, Hido could watch from the outside astheir forces imploded.