4 Chapter 4: Close Encounter With The Enemy

As Onyx was being marched through the camp he saw that they were much better off than back at his camp. Then he noticed the tree with bodies hanging. Crows feasted on them, and the soldiers threw knives at them enjoying themselves as if it were a game. Which it probably was for all he knew.

Hephaestus walked to the smithing tent with the materials Koto had asked her to get. As she kept walking she noticed the girl the patrol found bound in rope along with the wagon piled with bodies. She kept walking and handed the materials to Koto.

"You see the prisoner the patrol found?"

"Yeah I saw her. Did they also bring more bodies to add to the tree?" After every skirmish the soldiers would tie up the bodies and hang them in the tree for target practice. Sometimes they would hang them alive. If they were females though they would keep them alive for 'entertainment'.

"Nah those bodies are our men."

"Wait she killed them all!?" Hephaestus was surprised. The girl was petite, but then again in this war looks can be deceiving.

"Nope ambush from what one of the horsemen told me. Azura, The Ice Demon, along with her legionnaires killed them all. Not a single survivor." Koto kept striking the iron and heating it.

"Damn. Well here's the stuff you asked so..."

"How's your first aid coming along?"

"It's uh… coming." Answered Hephaestus as she started sorting out the materials Koto had asked for.

"You haven't practiced at all have you?"

"No."

Koto sighed upon hearing her answer. "Are you gonna look out for her?"

"What?" Hephaestus was caught off guard by Koto's question.

"The prisoner are you gonna make sure these assholes don't try anything?" Koto examined Hephaestus's face for any signs that she would.

Since transferring to this unit Hephaestus was assigned to Koto as a favor from her father, Admiral Tullius himself. Of course her last name was changed to avoid any sort of conflict she might experience. It was also done for her to depend on herself rather than family name.

"You know you are a lot different than your father."

"Oh? The only times you mention him is to complain about something that he did."

"Yeah well he was and still is an idiot. He always broke every single sword, spear, shield, you name it. At least he had the decency to send you to me so that you can learn to fix your own gear. Thank the Sovereigns for that." Koto then cooled the sword after striking it. "But I do think that you should look after her."

"Why should I she's the enemy."

"Yeah but all the other times you've attacked the enemy on a raid, and there are female survivors you know what they do to them don't you Hephaestus? And you've been asked to join in, but you never did."

Hephaestus had a sullen look in her face. "Yeah I..."

"Go on get outta here damn it, or else I'll kick you out of here."

"You know my dad..."

"I'd kick his teeth in too. Now get going." Koto was already pushing her to leave.

"Okay okay already. Wait let me get my gear first." Hephaestus grabbed her cuirass, pauldrons, gloves, and knee guards then made her way to where the prisoner was being held.

She saw several people in uproar causing a commotion. Then she saw that they had killed the camp's commander. "Rape will probably be the least of her worries."

Hephaestus saw several of the men beginning to harass the girl. They were pushing her around, kicking her, slapping her, and eventually one of the men tripped her. He began to shove her face into the ground. "You killed a lot of our friends you little shit. Don't think you'll get off that easy." He then looked up to the rest of the men. "What do you say boys let's give our new guest a warm welcome shall we?"

All the soldiers began roaring. A few men gathered around her and began to take their pants off. Suddenly the men were stopped by Zegern the second in command as he dropped his hammer in front of the girl's face. "That's enough all of you! She will be interrogated first after that... I'll decide what to do with her... Got it?"

Hephaestus let out a sigh of relief she didn't know she was holding. Zegern then approached her. "I want you to watch over her just in case they try to retaliate. She's a legionnaire, and with that well... There's a chance she might know Azura's next move."

"Yes sir right away."

"Good she should probably stay in your tent don't wanna take any chances."

"Understood sir."

"Good now get to it."

Hephaestus nodded and helped the girl to her feet. "Hey you okay?" She asked as she looked over the girl's wounds.

"Yeah nothing serious... Thank you." Hephaestus was a bit surprised by the girl's gentle demeanor. She thought for sure she would say something along the lines of 'I don't need your sympathy.' Or 'What do you care?'

She took the girl over to her tent, and noticed the other women looking back at her. "So what we get dibs on her?"

"What? No! Zegern wants me to look after her until he figures out what to do with her."

"Pity at least I would have been more gentle on her." Arina then walked up to the girl and began feeling her chest. "Flatter than a board, but... It's not like I haven't been in this situation before." Arina then turned to Hephaestus. "Whatcha say Hephaestus let me have her for a while I'll even make it worth your while say... 2 gold crowns?"

"Do you even have that kind of money on you?" Hephaestus wondered how it was possible for Arina to have a full 2 gold crowns on her.

Arina then pulled out her coin purse and put the crowns on Hephaestus's hand. Hephaestus looked at the coins... She could buy a lot with 2 gold crowns, but duty came first. "Thanks, but no thanks I have a job to do."

"Tch tight ass." Arina then left Hephaestus alone in the tent with the girl.

"You okay?"

"Yeah wouldn't be the first time someone's..."

"Were you..."

The girl shook her head. "No I wasn't raped it's just that well there's this girl in my team that's also like her only... Well... Never mind."

"Hmm well get over here." Hephaestus then tied Onyx's hands to a large steel nail with a ring at one end. The nail was attached to an iron pole that was put firmly to hold up the tent. "Well that should do it. So..."

"So?"

"Is it true what they say about legionnaires?" Hephaestus asked.

"What do they say about legionnaires?"

"That you guys are taught how to fight since birth?" Hephaestus had heard stories that even an eleven year old legionnaire could kill three well-armed soldiers with one knife.

"Well that's only part true. Legionnaires are actually orphans that are pressed into service by the emperor of Karash. Rather than have us begging for money or take care of us we learn to pick up a sword and fight. I've been a legionnaire for as long as I can remember my... Well I like to think that she's my mom she taught me everything and raised me."

"Wow you are so... Forthcoming with all this."

"Yeah well it's not like you are a bad person... Also thanks for telling the woman no earlier."

"Sure thing so... Uhm what's your name?"

"Onyx Albion. Yours?"

"Hephaestus Tu... Timghad." It was a close save for Hephaestus. "Wait Albion? As in the city of Albion?"

"Uh... Yeah." The girl had a sullen look in her face.

"Were you..."

Suddenly four soldiers came inside the tent. They grabbed Hephaestus's arms and pushed her to the side two men grabbing her and covering her mouth.

"Don't make a noise." He had a knife to her cheek. "Hurry it up would you it's been a while since I've tasted legionnaire."

"Calm down I'm on it." Two of the men grabbed Onyx one from the front another from behind. "Tch flatter than a fucking board... Well no matter cover her mouth."

Hephaestus kicked one of her assailants in the groin. She then kneed his chin and kicked his head upwards as he fell back. She grabbed his knife and threw it at one of the guards that was about to rape Onyx. She aimed straight for the soldier's ass and managed to hit her mark. The soldier howled in pain, then Onyx stomped her foot on his toe and sent him falling backwards. Onyx then kicked the one in front of him in the groin and kicked his side.

Onyx looked at Hephaestus who was fighting off the other soldier. She rushed at the other soldier and began beating his head in with her fists. Hephaestus saw the look on Onyx's face, she was smiling enjoying every second of it. She kept pounding his face in until the soldier stopped moving Hephaestus reached for one of Onyx's arms, but she suddenly jerked away. She looked at her hands then began sobbing uncontrollably. Hephaestus reached out to the girl and held her close. Onyx then began crying louder and louder.

Zegern suddenly reached into the tent. "What the fuck happened here?"

"They tried to... It was self-defense they tried to hurt me too." Hephaestus tried to explain her situation to Zegern.

Zegern moved on the soldier with blood on his face that had been beaten by Onyx. He tried to make the soldier come to, but to no avail. "Damn it he's dead! You there legionnaire..."

Onyx wiped the tears that were coming from her face. "Y-yes?"

"For saving Hephaestus you have my thanks, but for killing one of my men well... It's the noose for you it seems... Let's go."

"Zegern wait she..." Hephaestus tried to make Zegern see reason.

"He killed one of my men, and you know as well as I do that they are looking for an excuse to come and kill him... That being said the other three will hang as well... I won't tolerate this kind of shit in my army. Now let's go take them away." Zegern then exited the tent along with the escort for the other three men. "I'll let you have your goodbye with him, but don't think it'll be a long time."

Hephaestus nodded. "So umm... You are a boy?"

Onyx had a sullen look in his face. "Yeah... Don't worry a lot of people make the same mistake."

"I can probably get you out I mean we..."

Onyx held up his hand. "It's okay besides... You'd probably hang too." Onyx then held his hand out. "Well then... Let's go."

Hephaestus took him out of the tent and out to the gallows. The others had been set up save for Onyx. She took him to his post and was offered the choice to put the noose on him. She spit at Zegern and headed back down. Zegern then stood in front of the four people about to hang.

"These three are convicted for the attempted rape of Hephaestus as well as assault. The Karash legionnaire is convicted for murdering one of our men here as well as any others in the battlefield. May the Sovereigns have mercy on their souls." He turned to the executioner and nodded.

He began pulling the lever one by one to execute them. It was finally Onyx's turn she couldn't watch.

"Enemy raid! Battle stations everyone."

"What the..." Hephaestus saw as several Karash legionnaires riding on horses and laying waste to their camp. "Is it a suicide attack or..." She turned to Onyx. "Some rescue attempt."

She saw that Zegern and everyone else was either holding them off or attempting to grab their weapons. She dashed for Onyx in an attempt to save him. She got on top of the platform and began undoing the knot.

"What are you..."

"Saving your ass. Now stop fidgeting and let me... There that did it now follow me I know an exit." She grabbed Onyx's hand and led him far away from the fighting.

They were suddenly stopped by a girl with long hair. "Onyx get on. And you... Thanks for saving him."

"Thanks for the quick save Tigris."

"Ahh well at least this gets me some points with Embry."

"You never change... Now let's go."

Hephaestus saw as they rode far away from the camp along with all the rest of the legionnaires. She headed back to see if Koto survived the raid with Karash. She rushed over to the tent to see Koto smithing a sword... As usual.

"Seriously!? We just get raided and you continue to work!?" Hephaestus was in disbelief.

"I'll stop working when I'm dead... Saw that you saved the legionnaire."

"Uhh I..."

"I understand... He has my thanks... Even if he is with the enemy he still helped you out. So maybe they're not all bad."

"I guess not, but..."

"But?" Koto asked.

"When he killed that soldier he... The look in his eyes were of someone who took pleasure in doing so, but also he..."

"Yeah?"

"He cried."

Hephaestus then saw Zegern along with a few dozen men on their horses. Zegern approached her and Koto. "New marching orders we kill the bastards before they regroup with the front they established in Khorsova. Koto I want you to remain in charge while I'm gone if I die... You know what to do."

"Yes sir."

"Hephaestus grab your gear you will march with the second wave. Word has it there are only about 200 soldiers in their camp. We have the strength in numbers we surround them and slaughter them now let's go. Let's make the fuckers pay in blood."