The Red Priestess

Waking up in his tent, Maximus sat up and wiped his eyes as he stretched his arm above his head. Wearing a simple tunic, he glanced towards the maps and scrolls scattered across his makeshift desk, all marked with the latest reports from scouts and the legion commanders.

His gaze rested on the map of Volantis, the city that was soon to become the newest addition to his empire and also the bloodiest battle of the war so far. They would take a lot of casualties from this battle since unlike the other towns, Volantis is a proper city with a defense force, and it was the seat of the Triarchs.

The Tiger's were a force to be reckoned with because of their military might and the rigorous training that they go through. Volantis was well defended, its city walls filled with Tiger warriors ready to defend their homeland to the death. An attack on this city wasn't something that could be decided lightly.

Maximus let out a sigh, rubbing his temples as he thought about the upcoming battle. They had already made it this far, now all they needed to do was conquer Volantis, and open up the path towards Slavers Bay.

His thoughts turned to the Triarchs' message that had been delivered to him a day ago. An offer for negotiations, but Maximus knew better than anyone that those so-called negotiations would be filled with threats and subtle power-plays, a different kind of battlefield.

And his stance on slavery was clear, Shadowhand agents had already informed him what was going on within the walls of Volantis. The Tigers were giving weapons to slaves and forcing them to fight. The slaves, most of which who were born into it mostly just followed the orders of their masters, afraid to speak up for fear of punishment, or even death.

This type of situation was why Maximus hated the idea of slavery. Nobody should be forced into subjugation because of the circumstances of their birth.

"Slavery is a disease that needs to be eradicated," Maximus mumbled to himself.

A few moments later, the sound of a voice interrupted his thoughts. "It's Lilith, your excellency." she announced as Maximus replied instantly to her, "Come in Lilith"

Walking in Lilith removed her face mask revealing her beautiful features and her black hair. "Your Excellency," Lilith greeted. "We have captured a priestess trying to sneak into the camp late last night, she was probably aiming for your tent."

"Interesting" Maximus stated. While it was a problem that she tried to sneak in, they could use this opportunity to extract information.

"Bring her in," Maximus ordered, standing up and straightening his tunic. Lilith nodded, stepping out of the tent only to return moments later escorting a petite woman clothed in the unassuming garb of a priestess.

As she was brought in, Maximus noticed that her face was not full of fear, instead she wore an expression of calm acceptance, her eyes filled with a certain steely resolve. She was either confident that she wasn't going to die from her actions, or she already knew the consequences of her actions.

"Who are you?" Maximus asked as she was placed on her knees directly in front of him.

The priestess lifted her head, her gaze unwavering as she met his eyes. "I am Calista, a red priestess from the Temple of R'hllor," She replied.

Maximus observed her thoughtfully as she answered his question. The followers of R'hllor were known for their dogged devotion. If they were working against him, that could pose a small problem considering how long they have been around and their access to Magic.

"To what end are you sneaking around my camp, Calista? Looking for somebody specific or maybe your just gathering information for the Triarch's of Volantis." Maximus questioned, accusing her of maybe looking for him or working on behalf of the Triarchs of Volantis. Such a situation was possible since the both of them would want to preserve their influence within the city and resist a foreign invasion.

Without hesitation, Calista answered, "I am here to see the face of a man who seeks to rid the world of slavery. I wanted to see if you are truly a liberator, or just another ambitious conqueror seeking more power and wealth under the guise of justice."

Her words hung in the air like an accusation, and Maximus watched as her face held an unflinching determination. Maximus understood her words since he probably wasn't the first person to think or voice their opinion about slavery, but he was probably the first to put his words into action and actually act upon it.

"Why does the Temple of R'hllor care about whether or not I actually want to liberate the slaves, why not just work with the Triarchs to defend the city." asked Maximus.

"It's simple," the priestess responded, her eyes gleaming with a conviction Maximus hadn't expected. "The Lord of Light grants his gifts to even the lowliest of slaves, revealing in them the same divine spark that resides in the mighty lords and kings. A slave is lucky to even be able to learn a trade or skill under their masters. But the gifts of the Lord of Light, a lowly slave can be used as worthy sacrifices and as labor for the Lord of Light."

"Ah, I see." Maximus stated, his expression inscrutable. "Your god views all men as equal, bearing the same divine flame within them. A noble concept...in theory."

The red priestess nodded solemnly; her gaze unwavering as she held Maximus's gaze. She believed in what she was saying, that was clear to see. But he also knew that just like any other religion or faith, they too had their own power plays and ulterior motives.

"And yet," Maximus began, leaning back in his chair as he studied the woman before him. "Despite these noble ideals of your faith, you stand by and watch as these so-called 'divine sparks' are used as fodder for your god's whims, sacrificed and made to labor under the guise of serving a higher power."

Calista opened her mouth to argue, but Maximus raised a hand to cut her off.

"No. Do not try to justify it because I already understand," Maximus said. "Believe me when I say that my goal is true liberation for all slaves within the walls of Volantis and beyond."

For a moment, silence filled the room as Calista remained kneeling before him, she had nothing more to say as his stance on the matter was clear and she had already got what she came for.

Before Maximus could open his mouth again, Calista started to scream in pain, causing the Imperial Guards to unsheathe their weapons, while Lilith stood directly next to Maximus prepared for anything.

As she screamed, her eyes turned black and black veins had begun to pop up on her face. In the next moment, a dark shadowy figure had emerged from body prompting Lilith and the nearby witches to create a barrier around the figure to keep it contained.

The Figure didn't do anything but stared at Maximus while smiling. In the next moment, a dark voice was heard, "The Mortal known as Maximus I presume." The shadowy figure's words vibrated through the air, a chilling echo that shattered the silence within the tent. Calista, her screams of agony now subsided into soft whimpers, lay crumpled on the floor, her eyes wide with terror.

In contrast to the unrest around him, Maximus maintained his composure, his gaze locked onto the figure now swirling amidst the barriers held up by Lilith and her witches. This wasn't the first time he encountered something like this.

"That would be correct," he said, "And who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"

A low chuckle echoed from within the barrier, a sound as dark and foreboding as death's door. "Ah, straight to business," it said, "I admire that."

"I am merely a messenger," replied the figure finally, its dark form shifting within the barriers. "The Harbinger of my Lord's will. Here to ensure people like you don't disrupt centuries of my Lord's work."

Maximus raised a brow at that, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "People like me, you say. And who exactly would your Lord be?" Although he had a strong guess who that Lord might be, he wanted to see if the figure would confirm his suspicion.

"My lord is not of your concern," the figure replied, "To my Lord, the concept of slavery pertains to order and hierarchy, natural elements of existence which have been present for eons."

"Slavery provides structure and meaning to lives that would otherwise wallow in purposeless freedom. To challenge this natural order is to invite disorder and anarchy."

"There's a fine line between order and oppression," Maximus countered.

However the dark figure grew tired of this petty back and forth, "That's enough" it stated. "When the battle starts, just know that I will enforce my Lord's will by any means. If you attack this city, I will make sure that your body is offered up as the perfect sacrifice to my Lord. You, who brim with powerful life and energy, will make the most enticing offering." Was the last thing the figure said before disappearing.

"Take her away," Maximus ordered as he began preparing for what he knew would be a long day.