Kontia
Tribune Brutus Acrus
As the clouds parted upon the damp earth and the sun began to slip beyond the horizon the Barbarians subjected the good people of Kontia to the tormented screams of Gilgalad. The demons cheered and danced about just out of range of any bowman upon the walls as they tied the Orcish Auxiliary to a wooden beam and held him over a bonfire. The man screamed out as flames licked his feet or when one of the Lepus would dart forward to strike at him, poke him with burning sticks or put a lash to him.
I felt my knuckles white as I grasped the blade at my hip as the screams of the man I had sent to deliver Lucious' missive to what few of the Lepus had escaped Zorzal's legions. It was shameful indeed that I was allowing mere bandits to besiege an imperial city, but the 3rd legion had taken many of the city guard and auxiliary with them as they pushed north into Lepus territory.
A scant thousand men at arms remained, mostly Orcish Auxiliary that I had raised from the surrounding countryside with very questionable training and resolve. I could not be sure that they could dislodge even a petty force as the Lepus had scrounged together. No, it was best to await the return of the 3rd legion on their way back to Triumph in Sadera. Breaking this siege would be a fine bookend for the whole affair.
News had come to Kontia of the Lepus' so called 'High Queen' surrendering their race two weeks ago. If Zorzal had sent a message by wing to Sadera then the city would be in celebration already, if he had instead chosen to deliver the news via horse then it would be a week or so before the Empire knew of its new land and plunder.
Already many of that wretched race had been marched to Kontia by elements of the Third Legion bringing the slaves back along one of the long roads to the Imperial Heartland. Most had continued on, veterans and the wounded leaving with slaves and plunder back to their homes. Some no doubt intended to claim land in the Colonia and retire. But many had been left in Kontia and their numbers filled our dungeons and slave pens. Gods willing the trophies of Zorzals expedition would be sent along to Sadera soon enough.
Now that I think about it, there were no doubt many soldiers resting in Kontia after having been relieved of service. While I felt no danger from the petty Lepus bandits against our walls it would be prudent to conscript some of the men into the garrison of the city. I would have the Governor pay their wages, the bastard deserved it after getting one of my men killed.
Unwilling to watch the Lepus tormenting the man any longer I pushed myself away from the wall and stalked towards the gatehouse and out into the city proper. The mood of the city was grim, how could it not be when the screams of an Imperial sounded out across the city. Sleep would come with difficulty tonight.
As I made my way through the streets of the city I felt an unease fall over me. Windows were barred, the few people out were walking quickly and with careful attention to their surroundings. A lifetime of suppressing riots and disorder in cities across the Empire had trained me to take note of every oddity, every indication of unrest or disorder, to the strange atmosphere that had taken hold of the people.
It did not take much effort to find the cause of the disturbance, on the far side of the city, most distant from the Forum and Governor Lucious' palace the dread atmosphere turned volatile.
The streets were blocked by hordes of Orc and goblin slaves and Auxiliares standing shoulder to shoulder, shouting and cheering as they surrounded the slave warehouses. Here and there a human was dotted around the crowd joining in on the madness. I pushed forwards, my voice hardly audible over the furious din of the crowd but when I got close enough the few who realised I was among them parted, if only because of the sword at my hip and purple shirt.
I shouted and pushed and shoved my way through the broiling mass of people until there was no longer anyone before me. I had found myself several paces from the warehouses, a thick ring of furious people all about them calling for blood. And a handful of humans and orcs lighting wool and straw stacked up beside the warehouses aflame, others were thrusting lit torches through the windows of the warehouses holding thousands of Lepus slaves.
"Put out the fire!" I screamed, voice horse from fury but none could hear me as I marched across the street and grabbed the arm of an Orc in Imperial Barding. "Put it out!" I roared in the man's face as he stared dumbfounded, a look of guilt crossing his face as if I had caught a child stealing treats.
Before the man could regain his senses I rushed forwards to kick at the wool and straw kindling as my actions caused discontent in the crowd but I paid them no mind as I struggled to stop the flaim from climbing the wooden walls of the warehouse. It quickly became apparent that my actions were futile as the structures slowly became filled with the sound of panic and screaming.
I watched in horror as the fire grew wild and untamed, catching the thatched roofs of the slave pens alight as Lepus slaves tried to force themselves though windows far too small for them to escape the flame. Snapping me out of my horrified stupor was an almighty crash as one of the warehouse doors was smashed open from the inside and like rats terrified Lepus threw themselves away from the flame and into the mob.
Pandemonium overtook the streets as Orc Auxillia rushed to strike at Lepus slaves only to be overwhelmed by sheer numbers no matter how many they hacked down. The rabbits taking stones, chains or even swords the Auxillia were using on them to lay into the crowd around them.
I called out, attempting to bring men to heel to gain control of the situation and prevent a full slave revolt but it was the Lepus who organised faster, quickly pushing to the other warehouses to open them and free their fellow Barbarians.
With more of their fellows in the streets and driven mad by fire and the blood of their fellows that wet the streets the Lepus descended on the crowd about them like demons possessed. Seeing that the situation had well and truly deteriorated I turned about and ran with the rest of the sane people on the street.
I had to reach the Palace and organise a force to put down the slave revolt. The only other choice was to die an ignoble death and no Saderan would abide themselves that.
Kontia
Delilah of the Pomi, Warrior of the Lepus.
As the Orc sang for us into the midnight hours we too sang and danced and drank to cast off the weight of mourning upon our company. For the first time in months I laughed. I laughed at how the Imperial burned and how the cowards in the city let it happen. I laughed as my fellow Lepus of a dozen tribes mocked and japed, speaking of great glories and of humours failures.
None spoke of how much we had lost.
The days since I joined the Tanaoi have been filled with activity. There was always another task, a new place to march to, always a new drill to perform, always another latrine to dig. The Tanaoi worked us like dogs and expected us to sparkle as we did so. If not for the food, bedding and wine I would have faded into the wilds at the harsh schedule and constant equipment inspections.
But such activity left little time to think, to mourn, to weep for what had been taken from us. Yet here at the city we had little to do but wait for the bulk of the forces to arrive so we could take the city and slaughter its people in revenge for what the Empire had done. So we had time to celebrate.
Thus in our rivalries it took even our lookouts time to notice that their men had vanished from the walls. Curious and drunk Lepus stalked forwards into range of arrow and sling, shouting out threats and mockery to the defenders expecting some hidden human to rush to the walls and loose a missile at them.
When there was no response, the battalion started to sober up.
Some of the faster runners were ordered to make a route around the city and report what they saw while others were ordered to equip themselves for battle. It was not outside of the realm of possibility that the defenders had decided to sally out of their city and meet us in the field, such an opportunity to secure glory and kill the Imperials in the open could not be ignored.
But as I cast my Bronze plate about myself and had a young girl paint my face and legs there were no shouts to hurry, there were no calls for battle or signals to give away the Imperial plot. When I left my tent with a Tanaoi spear in hand and Pomi sword at my hip I did not come back to an Imperial Garrison coming to meet us but instead the sky was lit up by a city aflame.
Sensing opportunity all companies were pushed forwards to the wall and met no resistance as we reached a gatehouse. Some of our number produced hooks and rope I did not know we carried while others began to grasp at the iron portcullis that stood between us and a tall wooden door to the city.
Lines were thrown up the walls and girls began to climb while others merely cast aside shoes and began to scale the tall stone walls without aid. Only when given permission to do such an obvious thing however. Many still kept a close eye on the murder holes that dotted the expansive walls or merely readied themselves in small groups as Enya and her 'Officers' rushed about to henpeck this group or that as the Tanaoi are want to do.
The Tanaoi somehow prided themselves on making being in a warband tedious and slow. Every action needs someone to ask someone else if it should be done or not. But despite my frustration at the tribe I too waited in 'rank' one arms length apart from the women to my left and right.
Finally the girls assigned to the portcullis had managed to lift it and place several wooden beams underneath to keep it up and I was ordered forward with half a dozen women to take up picks and axes before we bent under the portcullis and approached the wooden door.
We were ordered to begin to hack at the barrier to the city and I inwardly cursed at my luck. I cast my envy at the women climbing to the walls as I drove forward my axe again and again until my arms burned and the ground became matted in splinters and debris.
Just as I grew comfortable with my pace and stance I was ordered back and passed my no doubt blunted axe to another who began to hack at the entrance themselves. It was then a cry went up on the walls and the sounds of battle reached us.
More women were called forwards to cast themselves up the lines hanging from the walls but I could see little from where I was forced to stand shoulder to shoulder with other misfortunate Lepus. I cursed the Tanaoi within my mind as me and hundreds of other Lepus were forced to do nothing but wait as others found glory in slaughtering the Imperial dogs or dying for our people.
Then the door gave way and my company was ordered forwards. Ducking under the portcullis and stepping over the ruined door we entered into a city beset by chaos. We marched into a thoroughfare overlooked by tall buildings but wide enough for ten women to stand side by side comfortably. Enya moved forward and ordered us to form ranks and lift spears as Humans and Orcs watched from windows high above us or ran away from us down the street giving out a hew and cry as they did so.
To the east a great plume of black smoke flowed up into the sky where it was lit up by the city in flame below. To the west the city looked far more intact with no flames overtaking the city, at least from what I could see.
Enya led my company forward as I grit my teeth in frustration. We were in the city! Now was the time to set upon the Imperials and destroy them, instead we were just standing in the middle of a street as Tanaoi 'officers' waited for messengers to rush about to them in a pointless protracted conversation.
Perhaps they wondered what madness had overtaken the Imperials to abandon their walls and offer us their lives for free, but the whys hardly mattered when we were within their walls and could set upon them! Let us find out on the morrow as we picked through the dead and not waste our time with it now!
I looked to my left and right and saw rightful indignation in the eyes of my fellow Lepus but none were willing to step forward and lead our company forward while Enya stalked about in front of us.
I let out a curse, and was joined by many others as an Imperial formation turned a corner several hundred paces away from us and began to march towards us. Enya, the Tanaoi had wasted too much time and now the Imperials were prepared to meet us. I hefted my spear as the rest of my company did the same. I felt the woman behind me ready her spear to guard me as several of the Imperials staggered as they marched towards us.
The whistling of bullets flying overhead, likely from Lepus on the walls with slings, stalled the Imperial formation for a while before a man dressed in nothing but tights and bedclothes pushed to the fore of the Imperials and lifted up a sceptre. Slingstones were then turned away from the formation with flashes of bright yellow light that left spots in my vision even as I closed my eyes. The hail of bullets slowed at the actions of the Mage and the Imperial group of Orcs and Humans let up a cheer that was joined by a few Humans leaning out of windows.
Enya walked out in front of us holding her sword aloft, provoking a shout of our own. I rolled on the balls of my feet and took note of a few of my fellows beginning to hop in place, eager for our company to fall upon the Imperials and their mage.
"Ladies!" Enya called out, her voice carrying over the sounds of a city soon to be ruins as the Imperials resumed their march towards us. "They intend to stop us! They believe themselves to be your equal! They dare stand against you! Will you let them?!"
"NO!" Came many hundreds of voices, my own leaving my lips before I could think. At that Enya pointed her blade at the enemy and let out a roar as she charged towards them alone and finally we were unleashed upon the Empire. In that moment, there was not a single woman who would not follow Enya into the blades of the Saderans. There was not a single woman who did not rush to beat the Brigadier to the enemy lines. The distance between us and them vanished as we bounded along the street spears levelled.
I lost sight of Enya as the Imperial Mage thrust his sceptre forwards and the world turned white.