No, straight to the city gates

You sense the disappointment in the girl as you turn down her offer, but bedding her would be almost as much of a crime as what those coarse mercenaries would have done. Besides, this teenager, as pretty as she is, is no Alexia. If you were going to finally give in to the temptation of the fairer sex it would not be a one night fling with a girl still in shock at almost being gang-**** by a bunch of savages.

You make it to the High Tower gate to the city where the once great bronze doors have been torn from their massive hinges. Damage like that could have only come from one of the great war machines of Helios. About ten paces from the open gates you are stopped by a War Captain of Thracian origin "Halt, stranger. No one's allowed entry by order of the Lord Marshal of the United Armies." Still driven by an unnatural rage, you are about to draw your bow to take out the six bowmen on top of the battered walls, and kill the ten hoplites on the ground, but luckily these Thracians are saved by the sudden arrival of a messenger. He believes that he is whispering quietly into the War Captain's ear but like your vision, your hearing has always been as sharp as a fox's.

"Captain, we received a message from the Riders about this warrior. He took out a group of bandits, and then killed ten of our mercenaries that he caught robbing a merchant caravan." The Thracian Captain gives a laugh. "So who cares, Stephon, as long as that so called Bastard-King of Kalion doesn't find out, we do what we please." The man's attitude does nothing to calm the fire tearing you apart and you glare into the Thracian's eyes.

"Your people could well be slaves now if it wasn't for me, you miserable excuse of an officer, I am the 'so called' King of Kalion. Now, stand down or die." You say with a fire in your eyes.

"We should allow him to pass, Sir." The messenger makes no attempt to keep his voice down this time, so not only the Captain, but all his men can hear. "Lord Marshal Raxius agreed to let him in to the city. If we breach this ceasefire most of our commanders could be detained in the Kalion camp." The Thracian reluctantly backs off allowing you entry to the city knowing he can't do much with the leadership of the United Armies still in the Kalion camp.

You continue walking through the dark empty streets of the city occasionally spot a few warriors watching, but they drop their gaze as soon as you look their way. You walk several more blocks still in the outer ring of the city before you notice you're being followed, but don't sense any hostility from your stalker, so you duck into an alley to wait for them to catch up to find out who it is. Your stalker is careful, and you have to wait longer than you expected before finally the slight figure steps in front of the alley.

As soon as you feel the slight soft figure in your arms you realize that this is a woman in your arms.