An adventure you don't start

You meet with Alexia by the horses, because she refuses to fly on Spook. You used to think this was just an excuse to show you that she is better then you at something, but thinking about what Galeon said earlier, you wonder if it has more to do with the way her slender body would be pressed against yours in Spook's saddle.

Mounting your horse carefully you start heading around the city walls to meet Lord-Marshal Raxius. The other reason you are riding is because this first meeting is a private one without the pomp and circumstance that a royal visit requires. It is difficult to hide the identity of a man who arrives on the back of a giant white drake. Allowing your horse to follow Alexia's you can't help but wonder about what it would be like flying with her in your arms, your spymaster doesn't miss your lack of attention.

"What," she mocks you "horses are too slow for the mighty Son of Ares who always craves excitement and is unable to enjoy a nice calm horse ride?"

Before you could reply she turns towards the city and charges straight at one of the lightly guarded blockades put up outside a small gate that might normally allow workers to leave the city for the vineyards.

And she calls you reckless! You gallop after her, but she effortlessly jumps the small tree trunks blocking the gate and disappears from your sight. Knowing she is better at this than you, you concentrate on getting your horse at the right speed to make the same jump. You haven't done this in years, not since Spook was old enough to carry you, and just make it but not without injuring your horse's leg. Damn! You leap off the horse before it falls to the ground and see that your foolish action has badly injured the gelding's foreleg.

Looking around for help you realize that something very wrong. Alexia is out of sight and you see about a dozen mercenary's and United Army warrior's bodies are scattered around you stripped of their weapons. The entire detail assigned to this small gate appears to have been taken out in spite of the ceasefire that for the most part had calmed the city. Whoever did this knew what they were doing, somehow luring the soldiers guarding the gate away from their post and into this trap. Maybe using a wounded ally or valuable loot, or the possibility of catching a scantily dressed maiden to ravish. However they did it, they took out every single man. You know this tactic well and have trained your army in mock battles back in Kalion, but it seems that the other City-states did not fair as well.

Most warriors are too stupid to understand that there being played with, missing signs of traps or believing that the danger is over once the walls have been breached. You've seen otherwise brilliant campaigns falter when hit by these tactics, the survivors of the attacks compounding the problem by recounting theses attacks as unnatural making what might be a small group of **** civilians into a legendary invincible army in their minds.

The horse's leg, you determine, is indeed broken and not just sprained as you hoped and as you're preparing to end his pain you consider whether you should go look for Alexia or wait for her to come find you.

The faint scuff of a sandal on a paving stone behind you alerts you of the attack. Your swords whip from their scabbards one blade at the throat of a young boy maybe 13 or 14-years old wielding crudely made mace and the other at the heart of a slightly older boy holding a pitchfork freezing them in shocked fear.

These young boys could not possibly be the **** that killed the dozen soldiers at the gate unless they were the bait. For one thing, these scrawny boys are covered in dirt not blood, secondly had they killed the soldiers they would be using the swords and spears recovered from the bodies, not these makeshift weapons. Still, out of the corner of your eye you see two more young boys wielding wooden shields and handmade javelins likely made from scrap wood, and yet another on your right wearing an actual helmet and wielding a real shield and a small knife, they could be a serious threat to a lesser man.

Not really wanting to fight poorly armed street urchins, you decide to make them an offer. "Look, I'm not here to hurt you. My horse has a crippled leg and will not likely survive his injuries you may take and butcher him so he doesn't die in vain."

The boy in helmet responds scornfully: "You offer us meat? Then what, after we feast you return with your friends from Heliopolis and kill us at your leisure, or are you going to sell these boys to the Slaver's guild?"

Something's off with the helmeted boy's high pitched voice, it lacks the coarseness of most street urchins; in fact, the diction and elegant phrasing sound almost courtly but you don't have time to puzzle this out. You have to find Alexia and seeing that their leader is not going to believe what you say. You're **** to take a more aggressive approach.

The difficult part is foiling the attack without killing the brave youths. Two quick steps to your right are so smooth that the two boys on your flanks are left behind, but the sudden movement goads the two on your left into throwing their javelins as the leader moves closer from the right. They are making this difficult but still easily within your ability. Your left sword knocks down the more acurately thrown javelin while a quick flick to the knife in the leader's hand sends it flying high in the air. The boy to raises his heavy shield allowing you the time needed to swing both swords with full **** downwards on the shield knocking the leader to the ground. Sheathing your swords, you pick up the knife from the ground pausing only long enough to admire it's fine craftsmanship before using it to slice cleanly through the throat of the crippled horse.

You jump back as the horse collapses, but not before a pulse of blood covers your left thigh. The band of youths are stunned by your sudden **** and deciding not to deal with these poor civilians any longer then needed, you walk deeper into the city looking for Alexia.