Blade(Part 1): Dawn

Chapter 34: Zoya

A dozen veterans of the Colonial War gathered in Agustus' house by noon. They had all heard of the massacre that took place just hours ago, and were angered by it. Decimus was angrier than all of them, though, since his granddaughter would have been killed if Alexius wasn't with her. The veterans were either grunts ranking as low as Privates, or officers ranking as high as Centurions. Out of all of them, though, Decimus was the highest ranking during the war. He's the one that the other veterans were looking to when they all sat down to begin their meeting.

"I would like to thank Agustus for hosting this meeting, everyone," Decimus announced. "Old friends, comrades, brothers. I never thought I would see your faces again, and I am pleased to. I would be even more pleased if the circumstances of this gathering weren't the recent massacre that took place just down the street this morning. Have we received an exact death count?"

"One hundred and twenty-five, sir," Agustus answered. "One hundred and twenty-five men, women, and children, slaughtered at the hands of Lord Nouzari. He's the least of our problems, though."

"Agreed!" Tullius shouted, rising from his seat. He was younger than most of his comrades, at an age of twenty-eight. He was eighteen when he fought in the Colonial War.

"Once news of the massacre reaches Aziz, he will reinforce his numbers already stationed here," he continued. "Spearmen, riflemen, Undying."

"He'll likely also blockade the entire harbor," Lars guessed.

"Don't forget the Shadows of the Abyss," Alexius added. Zoya was afraid to speak. If she spoke out of turn in front of these mature, battle-hardened warriors, she would likely be shut down by one of them. Still, she spoke anyway.

"Or whatever monsters from Skaola that are at Aziz's disposal," she said. The veterans at the table began to mutter to each other. Zoya could hear "Agreed" and "Absolutely" from a few of them.

"That is why I suggested you all come to hear what I had to say," Decimus announced. "How many of you knew someone who was killed during Aziz's march ten years ago? Were they a soldier defending their homeland, or an innocent who was unlucky enough to stand in their way? The colonies of Thiala, and Astae, their citizens wiped out only because they were seen as a threat by Aziz. How many, gentlemen? How many innocent lives were lost ten years ago, and even after that? How many people have the Skaolans enslaved in our colonies? How many have been worked to death, and are being worked to death as we speak? How many have been butchered for even lifting a finger against the idea that Skaola's King is a god?" Zoya couldn't count high enough to answer the old Centurion's question. No one could. Even so, his message was clear.

"Too many," Decimus continued. "Too many innocent lives lost for the sake of a madman's fantasies. My hometown, my friends, my wife, my son-in-law. We all learned that year that freedom isn't given to you. It is taken. King Aziz took our freedom when he came across the sea from the south, and he has proven to be nothing more than another tyrant who oppresses the people under him. People like us, my friends. So I will say again, freedom was taken from us. We must take it back!" All of the veterans threw their fists in the air with a loud shout. They all knew what their leader was suggesting, and none of them were against it. The time had come to end Skaola's reign over the colonies. It would start in Astros, with the death of Lord Nouzari, and they would move on to the other colonies. If every single Skaolan soldier had to die in order for the colonists to earn the freedom that was stolen from them, so be it. Decimus then declared the meeting adjourned, and the veterans left the house.

"So, you're really doing this, aren't you?" said Zoya.

"This has gone on for too long, Huntress," Decimus declared. "It's about time it ended."