Chapter 26

Rheia sunk her blade into the back of an unsuspecting peasant, the tip protuding out the opposite side, before she placed her boot against his back and pushed his lifeless corpse off her blade. Bodies and limbs covered the ground covered in their own blood as her men continued to push through; though they were outnumbered their skill and training enabled them to hold the upper hand.

Krista's men were weak, ex-slaves that had never held a sword in their lives, and they fell easily against their strength. This would be an easy battle. Turning her head to the side, Rheia looked across the forest and paused. Past the bodies and through a gap in the trees, Rheia saw a face she did not expect to see. Hurrying over, Rheia's path was blocked by one of Krista's women. She was a frail thing with dirty blond hair and blue eyes filled with fear, but there was courage as well. It was the only thing that could have made her step in front of Rheia. She momentarily thought about sparing her, just for that fleeting look in her eyes, but she knew she couldn't. 

Kicking the sword out of her hands, the girl stumbled back as it fell to the ground with a soft thud. Rheia stepped forward into the space she left, gripped the girls shoulder with her left hand to hold her steady as her right hand drove her sword into the soft flesh of her abdomen. Rheia watched the small flickering of courage in the girl's eyes fade as her warm blood covered Rheia's hands. This is Krista's fault, Rheia thought to the young girl as she removed her blade and her body dropped to the ground. 

Stepping over her, Rheia looked back up across to the trees to where she'd seen Dianna and continued running. As she grew closer, blocking wayward strikes from passing fighters and dodging the thrusts of shields, Rheia was panting as she got close enough to see another person, a different person, she remembered that had her body freezing to the spot. Freida. 

Rheia's pounding heart filled her ears as she stared at the marvellous Briton. Rheia remembered her from the arena but now she looked . . . smaller. Frieda was cradling one of her arm's against her chest, badly injuried from the blood that flowed freely down it from an unseen wound, as she used the other to keep a pair of Roman soldiers at bay.

Frieda hadn't seen her so Rheia looked beside her and that was when she saw Artorius. He was knelt on the ground, a dagger protruding from the back of his thigh that kept him from standing, but he still continued to battle on. Raising his sword above his head, it was only a matter of time before the Roman's bore down on him with their strength and he lost the battle. Then she saw Dianna, stood closer to her, almost hidden from sight. 

Rheia grabbed Dianna by the arm and threw her to the side, her back connecting with a tree and a small noise left her lips, "What in Jupiter's name are you doing here!?" Rheia hissed. 

Dianna seemed frantic, babbling away to herself, barely recognising Rheia, as her wide eyes kept flickering back to Artorius and the dagger in his leg, "She will be happy now," Dianna bit at her nails, "I did good. The Empress will be happy now." She seemed to have been driven to the ends of her mind.

"Yes," Dianna suddenly snapped her head back to Rheia, "You shall tell the Empress what I did!"

"Traitor!" Frieda's voice rang through the air like a knife causing Dianna to shrink back, terror flashing across her features as they both turned to look at the Briton. 

There was a sword to Artorius's throat now, the point drawing a pin prick of blood as it's owner heaved with exertion and she could tell from the way his arm shook that he wanted the killing blow but they had their orders. Looking across to Frieda, Rheia remembered why her body had frozen at the sight of her. She was magnificant in her determination. She fought now like a mad creature. One of the soldier's Rheia spotted was unconscious on the floor leaving Frieda to face the one left and even in her injuried state, Rheia did not hold much hope for the soldier. 

Tired, the soldier swiped his blade in a wide arc aiming for Freida's neck but his blunt force approach played into Freida's hands - or rather, hand. Ducking beneath the blade like a viper, she struck a fist into the male's ribs before spinning around his side and driving an elbow into his jaw. Now stood behind him as he tried to catch his breath, Frieda raised her boot and kicked him in the back of his knees sending him sprawling onto the ground. 

Rheia spotted the sword the same time Frieda did and, as much as she might admire her Rheia could not let her defeat them. Charging forward into view, Rheia booted the sword away as Frieda careened to a stop before her. 

The corner of Frieda's lips tilted upward in a smirk as her eyes drifted over Rheia before looking back in her eyes, "I prayed to the Gods that I would be the one to kill you. It seems my prayers have been answered." 

Rheia took in the sweat careening down Freida's skin, her arm now completely covered in blood as it pooled at her elbow before falling in droplets to the ground, the numerous cuts to her other flesh and her heaving chest. Frieda was a wreck and yet the glint in her eyes gaze Rheia paused. Freida's smile widened when she noted the way Rheia's throat bobbed in obvious concern. And that was when Freida struck. 

Diving for Rheia's left, she countered in the blink of an eye by raising her sword just like Freida hoped shw would because, before her sword could land, Freida feigned to the opposite side and darted past Rheia's defences. Now less than foot away, Freida grabbed Rheia by the shoulder with her only hand and cracked her head agains the bridge of Rheia's nose with startling force sending pain radiating through her entire skull. Frieda then hooked her foot around Rheia's ankle and swiped her feet out from under her. Rheia's felt like it remained where it was whilst the rest of her went crashing to the ground, landing on her back with a hmmph. 

Rheia had a second to act before Frieda was upon her and she did not trust Dianna to save her. Digging her fingers into the mud she fisted a clump of the dry soil into her hand and sent it flying out towards Freida's eyes. Frieda hissed as she instinctively raised her injuried arm to shield her face, her body twisting away from the bulk of it giving Rheia the time to gain her feet and extend her blade so that when Frieda turned back around the tip was pressing against her throat, identical to Artorius. 

The anger that roared in Frieda's eyes was unnerving, "You never could win a fair fight." Frieda spat. 

"Dianna," Rheia called behind her as she resettled her stance and wiped the back of her hand beneath her nose which felt wet, as she pulled it away she saw blood and glared at Frieda. 

"Y-yes," Dianna's reply was weak and afraid, her footsteps pressed forward hesitantly. Freida's all-consuming rage was now focused on the girl over Rheia's shoulder and if she could bottle just an ounce of that Rheia thought she could fight the Gods themselves. 

"Go back to the camp," Rheia ordered her.

"The camp?" Dianna cried, "But-"

"Krista does not know about you yet," Rheia rationalised, if Dianna returned to Rome she would be killed by Pompeia for failing, "Take this dagger," Rheia slipped the dagger from her belt with her free hand and held it out behind her, not taking her eyes off Freida, and replaced the one that was still imbedded in Artorius's thigh, "And finish your duty."

As the words left her mouth, a deep guttural cry that matched the look in Freida's eyes erupted from beside them, shaking her bones. Rheia's eyes widened as she saw Artorius, dagger still imbedded in his thigh, launch himself towards the soldier that held a blade to his throat. Knocking the blade aside with his arm, his face contorted in pain as he drove forward with his powerful legs, he let the heavy mass of his body collide with the soldier's sending them both to the ground in a heap. 

"Ah-ah," Rheia pressed her own sword tighter against Freida's throat, "Don't get any ideas," 

Artorius managed to gain the upper hand and sent a bone-cracking punch into the side of the other male's jaw. Not taking her eyes off of Frieda, Rheia stepped to the side where she reached out with her foot and kicked the hilt of the dagger in Artorius's thigh. Artorius barked in agony as the knife cleft through muscle and he rolled away, his hands shaking. 

"Get up," Rheia kicked the soldier hard to the arm, "And bind him." 

Frieda simply glared up at Rheia.

Dianna did not reply but Rheia felt her step forward and take the dagger from her grasp before she ran off in the distance, Frieda's eyes tracking her movement so that Rheia could watch. 

A few seconds later further soldiers arrived whereby Rheia ordered them to bind Artorius and Frieda.

Frieda was pulled to her feet at Rheia's request by two romans, her arms wrenched behind her back. Rheia watched a vein in Freida's jaw pulse deeply against the pain but she didn't make a sound. 

"I may not be able to kill you now but I promise you," Frieda pressed her face close to Rheia's as the guards forced her forward, until she could see the flecks of colour in her eyes, "that one day, when you least expect it, I'll be there with my own dagger and I'll drive it into your chest."

A shiver caressed Rheia's flesh and it felt like the words of a prophecy. Not letting any thought emit outwards, Rheia ordered the guards to remove them when a sudden ball of flame roared above their heads, crashing through the tall trees before landing a few hundred yards from their feet, leaving the leaves around them glowing embers. 

The ground beneath them shook as the boulder of flames cleaved into the floor before bouncing and hitting a handful of Roman soldiers. Turning her head to look back at where the flaming mass had come from she saw nothing but darkness as the sun set behind the hill, and a flaming circular path where it had burnt through trees.

Sound first alerted Rheia to their close presence as she heard their unifying battle screams before a group of nearly a hundred broke over the brow of the hill and charged straight for them.

Leading them was a man sat atop a horse, his legs guiding the beast forward as he held an armed bow in his hands, looking for his first target.

"Diomed," Frieda let out a loud cheer of support from beside her for this man.

The sudden arrival of these extra slaves overwhelmed Rheia considerably and she could not risk losing these prisoners. 

"Quick!" Rheia ordered the men, "Take them to the horses,"

"What about the men?" One of the soldiers asked, yanking Frieda to the side as she tried to lurch forward, clamping a rag over her mouth as she shouted for the male again.

Reaching forward, Rheia ripped the horn from his belt and ordered them once again to leave before they were overrun. Following the men through the trees and down the hill, Rheia brought the horn to her lips and sounded the sequence for a full retreat. They'd got what they came for. 

* * *

Raising her sword horizontally above her head, Krista used it to block the path of Argus's axe which was currently aiming for the top of her head. As the axe crashed into her blade it sent shockwaves up her arm and into her shoulder. Placing her other hand at the end of her blade, Krista pushed with all of her might against his strength but it was like pushing against a cliffside. He seemed to have the strength and stamina of a God.

Krista winced in pain as she felt her own blade cutting through the flesh of her palm as Argus continued to push down with his axe. Peering around the edge, she saw beads of sweat trailing down his forehead and pooling in his thick brow. At least, Krista thought, she wasn't as easy as he thought. 

Knowing that it was only a matter of time, Krista stopped pushing and rolled out of the way. Using Argus's weight against him, with the sudden loss of her body, Argus lost his balance and lurched forward. His weight was an advantage however it made him slower and less agile.

Turning back to face him, Krista jumped into the air and planted her boot firmly against his jaw as he turned back.

Feeling his flesh mould beneath her boot, Krista pushed off of him like a catapult, spun mid-air and landed a few feet away, her breathing heavy as she clasped her palm shut against the blood that now dripped down her fingers. Watching Argus closely as he straightened back up, he turned his head to face her and Krista's eyes widened at the expression that brewed there. If he hadn't been pissed off before he was now. But the remanants of dirt on his face from her boot made her let out a breathless laugh. Argus's lips curled back in response as he raised his axe over his head. 

Knowing what was going to happen, Krista turned and darted for the nearest tree. Her body ducked behind a thick trunk just as Argus hurtled his axe through the air at where her head had just been. Splinters of wood blasted the side of her face as the axe imbedded itself in the tree a few feet from her. 

Raising the palm of her hand to her head, Krista wiped away the blood that threatened to seep into her eyes and blind her. Taking deep breaths, Krista risked a glance around the tree to see the terrifying image of a seven foot giant charging straight for her.

Her chest was rising up and down with exertion as a layer of sweat covered her skin, her mind running wild. She had barely gotten a few strikes in and the strikes that fell true hardly seemed to affect him. His skin felt as hard as rock against her strikes, causing her wrists to ache.

With nowhere to run to, her only option was up. Krista could hear his heavy footfalls pounding into the earth as she looked out at the trees surrounding her, chose one approximately ten feet away from her with a trunk at least two feet wide and charged. As she left the tree behind her she felt Argus slam against it. Sprinting as fast as she could, seven feet to go, Krista heard an axe being ripped from the treet. 

Five feet. Argus let out a grunt as his feet shifted in the ground. 

Four feet. Argus was taking his aim but she couldn't avoid, she'd never get back on track. 

Two feet. As she planted her right foot into the ground, Argus let out a battle cry and she had to use everything in her not to dart to the side or look behind her.

Now! Krista launched herself forward, almost running vertically up the trunk before she lost momentum, kicked off the thick base one last time and reached for the lowest branch she could. Her arms wrapped around the branch and she heaved herself up. As she balanced herself on the branch she looked down to indeed see the axe sticking out of the trunk. One second slower . . . Krista shivered and gazed down at her mid-section with a mixture of annoyance and gratitude. 

Not wasting any time, she quickly climbed the tree and disappeared into a blanket of foilage. She managed to find a spot near the trunk but with enough leaves to shield her from Argus's direct gaze but it wouldn't take much for him to locate her. Peering down she saw Argus was just reaching the tree, his fingers reaching out for his axe. 

Knowing that she could not let that happen, Krista gathered whatever strength she could muster, pushed past the mental reservation of facing this giant, and pushed herself off the branch and into the air before she could change her mind. Allowing herself to hurtle towards the ground, for a second she enjoyed the wind howling around her, the coldness soothing the heat that raged beneath her skin, before nauseau washed over her. 

Keeping her eyes trained on Argus, Krista glanced at the patches of hair and baldness that covered his scalp right before she landed against his back angling her hips back as much as she could to accomdate her stomach as her arm wrapping around his thick neck and she tried to slice his throat open. But before she could even get her sword into position, Argus had reached behind him and gripped her with his large hands. His strength was unbelievable and Krista could not protest as he lifted her off his back and hurtled her over the top of his head.

A flash of panic and fear raced through her as she fell towards the ground. Before it was too late, Krista's body moved of its own volition as she flipped mid-air until she was facing Argus, her feet pointing towards the ground. 

Bending her knees, Krista took the landing on the balls of her feet, the force causing her to fall forward onto one knee, her hands reaching out either side to steady her. As Krista landed she was still travelling backwards from the force of Argus's throw, her boots and hands leaving track marks in the ground. As she drew to a stop, Krista jerked her head up causing the hair that had covered her face to flip over her head and to rest down her back.

Still knelt on the ground, Krista looked at Argus as he twirled the axe in his hand, his head cocked to the side. He took a step forward and Krista felt her leg muscles bunch together as she prepared to run, when a new sound filled their ears.

Bouncing off the trees the sound of the horn felt like a siren's call. 

"Your dogs are calling you," Krista rose to her feet slowly, knowing it wasn't wise to taunt the titan. 

Argus took a step forward and Krista raised her sword.

"I shall see you soon," Argus pointed his axe towards her throat where a cut lay across her flesh from the very same weapon he now held.

Krista bowed her head incrementally, "I look forward to it."

Keeping her eyes trained on his figure, Krista watched him slink away into the darkness before she turned and hurried back to the battlefield. Argus had drawn her away from the main battle, isolating her from her friends. Finding her way back, Krista ignored the way the child seemed to jostle about inside of her, as if angered at the moves she had put them through, and raced to find Artorius. 

Returning to the battlefield, Krista was grabbed by numerous people in victory as they cheered and jumped in the air even as the bodies of their comrades lay on the ground. And there were more bodies from their side than from the Romans'. But Krista knew how important this victory was to the people that followed her so she smiled back where she could even as her eyes scanned the living around her and the dead at her feet. 

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as Krista turned in circles, trying to find them when the crowd around her seemed to part ways and there, at the other end of the path, was Diomed with Leonidas.

Krista felt her lips pull into a smile at seeing her friends when she noticed the expression upon their faces. Krista knew that expression far too well. Her legs felt like lead as she trudged the seemingly endless distance across to them, their eyes watching her with an emotion she didn't dare name. 

Krista's eyes flickered towards the ground at where Leonidas was cradling Cato in his arms. He was badly wounded but he was still breathing and reached his hand up to Krista. Crouching beside him, she clasped his hand in hers, Krista sent him a small smile before looking at Diomed, still holding Cato's hand for strength.

"Frieda?" Krista whispered when she failed to see the Briton.

Diomed looked at the ground in answer.

Then a worse feeling entered Krista's mind and her throat seemed to close up, she didn't want to ask it but she knew she had to. Standing up, Cato's fingers slipped from hers as she asked, "Ar- Artorius?"

Krista's eyes were glued to Diomed's as he raised his head and looked her in the eye. And in that moment, as if sensing the situation that was unfolding before her, the baby stopped moving just as her heart did.