Chapter 56

Davos focused his gaze on the man who entered the tent. He was of middle height, with a kind, approachable face.

The man, in turn, was studying Davos. Though he had heard rumors about the mercenary general, he was still surprised by his youth. But the Davos of today was different from the man who had fought at the Centrites River half a year ago. It wasn’t just the new stubble that now framed his chin or the faint scar that traced a line across his face. The long, hard journey, the constant struggle and bloody slaughter, had etched a rugged weariness into his features and given him a killer’s edge. His eyes were sharper now, more piercing.

“Burkos, a citizen of Thurii, offers his greetings to General Davos!” The middle-aged man stepped forward and bowed.

“Thurii?” Davos was a bit lost. In his past life, he hadn’t been a history major, and the name of the city-state was completely foreign to him. The fragmented memories of this body, uneducated as it was, were of no help at all.

Sensing his confusion, Crystoia leaned in and explained softly, “Thurii is located on the western side of the Gulf of Tarentum in Magna Graecia. It’s the youngest of the Greek colonies in southern Italy. After Sybaris[1] was destroyed by Croton[2] for a second time, its homeless citizens sought help from Athens. Pericles was the Strategos of Athens at the time. He answered their call and decided to build a new, pan-Hellenic city on the ruins of Sybaris. He sent out a call to all the cities of Greece, and people from as far as Miletus emigrated there. That is the origin of Thurii…”

“My lady, you are absolutely correct. I am in awe of your profound knowledge!” Burkos said, and though he was surprised to see a woman in a place of important counsel, his tone was impeccably polite.

“Sybaris… Sybaris…” The name felt familiar to Davos. He repeated it under his breath a few times until a memory clicked into place. “Oh! Is that the place whose citizens were so decadent they even trained their warhorses to dance? The ones who were defeated by Croton when their enemies played music during a battle?”

“Yes, that is the one,” Burkos confirmed, looking at Davos’s excited expression with a flicker of doubt. Could this young man’s abilities truly be as remarkable as the rumors claimed?

Davos remembered the story because the fall of Sybaris, brought about by its own opulence, had become a well-known fable in the West of his previous life. The story was even connected to the famous Greek mathematician, Pythagoras. Italy! A sudden surge of interest washed over Davos. “What business do you have with me?” he asked, his tone shifting.

A knot of tension formed in Burkos’s stomach. He had started his quest full of confidence, but after being rejected by several other commanders, he was now on edge, anxious about the outcome. Davos was his last hope. “Thurii is being invaded by the native tribes,” he began. “We wish to hire you and your soldiers to help us drive them back.”

Davos and Crystoia exchanged a look.

Burkos pressed on, “Of course, we will pay you a generous wage!”

“How much can you pay?” Davos asked, leaning forward with genuine interest.

A glimmer of hope rekindled in Burkos, and he straightened up. “One gold daric per soldier, per month!”

Davos said nothing, simply leaning back into his seat.

“Oh, I misspoke. It should be one and a half… Ah, no! No! It should be two! Two gold darics!…” Burkos stammered, his voice trembling as he watched Davos’s expression remain impassive.

“What great disaster has befallen Thurii,” Davos said suddenly, a slight smile playing on his lips, “to make you so desperate?”

Burkos’s heart sank. Damn it. He had underestimated this young man. In his eagerness to secure the contract, he had let his desperation show, falling right into the trap the youth had laid with his unnerving silence.

“Burkos, if you want me to work with Thurii, then you had best tell me the truth,” Davos said, his voice carrying a tone that did not permit refusal.

And yet, in that demand, Burkos heard a sliver of hope. He collected himself and spoke, his voice now heavy with sorrow. “The Lucanians[3], an Italian native tribe, have launched a massive invasion of our lands. The Thurian citizen assembly voted unanimously to send out our army to repel them. We mustered ten thousand hoplites and a thousand cavalry, but… we were met with a disastrous defeat. The savage Lucanians slaughtered our soldiers without mercy. They… they hacked their bodies to pieces and piled them outside our city walls. Of the entire army, fewer than three hundred citizens made it back… When I departed, the natives had not yet begun to assault the city itself, but they had already captured Amendolara[4] to our north. The people of Thurii are gripped by terror… and now, all their hopes rest on me! So… so…” As he spoke, tears welled in Burkos’s eyes and streamed down his face.

Having witnessed countless horrors over the past year, Davos had become iron-hearted. Burkos’s grief did not move him. Instead, he asked with surprise, “That many soldiers… were they all citizens of Thurii?”

“Yes,” Burkos said, wiping his tears with a touch of pride. “Thurii is one of the most prosperous city-states in all of Magna Graecia!”

“An army of eleven thousand men was defeated? Are the Lucanians that strong?” Davos pressed on, his curiosity piqued.

“No, in fact, the Lucanians seem to have only eight thousand men,” Burkos said quickly, afraid of scaring Davos away. “It was… it was due to Thurii’s internal… er… well… The main problem was a lack of good commanders. Our army advanced too rashly and fell into an ambush…”

“I see,” Davos said, rubbing the stubble on his chin. “Why didn’t you seek aid from other city-states?”

“We have a defensive alliance with the other Greek cities in Southern Italy,” Burkos explained helplessly. “But for some reason, the native tribes have started invading all of our territories these past few years. Tarentum, Locri… even Croton has no spare forces to help us. And Syracuse[5] is facing its own war with Carthage[6]… I even appealed to Sparta for help, but they seem to be on the verge of war with Persia and refused my request. They did, however, agree to help me hire mercenaries in Greece…”

“There is no shortage of soldiers in Greece right now. Why seek us out?” Davos asked.

“I had already begun recruiting in Ephesus when I heard of your army!” Burkos said in a tone of sincere flattery. “To have retreated safely from the heart of the Persian Empire is the greatest possible proof of your courage and strength. If I can hire warriors as experienced as you, then driving back the Lucanians will be no problem at all! As soon as I heard from a merchant ship in Ephesus that you had been seen at Chrysopolis[7], I rushed here immediately, only to find you had already moved on to Byzantium.”

The flattery did not distract Davos from his thoughts. He nodded and continued his questioning. “How powerful are the Lucanians? What types of troops do they have? What is their equipment like? What are their combat tactics?”

One question after another hammered into Burkos’s mind like iron spikes. At first, he could answer with ease, but the questions soon became much more difficult. Davos was now inquiring about complex matters: the size of Lucanian territory, the number of their cities, their primary means of livelihood, their political system, their relations with other peoples…

As Burkos strained to answer, he found himself astonished that a mercenary general could ask such sophisticated questions. Realizing Davos was different from the others gave him a renewed sense of confidence; only someone genuinely considering the offer would want to understand the situation in such detail.

“I have a general understanding of the situation now,” Davos finally said.

Burkos let out a long breath. This was several times more difficult than being questioned by citizens in the assembly!

“I imagine Timasion, Xanthipparis, and Cleanor all turned you down, didn’t they?” Davos stated.

Burkos looked at him, stunned once again.

“My camp is at the very rear. You would have had to pass theirs to get to me. From what I know, Timasion wants to return home to Aeolis[8]. Xanthipparis and Cleanor have received a high-paying offer from Seuthes[9], a Thracian chieftain, and are preparing to serve him. And Xenophon is currently with Anaxibius. I am your only chance, am I not?”

Davos’s shrewdness left Burkos with no desire for further concealment. He answered frankly, “Yes, General Davos. You are my only chance. So, do you refuse or accept?”