Chapter 59

“At first, I didn’t know what ‘the west of the Mediterranean’ meant either,” Davos continued, his voice rising with conviction. “But today, when the man from Thurii came to me, I understood. The dream was a prophecy, and it has come to pass!” He then gave them a brief, impassioned account of Burkos’s proposal.

“Thurii wants to hire us to fight the natives?” Capus asked, seeking clarity.

“Yes. From what I understand, the native tribes are threatening the entire region of Magna Graecia. Thurii is simply the city-state that has been hit the hardest,” Davos explained.

As the officers mulled over the proposal, Antonios stood up. “But Persia is far from here, and Thurii is just as distant. What difference is there between fighting in Thurii and fighting in Persia?”

Davos shot a subtle, appreciative glance toward Antonios. On the surface, it was a challenge, but in reality, it was the perfect opening for Davos to elaborate on his true vision. He answered with grave sincerity, “We fight for Sparta against Persia. If we win, Sparta reaps the rewards, and we get a meager wage. If we lose, our bodies are left on foreign soil, our souls unable to even return to the underworld. But going to Magna Graecia is different.”

He scanned the faces of his officers, his voice ringing with excitement. “First, as I told you, Thurii is offering a wage of two gold darics a month per man. That is significantly more than Cyrus the Younger paid us. Second, the people of Magna Graecia are Greeks, just like us. We will be fighting on the soil of our own people, to help them. We will not lack for support; we will be cared for and respected. Third, Magna Graecia is not like our barren homeland. It is a land of many rivers and fertile soil, and every city-state there is wealthy. Does anyone know the population of Athens during the time of Pericles?” Davos asked, his gaze settling on Alexis, the young heavy infantry commander from Megara who had studied in Athens for two years.

As expected, Alexis did not disappoint. After a moment of thought, he answered, “Approximately 300,000.”

“Yes, 300,000! An astonishing number!” Davos boomed. “But did you know that decades ago, Syracuse in Magna Graecia also had a population of 300,000? And cities like Thurii, Croton, Locri, Tarentum, Rhegium, Akragas—they are all great city-states on the same scale as Syracuse! (This was all intelligence Davos had gathered from Crystoia.) So, we are not going to some remote, backward land, but to a region of thriving cities. A land full of opportunities waiting for us!”

“General Davos, what are these ‘opportunities’ you speak of?” the clever Epitenes asked, sensing a deeper meaning in his words. “Is it just about defeating the… the Lucanians and earning a handsome reward, or is there something more?”

“An excellent question! And that brings me to the final, and greatest, advantage of going to Thurii.” Davos held up a single finger, his eyes blazing with intensity. “The envoy told me that because of the massive invasions by the Lucanians and the Bruttians, some of the smaller towns in Southern Italy have already been conquered by the natives. Do you know what this means for us?!”

Davos clenched his hand into a fist, pumping it in the air for emphasis. “It means that once we have established ourselves in Magna Graecia, we can retake one of those small cities and become its masters! We will no longer be the landless freemen that others look down upon! We will be citizens of a city-state, with land of our own! We will no longer be mercenaries for hire, our fates decided by others, but masters of our own city! I believe this is the mission the man in my dream spoke of! Whatever your decision, I have already decided. I will go to Magna Graecia to fulfill my destiny!”

A strange and sudden silence fell over the assembly, broken only by the sound of ragged, heavy breathing. Every man’s gaze was fixed on Davos’s raised fist, their eyes filled with an almost painful longing. For centuries, Greeks had fought one another over the small, rocky, and barren soil of their homeland. What was it all for, if not for land? The Greeks became a nation of seafarers only because they were driven to it by having too many people and too little earth. Mercenaries drifted from one war to the next because they had no roots, no place to call their own. And now, a chance to possess their own land was laid before them. How could they not be ecstatic, terrified that this fragile flame of hope might be extinguished by a single breath?

Into this taut silence, Tspites’s voice, small and hesitant, was the first to speak. “But… there are many fierce natives there. The Greeks of Magna Graecia can’t hold them back. How can we—”

“We are not like those weaklings in Magna Graecia!” Amyntas roared with contempt. “And the Lucanians are certainly not tougher than the Carduchians or the Taochians! If you’re afraid, you can stay behind!”

“Who said I’m not going?!” Tspites shot back, stung by the insult. He turned to Davos, spread his palms wide, and dropped to his knees in a gesture of sacred reverence. “General Davos, since this is a mission given to you by Hades, I will help you complete it, even if it costs me my life!”

“Davos, I am your steadfast shield! How could I be absent in Thurii?” Hylos shouted, rising to his feet with his right fist held high.

“And I, Amyntas, am your piercing spear! A shield is useless without a spear!” another fist shot into the air.

“General, allow me to continue managing the army’s affairs, so that you have more time to plan our victory!” Philesius stood up.

“General, you will of course need me, your vanguard, in Thurii!” Antonios stood.

“General, let me continue to command the center for you!” Capus stood.

“And I, Alexis, will always be your reserve force for the critical moment!” another fist was raised high.

“How can you go to Thurii without us light infantry, who can both fight and skirmish!” Epitenes stood with a wide grin.

“Davos, don’t forget you still need an important quartermaster!” A chubby fist was thrust into the air.

“My honored teacher, I must continue to learn the theories of medicine from you, so wherever you go, I shall follow!” Herpos rose with solemn dignity.

“I’m your herald! You can’t leave me behind!” Axistes scrambled to his feet.

Davos looked at the more than forty fists pointed straight at the sky, a small forest of limbs rising to meet the coming storm. A fire surged through his veins. He swept his right arm forward in a powerful gesture.

“Brothers, follow me! Together, we will find our Elysian Fields in the west!”

***

After receiving enthusiastic support from his officers, Davos reached an agreement with them. They must keep their true objective, the conquest of a city, an absolute secret to avoid facing numerous obstacles.

The men immediately swore an oath to the God of the Underworld.

Next, Davos instructed them to use any means necessary to persuade the soldiers in their own units to go. He also had them covertly approach the other mercenary camps to recruit veterans who had fought alongside them before. Davos was unwilling to leave such experienced soldiers behind.

After the meeting, Davos returned to his tent with Marigi. Before he could speak, Marigi said, “I will go with you to Thurii.”

Davos turned and smiled. “You are a clever man.”

“Isn’t that why you had me attend the meeting?” Marigi said, his voice laced with resentment. “What would you have done if I refused? Killed me?”

Davos shook his head. “I would have simply bound your hands and feet, tossed you into the hold of a ship, and let you out when we arrived in Thurii.”

“Davos, I always thought you were a man of culture, knowledgeable and true to your word,” Marigi hissed, his teeth clenched. “But it turns out you are just a bandit, the same as all the rest!”

“Is that how a slave should speak to the master who saved his life?” Davos asked, his face a mask of feigned surprise.

“Slave?” Marigi’s face was a canvas of shock, his expression that of a man looking at a stranger he thought he knew.