Chapter 94

“What’s going on?” Neanthis asked, bewildered.

With a loud bang, the door was thrown open and a guard rushed in, his face alight with pure joy. “Reporting to the generals! The scouts have returned! They said… they said… they said the mercenaries won! The allied Lucanian army has been annihilated!”

“Is this true?!” the generals asked in unison, scarcely daring to believe their own ears.

“The scouts are just outside the door! They ventured to the Great Riverbed, the site of the mercenaries’ battle against the Lucanians, to investigate firsthand. They claim that the area is littered with the bodies of the fallen Lucanians!”

“Unbelievable… truly unbelievable. They actually won,” Neanthis murmured, as if in a dream.

“How did they do it?” Kunogelata had been on the battlefield the day before. The memory of the Lucanians’ ferocity still filled him with dread. Knowing the vast disparity in numbers between the two forces, the news of this victory felt like nothing short of a miracle.

“What kind of man is Davos?” At that moment, Anxitanos found himself filled with an intense curiosity to understand this incredible mercenary general.

Polyxexis immediately recalled the smiling young man he had seen on Burkos’s ship. He never would have imagined that this unassuming youth could annihilate the Lucanian horde that Thurii had viewed as an unstoppable force of nature, saving the city when it was on the very brink of collapse.

“He is a young man, but the mercenaries whisper that he is the favored of Hades! They also call him the ‘Miracle Worker’! On their journey back from Persia…” Burkos, who had been sitting silently in the city hall after being lambasted by the generals, now spoke up, his voice booming with pride as he recounted the heroic tales he had heard about Davos. In his heart, a single thought was roaring: He did it! He really did it!

The generals did not mock these seemingly absurd rumors, nor did they meet Burkos’s intensely excited gaze. Instead, they all rose and strode purposefully out of the hall.

In the plaza outside the city hall, countless women, children, and elderly, all clad in the black of mourning, had been wearing expressions of deep sorrow. Now, their faces were transformed as they cheered the victory. Some began to weep, but these were tears of joy. The dark cloud of despair that had hung over the people of Thurii had, in that moment, completely dispersed.

The scouts had also brought a message from Davos: he hoped Thurii would send men to clear the battlefield and bury the dead to prevent an outbreak of plague.

Out of caution, the generals decided to send a party to inspect the battlefield first. This time, Neanthis led the delegation personally. When they arrived at the Great Riverbed, the scene before them made him suck in a sharp, cold breath. The entire area, including the hot spring marsh, had become a river of red blood, and the bloody water was choked with naked corpses (the mercenaries having stripped the dead of all their armor and weapons). It was a vision of hell on earth.

“This is a terrifying miracle,” Neanthis whispered, his entire body trembling. “A terrifying favored one of Hades…”

***

To express their gratitude to Davos, Archytas, and the other generals—Drakos, Adrianx, and Sextus—for their significant contributions to Thurii, the generals, after consulting with the city assembly, made a decision. They dispatched Burkos, accompanied by Anxitanos, to the mercenary camp to invite the commanders to a victory celebration in the city of Thurii. This celebration would allow the mercenary generals to receive the gratitude of the people. Additionally, they brought with them a hundred jars of wine and fifty jars of olive oil as a token of appreciation for the soldiers’ hard work and dedication.

The delegation arrived at the camp in high spirits, only to be stopped by the sentries at the gate. The guards stated that after a day of intense fighting, the commander and the soldiers were utterly exhausted. Most were already asleep, recovering their strength. Therefore, the guards had been ordered not to allow anyone to enter, to prevent any disturbances.

Burkos pleaded with them, but the sentries held firm. Having visited Davos’s camp several times before, Burkos knew that their military discipline was incredibly strict. Seeing as the camp was indeed eerily quiet, the Thurian delegation had no choice but to depart, crestfallen.

Next, they went to find Archytas.

Archytas received them warmly, but when they stated their purpose, his expression became troubled. “To be honest with you both,” he said, “this victory belongs entirely to Davos’s genius strategy. The Tarentum reinforcements merely provided assistance. If Davos does not attend, then of course I cannot go either. I would not want to be ridiculed for taking credit that is not mine.”

Frustrated, Anxitanos had no choice but to decide they would return the next day to extend the invitation again.

***

The mercenary soldiers had indeed been ordered to rest. The mercenary officers, however, along with Adrianx and Sextus, were all gathered in Davos’s command tent.

After receiving the report from his guards, Davos laughed. “The Thurians used to watch us as if we were thieves. Now they want to curry favor with us. Isn’t it a little too late for that?”

“Yeah, I can’t stand the sight of those Thurians,” Amyntas said with contempt. “We didn’t annihilate the Lucanians for them.”

“It’s just a shame to miss the celebration in Thurii,” joked Olivas. “I bet there are a lot of beautiful Thurian maidens waiting for the general to show up!”

His words drew a round of boisterous laughter from the other officers.

Davos looked at him with amusement. “Shall I give the opportunity to you, then?”

“Not me!” Olivas shook his head vigorously. “The one Thurii invited is Davos, the terror of the Lucanians, not a nobody like me. I think I’ll just stay here in the camp and get some sleep.” His mock-heroic posture sent another wave of laughter through the tent.

“General, we should still try to maintain a good relationship with Thurii,” Philesius reminded him. “After all, they are about to become our neighbors.”

Davos nodded. His gaze fell on Adrianx and Sextus, and he asked with concern, “How is Drakos’s condition?”

“Thanks to Herpos’s treatment, he is much better. He also instructed us to follow your command,” Sextus said gratefully, with Adrianx nodding in agreement beside him.

Davos understood that Sextus was using Drakos’s words to express their own submission. “That is excellent news,” he replied immediately. “We cannot afford to lose a warrior like Drakos. If he hadn’t stood at the very front of the line, holding back the enemy’s assault and inspiring the soldiers’ morale, the northern flank would very likely have been broken.”

After praising Drakos, he looked around at the assembled officers and said, his voice low and serious, “I will now reiterate the battle plan for tonight.”

The laughter immediately ceased. Every man’s expression turned intent as they focused on Davos.

Davos picked up a wooden stick and pointed to the table, upon which sat a model of a walled city, skillfully molded from clay. “Tonight, at the second hour after midnight, the entire army will break camp and march on Amendolara. Once we have crossed the Sisno River, Hylos!”

“Here!”

“Don’t let the stone wall we built go to waste. I hope your ten days of training have paid off.”

“Rest assured, General,” Hylos said with complete confidence. “The men will use their grappling hooks to scale the walls and open the gates in the shortest possible time.”

Davos nodded. “If, for any reason, the enemy discovers you and the infiltration is compromised, Capus and Antonios, the cohorts under both of your command will advance with the scaling ladders. Alexis, your cohort will bring up the battering ram. You will advance to the walls with all speed and begin a direct assault.”

“Yes, General!” the three men replied crisply.

“Once the gates are open, Amyntas, your cohort will act as the vanguard. You will break through the enemy’s defenses and push into the city with maximum speed.”

“Finally my turn!” Amyntas grinned.

“Once inside, all units will proceed according to my previous arrangements. Led by the Amendolaran guides, you will advance up these two mountain paths toward the summit.” Davos used his stick to tap a location on the model. “According to the Amendolarans, there are few large, flat areas within the city. The main ones are the senate, the public square, and the temple on the summit. It is highly likely the Lucanians are using these locations to hold the Amendolaran citizens and as their own barracks. You must seize these areas as quickly as possible. Is that clear?”

“Clear!” they all shouted in unison.

Just then, Alexis asked a question. “When are we permitted to light our torches?”

“Good question.” Davos realized he had omitted an important detail. After a moment’s thought, he said, “The moment the gates are opened, or if the infiltration fails and the direct assault begins, you may light your torches. Gentlemen,” Davos’s tone grew heavy, “by tomorrow, Thurii may request our help in retaking Amendolara, or the Lucanians may simply flee the city. Therefore, we have only this one night! Only if we retake Amendolara from the Lucanians ourselves can it become our spoils of war. Only then can we avoid a great deal of trouble and truly become the masters of Amendolara. For that reason, tonight, success is the only option; failure is not permitted!”

“Hooah!”