The Rebel's Vision Page 9

  “I would rather work myself to death than let an inexperienced mativa take over a village. I’m not the nicest of leaders, but I know my responsibilities and don’t abuse the power.” Allaina snorted, a very unladylike sound from the gorgeous female.

  “I’m not going to give power to a recently freed slave who doesn’t know how our people work when we’re able to function out in the open. An entire generation of Andinna needs to learn and understand how to keep our society functioning on a normal level. Without educating them properly, we’ll have dominance fights breaking out everywhere, and that could cause entire communities to collapse. Mind you, I’m thinking beyond the rebellion.”

  “Of course. We need to bring the Andinna from Olost to help us here before we can plan for that, though.”

  “Any word on that?”

  “All bad news. Need more warriors to take a ship and take Kerit back from the Empire. Can’t get more warriors until Sen has a ship and port to bring Andinna safely to Anden.”

  “Ah. That does seem complicated.” Allaina finally sat next to her. “Mave, do we even have a chance?”

  “After today’s meeting?” Mave groaned. “I don’t know, Allaina. I just don’t know.”

  8

  Trevan

  Another day and another sparring session against Emerian. The mahogany skinned mutt was fast but unpolished. Trevan was slower, but he had centuries of training and expertise as an Elvasi soldier, even if he had spent those centuries guarding the pits. He had stayed honed.

  “You need to work on your form,” Trevan told him. “You’re getting stronger, but you still fight like an amateur.”

  “Fuck you,” Emerian snapped. “I grew up using scythes on wheat, not training with the best Elvasi soldiers the Empire had to offer.”

  “I didn’t get trained by the best. I just practiced,” Trevan snapped back. “You have everything you need to get better. You’re just a stubborn ass. You’re going to get yourself killed on the sands when they finally pick you to fight.”

  Emerian looked away, his face a brutal visage of anger.

  “Doesn’t matter, anyway,” he muttered.

  Trevan sighed. Over the months since he met the mutt, and they decided to ally, he watched Emerian become more and more bitter, more and more angry with the harsh reality of the pits.

  “It does matter,” Trevan said quickly, stepping closer to the mutt. The Andinna training around them didn’t pay them any mind. There were already rumors they were fucking, and getting close to talk didn’t seem out of the ordinary. “If you win, if you survive, the others begin to fear you. They understand you can take care of yourself. That gives you a break. If you do well enough, you earn a prized position as one of the best. You get a private room that will keep you safe at night and during down time. You’ll be allowed to carry steel in case you’re attacked. You just have to keep going.”

  “You’ve told me all of that already. I don’t care. I thought…”

  “That being a half-breed would get you noticed, and some Elvasi would welcome you into their society. I’m sorry, but I’ve also told you Elvasi don’t take kindly to half-breeds. Other races are more lenient.”

  “Not the Andinna,” he mumbled. “Neither of my kind care about mutts like me.”

  Trevan didn’t say anything to that. He’d seen a mutt treated with great care once. The pits weren’t exactly a safe place for anyone—Elvasi, Andinna, or mutt—but he remembered how two free Andinna acted, one a pureblood Andinna and one a mutt. They had honor, and they took on the most difficult ally they could. Not all Andinna hated mutts.

  But Trevan knew better than to mention those three Andinna. He sighed. It was over a year since he had helped them escape. Other than Dave’s infrequent visits, he was stuck in the pits with no way of knowing what was happening out there…where they were.

  Where she was.

  He’d given everything for her, and he was stuck in the very hell he freed her from.

  “Get back to training, you two!” a lenasti roared over the clash of wooden weapons. Trevan stepped away from Emerian and lifted his gladius.

  “Let’s go,” he ordered. “Watch your footwork and pay attention to how I step. Fighting is a dance. You lead, or you follow. A pace is set by the leader, to their benefit or detriment. The point is, it’s their choice. Now, you can use that against an aggressive fighter. Let them burn out while you conserve energy defending but be careful. Many times, aggressive fighters are skilled. They’ll know how to break through defenses.”

  “So, it’s hopeless,” the mutt muttered, lifting his gladius as well.

  “No. You get better here without dying, and when you clash with real steel, you’re ready.”

  Trevan attacked, and Emerian started strong in his defense. He didn’t think the mutt would be the best warrior the pits had ever seen, but he could have a chance at surviving even longer if he worked hard enough. He didn’t fight every month like Trevan did. Trevan now had several kills under his belt, and it only made him stronger, deadlier, and pissed off the Andinna around him more.

  He went easy on Emerian, letting the male have time to consider his next moves. Trevan used it as a chance to go through his forms.

  In the end, Emerian slipped up and missed an important block by trying to attack boldly. Trevan slammed the wooden gladius into his ribs.

  “Damn it!” Emerian leaned over the injured side and rubbed it. “I thought I could get an opening.”

  “It wasn’t an opening. I was going in for an attack. If you want to try those types of attacks, you have to jump into the lead and change the pace. Be faster than me and hit me before I can connect. It was a bold, smart move, just executed wrong.”

  The bell rang, signaling the end of evening practice. Trevan sighed and grabbed the mutt’s dropped practice gladius to put it away. Together, they walked down and skipped the communal baths. They never went during the rush. There were minimal guards in the baths, and they didn’t wear armor while bathing. It was a common way for Andinna to die in the pits, getting jumped and gored in the baths. Instead, they ducked into one of their multiple hiding rooms. Every couple of days, they picked a different room with a grate overhead, without a pattern. There were ten they rotated through in different ways. Enough so it was hard for the guards to track them efficiently, but not too many that Dave couldn’t check them all in a day or night and risk being out too long.

  This particular one was hidden toward the deepest areas of the pits. It sat under the Elliar market, which meant Dave would check it last, well after dark.

  “Remember to leave your things here, so Dave knows where to drop his message,” Trevan whispered.

  “Yeah,” Emerian mumbled, not looking at him.

  “What’s with you?” Trevan asked. “You’re extra angry today.”

  “You fought in the Colosseum a few days ago, and the guards jumped me,” he answered. Trevan straightened up as he unstrapped his armor. Confusion ran through him at the mutt’s words.

  “They what?”

  “They jumped me,” he snapped. “They found me and decided to kick me around.” He growled and turned to Trevan. “My skin is dark enough, so the bruises don’t show up very well at night. They knew that and hit me in places normally covered by my armor. They’re healed now…”

  “I thought you were helping them by translating Andena. That normally gives you some leniency.” How had he missed it? There was no hope in finding any of the old bruises now, but he shouldn’t have missed them that day.

  It was a fighting day. I came back in injured and tired. Of course, I would miss them. Damn it!

  “I was, but I guess I did something to offend them, and that didn’t save me. Let’s say they won’t be getting any more help from me.” Emerian chuckled bitterly. “I can’t fucking believe them. I was fucking risking my neck, giving them that information, and one mistake got me beaten on.”

  “And they didn’t tell you what it was?” Trevan had never participated
in the guard led beat downs. He didn’t understand the appeal, but he knew it came from anger. Half of the guards were young men trying to find their place in the Empire’s army but also enjoy the perks of living in a city. The pits were the only assignment in Elliar for new soldiers. The other half were soldiers being punished for failures at their previous assignments. In Elliar, they were under the watchful eye of some of the most powerful generals of the Empire. In the pits, their lives were constantly in danger. It stank, it was wet, and no one liked it. The average guard had less power than the lenasti above ground.

  He was the only soldier who had ever wanted the duty.

  “Just that I needed to learn my place and not feel so confident. Like I was ever confident in their protection,” Emerian said quietly. “Either way, lesson learned. Won’t be helping them if they don’t think they should help me.”

  Trevan tried not to say anything. Helping the guards normally provided some protection for a time, but it always ended bitterly. Guards were taught not to have favorites and to make sure any informants didn’t get special treatment after a while. It was easier to find a new informant than it was to keep a spoiled one alive. It normally took a few years before something happened, though, and normally, informants weren’t beaten. They were just cast aside and left to fend for themselves. Guards would stop talking to them for a time, making it clear the slave’s duty to them was over and to expect nothing else.

  “It was going to end, eventually. They were never going to give you special treatment or help you get free,” Trevan said finally, unable to contain himself. “They were never going to look at you as half-Elvasi and helpful. You’re always going to be just another barbarian for them to deal with on a daily basis.”

  Emerian’s red-orange eyes dimmed with hurt.

  Fuck. I could have softened that.

  He tried his damnedest not to care about the mutt, but to see someone getting so thoroughly crushed hurt him. He’d seen it for centuries. He was now a part of the system, his own will beaten on every day. He didn’t need to add to the pain Emerian was going through. He was learning that neither of his races cared about him. Not in Elliar, not in the pits.

  I’m the only person he has left.

  “Let’s stretch, then get to the baths. They should be clear by the time we’re done,” Trevan said gently, reaching out to pat the mutt’s shoulder. Emerian jerked away from the touch but nodded his head. Trevan led them through their nightly stretches, which helped keep them limber. He’d skipped it a few times and found stiffness wasn’t pleasant enough to warrant the extra sleep he got in the end.

  Night had fallen completely by the time they were done, and the red moon was beginning to light the night. They left most of their armor in the small room and headed to the communal baths, working fast once they were there to clean the dirt and sweat off themselves. Trying to remain quiet, they ducked back into the night’s safe room, and Trevan watched Emerian struggle against the wing bonds. Chafing was starting up on one of them.

  “Let me take a look at that wing,” he ordered.

  “What do you know about wing care?” the mutt snapped.

  He wasn’t in any kind of mood today.

  “Enough to try to help the chafing,” Trevan retorted. “Come on.”

  Emerian shifted and showed him the wing. Trevan shifted the bonds lower and freed the area beginning to chafe. He loosened them a little as well, so the leather didn’t constrict too hard.

  “That should give you enough room to move your wings a little and keep any one area from getting too abraded.”

  Emerian gave him a side-eye. “Thanks.”

  Trevan only nodded and settled into a corner, closing his eyes. It had been six days since Dave last came by. He was due any time.

  “Trevan,” a whispered voice came from above.

  I was right.

  He looked up and smiled. “Hey, human.”

  “Here.” Dave dropped the envelope and nodded once. “Good luck.”

  “You as well,” he replied, watching the hooded human disappear. They didn’t have long talks, but Trevan was able to read, and he could dispose of letters easily. He flipped it open, glad the human never thought to seal the envelopes, and took out the letter within.

  T,

  There have been some big changes among the Andinna. They recently attacked Ellantia to free some friends, and just two weeks ago, they hit a caravan guarded by Elvasi military on a road in the north. Some say there’s talk of a rebellion beginning. My friends here in Elliar are still working out the logistics of an escape for you and the mutt. We’re considering sending you north to the Dragon Spine. I’ll keep you posted.

  Just remember, we’re all rooting for you down there. Don’t give up.

  D

  Trevan’s eyes widened as he processed the words. Rebellion? Was it a crazy rumor, or was there any truth to the words? Were the Andinna really considering a major fight against the Empire? Did they have the numbers for that? Or the supplies?

  Part of him was angry. They were all going to get killed, and everything he’d sacrificed would be in vain. How could they be so stupid to think they had the ability to go against the monster that was the Empire? There weren’t nearly enough free Andinna to fight, and the Empire’s military was the largest ever to ever go to war.

  Part of him was glad. They deserved a fighting chance, out of the shadows and in the open against the Empire. If they felt they could do it, he wanted to believe in them. And maybe they wouldn’t forget those who worked with them and were punished for it.

  “Damn them,” he muttered, chuckling with happiness and despair.

  “What? Bad news?” Emerian looked up, the bags under his eyes getting worse by the hour.

  “Maybe, maybe not,” Trevan whispered, crumpling the letter in his hand. He never read the full contents to Emerian. He didn’t know the male that well, and the mutt was anti-everything, especially Andinna. Not like he didn’t have a reason to be angry at his winged side, but it made Trevan tread carefully with the contents of the illegal news.

  Even if he didn’t share the specifics, and not all the letters were good, they gave him hope he had lost. He’d been in a dark place when Emerian showed up. It had only gotten worse by the time Dave had revealed himself through the grates above.

  Now each letter helped him stay strong a little longer. No one had abandoned him down there. They were trying, and someone up there wanted to free him.

  It was something.

  “Well, g’night,” Emerian mumbled, already drifting into sleep.

  Trevan stared up through the small grate at the night sky for a little while longer.

  Someone gives a damn about me, and they’ll get me out of here. Now, I just need to keep this mutt alive since I’m the only person who gives a shit about him.

  9

  Matesh

  Matesh didn’t know why he was awake well before dawn, but he was, staring at the ceiling.

  Alone.

  Where is she?

  For the second time in the last month, she was up and gone long before he woke up. The last time, he hadn’t known she had left until she mentioned it later. This time, he noticed.

  I trust her to do whatever she wants, but I figured she would tell me what’s wrong.

  It wasn’t just the last two times, either. He’d noticed a trend while they were on missions that she would stay up late and wake up early, leaving him in bed to ‘get extra, deserved sleep,’ she claimed. That was in a war group, though. That was expected of the Champion, who needed to set a good example.

  This was at home and their shared bed.

  It was serious and strong enough that Luykas was noticing whatever woke her through the bond. Even from across the village.

  Mat didn’t want to wait for her to come back and find him in bed. He had no intention of confronting her, but he worried. He worried for her because he loved her, and he wished he understood what was on her mind, what was bothering her.

>   Whatever I do, I just…can’t get mad at her. She’ll probably tell me what’s wrong when she’s ready.

  He threw on pants and walked out of the room, stopping in the hall as he smelled whatever was cooking.

  “Who’s cooking breakfast?” he asked as he started walking again.

  “Me,” Zayden grunted from the kitchen, muffled, thanks to the walls. “Making enough for everyone, so have a seat if you’re interested.”

  “Thanks,” Mat said, sighing happily as he collapsed into a chair.

  “Where’s Mave?” his best friend asked as he put down a plate of eggs on the table.

  “Off doing Mave things.” Mat pulled the plate closer and sniffed. “These look good. What kind?”

  “General, boring chicken. A few of the slaves we rescued? Apparently, they stole some of the farm animals they used to tend.” Zayden snorted. “How they kept them alive getting through the Spine, I’ll never know, but a few have started an entire operation. A few goats, some chickens and a couple roosters, even a dairy cow.”

  “Very…human,” Mat mumbled. “Let’s hope they can keep them alive through the winter.”

  “Yeah, Luykas apparently tried to warn them of that, but they’re positive they can make it work. Most of them spent centuries breeding and tending these animals, so if anyone knows best, ya know?” Zayden put down a plate of bacon and ham next. “It’s not like Andinna don’t farm. We just pick hardier animals.”

  “Do any of them still exist?” Mat raised an eyebrow, the thought bothering him. “We had our own breeds of chickens, pigs, and goats. We hunted fairly and kept our animals from destroying the land.”

  “I don’t know, but it’s good to have some stock here, even if it’s not what we’re used to,” Zayden reminded him. “Our people need to eat.”

  “Yeah.” Mat started fixing an empty plate with the fares Zayden continued to set down—eggs, ham, and sausage probably made from venison scraps by the smell of them. Biscuits came out last, and Zayden even prepared a thick, white gravy to top it all off. Mat began to sample as Zayden finally sat down and made his own plate.