A man dressed in a multi-coloured armour was giving a speech to an assembly of teenagers. The Academy’s classroom was quite small considering the number of students, but no one would have dared to complain.

“Under your orders are a hundred soldiers trained in Leïn’s barracks. You receive an imperial decree to vanquish a horde of Carradins having invaded our beautiful Western plains. What are your options?”

A few hands rose. The teacher pointed towards the one closest to him.

A young apprentice stood up at attention.

“We need to get an estimate of their forces, Professor Barric.”

“Very good.” Said the soldier. “You may sit. Step one: intelligence. For this exercise, we shall say you are informed about the enemy troops. Two thousand, with enough supplies to hold on for two whole months. What is the next step?”

The hands that had stayed in the air fell back down. All except one.

“Yes apprentice Trinne?”

The red-haired woman stood at attention.

“Frontal victory is impossible. I command a strategic retreat.”

“You disobey an imperial decree?”

“No professor. We have terrain knowledge advantage, and our small numbers give us enhanced mobility. I will put in place a tactic based on surprise attacks aimed at their food supplies and high-ranked officers.”

“A long-term strategy, in other words. In the meantime, they will pillage, kill and rape.”

“The order was not to defend, but to vanquish.”

The professor grimaced at the young woman’s impertinence.

“Why not ask for back-up?”

“You said we had one hundred men at our disposal, I assume that is all I’ll have.”

Barric sighed, still annoyed. “A good solution, even though quite too like a Firante method for my taste. You may sit down.”

Past, Academy.

Nay took a deep breath. The Western plains, the immense fields of wheat and tallgrass, were slowly disappearing and replaced with forests, rivers and short hills. The vegetation was more diverse, with more colourful greens, and even the burgeoning of red and orange. Humidity was also higher. Nay knew this was the result of a warm and humid air current coming from the Hymere, the jungle east of Leïn. The road itself, though, had not changed. The overused cobblestones were going forwards, with seemingly no end, meandering between the hills and the streams. The more dominant nature in this place, even if visually comforting, brought no aid to the young Legio’s situation. The closer she came to the capital, the denser the traffic. And she had no time to hunt far away from the road.

She had come to a standstill. She could not avoid the road altogether, as she would most likely get lost, and she could not ask her way as she could not trust anyone. And now, she could not advance further on the road either. There was a checkpoint there, stopping and inspecting every traveller coming from the west. It wasn’t impossible to go around it, she had done so before, as two checkpoints had been erected on her way already, but it was making her waste precious time. Going around meant exiting the road, crossing a dense forest for a few miles, and emerging back on the road further ahead. The last checkpoint had made her lose four hours, while her opponents would only take five minutes. What’s more, the night was currently falling, and crossing an unknown forest without light, even with the Rreico to help her, would be an arduous task.

Nay could not know exactly where the Virnyl guards pursuing her were situated, but she was certain she would not reach Leïn before they caught up to her.

Considering all that, she had taken a decision, a decision she wasn’t enjoying in any way or form, and that explained why she was currently on top of a neighbouring hill, from where she could observe the checkpoint on the main road to the capital.

She needed to get rid of her pursuers, one way or another. She had no desire to kill them. She knew the Virnyl guards, would most likely recognize those that were tracking her. They were only there to uphold the law and the peace of the kingdom.

She also knew they would not listen to her.

Her only way out, that she could see, was to trap them. She needed to hurt them enough to force them to fall back, giving her enough time to reach Leïn. She had no chance of winning against multiple Comminios, but if she could manage to create a situation were she fought them by surprise individually… that could work. It was far from honourable, a disgusting act for an ex-Virnyl apprentice, but Nay knew the price of honour. Her father had taught it to her. So she waited. Waited until she would spot a group very different from the others.

They arrived the next day. Nay counted five or six. She was only one hundred yards, maybe less, away from them, but she could not be certain of their numbers. This was due to their formation. They were almost walking over each other, and with their dark hoods and capes, they seemed like one compact blob of darkness.

Nay swore internally. To manage to catch up to her at that speed, with this formation, meant they were not just anyone. You needed perfect rhythm and rigorous training, an experienced group that had done numerous missions together before. She was too far away for their Rreico to be recognizable, but she had a bad feeling.

It would not change her plans, but her chances of success had plummeted.

Nay was going to wait. She was far away from the main road to hunt a lost rabbit or bird, the woods were abundant in berries, and the season of wild apples had begun.

She would stay there until her pursuers realized they had overtaken her. When they’d come back, she would follow them until the fall of the night. Once their camp set up, she would improvise. Aiming for their water or food supply was a lost cause, as the villages around were numerous, and their survival skills were without a doubt superior to hers.

Nay started a meagre fire, barely letting out any smoke, and started cooking.

“Trinne would have found at least three flaws in my plan.” She sighed out loud.

The hooded men crossed back through the checkpoint the next night. Because of the falling darkness, Nay had had to descend from the hill slowly, and when reaching the main road, she had lost sight of them.

“Biach.” She swore. She closed her eyes, using her perception of the Rreico to its utmost limit.

“Biach.” She repeated softly. She had found them, not far away from her to her left. Thirty people were currently on the road in the vicinity, merchants, guards, for the most. One of those Rreicos though was unmistakable. Hidden out of sight behind the turn of the road, further down the west. She had hoped to worry for nothing, but she recognized the rhythm of life of Quar Birrebus.

His presence was growing fainter as he moved away, and he was followed by four other Rreicos she did not recognize. Nay guessed they were Comminios she hadn’t met before.

“Why them…?” Nay asked out loud. The right man of the Commandare had preferred surrounding himself with men she hadn’t met or fought before? Why? She saw no advantage to such a move. She knew at least ten Virnyl guards able to regularly beat her in one-on-one duels, and they wouldn’t underestimate her because of her gender.

She followed the men hunting her all the while thinking about this unexpected occurrence. The merchants and guards she passed barely looked at her. Some had stopped to set up camp, and Nay hoped the Virnyl guards would do the same soon. If they crossed the next checkpoint during the night, Nay would be unable to follow them and would need to wait for them to turn around once again.

She kept a large distance between her and her pursuers, only possible through her mastery of the Rreico. There was no chance for them to spot her or to ambush her.

After half an hour, Nay felt them stop for the night.

A fire, one tent, three of them slept while two were on guard duty. Both Comminios still awake had taken positions in the dark, not too far away from the fire, but far enough so that their eyes could get used to the obscurity. One suspicious noise would sound the alarm. Nay recognized their formation well, she was taught the same. The night was clear, the forest and road silent, even with the Rreico, getting closer than fifteen yards without getting spotted was impossible.

In any case, the young Legio would only watch for now.

Two hours passed when the guards changed. Nay saw no opportunity during it either.

She sighed. Quar Birrebus and a man at least seven feet tall had put on their armours and taken the position of the two previous guards. Nay was surprised when she saw the expression on the Commandare’s most trusted man. She was used seeing a neutral and cold face, but now she had seen a sombre and grave look in his eyes.

With no apparent reason, this revealed the truth to the young Legio. It made her realize why he was surrounded by Virnyl guards she had never met in Gite before.

She grit her teeth.

It wasn’t that he had chosen guards she did not know, it was that he had chosen the only men at his disposal he deigned good enough to capture her.

The others were dead or missing.

Nay had a sudden flash in her mind, seeing the Angel one more, she felt the guilt grip her throat.

In other circumstances, she would have surrendered here and there. She wasn’t the one responsible for the Commandare’s death, after all. But Quar Birrebus had sent Trinne to her death, with no valid reason. If they decided to sacrifice her to the Angel as well… The risks were too high. Nay had promised she would do her best to live.

Why were the demonic creatures after her? Did the death of the Conqueror release them of his control? Did they know who she was, what she was? Were they aiming for the end of the world? Nay asked herself a lot of questions since the revelation of Sage Jormun, but no answer came to her.

The young Legio focused on her mission again. The two men talked to each other in soft voices, and she was too far away to hear what they were saying, or perceive the deeper innards of their Rreico. But even superficially, it gave her an absurd advantage. Feeling the rhythm of life was giving her the opportunity of being completely unseen, she would never be taken by surprise, they could never catch her and she would always be one step ahead.

It was the first time Nay saw the Legio’s power as something else than an ability to fight. It would give you an advantage in one, for sure, but it would never give you a certain victory. Your opponent only needed to hit faster, or Nay could simply stumble… But, this power, in the hands of an assassin. Nay shivered at the idea. The art of the Legios was a very well-kept secret. To such a degree she was now the only one left able to use it.

And maybe it was for the better.

Nay, still sitting on the thick branch of a maple tree, began wondering what others would do with the ability to use the Rreico. The Assinis would almost be unbeatable. Never to be found, impervious to ambushes or traps…

And if the Firantes had had access to such a power…

Nay grimaces as she realized the Firantes would have done exactly what she was doing right now.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the next rotation of guards. Quar Birrebus stayed where he was, but the tall Virnyl guard was replaced with the last soldier that Nay hadn’t seen yet.

They slept very little and were even more tired by the road than Nay was. Still, she would not come closer as long as Quar Birrebus was standing guard. She closed her eyes and waited for the last rotation.

When the sky started to light up, dawn almost at the horizon, darkness in the form of big dark clouds quickly covered the start of the new day. Far from the gigantic summer clouds, they were still announcing rain. It fell fifteen minutes later, and the sound and diminished visibility it created finally gave Nay the occasion she was waiting for.

She climbed down from her tree and came closer to the encampment from the shadows of the forest.

She moved at the rhythm of the guards’ breathing, stepping forward, tree to tree, bush to bush. She then used the distraction created by a brown fox to cross the empty space between the forest and the tent. She could sense three men inside. Their sleep was very light. The young Legio looked behind the tent, checking the two guards ten yards away, impervious to their mistake, then looked inside.

Quar Birrebus was in reach of her sword. She could cut his throat, here and there. It would be the best way to ruin her pursuers attempts at catching her. Trinne most likely would have…No, if Nay did this, she would have admitted to what was accused of her. It would be the confession of her involvement in the Commandare’s death. That she was a cold-blooded killer. Her red-haired friend would have taken into account Nay’s wish not to kill, and she would have found another way.

Something shone in the corner of Nay’s eye. Just next Quar Birrebus’ head, on a travel backpack, was his belt, with two swords and numerous knives, some used in fights and some utilitarian in nature.

The young Legio decided, knowing full well this had to be one of the most idiotic ideas she had ever had.

She was going to steal the Commandare’s second in command’s weapons.

She focused on her Reico, and removed her own belt, way too loud, and laid it gently on the ground.

The sound of the rain on the tent’s canopy muffled the noise of her sword on its scabbard.

She entered the tent, slowly. It was small, she only needed one step. She stopped immediately, seeing as she was casting a shadow.

She crouched and squirmed, reached for the coveted belt. She could touch it with the tip of her fingers. Slowly. Very slowly.

She ceased her movement once more, when Quar’s neighbour, the seven feet tall giant, snore loudly.

Ready to scurry off at the first sign of waking up, the Rreico informed her she had not to worry. Still, she felt one of the guards outside move.

She clenched her hand on the belt. The noise of metal was drowned by the drops of water over her head.

She backed off, very softly. Once half outside, she felt the water falling on her back grow weaker and weaker. A lull.

It happened as the pommel of a dagger on the belt got stuck on the tent’s door, knocking its leather scabbard to the metal one next to it.

Nay did not hesitate one moment on her misfortune, she left the tent in one, swift move. Quar was waking up, but she did not worry. He had not yet realized what had happened.

She picked up her own belt hurriedly, then started running.

Less than a second later, she heard Quar Birrebus say loudly:

"By Trayx were is my be…”

“INTRUDER!” Shouted a guard who had finally spotted her.

But it was too late. Nay was already far away, and without the Rreico on their side, catching her in the forest would be impossible.