Arete, Apollodorus and the troops were running towards the city gate while the chaos in the grand hall was still happening.

“Let me go! Teacher! I can’t leave my father in such circumstances!” Arete shouted.

“My lady, I’ll explain it to you later. Please, you must leave now!” he replied.

While Chlorus and Sporus were getting closer to the city gates, Sporus fired multiple arrows towards Arete. Apollodorus pushed Arete out of the gate and got shot by one of the arrows. With all his strength, he pulled the gate lever, he tripped and fell to the ground. The metal gate fell as well, and the sharp edge of the gate stabbed through his old fragile body. “Teacher!” Arete was traumatized.

“Go… go to Thebes… my lady…” he muttered as he took his last breath.

The closed gate stopped Sporus and Chlorus from getting out of the city. Arete immediately jumped onto her horse and rode away from the scene.

Sporus kicked open the side wooden door next to the city gate; she was strong and fierce despite her elegant appearance. There was a determination in her deep green eyes as she was about to kill Arete. Chlorus felt threatened by the empress for he was ordered to capture Arete alive.

They got out of the city and rode towards the direction where Arete’s troops were gone. Chlorus knew for sure that he must get to Arete before Sporus did so.

As Sporus was getting closer, and she shot arrows towards her target. Arete positioned herself over to make the horse run in full speed gallop. Suddenly, Sporus’s horse lifted in prance and she fell to the ground. A spear had stabbed through her horse and killed it. She quickly stood up and dodged another spear attack that hit her chest. Something on her chest had protected her from this deadly stab… it came off. She kicked the attacker’s groin hard, then she pulled out a long dagger and slashed the attacker.

Sporus’s elegant dress was torn by that spear attack, revealing her half-naked body. She has a slightly muscular physique, her breasts were made out of metal lumps tied under her dress, and those were the thing that had blocked the spear. And she realized the one who attacked her was Matea. Part of her linothorax came off due to Sporus’s dagger slash, revealing her chest full of scars.

“A-mazos?!” Sporus realized Matea is not a man, the kick wasn’t painful to her at all. A-mazos, an extreme practice of female warriors, where they severed one side of their breast to ease movement of hands while wielding weapons. But Matea’s both breasts were severed, a sign of punishment for a woman, disabling her ability to raise any child.

Arete’s horse was running fast, but the Roman soldiers threw out lassos and captured it. She fell and wielded her spear towards the soldiers, her swift attacks caught the enemy soldiers off guard, stabbing and killing both of them. Chlorus’s sword slashed towards Arete, and she blocked his attack with her shield. But Chlorus was strong while Arete was smaller in size and he pushed her to the ground.

“Chlorus! You’ve betrayed us! Why are you fighting for Nero?” Arete shouted while she attempted to roll away from him. But he grabbed her left hand and locked her body from escaping.

“Your father left something for you…” he whispered to Arete. And she realized that he had put something in her left hand.

As Chlorus was pushing closer to Arete, he said, “Take care... I love you…”

Arete’s right hand, which was still holding a spear, cut open the lasso rope that captured her horse. The released stallion kicked Chlorus away and freed Arete. She quickly jumped onto the horse.

“General Chlorus, the empress is in danger!” A Roman soldier shouted.

As the battle between Sporus and Matea continued, Sporus was in a disadvantageous position as she only had a long dagger on her hand while Matea had a spear. Sporus’s soldiers who tried to protect her had fallen, defeated. Matea continuously attacked Sporus while all Sporus could do was dodging and blocking with her dagger. While Matea was about to stab Sporus’s chest, Chlorus appeared. He used a shield to divert Matea’s spear away, but the spear stabbed through his arm.

Matea was stunned at that moment, she recognised him.

“You! You are the one from the dungeon! Who freed you?” Chlorus asked.

“Matea! Let’s go!” Arete shouted.

A loud trumpet sounded with the arrival of chariots and horses. Nero’s soldiers had arrived.

Matea jumped on Arete’s horse and they escaped. Chlorus did not chase after them. He faked a trip and fell to the ground. He was not a good actor though. He saw the doubt in Sporus’s eyes which stared sharply at him.

“My dear, are you fine?” Nero asked.

“My lord, I’m sorry! They escaped! I’m sorry!” Sporus cried. She ran towards Nero with an instant change in her expression, from an angry disappointed face, to a meek fragile guise. Chlorus noticed about it, her master of acting skills surpassed him.

Nero came down from his chariot, using his cape, he covered the half naked Sporus and brought her to his arms.

“My dear, you should have just let Chlorus do his job!” Nero caressed and kissed Sporus on her forehead, but she leered at Chlorus, as if she knew his true intention.

“Luckily General Chlorus came to the rescue! Your majesty!” a soldier shouted. He was the Roman troop under Chlorus's command.

“Chlorus, you are forgiven for saving the empress! Medics, take care of the general!” Nero ordered.

“Yes, your majesty!” The medics pulled out the spear which was in Chlorus’s arm. He suppressed his pain with a clenched jaw.

“Thank you, your majesty, for having mercy on me.” Chlorus kneeled without looking at the emperor. Fearing his eye contact may trigger further questions on his intention to let Arete escape the scene.

They put down mad dogs, despite training them.

They kill the untamed ox, despite taming them.

They use the knife on sick sheep, despite healing them.

They destroy abnormal offspring at birth, children too.

If they are born weak or deformed, they drown.

Yet this is not the work of their anger,

But of their reason – The Teleios, the perfect.

But God has left all men free;

Nature has made no man a slave;

We are the freedom fighter,

We wage war against injustice.

For no human is perfect without a flaw;

These are the words of Seneca reported from Rome.

Be free, my daughter Arete.

Go to Thebes, and make your decision.

It was written in the familiar handwriting of her father, Lord Amiran. Arete did not shed a tear. She was emotionally broken as she gazed over the dusk of Mount Caucasus, kneeling on the ground. She was late.

The body of Lord Amiran was crucified, on top of Mount Caucasus. The vultures pierced through his stomach, feasting on his flesh. There was no word able to describe Arete’s pain. She thought she could save her father. But he was crucified right after she escaped from Syracuse.

Arete took down her father’s corpse. Matea had already dug a hole in the ground. She buried the body. There were no tears in her eyes. They moved on… a journey to Thebes.

to be continued...