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Dayne stood with downcast eyes and palms sweating while General Felix inspected the completed arrow launcher. In the five suns since Maximos was injured, Dayne was able to finish the enormous weapon on her own and according to her own design. She was even able to make several hand held launchers in the waning light after the heavy work was done; after the last meal of each day. Time passed so peacefully, it was easy for her to forget her life depended on the results of her efforts. If the General was pleased with the weapon's ability, she would live. If, however, he was displeased then she imagined she would die in some slow, horrible way.

"Well, it looks sound, I suppose," General Felix announced loud enough for his guards to hear.

He stood with his hands on his hips between the intimidating weapon and his soldiers. Two rows of viciously sharp arrows pointed directly at his naked chest. His short leather battle skirt and boots would not protect him in anyway if the device misfired or launched prematurely.

"Shall we see if it'll work as well for us as it did for the barbarian?" He asked the soldiers and they responded with a rousing cheer. "Then let's get to it! Bring out the prisoners," the General ordered.

Dayne's blood ran cold. The General was not only going to test the weapon, he was going to use live prisoners to do so.

"Ah, sir, if," Dayne started to stutter as guards herded frightened men toward the field below the arrow launcher.

"What? Having doubts the weapon will work?" General Felix said in a menacing voice as he stalked toward her.

"No, sir, it'll work. That's the problem." Dayne explained, "They'll all be killed. They won't survive. None of them. No chance for any of them at close range."

The General let out a roar of a laugh. Most of the guards did the same thing. None of the prisoners laughed as they huddled on the field.

"Every arrow? You think you'll get a direct hit out of every arrow?" The General questioned her with mock seriousness.

"No, sir," a collective chuckle went up around the soldiers when they thought she was backing away from her claim. "At short range, some arrows will kill two or three men."

General Felix leaned in very close, "My best archers can't kill more than one man with one arrow. You talk nonsense. Worse, you might be very close to speaking blasphemy."

Dayne looked to the ground. She would not risk an argument with the General.

"Tell you what," General Felix, sensing she was conceding defeat, spoke directly in her ear, "if your little device kills six of the twenty men on the field, I'll give you tomorrow off. If we score ten kills, I'll send you food from my own table. Damn it, I'll send you food from my own plate." Then the General pulled away to shout so the soldiers and prisoners could hear, "If you get all twenty kills, as you have so bragged, I will put on a feast to honor your father's name. A celebration such as you have never seen, barbarian; sweet food, strong drink, endless sex. I'll give you a room under my own roof and have my own wife teach you the finer rules of being a true Elosian."

The guards were laughing and calling out encouragement to their General's promises. Some of the prisoners looked relieved. They believed there was little chance dying this day when the General himself doubted the weapon's ability.

"But," the General's easy manner turned suddenly violent as he grabbed Dayne by the shirt front, "if you kill fewer than six then I'll whip you twenty hard lashes and leave you to die on the scaffold. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir," Dayne answered without fear.

General Felix pushed Dayne away from him and strode up next to the device. He motioned for one of the guards to ready the launcher. Dayne had given them all a short explanation about the working of the firing mechanism before she armed the weapon.

"All right now, you bunch of village scum, listen good," General Felix hollered to the prisoners in the field. "Simple rules are for simple men like you lot. If you survive the firing of my arrow launcher then I'll set you free. Simple, right? Just keep running toward the river. None of my men will try to stop you. Now go! Run. GO!"

Dayne watched as the men began to scramble further down the field. She heard the command to aim the arrows. The men were running but she knew it didn't matter. The General ordered the first round fired; ten arrows. More than half the men fell.

"By Waur himself! Fire again. Fire again!" General Felix screamed with delight.

The last of the men on the field were dropped by the second volley. The arrow launcher had killed most men outright. Several did lay mortal wounded. However, as Dayne claimed, nobody survived.

"You are truly Waur's child!" the General shouted in near hysteria at Dayne.

General Felix grabbed Dayne around the shoulders and gave a firm hug. His big fists pounded a rhythm on her back so hard she thought she would lose her meager breakfast. However, it could have been the sound of dying men that threatened to up end her stomach.

"We'll conquer any who stands against us. The homeland will be preserved for all eternity from our ancient enemies with the gifts Waur has give you." Felix held her at arms length to exclaim, "Your father's name will be honored for all time!"

"But, I'm a bastard slave," Dayne miserably replied but it was too soft to be heard above the revelry of the General and his soldiers.

Felix proceeded to proclaim Dayne's blessings to any and all who would listen as he marched her back to the villa. He called orders for soldiers to clear the field and slaves to prepare the promised celebration. Dayne was growing more distraught by the carnage with every foot step, every word. The festive mood exploding around her seemed like chaos. Her mind struggled to make sense of the senseless. However, it was the General's command for more slaughtering that drained the last of her physical strength.

"A suckling pig. Roast a suckling pig for the main course, Abel. What's wrong with you?" His orders were interrupted by the crumpling form in his arms.

The General slowed his steps as Dayne went limp. He lifted her off the ground in one sweeping movement.

"Too much, sir. It's all too much," Dayne managed to mutter before passing out.

Dayne entered the General's dining area under armed escort. She had been scrubbed clean by Abel. She wore a new tunic he tossed her from the Lady's laundry. Her leggings were remnants of the skins laid out to dry for grain sacks. Dayne dared to believe she had never felt quite so clean.

"There she stands," a feminine voice echoed off the marble in the high ceiling room.

"So she does," the General grunted as he followed his wife into the dining area.

The pair moved to sit on the soft cushions near the low table in the center of the room.

"Come sit next to me. My husband told me, he promised I would teach you the Elosian ways. So, sit next to me that you might learn more quickly," Lady Pia waved Dayne over to the cushions near her.

"Thank you, ma'am." Dayne's voice cracked when she greeted the imposing man, "General."

"Bring on the food," the General barked.

Slaves seemed to appear from nowhere bearing platters of food. They set to work without comment or extraneous noise. Dayne could almost smell the fear coming off them.

"We start with cold, pureed fruit. Doesn't matter where in the world we eat, any indigenous fruit will due to begin the meal," Lady Pia explained as she placed a small amount on Dayne's plate. "It is served cold and sour to remind us how difficult life was before Waur claimed us as his own."

"Ha, it also clears your palate," the General supplied the more practical reason with a chuckle.

Pia gave him a nasty look and he sobered immediately. She turned back to Dayne and pushed the plate closer to the girl.

"You can use the bread to sweep the fruit into you mouth. Hold your plate under you chin life this," Pia demonstrated and Dayne copied her. "How does it taste?"

"Very good, Lady Pia," Dayne took several more mouthfuls of the deliciously cold treat.

"Next, the main course is raw vegetables and salted meats. You can put bread on either side of the meat slices and eat it from your hand." Pia scanned the table looking for the meats.

"Pia, we are having a celebration tonight," the General said. "I'm sorry I didn't mention it to you earlier. We'll be having hot food."

Pia looked startled, "For a barbarian?"

"Think of it as a way to honor her Elosian father," Felix shrugged.

Dayne's attention was drawn to the doorway where several slaves were struggling with a heavy burden. When they entered the room Dayne could see the item weighing them down. She began to scuttle backward; trying to get away from the massive creature trussed up on the serving platter.

"Girl, stop that! Get back here beside me," Pia grabbed Dayne's arm and pushed her back to the table. "It's dead. It can't hurt you."

The roasted pig was placed in the middle of the table. General Felix was chuckling watching Dayne's reaction to the main course. His wife was not as amused.

"What's the matter? Never had pork? You're not one of those Hebrews from Egypt are you?" The General teased.

"No, no, sir. I don't even know what you're asking me," Dayne was sweating and her hand reached out to take Pia's hand. "Lady, I mean no offense. I'm ignorant. Afraid. Can I go back to the shred? I'm not hungry no more."

Pia felt something forgotten stir in her heart when Dayne took her hand. The memory of a trusting infant's hand wrapped around her finger moments before Felix took the babe to die in the woods. She wanted to pull away from the close contact but she was sure Dayne would bolt if she did. Pia would not let the barbarian ruin her husband's celebration.

"Don't be silly. You sit with me and eat. The pig meat is very mild. You'll like it," Pia reassured the girl.

"Villagers can't eat anything so big," Dayne whispered to Pia.

"Religious reasons?"

"No. They don't have anyway to kill it because of the weapons ban and besides they don't let us hunt," Dayne continued to whisper but the General heard.

"Dayne, you're one of the 'they' you speak of. You are not a villager anymore so stop thinking like one," Felix commanded and then took the plate of food Abel offered him.

Dayne nodded acknowledgement to his order. She did not try to speak because she was certain her voice would fail her. Pia offered her a plate of food. Dayne reluctantly let go of Pia's hand to accept it. She watched the General and Pia begin to eat and did her best to copy their every move. Much to her relief the food, even the pig, was delicious.

Their plates were almost empty when Felix called for wine. Pia showed Dayne how to hold her cup so the slave could fill it. Dayne was so focused on doing exactly as Pia instructed she didn't notice the slave pouring the wine until her cup was half full.

"Becca?"

The room fell silent. Becca stopped pouring the wine and knelt next to Dayne.

"My Becca," Dayne claimed her.

Dayne set the wine jug aside. She pulled Becca into a tight hug. Becca responded by throwing her arms around Dayne's neck and hiding her face in her lover's chest. Dayne held her close and placed gentle kisses on the top of Becca's head.

"Well, looks like you found a friend," the General choked out a laugh.

Dayne was furious, "She mine. She's always been mine. I want her back. You can't have her. I won't let you keep her."

The General stood and up ended the table. Slaves ran in every direction to escape his rage. Dayne remained seated with Becca held firmly in her arms.

"How dare you?" the General's approach was stopped when Pia leapt to her feet and placed herself between them.

"Felix, you said yourself she's a barbarian. She's also a prisoner and not a slave," Pia reminded him. "She doesn't know any better. Give me a chance to teach her."

"Why should I do that?" the General was seething.

"Because she could build you the weapon you need to rule Elos. Think what she could make for you to use against your enemies. With your army and her weapons, you could take control of the country. Do away with the Legislature and diplomats." Pia gave a broad smile, "King suits you more than General, I think."

Felix liked the idea, "What of the slave then? I'll spare the barbarian because she has a purpose. The slave is useless."

"If the barbarian wants her let her keep her. Who cares? As long as Dayne keeps building Waur's weapons, let her sleep with all the slaves if she wants. She's still your prisoner so the slave is still yours as well."

The muscles in Felix's arms relaxed. His wife was right. Why hack the girl to pieces before she makes him rich? He could wait.

"All right, barbarian. The slave is yours. Pia will teach you the manners you need to survive in my household," the General spoke deliberately.

"Thank you," Dayne replied without looking at the man.

"Mark my words, if you cross me again, it will be the last time," the General promised. "Not even Waur himself will still my hand."

The General stormed away with Pia following. Slaves slowly and silently began to clear the food and plates. Dayne remained on the floor cradling Becca in her arms.

"You're safe. I'm here," Dayne whispered to her terrified lover. "I'll keep us safe, I promise."

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