Cacus 1

Cacus deserted Prince Augustus during the frantic retreat from Atryus.

Exhausted and with blood flooding his eyes, the royal knight got separated from his allies and found himself wandering the woodlands Themis-knows where.

He wasn’t in the Beast Woods from what he could tell, as the trees weren’t black as night. He didn’t think he’d made it to the Ash Woods as that was far too deep into the Demon Empire’s territory and he’d almost certainly be dead already.

His horse, however, collapsed, after galloping with fifteen arrows in it and its strength sapped.

From there, Cacus just kept walking with a sprained ankle, somehow losing his shield and pack along the way.

And then, he fell down a steep hill and passed out.

When he awoke, it was night, and he felt weak.

How much blood did I lose?

In the battle, an arrow had grazed his shoulder, but the cut was no deeper than one made by paper. He’d been hit hard on the head by a skeleton’s war hammer which had caused the bleeding, but Cacus hadn’t had time to check his injuries in depth.

Groggily, he removed his bloodied helm and touched where the hammer had struck; the blood had dried and clotted, something he was thankful for, but he had nothing to wrap it with. He removed one of his gauntlets, tore his shirt sleeve off and did his best to use it as a makeshift bandage, though it wasn’t sufficient.

“Can’t even clean the fucking thing.” Cacus sighed and slumped against the tree behind him, staring with empty eyes at the starlit sky.

The Reclamation of Themis had failed.

Divine Paladin Lawrence had betrayed them and Count Barthlow’s men had no doubt been routed too; if not yet, it wouldn’t be long.

And now, here he was, behind enemy lines, alone and in armour that marked him as an enemy to the Demon Empire.

So, Cacus dug a small hole, removed his armour and buried it, keeping only his sword and dagger.

He was hungry and thirsty, and he couldn’t stay in the woodlands forever, but his eyes were only just beginning to get used to the darkness of the night.

“Some easy prey should be out at this time of day.”

On shaking legs, Cacus started to move, quietly and carefully.

He had no food, no water, no supplies or medicines and he had to assume he was alone, even in his homeland.

If he didn’t act, he’d die.

So, he moved.

It took two hours of tiring walking before he found a river to drink from.

Without considering if the water was clean, he dove his face into it, desperately slurping up whatever his hands could grab, before choking and spluttering, both from the taste and from drinking it too fast. Then, he drunk more.

He removed his makeshift bandage to clean the cut in the river, but the scent of his dry blood had attracted a small pack of wolves.

Five of them circled him, maintaining a safe distance as Cacus drew his sword.

He could only see the beasts’ eyes, so he had to be careful as he fought.

Two wolves lunged from different sides; Cacus lunged at one and kicked at the other. His sword pierced the wolf’s stomach, but his ankle was grabbed in the jaw of the other wolf, which dragged him to the ground with his great strength.

Cacus bellowed in pain and managed to drop his sword in the confusion. Desperately, he drew his dagger and stabbed at the wolf’s mouth, but it released him as he did, and the knife nearly pierced his own ankle. Cacus snapped into a crouch position and waited, seeing which of the beasts would attack next, but they kept circling and keeping their distance.

The wolf he’d stabbed before had been howling from its wounds, but it was growing quieter and quieter.

Once it stopped, the pack retreated, deeming the battle a loss, and giving Cacus a meal for the morning.

It’d be suicide to make a fire tonight.

Cacus took back his sword, cleaned it in the river and then waited impatiently for the dawn to arrive. When it did, he started a fire before butchering the wolf; then, he skinned it, removed its organs and then started cooking its entire body. As he watched it cook, he washed out his wound in the lake, tore off the other sleeve of his shirt and tied it as a new, clean bandage.

An hour later, his meal was cooked, and he carved it up into smaller chunks, keeping some for later in the wolf skin pouch he made and eating all four of its legs for breakfast.

As a Royal Knight serving the royal family of the Holy Empire, Cacus had never eaten wolf before, but its taste wasn’t all that bad, or maybe that’s just what his stomach wanted him to think.

“What…do I do from here?”

He couldn’t make it back across the border; it’d be too closely watched by the Demon Emperor’s forces.

He couldn’t stay in the forest forever; the animals would kill him, as could the water or a nasty fall or injury.

He couldn’t leave without people asking questions; he was a stranger to many but known to others, and neither scenario was good for Cacus.

Those who recognised him would know that he’d escaped with the prince and princess, and those who didn’t would view a stranger with suspicion.

It wouldn’t take long for someone to report him in either case, but he had to do something.

“But what?”

What am I meant to do now?

I failed my prince, I failed his parents, I failed my home.

Maybe. His eyes rested on his dagger. Maybe there is only one thing left to do.

The fact that that thought had even crossed his mind for a second angered him.

He punched himself hard in the cheek, far harder than he meant to, and spat out some blood. Laughing, Cacus sat up against a tree and stared up at the clouds just peeking through the tree line.

“Saint Themis, I need your guidance now more than ever.”

But she didn’t reply.

Of course, she wouldn’t.

We failed her.

I don’t deserve her-

“She would never have given up.” Cacus slowly forced himself up onto his feet, grunting in pain as he did. “Themis fought and fought and fought, no matter how badly things got. Not after losing her family, her childhood friend, not even in the Beast Woods as the vampire descended upon her.”

Cacus wiped the blood from his face and head and steeled himself.

“I won’t give up. I’ll keep fighting until my last breath. Maybe it’ll be in vain, or maybe it’ll make a difference. Either way, I’m going to do it.

“I’m going to keep moving and do my best for you, O Great Saint Themis, and for you, my prince. I shall not let you down!”