Chapter 7: 6 – Apathetic hatred

The sun was rising and the darkness, like water pouring out of an open dam, was receding fast. A few miles from the valley where the men in the two camps were waking up and preparing for the hard day, two groups of figures faced each other.

On one side Accidia was in the lead, with her usual emotionless gaze. Behind her were her 11 acolytes and her young valet. On the other side a woman with auburn hair fluttering in the wind smiled while five blindfolded men wearing light black-and-white armor stood behind her standing at attention, at their belts were long silver swords and small daggers.

-Do you mind my intervening? -

The woman smiled as she turned to Accidia.

-Why should I? The master leaves us free to act, and this is not the first time you have been in my way. -

So saying he inclined his head and continued to stare at the woman.

-What a rude way to address a beautiful woman. Um...my fault. I always forget that you are a beggar whom the master picked up on the street. I treat you as my equal but your origins in the end only come up. -

So saying he wrinkled his nose uncomfortably as if he had smelled something smelly

-Ah, that's a good one. I would be the beggar? What about you ugly bitch? In fact, I stand corrected, at least whores spread their legs for the men they seduce. You are just a bitchy bitch who excites men and lets them rot in their lust. -

The woman smiled at the man's words, then began to laugh merrily.

-What, you want to fuck me too? My children would rip off your manhood even before you dismounted from your horse. Anyway, enough talk. I didn't know you were behind the revolt.... Fidia, if I had known I would have contacted you to find out if you spoiled your plans, but that's the way it is now. -

She shrugged, smiling.

<Lying bitch. >

-So you contacted me just to tell me this? Cut the crap and spit it out. I don't have time to waste with your bullshit. -

-Here you go again. Are you really incapable of polite discourse with a beautiful woman? Anyway, it's true, I have something to ask you. Or rather I ask for your cooperation in this little operation. -

-You what? Do you want a hand? Since when does the whore ask for something instead of taking it? Spit it out and tell me what the hell you want. I have to go redress those idiots at the camp and prepare their massacre. -

The woman turned her gaze toward the direction where the camps were located. The sun was rising on the horizon and seemed to be preparing for a beautiful day. A day filled with blood and corpses.

-I would like you to ensure the death of one person on the battlefield. -

So saying, he returned to look at his colleague.

Yes, colleague. The woman was one of the seven sins commanded by Sadness.

<They burn like fire the senses and taste their dance until their death. I am Lussuria.>

-You want to ensure someone's death? It's something simple, of course I hope they all die tomorrow but given your intervention it's already a lot if the Count manages to win by safeguarding half of his own. So who do you want to die? -

-Allen Cattern, the Count's son. Tomorrow he will lead the cavalry on the right flank. You must make sure he dies in the clash. -

So saying with a disgusted face she turned and went to the carriage that was waiting for her not far away. Once inside her blindfolded men took their places on it and drove off toward Cortoga.

Accidia watched the woman drive away; he did not ask why that boy had to die, he did not care. If he could he would have wished they all died today in the clash, but he was not foolish enough to hope for so much.

He turned his horse and with his group headed for the camp of the pigs he was going to send to slaughter.

The previous evening in the camp there was a heated discussion among the leaders of the liberators. They were afraid that they would be defeated, and the disappearance of their Liberator agitated them even more.

Domini, the person who usually brought back messages from that person, told them that at dawn he would come to the camp to make further arrangements so they did not have to worry. Despite this, they spent the night reviewing tactics and dispositions, trying to think of every possibility.

It was a few minutes past dawn when the tent was opened and the man they had all been waiting for entered. Sighs of relief followed his arrival. Domini approached and whispered a few words to him then with a few gestures pointed to a chair vacated for him.

Accidia took a seat and waited for everyone to settle down and shut up.

-I have checked the formation of the enemy's forces. You will have to make some changes to how you have arranged the men, but there are no major changes to be made. -

So saying he unrolled the map on the board, indicating the places where the changes were to be made. He had a few more lancers moved to the left side saying that the cavalry charge would come from there, then he arranged the two mages one on the left and one on the right with a dozen men each with large shields to defend them from the arrows.

-Remember that you must have the cavalry charge first then, after two salvoes of opposing arrows when the count's infantry has come close enough only then will the mages intervene. -

He waited a few moments to make the information clear then continued.

-The orbs I have given you must be thrown before the mages intervene, this will give you a sure chance to sweep the center. Once annihilated you will close the two wings slowly and annihilate them. No great tactics are needed, you have the advantage of magic and numbers, as much as the opposing troops are better prepared you are five thousand and are well rested, those soldiers came in a hurry yesterday here to intercept you so they are tired. Don't be afraid, you just have to play your roles as usual and tonight you can celebrate victory. -

So saying he looked at the people around him instilling in them the belief that they would win. When the discussion was over they all began to leave, leaving Accidia and Domini alone.

When they were certain that no one was around Domini knelt at Accidia's side bowing his head.

-My lord, as you commanded some trusted men were placed in each group. The person you led to the camp finished his work on their souls yesterday. As soon as the battle begins when the mages' flames are set they will go into action. -

As Domini reported on the preparation entrusted to him, Accidi pulled out from the inside pocket of his tunic a black cylinder with silvery engravings.

He scrutinized it for a moment and then handed it to Domini.

-As soon as souls begin to explode and chaos takes over the battlefield unscrew the cap of the cylinder then throw it a few steps from tea. In a few moments black smoke will come out and begin to spread over the area. When everything is obscured and you are sure no one notices you run away. -

Domini, with bowed head, listened to his master's words and already began to think about how to arrange horses and provisions in a corner so as to facilitate escape.

-One last thing. Someone asked me to secure the death of the count's son, I don't really care if this will happen or not. If it can be facilitated so be it, otherwise don't employ troops unnecessarily to do that person a favor. The main purpose is always the same, to make as many people as possible die. -

Accidia drummed for a few moments on the armrest of the chair then turned a lazy glance on Domini. The man, like all his servants, was by now a shell of flesh devoid of any stimulus to life, only orders urged him on and if left without he would let himself die of inertia in a corner.

The power granted him by his master was overwhelming, since he could create these flesh dolls his shattered life had found a new outlet.

Yes, thanks to the master he would have his revenge and then let himself die. He had his word encouraging him to go on, pushing him along this gray and silent path that enveloped him. Kill those who had betrayed him and then he would have his end.

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But until then he would rob the people along the way of any shred of humanity.

There is no reward in hard work, no future and no respect for those who work beyond their means. Humanity deserves no heroes, only the apathetic gray of a dull, silent life devoid of ambition is praised at the end of the day.

Foolish are those who go above and beyond.

<I was such a great fool. And what did I get in the end? I gave so much and received a fistful in return. No. Never again. I will eradicate any drive for progress and growth. I will leave behind me a trail of gray, unhealthy apathy. This world does not deserve heroes. >

Yes, he stood up and with great strides headed for the tent. He turned a glance toward Domini and then walked outside without uttering a word.

Talking and thinking sometimes is too tiring. But soon all these pesky flies he had been agitating would be dead and some peace and silence before the next battlefield would greet him.

<In the next few days I will finally be able to be alone.>

As he thought about this he felt his right ring finger twitch a little. He brought his hand to his face and focused on the ring.

-Yes my lord. One day and I will be done here. -

-Yes my lord. As soon as it is concluded I will come to the presence of the gathering. -

-Luxury? Yes, my lord...I have seen you, we passed each other on our way. -

-As you command. -

A sigh escaped Accidia's lips, but a few moments later a face contorted with anger peeped out from that usually dull and indifferent face

<That big bitch. How dare she complain about me? Bitch.>

After the call from sul master and learning that Lust had called for a rally to accuse him of "consecutive and unfounded interference in her plans" Accidia was ready to slit that repulsive being's throat as soon as he crossed her path.

<As if you didn't know what that bitch is up to. Excuses. All excuses so she could get close to the master. That bitch dares to use me to request an audience with the master. >

As a rule, the 7 sins go around the continent in complete autonomy. They rarely run into each other but even if they do they ignore each other. Of course there are exceptions among them.

Greed was in charge of seeking funds for the operations of all of them; therefore, even though he worked alone on his financial projects he often visited each of them giving them a share of the proceeds.

Gola, on the other hand, was the only one who traveled together with their master. He could be considered his bodyguard even though to look at him he seemed more like a helpless puppy running after his master.

Instead for himself...

-Ahm...-

A deep sigh of resignation came out of his mouth. Lately he had been sighing more and more often, and the silence he appreciated was too easily interrupted by that cheap woman.

For months now his path had crossed with Lust. Their skills were very different and the projects they worked with were carried out in totally different ways even though the conclusion was always the same, war.

He being possessed of the power of sloth and driven by the desire to deprive the world of any sense of progress and willingness to engage, agitated the most helpless masses to rebel for more "affluent" lives. He actually used them as pawns and sent them to die against the walls of their lords' cities. The purpose was simple, eliminate the working class bit by bit and create chaos by depriving nations of their working arms.

Lust worked on the opposite end of the social class. He exploited his appearance and aura of seduction to deprive men and women of the logical skills needed to distinguish true from false. He loved to make nobles fight each other by pushing them into absurd power struggles in pursuit of glory and insulting luxuries; he destroyed the unity of families by pitting children against parents, knights against their lords, feudal lords against their masters. Chaos in the spheres of leadership turned into an administrative crisis that resulted in factional wars.

But lately their paths often crossed.

He was increasingly routinely stirring up small and large nobles to go against the uprisings agitated by Accidia, at first it did not seem like anything contrived, but by now it was clear that his intentions were deliberate.

The purpose? To create a pretext to be able to call for a rally in front of the master.

Everyone knew that she was madly in love with the master.

<Stupid bitch. As if the master cares about her at all. She just makes a fool of herself. >

But that's how it was by now--the master himself knew but let it go. As long as they were useful the master let them act as they wished, but maybe the moment their roles were useless they would be abandoned ... or else.

<Let's think about these manure sacks and ending this day. >

With a tired and resigned look he looked at the rebel camp in front of him.

A jumble of filthy useless souls were piling on top of each other, some shouting orders, others pushing through the crowd looking for their comrades.

They would all be dead today. Just another bunch of silly, insulting sacks of meat sent to their deaths. The only question was, how many of the opposing group would they kill? With Lust's intervention by now this project was over, he only hoped that the number of deaths would be enough as a result.

<In total between the two camps there are almost nine thousand. Hopefully maybe two thousand will live--maybe even less. Now the matter is concluded.>

Thus thinking he turned his back and walked in the direction of his acolytes.

First, however, he stopped and called out to Domini.

-About the matter of the cavalry on the right side...move both mages to the right side of the front. Let the count's cavalry overwhelm the left flank without finding too many obstacles. When the explosions start they will retreat anyway. -

Domini listened to his master's command with bowed head, then turned away to order the changes to be made.

<That woman brings me too much trouble. Plots and answers. I have to change too many things and it's tiring...but it has to be done...help her? If leaving the boy alive will give her trouble welcome. I'll get some amusement out of her whining... >

A quick smile furrowed his face, then immediately returned to the calm, apathetic countenance that distinguished him.

One of his waiting men approached him, the youngest. He handed him the reins of the horse and immediately mounted. The group began to gallop away from the camp under the burning gaze of the people. Mixed thoughts of expectation and gratitude crowded the minds of the people as they watched their liberator ride away from the camp.

If only they knew the role their patron had reserved for him on that day.

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