“What’s going on?” Neonxis asked, puzzled.
A loud *bang* sounded as the door was flung open. A guard rushed in, his face beaming with joy: “Report to the generals! The scouts are back! They say… they say… they say the mercenaries won! The Lucanian allied army has been wiped out!”
“Is this true?!” The generals could hardly believe their ears, asking in unison.
“The scouts are right outside. They even went to the battlefield—the Great River Shoal—where the mercenaries fought the Lucanians. They said it’s covered with Lucanian corpses!”
“Unbelievable! Truly unbelievable! They actually won!” Neonxis murmured, as if in a dream.
“How did they do it?!” Kynogoratas had been on the battlefield just yesterday, and the ferocity of the Lucanian warriors still filled him with fear. He knew well the disparity in numbers, so the news of victory struck him as nothing short of a miracle.
“What kind of man is Davos?” At that moment, Antistanos found himself eager to learn about this miraculous mercenary leader.
Polyxides immediately recalled the smiling young man he had seen on Bourkos’s ship. He never imagined that this seemingly harmless youth could destroy the Lucanian coalition—the very force that Thurii had dreaded like a flood or a wild beast—and save the city of Thurii from its perilous state.
“He’s a young man, but among the mercenaries, he’s rumored to be the God-Touched One of Hades! They also call him the Miracle Worker! On the journey back from Persia…” Bourkos, who had been stuck in the city hall after being criticized by the generals, now spoke loudly and proudly, recounting the heroic deeds he had heard about Davos. In his heart, only one voice surged and boiled: He did it! He really did it!
The generals did not mock these seemingly absurd rumors, nor did they meet Bourkos’s ecstatic gaze. Instead, they strode briskly out of the hall.
On the square of the city hall, countless women, children, and elderly draped in black mourning veils, who had been wearing expressions of grief, now shouted joyfully in celebration of the victory. Some even wept, but those were tears of happiness. The gloom that had hung over the people of Thurii had now completely dissipated.
The scouts also brought a message from Davos: he hoped Thurii would send people to clean the battlefield and bury the dead to prevent an outbreak of disease.
Out of caution, the generals decided to send a team to inspect the battlefield first. This time, Neonxis led the team himself. When they reached the Great River Shoal, the sight before him made him draw in a cold breath: The entire area, including the hot spring marsh, had turned into a crimson river of blood, filled with naked corpses (the mercenaries had stripped the dead of their armor and weapons). It was nothing short of a living hell…
“This is a terrifying miracle!” Neonxis trembled all over. “A fearsome God-Touched One of Hades!…”
…
To express gratitude, the generals, along with the Council, deliberated and decided: They would send Bourkos to accompany Antistanos to the mercenary camp, to invite Davos, Archytas, and the leaders Drakos, Adrianx, and Sestas, along with their officers, to Thurii for a victory celebration and to accept the thanks of the Thurian people. In addition, they brought one hundred jars of wine and fifty jars of olive oil to reward the soldiers.
The group arrived at the camp with great enthusiasm but were blocked by the gate guards, who stated: “The leader and the soldiers have fought a fierce battle all day and are utterly exhausted. Most are now asleep to recover their strength. We have been ordered to allow no one inside to avoid any incidents.”
Bourkos pleaded repeatedly, but the guards remained firm. Having visited Davos’s camp several times before, Bourkos knew the strict discipline there. Moreover, the camp was indeed eerily quiet. The Thurian party had no choice but to leave in disappointment.
Next, they went to find Archytas.
Archytas received them cheerfully, but when they explained their purpose, his face showed reluctance. He said, “To be honest with you all, this victory is entirely due to Davos’s brilliant planning. The Tarentine reinforcements merely assisted from the sidelines. If Davos does not go, of course I cannot go either, lest I invite ridicule!”
Antistanos had no choice but to decide to invite them again the next day.
The mercenary soldiers had indeed been ordered to rest, but the mercenary officers, along with Adrianx and Sestas, were all gathered in Davos’s large tent.
Upon receiving the report from the guards, Davos smiled and said, “Thurii was guarding against us like thieves before, and now they want to win us over. Isn’t that a bit late?”
“Yes, I find the faces of the Thurians repulsive. We didn’t annihilate the Lucanians for their sake,” Amyntas said scornfully.
“It’s a pity to miss the celebration in Thurii. Maybe many beautiful Thurian maidens are longing for our leader to come!” Olivus’s remark drew a burst of laughter from the group.
Davos looked at him with amusement. “Shall I give you the chance instead?”
“No way,” Olivus shook his head vigorously. “Thurii invited Davos, the terror of Lucania, not a nobody like me. I’d rather stay in camp and sleep!” His deliberately comical expression sent the group into another round of laughter.
“Leader, we still need to maintain good relations with Thurii. After all, they will be our neighbors from now on,” Philistos reminded.
Davos nodded. His gaze fell on Adrianx and Sestas, and he asked with concern, “How is Drakos doing?”
“He’s much better under Helpus’s treatment. He told us to follow your command!” Sestas said gratefully, and Adrianx nodded in agreement.
Davos understood that Sestas was expressing submission to him through Drakos’s words. He immediately said, “Excellent! We wouldn’t want to lose a warrior like Drakos. If he hadn’t stood on the front line, holding off the enemy’s attacks and boosting the soldiers’ morale, the northern defense line might have been breached!…” After praising Drakos, he looked around at everyone and said in a grave tone, “Let me reiterate tonight’s battle plan!”
The men immediately stopped their banter and focused their attention on Davos.
Davos picked up a wooden stick and pointed at a wooden table, where there was a clay model of a city. “Tonight, at the second watch, the entire army will break camp and march to Amendolara. After crossing the Sisno River, Heilos!”
“Here!”
“Make sure that stone wall we built wasn’t for nothing. I hope your training these past ten-odd days yields results.”
“Rest assured, Leader!” Heilos said with confidence. “The men will use rope hooks to climb the walls in the shortest time and open the gates!”
Davos nodded, then continued, “If we are discovered and the assault is thwarted, Capus and Antonio, your two companies will carry long ladders, and Alexis, your company will bring the battering ram. Rush to the city walls as fast as possible and launch a direct assault!”
“Yes!” the three replied crisply.
“After the gates are opened, Amyntas, your company will be the vanguard. Break through the enemy’s defenses at top speed and charge into the city!”
“Finally, my turn!” Amyntas grinned.
“Once inside the city, all units will follow my earlier arrangement. With the Amendolaran guides, you will advance along these two mountain paths and attack the hilltop as quickly as possible.” Davos pointed at a spot on the city model with his stick. “According to the people of Amendolara, this hill town doesn’t have many large, flat areas—only the Senate, the square, and the temple at the top. So these three places are most likely where the Lucanians have imprisoned the people of Amendolara and where their own camps are. You must seize these places with all speed. Is that clear?!”
“Clear!!!” the men shouted in unison.
Then Alexis asked, “When can we light the torches?”
“Good question!” Davos realized he had overlooked an important detail. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Once the gates are opened, or if the sneak attack fails and we switch to a direct assault, you can light them! Everyone—” Davos’s tone grew heavier, “By tomorrow, Thurii may ask us to help retake Amendolara, or the Lucanians might flee from it. That’s why we only have tonight! Only by taking Amendolara from the Lucanians with our own hands can it become our prize, sparing us many troubles and making us the true masters of Amendolara! So tonight—success is the only option; failure is not allowed!!!”
“Hooah!!!”
Night Raid