Herald of Steel

Chapter 68 Cambyses's Challenge

"My men were all here the entire night. No one saw or heard anything strange. I believe Alexander's explanation that Damious died of natural causes." Melodias expressed his own judgment.

This crushed the Damious mercenaries but they seemed unable to retort.

Many present also began to think that maybe Damious had just died from illness or injury.

He was human after all.

But someone who was absolutely convinced that something was up was Gratz.

He did not, could not accept the death of his master.

So he screamed, strangely pointing his fingers toward Cambyses, "Our leader was killed by that woman. The witch wanted to marry her slave, so she killed him with magic. Witch! She's a witch I tell you."

'Close, but no dice.' Alexander sneered in his heart.

But this irrational screaming had the strange effect of actually swaying some minds.

,m Because the people of this time did not believe in germ theory which had not been invented yet but instead believed that death and disease were caused by supernatural entities.

These supernatural entities included only gods and goddesses, but also demons and devils, and various mythical beasts and human-like apparitions and entities.

As such many ignorant people started lending their ears to Gratz's absurd claims.

Spurred on by this outburst, another mercenary also chimed in, "Yes, it must have been when she fed him. She placed a spell then."

A second one joined in, "Poison. The witch must have used poison."

This single word seemed to jolt awake something inside Gratz's mind and remembered a funeral taking place in this mercenary group over the death of Aristotle.

He also remembered feeling a bit confused back then because he wondered how the marriage was going to proceed with the bride's godfather dead.

But he then threw it to the back of his mind, because he believed his leader could easily solve this little inconvenience.

But now all those feelings came rushing back because he felt they could connect the dots.

"Yes! Poison!" He shouted excitedly.

"The witch poisoned the two men trying to get her married. That's why both the old man and leader who drank from the pot are dead." At this point, he started howling in grief and even drew his sword, roaring, " Men! These scums killed our leader."

Alexander had watched this farce until now with bemused amusement, even thinking Gratz might not have made a bad detective in his previous life.

But now he felt the whole circus was rolling towards a dangerous cliff.

If this frenzy spread was not stopped soon, a riot of three thousand very angry soldiers was imminent.

As such, he decided to step in, when a gravelly voice outstripped him.

"But I also drank front the pot. Twice." Said the voice, the sound waves cascading through the air, striking the eardrums of the bubbling crowd and causing them to simmer down.

It was Melodias and he appeared fearlessly in front of the hysterical Gratz and coldly asked again, "Well, then tell me why I am alive? What was the poison magic?"

The harsh tone and physical intimidation made the manic man calm down and he struggled to think of his next reply.

But how could Alexander allow the man such breathing room?

He struck, from the side, "The contents of the drinking pot were personally verified by Gratz. Everyone one of you" Alexander addressed Damious's mercenaries, "bore witness to it. So what does he mean the drink was poisoned?"

Then he addressed the crowd in general, "And why does he slander us by saying we killed our founder? All are still deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of our leader and founder in a single day. This is blatant mudslinging."

"Brother Alexander, Gratz is just tired, fatigued, and grieving. He did not mean anything by it." This surprising statement came from an unlikely source amongst unlikely sources- Heliptos.

And the person most surprised was not ALexander but Gratz who turned to face the man with eyes in danger of almost falling out.

This betrayal seemed like a bolt out of the blue for him and Graatz immediately understood Heliptos was trying in get on their good books to get their help in succeeding Damious.

To think the vultures would be feasting on his leader's body even before it cooled, sent Gratz's blood boiling and he barely held himself back from stabbing the traitor.

"You scum. After all he had done for you…." Gratz dragged the words between his teeth.

Alexander too made his judgment about the man named Heliptos after his surprising change in stance.

Alexander recalled how he had tried to grab Cambyses's drink and now his display of jumping ship at the opportune moment, and hence labeled as greedy and power-hungry but not too bright.

'Not a bad candidate for someone looking to fill up a discardable position." Alexander wrote in his heart journal.

"I believe Gratz is personally too involved to make truthful statements." Theocles craftily said.

"I believe so too." Feeling himself left out, Petrucino weighed in as well.

But Gratz was a demented man on a mission.

He screamed again, "Don't let them fool you. I never drank from the pot, only the sweet water before it was poured. Yes! The poison must have been in the pot. Bring the pot." He demanded.

"But Melodias also drank from the pot." Alexander reminded.

"Bah, the witch must have cured him." The deranged man spat out.

"Pot! Bring the pot!" Some mercenaries from the back started chanting.

"Quite! This is a place of healing. It's not a place to shout and cause a ruckus." Menes yelled at the top of his voice to dampen the boiling crowd.

But that seemed to only fuel the mercenaries even more.

"Pot!"

"Pot"

"We want the pot!"

They started chanting with even more vigor.

Alexander's mind suddenly drifted out of this serious situation and wondered if he should find some joints for them to enjoy

Aa Alexander was lost in a tangential thought, a wizened voice rang out,

"And what will you do if you find the pilot?" It said.

This simple question again took the wind out of the mercenaries, returning the chaotic clinic to one as calm as the windless summer afternoon.

Menicus's voice continued, "The pot that you ask for, if it did contain poison as you say, must have already been washed, cleaned, and dried. How are you gonna find the poison?"

But insane people were called insane because well…they were insane, impenetrable to logic.

As such Gratz said, " Bring the pot first. We will determine everything else later."

It was at this point a sharp voice pierced everyone's ears.

"Enough, why don't you just say what you want to say? That you want just someone to blame your leader's death. You want money!"

It was Cambyses and she just opened another can of worms!

A woman speaking like that was a first for many and everyone turned to look at the beautiful heroic girl, standing proudly with her left sword on her sword hilt, glaring at the mad dog.

"Witch!" Gratz simply looked at the girl with pure loathing, utterly only a single word.

He believed, no he was convinced that the girl had something to do with his leader's death and he wanted blood.

"Four times. You have called me a witch four times. Well, if I really was a witch, you would do well to stay out of my way." Cambyses menacingly threatened.

"Your powers don't work on me." Gratz simply growled.

"Well then, let the gods decide if I am innocent or not," Cambyses smirked

"*Clang*, I challenge you to a Trial by combat. Right here, right now." She drew her sword and offered the man a duel before the eyes of the gods to determine who was right and who was wrong.

"I accept." Gratz gleefully took the offer in a heartbeat, barely holding back his excitement.

After all, what could a mere woman do to him?

They belonged in the kitchen, cooking, cleaning, and rearing children.

"*Clang*, I'm gonna enjoy butchering you, witch!" He then likewise drew his sword.

'No, I am gonna injure her first, maim her, **** her, make her squeal, make her confess', Gratz could barely keep his grin on his face, as he thought of the myriad of ways he was gonna enjoy this.

After all, a Trial by combat was sacred, that took place under the sight of the gods and no kind of interference by anyone was allowed.

It could only end when one side was dead.

Alexander was disturbed by this turn of events.

If he was a betting me, which he was not, he would certainly put his money on Cambyses.

He did not know how good a fighter Gratz fighter was, but chances were he was likely not as good as Cambyses.

This was not even mentioning the blatant discard and underestimation he showed for his opponent.

Cambyses would likely cut him to ribbons before he could understand what happened.

But even then just because Cambyses was favored to win does not mean she will win.

She could lose and the thought of her dying very disturbed him.

So he intended to step in and nominate himself as her champion.

But Menicus's aged voice beat him to it, "The challenge has been accepted by the two under the sight of the gods. Clear the space and let the battle begin!"