"How many have we got," Samaras asked in a low growl, trying hard to suppress his raging fury.
"About half." Ca Damious's flat reply.
"*Grit*" Samaras ground his teeth in frustration.
They were already outnumbered and now a quarter of his total forces had rebelled.
"Not one fucking cent to these animals." He cursed out loud.
This all started with that abominable rumor. It spread like wildfire throughout the ranks so fast that the command had virtually no ti to react.
Even before they knew what was going on, Damious was confronted by a group of rcenary leaders demanding to see general Agapios.
"We would like to offer so of our dicines to the general." They claid.
And when Damious wanted to accept those on behalf of the late general, they insisted that it be them who gives it to him personally.
After Damious categorically shut them down, they demanded, "We want so of our late paynt."
This ti it was Samaras's turn to be in the hot seat.
He ca to et the group after learning about the commotion and reassured them that all dues will be paid by the end of the campaign as stated in the contract.
He swore no one would be cheated out of a single coin.
This seed to placate the group a bit but still, so doubt kept gnawing inside the heads of a few leaders.
They felt Samaras was hiding sothing and not telling them the entire story.
Being rcenaries they had little to no loyalty to Samaras, especially when they were losing, so they decided to use the things said in the rumor such as the contract being between them and Agapios to demand either arranging a eting with Agapios, getting so of their dues back or drawing up a new contract.
"The contract will be what it is." Samaras unequivocally rejected drawing up a new one. Then he threatened, "You have sworn an oath to the gods, do you intend to break it?"
"The gods witnessed the contract between General Agapios and us. We have broken nothing." A hot-headed rcenary leader na Petricuno shouted.
"Yeah, you are just a cheat trying to swindle us." Another one chid in, fanning the flas even more.
"Who said that?" Samaras roared like an enraged lion and furiously started searching the group for the voice as if soone had just stepped on his tail.
Of all the things that the rumor spread, that particular accusation got him the most.
Because he was actually innocent of any such embezzlent.
He swore in his heart if he caught who started this rumor, he would tear him limb to limb.
"Please calm down Commander Samaras." A wizened, mature voice spoke out from the crowd.
He was nicus, the oldest rcenary leader in the group.
"Alcne didn't an anything by it. We are all hungry, cold, and exhausted, so so of our tempers are running a bit high. Please forgive him." He soothingly said.
Although this seed to mollify the enraged commander a bit, he still kept looking at the man as if he wanted to swallow him whole.
"Hmph, all of you get your troops ready, now!" He commanded in a harsh tone.
"Ahem, about that," nicus coughed, preparing himself to make his case.
"We have no intention of breaking our contract. But many of our soldiers feel dejected after today's loss. A small part of the remunerations now would greatly boost morale and motivate the soldiers to fight." He politely stated.
In essence, nicus wasn't asking to be paid back in full right now, but only a partial repaynt.
"Everyone will be paid accordingly once the campaign is over."
But Samaras refused even this compromise, again repeating the sa hackneyed words he spoke before.
In fact, Samaras could not really be faulted for this.
Because he was broke!
Like truly broke.
The original plan was to use the rcenaries to win the battle, et up with Ptolomy and have him bear the cost or let the rcenaries sack the capital.
Whatever ager sum Samaras had at his disposal, he gave all of it to Damious to win his loyalty.
He had hoped Damoius's prestige and muscle could quell all dissents from the other rcenary groups and make them follow him but he had grossly overestimated the rcenary representative's hold on the other groups.
Hearing Samaras reject even this lowered compensation, nicus did not launch a counterargunt.
Surprisingly, he just nodded and asked to be excused politely, "I understand. Then please grant us so ti to gather our soldiers and get ready."
"What! He…"
" Let us get ready, Regias." nicus sternly cut him off, glaring at the short man.
Regias in turn only lowered his head in indignation.
Soon the leaders made their exit under Samaras's fierce eyes, exiting Samaras's camp in silence, a heavy cloud of dejection hanging about the air around them. most sulkily looking at nicus on the way.
"All of you are blaming , thinking that I simply bent my spine and accepted whatever Samaras demanded, isn't that right?" Far away from the main camp, niscus finally turned his face to the crowd and asked them in a knowing voice.
"*Sigh*, so of you youngsters are too rash." He shook his in disapproval, letting out a long deep breath.
"What if Samaras had decided to take us hostage? Or worse simply slayed us then and there? Have you ever paused to think about that?" He asked.
"That..old man, aren't you being too paranoid. How could he do that?" The one who called Samaras a cheat and scamr- Alcne asked in a bewildered tone.
"People have done far stupider things in wars, especially in losing wars, boy" nicus stated in an experienced voice.
"And why do you think he could not do it, huh? He could have taken us hostage, and threatened to execute us if our soldiers refused to take part in the attack. Or he could have executed us and forcibly integrate the rcenary groups into the Cantagenan ranks. I personally would have executed the leaders and elected new leaders from each rcenary group's ranks with the promise of huge rewards if they fought for ." nicus stated so ominous outcos.
"That …that." This ti it was Regias who started to stamr, finding it hard to find the words to counter the old man.
"Don't expect a losing man to do things rationally. Samaras is a drowning man, and a drowning man clutches at a straw. That's why I said the things I had to say in front of him. To appease him and get us out of that place as quickly as possible. Do you understand , you little pups?" nicus rhetorically asked in a triumphant voice.
In fact, it was quite scary how close nicus was to the truth.
In truth, Samaras did have half a mind to arrest or execute these rcenary leaders and then force the soldiers under him to fight for him.
But there was also the risk of the rcenaries turning around and attacking him just like he wanted to attack them.
These n were no sheep but fierce warriors.
There was also his concern with Damious.
How would he react to him doing such things?
What if Damious chose to stab him in the back at the critical mont?
The man was a rcenary after all.
And even if he could do all this successfully, he still lacked the necessary ti.
He would need days, if not weeks to finish integrating and consolidating his new forces and by that ti the cauldron would have been closed, its occupant liquidated and the Adhanians would probably have packed and gone ho.
The risks far outweighed the rewards and so he chose not to take such drastic actions.
Because failure would an the literal complete destruction of his army.
"So what do you suggest we do now, old man?" A third voice, that of Petricuno chid.
Since nicus got them out by promising Samaras aid in battle, the crowd by default looked at him for what to do next
"*Shake*, I don't know and that's up to you to decide individually." nicus shook his head, anti-climatically drowning everybody's expectations.
But before anybody could flare up and curse him, he craftily suggested, "If you are worried about the promise to attack, just say your soldiers refused and you can't do anything about it."
This drew a lot of knowing smirks from the rcenary leaders.
But the old man wasn't finished yet. He started again, "Although I can't tell you what to do, let offer you my two cents. General Agapios is most probably dead and Samaras doesn't have the coin to pay, not even a small part of it."
The leaders weren't too surprised by the first part. They were smart people who could read the clear signs.
If just eting Agapios could quell all the dissent, Samaras most certainly could have arranged it long ago.
But the last part drew astonished gazes from all the others.
Because their employer was Cantagena who was well known to be always generous to their rcenaries and always paying their dues on ti.
So it was generally acknowledged that being employed by Cantagena was a safe option and many rcenaries here chose to heed Cantagena's call because of its good reputation.
Hence it seed unlikely to them that Cantagena would be willing to damage its reputation for decades just for a one-ti gain.
But as they would find out soon, this ti Cantagena was indeed willing to do so!
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