Chapter Nine
Two weeks later all the men had returned, and Magnius was slain in front of all by all. Each commited a different act, but nothing was enough to kill him quickly. He hung by the arms on a pole bleeding to death after a whipping had been administered to put the final touchs on his punishment. Than Xena gutted him.
They set off leaving him to die a slow death, there was no chance of saving him. First they conquered all the surrounding villages. Xena simply told Amphipolis they were under her control, because well they were her home town. They met little resistance, and what there was, was squashed. Each village gave up part of their crops to feed the army. Bandits were squashed like bugs. The ones living were forced to join the army. Unless they were to young and made to spread the word of Xena.
Cyrene was happy to consider the five adopted children her grandchildren. As it so happened Xena sent them to Amphipolis when it was clear she was going to wage war with Draco and Titus who were combining their armies. It was not good to under estimate your oponent. She wasn't about to put them in jeporady.
"Draco, Titus." Xena said as they entered her tent. They had been fighting for months now. It was nearing the end of fall and snow would soon be falling. She wanted to be back with her family before Solstice. It was Stevie's first Winter Solstice.
"Xena." They said.
"Sit down have a drink." Xena said.
"No, thanks." Draco said."I never drink in the tent of my enemies."
"Than what are you doing with Titus?" Xena asked.
"Your meeting little resistance. Your gaining to much power." Draco said."We've united and we're going to take you out."
"Well I'm about to offer you a deal." Xena said.
"I'm listening." Titus said. He was always one to listen to a deal he could benefit from. He was a greedy fool. In the end he'd drink the wine and poison himself. That only left Draco. He of course would know the trick of weeding out the fool in a group of three. She would kill him later on. Draco remained silent and watchful. Xena remained seated and just as watchful.
"Well since I am on my way to taking over Greece I thought about it and I'm willing to offer you your own kingdom. Keep in mine my kingdom will be the largest and I will have control over you."
"How much money?" Titus asked. His eyes poping out of his pudgy little face. The rings on his pudgy little fingers looked as if they were ready to break off. He was fat too, and disgusting. His clothes were even dirty. His tunic had as much grease on it as his oily hair. No way he'd be getting anything for real. Of course he was going to die today, so there was no need to worry.
"You each get 20 of the profits plus interest meaning if it takes us five years than you get a five hundred dinars interest." Xena said."Plus the kingdom. You'll be one rich King."
"Forty percent and you've got a deal." Titus said.
"Thirty percent." Xena said.
"Twenty percent." Titus said lowering it. Xena couldn't believe how stupid he was. He was smart for trying to demand forty, but ended right back up at the price she had offered the first time. She decided to try and lower it some more. He may not be stupid enough to fall for her more obvious trick.
"Ten percent and that's my final offer, Titus." Xena said.
"Done." Titus said. He clearly was not a man of knowledge. Draco shook his head.
"Thirty percent no less and no more." Draco said taking what he could get for now.
"Done, so why don't we just seal the deal by..." Xena stood up, and Titus clearly thought she was going to have sex with him. He was mistaken, and looked like even more of a complete idiot when interupted her to say so.
"Me first. I don't like sloppy seconds." he said.
"And I don't like sloppy men." Xena said."Anyway I was going to say wine." She poured three cups of wine, and passed it to each of them.
"To conquering." Draco said.
"To conquering." They both said. Draco and Xena started to drink as Titus drained his. If he was more attentive he would have noticed each of them poured out their wine the moment he had swallowed. Of course he was fine for a few moments as they laughed. They were laughing at him while he was laughing happily at the fact he would be a king. When in fact he would not.
"Sweet dreams sucker." Xena said as he started to choke and his eyes rolled into the back of his pudgy head. He fell to the floor as Draco and her laughed a little more.
"Hmm...a fitting end for a fool. I was going to kill him soon anyway." Draco said.
"Perhaps." Xena said as she poured more wine from a different jug. This time she drank. So did Draco.
"Can we get his body out of here. It reaks enough as it is. I don't want to smell it when it strenghtens with the stench of death." Draco said kicking his fat body. Xena only nodded in agreement.
"Zacharous!" Xena yelled. He stepped inside saluting her.
"Yes Xena?" He asked.
"Get some men and remove this fat ass from my sight at once." Xena said. He nodded."And Draco you may want to inform your man of the situation." Draco left out knowing if he said something now the message would spread and he would not come back a riot. Xena decided against poisoning his wine seeing as it was in her better interest as Solan had told her not to kill him.
"I think I'll have some more wine in a different cup." Draco said.
"Relax, my sources tell me it is in my best interest not to kill you." Xena said.
"Are your sources part of your success." Draco said.
"You could say that." Xena said.
"Whose your sources?" Draco asked.
"I have a prophet." Xena said. She didn't have to worry about Draco finding out, because Solan only spoke to her of his prophecies if he was sure they were alone. Even then he whispered them in her ear.
"A prophet?" Draco asked laughingly as he poured himself another cup of wine.
"Yes, and don't come getting drunk. You'll stay sober during this campaign." Xena ordered. Draco drank and poured himself another cup. Xena threw her knife busting the jug.
"I said no more." Xena said menacingly."Now go inform your army they're merging with mine." Xena had 2,349 men under her control. They were a unbeatable force. She had lost only100 men during this battle. Draco only had 945 men now. He had started with 1000 of his own and 900 men from Titus. All of Titus men were dead except for forty-five of them. Now this gave her 3,294 men. That included the injured. Draco knew it was in his best interest to merge with her and try and kill her later. Titus was already out of the way with 3,294 men he could take over the world. So he left to spread the good news.
"How goes the plan?" Alexandros asked.
"Perfect, as you can see the swain is dead, and we're merging the armies. You be sure to let them know how things are run around here." Xena said. Alexandros nodded and saluted her before leaving. Xena smiled as the dead were buried and the armies were merged. Hundreds of camp fires arose at night.They continued on their way conquering so that they could get a fill of how things were run.
She set up a main camp between Eion and Amphipolis. Half the northern Greece was hers. In fact all of Macedonia was hers. She was moving down into Cholcidice where Potidaea lay and others. Warlords were avoiding her path and forming armies together to try and stop her before it was to late. While others were preparing to take her on their own. Others simply ignored her thinking she was a big joke. I mean who really believed a woman could rule Greece. It was a laughable matter to them.
