Chapter 5

The little one in Limah's arms cried in fits and starts at the trumpet high-pitched sound which cut through the travellers in their numbers. The travellers were suddenly brought to a halt seeing as the trumpet sound from the city's gate commanded attention. A wave of murmurs spread across the crowd in reaction while everyone of the travellers looked back at the city's gate of Athena only to discover a small troop approaching on their horses. The troop, however, had the inclusion of an arrogant-looking horse--typical of royalty--spearheading them. Of course, it was none but General Bastian.

Bastian was supposedly not content with Ganicus and his squad's search exercise. He had received news of futile attempts to apprehend Limah from the West Gate and different homes within the city. However, the general was hell bent on retrieving Limah and her infant in a bid to deliver the duo to king Gaius.

The Army's General rode slowly on his black stallion--an elegant horse of Friesian breed with majestic gaits--advancing towards the crowd of travellers. His presence commanded attention and an absolute quiet as the Army's General of the city of Athena sliced through the crowd of travellers addressing them for the last time. Bastian bawled at the top of his voice, dishing out a caveat to the crowd, ''this city cherishes kind acts, magnanimity and honesty, as much as we have given you travellers, merchants, tourists and visitors.''

Meanwhile, Bojan and his entourage fretted in their chariots at the prospect of being discovered by the army. We thought we had achieved freedom from the snare of King Gaius, but here, the freedom was slipping out of hands, thought Bojan. They could hear Bastian's punchy words spreading across the crowd, hitting their eardrums with a tone of threat. Bojan's face was engulfed in a mass of sweat, dreading the worst even as he watched Limah struggle to calm her infant who had stopped sobbing. The troubled mother had improvised by frantically pressing her infant's face against the cleavage of her breasts in a bid to drown out sobs and moans that could draw the soldiers' attention towards her.

''It would not be too much to ask of you to repay the legendary king of this city, the slayer of many kingdoms and the bringer of human freedom, would it?'' Bojan asked, examining the reaction of the crowd around him. ''Yes. It's high time you repaid the king by simply returning his missing treasures.''

Bastian's words caused another wave of murmurs and side talks across the crowd. The travellers were obviously displeased by the delay and suspicion they had been subjected to. It didn't particularly sit quite well with the travellers that they had to be subjected to another bout of search; hence the murmurs and waves of grumbles that ran across the crowd in a moment of uniformity.

Bastian continued, addressing the crowd, ''the great king means no harm towards you but goodwill and absolute clemency towards the holder of his missing treasures.''

The Army's General paused, this time, looking round the crowd from face to face. Then he picked up from where he left, ''I repeat, for the last time, whoever had Limah and her infant in their custody should own up now!'' Bastian warned, with his voice reflecting steel and threat this moment.

The steel and reverberation in Bastian's voice could only heat up the tension and send pangs of fear down Bojan's spine. In a moment of impulse, he was was forced to consider giving up Limah and her infant at the rare chance of clemency. The fear of the King Gaius and his army overwhelmed him to bits, but then, it was Limah he had harboured in his chariot; the priestess of Temple Nuh who had been a major character behind his commercial fortunes from the heart of Balkan Peninsula to the rest of the kingdoms. He could only consider himself ungrateful to harbour such malicious thought. Without ado, Bojan stood his ground to keep Limah and her infant, damning the consequences.

''And if any one of you filthy Balkans is found guilty of harbouring what belongs to lroyalty,'' said Bastian, slicing deeper through the crowd along with his troop, ''the king would not hesitate to make a meal of you dumbhead. Your Balkan dumbheads will roll and your blood will be feasted upon! No escaping.''

Bastian's resort to using vulgar words against the Balkans and their identity did not sit very well with the Balkan travellers and merchants. That singular tactless act caused a wave of suppressed murmurs of dissatisfaction across the crowd, except for a bitter Balkan traveller who dared to voice out his displeasure in the shape of an attack at Bastian's tactless approach.

''Damn you and your king, you fucking cunt!'' One of the bitter Balkans cursed out loud. ''Your royalty has nothing of worth for the Balkans!''

As exprcted, the aggrieved Balkan drew attention of the crowd to himself as his bitter voice sliced through the heated quiet and mass of hushed murmurs. But it was not long before Ganicus advanced recklessly through the crowd, riding on a galloping horse out of the blue and struck his sword at the neck of the vocal Balkan. The sword sliced right through his neck leaving splashes of blood on the faces of his fellow travellers. Looks of shock and astonishment rushed to the faces of the Balkan travellers. The panic heated up amongst the travellers as much as the uproar that followed.

''Quiet!'' Ganicus bawled in an arrogant attempt to shush the commotion amidst the noisy crowd. He brandished his sword conspicuously around amidst the crowd. ''How many more rebels are there amongst you?! Come forth or forever hold your peace!''

The murmurs were instantly suppressed at the voice of authority and power as Ganicus picked up the head of his subject and dangled it in the presence of the crowd while he rode around on his horse parading the blood-stained head in a bid to strike fear in the hearts of others.