Empires of Ashes Reboot

Belgute:...you went to see him didn't you?

Diana: "Yeah... Yeah."

Belgute:...come on. Lets find somewhere more private eh?

Diana: "Yeah... Yeah okay."

he brings her to his tent in the camp, making sure no one else is around, before grabbing her a seat.

She drops her ass on the dog shelf, given the total lack of chairs in the spartan tent, leaving belgute his sleeping mat.

Belgute grabs a large sack to sit on, since it's better than nothing, and takes off his helmet. he already wasn't bothering with the veil.
"Alright boss...take it easy. Deep breaths. What happened?"

"The... When..." She takes a moment to compose herself. "Sakhmet. When they found me. The Dracians had just attacked... They were coming to rescue me."

Belgute:...let me guess. The immortals are what stopped them.

"Yeah... We... They... They did."

in moments, rage seems to overcome Belgute's face. He stands, facing the exit to the tent.
"Bastards. BASTARDS!"
he takes a step towards the tent exit... then stops himself. taking a deep breath, managing to calm down.

When he turns around, diana is on her feet, with her hand raised, to backhand him. But she lowers it slowly. "They are our people."

Belgute:...are they? are they really?

Diana: "yes... yes... they are... they are..." She sounds less than convinced

Belgute:...never told you who I was before all this did I?

"No... you never did."

Belgute:...I've been a slave twice in my life, Diana. Once back home, once here. Back home, we live in tribes. Always on the move. Everyone depends on the man of the family to provide. My father... he did his best for us, but he was a piece of shit. He kidnapped and raped our mother. Not rare in my home, but didn't mean we forgave him for it. My mothers family found and killed him while we were just children. The tribe abandoned us without him, and we had nothing. My eldest brother started trying to take over...but he learned too much from our father's bad side. He was cruel. Abusive. My other brother and I killed him. But, without the revenge excuse used when our father was killed, we were criminals. Our old tribe found us, and caught us. We were kept in stocks, used as slaves by the tribe's slaves. Lowest of the low. We were just teenagers then. After a year, we were able to find an escape, killed our guards, and fled. Made allies with a powerful khan, and we were safe. Another couple of years later, and my brother's a khan in his own right. First order of business was our 'closure'. Five years later, kelthrovi slavers show up. Arrow takes my horse out from under me, and the fall knocks me out. I wake up on one of their slave ships.

Diana: "Thats... Im sorry."

Belgute: Spent a few years biding my time, like last time around. Saw this would be a...harder job than my last escape, but I was fucked if I was just going to take it. Eventually managed to organise a rebellion, and broke out. We were too fast moving and hard to pin down for em, for a while. Managed to get more support. Raided some towns, got more slaves in our little band, kept growing...then the immortals rocked up. We fought em. We lost. Then they offered me 'the sword'. You ever wonder why I don't give a shit about any of the traditions n shit of the immortals? Simple. I don't fuckin beleive a word of it. I didn't sign up cause they offered me a way out. I did it cause it was that, or die, or end up a slave again. I can't make it back home, there's two fuckin countries and a lot of slavers between me and there. If there was even the slightest chance I could have, I would have taken it. But, I had no choice, not really.

Diana: "We only fought you because you raided towns. You could have just left."

Belgute: Could I now? And gone where? Home? made it across the mountains of cymrai, and the plains of voldamia? And where else would work? We were raiding so we could get enough people to attack a port, get some boats and escape. Besides, we had no other way to survive.

"but... But we're doing good now. We... Its not about us."

Belgute:...Diana... Think about it. I didn't have a choice in joining up. It was join up, die, or go back into slavery. You... You could have gone home. And these bastards took that away from you. Doing good now?! If they give a shit, why fight to keep people like you and me locked up?! I know he says he doesn't have enough men to do anything, but why wait this long to begrudgingly get help from someone else ?!Fuck, the empire's got problems, but they're at least trying to break people out of what we went through! They didn't fight off the people trying to let us go, so they could select one or two they think are good enough to stop suffering!

Diana: "I SAID NO. OF MY OWN ACCORD!... I said no... Because i believe we're doing something good. We have to be... We have to be."

Belgute:...if you'd known when you were offered the sword, that they'd come to save you, and the immortals stopped them...do you think you would have taken it as easily as you did?

Diana: "They were doing their duty... the same as dracia... Just on different sides." She sounds very unconvinced.

Belgute: their duty to a kingdom who took your freedom and your dignity from you, so they could torment you for pleasure?

Diana: "Their duty to the one person who might stop it ever happening again!"

Belgute: Who kept fighting for the same people who locked us up. *sighs* Didn't even have the fuckin balls to tell you they're the reason you didn't get to go home. See whatever family you have again. If I thought there was a chance, I'd kill every one of these fuckers to see my little girl again.

Diana: "We don't go home. Because we made oaths. You might not put any faith into them, but you said the bastard words." For once in this conversation, she actually sounds convinced.

Belgute: like the oath you made to your legion? The one you couldn't keep because the immortals kept them from you?

Diana: "I... I..." she looks at the floor. unable to respond.

Belgute:... *he sighs, and puts a hand on her shoulder* Look, I aint gonna decide anything for you. This is huge. Only you can decide. But I might have an idea of someone who might be able to help.

Diana: "...Who?"

Belgute: heard the boss man joking about hakon making a 'friend' over in the dracian camp. Auxiliary, name of theresa. Had a black teardrop brand under her left eye.

Diana: "...She..." *she places a hand on her helmet, above the scar where she carved her own brand out.

Belgute: exactly.

Diana: "Alright... Tell hakon i'm running an errand if he asks."

Belgute: he'll have to run me through to find out any of this from me. You've got my word boss.

Diana: "If he does... I'll... Burn him in his sleep."

Belgute: appreciate it boss. *he nods, a slight smile on his face* I hope you work this out.

Diana: "More than likely i'll just end up dead, but, thanks for the vote of confidence."

Belgute: You lasted this long boss, you've still got some in you yet.

Diana: "Eh. Maybe" She picks up her shield and spear, and steps to the door.

*aaaand once she gets there*
*theresa's crouching by her dire wolf outside her tent, giving his fur a trim*
Theresa: come on, ya fluffy fuck. Don't want you to burn up in the sun eh?
the wolf makes a disgruntled noise

Having no idea how to broach the subject, she just sorta stands there.

Theresa spots her, and stands up
"Can I help ye lady?"

"I... Maybe. I do not know."

Theresa:.. What's the matter lass? I'm gonna guess an immortal didn't seek me out and stammer all non committal like at me if it weren't somethin personal.

Diana: "...Your brand. I have the... Had... The same one."

Theresa:... ah. You're from the empire too eh? *sighs* sorry to hear that lass. That's...not somethin anyone deserves to go through.