Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 71: Reaching the city(1)

The sun hung high in the sky, its radiant warmth spreading across the land beneath the expansive azure expanse. Not a single cloud dared to dirty the pristine sky above, granting an uninterrupted view of the golden orb that marked the passage of time. If they were still within the confines of the palace, it would have been the hour for supper. But yesterday they had departed from the court that had hosted them for the last moon

Alpheo's gaze wandered to the majestic beast beneath him, he patted it and stroke his head, he always loved animals in general ,dogs , cats, horses each animal had its appeal to him.

He had never experienced the thrill of battle on horseback, but the mere thought of charging forward with lance in hand ignited a fervent excitement within him. Riding into the chaos of combat had always been a dream, a distant aspiration fueled by tales of valor and glory. Yet, despite his yearning for such glory, he harbored no illusions about his own martial prowess.

He had spent the past half-month diligently training with Egil, honing his skills with sword and shield alongside riding . However, despite his efforts, the result were not promising

As the group continued their journey, Egil's impatience seemed to grow with each passing moment. He leaned back on his horse, his eyes narrowing with frustration as he addressed Anzalos, the guide.

"Are we close?" he asked, his voice laced with irritation.

Anzalos merely bowed his head, offering the same vague response he had given for the past few hours: "They were close."

Egil's impatience boiled over, his frustration evident in his tone. "Do we even know if he speaks our language? He's been parroting the same words since he joined us," he grumbled, shooting a pointed glance at Anzalos.

Jarza, ever the voice of reason, interjected with a sigh. "And you've been asking the same questions and complaining incessantly. 'How long until we reach there? Why did we have to depart from court?' There's only so much a man can take, Egil.And you have been poking at our limits for a long time "

Egil's retort was swift, his words dripping with sarcasm. "You say this because there wasn't anyone to warm your bed during our stay.In the palace or out it's the same for you. Did you see the maids as we left? Some of them were crying as their legs were shaking. When a lady comes riding with me, she aches in the leg for a whole month. Anyone that comes to me knows it's a one-way road. Did anyone cry for you?"

Jarza's jaw tightened as he fought to keep his temper in check. "No," he replied through clenched teeth.

Turning his attention to Alpheo, Egil continued his relentless teasing. "What about you, boss?" he prodded, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Alpheo considered the question for a moment before shaking his head.

''Seriously?THe princess did not even give you a little h-'' A punch was sent to his shoulder. ''What was that for?'' He asked Jarza as he caressed the pained shoulder

''We are not alone, mind your fucking tongue'' He said as he moved his chin toward the guide ''For as much as we know he is an informer of the prince .And I am sure he would not be happy to hear daughter 's name is being uttered by foul mouths like yours''

''I am sure fouler mouth have been on her c- FUCK , CUT IT OUT'' he shouted as the same thing happened again ''Boss tell Jarza to stop it, he is hurting me ''

Alpheo sighed as he spoke in a monotone voice ''Deal with it yourself I am going ahead'' and as he finished he trotted away

"Seriously, must you always resort to violence?" Egil grumbled, rubbing his sore shoulder where Jarza's punch had landed.

"You ought to learn when to hold your tongue, Egil.Especially when a man stronger than you kindly ask to "

Egil rolled his eyes. "Oh, spare me your lectures. You act as though you are a statue yourself "

"I know when to jest and when to hold my tongue," Jarza shot back. "Unlike you, I have some sense of propriety."

As Egil was about to mount up a response , Alpheo caught with his eyes the wall of the city on the horizon and informed the rest of the group about it.

''About time'' Laedio commented as he stretched his back ''Thought we would reach it by evening , if we continued like this'' He stopped to gaze at the city wall ''Pretty small, aren't they?'' He said referring to the stone wall, that could have been not higher than 6 meters.

''We will have to make do'' Clio interjected as he opened his canteen and took a sip of water, before turning to ''Excited for your first mission on command boss?''

''Not really...'' Alpheo commented as he gazed at the city ''This will be the first of many,no use getting all riled up for something so small.Though I certainly will not take pleasure to break the news to the commander''

A small chuckle came out from Laedio's mouth as he cleared his throat ''By the decree of prince Arkawattm of House Heroin , you are hereby called to step down from your positions and lick down on the dirt that the great captain Alpheo will shit and piss into''He said in an overly serious tone , that caused the group to laugh, even Jarza gave a small smirk at the spectacle.

''All right guys, take out your serious faces, and also try not to laugh by what you'll see.'' Alpheo warned as he rode ahead towards the city.

The city wall rose finally before them, its imposing form stretching along the horizon. Made of sturdy stone, the wall stood approximately eight meters in height, its surface weathered by the passage of time and countless seasons. Moss and ivy clung to its surface, adding a touch of green to the otherwise gray expanse. 'Bloody hell it looks like its' ready to fall by the slightest of breeze' Alpheo thought as he rode forward

Upon the wall, men of the garrison patrolled diligently, their figures silhouetted against the sky. Clad in chainmail, at least most of them, and armed with spears they kept watch over the city. One of them, positioned atop the wall, scanned the horizon with a practiced eye.

As the figures of six hundred men drew nearer, the sentinel's initial tension eased upon catching sight of a familiar banner fluttering in the breeze.

High atop the weathered stone wall, the sentinel's voice rang out with authority, echoing across the barren landscape as he peered down at the approaching figure. "Who are you?" he bellowed

With a determined expression, Alpheo cleared his throat before addressing the sentinel . 'Alright, let's do this,' he then declared, his voice carrying with it a sense of authority built by the ruler of these lands . "We are reinforcements sent by his grace to garrison the city of Aracina," he announced, holding aloft a parchment adorned with the royal seal. "This is a royal decree, written and signed by his grace's own hand. I call for the captain of the city to descend and be informed of the decree bestowed upon us by his grace."

As the words hung in the air, the sentinel on the wall furrowed his brow, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features before he shouted a command for the men below to wait as he went to call for the commander himself.

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