Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

The carriage rattled to a sharp halt, Talek's body lurching forward slightly with the sudden stop.

We've arrived.

He leaned forward and unlatched the small wooden window on the side, letting in the warm breath of late morning. As he pushed it open and stuck his head out, his eyes landed on the looming gates of the capital city, Yarzat, seat of the rising star.

For a moment, Talek let his gaze rest on the familiar stone.

These are the walls I was sworn to protect, he thought. Back when the world still made sense…

But the world had changed. He had changed. Many of those he have desired to fight for were dead. Others scattered. Some now served the same man who once held a blade to his throat.

He remembered it as clearly as the wound left by it. The prince, Alpheo, eyes burning with ice , steel pressed to Talek's neck, demanding surrender from his troops.

It was ironic that he was the one who turned the key to the power that Alpheo now had.

What would've happened if I had refused? he wondered, as he often did. But I couldn't. They had my father...and honestly, I think that what we have now , is worth enough to justify what happened then.

His memory dissolved like fog as a shadow moved across his view.

His heart sank from what he saw. Of all the people.

Striding confidently toward him was the last man Talek wished to see.

Before he could fully compose himself, one of the city guards posted at the carriage moved to open the door with a firm pull. Dust kicked up as Talek stepped down, his silk cloak fluttering just above the ground. He adjusted the edge with one hand, brushing off imaginary dirt, more to distract himself than out of concern for the garment.

He forced his lips into something resembling a smile as his gaze rose to meet the figure approaching, Laedio.

It had been two years since their paths had last crossed, and despite the rumors, Talek saw little of the supposed "weight gain" whispered by idle tongues in court. The man looked much the same as before: broad-shouldered, sun-kissed, hair cropped close to the scalp, walking with the same loose-limbed swagger of a former sellsword who'd found a new purpose under a prince.

Talek had first met him under the worst of circumstances, and though their conversations had never been hostile, they were rarely pleasant. Laedio wasn't cruel, but his mouth often worked faster than his mind, a trait made worse by his complete lack of shame.

Still, the man had earned his place. That much Talek could not deny. From everything he'd heard, scattered reports, grumbling soldiers, whispered praise in the barracks, Laedio had brought order to a city long overrun with gangs and syndicates. He'd done what Talek had failed to do before the fall.

The markets no longer paid tribute to thugs, and those that still tried to take that, were strung up by their necks.

Laedio's voice boomed across the courtyard before Talek had fully stepped down from the carriage.

"My friend!" he roared, arms open wide, his armor clinking as he drew Talek into a crushing embrace that smelled of polished steel and old leather. There was no room for protest; apparently, in Laedio's world, "friend" was a title applied to whoever stood close enough to hear him.

Talek managed to smile through it, patting the larger man's back once before stepping away.

"Lord Laedio, it is good to see you well," he said with careful politeness, letting his eyes drift for just a heartbeat down to the man's stomach. "And also that the rumors were unfounded."

If Laedio noticed the jab, he gave no sign of offense. Instead, he slapped a gauntleted hand against his breastplate with theatrical pride.

"No, no...they were true," he said, his voice dropping slightly, adopting a mockingly grim tone. "Peace and idleness are the best of friends to becoming lazy and fat. Gods help me, I drank and ate like a noblewoman with three husbands."

"It doesn't look like it."

Laedio grinned. "Because I started training again, of course. Cut the meals, picked up the blade. Some gentle advice from the fairer sex helped nudge me into motion." He winked, as though they shared some secret. "I even started patrolling the streets with my men. The people loved it. I couldn't walk ten steps without someone offering me wine or a stewpot."

He mimed resisting temptation with a clenched fist in his mouth . "Still, I persisted. Word caught the Prince's ear. He praised me for it, said I was setting an example. So I made it routine. Morning runs. Surprise inspections. One time I chased a thief halfway across the market district."

"I'm sure the Prince is satisfied with your achievements," Talek replied, a bit more stiffly than intended. "I certainly wasn't as effective when I had your post."

Laedio waved his hand. "Come now, you didn't have what I've got. A thousand guards under my command. Proper funding. A prince who actually wants order in the streets. You'd need to be cursed not to succeed with that backing." He shrugged. "Not to mention, some of the old boys from the army sent some help my way."

Only Laedio, Talek thought, could refer to the most powerful men in the princedom as "old boys."

The man continued in his usual rambling tempo, riding the sound of his own voice.

"And get this, the Prince even commended me on cracking down on bribery among my men."

Talek's brow arched. Now that, he hadn't expected.

Laedio caught the expression and threw up his hands, smirking. "Hey, I know what they say about me. It's true I took one bribe here and there from some merchants, but I have never taken any to make them evade tolls or commit crimes.

The Prince wasn't happy with the rumors either. Said if I wanted his trust, I'd have to cut the rot out."

He lowered his tone slightly, almost conspiratorially. "So I did. You want to know how?"

Talek nodded; of that he was genuinely curious.

"I sent men into the city. Disguised. Simple folk. Gave 'em a little coin, told them to test my guards. 'Try and pay your way past a checkpoint,' I said. First batch, I caught three of my sergeants red-handed. You know what I did?"

Talek shook his head.

"Strung them up by the neck." Laedio said it plainly, without drama, without regret.''Public gallows. Quick. Silent. "

"Then I repeated it. Week after week. Had people feign crimes, stealing fruit, setting up stalls without permits. Always with a coin in hand, always waiting to see if a guard would take it. If they did, my agent pointed them out."

He snapped his fingers. "Gone. And word spread fast. Took a month, maybe less, before men stopped accepting bribes altogether.They fear death more than poverty and the fact that they don't know who will point them out is a good deterrence.

Plus, whatever bribe they could have taken from trusted crooks is now no longer the case as the gangs have been completely eradicated.Of that I am proud!''

Talek said nothing at first, letting the silence settle in. Laedio might've been loud, brash, and often unbearable, but the man had brought something Talek never could.

Order.

"Sounds like Yarzat is in good hands," Talek said finally.

Laedio puffed out his chest so dramatically that Talek was half-certain it would knock against his own.

"Don't be so upset about it, we each have our strengths." His grin was wide and confident, without even a trace of irony.

Then, with a swift change of tone, he added cheerfully, "Anyway, changing topic, care to tell me what brings you here? Not that I'm upset to see a friend! Come by the barracks later, I'll pour you something strong."

Talek gave a polite nod, trying to maintain some distance as Laedio's enthusiasm surged closer.

"I thank you for the offer. Perhaps I will. As for why I'm here… I've been summoned to court. By the prince himself."

Laedio raised his brows, rubbing a hand along his clean-shaven chin as though this warranted a deeper investigation."That so? You know the reason?"

Talek shook his head.

"You done something bad?" Laedio asked, already grinning like he hoped the answer was yes.

Talek shook his head again.

"Well then," Laedio said, nodding as if the matter was settled. "You've got nothing to worry about. I've spoken with the Prince more than a few times. He holds you in good opinion or at least, he never cursed your name when I brought it up." He leaned in conspiratorially, lowering his voice like a gossip at court.

"Besides, if you'd done something really bad, he wouldn't have sent a nobody with your summons." He jabbed a thumb into his chestplate. "He'd have sent Egil. With two hundred of his hounds, to make sure you heeded the right choice."

Talek's spine tensed at the thought, the image of Egil's blank, merciless face as vivid as if the man were standing before him.

"And may I ask where Lord Egil is at the moment?"

Laedio's expression shifted slightly, still joking, but laced with something heavier.

"Up north-east, in the newly conquered lands. Making short work of the bandits there." He gave a visible shudder. "It's been five months since he left, and if you saw even one of the reports that came back…"

He trailed off, then shook his head as if chasing away a dark thought."I've seen cats be more merciful to mice than he is to those poor bastards. Gods, I thank the stars he's on our side."

Talek frowned slightly, tempted to ask what exactly Egil had done to make someone like Laedio shudder , but thought better of it. Some truths were better left unspoken.

Sensing the lull and taking advantage of it he offered a half-step back and gave a slight bow of the head."I should head to the palace before I keep the prince waiting, it has been most pleasant to speak with you."

"Oh, of course, of course!" Laedio said, waving him off, only to immediately continue talking."Though now that I think about it, have you seen how they've redone the palace gates? Beautiful marble! "

Talek's smile twitched at the corners. He turned half away again, but Laedio was already moving beside him, launching into another story about his men and his lover stray goat that they kept failing to catch in the market despite their public obscenities.

And Talek realized, with no small amount of quiet resignation, that he would not be reaching the palace anytime soon , as Laedio apparently didn't know how to take a hint.