Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

’’Come on , speed up!’’ One of the soldiers shouted as he smashed his cane on the ground.

The slaves flinched and scrambled to move faster, thier feet sinking in the sand.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, movement erupted throughout the camp. Soldiers rushed to their private tents, hastily grabbing weapons and donning their armor. For many of the infantrymen, this meant slipping on a single piece of chainmail and a battered helmet. It wasn’t much, but it was better than going into battle unprotected and naked .

Amidst the chaos and anxiety among the slaves, one slave couldn’t hide his elation. He had been right about the signs he had read, and now all that remained was to keep a cool head and execute his plan.

Following the orders of the soldiers, the slaves’ hands were bound with rough ropes as they were herded toward the cells where they slept. Once inside, they were locked in together with simple knots securing pieces of wood across the entrance.

It was standard procedure before every battle - ensuring that all slaves were secured to minimize any threat or interference. From his vantage point, Alpheo eagerly watched the army moving around with fervor, his blood boiling with anticipation for when he could put his plan into action.

He always wondered why an army made use of so many slaves, after all many of them were used as carriers but why not use mules or horses?True they needed more money to be maintained, yet they could pull much more weight.

As the hour drew to a close, the soldiers completed their preparations and marched out of the camp. Unfortunately for Alpheo, he was unable to witness the grand procession, as his view was obstructed by the thick canvas walls of the camp. He had no indication of when the battle would begin, leaving him unaware of what was happening outside of it . If things were to go awry and the army retreated back into the safety of their camp, their plan would fail and their fates would be sealed, with their pretty heads adorning the pointy end of a pike .

What felt like two hour to him may have only been half that time in reality. But with the promise of taking control of his own fate looming in front of him, he could not help but feel restless and on edge. He was in a cell with seven other men, his hand drummed down on the sand as he struggled to maintain his patience.

’Fuck it,we will start the plan.’ With a swift movement, he opened his mouth and retrieved the small piece of pottery he had hidden there. It was sharp , as he made sure of that by using a rock during the night.

Alpheo looked around and smiled . He was confident in its success, especially with how close their cells were placed together. A simple signal could easily be conveyed between them.

And so, with one decisive cough followed by two strong inhales from the nose and another cough, Alpheo gave the signal. It didn’t take long for three distinct coughs to echo back in response.

’They heard me,’ Alpheo thought triumphantly as he immediately set to work cutting through the ropes that bound him. Using the sharpened pottery as a tool, it took less than thirty seconds for him to break free.

Their first objective was to release all of the other slaves before making their escape together. Alpheo signaled for the others slaves to remain silent, showing them his key to freedom and gesturing towards the ropes.

With a quick glance and a few hand gestures, Alpheo communicated his plan to his companions. Their eyes widened in understanding as they realized that one of their own was without rope. In a matter of moments, Alpheo moved through the cramped cells towards his other seven companions, each one eagerly awaiting their turn to be freed. As he worked his magic, the slaves in the surrounding cells watched in awe, their eyes bulging with amazement.

As soon as all of them were free, Alpheo swiftly made his way towards the door. With a calculated move, he cut the rope but held onto the door so it wouldn’t open and reveal their escape to any unsuspecting guards. He signaled for one of the slaves to come closer and handed them a piece of pottery.

”Take this and pass it to the other cells,” he instructed. ”Tell them to cut their ropes and those of the door, but to hold it shut. Then tell them to follow me and wait for my signal. Spread the message to all the others.”

The slave nodded fervently and quickly passed on the instructions to those in nearby cells. Alpheo stood there, holding onto the door for what seemed like an eternity. The first part of their plan should have been completed by now - Jarza, Clio, and Egil should have finished their tasks as well .

Taking a deep breath, Alpheo slowly opened the door and stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. He motioned for his companions to follow him silently as they began the second part of their plan.

His eyes darted around , taking in the sight of his fellow slaves emerging from their own makeshift prisons. A silent exchange passed between him, Jarza, Egil, and Clio, their nods of understanding. They had done it .

They were out but now they needed weapon, after all the guards were still holding the wall.

The camp was left to be defended by an handful of men , yet this did not mean the camp was empty apart from them .After all , each army was always bounded by camp followers ?Did they all disappear? Of course not they were either in their own tents, or walking around .

It was a risky situation. With so many eyes watching, they needed to act quickly and efficiently to avoid detection. But luck was on their side as they reached the kitchen tents, their entrance unnoticed amidst the commotion.

As they entered the kitchen tents, their hopes of a quick and quiet acquisition of weapons were dashed as they found themselves face to face with a group of women.

The women let out startled screams, their eyes widening in terror as they realized they were not alone.

’FUCK IS THERE ANYTHING THAT GOES MY WAY?’Alpheo cursed under his breath, his mind racing as he assessed the situation.

”Arm yourselves! Be quick and efficent !” he bellowed in a low tone, commanding authority over the chaos. Usually men were not inclined to follow orders, yet when chaos was all around and fear took control of their heart, it was then that they would search for someone to tell them what to do. After all, men are fearful by nature and they are inclined to search for someone to lead them in time of panic , and that someone was Alpheo.

He did not stay to witness the outcome though; as soon as he gave the order, Alpheo grabbed a knife for himself and stepped out of the tent, his senses on high alert as he surveyed the area. Suddenly, from other nearby tents emerged more women, watching in shock at what was unfolding before them.

”The slaves have escaped!” one woman shouted in disbelief.

”Where are the soldiers?” another cried out.

Alpheo knew that any hope of an easy escape had vanished; they were now to fight . More and more slaves emerged from various tents where the women cooked, grabbing whatever makeshift weapons they could find - small pots, pieces of pottery, even hardened bread . Alpheo spun around, looking for a familiar face among the chaos. He spotted Egil and quickly called out to him.

”Egil! Take 40 men and secure control of the horses! Make sure no one gets to them!” Alpheo commanded urgently, he needed to make sure that no soldier rode towards the army .

Egil nodded and immediately led a group of slaves towards the horses. There were slightly more than 40 men, but there was no time to waste.

”Alpheo,” Jarva’s voice cut through his thoughts as he approached him. ”We need to deal with the guards.”

Alpheo nodded, biting his nails in anxiousness. ”Take half of the men and clear out the guards on your side. I’ll do the same on my side,” he instructed. ”Remember, there must be no more than 100 soldiers in total - that means 50 against each of us. We must overwhelm them with our numbers. Try to offer them a chance to surrender in the midst of battle; they will realize they are outnumbered and hopefully lay down their weapons. Then slit their throats and loot their bodies. Once you’re done, send one of your men to me and we’ll quickly loot the rest of the camp and make our escape. Good luck, Jarva. Make sure you make it out alive.”

Jarva gave him a determined nod before joining his group of slaves to engage with the soldiers.

All that was left for them to do now was fight their way out and hope for a successful escape. Chaos was all around them,and yet Alpheo had always been someone who thrived in it. He was all in all , a sneaky little rat.