Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

The old man turned abruptly and hobbled back toward the village, his steps always aided by that cane of his.

-Thud- thud- it continued to make as Alpheo followed closely behind, flanked by Jarva and the thirty men under his command.

The farms they passed appeared deserted, the fields devoid of grain. Alpheo noted the absence with a calculating gaze. If the fields were empty, it meant that the villagers had likely already harvested their crops and stored them away.

He understood that their village warehouse must be filled to the brim with food, a comforting thought as they continued down the road.

’Very well, I think we would have no trouble finding food on the rest of the road .One problem is solved apparently....yYet better not lose caution, especially with pursuers on our heels.’Alpheo thought as his head turned towards his men, he could see them scratching their loin.

They must have had hoped for an opportunity to release something they held for years inside their pants.He too had such desire, he was a man and he never felt so alive as now, but he knew better than to act on them. Man’s life is like a dog on a leash, it will struggle and run around but in the end, it will always be the hand of fate to decide where they go. And the smartest thing man can do is to know when to satiate his primal thirst when he should not , else he will fall prey of his own strenght. His power of reason.

Alpheo was thankful he hadn’t brought everyone inside the village walls, as one unruly individual could cause chaos and potentially lead to a mass raid of the farmland and its unsuspecting inhabitants.

But Alpheo wasn’t too concerned about that; after years of living as nothing more than a tool for others, any feelings of kindness had been stripped away, his reluctance in raiding was in hope of not angering the local lords.

As Voltaire said ’Now it’s not the time to make more enemies’, it was always a fun little story for him, a great man on the death bed not denying his last chance to impress the world of his great mind.

In his previous life, he was known as a good neighbor who always lent a helping hand. But those traits had dwindled in his second life, replaced by survival instincts and a hardened exterior.Too many beatings and lashes were the best of teachers for that.

Suddenly, the old man turned to Jarva , who listened before translating ”He says we are to wait here,” Jarva relayed before Alpheo nodded and turned around to watch the green area near the village.

The patches of green vegetation in the distance were a welcome sight after days of traversing sandy terrain. It was a sign of wildlife returning, which meant water would be easier to find along with food if they sent out some men to forage. But Alpheo knew it would be a waste of time and energy, so he decided against it.

As the old man walked inside the village, and as Alpheo gazed out at the horizon with a furrowed brow, he noticed Jarva approaching him

”So, what’s next?” he asked

”Next to what ?” Alpheo echoed, turning his full attention to his towering companion .

Jarva gestured expansively, encompassing their surroundings with a sweep of his arms. ”Why choose to work as mercenaries when we could live without knowing hunger for many years, with the gold we’ve taken? We could find wives, start families—the second one for many of us.”

Alpheo arched an eyebrow at Jarva’s sudden curiosity. ”Why the interest now? You didn’t seem so curious before. I am in you had said. Did you get cold feet?”

”I’ve refrained from asking until now,” Jarva replied with a shrug. ”But whether you answer or not, I’ve made my decision. Still, I’d appreciate some context. Why risk your life fighting other men’s wars?”

A wry laugh escaped Alpheo’s lips which surprised Jarva ”Other men’s wars, you say? As if men fight their own wars. They’re merely pawns moved by those in power, who crave war for its own sake.”

Jarva observed the exchange in silence, accustomed to Alpheo’s philosophical musings. He often marveled at where such profound thoughts originated in the mind of his small friend.

”Ever wondered why war exists?” Alpheo continued, his gaze drifting toward the sky , he felt as that great blue painting as nothing but a cage to keep him still . ”Do men with crowns and fine clothes feel their cocks harden at the thought of expanding lands they will never cultivate themselves ? Or does the spilling of enemy blood make them feel ’alive’?Or maybe it just the projection of his person overpowering another, that make them so excited at its prospect?’’

Jarva listened intently, his expression contemplative, he knew he should never interrupt Alpheo while he was in one of his maddening moments.

”You asked why? Because I’ve always been born for more,” Alpheo concluded, his voice tinged with a sense of conviction with a bit of madness.

His gaze shifted to Jarva, his head tilting back to meet the towering man’s eyes. ”I was wasted there as a slave,” he admitted with a sigh. ”Just as I would be wasted on a farm. No, I am destined for more—I can feel it. It’s in my blood, in my head, in every fiber of my being. Like a predator that knows he has to feed on other’s flesh, so I know since birth that I was destined for more.My mind doesn’t work like the rest; I have ideas, Jarva! Ideas that could revolutionize this world... It’s hard to explain, easier to show, and yet hard even then . But for that, I need all of you to trust me.

What I said that day, when you supported me, wasn’t devoid of truth,” Alpheo continued earnestly. ”I wholeheartedly believe in what I said. I know I can accomplish it. I want to sit on a throne and move armies with the wave of my hand. I want to bring fire to my enemies and establish a dynasty that will endure long after this planet turns to sand. I want all of that, Jarva.That and even more, I want every person in this world to know my name and tremble at the thought of this . I want people to pray when they see me , like a man does when encountering a devil . I want people to fear me when they catch sigh of my banner. This world has shunned me for so long and so it is time that I shun it ” He paused ’’That is what I want , mad and crazy in itself like a worm dreaming of reaching the blue sky.You asked and I answered, yet what is that you desire?’’

Jarva’s expression shifted, caught off guard by the question. Years of being treated like a mule had conditioned him to accept his fate without contemplating his desires. Who would ask what a mule desires apart from food and water? No one.

”I don’t know,” Jarva admitted, his voice quivering .

”What was that?”

”I don’t know what to do with my life,” Jarva confessed. ”I expected to die there, one day, a whipping being the dagger to send me off. I never thought that we would reach this, I saw our escape only as a way to reach our neck closer to the blade. I was tired of it all , and now I am a bit lost by the magnitude of the possibilities I can choose , and yet above all, I am curious.”

Alpheo chuckled ”Curious about me? That I’m not just spouting bullshit, and maybe I actually have the means to accomplish my dreams ?That the fly dreaming of being a butterfly will not be swallowed by the frog in his mad journey ?” Alpheo queried, his tone almost teasing.

”Seems like you already know... how come?”

”That’s me,” he laughed as he returned his gaze to the sky ”I toil around, observe, and know things.Every person is a book, you just need to pry it open a bit and you will see their stories unfold . Jarva..... Stick with me, and I will show you the masterpiece that my life will become.

Life is a tale and I am the bard that shall sing ”

’’You are mad Alpheo’’

’’The entire world is mad and yet I am the sole one that see beyond it’