Paragon of Destruction

Arran tensed up as he heard the sounds of battle in the distance. Even if he wasn't expected to fight, he knew enough of battle to understand that the situation could change in an instant.

Yet to his astonishment, he saw that Captain Kaleesh stepped away from the column and casually walked over to a small knoll on the side of the road. Seemingly unconcerned, the captain gestured at his commanders.

"Get over here!" he called out. "Arran, you too!"

Arran gave Ervin a dumbfounded look, but the old sergeant merely shrugged. "Better do as the captain says."

After a moment's hesitation, Arran hurried toward Captain Kaleesh, arriving a few moments after the other three commanders.

"Look," the captain said, pointing toward the front of the column. "The first blow has been struck."

Atop the knoll, Arran could clearly see the situation ahead. Around two hundred of Rannoc's forces had confronted Kadun's soldiers, and the two sides were clashing at the front of the column, with more of Kadun's soldiers hurrying forward to face their enemies.

Yet with a single glance, Arran saw that neither side had fully committed to the battle. Kadun's forces held the line, but no more than that. And while Rannoc's troops were pressuring them, it was only just enough to keep their opponents occupied.

"Now look over there, by the tree line," Captain Kaleesh said, pointing at the hillside a few hundred paces away from the battle.

It only took Arran a moment to see what the captain wanted them to see. Amid the trees, he saw shapes and movement, only barely concealed. Another group of Rannoc's forces, ready to strike their enemies' flank.

"What are they waiting for?" Arran asked. With Kadun's troops already occupied, this second group would be enough to decide the battle in moments.

"Us," the captain replied. "While they don't expect us to act, they want to be certain before they commit. If we were to step in now, they would likely break off the attack."

"But we're not doing that," Lasha said, eyes fixed on the battle ahead.

"And give up an opportunity like this?" Captain Kaleesh chuckled. "But look — it seems they've made a decision."

Indeed, Arran could see a second force emerging from the tree line. Kadun's troops noticed it as well, and calls of alarm sounded from the mass of soldiers.

Yet although they formed an improvised line on their flank, Arran knew it wouldn't be enough. Not with another force already attacking them.

As the second group of attackers began to advance on the flank of the column, Captain Kaleesh nodded thoughtfully. "Gar, Lasha, join your groups and wait for my signal," he said. "It shouldn't be long now."

While the captain still sounded unconcerned, Arran could feel the tension rise in his body. There was a battle happening just a few hundred paces away, and from the look of it, their side was losing.

"There he is," Captain Kaleesh said, "though I'd expected him sooner."

From the back of Kadun's soldiers' ranks, a solitary man had emerged — Payam, who was running toward the captain and his two remaining commanders.

"We're under attack!" the steward exclaimed as he approached.

"So I've noticed," Captain Kaleesh replied, his face expressionless.

Payam faced him with wide-eyed astonishment. "Why aren't you helping?!"

"You hired us as miners, not mercenaries." Captain Kaleesh sounded indifferent, as if the battle was no concern of his. "If you lose, it only means we'll have to serve another Lord. Why should we risk our lives?"

"You…" The steward stared at the captain in horror. "You'll just stand by and do nothing?!"

He glanced back at the battle, where the second group of attackers was only moments away from reaching Kadun's forces. It didn't take a practiced eye to see that Kadun's men were in a desperate situation.

"A third of what we find in the mines," Captain Kaleesh said. "And we'll stay another two months, but in return, we will have Lord Kadun's blacksmiths at our disposal. Agree, and we'll fight for you — but only once."

Disbelief filled the steward's eyes, but he didn't hesitate for even a second. "Fine! But fight, damn you!"

The captain remained silent for a moment, watching as the second group of attackers bore down on Kadun's troops. And as they did, he turned his eyes to the steward. "You have a deal." Then, in an instant, his expression changed. "Gar, Lasha, charge! Sassun, with me! Arran, keep an eye out!"

A ripple of motion went through the mercenaries. Faster than Arran had thought possible, Gar and Lasha's groups charged at the enemies' flank, covering the few hundred paces between them in mere moments.

And even as two groups of mercenaries crashed into the flank of Rannoc's forces, the group led by Captain Kaleesh himself circled around and charged into the back line of the attacking force. Meanwhile, Sassun's group remained a few dozen paces behind the others, watchful for any changes in the battlefield.

It barely took half a minute for the battlefield to change entirely, and Arran could only watch in awe as the mercenaries struck with practiced precision. It was like seeing a master swordsman cut down a drunken robber, and within moments, Arran saw the beginnings of panic among Rannoc's forces.

Yet his awe was short-lived.

Even with a battle unfolding just a few hundred paces away, he hadn't forgotten about his surroundings. And now, he saw more movement among the tree line — more attackers, and as he saw them, he cursed loudly.

He glanced at Sassun's group, then cursed again when he realized the commander was fully focused on the battle ahead. And with the noise of battle filling the air, calling out to him would achieve little.

There was no time to hesitate. With four bounding leaps, Arran reached his own group of mercenaries. "With me! Now!" he shouted, then turned around without waiting to see if they followed the command.

He could not afford to wait even a second. Because with a single look, he'd seen that these new attackers carried bows. And at this distance, their attacks would not miss.

The tree line was a good two hundred paces away, but Arran crossed the distance in seconds, sword drawn as he reached the group of attackers who were only just emerging from the tree line.

One of them managed to loose an arrow that glanced Arran's shoulder, but Arran cut the man down a moment later. And then, he was among them, his sword dancing from enemy to enemy as he ruthlessly cut down all before him.

They might be Body Refiners, but none of them had Arran's strength or skill. And within moments, more than a dozen dead lay around him.

Yet the group of soldiers did not collapse into disorder. Almost immediately, they began to fall back, forming ranks to slow the unexpected attacker.

With each attack Arran made, he suddenly found himself opposed by half a dozen blades, his opponents closing their ranks whenever he cut one down. And in just a few exchanges, he sustained several shallow wounds.

The sudden change in situation filled him with frustration. He could force his way through the soldiers' ranks, but not without revealing his true strength. And as it was, he could not defeat them — because for each he killed, another would manage to wound them.

The soldiers' disregard for death seemed insane, but Arran knew what was driving it. Just behind the front rank, a large man was shouting orders. He was clearly more powerful than the others, and in his hands he held a large starmetal sword.

Arran knew that if he killed their leader, the soldiers would likely break. Yet against their tight ranks, only overwhelming power would be enough — and that would expose him as surely as using magic would.

But then, Ervin arrived at his side, and suddenly the soldiers could no longer focus all their attention on Arran. Then, another of Arran's troops joined, and another still.

As the soldiers were forced to fend off these new attackers, Arran saw an opportunity — a sudden weakness in the line. At once, he rushed forward, cutting down two enemy soldiers as he broke through their ranks.

The large man with the starmetal sword shouted in anger when he saw his ranks broken, and without hesitation he dashed toward Arran, raising his blade for a powerful strike.

Arran attempted to block the attack, but the steel sword he wielded was no match for his opponent's blade. There was only a moment of resistance as the two weapons met, and then, the starmetal sword cut through Arran's weapon.

Yet Arran had expected this. Before the attack hit him, his left hand shot forward and took hold of the man's wrist. Realization flashed across the man's face as he finally understood that his opponent had been hiding his strength, but it was too late.

An instant later, Arran rammed his broken blade deep into the man's chest. And as his opponent collapsed to his knees, he snatched the starmetal sword from his dying enemy's hands.

He looked up without giving his fallen foe another look, ready for the next enemy. Yet to his surprise, he saw that the soldiers had already broken. Some were still engaged in losing fights against the mercenaries, but most were now trying to flee, being cut down even as they attempted to run.

Still, Arran showed them no mercy. Each enemy killed here was one he wouldn't have to face later.

Between Arran and the mercenaries, it only took a few minutes to wipe out what little was left of their opponents. And as the last of the soldiers fell, Arran turned his eyes toward the mercenaries' other battle.

But this battle, too, had already come to an end. Without their reinforcements, Lord Rannoc's troops had been defeated utterly. And from the bodies that littered the ground, Arran knew that few of them had managed to escape.

Yet Lord Kadun's troops had suffered serious losses, too. At a glance, Arran saw that a good half of them lay dead or injured, with the rest still in a state of disorder.

It seemed that only the mercenaries had weathered the battle relatively unscathed. While some of them nursed fresh injuries, their losses appeared to be minimal.

Recognizing that the battle was over, Arran began to make his way down the hill, his troops following behind him. And as he did, Captain Kaleesh approached him with a cheerful wave.

"Well done!" the man said. "And I see you found a new weapon, too."

Arran saw that he wasn't the only one who'd found a starmetal sword. The captain, too, carried a new blade that was covered in blood — blood that was somehow absent from the man's clothes.

"There was another group," Arran said, casting a look at the bodies that littered the hillside.

The captain nodded. "One of the crafters' guilds threw their lot in with Rannoc's forces. A mistake they won't soon make again."

Arran raised an eyebrow. "You knew?"

"I suspected it," Captain Kaleesh replied. "But it was a good opportunity to test your mettle. Of course, if you hadn't acted, Sassun would have intervened."

"You'd risk your men's lives like that?" Arran asked. "Just to test me?"

"I would, and I did," the captain replied. "In a small battle like this, the risk was a small one. Better to find out now whether I can trust you than to wait for a serious battle." He gave Arran a serious look, then continued, "But as I said, you did well."

The blunt answer gave Arran some pause, but after a moment, he nodded in understanding. If the captain considered this battle a small one, then it made sense for him to test his new commander.

"Glad you understand," the captain said. Then, a grin on his face, he said, "But the day isn't over yet. We still have to gather the spoils of battle."

"Spoils?" Arran gave the man a puzzled look. "What spoils?"

Captain Kaleesh sighed, then shook his head. "You have some talent, but you forgot the most important thing. A few miles back down the road, we should find our enemies' supplies, along with their leaders."

A dark smile crossed the captain's face as he spoke, and he continued, "I do not intend to let either of those escape us."