Herald of Steel



Alexander's plan would leave the 2nd all alone for a while as the 5th legion would be moved away, putting the former in a highly dangerous situation.

For, at least, the 3rd legion would be able to request help from the crossbowmen on its right flank.

But the 2nd legion would have none of that.

And that was also why Alexander put his best of the best, the creme de the creme in there, and even put a council member in there to inspire the soldiers.

And he finished the battle plan with the words, "This battle will not be easy. But then again, battles are always won through hardship. Strive hard my commanders."

"Yes my lord!" Came the chorus which also signaled the end of the meeting and each of the commanders soon assumed their positions.

While Alexander rode to the front of the troops under the clear, sunny, morning sun, ready to give his rousing final battle speech.

But as he stood in front of the huge crowd, just about to energize the soldiers, suddenly he heard a loud, deep horn ring out from the enemy camp and soon spotted three horses galloping towards the line, the leading rider carrying a large pike with something attached to it.

And soon that circular shape revealed itself to be a head.

"Vespay!" Alexander's heart shook as he immediately recognized the familiar face.

He was a part of his original mercenary group, and no matter how bloodied and brushed, or dusty and pale his face might become, Alexander would never mistake that countenance.

He was a good soldier.

'Bastards killed Vespay!" Next to Alexander, Hemicus in a rare show of anger gritted his teeth and flashed his eyes in anger, making his horse neigh in solidarity with his master.

"Let us first hear what they have to so. Then, since they have killed our messenger, we will also kill all three of them."

While Alexander urged Hemicus to be patient for the chance.

The reason for the three rides coming to meet them was a battle tradition of Kuleef and much of Zanzan.

In this custom, both sides would send three men forward to talk to the enemy and give him one last chance to surrender and avoid a fight, while also urging the opposing soldiers to give up and go home because they had no chance, as a kind of demoralizing technique.

The three riders stopped about 50 meters away from Alexander after which the one holding the pike with the severed head steeped ahead and introduced himself as the leader, "I'm Lord Nafi, where is your leader?"

The man was in his early twenties, with the effect of puberty still lingering in his voice and face, as evidenced by his higher-pitched tone and any lack of facial hair.

"I am Alexander," Alexander respond to this inquiry quickly, stepping his horse out of the screen of man that his bodyguards had formed to face the young man.

Though Alexander was actually the young man here, which this Lord Nafi was quite surprised by.

Alexander still had some of his baby fat on his face, and his facial countenance was simply not manly, looking more like a young, pampered, nobleman's son.

"Hahaha, I heard you were young, Alexander. But young is not the right word is it?" Lord Nafi broke into a mocking sneer at the first instance of meeting his opponent, and insulting him by saying, "Child! You should be called a child!"

This naturally drew many angry glares from the men behind Alexander, but Lord Nafi did not care, as he then turned to address the common soldiery, disparaging them with a burst of haughty laughter, "And you peasants, hahaha…. to think you buffoons would follow a child. No wonder you are peasants. Lowlifes and scum of the earth. Your lord is such a wimp that milk will come out of his nose if you press it, hahaha."

Arrogant, conceited, vain, proud, and all the other synonyms together in the English dictionary might not be enough to describe this creature name Nafi.

For he was the very personification of the worst vices a noble could have.

And he finished his denigration of the people of Zanzan by haughtily ordering them, "How dare you worms raise your hand against your betters? Against the gods! Surrender at once, and you will be spared!"

Nafi's address to the crowd was certainly not great.

But surprisingly it was not also the worst given in history.

There were records of far worse things said to cower and demoralize the enemy army.

"Lord Nafi, I'm the Pasha of Zanzan. What is your peerage?"

At the forefront of the mockery, Alexander appeared unaffected and unmoved, his face flat and nonchalant for in his mind this man was already a dead man as he made the question.

And this inquiry was basically saying that since Alexander's peerage was a Pasha, anyone of not similar rank would be too low to address him.

And Nafi understood, which was why he burst another fuse and lambasted, "Bah! What Pasha! What Pasha has only one city? Mongrel, we do not recognize you. Do not think you are one of us!"

He appeared to refuse to answer, but then the proud man could not help but reveal his status to show off, saying, "I'm the heir to a Jamider (Earl)." And mysteriously adding, "You might not know me, but you certainly know my brother. Jamider (Earl) Nibbar. After all, you killed him."

"Never met him," Alexander came a cool, icy reply.

And for once he was telling the truth, because he had killed the man the moment he laid eyes upon him, without giving him even the chance to open his mouth.

Of course, Nafi did not buy it, and only mockingly sneered.

While Alexander took the opportunity to ask about the decoration on the pike.

"I believe messengers in Adhania are considered sacred and not to be harmed. So, why have you killed my man? And then mutilated him like that. Are you not afraid of the gods?" Alexander's speech was far far more icy than before, almost sounding like the chilling sickle swipes of the grim reaper.

He was truly mad.

But it seemed not to register with Nafi, who seemed far angrier that Alexander bought the gods into this than the actual accusation.

He venomously spat out, "Bullshit! When do you Thesian scums have gods? Barbarian heathens like you all deserve only death."

Then he produced a menacing grin, almost evil, and demented as he said, "We killed him because we liked it! I personally tortured him because I enjoyed it. And we would flay him alive all over again a thousand times over, hahaha!"

As he said this, Lord Nafi drove the two sides special pike into the ground, cementing the severed head into the earth, and making Vespay's wide bulging eyes stare at the gathered troops like a dead fish, with blood dripping from its head, mouth, and throat,

And as he laughed with abandon next to this, his deranged appearance swept across the frontline.

There were several reasons for him doing this.

One, which was also the biggest, was simply because he truly meant it.

Second, to spread fear among the soldiers.

After all, who would want to fight a psychopath?

And third, to rattle Alexander and make him attack him.

Because according to the customs, attacking the riders during this part of the 'battle phase' was considered blasphemous and it was said whoever did this the curse of the gods would befall upon him, his family, his people, and his land.

And hence Alexander would need to convince his soldiers, especially the Zanzan peasants to tacitly approve him killing the trio.

For people of this time period were too superstitious and if Alexander arbitrarily killed them, his army might collapse even before the fight started.

"Swnnghh," So to convince them Alexdner first took out his sword from his sheath and raised it to the sky as he then shouted, "Men of Zanzan, you have heard it all. These nobles see you as nothing but worms. And if they win today, they will take you back to your plague-ridden days. Do you want that?"

Alexander's shout was followed by an overwhelming louder, "No!"

"And you have seen with your very own eyes how these people have murdered our messenger. How they tortured him! Even a child knows not to do this."

"But these people had no regard for that. These people have no regard for the customs of Adhania. Because they are the ones godless. Tempted by the devil they have gone astray!"

In this time period, it was vital to always have god on your side in any kind of argument.

And it worked as a second jubilant chorus followed.

And then Alexander bought down his sword and pointed it at Lord Nafi as he cried, "The proof they have fallen is right in front of you, my brothers. Look in front of you! Look at the pike! Only a devil could have done that! And only a devil could then laugh about it! Just like in the confessions!"

Alexander reminded them of the temple sermons where he made sure to propagate all the nobles' nasty little deeds."

And then finished by saying,

"And so I have decided these people have lost the gods' sacred protection. Hemicus, crossbow shoot!"

*Twange*... *Shoo*, *Twange*... *Shoo*, *Twange*... *Shoo*

Alexander seamlessly weaved in the command for the attack so flawlessly that Nafi never understood what hit him till ten crossbow bolts had pierced him and he slumped over his horse.

Dying much like his brother.

The irony.