Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 17: The ears of the emperor

'Fuck, fuck ,all is lost' Julian thought, as he spurred his horse foward, his iron heel hitting the sides of the beast as he forced it to beat his hooves on the hot sand .

As the leader of the reserve, Julian had been overseeing the clash he was leading when everything went to shit. Just moments ago, victory seemed within reach as the enemy's center began to falter. But in a matter of minutes, defeat reared its head like a venomous snake ready to strike.

First he saw camel-rider dancing through the battlefield and marching towards their rear. He saw them hitting the archers and causing them to rout ,before the emperor charged forward . The banner of the empire flew high in the air , fluttering in the winds, its purple eagle rallying the clibanarri as they charged toward their enemy.

Then it happened the banner of the emperor fell , some men in the back of the formation saw it happened.That was the end

''The banner fell, the emperor is in danger'' one shouted and from then everything went downhill.

Julian tried everything to calm the troops but it was too late, soon the voices changed, some started talking about the emperor fighting , the emperor being overwhelmed and the emperor being killed.

''The emperor is dead, the enemy took his head''

''Dead, he is dead , flee!''

Julian, a seasoned veteran of countless battles, could feel the tide turning against them. The enemy forces had launched an attack when they caught sight of his soldiers wavering , and now his troops were in disarray. Despite his attempts to rally an orderly retreat, chaos ensued as men fell left and right under the merciless swords of the mercenaries seeking revenge for hours of being pushed back. Some of the men desperately tried to surrender, putting their hands above their heads, but their response was a clear hit of an axe on their chest or heads. Javelins flew through the air, one narrowly missing Julian's horse , spooking the horse and almost causing Julian to fall

In that moment, Julian knew it was all lost. With his trusted guard of 30 men, they mounted their horses and deserted the battlefield, leaving the rest of their levy soldiers to be slaughtered by the enemy. It was a small price to pay for the emperor's pride and reputation. As he rode away, Lucas did not believe that his liege and friend had fallen. Surrounded by the best fighters in the empire, he never imagined this outcome. But there was no time to dwell on it now. They had to cut their losses and flee before it was too late.

It seemed though that luck was not on their side, as apparently, the figure of 30 horsemen fleeing in group caused some of the camel riders to give chase. And so a pursuit started, with the tanks of the desert tailing the horses fleeing through the sand.

But it was clear that the fastest among them were the horses, as Julian and his group quickly put some distance between themselves and their pursuers. However, there was a reason why camels were called the "tanks of the desert." They were built for endurance and never seemed to tire.

As they continued their chase, the horses' once strong gallop began to slow and their breaths became more erratic. Like silent ghosts, the camels closed in on them from behind, their determination never wavering.

As Julian cast a frantic glance over his shoulder, his heart sank like a stone in his chest. The camel riders were gaining ground, their figures looming ever closer with each passing moment. With a curse that echoed across the desert, Julian tightened his grip on the reins, his knuckles white with tension.

Amidst the chaos, one of Julian's loyal guards broke through the clamor, his voice ringing out above the din. "My lord, go! We'll hold them off!" he shouted, his words a desperate plea born of loyalty and sacrifice, after all they were paid to serve their lord, and if he managed to survive than their families would not miss anything , there was also the fact of course that it was considered a duty and a great honor for a guard to sacrifice his life. So they had no qualms about throwing thier lives away, if Julian would survive.

As half of his guards turned their steeds to face the oncoming threat, their faces set with grim determination, Julian spurred his horse onward before giving a nod of thanks to the guards.Not much but understandable considering that was their job.

The air was thick with the thunder of hooves and the clash of steel as the valiant guards rode to meet their fate, their sacrifice buying precious moments for their lord to create distance between them and the relentless camel riders.The camel's pursuit was blocked by the 15 guards, who without care for their life threw themselves on harm way, trying everything to gain any time they could.

With a thunderous charge, the guards spurred their horses forward, lances leveled at the ready. But as they closed in on the camel riders, their steeds balked and reared in terror, their nerves shattered by the imposing presence of the beasts. Julian's guards fought to maintain control, but the fear in their mounts' eyes was unmistakable.

Undeterred by their horses' panic, the guards swiftly adapted, seizing their lances and hurling them like javelins at their oncoming foes. The deadly projectiles sliced through the air with ugly accuracy , caused by the movements of the horse, causing most of the lances to miss the targets .

The sun beat down mercilessly on the sandy battlefield as the guards drew their swords with practiced ease. The metal glinted in the bright desert sunlight,while fighting to make thier steeds advance . With each swift swing, they sought to disrupt the enemy's advance, creating a flurry of movement and chaos in an attempt to delay their progress. Their ultimate goal was not to kill, but to protect their leader and buy him time to escape.

As the battle raged on, some of the guards sacrificed themselves by throwing their bodies at the enemy, causing them to fall from their mounts and onto the scorching sand. Others focused their attacks on the camels, desperately trying to disable the beasts by striking at the vulnerable sides not covered by the armor .

Despite their valiant efforts, the guards were outnumbered and outmatched. One by one, they fell under the brutal blows of lances and swords. But even in death, they achieved their mission – allowing Julian to effectively escape from this ordeal alive.

And so Lord Julian, the spymaster of the empire, fled the battlefield leaving behind himself the event that will cause his beloved empire to fall on itself, with him being at the centre of it all, unable to stop what was soon to come.

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