STEEL AND FLESH

THE VANQUISHED FOE

The roads were soaked and grasses wet as the rain drizzled with some civilians taking cover in order to prevent themselves from getting wet. However at the sight of king Lauihnio some citizens bowed towards his direction while a handful he noticed stared at him coldly.

'I really need this revolt to be dissolved before it gets out of hand.' he thought after noticing the unsubmissive attitude of some of the people that caught his gaze. "halt!" he called. he then motioned for one of the guards to draw closer. "You see that blonde man with a white toga, take another soldier with you and I want you to seize him and put him in the dungeon, I would like to have a word with him." he pointed to the man he was referring to.

"Okay your majesty." the soldier whispered to another soldier nearest to him and they started charging towards the blonde haired man. when the blonde haired man noticed that the soldiers were coming for him he turned around and took to his heels but the soldiers were not deterred as they quickened their steps and started running after him. it was however a strange sight for some of the people that witnessed the scene leaving them astonished.

King Lauihnio then ordered his charioteer to continue with the journey.

"Your majesty I thought you said that you were going to leave the revolt for me to handle." Lord Garthine Polion asked.

"I felt the need to set an example of that man - such ungrateful bastards." king Lauihnio frowned.

"I pray you do not fancy his flesh for dinner." Lord Garthine Polion whispered. "some day I will cut your tongue - I guess with that I would know that my secret is safe."

Lord Garthine Polion did not appear to be bothered by king Lauihnio's threat.

King Lauihnio and his Entourage rode towards a fortress built with brick. at the sight of the king one of the sentries who was stationed at the battlement bellowed for the gate to be opened. with the gate opened king Lauihnio and his Entourage made it through the gates. the chief of the fortress hastily moved towards king Lauihnio's chariot and opened it, with the king making his way out of the carriage he bowed and kissed his ring.

"Oh king Lauihnio you are welcome to my fortress." the fortress chief smiled as he welcomed the king. "greetings Lord Garthine Polion." he bowed to Lord Garthine Polion. king Lauihnio peered around the fortress like he was new to the place. "in what way my I serve my king after being given this privilege of his golden feet stepping foot on my fortress?"

"I wish to see my uncle." king Lauihnio replied.

The fortress chief raised his eyebrows "oh your Uncle Lord Mordian - this way please." moving in front of them he directed them through a pathway until they reached a gate that led them to an underground.

"Your majesty do you think this is a good idea, what makes you think your uncle would just give us the identity of the spies, even after what we did to him." Lord Garthine Polion asked.

"What did we do to him?" king Lauihnio put up a scowling look. "The gods know that it was out of clemency and love for family that I spared his life - like I said, my uncle may have ambitions for my throne but one thing he would never do is betray his country."

Lord Garthine Polion frowned. "I have mixed feelings about meeting this schemer of a man for help." The three men entered a room where they met some of the guards playing dice. the soldiers on sighting king Lauihnio jumped up from their seats and bowed their heads. King Lauihnio paid no attention to them. one of the soldiers who looked like he was in his teenage years hurried towards the door they were guarding and taking a bunch of long keys he unlocked the large door which led to Lord Mordian's cell.

Lord Mordian was writing on a scroll, he however looked enthusiastic about what he did uttering some words while dipping his pen in his ink box occasionally seemingly focused and unaware of his environment.

Lord Mordian was a man in his late fifties with a wrinkled forehead dark hair and grey beards. he was stocky with big arms and legs.

"I never said I was hungry." he said on hearing some steps which signified human presence. king Lauihnio moved closer to the locked entrance of the cell.

"Good day uncle." he greeted. Lord Mordian raised his eyes to king Lauihnio on hearing his voice. he ignored him then he continued his writing. king Lauihnio turned to the fortress chief. "I want to get in." Lord Garthine Polion gasped with his eyes wide open.

"My king what are you thinking, he could kill you if you get into that cell." he whispered to king Lauihnio

"Relax Garthine Polion he is just a harmless old man."

"Well he doesn't seem that old to me, he is surely more dangerous than he looks." king Lauihnio turned to the fortress chief. "open the cell please." King Lauihnio said ignoring Lord Garthine Polion. The fortress chief collected the bunch of keys from the teenage soldier and opened the cell.

"Come with me Garthine Polion - thank you commander that would do we will take it from here." the fortress chief and the teenage soldier bowed to king Lauihnio then they made for the door. with the door closed king Lauihnio and Lord Garthine Polion walked into the cell. Lord Mordian did not seem to be concerned at the presence of king Lauihnio and Lord Garthine Polion. king Lauihnio then moved to glance at what his uncle was doing.

"Oh poetry, I thought you lost your love for poetry a long time ago." he picked up one of the scrolls then peered through it. he smiled in amazement. "wow! very impressive." he said. he picked up another scroll. "this is truly beautiful, you know uncle this reminds me of the times you used to read this to me while we spent time together at the citadel." He picked up the recent scroll he was working on and peered through it. Lord Garthine Polion shook his head on seeing how king Lauihnio behaved towards the man that he felt planned to take his very life.