2 The Great City of Durus

****

The sun had not been kind that morning. Blazing rays of light descended upon the land, scorching anything it touched, like a dragon's fiery breath. Sweat ran down the faces of the men, as they trekked through the harsh terrain. Their dry throats begged for water, while their bodies fried under their armor and padded clothing. A few felt ready to faint, actually. Fortunately, they only needed to endure a little longer.

As they continued to march, they soon saw it. In the distance, a great city emerged. Its mighty walls cast a long shadow, while its spires and spikes sent warnings to invaders and attackers. Red and black flags waved, according to the wind's direction. Despite the city's intimidating visage, the men could not help but feel excitement and relief. At long last, they had finally reached Durus, the great city that stood between the kingdom of Stolz and the empire.

The men had travelled long and far from a distant country, just to reach the city. During the course of their journey, the faced treacherous weather, fought vicious bandits, and evaded terrible beasts. For the most part, their travel had left them exhausted and almost depleted of resources. Despite their many hardships, the men knew it would all be worth it, for they would soon have worked once more.

Drawing nearer to the city, the company noticed three riders approach them. Two of these riders appeared to be regular guardsmen, carrying the banners of the empire. The third rider, however, seemed to be a knight. He wore rather flashy silver and gold armor, and adorned a long crimson cape, which gave off a chivalrous impression that had been expected of most knights.

The men stopped their advance, as soon as they made contact with the three.

"Who is in charge of this rabble?!" the knight barked out, scanning the fifty-man company.

Eventually, a lean man stepped forward. He had long beige hair, and navy eyes. Under a grey tunic, this person wore a mail shirt, and some plated armor around his arms and legs. Two swords hung on his belt.

"My name is Simon Moore. I lead this band," he responded, quickly looking back at his troops. "We are the Ash Blade Mercenaries."

The knight glanced down at the leader with some skepticism on his face. "I have never heard of you, but you must be something special to lead these men, at such a young age," he noted.

"Our captain retired only a few months ago, and left me with the role of leader," Simon explained. "Indeed I am young, but special is an exaggeration."

"So you say," the knight grunted, as he continued to examine the company. He quietly snickered, and crossed his arms. "Well then... Sir Moore, I take it you have come to Durus for work? I assume that you could not find any nobles to hire you?"

Simon growled under his breath, sensing the knight's apathy. "The kingdoms are at a time of peace, my lord," he then replied, hiding his frustration. "Mercenaries are not in high demand, as they once were."

"That is indeed true," the knight agreed with a haughty grunt. "So, you've come to Durus, so that you may travel to Stolz and make yourselves a fortune, eh? Just a fair warning, Stolz is not a place to tread lightly."

"No battlefield ever is, sir," Simon responded, trying his hardest to remain civil. "However, we go where we are paid to go, and raise our sword for whoever pays us."

The knight frowned, making no attempt to mask his disapproval. "Well, if you wouldn't mind, allow me to escort you and your fine band into the city," he offered with a hint of sarcasm. "Now keep in mind, while the city welcomes mercenaries, we knights will not tolerate any misdemeanor. So if you know what's best, you'll watch your step."

"We'll take note of that," Simon replied with a nod.

The knight grunted, and turned away with his two riders.

"Quite the warm welcome."

Another young man stood beside Simon. He stood out quite a bit from the rest of the company who wore armor and combat vestments. This particular person instead wore more a striking, orange tunic, juniper trousers, and dark brown cape. He had an auburn ponytail, and pale blue eyes.

"Let's just hope our client is much more gracious than he," Simon sighed, as he wiped the sweat off his face. "Let's get a move on. I don't know how much longer I can stand this heat."

Simon and his fifty men continued into the city. Once inside, they searched for some lodgings, and then went their separate ways to see what services the city offered. While most of the company went to taverns and stores, Simon and the other young man had some business to attend to.

"Don't you wish to see the alchemy lab or library around here, Philippe?" Simon asked, raising a curious brow. "I thought those would be the first two places you would visit, once we arrived."

"Naturally, but as your second, I need to accompany you, and properly verify the details of our contract," Philippe snapped crudely. "I don't want any funny business or conditions that would cheat us of our pay."

"I admire your confidence in me, I truly do," Simon remarked playfully, rolling his eyes.

"As a warrior, your skills are above par. I will not contest that," Philippe replied. "However, when it comes to business matters, I'd prefer you leave most of that to me. I look over the details, you make the decisions. This job offer is not like anything we've received, after all."

"Indeed, we will not be fighting men, but monsters instead," Simon sighed, almost unable to believe it himself. "This will be the first time the Ash Blades will travel into Stolz."

"I do hope we're prepared," Philippe groaned, staring at his grey boots. "Perhaps we should have recruited more warriors, before continuing?"

Simon shook his head. "From what I hear, it is actually safer to travel around Stolz in small numbers," he explained. "Fifty men is already a lot."

They wandered down through the cobblestone streets, passing several buildings and people. Along the way, the two of them got a good look at some of the more famous mercenaries from across the land and beyond. Simon spotted a few mercenaries he had always wanted to meet, but never engage in battle.

"Simon, isn't that Carmen Soleil?" Philippe whispered, pointing at a woman.

Simon took a glance. "I believe so," he agreed. "Do not tell me you wish to resign from our company, and join hers?"

"W-what, of course not!" Philippe stuttered, blushing a little. "I have always wanted to see the Saintly Spear, the heroine from my homeland."

"Of course," Simon sighed, shaking his head. "I'm certain that is all."

Walking further into the city, the two eventually arrived at a manor. They walked up to the front door, and found two guards steadily guarding the entrance with spears and shields. Neither of them looked willing to let Simon or Philippe pass without a reason.

"State your purpose here, boy," one of the knights barked.

"We're here to meet with Lord Caiaphas," Simon responded, as he pulled out a letter from his belongings. "We have some important business to discuss with him."

The knight took the letter and hastily scanned it. Uninterested with the letter's contents, the knight skipped just about every sentence, and looked straight at the very bottom, where he found the wax seal.

"Very well, you may enter," the knight replied, returning the letter.

They opened the doors, and then stepped aside, permitting Simon and Philippe to enter. These two seemed far more accommodating than the knight they had met outside the city. At the very least, neither of the knights snickered nor judged them.

Stepping inside, Simon and Philippe found themselves surrounded by splendor. The walls and floor may not have been paved with gold and silver, but they found a series of items and decor that would have been worth more than a pouch of gold. Just one of the manor's trinkets could have fed a peasant for over a year, or even a bit longer. Simon and Philippe resisted the urge to stare, or touch anything.

One servant proceeded to lead them to a study on the manor's second floor. There, they met with their client, a noble with long grayish hair, and a face covered with quite a bit of wrinkles. He wore a bright purple robe, and had golden rings, and an emerald necklace.

"Ah, Sir Moore, we meet at last," their client greeted quite pleasantly. "Please, have a seat. Take some wine, if you wish."

"We appreciate the offer, Lord Caiaphas," Simon replied, politely bowing his head, before taking his seat. "As leader of the Ashen Blade Mercenaries, I would also like to personally thank you for giving us this rare opportunity."

Lord Caiaphas nodded and smiled merrily. "Your mercenary band is quite an accomplished group," he complimented proudly. "I have especially heard quite a bit of you, Sir Moore. You're so young, yet you've already earned quite a bit of respect, and even managed to become your company's leader."

Simon turned bright red, as he bashfully scratched the back of his head. "I still have much to prove, my lord," he replied humbly. "This will be my first official duty as leader of the Ash Blades, and it will be a job in Stolz, no less."

"I understand that work has been difficult to find, now that the kingdoms have reached an age of peace," Caiaphas mentioned. "Lords are now less concerned with waging wars, and now focus tending to their lands."

"Peace is a good thing, my lord," Simon admitted, twiddling his thumbs. "However, it does leave us mercenaries in a rather tight situation. Many turn either to farming or banditry."

Simon didn't mention this, but the Ash Blades used to have more men in its ranks. Some of them had chosen to retire to the fields, while others simply left, not wanting to follow his lead.

"Truly, it is a difficult time for mercenaries," Caiaphas agreed, then placing a parchment of paper on the table. It appeared to be their contract. "Now, while I do have faith in your company's strength and abilities, I must warn you that this job will not be all that simple. It will test your mettle, deciding if you are truly worthy to take more jobs in Stolz."

The old man then paused for a moment, and gave the two a very serious look on his face. "I suspect you already are aware of what happened to the mercenary, Stephen Verse?"

The room's atmosphere turned a little sour, when they heard the name. "Yes, I do," Simon answered morbidly. "I have never met him, but I heard he was quite the warrior. What happened to him is truly unfortunate."

"It truly is," he sighed, staring down at the table. "And he is not the only mercenary to have met such a terrible end. He at least returned with his life. Others such as Mercy Lynn, Weber Burrs, and others had lost their lives in that ruined kingdom."

Simon grimaced, not liking the direction of this conversation. Ounces of discouragement began to swirl in his stomach, when he heard these names, which had far more credibility than his entire group's. He and his men had quite a lot to prove, if they wanted to gain any favors, or get more work around Durus.

Taking a deep breath, Simon sat up straight, and pulled his shoulders back, in an effort to appear confident. "My lord, you can trust us with any task," he assured firmly.

"Can I now?" Caiaphas grunted, stroking his beard. "What if I told you that this task I will give you is the exact same one that ended Stephen Verse's career?".

The revelation struck Simon and Philippe like a bolt of lightning. Neither of them expected to receive such a task as their very first job. They exchanged uncertain looks with one another, before they turned their eyes to the contract, and stared at it as if it were cursed.

"Silent all of a sudden?" Caiaphas murmured, gauging their reaction. "Of course, if you do not feel up to such as task, I can just give you something easier."

Perhaps taking a simpler task would have been a better idea. However, while Simon did not know Lord Caiaphas personally, he knew for a fact that all nobles enjoyed gossiping with one another.

The man may have put on a friendly front, but Simon had no doubt that he would not hesitate to spread the word, if they refused to take on this task. This would bring shame to the mercenary band, and make it harder for them to find work.

Steeling his nerves and swallowing his concerns, Simon looked at the noble with a face of conviction.

"My lord, we are mercenaries," he answered. "If we are paid, we will go where you tell us to."

"Then does that mean you accept?" Lord Caiaphas asked.

"Naturally -,"

"Not quite yet," Philippe suddenly interrupted, to Simon's surprise.

"Does there seem to be a problem?" Caiaphas asked.

"My lord, we will not agree to anything, unless we fully examine the terms and agreements of this contract," Philippe replied. "Isn't that right, captain?"

At that moment, Simon had almost forgotten their purpose for meeting with Caiaphas. If Philippe had not interrupted, Simon would have most likely agreed and signed the contract, without properly examining its contents.

The nobleman smirked slyly. "What is your name, good sir?"

"I am Philippe Leclerc," he replied proudly.

"Your companion has a good shoulder on his head, Sir Simon," Caiaphas remarked. "You are both young and clearly new with regards to business. Many nobles would take advantage of such youth. Negotiations can be just as cruel and vicious as actual battles. Remain vigilant and attentive, when you conduct business."

Simon nodded. "I understand."

Caiaphas passed the contract to Philippe, who began thoroughly inspecting its contents. The lieutenant carefully examined every word and sentence, making certain that it did not have an unreasonable condition, or unfavorable compensation.

Everything looked in order, so far. There did appear to be a condition, however, that a few knights would accompany them. Apart from that one detail, the terms seemed reasonable. There even seemed to be an additional reward, if all his men returned alive.

"This all looks acceptable," Philippe commented, passing Simon the contract.

"You now just need to place your mark."

"I believe we are ready to finalize this contract, Lord Caiaphas," Simon declared, pulling out a signet ring.

Pleased with this, Caiaphas took a red candle and spilled a bit of wax at the bottom of the contract, to which Simon finally printed his ring upon it.

"As captain of the Ash Blade Mercenaries, I Simon Moore vow that we shall complete our task, Lord Caiaphas," Simon swore.

"Excellent, most excellent," Caiaphas grunted, returning back to the pleasant disposition he had displayed earlier. "I am look forward to hear your victory, Captain Moore."