Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 123: End of a ill-born rebellion

Alpheo walked slowly among the bodies, his boots squelching in the ground that had mixed with blood. The air was thick with the stench of death, and the silence was only broken by the occasional groan of a wounded man or the cawing of distant crows circling above.

This would be the third , Alpheo thought as in less than a month he led 3 different battles all in victories, truth be told he felt good about that. 

'Undefeated once again!' he cheered again in his mind, as he continued to observe his work.

Bodies lay scattered across the narrow road, many with shattered skulls from the brutal strikes of maces and war hammers. Some had been pierced by javelins and arrows, the shafts still sticking out of their chests, necks, or backs, like grim markers of their final moments. Limbs were twisted in unnatural positions, and the once-proud banners of Ormund's army lay crumpled in the dirt, stained with mud and blood.@@novelbin@@

Alpheo surveyed the carnage with a calm gaze. Most of the enemy infantry had broken early in the fight, throwing down their weapons and fleeing into the forest in blind panic. He hadn't bothered to send anyone in pursuit; these were peasants and untrained conscripts, scattered and leaderless. They posed no real threat now, and he had no desire to waste resources on chasing them down. They would be of no use in the battles to come.

His attention turned to the rows of prisoners being marched away under the watchful eyes of his soldiers. The captives shuffled along, heads bowed, their faces pale with fear and defeat. Among them were some notable figures—minor lords and landed knights, stripped of their armor and dignity, now little more than spoils of war. A few knights still held their heads high, their pride intact even in captivity, while others looked broken, their spirits crushed as they were escorted to the rear.

They had likely thrown their lot in with Ormund in the hope of rising to power or securing more lands, but now they were little more than bargaining chips.