Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 383: The taste of mud

Chapter 383: The taste of mud

Arnold sat atop his horse, his gloved hands gripping the reins tightly as he surveyed the somber scene before him. The remnants of his assault force trickled back from the walls of Stitz.The golden light of the setting sun did little to soften the grim expressions etched into their faces.

The soldiers limped and staggered, their armor dented and smeared with mud and blood. Some leaned heavily on comrades, while others clutched at hastily bandaged wounds, the fabric already dark with fresh stains. Their steps were slow and labored, tired and their morale dampened by another failed assault.

The faint murmur of bitter curses and pained groans filled the air,far different from the cheers they let out barely a week ago. Arnold's men, once brimming with confidence now wore hollow expressions, some of them even resented their commander, after all they had just got some proper loot and now they were forced to fight again, risking for so many of them to have made surviving until then useless.

Arnold's eyes narrowed as they drifted to the fortress looming in the distance, its walls seemingly untouched by the day's assault. From his vantage point, the Yarzat banners fluttered mockingly atop the ramparts, the falcon with six closed fists seemingly flipping him off.

His jaw tightened as he watched his men. They had marched here with the joy of conquest in their hearts, expecting another easy victory to add to their tally. Now, they were simply weary soldiers, trudging back to camp.

Arnold's steely gaze turned colder , he knew just how bad his situation was, this was simply the first fortress and he failed to even make a dent on it .