Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 322: Foresight

Chapter 322: Foresight

Before the imposing walls of Nabad, the grand capital of Ushandeia, an army of five thousand men stood in disciplined formation. The shimmering ranks of spears and shields glinted in the late afternoon sun, and the banners of Habadia fluttered proudly in the wind, each one bearing the sigil of the silver crown. The soldiers' faces were hard, their gazes unwavering as they stared at the city that marked the end of their long campaign.

Between the imposing army and the gates of Nabad, a simple wooden table had been set up on the plain. The table was unassuming, almost laughable in its simplicity compared to the grand spectacle of the forces arrayed behind it. 

At the table, two men sat across from each other. One of them wore a finely crafted silver crown, its gleaming surface catching the sunlight as though it was a star fallen to earth. His posture exuded arrogance and authority, his chin held high as his piercing gaze rested dismissively on the man seated opposite him. This was Nibadur, the Prince of Habadia, the man who had brought Ushandeia to its knees.

Nibadur's armor, polished to a mirror finish, reflected his regal bearing. His every gesture spoke of a man who knew victory was already his. His lips curled in a faint smirk as he observed the man before him, the subtle amusement of a predator playing with its prey.

The man seated opposite him, clad in simpler garments, was the prince of Ushandeia, purposefully dressing less magnificent as a term for thier surrender. Though he sat with a rigid spine and clenched jaw, the weariness of six months of crushing defeats was etched into his face. 

Behind Nibadur's army stretched the scars of war. For six months, the armies of Ushandeia had fallen to Habadia's relentless advance. Their proud banners had been taken as spoils of war, paraded through conquered lands as symbols of humiliation. Towns had burned, and once-proud fortresses now lay in ruins.