The Hidden Rulers

A week of days earlier, in this very same room, there was a different man sitting in front of a pale, white, canvas. He thought of something very important in his life, and the nothingness of uncolored white was keeping him only with his thoughts. He saw in his head, how he is just about to return home, to his wife and only child, and finally be able to buy them a gift, something besides food and clothing. Other people – those who were not of royal roots, rarely had enough money to buy toys or jewelry – which were supposed to be the gifts for his family. He got a job as a servant in king’s castle, a job well paid for his standards.

Today, in the same stool, sat a tall man, with abnormally bent back, as he was lost in empty picture. In his mind was something not at all similar to the other man’s thoughts – when he leaves the room, everyone will be slaughtered. He came to the royal dinner, but for something else. As always, on his mind was money.

If you looked through the lines, those two men were wishing for exactly the same thing, just they would use it in their own ways.

Waiting for something to happen – someone to come, the man took one of the paintbrushes nearby, looked over multiple jars of paint, and took the darkest he could find. Soaked in black, dripping around his feet, but not on them, brushes were pressed over the canvas and forcefully dragged in, at first look, random directions.

Halfway done with his work, the man was stopped by a few knocks on the door. Jar and brush were dropped on the floor – glass breaking and color, if black was one, spilling everywhere. He didn’t look back on the mess he made, and neither on the opus he created.

Leaving the room, on his mind was only the mess he is about to see, entering the dining chambers.

Bottoms of four pillars around elongated table, set with broken, blood sprayed plates and eating accessories, were completely covered with bodies, dead and pale. Not a single one of them was making even the slightest shivers, as they all were struck down with mighty, even barbaric blows.

The man saw some of his own allies cut open this way. Maybe they fell in battle that just happened, but he believed that they were wounded, and were quickly put out of their misery.

In front of his feet, he saw and picked up two untouched wooden boxes, and opened them to find a necklace, and a decently made horse toy. He kept them for himself – it was weird finding them in the hands of a simple servant.

“Three of our men are dead, add to that five more mercenaries. The queen escaped along with her daughter and oldest son, but Arog killed the King and baby boy. I admire him for murdering a baby like that, but it also makes me scared a little. You should’ve seen it Mars”, said to him one of the men who survived the battle, and were still in this room.

“And Arog is still alive? He’s not one of the dead?”, Mars asked the man.

“As we were winning, I took a moment to look at him. King scratched his shoulder with the top of his blade, and proceeded to mock him and threaten with death. Arog just laughed louder than the king spoke, and took even bigger chunk of meat where his wound was. He took the sword in left, wounded hand, and charged. I swear, no matter how much I hate him as a person, I admire him as a warrior.”

“It’s an amazing story to tell in the future. You could possibly use your own name in it, Drak”, said Mars with a smirk on his face.

Drak shook his head. “Maybe when he’s dead.”

Together, they left the room, leaving behind a few greedy men to search the bodies. Corpses of the royals were taken away, for threatening other rulers, whom the band would attack in the future.

“Should we maybe send someone to look for the queen and her offsprings outside the castle?”, Drak asked while they were leaving the hallway.

“No need. If they are in the town, murder them, if not, let them roam and starve outside. Even if they find someone to save them, it will just spread terror even faster”, said Mars. He knew it was cold of him to order so, but it was his job. That was the mask he took the moment he started the band. He is the leader of people who will one day rule the world. He has to act like one.

Front of the castle, packed with calm warriors, also had corpses. These were the guardsmen. Royal guard who was supposed to keep kings safe. All it took to beat them, was one dinner call. They weren’t ready. Although by two dead bodies – one of his men, and one of mercenaries, Mars knew the guard was not weak. Those few men were outnumbered, yet they took two enemies with them.

Around the castle’s garden was a huge stone brick wall, and this time – instead of being an obstacle they had to pass, it gave them protection against anyone outside, in the streets of common people. They were already gathering – it was easy to hear crowds of people yelling and getting ready to kill the usurpers, if that was the right word.

Mars and his people did not try to take the throne over these lands. They left them to crumble in the landslides they created. Soon enough, he will come and take what he left for now.

“Are everyone ready?!”, Mars yelled to outvoice the mob that was louder every moment.

His people alongside paid warriors cheered holding their weapons high in the air. Arog was highest of all people Mars has ever seen. His axe was as wide as three human heads, and could cut, if in his hands, many more at once.

Mars winked at Drak, and he whispered something in the ear of one of the mercenaries. Outside, there were only three of them. This sellsword went in to call other out. As soon as he got out of Mars’ sight, he clapped his hands and his men viciously stabbed one of the sellswords still here.

“Hey, what the hell is this?”, the other guy questioned as he was unsheathing his sword. His face was priceless. Who would’ve known a band of backstabbers would backstab if they got the opportunity.

“We can’t pay you my friend”, Mars told him as Arog was getting closer to his victim. Seeing his scared face, it was obvious he knew who, or what Arog is. “I hoped you would stay inside and steal as much as you could, but seeing you here made me change my plans.”

“No, no, I wasn’t looking for your money, sir”, he started pleading for life. “I would much rather be working for you.” Arog was still walking towards him, so he desperately added: “I’m not looking for payment there either. Just food and place for living, in exchange for my service.”

“And you are?”, Mars asked him, and at that moment, Arog stopped.

“Khazahs. I could also be of help if you plan on going east of here. I know a lot about those places, and I hate them even more.”

“Enough!”, yelled Mars, “We have to move. Warriors, towards the gate. Do not attack people outside. That’s a fight we can’t win. But we don’t have to start it.”

“What about people inside?”, asked Khazahs as he got closer to Mars. He seemed not to have plans to kill him – which was smart considering everyone around.

“I said you made me change my plans when I ordered to kill you. Those guys inside are going to be my way out of here. I guess you are lucky one to leave this place alongside my kinship.”

Khazaks thanked Mars as well as he knew, and went somewhere behind the front lines, not risking his death right away.

Close to the gate, townsfolk, armed with whatever they could find, together with town guards, gathered waiting to fight back the enemies of the kingdom. One of the guards, wearing slightly better gear – double swords and gold plated helmet, came in front and asked for the leader. Drak came in front.

“You can surrender to us and be quickly executed”, he said, “If you engage in combat, your deaths will be painful, and cruel.”

“Listen”, Drak talked over him, “We are not the ones you are looking for, those people are just about to leave the castle”, and just as he said that, a few screams came out of the castle doors, as those poor mercenaries called for their allies to wait.

The guard sent some of the people there, and a small fight started. He however, and most of armed people, stayed there.

“Chef, he’s not one of us”, someone yelled to Drak, and commotion between his men came to be. They pulled a tall men, yet not as muscular or strong as they were. He got thrown on the ground and few villagers pulled him away from brutes. It was Mars.

Drak looked the guard in his eyes, while showing behind his back the directions in which his men were supposed to go. He swung his petty one-handed axe towards the guards head, but the attack was masterfully blocked. The goal of it was not murder, but more of a sign for band members to start fighting, and for enemies who were not expecting this to lose attention.

Drak kicked his opponent away, but was unable to cut him down. As a river of living weapons paced towards him, he went to one side, and the band split in two. A day ago, the looked around the place and found many ways to escape, and so, some of the warriors jumped on the buildings, climbing over roofs, and quickly getting away, some climbed trees and then the walls, others went across small streets between taller houses when they got their chances. They never went alone, but in small groups, that way easily dealing with stray guards.

Soon enough, almost every one, some hundred warriors, of which only few were directly at the dinner table, left the town. Mars hid with people watching not to be killed by mistake by one of his men.

He was the real leader, not Drak, but he could not fight, so they’ve thrown him out as an enemy. It worked. It was the part which made him most anxious – whether he will survive. He left the town through the gates, telling guards he met at the exit that he’s afraid of the attack. Luckily, they did not make him turn around and start fighting.

And at that moment, all that was left, was to meetup with the band somewhere in the forest, in a place they found not a week ago.

Writer’s notes: This is a small part of a story I wrote just to see am I able to write decently in English, since it’s not my first language. So I would like to know if my grammar is correct, and also whether my style is painful to read. Any notes about the story are welcome, but not necessary, since I won’t be finishing it (probably), and don’t have any plans to go with it for the future. I might put out a few more parts, but won’t promise anything, because I have other work to do, in my first language. Hopefully, those stories will be here soon enough.

Thank you :)