Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king - Chapter 214

Chapter 214: Kill or be killed Chapter 214: Kill or be killed As soon as the shadow crossed into his line of sight, Garvin thrust his dagger forward, his arm steady, the blade slicing through the narrow space between them.

The man’s eyes widened in shock as he caught sight of the glinting steel too late to react.

The dagger plunged into his stomach with a sickening resistance, sinking deep.

The man let out a strangled scream, staggering back, his hands instinctively clutching at the handle still embedded in his gut.

Blood seeped around his fingers as he stumbled, his face twisted in pain and horror.  Garvin’s heart raced as he took in the sight of his wounded pursuer, muttering a silent thanks to the gods that the man hadn’t been wearing any armor.

This would be his only chance.

The man, a stocky figure with short brown hair, grimaced as his gaze locked onto Garvin, hatred burning in his narrowed eyes.

Blood was soaking through his shirt, dripping from the wound Garvin’s blade had left in his abdomen.  Breathing through clenched teeth, the assassin drew his own dagger, his hand shaking slightly but his resolve clear.

Garvin noted the man’s trembling stance, his face contorted with pain, and quickly formed a plan in his mind.  Unfortunately he was unarmed as his only dagger was still in the man’s gut.

He took a cautious step back, watching the man stumble a bit, trying to steady himself.

The assassin’s eyes flickered with a new determination as he seemed to realize that, wounded or not, he might still have a chance , given his opponent lack of weaponry.

His movements were awkward as he leaned back slightly, grimacing at the pain radiating from his abdomen, but he forced himself to ignore it, gripping his dagger tightly.

With a sharp intake of breath, the assassin lurched forward, lunging at Garvin.

Garvin sidestepped easily, watching the man stagger past him, clutching his wound as he recovered his footing and pulled back, his face twisted in pain and fury.

“Who sent you?” Garvin demanded, his voice a low snarl.

“Shut up!” the man spat, his voice hoarse.

With a grim determination, he swung the dagger wildly at the air between them, his anger and desperation spilling over as he threw himself into yet another attack, though his aim was erratic.

Garvin dodged, his eyes narrowing as he braced himself for what he knew would be a relentless, if sloppy, assault.

Garvin saw an opening and seized it, swinging his leg in a sharp kick to the man’s hind leg.

The assassin buckled, collapsing onto one knee with a grunt.

Garvin wasted no time-he followed with a swift hook to the man’s face, the impact jolting the assassin’s head to the side.

The man groaned, as he fell stomach toward the air .

Garvin stepped in and, without hesitation, drove his boot down hard onto the dagger’s hilt, twisting it deeper.

The assassin let out a howl of agony, his hand flailing as he dropped his own dagger, the weapon clattering uselessly to the cobblestones.

Garvin pressed down harder with his foot, eyes fixed on his opponent as the man’s strength seemed to wane, pain sapping any last vestiges of a fight.

The assassin’s face contorted in pain as he began to whimper, his resolve shattered as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Garvin looked down at him, catching his breath, steadying himself.

He lowered himself to retrieve the dagger that had fallen from the assassin’s hand, his fingers closing around the cold steel.

Slowly, Garvin approached, his eyes locked onto the man’s tear-streaked face, now pale with fear and agony.

He pressed the dagger to the assassin’s throat, feeling the rapid pulse under the blade.

He hesitated, a moment’s thought flickering in his mind: was there anything left to ask?

Any final piece of information?

But as quickly as the thought arose, it faded.

There was nothing.

With grim resolve, he pressed the blade in one clean, decisive motion.

The assassin’s eyes widened one last time, his mouth opening in a silent gasp before his body went slack.

Garvin stood up slowly, his gaze fixed on the lifeless form sprawled at his feet.

He watched as the man’s eyes dulled, the brief spark of pain and hatred extinguished, leaving only emptiness.

A heavy realization settled over Garvin like a weight he couldn’t shake.

The fact that they’d sent someone after him confirmed his worst fears-he was a loose end, a liability.

The thought cut through him, casting a dark shadow over any small relief he’d felt at surviving this ambush.

It wasn’t just one man he had to worry about; there could be others, sent at any time, without warning.

He was living on borrowed time now, every moment ticking down until the next knife in the dark, leaving him with one single question.

What could he do to survive another day?

And so his eyes moved to the place , where it had all begun-the palace In that moment, he felt the full weight of its shadow, knowing it would follow him wherever he went.

——————- The first light of dawn barely crept through the narrow window when the sudden crash against his door jolted Lord Keval awake.

He sat up, his hand instinctively reaching for the dagger on his bedside table.

Another pounding on the door followed, and muffled voices rang out.

“Lord Keval!

Lord Keval, it’s urgent!” Keval jolted awake, his instincts snapping him to attention as he threw on his robe and strode to the door.

Flinging it open, he found a stranger-a rough-looking man, clearly a guard by his uniform, with a tense, pale face.

Their eyes met briefly before the guard dropped to one knee, bowing his head low.

Keval’s voice, thick with the remnants of sleep, cut through the quiet.

“What’s this commotion?” The guard kept his gaze trained on the floor, speaking in hurried, breathless tones.

“My lord, a man surrendered to the palace guards, just at the main road entrance.

He claims… he says he was one of the agents in the emperor’s kidnapping, and he knows where the emperor is being held.” Keval’s face shifted, his expression sharpening.

The news settled over him like a jolt of cold water.

In a swift, commanding tone, he barked, “Take me to him.

At once.” The guard scrambled to his feet and turned sharply, ready to lead, while Keval threw on his cloak, his heart pounding with a renewed urgency, feeling like the gods had not deserted him.

——————- Garvin sat on the cold stone floor, his hands bound tightly in rough rope, surrounded by guards who eyed him with barely veiled hostility.

Any one of them would be eager to take their chance at ending him, should he so much as twitch the wrong way.

His breathing was shallow, his head bowed, as he waited in the dimly lit dungeon cell, knowing that his life balanced on a blade’s edge.

At last, the door to the dungeon opened, and footsteps echoed down the narrow corridor.

Garvin raised his head as a tall figure with striking red hair entered-Keval, though Garvin didn’t know him by sight.

Not wanting to chance disrespect, Garvin quickly dropped his head again, bowing low.

“Mi-lord,” he murmured, his voice steady but tense.

Keval’s sharp gaze fell on him, and his expression was unreadable.

“Is this story you’re telling true?” he demanded, his voice cool and assessing.

Garvin nodded, his voice low and earnest.

“I swear it, by the gods themselves, mi-lord.

It’s true.” A nearby guard scoffed, his face twisted with contempt.

“And what are the gods worth to a man who would harm the one chosen by them?” His words dripped with disgust, and several other guards murmured their agreement, their stares full of loathing.

Garvin swallowed, feeling their scorn like a weight, but his gaze flickered briefly to Keval, searching for any hint of hope in the cold, judgmental eyes fixed on him.

Garvin raised his gaze, his face shadowed with regret as he addressed Keval.

“I came back to set things right, mi-lord.

Believe me, I had no idea what the job was until it was too late, and by then…by then there was no way to turn back.

Once you’re in that deep, the only choice is to go forward.

But once it was over… I realized I could do something, something to make up for what I’d done.” Keval’s eyes narrowed, a steely suspicion flickering across his face.

“And why,” he asked slowly, “should we trust a single word from your mouth?” Garvin’s expression hardened with conviction.

“Because I could’ve disappeared, mi-lord.

I could’ve lived out the rest of my days happy, long, and rich beyond anything I’d ever dreamed of.

I came back, knowing the risk, because I couldn’t live with it.” He paused, meeting Keval’s gaze steadily.

“I didn’t have to be here, but I am.Surrendering my fate to you” Keval held Garvin’s gaze, his face unreadable, before asking in a low, measured tone, “And what is it you want from me?” Garvin swallowed, his eyes flickering down for a moment, as if searching for words.

When he looked back up, his expression was stark and raw.

“Absolution,” he said, his voice a rough whisper that barely filled the cold, stone room.

Fuck no!I just want to survive, and if that means sticking it to that red bitch, then that’s what I’ll do….

Garvin thought as he tried his best to appear like a man eaten by his guilt  Keval stared at him in silence  “Where is the emperor being kept?” he finally asked  Garvin took a deep breath, his voice steady but laced with tension.

“In a small building in the slums, hidden among the abandoned shops,” he replied.

“But… if I may say, my lord-you should move tonight.” He glanced briefly at the guards around him, feeling the weight of their scorn, but continued, “They’re unpredictable.

Who knows if they’ll change the location by morning?” Garvin took a steadying breath, then spoke.

“I’ll lead you there myself, my lord.

I know the way and… I may even be able to get them to open the door for you.” Keval’s gaze fixed on him, assessing.

For a long moment, he said nothing, the tension in the room palpable.

Then, in a flash of clarity, Keval understood that perhaps the gods truly had granted him this chance.

He’d be a fool to refuse.

He nodded, the decision settling in his mind.

“Very well,” he said, his voice firm.

“You’ll be our guide.

And if your information proves true, I’ll see to it you’re pardoned for any part you played in this crime.” Relief flooded Garvin’s face as he bowed his head in gratitude.

“Thank you, mi- lord,” he murmured as he felt that suddendly there was hope for his future