Rise and Fall by Joshua P. Simon Read Free Book Online Page A

what we’ve been waiting for…”
    The setting sun bled across the land, reflecting dark purples and reds off the white canvases of the enemy’s camp. Reminiscent of a bruise. A bleak reminder of what awaits us tomorrow. No Melchizan, I haven’t waited for that.
    “Commander! I’m speaking to you,” said Melchizan, his great jowls swaying.
    “I hear you. And unlike you, I actually listen to the person I’m talking to.”
    Melchizan’s face reddened. “It’s bad enough you and the rest of your tattered outfit of mercenaries fail to address me as your lord, but I will not be spoken to like some common soldier. Is that understood?”
    “No. You are not our lord and definitely not a soldier, just an employer. The Hell Patrol will not bend a knee to you. If you want someone to kiss your rear, you’ll have to look to the rest of that motley army of yours.”
    “Have you forgotten that motley army has conquered over a dozen cities and hundreds of miles of land? An army you command?”
    Jonrell snorted a laugh. “Cities? Most of that land was filled with nothing more than small tribes and villages. Your army is not ready for this,” said Jonrell, pointing toward the encampment. “The men are going to face more than two to one odds against a better armed and better trained force.”
    “If they fail, then you have failed as a commander.”
    “No. I’ve told you we needed to spend money on better weapons, rather than your lavish indulgences. We need to push the men to work on actual skill sets rather than allow them to function as a badly organized mob. But you’re too greedy to see that, so you keep pushing for more and undermining what I’m trying to do. Then you decide to engage an opposing army on a wide open plain without cavalry to match theirs.”
    Melchizan ignored Jonrell’s remarks, his voice low and even. “I’ve waited too long for a kingdom to call my own. We will attack tomorrow and we will win. Otherwise, you and your outfit won’t see the rest of your contract.”
    Jonrell stared at Melchizan, ready to reply, when the sound of approaching hooves and a shout from behind caught his attention. He held his employer’s glare for a moment longer, then turned toward the approaching rider. He refused to continue the conversation and instead kicked his mount forward.
    “I’m glad you’ve seen it my way, Commander,” Melchizan called out.
    Jonrell heard the amusement in his employer’s voice as if the man had won some victory over him. Idiot. There will be no victory tomorrow. I hope you slice your own throat when you try to draw your sword in terror.
    The advancing rider bobbed in his saddle as he pulled beside Jonrell. The two mercenaries descended the rocky trail in silence, interrupted by Jonrell’s heavy sigh and the grinding of teeth.
    “Keep it up and you’re liable to crack another tooth.”
    Jonrell turned to the man in faded black robes. “Are you my mother now?”
    “That’s right, take it out on me,” the mage muttered.
    “That man is an absolute imbecile and he’s going to get us all killed,” said Jonrell.
    “Probably,” said Krytien. “But let me remind you who signed the contract…”
    “I know who signed the contract. If I wanted to take this abuse, I would have stayed with… what does Raker call him? Lord Roundness?” said Jonrell coming to a halt. He drew a breath and calmed himself. “Now what do you want?”
    “Well, remember that item I bought off a trader last time we were in Slum Isle? You know, to keep track of that particular situation of interest to you?” whispered Krytien.
    Jonrell straightened in his saddle. “Yes?”
    “Well, it worked. I mean, the king,” he paused, “passed away.” Krytien ran his fingers over his head, wiping the sweat from his brow and pushed back his thin white hair.
    “How?”
    “I don’t know. The device wasn’t designed to tell us how, just when.”
    “You sound surprised.” said Jonrell.
    “Well, there was