Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 65: End of a bet

Alpheo turned around only to see a small boy, no olden than 10, shivering as his barefoot stood on the stony road. His hands were wrapped around his pouch, shivering , he did not dare to pull. Everyone around them either already fled not wanting to witness the spectacle, or were still from the shock of how much happened in so little time .Fathers called their children, grabbing their hand and bringing them away as they understood what was about to happen.

The boy's eyes met Alpheo's, but they held none of the youthful mirth they had possessed earlier that day. Instead, they were icy and steel, reflecting the coldness of the world around them. The pool of blood seeping from the half-cut neck of the old man spread slowly between the cracks of the stones, inching closer to Alpheo's feet like a creeping shadow.

Alpheo made no move to step away, as if resigned to the inevitable. Death, in that moment, was not a grand revelation or a profound experience. It was simply the abrupt end of life, an unceremonious snap that extinguished all light.For all that it was, that humans liked to poeticize , it was just that , a simple -SNAP-.

The boy felt its icy grip reaching for him, a chill creeping up his spine . He had won the bet and yet it felt like he would be losing something more important

Why had he attempted such a foolish act? Hunger gnawed at his belly, but not enough to warrant risking his life. Fear coursed through his veins, his hands trembling with uncertainty. In the face of death, he found himself at a loss for words or actions, his gaze fixed blankly on the man before him

"You p-promised you would heed your words," the boy stammered, unable to bear the weight of the silence any longer.

Alpheo's head turned towards his group, they were few meters behind, and they have been clearly taken by surprise by Alpheo sudden attack of madness toward the old man, as they still did not understand what caused him to snap . Even they did not dare to step forward and yet a damn child not even reaching the two digits , attempted to steal from him.

Alpheo's hand descended towards the boy's, his touch cold as ice as he grasped the trembling palm. Without a word, he turned to gaze upon the lifeless corpse of his recent victim. The anger had dissipated from his eyes, replaced by an eerie indifference.

"I suppose I did," he finally spoke, retrieving the pouch from his own belt and depositing it unceremoniously into the boy's hand.

The weight of the pouch felt heavier than stone upon the boy's palm. Alpheo instead of anger, felt a mixture of surprise and amusement wash over him. Alpheo's piercing gaze then shifted to the boy. "You got a name?"

"The children call me Rat's Teeth," the child replied, his voice barely a whisper under Alpheo's scrutiny.

"Why is that?" Alpheo inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Wordlessly, the boy parted his lips, revealing two front teeth clipped in half, as if chipped away by stone.

"Very well, I'll call you 'Ratto,' then. Are you okay with it?" Alpheo asked, his tone gentle as he smiled .

The boy nodded in acquiescence not knowing that word.Alpeho looked up to the sky and then at the boy

"Tell me, Ratto, do you believe men to be equals?" Alpheo's voice took on a philosophical edge as he continued, his lips curling into a sardonic smile. "Take a king and a peasant. Are they not both men? Both will die if they do not eat and drink, both will grow fat if they indulge too much. Both are mortal, even though they would not want you to believe that."

He paused, waiting for a response, but the boy remained silent, his gaze fixed on Alpheo with confusion.

"You cannot measure greatness," Alpheo continued, his voice resonating with a poetic rhythm. "You can only feel it in a man. A king was not always a king; it was an ancestor who was so great or so evil that blessed his lineage to be royalty. Only a man who dares can be truly great—a man who rises above his station, defying gods and fate alike, to rise above men alike "

He tightened his grip on the boy's shoulder, his voice looming to a conspiratorial whisper. "Today, you were just a tool to me. I wanted to see how my companions would react if someone threatened you in the street. When I killed the old man, they were too shocked to act. But you, you moved to grab what you wanted. Do you know how beautiful that is? To watch a small boy defy something that even the mightiest warriors could not fathom to face?Those men all knew war and pain and yet stumble back in fear to what you bravely run onto "

The boy's eyes widened with a mixture of awe and fear as Alpheo's words washed over him like a spell. "Those who dare to defy fate, who rise above their circumstances, they are the ones destined for greatness. They are the cursed, the blessed, the heroes, the devils and the monsters. And you, a small rat, had in you much more than they had in them "

"You were but a tool, boy, just as I once was," Alpheo began "I saw it reflected in you in that moment, as your hands grasped your prize, your eyes betraying the tremors of emotion within. That, my dear boy, is a beautiful thing to watch, and much more to possess"

He gestured towards the pouch of coins, his fingers tightening around it. "Do you desire these coins? Take them, they are rightfully yours. You have earned them by showing me something far greater. If satisfying your hunger is all you seek, then go ahead, for you have earned your prize. Is that enough for you?"

Alpheo shook his head slowly, his gaze piercing yet compassionate. "No, you are not satisfied with mere coins. You, like me, crave more. We desire, we yearn, and we are worthy of more than what this world offers. The world will give us nothing; we must seize it for ourselves, as if we were gods."

Cupping the boy's face gently in his hands, Alpheo continued, his voice resonating with a prophetic certainty. "They do not understand the toil, nor could they bear it. And so, they will never taste the sweet reward of overcoming it. We are the spark that will set the world ablaze, and from the ashes, we shall claim our rightful place.The pyre shall be our doing"

Drawing his bloodied sword, Alpheo held it aloft, its gleaming blade reflecting the fire burning within his soul. "In my right hand, I hold war; in my left, I hold peace. Both are separate yet intertwined, for one cannot exist without the other. Greatness shall be coupled with greatness, just as the meek shall find solace among their own."

He extended his hand towards the boy, offering him a choice, a chance to seize his destiny. "Now, you have a choice, a choice that belongs to you alone, no one can take it from you . Will you rise up to the stars, or will you wallow in the dirt like a worm?"

The boy looked from Alpheo to the sword in his hand, then back again, his gaze steady and resolute. With a determined grip, he reached out and grasped the sword, he tried to hold it in the air and failed as the sword danced swinging around

"I see" his voice tinged with pride and anticipation. "you have made your choise''

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the boy's dirty blonde hair, the mud still sticking to his hair, there he did not saw a small child, but himself .