"Aaron! We need to talk!" Shouted Strom as he chased after the group of ragged people hurriedly moving through the allies in the noble district.
Aaron ignored the Roman's pleas as he led his group of misfits along a path known only to a few within this kingdom. He had used this route many times before whether it was for gathering intelligence, smuggling equipment, or simply for a secret meeting with the head of the mercenaries.
The Zephyr kingdom was not a large nor major kingdom on the continent, especially when compared to the empire, but at the end of the day it was still a kingdom of decent size and population. It was split traditionally like most kingdoms before it. Nobility, wealth, and status ruled above all else.
Similarly, the districts within the kingdom were reflected in these aspects. The slums, being classified as the bottom of the hierarchy, housed the kingdom's poorest, criminals, and those who simply could not survive in today's society. The merchant district, where travelers and business flocked, was the central district within the kingdom since it was where wealth frequently accrued. The noble district, where only those of nobility or great wealth resided, was a world most people could only dream of being a part of. Finally, there was the core of the kingdom next to the noble district, the palace, where the Zephyr royalty remained and the council members often met to decide the future of this nation.
Aaron despised this district. Once, he and his brother had lived in this noble district because of their parents' status and achievements. But now this place was far from a home for him. He could only see it as a hub of corruption due to the greedy and selfish nobles that used their power to oppress the Zephyr people.
And because of these spineless bastards, their once flourishing nation was now on the verge of absolute destruction.
'The nobles have never cared for anyone other than themselves...' Is what Aaron had grown to believe.
This notion was only rooted deeper into his mind after meeting Amira. She was the captain of the foreign mercenaries that came to Zephyr after the kingdom's officials decided to enlist external help.
However, she was different from those corrupt nobles. Aaron had believed, at first like the rest of the masses, that by inviting the mercenaries, the officials had given up on the kingdom.
Instead of prioritizing the training and health of their own citizens and soldiers, the officials drained the people's pockets to enlist the help of mercenaries whose origins were shady and unknown.
But shortly after their arrival, Amira had personally gone and met with Aaron. He had just officially become the king of the people at that point, the king of the slums, but he did not choose this. All he ever cared about was the safety of the other orphans, his family. The family that was abandoned by its previous head, his elder brother, who left them to join the opposing Roman army.
After the death of their parents, Aaron had not felt much attachment to their kingdom like his older brother, but after his brother's abandonment... Zephyr and the other orphans were all he had left.
Amira understood his plight. She had often told him about the place of her origins before becoming a mercenary. Like him, she was abandoned by her family but found purpose after being picked up by the mercenary group. After traveling and fighting with them while she grew up, she eventually became the captain she now was today.
They often discussed these similarities and Aaron believed they both found solace in each others' situations. However, now that they were both here suffering the same problem, a new passion was created.
An unusual romance budded between the two of them leading to their secret engagement. Only those closest to them knew of their situation.
Sure, they occasionally butted heads due to the opposing nature of their current positions. But they both wished for the same thing, peace. It was a world they had both once known when they were small children. But because of the old minded and corrupt officials in this kingdom, it seemed like they could never return to such times.
Aaron and Amira eventually came to an agreement. The kingdom needed to change. But each of their ideas resulted in differences even if from similar viewpoints. While Aaron believed the people needed to overthrow the government to properly reestablish; Amira believed the entire kingdom needed to be rebuilt.
He could understand that their current kingdom was in by no means the proper state, but to completely raze it to the ground he considered was insane. This single conflict of interest had split the two of them apart, more than they had ever been until now.
'What could she have been thinking...' He solemnly wondered.
It seemed like the past week had held nothing but major or tragic events for him. Back when he would get into trouble while helping the citizens Amira would cover for him. But this last time, the information she had given him was not correct... He was caught because of this and ended up in the prison only to get bailed out by her like how she used to do when they first met. Coincidentally, it had also been his first run in with his older brother Strom since he had left.
He had known right then and there from the beginning that his brother was back. But for what purpose had he returned? For him? No, most likely it was for the empire's will. He had pushed the dreaded confrontation with his brother off due to this fact.
But recently... Something seemed to have changed with both Amira and Strom.
At the end of the day, his relationship with Amira was the least of his current problems. The brother he had finally written off for dead had returned with even more trouble and the kingdom was now cracking down on the rebellion he was now spearheading.
'It feels like everything has just been falling through like sand between my fingertips.' He sadly concluded.
He glanced around at his few companions following him down the dimly lit streets of the noble district and resolved himself.
'That's right... I must succeed. No matter the cost. For them...' He resolutely affirmed.
Strom clenched his fists as he chased after the group from the slums. He always imagined his reunion with his brother would be a difficult one but this was absurd.
He had not planned for his brother to be left alone in this heartless situation but it was out of his control now. No, ever since he had left.
Strom still believed that leaving was the correct decision even now. If he had not, then he would have only been another mouth left to feed and the soldiers or guards would eventually have captured and recruited them.
It was a miracle that his brother had not fallen to such a fate. But was that truly better than their current situation?
Strom shook his head.
'It's useless to lament on the past.' He decided.
Their focus now had to be on how to resolve their current issues. The broken bond with his brother could be healed with the passage of time but these people's and children's futures had to be saved now.
He did not like the thought of relying on these foreign mercenaries. Usually, all mercenaries only cared about two things: money and themselves. It was actually similar to how nobles of most kingdoms were; Both were adept at fulfilling self-interest.
He was unsure how and why Aaron trusted such people or even relied on them but at this point it did not matter. The destruction of the kingdom was wanted by all sides at this point minus the noble/royal faction.
He was not sure what side the mercenaries were on but Strom knew that the side they were truly on was none but their own.
"We're here." Whistled Aaron as the group came to a halt outside one of the noble mansions.
It was one of the larger mansions in the district near the royal palace itself. To anyone from the slums, they would assume that this was the palace without knowing any better due to its sheer scale and grandeur.
The group huddled in the side of a shaded alley near the manor.
"Can we discuss things now?" Asked Strom in annoyance.
But Aaron ignored his pleas again and continued on with his priority.
"Wait here. I'll go and figure out the situation and then return to get all of you. Until then... Don't do anything stupid." Whispered Aaron seriously to the group while purposely glaring at Sigexe after his last sentence
"I got it; I got it. What's the big deal anyways?" The kid stupidly remarked.
The dumb child was silenced by a muffled smack from Marcus.
"Just wait here." Reminded Aaron before walking out from the shadows.
An arm reached out in front of Strom, blocking the roman from following after Aaron.
"What?" Muttered Strom to the warrior who blocked his path.
Marcus shook his head and nodded towards the kids huddled behind him.
Strom sighed and nodded in acceptance.
"Alright, but if I hear or sense anything strange then I'm going after him." Confirmed Strom.
The injured warrior merely grunted in reply.
The looming mansion in front of Aaron towered in comparison to the other buildings surrounding him and gave an overbearing sense of confinement. However, no matter how small the building made him feel, Aaron continued to trudge forth towards its front hall where two mercenaries on guard awaited him.
These two mercenaries wore strange clothing that was darker than the grime covering the slums and the dark smoke that had smothered the sanctum of his previous home. The clothes would be better described as robes that nomadic people from the deserts would have worn, since they seemed to be made of a rough pitch black dyed cloth.
This cloth like attire wrapped around the mercenaries' slender bodies like snakes coiled up against each other trying to see which one could constrict the other first.
There was only one word that could describe the murderous aura surrounding such people...
'Predators...' Is what came to Aaron's mind every time he met with one of them.
Since he had seen them in action before, he knew that beneath that slender frame was a well disciplined killing machine. How Amira had survived for so long and even became their captain was still a mystery to him even after listening to her stories.
"You know why I'm here." Announced Aaron to the two guards.
The guards with their faces covered in the same cloth like material merely exchanged looks of disdain between them before giving way to the young man.
Aaron sighed in response to their tense greetings as usual and proceeded into the mansion.
"Who are they?" Whispered Strom to Marcus, who currently was pulling at his shoulders to remain hidden in the alley, as he peeked around the corner to catch a glimpse of Aaron entering the large building.
"The mercenaries." Grunted Marcus through his surprise at the strength this stocky roman was hiding beneath his thin leather armor.
"Is this really alright? What if they turn him in?" Anxiously questioned Strom further.
"They won't... His fiancé would never. Besides, what's it to you?" Frustratingly groaned Marcus.
"Wait, Fiancé? When did that happen?" Asked Strom in surprise.
"It's his connection to the mercenaries. That's the only reason any of us trust them in the first place." Remarked Marcus as he used his other hand to assist in his restriction of the roman.
"Still..." Muttered Strom.