"At least Fareed gives them a few days warning before sending us in to clear out the stragglers, that way the cleaning crews dont have as much blood to wash off the streets on the following morning before finishing by whitewashing the ruined houses."
-Ismat-

The somewhat poorly equipped soldiers were formed up in small rectangular blocks of forty each in a loose formation as they awaited their commanders orders. New tunics had been issued the preceding evening so as to replace the old, dusty, torn, battered and sweat stained uniforms they normally wore over their densely quilted armor. That to had been taken away from them now that their purpose was less garrison duty and more pomp and circumstance as the visiting ambassadors would be arriving by carriage within a very short time. Chainmail had been issued out and polished to a high sheen along with their helmets so that as they stood in their ragged lines they glistened in the morning sunlight.

Ismat walked the line looking them over carefully and scrutinizing every detail of their persons before either pointing to one and snapping her fingers or moving on. Those who had failed to prepare their dress properly would be severely punished by either having their rations cut, pay docked or even whipped in the case of one who had dented their helmet and arrived haphazardly dressed in a somewhat soiled uniform. Every detail mattered, and indeed every link in their armor had to be perfection when they were paraded past Fareed for one final inspection. Any who befell his or General Xerin's ire for being improperly attired would pray most fervently that they had only to face their commanders wrath and not that of their ruler.

It was also a very poor joke, of this Ismat knew all too well and as she passed another company her eyes scanned them but her heart was not in it. Everything was done out of conditioned reflexes or purely out of habit, much like the soldiers she commanded. When Fareed said to dress elegantly they did so, clothing their persons in whatever they were issued and after dawning their equipment paraded themselves around as if this was how things had always been and would always be. Such was not the truth however, it was in all due reality quite the opposite. What was the truth remained simple: they dressed in worn out, dust covered armor and stained clothes the year out and if war broke out they would be lucky if half of them received chainmail or even banded metal armor.

Weapons? Of that Fareed made certain they had plenty, not a hand went without a spear, shield, blade nor bow if so duly assigned as an archer. However, it had become clear to her very early that most of the funding had been directed at the mercenaries who were armed to the teeth and equipped with some of the best armor the city had to offer and all of that expense had to come from somewhere, but where? Was it taken from the army? She knew the monthly dividend for the entire battalion which stood before her was rather paltry by comparison to the mercenary companies so where did it come from? Ismat knew some was indeed taken from the army to make ends meet for the various mercenary companies Fareed employed but even that would not be enough to fund their growing number.

Gritting her teeth a little as she reached the end of the column Ismat made a rapid about face and stared blankly at the two accompanying officers who had trailed behind her. Glancing back down the line those who had been singled out were being put to task by their junior officers and one was being chased back into the camp while being yelled at by a sergeant. Closing her eyes a moment and then glancing to her right at the second column Ismat looked at the pitifully equipped force that stood across from the strutting peacocks she had just examined. Each had their purpose in the following weeks, the first would stay in camp and stay clean and glittery while the other half of their number cleared the streets and did the grunt's work that was needed to keep the gears grinding behind the scenes. These soldiers would never be seen, leaving before dawn and only returning after dark so that no one would see their dirty, dusty and tired faces, from an outsiders perspective it would appear that the capital was in perfect working order; a well oiled machine.

But, behind that facade the extortion, murder and mayhem would continue as the corruption boiled freely and openly. She never could understand why Fareed bothered to put up this charade, every two bit dumb ass king and queen within a thousand leagues knew the truth of the situation so it was not like he was fooling anyone. Then again she also understood that his overwhelming sense of self worth was probably the root and the tree that sprung up was named ego. He wanted things this way and thus it shall be.

There was no point in examining the second group as they were dressed exactly as she would expect of them and were organized quite well for what was to come. Today they were police, tomorrow they would be soldiers fighting for Fareed and should they survive they would return to the streets. Ismat wondered if it was a bad decision to mix the two as war was not the same as walking the streets but considering what was happening on the streets at any given moment it stood to question if the ends justified the means. On the other hand it was also true almost all of the problems on the streets were caused by one and the same with the mercenaries lending a hand to keep it going so that things worked out in their favor.

Waving the first officer away to look after his battalion Ismat took a long, slow breath before nodding to the remaining mare. "March them into the city, we have a job to do and see that it gets done."

Ismat watched the mare move quickly down the line calling out a few quick orders and her battalion shifted in response, they were slower than Ismat liked but there was little she could do anymore with the state of affairs. To push the soldiers harder made the mercenaries smile from ear to ear as they dropped from the ranks because after all, why be whipped and ordered around for paltry loot and what little pay they received when one could join the other and at least get higher pay while being chewed out? Everyone had learned very slowly long before she was given a true command that it was a waste of time, they fought well enough, followed orders and showed up when ordered. The rest really did not matter but Ismat was still bothered by it, this was not how an army was supposed to be, not that she had seen anything like she had dreamed of. Not even the neighboring kingdoms had an army that matched anything from the scrolls she had combed over as a filly but they did exist, or at least they had.

Long ago well disciplined armies both well equipped and armed with wills of iron invaded this region of the continent and fought to the last equine standing, it was also a subject she had brought up with her father many times; always asking why they did not aim to achieve the same. There had never been a response to her questions as he genuinely did not know, which was somewhat of a fault of her fathers, he was a little too honest. Her grandfather Adil on the other hand had made no bones as to why it was not done and she had fallen asleep during his long winded explanations as to the costs of such a feat not including the time it took to train such a force. Today however she might ask him, assuming she cared anymore, as to why they did not remove the mercenaries and spend that coin attaining at least some level of higher efficiency but it would only fall on deaf ears as she already knew the response: Fareed would say no. It costs too much.

Why waste the vast sums of gold and silver doing so when the army was already good enough as it was? As it stood they could already take on any neighboring kingdom on an open field and usually best them without the need for deception nor any grand strategy. On the other hand they could in no way successfully lay siege to a single foreign city and just barely seize a fortified town. Which was probably where the mercenaries came in as Xerin was no stranger to siege engineering, Ismat had already learned a great deal from the mercenary general including how to engineer a number of siege engines. Knowledge which she knew was sorely lacking within the ranks of the Alzamardian officers.

General Xerin had put his knowledge to good use and it had gained Fareed the large trade city of Tuli from Labrad, it was a short, swift and bloody and excessively violent campaign that brought siege engines they had never seen before brought to bear against a woefully unprepared enemy. Their gates were shattered within the same morning their assault began and the walls overwhelmed with great moving towers before the locals even knew what was happening, the mercenaries in their near perfect formations burst forth from them and butchered everything that moved while her own forces charged through the broken, shattered gates only to be caught in a trap on the other side. It remained the only small victory the defending forces had that day, they stopped one charge through the gate but lost everything else within the hour.

It was not all that Xerin had done either, the ballistas and catapults that protected the city from the ancient towers were also his doing as he had worked it out on parchment as to the proper size and placement so as to have maximum coverage and effect on anyone who dared to attack the city. There was one catch however, and that was only the mercenaries under his command knew how to operate the machines. Some training had been given but it was so sparse that General Adil's soldiers would be hard pressed to operate them under the stress of combat and gods forbid that they had to make any repairs under such circumstances.

She also knew something else though: that Xerin was merely following texts that were stored away in the temple or similar ones he had read elsewhere. While not being a visitor she knew from the whispers of Basir and Zahir that the mercenary general was simply learning and copying from older texts and while it was indeed a truly wise and thoughtful example of his ability to learn and adapt, it also showed that Xerin was not the all knowing general some assumed him to be. As to where he had learned of these things, because she knew he dared not set one foot on the temple grounds, Ismat did not know and could only assume it was from his education in Saddle Arabia.

The deck was stacked against her and the army but they did have numbers, which was probably why Fareed made certain their funding was always enough that if it came down to a battle between the mercenaries and the army it would be a true bloodbath for both sides. Neither side had enough lean to survive on their own but the army was still big enough that they could mop the floor with the mercenaries in a standing fight. But, she also knew from personal experience the cost would be egregious and that the victory attained, should they take on all the mercenaries combined into one force, would be bloodily phyrric.

Grinding her teeth and wondering if she would need dentures one day Ismat watched as the tail end of the battalion passed her and after taking one last look around the camp, began walking quickly to pass the soldiers and reach the front of the column. Glancing sideways with a snarling glare on her face the soldiers began standing upright again and holding their spears properly, they had barely left the camp and already the laxity that plagued the vast majority of the army was clear to see again. It was also why she had hand picked the other battalion to be the colorful fools on display, she had far more control over certain formations as the nobles in charge were far more "agreeable" with her than certain others. All were absolutely loyal to Fareed, but at least a few were wise enough to know that their survival depended on well ordered forces capable of holding their own on the battlefield.

Such would be wasted on the streets today though as it was more important to keep the others ready and on call for when Fareed rolled out the carpet for his guests. Therefor she had decided to pick a force commanded by a less than stellar officer to handle the grit of the job at hand, a task they were perfectly suited for. Corrupt, backstabbing, weaselly and out for everything they could get, the noble at the front of the column was the perfect choice for keeping order on the streets during festivities because their life depended on it, a single mistake would mean her pretty noble head and the officer knew it. Completely devoid of scruples, it also meant they had the underhandedness needed to keep order in the slums and other areas but she also knew that in so doing she was releasing a plague.

This force would maintain the status quo but a price would be taken on the locals and it made her gut churn at the thought of it, but at least with this force she could reign them in quite easily with a few well placed threats. There was a command structure at play and she could strip the one in command within the blink of an eye, a fact she had made abundantly clear with her should she dare to step out of line. Order was to be maintained and failure would be punished, so sayeth her master Fareed. Period.

Still brewing angrily over the situation when they reached the main gate Ismat snapped back to reality and took stock of their surroundings as they entered North end of the city. Plans had been laid out with meticulous planning as to which routes the guests would be permitted to take and those who arrived by boat would be handled separately. Royal yachts would enter the city, berth at Fareed's private marina and then finally the guests would travel to the palace gardens before going to wherever they would be housed. For them there was no real need to put on a display as they would only see the riverside wharfs, docks, bridge, island and other smaller things that need not have any attention paid.

Fareed however wanted the main road wiped clean so that when those who came by carriage would see only spotless streets, whitewashed walls or fresh adobe plaster over the cracks. It was a very large job and assignments had been issued as to who was responsible for what, when and how. Already the work teams had gathered inside the gates, a mixture of slaves and laborers who would follow behind the street clearing forces and wash the blood away while the other teams began their work.

Her eyes drifted as she went over the details in her head one more time and a deep frown formed on her face as all eyes settled on a large platoon of heavily equipped mercenaries who stood waiting on the side of the main road. Standing in front of them waiting was a mercenary she had come to know all too well as Xerin thought the two of them were the perfect pair for resolving issues much to her chagrin. He was of medium height but his muscles were dense, corded, powerful and hidden under layers of armor and a deep, dark gray fur with a few diminished stripes telling of mixed parentage. Scars covered his face and each one had a story behind it that she had learned most unwillingly either because she had made the mistake one time of asking, or because his fellow mercenaries who took great pride in their captain enjoyed bragging. He was also a dark mark next to her name not because Fareed doubted her, but because she had always been lenient with the locals and Fareed saw this as a fault; one which needed fixing. Xerin of course knew just who to send so that the two would operate perfectly, one who was loyal and understood what Fareed wanted but also lacked any moral scruples of any kind what so ever and would get the job done in record time.

"Commander Ismat, we have been waiting. Shall we begin?" The stallions voice was deep, hollow and devoid of the spark of life, his eyes were frozen in a permanent blank stare that some would take for the eyes of a fool but those who did rarely lived long enough to of speak it again. "The crews and wagons are prepared to move the bodies and I have already cleared this section to save time."

Only a few years ago she had met Captain Mueadhab, one of the youngest to attain the rank while also not being of noble birth and having only received informal education in the barracks. He was also brutal, smart, unquestionably loyal to both Xerin and Fareed, bloodthirsty and violent but more than anything he was without question effective at whatever task he was assigned. She could also swear that he was a demon born in the fur and flesh but lacked the glowing, blood thirsty red eyes. They had met when ordered to hunt down some fool who had angered Fareed who had then decided to hide in one of the city sections. Mueadhab was a lieutenant at the time and was given the task of keeping her "safe" because she had a tendency to be too "trusting" of the locals.

What had been a simple fetch and return quest had turned into a bloodbath when some random pauper had decided to throw a rotten vegetable in her general direction, it was the last slight they ever made as her "bodyguard" and his two compatriots proceeded to hack apart everyone they could get their hands on while leaving the pauper for later. The terrified stallion was hauled into the street and turned into a eunuch quite violently before having their eyes stabbed out and returned to their corner, she had protested and tried to stop it but once Mueadhab set his mind to a task it was completed no matter what. The best she had done was corral him in and limit the damage but when the issue was formally brought up Fareed was quite pleased with how the two had worked together. She had the grit needed to reign him in and he had the ferocity needed to compliment her assignment. It had also not helped that Mueadhab was directly ordered to state his reasoning and it had brought a smile to Xerin and Fareed. He said it was a crime to assault a noble and it was also a crime for those standing next to the criminal for having not attempting to stop him, therefor those nearest should be punished and made an example of.

To this day the locals in that one area gave a wide berth to any noble that happened by or soldiers bearing the markings of her command, while the mercenaries they ran from on sight or mention.

Looking him straight in the eyes Ismat gave a curt nod. "We will proceed to the bridge and then continue from there. At least Fareed gives them a few days warning before sending us in to clear out the stragglers so that the cleaning crews can wash the blood away, while on the following morning finish by whitewashing these decrepit and ruined houses."

Captain Mueadhab gave a short, curt nod of understanding. "The tasks may be divided between the mercenaries and your forces but it shall be done by days end."

Ismat kept her thoughts to herself, the whole affair was a joint effort for the sake of expediency and also a means to get the mercenaries to earn their keep in the off season. Catch was it meant those who were desperate or had nowhere to go, perhaps even unlucky, would be snared in the roaming net of their forces. To be caught would mean one of two things, both based purely on their worth: either a quick stab to the stomach or bindings and a quick march to the market for sale. Then again if they were just honest locals they would be allowed to go on their way but woe to those not dressed the part as it was forbidden to appear on this road improperly dressed or shackled and marked until further notice. Riff raff, street rats, beggars and all others were forbidden from appearing within some fifty yards of the main road. This also meant fanning out the forces and combing the adjoining streets, alleys and back alleys for those who did not listen to the warning that had gone out. Granted, they were warned only once and most would not have heard and seeing as this was an annual event meant many knew roughly when it would happen and prepare in advance.

Looking to the officer at her side Ismat gave a quick nod. "Move them out and begin clearing the bridge, once on the other side proceed as was ordered. Understood?"

Watching the column move again Ismat's eyes remained glued on Captain Mueadhab who barely blinked as the soldiers passed his small force, but one look at the crews was all it took for them to jump into action and begin following. The area had already been cleaned in advance and workers were in the process of white washing the houses along the road with more teams at the ready. Mueadhab did not wait long though and before the tail end of the column passed he gave a few short, curt orders that were obeyed immediately with a precision Ismat could only dream of for her own troops. Snapping to attention the mercenaries lifted their shields in unison and drew up in clean, precise order. When the next order came they moved in unison onto the road falling in perfectly behind the column and made a short, sharp turn in their step following the soldiers towards the bridge.

Captain Mueadhab followed beside them as they moved in perfect step by comparison to the poorly coordinated shuffle of the soldiers ahead of them, but after a look over his shoulder he slowed to a stop and waited.

Ismat found herself lagging behind again for the second time as she passed the column as it scattered the locals on the bridge and any in what had been deemed "less than proper" attire were quickly beaten down if they did not flee for their lives. As the immense span of the bridge was passed over a great herd of fleeing locals had gathered in a mass attempt to disappear into the buildings and alleys on the far side. As she watched the chaos to the far front of the column she knew trade would be hampered for the duration of the gathering but it was also the off season for trade which was one more reason Fareed chose this time of year. Crops were not ready to harvest for another month or two depending, slave traffic had died off as those needed for the fields had long since been bought and sold leaving only a handful of merchants moving goods across the border.

It was indeed the perfect time to make everyones life more miserable as workers were in great supply but demand was lower than ever. Said workers dressed in rags normally swarmed out each morning to find any kind of work they could in order to eat and most employers chose to pay in food rather than coin. A simple tactic that saved them a lot of coin for paying off the tax collector in the hopes of being left alone but offering food as payment brought in laborers like moths to a flame. Problem was, those same laborers were now forbidden from appearing in public which meant starvation if they had not prepared or gotten crafty, then again many simply stole from others causing them to starve in their stead. Fareed understood this dilemma and in order to keep full blown riots from exploding in the city by the starved denizens wagons would go out each day and a small amount of food would be tossed into a pile for the locals to scavenge from.

Ismat also knew that it would eventually breed food riots as it was never enough, Fareed only provided just enough to make them remain silent but at some point those who went without would snap and attack those who were quicker on the take resulting in fights. Years ago charity had dissuaded most as locals aided the affected areas but with things falling apart, taxes rising and stricter measures in place the charity had quickly dried up. One kind of charity did remain however: the daily garbage haulers. They were the exception to the rule along with the corpse wagons and could travel freely in the mornings and evenings despite their poor state of attire.

Everyone who went without learned quickly that the haulers slowed their wagons and allowed locals to jump on and pick quickly so long as they did not cause the garbage to spill out. However, new measures had been taken against the garbage haulers this year and it would be forbidden because gods forbid one of the visitors staying in the palace, on the other side of the city no less, just might use a telescope to witness the event from one of the towers. To see the illustrious citizens of Alzamard climbing onto a garbage wagon and rooting through it like wild pigs was forbidden, but it did mean those in the slums outside would get a great deal more than normal.

A hard twitch affected her head as Ismat heard Mueadhab's voice to her right, once more she was trailing at the tail end of the column and completely lost in her thoughts. "The new measures are going to cause problems as the locals will try and mob the garbage wagons in the coming weeks only to be forbidden from doing so."

Mueadhab nodded without changing expressions and looked back towards the column as they neared the far end of the bridge. "It shall provide some sport for your soldiers and my troops, things have been too quiet and it dulls the senses. A good hunt is needed to hone them."

"We are not here to cause mayhem but to keep the peace and make certain the locals obey the law." Ismat gave him an unamused stare but he ignored her.

"There shall be sport when we pass this section, there are too many of them and not enough room. Once we herd them back into the far housing district it will take even more force to dislodge them."

Their pace slowed as they reached a small collection of bedraggled locals who were kneeling on the side of the bridge with soldiers watching them. Despite having violated the law they had been spared by an officer and would be marched to the market for a quick sale which would mostly likely send them off to one of the labor camps outside the city in preparation for the coming harvest or if they were less lucky, to one of the work groups tasked with maintaining the city. If they fell into the later it meant being employed by Fareed which was a far more fatal prospect as they were freely replaced at will, whereas someone who paid for them had a stake in keeping them alive. And, while Fareed did own a great deal of the surrounding land and fields it was left to overseers who understood a dead worker produced nothing but a live one could be used to meet quota.

As she walked Ismat took a quick look at a blood stain that went over the side of the bridge which spoke of a lucky one who had either tried to dive off and failed or been pushed off with sharp assistance. At least for them they would not have to worry about which fate awaited them, only the cold waters of the Thriti would now hold them and it was far more merciful.

"I captured a few this morning and if this is the best we are getting there shall be little profit today." Mueadhab glanced at them and took a quick appraisal before shaking his head.

He meant it to. When given an order he carried it out no matter what the cost would be and she knew that in his mind there was no room for doubt, and the idea that an order could be wrong or incorrect was preposterous as the order would have never been given if it were.

Ahead of them the situation was getting a little out of hand as the soldiers fanned out down the streets and alleys causing a great commotion to fill the air. The tiny handful of officers were struggling to keep up with both the soldiers and those being marked but were managing well enough as the tail end of the column caught up with the scattered forces and came to a halt. They could see the gatehouse was being swarmed by locals and the guards were just trying to stay alive and not be trampled to death as fists flew in the vain hope of pushing just far enough ahead to get clear.

Ismat watched before walking forward to the commanding officer and pointed. "Force them through, we do not have time for this."

"We are trying but there are too many, also those captured for sale are..." The officer motions to the side where a large group was being held. "Less than suitable for selling, they are the ones too old, sick or slow to run fast enough."

"No commander! But the soldiers are becoming slack as they know there shall be little or no reward."

"They are worthless as are you." Ismat and the officer turned to Mueadhab who had advanced his platoon forward and drawn up a line. "Your commander ordered you to clear the gate and drive them through. How is it you are incapable of such a simple task with a battalion at your command?"

"Are worthless. They can barely keep them hemmed in, if this were a true battle you would all die. I would have to kill half of your force to bring proper discipline to their ranks. You are obsessed with reward but you have done nothing worth rewarding."

"I believe he would if only to make the point of who is in command and that when an order is given it is obeyed." Ismat watched quietly as the captain tore apart the officer and noble in front of everyone, he was not just embarrassing her which was seen as unacceptable for officers to do but also destroying her authority and it was entirely on purpose. He did not challenge her as a noble, but as the officer failing to carry out the order, he was replacing her and there was nothing she could do about it due to Fareed's standing orders.

Turning towards the clogged gatehouse Mueadhab barked out one clear order: advance. With shields up his platoon waded forward into both soldiers and locals alike. At first the soldiers were confused as to what was happening but after realizing they had one of two choices they chose to double their efforts driving forward stabbing furiously and pushing even harder against the dense mass clearing it slowly at first until the mass thinned out and gave way. A number of bodies covered the street and the company that had been in front of the mercenaries scattered to the side as they passed through the gatehouse before being ordered to halt on the other side.

"The gatehouse is cleared of the obstruction and we can proceed with our orders."

Not showing any sign nor desire of wanting to kill him Ismat instead turned to the officer. "You will finish up here, I will take one of your companies with me to clear the streets on the other side. When you are finished here you will follow with haste."

Without looking at Mueadhab she walked past them both and picked out the rearmost company that had stood waiting and ordered them through the gatehouse. Rejoining his force quickly the captain issued out their orders and began moving them down the road, it had taken hours to get this far and now it was his turn to take the lead and deal with the most wild and unpredictable parts of the city. Here the streets and alleys were narrow, the buildings tall, dense and packed. A great number of those fleeing had already vanished down the street but they were fighting against a day long backwash of those seeking food and the wagons that had begun to return from their garbage or corpse hauling were making things very difficult.

Ismat could see Mueadhab was not dissuaded in the slightest either, he issued new orders and with precision the force split in half to cover both sides of the road and thus pass the wagons and souse out anyone trying to hide in with the wagons. There was no food outside and if they wanted to eat it meant sneaking inside, a fact they were slowly becoming aware of as they remembered what was coming.

The company commander to her side watched for a moment before leaning closer to her. "Commander, there is little here to do, shall we drive them out of the buildings along the road? I am aware of what you said but if we do not get at least something for our efforts the soldiers will be less likely to press on as fervently."

Twisting her jaw around Ismat glared at the company commander with enough malice to make him look away. "You will not loot the buildings, what would you hope to take? Moldy bread? A few coins? You will not drive them out either because you know they have nowhere to go nor a means of escape. I also know this is a pathetically veiled attempt of yours to capture prisoners and sell them."

Ismat's ears twitched a little before looking at him again. "Divide the company and sweep the alleys and side streets on both sides, within fifty yards and no more."

Watching them fall out and scatter down the various small alleys and streets shouting at anyone who poked their head out Ismat wandered on to follow the mercenaries who were keeping a leisurely pace due to the wagons trying to fight their way through those scattering to the winds.

"This is madness."

"You trust them to obey and perform their duties?" Mueadhab returned to her side and watched as the throng thinned out slowly with only a few fatalities.

"I respectfully disagree, they must be reminded that failure to carry out their duties has consequences and the mob would have continued to block the passage far longer than necessary."

"Yes, but only those who are strong and obey will survive, as it should be. I am aware of your distaste for this but unless we cull the herd of those who do not obey it shall only get worse. Measures must be taken and-"

He stopped and pointed to a gathering of locals who had begun to appear, probably in the hopes of getting past the mercenaries and after a sharp bark of instructions ten mercenaries made a sharp turn and charged them. Blood flew as they were cut down or driven back into the buildings and once satisfied he recalled the squad and had them form up a new line.

Looking down some of the alleys and back towards the gatehouse the captain shook his head. "Her troops need proper training, they can not keep up. I shall have my troops wait here until they clear the side alleys so none sneak past us."

Ismat stared blankly and nodded. "Your a gods damned murderer and barbarian in uniform. The same as me..."

"Commander?"

"If these soldiers are so untrustworthy perhaps their numbers should be culled and disciplinary measures taken. Such will only make them stronger and more efficient."

"I wouldn't doubt it..." Ismat shook her head. "No, they perform as is expected of them and meet the standards set."

"With all due respect commander, if your own did then the incident would not have occured and there would also be no need for my platoon today. There is too much laxity and it will only breed chaos and disorder."

"I seem to recall you were born in one of those areas with the highest degree of chaos."

"Strength will only keep order until someone stronger comes along captain, and when that happens chaos will ensue. It is more appropriate and simple to fix things so that others may have a life without causing trouble. This is why the other areas of the city do not have these problems and have no need for your kind compared to this... Cesspool."

"Perhaps but those areas obey and are orderly to begin with, this area is not and requires a stronger hand to deal with them. It is indeed a waste of effort to patrol the better areas of the city save to keep out the thieves but they also obey because they know that if they do not the price will be high. Better to live in peace than lose their lives by defying their betters."

"The threat of death keeps them in line then? I do not seem to recall the city ever having trouble until recently though, namely the arrival of the mercenaries seems to have upset things considerably."

Mueadhab furrowed his brow slightly at Ismats suggestion. "I am well aware that certain companies are less reputable and that they should be executed for their crimes."

As they stood watching Ismat caught a sudden burst of movement from her left and drawing her blade and making a swift cut stepped aside allowing the stallion to fall dead at her hooves.

His own blade in hand the captain checked the body quickly and looked around for any others who would dare attack. "I apologize for having not stopped them as it is also my duty to guard you today commander, but your speed, timing and aim is perfect."

Mueadhab called two mercenaries back from the line to guard Ismat and he looked the body over before checking the area for other would be assassins. Ismat however stared down at the corpse for a moment to stare at the crude knife before looking up to see where her attacker had come from. Another corpse lay nearby, stabbed once neatly through the throat by a mercenary. Looking back and forth between the two she pieced together what had happened and stared at the blood on her blade before quickly wiping it off and threw the bloody cloth away. As her own soldiers began to emerge after having finally caught up with them Mueadhab smiled at her.

"We have our disagreements Commander but I am pleased that Fareed and General Xerin paired us for this task, it is good to see that you are quick and efficient when dealing with your enemies. I have always been worried you might stay your blade on them but you have proven me wrong, my apologies for believing you to be soft hearted and not as ruthless as Fareed desires of his officers. You would make a fine mercenary in General Xerin's ranks."

"No. I swore my loyalty to Fareed and will not betray that sacred trust, unlike mercenaries who are paid to remain loyal those of noble birth such as myself take our duties and word seriously." A trained response if she ever heard it for to speak the truth would get her killed on the spot.

Captain Mueadhab gave her a short bow and returned to his troops leaving her with two guards and a corpse on the street. Looking to the soldiers who were being once more ordered back in the alleys she pointed at one of them and ordered them over.

"Take that body and place it on top of the one over there so the wagons dont run it over and cause a bigger mess."

Ismat watched the soldier pick up the dead foal which was nearly slashed in half with one hand and carrying it to the other body he dropped it unceremoniously in a heap. Stooping down to make a quick check of the other corpse for anything worth looting Ismat locked her jaw in silent protest, it was the soldiers right to pick the corpses of enemies after all. The stallion removed two coins and looking at Ismat who still had her blade out looked at the coins and giving a sigh approached her and held them out.

"Keep them." Her words were forced out of a locked jaw and staring at the two grungy and corroded copper coins the soldier held out watched as he drew up to attention and smiled, thanked her and pocketed them before moving on.

"He thinks that's something to be proud of he's a damn fool ma'am. Good kill though, nearly cut em in half."

Zebrican Warlord

by Arelak

Chapter 59: Street Cleaning