บท 19: Zayde
Before he became known as The Grim, before he began the life of a Mistborn-for-hire, before he snapped and discovered his power, he was known as Zayde Mountcastle.
As a minor noble of an almost unknown house, Zayde went into the Mountcastle house guard.
Captain of the Guard, Captain Baston, was a seasoned Hazekiller, no mean feat for such a dangerous profession. Hazekillers confront powerful allomancers while armed with nothing but wooden shields and dueling canes—absolutely nothing with metal that could be turned against them. Most recruits get killed in their first serious fight, let alone get to enjoy long careers like Baston.
He saw potential in Zayde, and took him under his wing, mentoring him in Baston's own brand of Hazekiller philosophy; one focused on fighting only when necessary, using negotiation and diplomacy when possible and prioritizing the safety of your own men.
Although combat was a last resort, in many situations it was the only option. And when push came to shove, Baston taught to neutralize the opposition as quickly and aggressively as possible, through any means to hand. There were no rules or etiquette. Some nobles regarded Baston's techniques as dishonorable, but as he was fond of saying "If they wanna talk, I'll show them honor; if they wanna fight, I'll show them a beating!"
Zayde quickly rose through the ranks and followed his mentor's teachings well.
As a Lieutenant for House Mountcastle, he managed to defuse a confrontation with a squad of mistings that threatened to turn into a bloodbath that would have decimated both sides… and turned out to have been the result of an utter misunderstanding. His diplomatic approach resulted in close ties with the house the allomancers had been working for, House Angelus. So much so that when the Captain of the House Angelus Guard was killed by one of his subordinates, Lord Angelus decided that bringing in some outside blood would be wise.
He lobbied Lord Mountcastle to permit Zayde to take the position.
Naturally, this caused some dissention from the House Angelus lieutenants, many of whom were older than Zadye and felt that one of them deserved the promotion. But Zayde was quick to earn the respect of many of the men now under his command, showing more concern for their safety and wellbeing than their previous captain ever had. Under his training, casualties and injuries among the House Guard dropped dramatically, and Zayde's conduct and reputation earned him several offers with other houses.
But still there were a few that bristled against Zayde's intense training and held a grudge that an outsider had been brought in, even suggesting he was really a spy sent to undermine the house from within.
Zayde's loyalty, however, was with House Angelus, to the point that he allowed Lord Angelus to formally adopt him into the house, taking on the Angelus name as his own. With no son of his own, it was an open secret that Lord Angelus was grooming Zayde as his prospective heir, intending to marry him to his eldest daughter, Reela. And by all accounts, Reela was most agreeable to this arrangement.
It looked as though Zayde would have a bright future ahead of him, with the prospect of becoming the Lord of a house of no small renown.
…Until the day he reentered the gates of his house keep and felt the unmistakable sensation of a blade pressed firmly against his back.
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