A young boy's scream pierces the night sky. The leaves and trees stand still for a moment as if to give way to the violence about to transpire. Shortly after the scream, adults with torches run out of the village to find a young boy mercilessly slain on the ground, his head cut clean off and the tears and look of horror still frozen on his face. Blood dripped from the point of decapitation as some veins and nerves swung while the wind blew.
''NOAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!'' the boy's father screamed at the sight. ''YOU DAMN MONSTER!!!!''
''Heh, we was only gon' take a few cows but 'en yer boy just went up and screamed. Be thankful we ain't gon' slaughter you's and just gon' take yer cattle. Even we don' want the Holy Empiah up 'ur asses''
From the darkness, the man holding the boy's severed head by the hair spoke. Once the light of the torches flashed upon his demeanor, his rugged beard, scarred face and smirk despite the heinous act he had just committed. ''Nah GIT!, before ya'll follow this boy's fate.'' with his threats followed the appearance of a few more men behind him, each holding weapons that has seen the rage of battle.
Unable to do anything, the villagers simply shivered in their place whilst the bandits laughed and took away most of their cattle leaving them with only the corpse of a young boy. The boy's father weeped. At being unable to protect his own son, being unable to retaliate and the simple weakness that a father should not have. The other villager's mourned as the sun slowly rised in the horizon and folowed by another voice.
''Do you have any cows?''
'Cows?' the father thought
Who in their right mind would ask something that insensitive in that situation and with an unfamiliar voice saying that, the father snapped.
''WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!?''
Bran walked closer and crouched, staring the father in the eye and tilting his head expressionlessly and after a brief pause spoke.
''I wonder?''
''YOU WO- WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!?''
''That's enough Freight. Go on and prepare for the burial ceremony. Nothing we can do about what happened.'' an old man interjected and emerged from the crowd. His beard was long and he used a staff as a cane. ''Excuse us traveler.''
''Old man, wait. Where's the cows? I know there were some here. Give me one.''
The villagers retracted back into the village back to their own lives and the Elder was left to talk with Bran.
''A bandit group that was long harassing us took them. We have an idea where they might be but we do not have any power to take them back. Thus is the fate of lowly villagers whose King has abandoned them. So turn back sir, we do not have any food to spare''
''Understood. If you had cows, would you have given them to me?''
''Hoh, I do not know about giving them all but I suppose we would have shared them with you.''
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''Understood, I shall take them back. But when I do, you will share food with me, yes?''
The Elder stroked his beard and nodded, piqued with interest. He pointed to the direction of the forest where by the side of the mountain was a cave being used as a hideout. Bran makes his way to the forest to sniff out the cave he was told of. While he walked, Derus was watching him from above with Fausk at his side to discuss what should and what will happen.
''Fausk, you see that? He's doing good deeds. Isn't that nice?''
''I'm still not convinced. You tell me you gave me a hero yet I still think you gave me a psychopath. How does he know anything if you made him a 'blank slate'?''
''I gave him access to the most basics of information. The system you use to remo- create beings in your world is fun to use. Status points, information sources, specific customization. It's easier than the other one he uses. It's much more direct and hands on. Not my style.''
''It's nothing amazing, I just used something the humans there created and incorporated it into something divine beings can use.''
''Still, a deed worthy of praise.''
The two came back to watching Bran's progress where he was now dangerously close to the cave.
''I assume he'll be fighting but you can't just adjust their stats to being incredibly high right?, I made the system to be fair and only adjusts their potential and not their actual stats.''
Derus rubbed his chin thinking of ways that Bran will overcome his particular weakness.
''He has a lot of HP. I created him to learn so he'll have to be able to afford mistakes. So this is something that was within my calculations.''
''Oho, I see. Despite being a crazed deity you still have some sense in you.''
''And you never hold your tongue.''
Bran was now directly in front of the cave. A brown raggy clothe covered the entrance as a sort of door. Deep inside the cave, echoed dying groans and moos that the cows made indicating that some of them are possibly in the middle of being slaughtered for food.
''Hello?!'' Bran called into the cave raising his voice a bit. A few bandits talked inside and three came outside weapons drawn. A large battle-axe, a sword and a warhammer all worn and fairly aged from the condition of the handles and weapons themselves.
''I need the cows. I'm hungry.''
''Cows!? Are you stupid or something?'' the bandit holding the warhammer scoffed at him.
''Go back to where you came from, dumbfuck. Before i smash yer head open.''
Bran tilted his head, ''Is that a threat''
''You better take it as one or I'll kill ya''
The bandits didn't feel that Bran was worthy of being robbed since his cloak was worn and he was literally barefoot.
''I need the cows.'' Bran spoke in a more threatening manner. The bandits were taken aback for an instant since his voice was demanding and heavy. As if for a second they were suffocated by only his words.
''YOU ASKED FOR IT!'' The bandit shouted and swung his hammer sideways, hitting Bran directly on his torso sending him crashing into a tree making it crack. Bran coughed up blood and touched his side that was hit. ''Ow..''
''YOU LITTLE!'' He spun his warhammer for extra momentum and smashed it upon Bran's direct chest, breaking the tree he was thrown to and making a loud snapping noise. The other two bandits jeered him on and laughed.
Bran, still lying down on the ground spoke to himself. ''This is pain? it feels GHOCKK!'' as he talked to himself, the warhammer wielding bandit heard him and was even more infuriated. Throwing his hammer down onto Bran again and again without relent as if he was driving a large nail undergound.
The other two bandits were almost disgusted by the brutality.
''Sto-GHCK wai-CKA you-GHCK''
High above, Derus talked to Fausk. ''It seems Bran learned his first lesson''
''What do you mean?'' Fausk replied.
The bandit now exhausted took a few steps back while Bran lay motionless in a ground deeper than the rest from the bandit's pounding. ''Ruforld, you done?'' one of the bandits shouted. ''Yeah!, let's go get some grub''.
Before Ruforld could turn around, the leaves rustled and he saw Bran standing up with bloodshot eyes that glared right into his soul.
''Pain is...unpleasant''