“Hello, my name is Maluma and I don’t come meaning harm!” Malum shouted across the river at the bow drawn guardsmen looking back at him.
He wished they spoke the same language.
“This is Riverwheat village, what do u want?!” They shouted back.
He had no clothes on, Malum just realised that as he jumped in joy that they were speaking the same language. If he wasn’t trying to look crazy, he was doing a fantastic job anyway.
“Clothing, food and a way back to my friends!”
Malum saw the guard speak to the others around him and after a few nods he got another shouted reply.
“Boat will get you soon, wait, we can talk more!”
After a thumbs up back Malum waited as he saw a boat get taken out of the village and placed on the rather large river.
From a distance it didn’t look that big but next to it, even Malum would struggle to swim across it. Fast and deep would mean the boat was necessary for anyone who wanted to cross it and here one was now.
Getting on he got a few odd stares from those around him and the spears pointing in his direction clearly showed that suspicion clearly remained.
The boatman however didn’t seemed bothered in the slightest. He was talking to everyone like it was just another day out fishing
“Bet you’ve got stories to tell kid. Good, the Mayor would do anything for an ounce of a good one.” That made Malum think. Was he talking about myths, or was he talking about his life story.
Well the boatmen got shushed by the guards so he couldn’t ask to find out. If he said anything the guards would just responded by hushing.
The only reason the boatmen seemed to have avoided this was his drunk demeaner. The fact he also controlled their lives as they crossed the river also seemed to play apart. His goody smile as he did so showed how skilled he was even whilst he was intoxicated
He reminded him of Gerald, and with him in mind Malum sent him a prayer. He wished the boy had received the same chance he had. Perhaps he would even see him again.
They arrived at the other end of the river and got out to be received by what looked to be the Mayor. Just his clothes gave that fact away, he was wearing tanned leather whilst everyone else was wearing the cheaper cloth.
“Here he is. The interesting stranger that has awoke me this morning. Come, we shall chat in private and you can tell me your story. You said you wanted to reunite with your friends yes?”
Malum said, “Yes.” He needed to get his image closer to that of a civilised human. His clear pronunciation would work wonders.
“Good, if your story is good enough I’d even be willing to send you on horseback. Follow me, and Eric and Haris you will come as well.” Malum looked at him with questioning eyes, to which he responded, “I need some level of safety, can’t except to just be alone in the same room as me.”
“Fairn enough.” Malum said as he walked with the man.
Initial impressions were pretty good. Although since his small torturing debacle with the old Mayor Malum still didn’t trust this one. Although the torture now really seemed laughable.
He walked into the Mayor office with his expectations extremely low. The office though did give him some hope. Some lovely child-drawn-paintings were hung on the walls and a bookshelf holding a few books spoke very highly to the mans love of stories.
Books were extremely expensive. Especially proper ones. Paper alone was expensive enough, but printing and cover making. That was another league and this man had 12 of them.
The Mayor saw Malums eyes widen at the books and he immediately began to speak about them, “Ah my lovely children. These are my treasures and my saviour from boredom. Do you know how boring paperwork is, and as a Mayor do you know how much I have to go through. I’m afraid without these I would be mad.”
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
`Pretty sure you’re already mad, but at least you’re not crazy mad, just... eccentric.`
“Now,” The mayor pushed aside the papers on his desk with a smile perhaps to large and said, “Tell me your story.”
Malum had wandered as he walked up what he should say. He could lie, easily in fact, but as he talked to the Mayor he began to wander why he would bother.
He didn’t seem like the kind of person to tell others. In fact, he would probably appreciate his honesty and reward him for it.
So, with the risks in mind Malum decided to tell the truth anyway. Well, mostly the truth. However, before he did he needed some conditions met.
“First, only me and you. Second I want you to promise that you won’t tell anyone about what I tell you. Next, I need that horse and finally, I want a map. I have only the clothes on my back, the threat of me killing you before they hear a commotion outside is minimal and even then I would still need to get out the village and what do I even gain from killing you?”
The man looked at Malum like he was a diamond.
“Oh, you must be holding a very fun story if you’re asking those. Sure, you seem normal enough. Harris and Eric leave.” They two guards looked back but didn’t contest the mans decision. Considering their attitude on the boat it seemed the Mayor had some reputation.
Now then, we are alone and I promise whole heartedly to never tell a soul about your life. Now stop teasing me and speak.”
The man was almost falling of his chair.
Not wanting to kill the man, he spoke of his story from beginning to end. With the only modification being around his death. This story, he didn’t die but was heavily injured but eventually healed and escaped.
Considering his body was wrapped in scars anyway, it was pretty easy lie to sell.
“So many questions, but I get what kind the main point so I will respect our deal. Your horse will be prepared for by the morning.”
He stopped and thought for a while without dismissing Malum.
“I like stories so much because I think they provide lessons to me so I can grow. Yours is an interesting one, far more interesting than most. I wish you luck on your journey and before you go I feel as though I should give you advice.
Look outside at the village. Its market time so most should be out buying their goods needed for the week.”
Outside the shutter, Malum poked his head out and looked down the street to see roughly a hundred people shuttering around stalls. The smell of food made him almost salivate but he kept his attention on the mans words.
“Cultivation provides you the opportunity to kill everyone you see within seconds.”
Malum almost interrupted him but waited for the sentence to end before he said,
“I would never do that though.”
The man looked at him, “Nobles are humans just like us, yes? Yet I have seen many of them burn villages far bigger than this for their own ambitions. They do this because they think of themselves as better than then those they burn.
Now imagine yourself as cultivator and your actually are better than them, Would that not threaten your moral compass. The Dao is the perfect example of power becoming heartless and you say you wouldn’t follow that trend.”
Thinking back to his death and Malum hesitated. Perhaps when he was stronger and his life was threatened he would put a mortals life as lower than his own. Even now he would do many crimes to keep his life yet alone when he grew stronger.
“I’d hope I wouldn’t, but if my life were to be threatened then I don’t know what I wouldn’t do.”
The man almost laughed but held himself in and kept his expression to a smile.
“I’m not asking you to sacrifice your life for other people. That’s for hero’s of myths and legends and we are simply humans. I’m asking you to value life, even when you could wipe them out in heartbeat.”
“Of course I will do that.” Malum didn’t think himself a bad person, although he didn’t think about how that could change as he grew stronger. He hoped he didn’t change much but from his death he knew that change was inevitable, even when there was no change from outside sources he still managed several different phases in death.
“That’s good to hear, now go outside and ask Eric to take you to the guest house. It was good seeing you Malum, now I have some more paperwork to do.”
The change from smile to frown was sad to see, Malum wished the soldier well and after asking for direction he got pointed towards the guest house.
It felt good telling his story to someone else. Even if he was constantly worried about whether or not the man would rat him out. By now he reckoned he could eliminate the possibility. Just his words of advice spoke about the mans own moral compass and selling him out would break that.
With his worries eased Malum slept like a baby as his first sleep since death, he finally thought of nothing for a while.
He woke up again and immediately went outside to see the rising sun. The view of the sky was as amazing as he had remembered and it confirmed the fact that wasn’t dreaming and that he was definitely alive again.
Gone was that hell, he had returned to the living.
Next on his agenda was his horse so he went to what smelled like the stables and found an attendant holding the reins.
“Leave him at your destinations closest stable. It had it’s home location inked into it’s skin so they will send it back.”
To Malum that sounded awfully convenient. But if each stable did the practice and the right rewards were given for returned horses the system would work fairly well.
He looked to see if it was the same stable company as before but it was a new one so he assumed it was a group of merchants working together.
With that query over, Malum hoped on his horse and picked up a bag of food and the map he needed. His leather skin was refilled and with that he was ready for the road.