Zack shook his head in anger as he walked back down the mountain side to his cabin. He was so angry that he did not notice Vinstra was on fire. As he walked, he cursed to himself, fucking champion right like I am going to be able to do that. I have no idea what is going on and this crazy “wizard” wants me to save the world. Until two weeks ago I did not know magic existed. This is some crazy bullshit.
As he neared his cabin, he finally looked up and saw Vinstra was on fire. There were people running everywhere. Several men on horses with the same black armor and golden dragon embossed on their shields and flags from his last visit. They were burning the village. The soldiers were attempting to round up the villagers without much luck. It was pandemonium as Zack could now hear the screams of villagers. Zack thought, what the hell is going on. Is this a retaliation for my killing the duke? Why are these black armored fucks such assholes. Suddenly the rage he felt at the wizard’s castle was replaced with a deep well of anger. It was like his rage tapped into a larger power supply and was amplified. There was something about seeing people being bullied or in this case killed that cut right to the bone. This will not fucking stand. Zack sprinted to the village.
A few moments later he arrived at the outskirts of the village. He passed by the open arena and started into the village square. So many people were running for their lives. Then he heard a voice. It was not like the duke’s voice. It was deeper and menacing. He arrived at the town square. In the middle near a statue, he saw a giant man pointing his sword at a huddle group of people. They were hemmed in on all sides by soldiers.
The giant man said, “This is what happens you peasant scum. This is what happens when you don’t listen to those in authority. We will burn this village to the ground and all of you with it if you don’t tell me what happened to Duke of Shoreland and his men. And I better not hear any talk of some mysterious wizard killing them all. If I did not have my wits about me, I would assume you all did the duke in. However, you are a bunch of weak cowards, no way your lot could have even hurt the duke.
The giant man looked around and pulled out the best dressed man in the huddling crowd. “You there, what’s your name?
The man trembling replied in a weak stuttering voice, “Your grace, I-I-I am, am Riccoli.”
The giant man replied, “Well Riccoli, do you know who I am?”
Riccoli winced and did not answer.
The giant man asked again, “I asked you a question.”
Riccoli seemed to wilt even more as he replied, “Yes your grace, I know of you.”
The giant man gave a broad and malevolent smile. “What is my name?”
Riccoli coughed and did not answer. A soldier nearby hit Riccoli with his shield in the back of his legs driving him to his knees.
Riccoli groaned in pain as he looked up at the giant man and said, “You are Torgorth the Brute. The killer of dragons. The champion of the queen and the hand of…”
Torgorth interrupted the man and shouted, “Yes, I am the slayer of dragons and champion of Queen Aadici. You can be assured if I am called, there will be destruction in my wake. Tell me Riccoli, do you share in the lie about the wizard killing the duke and his men?
Riccoli winced again and meekly said, “Your grace I was there, I saw it with my own eyes. I don’t know if it was a wizard, but the man used magic to kill the duke with a wave of his hand.”
Torgorth looked down with a smile at Riccoli and then punched right through his skull. Blood spurted everywhere as Riccoli’s body fell limp to the ground.
The crowd screamed in fear only to be quieted by Trogorth’s voice. Clear with a dangerous edge Torgorth said, “Does anyone else want to die for this lie. Most people don’t even know what a wizard is. There has not been a wizard in several thousand years. I sincerely doubt a wizard shows up to this backwater sewer ditch you call a village to save your sorry asses.”
The crowd all looked down, refusing to meet his eyes. Zack was behind a cart hidden from view watching the calamity unfold. He could not believe his eyes, what the fuck was wrong with these people. Why did the people in the black armor terrorize this village so much.
Torgorth spoke up as if answering his question, “I know you all think yourselves free of the kingdom and its laws. Free from taxation and from the respect due to the crown and her nobles. You have sat here in the backwater of this country forgotten for far too long. It is time for you people to pay your taxes and show your respect to the crown.”
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Zack suddenly remembered the duke said something similar. The crown clearly does not think much of these people. It occurred to Zack, despite not caring for these people, the crown must want something here to spend time and resources on controlling the village.
Torgorth spoke up again, “I am going to give you all one minute to come clean. Whoever comes clean with the truth first will live. If no one does, then the village burns and you all die.
He then directed the troops to continue rounding up everyone in the village and to burn the whole place down. Panic began to rise as people tried to flee, children were torn from their parents, houses were lit on fire, and Torgorth began to manically laugh at the scene.
Zack felt the hopelessness of the people and the situation. For some reason he was first pulled deep into their despair. Like the despair was a tangible thig in the air. He felt the raw emotion of being confronted with evil. With arrogance and privilege that deemed itself not only more important than others, but the arbiter of who lived who died.
Zack felt that a surge of rage boil up in his heart. He felt power begin to pulse through his veins with every heartbeat. Then almost like an out of body experience, he saw himself step out from behind the cart and address Trogorth.
Zack spoke with confidence and authority as his words effortlessly carried through out Vinstra. Zack did not raise his voice. He looked right at Torgorth. but addressed the whole village. His voice was even and without emotion. In a moment the whole village was quiet, even the fire stopped burning. Like it was frozen in time. No one moved. Zack walked up to Torgorth and looked him in the eyes. The two just stared at each other in silence. The entire village and all the warriors stared at the two in the village square.
Zack could see Torgorth’s utter confidence in his eyes. The look of someone who always had the upper hand and had not been easily defied. Torgorth started to say something. As the first sound left his lips, he was cut off like someone hitting stop on a recording. Zack had raised his hand to Torgorth almost like he wanted a high five. Then he clenched his fist and Torgorth imploded into a red mist. His armor imploded as well into a small, condensed ball of bloody metal.
Zack slowly turned to look around the town square. No one moved. The air was completely still. The fire and smoke sat frozen in the air. In the quiet moment Zack looked at the people. They seemed well fed. While many showed the effects of manual labor, they did not look injured or hobbled. They were all dressed in well-fitting clothes that looked in good condition. The soldiers however, look terrified. Many had dropped their weapons; some fell to their knees.
Zack called out a soldier who seemed higher ranking, “You there, whose banner do you serve under?
The soldier mustering up courage responded, “We serve under the Shoreland Banner as a part of the Aadici crown.” After a short pause he said, “sir.”
Zack looked at the soldiers, many just young men who clearly had never seen battle. He said, “I am he who they speak of. I killed the Duke of Shoreland and all his men. They were engaging in atrocities much like this Torgorth here, or what’s left of him.” Zack grimaced as he kicked Torgorth’s armor and moved his boot out of the expanding pool of blood.
Zack looked back at the man he spoke to, “What is your name and rank?
The man replied “Captain Montange, sir”
Zack continued, “Well Captain Montange, how long of a journey is it for you to get back from where you came?”
Captain Montange replied, “It is 4 days travel back to Tarrist by horse at breakneck speed. For me and my men is a seven-day march from here.”
Zack considered this, “Tell me Captain, do you have any doubt that I am in complete control of this situation?”
The captain hesitated and then conceded, “I have no doubt you are in control.”
Zack replied, “Good, nice to see a man with an ability to understand his circumstances. Here is what is going to happen. You and your men are going to leave Vinstra and never ever return here. You are going to tell your superiors what you saw and learned here today. Finally, you are going to deliver a message to them from me.”
Zack paused and watched Captain Montange take in and process his words. “Can you do this in exchange for you and your men’s lives?
Captain Montange stood a little straighter and responded crisply, “Yes sir, what is your message for the queen?”
Zack pondered for a moment and replied. “The village of Vinstra and the surrounding land within 25 miles are under my protection. If the crown and nobles respect that boundary we will never have to meet. If they do not, we will meet, and it shall not be pleasant. I want you to tell the queen in clear and concise detail what happened to her champion Torgorth. ”
Zack looked to the people of Vinstra, “I am sure someone here has the armor and weapons of the Duke of Shoreland. I would like it returned to the captain before he leaves.”
A man in the crowd spoke up, “Give me one second my lord and I shall retrieve the armor and weapons.
Before the man left Zack addressed him again, “I am not your lord, I am not your grace, I am not a noble, I am Zack. That is all you ever need to call me.”
The man stumbled through his reply and finally said. “Yes sir.”
Zack then turned to Captain Montange, “Do you agree to these terms and agree to deliver my message to the crown and its nobles?”
The captain said, “Yes sir.”
A few moments later a few men returned with the duke’s armor and weapons. Zack watched as the soldiers of Shoreland made their way out of the village. After they were out of the village Zack waved his hand and the fires across the village simultaneously went out. There was no smoke or heat, it just vanished as if it there was never a fire.
Zack looked at the people and said, “Rebuild your village. I will be back.”
Zack looked up at the mountain and vanished.