Chapter 2: Gossip and rumors

On its own, Tisza was just another fortified town along the northern border of the Vilcea Empire with over six hundred people took shelter behind her brick wall and moat. There were also a few dozen guards  to keep everything in check, all answered to the baron who took up residence in the stone keep looming over the town square. It was during late afternoon when Konrad and his companion saw the wooden gate of that stalwart stronghold of mankind.

“This town look surprisingly intact after being terrorized by a dragon for a few months,” Aeros glowered at his friend like an overindulged child who was denied his favourite toy. When Konrad kept walking without responding, the handsome young man grunted again. “I wonder how these wooden houses prevailed against dragon fire.”

“Drop the act, will you? You know as well as I that their infamous dragon is a fraud,” The warrior priest complained.

“Why are you so serious all the time?” Aeros frowned. “You remind me of my father.”

“The very idea that you could be my son fills me with dread!” Konrad sighed heavily.

“Yeah, he said something like that too!” the handsome blond man cheerfully replied.

“It must have been tough for him to raise you,” the warrior priest said sympathetically.

“Whatever,” Aeros shrugged, a curious look crossed his face. “I wonder how those petty peasants will welcome their saviours.”

As soon as both travellers approached the town gate, five guardmen quickly moved out to stop them. There was anger on the faces of all the guards who stood there. The sort of anger that slowly burned the hearts of good but desperated men who had witnessed the death of comrades and loved ones without being able to help. They wanted justice, however; it was out of their hands, so they decided to vented their furry and hatred toward outsiders.

“State your business or leave!” a middle aged bald guard who seemed to appoint himself as leader barked.

“I came becaue of the baron’s notice,” Konrad replied calmly.

“Not again!” the bald guard groaned, his comrades also nodded thoughtfully at each other and went forth to surround both travellers.

“What kind of greeting is this?” Aeros blodly asked, realizing that their expression only grew darker.

“The kind you frauds deserve,” the bald guard spat.

“These wards can’t be faked,” Konrad pulled off his hood and met his accuser’s stare directly.

“Nice try!” a young black hair guard gave his comment, then nodded to his comrades. “I would have believed them if they had come earlier.”

“What do you mean?” Aeros’s gaze was on the young guard.

“Just three weeks ago, one of your foul kind tried to cheat us. I even treated him a jug of beer myself. He also had pale face, black eyes, though his tattoo was blue. However; the baron knew better. He ordered us to seize that fraud at first glance. After a dozen lashes, the asshole cried and sweated so much that his make-up fell apart. It turned out he was just an amateur actor who decided to try his luck with cheap paint,” The black hair guard explained.

Konrad smiled, but didn't give any comment.

“Any other cases?” The blond young man cheerfully requested for more.

“A dozen at least,” the bald guard grimaced. “Some wore pointed hats and wielded wooden staffs, pretending to be mages. Some depended on useless lucky charms and runestones while others drew stupid magic circles with dog’s blood.”

“So there were no knights or adventurers around to took the job?” Konrad asked.

“More than enough I afraid,” the black hair guard voice could be heard. “A band of four famous adventurers tried to poison the beast with a lamb stuffed with arsenic and some family secret recipes. Too bad for them that the dragon found its supposed hunters’ meat more attractive than the lamb.”

“There was also a hedge knight, though I knew at first sight that he was wrong in the head,” the bald guard shook his head.

“What did he do?” amusement flickered over Aeros’s face.

“He got angry when the baron mentioned of the reward, claiming it was a knight’s duty to pursue dragon without consideration of material reward. On the same day, the maniac went to the river bank where the dragon was sighted and challenged his nemesis for a duel to death. He screamed out all kind of insults at every dragons that ever walked the world for three days and three nights until the dragon decided that it couldn’t let its ancestors’ honor be tainted by a freak any longer, so it attacked the hedge knight with all its might,” said the young black hair guard.

“It sounded like that asshole had signed his own name on the dragon’s menu for dinner?” Aeros laught aloud.

“Nah,” the same guard chuckled, “His horse turned out to have more brain than its master and bolted back to town while the knight kept yelling his battle cry. The denied victory caused the knight to completely lose his mind, swinging his sword at everyone around, assuming that they were dragons in disguise. We had to put him in a cage and carried him to the asylum in Prava just a week ago.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“An amusing tale, indeed!” Aeros nodded his head in agreement.

“Enough chatting, now get your asses out of here!” the middle aged bald guard shouted.

“Wait a second!” Aeros raised his hands in protest. “Just take a look at my friend before you do something stupid. How often can you see a six feet six inches giant warrior like him?”

The black hair guard heeded Aeros’s advice and took a long look at Konrad before shaking his head. “It’s true that he is taller than me, but that’s that. I have seen a much more impressive guy before.”

“Feel free to fill me in!” The blond young man grinned.

“Right after we dealed with the mad knight, a whole mercenary company came from the east to resupply. Those guys looked tough, all cladded in either plate armors or chainmails, and their horses certainly put the baron’s favourite mare to shame,” wonder filled the black hair guard as he remembered the sight. “At first, we feared they would burn our town to ashes, but they actually paid for everything they took, and not a single guy messed up with our girls.”

“Now this tale is hard to buy!” Aeros shook his head in disbelief. “The last mercenary company I saw  were quite fond of looting, burning, and raping. They even did that in such order.”

“I assume the giant you mentioned is their captain?” Konrad interfered with a hint of concern .

The black hair guard nodded and continued. “True, He is at least seven feet tall, heavily built. That guy don’t have any tattoo though, and his eyes are quite special.”

“His eyes have no white, the whole eyeballs are pit black?” Aeros gave another bright smile, but there was something off about his expression. It lasted a little too long, as if his whole face had been frozen.

“So you met him before?” The young guard asked, completely unawared of Aeros’ mood swing.

“Holy shit!” the blond young man swore, then he laught so hard that tear ran down his cheeks.

“What’s wrong with him? Should we cage him and send him to the asylum too?” the bald guard suggested.

“What is the company’s name?” Konrad’s voice sounded distant and dark, as though remembering a long held grudge.

“The Shining Death,” the black hair guard anxiously replied. “What’s wrong?”

“If by chance, that company visit your town again, never beat your women in front of their captain. Never let him hear a baby cry, or better still, shut every women and kids in the houses. Gag them to keep them silent.” Konrad warned, and for a brief moment, all of the guards completely forgot that they were accusing him of fraud.

“What for?” the bald guard shook out of the warrior priest’s charm.

“You had better heed my friend’s warning.  Their captain is a very powerful mage with a gentle heart. If he see peope get hurt, he may decide to send them to the promised land a bit earlier.” Aeros said while wiping out tear in his eyes.

“He seems like a reasonable man to me,” the bald guard shook his head in disbelief, then snorted with anger. “And you, who the hell are you to speak like king?”

“I’m Aeros, heir of Alius the Lord of Change, keeper of the ancient Isik, and majority shareholder of the Golden Claw.” The blond young man proudly declared.

“Forgive my rudeness!” the bald guard made a mocking bow before continued. “Perhaps your lordship should go home to suck some milk out of your wet nurse’s tits.”

“I suck many things,” Aeros showed a mischievous grin. ”Just ask your mother, she probably still remembers.”

“You insolent whelp!” The provoked guard yelled and drew out his broadsword. It took two of his fellow comrades to restrain him from cutting the heir of Alius in two.

“That’s enough, Aeros!” Konrad sternly scolded, then he bowed to the bald guard. “This town has seen enough deaths. There is no need for more.”

“Wise words!” a powerfully-built rider in a chainmail shirt approached them. A sad look was imprinted on his heavy lined face.

“My lord!” all of the guards bowed their heads at once, their right hands put on their chests, then the bald guard impatiently said, “Just another fraud, your lorship.”

“Did I ask for your opinion?”  A powerful voice rang out from the rider, as though offering a challenge.

“No, your lordship,” The middle aged bald guard took a step back, his eyes aimed at his boots.

Satisfied with his subordinate’s answer, the man dismounted. With a single swift motion, he drew his unnatural dark blade and pointed it to Konrad’s neck. Instantly, numerous silver lines across the warrior priest’s neck began to glow faintly. Convinced, the powerfully-built man withdrew his sword and asked. ”Do you have any idea who I’m?”

“If you have the gold, then you are just another satisfied client,” Konrad replied simply.

“A professional man!” the man laughed darkly, “Welcome to my town!”