Banditry 3

Win places Hrothulf’s battered body on the floor of the guild hall.

“Somebody take care of him. I’ll handle the rest.”

Win exits the guild hall once more without waiting for a response. When he steps outside, Hrothgar lands in front of him. Win had expected the ice to hold him for a while longer, but he supposes his luck has turned back around.

“Don’t worry, your brother should be fine.” Hrothgar sneers arrogantly.

“Hah! So this is where he is! I’ll just bring down the whole thing and kill him like that!”

“Before you do so, know that he made me promise to protect your life.”

“What do I care!?”

“So shallow. You’re nothing like Hrothulf, even though you share his features. I’ll try not to laugh.”

Win dashes forward. He draws his blade and swings at Hrothgar’s neck. He hears the metal chains as Hrothgar raises his arms. Again Win’s sword is caught in the chains. Hrothgar seems panicked as he tries to tangle the chains around Win’s sword. He talks with bluster, hoping not to seem afraid.

“Hah! Isn’t it lame to break your promise so fast!”

“I thought you didn’t care? And besides, I didn’t. Whether in one piece or one-hundred, I’ll keep you alive.” Hrothgar flinches.

Win feels magic swell behind his neck. Without looking back he takes command of the spell. The blade of wind, as he feels it now, twists into a spear and passes by his head. It pierces into Hrothgar’s shoulder. He yells sharply from the sudden pain.

“I see. So that’s how you cut Mr. Ward. You command the winds, but not nearly as well as you needed to.” Win looks down at Hrothgar. “You cannot win. Surrender and return to your brother.”

“I don’t care how much of a monster you are, I’m never coming back here!”

Hrothgar propels a fist forward with the full might of the winds that he can muster. Before he can connect, however, Win’s own fist smashes into his stomach. He gets thrown into the air by the blow. Win jumps up and grabs Hrothgar by the face, then slams him down into the dirt. As he does so, Win also begins to heal Hrothgar, carefully managing his condition so he knows how deep the gulf between them is without putting his life in danger. Win stomps on Hrothgar’s chest, pinning him to the ground.

“Surrender.”

“I’d rather die than go back to somewhere this boring!” Win presses his heel down, making Hrothgar gasp as his upper body is forced back up. He swiftly lowers his body and grabs Hrothgar by the face once more.

“Boring? Your grudge is because you were bored? You attacked this village because you were bored?” Hrothgar grasps at Win’s wrist as he feels the grip on his skull tighten. “You brought harm to innocent people! To children! To your brother who loves you unconditionally even as you commit evil against him! All because you were bored!? How vapid!” Win slams Hrothgar’s head into the dirt. “Pathetic!” He slams Hrothgar’s head into the ground. “Shallow!” He slams Hrothgar’s head into the ground. “Craven!” He slams Hrothgar’s head into the ground. “Miserable!” He slams Hrothgar’s head into the ground. “Whiny!” He slams Hrothgar’s head into the ground. “Manchild!” He slams Hrothgar’s head into the ground. “I had almost forgotten how disgusting this world is. How utterly filthy it is! How depraved it is!” He slams Hrothgar’s head into the ground. “How anyone!” He slams Hrothgar’s head into the ground. “Is able to live in a world!” He slams Hrothgar’s head into the ground. “Where they must share air with men like us!” He slams Hrothgar’s head into the ground.

Hrothgar can’t seem to find even a single word, so pained he is. Win stands back up, still holding him by his head. Win throws Hrothgar away. Hrothgar spins in the air, he bounces against the ground several times like a skipping stone, then skids across the dirt and comes to a stop. Win follows after him.

“Tell me, as I’m sure a man so lacking in charm as you would never be able to rally even just six men, much less for your utterly foolish and pathetic reason for being here, could never be the leader, under whose orders have you come here? What is your plan? What was the message your subordinate had sent? Who was the recipient?” Win stomps on Hrothgar’s chest, then heals him enough to enable him to speak.

“Our leader is a man named Leofwine… He’s a cruel man… he lets nothing stand in his way… He sent us to raid villages and have soldiers sent out to destroy us… That message must have been to make the lord know to come for us… I’ve told you… so please—” Win kicks Hrothgar in the jaw, sending him flying further from the guild hall, carried by the winds. He follows after, then looks down at Hrothgar with cold eyes.

“Tell me, you know him better, if I were to kill you and tell Hrothulf you left me no choice, would he ever forgive me?” Hrothgar seizes the opportunity.

“He never would. It’s like you said. He loves me more than anything else. He would never forgive you.” Win’s eyes only grow colder as he draws his sword.

“That’s a shame. I didn’t dislike him.” He points his blade at Hrothgar’s neck, the tip just a hair’s breadth from drawing a dribble of blood. Hrothgar begins to sob uncontrollably, tears pouring down his face. “The purpose of this sword is to eliminate the rot of this world.”

Win holds his blade right before Hrothgar’s neck. It’s perfectly still. Win can’t stop watching the pathetic sight of Hrothgar on the ground, begging for his life. Win can all too easily imagine that Hrothgar was once where he now stands, the life of another in his hands. He’s sure that Hrothgar would give no mercy. How else would he be following a man supposedly so cruel. Win can only see the man before him as a bandit with no concern for the lives of others. And yet, Win sheathes his sword, falls to the ground, and weeps beside him.