The ethereal and the desperate

Roland was riding on his path to the city which just came into sight. His horse in his younger days had been a lean and nimble stalion, but now his head was drooping and with its shaky slender legs it looked like it could collapse any minute. Nevertheless, nothing seemed to be willing to impede the progress of our protagonist and the end of the journey was nigh he thought. The sun was high up in the sky, several lone trees could be seen from time to time on a soil covered mostly by grass on both sides of the road. The city was one of the regional capital in which he had never been, the towers of its castle rose like giant candlesticks towards the slightly clouded sky. Wheat fields surrounded the town walls.

- « The typical city in this world for you » thought Roland, « I will be within the fortifications before twillight ».

But in what felt as one second had elapsed, his archenemy, a formless spirit who called himself the ruler of the world stood before him.

- « Prepare to your death » said the wight.

- « How many time have you said that to me ? », answered Roland annoyed, without stopping his horse. « What are you going to do ? » he continued, impassible.

- « It will be the usual shit for you » answered the wraith.

- « What !? How dare you call people like that ?! »

He had hardly finish his last sentence when Roland saw people from the nearby village coming in his direction. Oblivious of their daily tasks people were converging towards him. They were only men as the so-called ruler of the world had power only on them.

- « Answer me ! » cried Roland. « I am tired of your puny tricks !, what is it you want me to do ? »

- « Yes, I have total control over all men on earth and I consider them turds, so what ? » said the ghost with a grin.

Roland, after having wandered for so long, grew disgusted by all men he meet due to the persecution of his misterious antagonist, and was avoiding them. Although women dwelled in those parts of the world too, he had not have much the opportunity to spend time with them, as they seemed to avoid him, carefully choosing the right momment to desapear before his glance could catch their figures, shrinking away when he entered someplace where they were present, or doing something that would make an interaction from Roland unsuitable or uncouth. 

Hence Roland resigned to be alone and had accepted his fate.

He wore an armor which you could tell had seen better days, and his blunt sword looked likely to break at the first blow, but despite that he could have easily killed with what he tried his best not to consider trash. Sometimes in the past he had been on the verge of slaying the puppets of his archenemy, who he called the shitbringer, but he had always been compelled not to do so by his consciousness.

- « Hahaha » said the ghost, « behold the most wretched degenerates of the neighbourhood coming for you ! Are you ready to give me what I crave in exchange of your peace of mind ? »

Roland felt helpless, he feared he was starting to lose his grasp on reality.

- « How did you know I would be travelling on this road ?» asked Roland in a maneuver to gain more time.

- « You told it to me when you were sleeping….», Roland started, he knows he can’t prevent himself to talk when he sleeps, and that every single thought he has during the day, he will say it at night, like a student who learnt his lesson and is eager to show it to his professor. « I thought I was perfectly alone last night » he said to himself. And then louder : « Damn you, despicable ghost ! »

- « What do you want !! » screamed Roland, « I’m a man !!!, Why you don’t take me also and make me a soldier of your army ? » , and then his head sunk in his hands, for his archenemy, who was perhaps the cruelest devil, had vanished, leaving him alone to confront the plebeian throng.

Roland tried to keep his cool when the men, like a stream of puke, circled his horse and started to interact with him. He put back his sword on his side and somewhat smiled at the crowd of brainless pieces of shit who were greeting him. Their faces disgusted him more than everything but he acted like he was not displeased to see them in order to be faster done with the ordeal.

Roland knew that the last thing to do was to do something that would make them angry at him, and that the best course of action was to soldier on until he would be several yards farther on his path. He also knew that talking with those men would prove useless as they were as dumb as they were ugly, so he patiently passed through the hord like a ray of light from the sun pierces the clouds and falls where it is supposed to, and he kept his eyes fixed on his final destination.

The men around him were overly complacent, and were saying the common formalities in such cases, or it was mere nonsense. They were yelling absurdities and for a wise man like Roland it was a straight up nightmare to be found amongst them.

His sorrow was intense and permanent, there was no catharsis, only one movement which was not demonstrating perfect calmness and he was done for. If such a case were to happen the simpletons would act bewildered and sad, and would not let him go until he had explained himself, and he would have to atone for his lack of self control.

Much to the dismay of Roland, such an event was not exceptional in the strange world he was exploring. It happened every few days or so, and Roland was understandably tired of such a circus, albeit he was getting used to it and it was less dreadsome than at the beginning of his quest.

When he had managed to leave the lesser portion of humanity behind him, he swore once more to avenge himself and that the crimes comitted against him would not remain unpunished.