Chapter 3:
STRANGERS
Zenkis
EPISODE 3 STRANGERS
*LOCATION: EAST GATE | NIGHT - 02:55 AM*
The East Gate was surrounded by wooden fences that rose into the night sky like spears. Right in the middle of the fences stood a heavy door made of oak, darkened by time and humidity. About ten to twenty meters to the right of the door, a watchtower rose seven or eight meters high from within the darkness.
Inside the tower, two soldiers in their mid-twenties, looking alike in their cheap fabric uniforms, were on watch. On the wooden table in front of them lay two bows, a few spare arrows, and a pocketknife each with a worn-out handle. The flickering light of the lantern in the corner of the table revealed the exhaustion on their faces.
The tall, burly, blond soldier, almost touching the ceiling of the tower, with a freshly shaved beard, broke the silence:
"This year's harvest was good, huh... If we pay the tax safely, we probably won't starve in the winter."
The other one, the dark-haired one, nodded with a bitter smile. There was a helplessness mixed with anger in his eyes.
"Just don't let the Lords hear the harvest was good, they'll ask for double this time," he said, lowering his voice a little. "Since we lost that damn war last year, we haven't been able to get back on our feet. The place is swarming with bandits, but only four of us are guarding this whole village here."
The big blond one sighed deeply. He turned his gaze to the half-stale bread on the table.
"When it comes to collecting taxes, they stack an army at the door, when it comes to protection, it's four people... What does our life matter to them? All they think about is the glasses they'll be downing in their palaces tonight."
The dark-haired soldier suddenly paused, casting a fearful glance outside through the wooden gaps of the tower, into the darkness. Lowering his voice to almost a whisper, he continued:
"They say religion, they say nation, that's how they put us to sleep. And they hang anyone who speaks up in the square to make an example. A state that is afraid of its own people... What a pathetic state we're in."
The blond one put his hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed it slightly. As if he wanted to console him, but there was the same hopelessness in his eyes.
"Forget it, brother... At least they don't take our lives with a sword anymore."
Just then, from the darkness below the tower, a strange voice rose, tearing through the howling of the wind. Two human shadows were seen.
The one who looked older among them spoke, there seemed to be a worried tone in his voice: "Please help us."
The dark-haired soldier whispered to his blond friend: "You go down and search them, if they try anything I'll shoot them from here."
The dark-haired one turned to the strangers: "Raise your hands, don't you dare make a wrong move."
The blond soldier went down and searched the strangers. They had nothing on them, but for some reason the young one wouldn't open his mouth. The old one continued speaking, he threw himself at the blond soldier's feet: "Please help us, me and my brother are travelers but we were attacked by bandits during our journey, all our savings were taken from us. We are just looking for a place to shelter for today and if you give us a little food we would be grateful, we will help you with your work."
His dark-haired friend shouted from above: "What do they want?"
The blond soldier looked up at his friend but was still cautious: "They were attacked by bandits, they are looking for a place to stay. They also want a piece of bread if you have it."
The dark-haired soldier wondered why the young stranger wasn't talking, he turned to the old stranger: "Why isn't your young brother talking?"
The old stranger clenched his fists in anger: "Those bandit bastards cut out his tongue because he talked back."
It was clear from the dark-haired one's face that he was still suspicious: "How did you get here in the middle of the night without anything, without being eaten by wolves?"
*END OF CHAPTER 3*
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*LOCATION: EAST GATE | NIGHT - 02:55 AM*
The East Gate was surrounded by wooden fences that rose into the night sky like spears. Right in the middle of the fences stood a heavy door made of oak, darkened by time and humidity. About ten to twenty meters to the right of the door, a watchtower rose seven or eight meters high from within the darkness.
Inside the tower, two soldiers in their mid-twenties, looking alike in their cheap fabric uniforms, were on watch. On the wooden table in front of them lay two bows, a few spare arrows, and a pocketknife each with a worn-out handle. The flickering light of the lantern in the corner of the table revealed the exhaustion on their faces.
The tall, burly, blond soldier, almost touching the ceiling of the tower, with a freshly shaved beard, broke the silence:
"This year's harvest was good, huh... If we pay the tax safely, we probably won't starve in the winter."
The other one, the dark-haired one, nodded with a bitter smile. There was a helplessness mixed with anger in his eyes.
"Just don't let the Lords hear the harvest was good, they'll ask for double this time," he said, lowering his voice a little. "Since we lost that damn war last year, we haven't been able to get back on our feet. The place is swarming with bandits, but only four of us are guarding this whole village here."
The big blond one sighed deeply. He turned his gaze to the half-stale bread on the table.
"When it comes to collecting taxes, they stack an army at the door, when it comes to protection, it's four people... What does our life matter to them? All they think about is the glasses they'll be downing in their palaces tonight."
The dark-haired soldier suddenly paused, casting a fearful glance outside through the wooden gaps of the tower, into the darkness. Lowering his voice to almost a whisper, he continued:
"They say religion, they say nation, that's how they put us to sleep. And they hang anyone who speaks up in the square to make an example. A state that is afraid of its own people... What a pathetic state we're in."
The blond one put his hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed it slightly. As if he wanted to console him, but there was the same hopelessness in his eyes.
"Forget it, brother... At least they don't take our lives with a sword anymore."
Just then, from the darkness below the tower, a strange voice rose, tearing through the howling of the wind. Two human shadows were seen.
The one who looked older among them spoke, there seemed to be a worried tone in his voice: "Please help us."
The dark-haired soldier whispered to his blond friend: "You go down and search them, if they try anything I'll shoot them from here."
The dark-haired one turned to the strangers: "Raise your hands, don't you dare make a wrong move."
The blond soldier went down and searched the strangers. They had nothing on them, but for some reason the young one wouldn't open his mouth. The old one continued speaking, he threw himself at the blond soldier's feet: "Please help us, me and my brother are travelers but we were attacked by bandits during our journey, all our savings were taken from us. We are just looking for a place to shelter for today and if you give us a little food we would be grateful, we will help you with your work."
His dark-haired friend shouted from above: "What do they want?"
The blond soldier looked up at his friend but was still cautious: "They were attacked by bandits, they are looking for a place to stay. They also want a piece of bread if you have it."
The dark-haired soldier wondered why the young stranger wasn't talking, he turned to the old stranger: "Why isn't your young brother talking?"
The old stranger clenched his fists in anger: "Those bandit bastards cut out his tongue because he talked back."
It was clear from the dark-haired one's face that he was still suspicious: "How did you get here in the middle of the night without anything, without being eaten by wolves?"
*END OF CHAPTER 3*
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