《Villain's World》


 Chapter 0: The Ancient Past

    In the beginning, our world was composed of five incredibly huge islands. If you were to draw a cross in the sand, you will have drawn a basic world map. An island each to the north, south, east, and west with the fifth being locked between them all. They were all heavily populated and filled with several nations packed closely together. Borders fluctuated and fights would break out but none of them escalated into full blown war. This was done intentionally to avoid drawing the attention of their ruling Kingdoms. The strongest nation on each island, the ones capable of destroying every other nation in one night, ruled supreme above all others. They were referred to as the Five Great Kingdoms.


    To the north you would have found the Kingdom of Mages, known as Terroth. Their skill with the world magics was so refined that you would almost believe it to be the source of their strength, but you would be wrong. Not only could the queen of this kingdom, Zendaria, wield magic with the elegance of nature itself, she also possessed reserves of mana so deep that the oceans could not hope to compare. She built her kingdom from the ground up with her own two hands during the last ice age of the northern island by erecting a barrier over her lands that would maintain a livable temperature. Other nations quickly begged her for her assistance and only after swearing fealty, did they receive it. The few nations that were too proud to serve her did not live long enough to regret that decision. Although merciful, Zendaria would only offer her hand once. Rejecting her offer meant death, and when the ice age hit in full force the other nations happily accepted her rule. Thus, Terroth was born as the one ruling Kingdom of the North.


    In the east you would have found the Kingdom of Merchants, known as Coin. What once was a war-torn and ravaged land of suffering nations was morphed into a prosperous and thriving land of trade by one family of merchants. This family saw opportunity in suffering and never missed a chance to profit. As resources were diminished rapidly to supply the ongoing war efforts, they noticed the land slowly rotting away. The fertile ground that could support farms, gouged and blood covered. The fresh spring water flowing down from the mountains, contaminated by the corpses that scattered the rivers¡¯ edges. Realizing that all were doomed to suffer no matter who won this war they decided to put all their money forward and hire the very best warriors they could. As they moved across the lands, their warriors grew in numbers to match their deepening pockets. Those that would not join them for money were shown the true meaning of the destruction being wrought upon their lands. The few that still opposed their forces were either killed or captured and put to work. Not a single resource was wasted to them. If it could be reused, it was, and if it could not then it found another purpose. Their advance was cause of great worry to the surrounding armies as they band together to bring a stop to this merchant menace. Expecting a great battle, the two armies stood and faced each other in the center of the island. However, there would be no battle here on that day. The eldest son of the merchant family, Euroc, delivered a speech so powerful and eye opening that the masses could no longer be swayed to fight. They looked around at their nearly irreparable homeland and wept as they came to understand what they heard to be the truth. Euroc promised it was not too late to save their island and, together with his family, he guided the people of the east in their efforts of reclamation. Not ten years later, the eastern island was finally home to many nations peacefully trading amongst each other and enjoying the bountiful land they fought so hard to save. Thus, Coin was born as the one ruling Kingdom of the East.


    Looking west you would have found the Kingdom of Warriors, known as Lycea. Their story is both the same, and the opposite, as that of their eastern brothers. Lands continuously ravaged by war, rivers that ran as thick and red as blood. No one remembers why this eternal fighting started or on which side blood was first drawn, they simple wish to be the ones to end it. For one man, Titan, this would become reality. Always the first to charge, and the last to retreat if ever there was a battle that could not be won. If even one of his soldiers still alive remained to fight, then so did he. The thrill of battle was as addicting to him as any substance known to man. While fighting he could not help but laugh and smile from ear to ear, flowing like the wind through the enemy frontlines. Only when his love was assassinated by the enemy did he truly reach his full potential. In one day, he singlehandedly annihilated the nation that had stolen his love from him. While standing atop the mountain of corpses he had created to sate his vengeance, he realized the futility of it all. What would be left to rule over, after destroying everyone and everything around him? In that moment he made up his mind to end the fighting he once loved so much with a show of force so powerful no one would dare to oppose him. It took only a month for his envoys to gather every remaining army in the land. Taunts, promises, bribes, anything they could use they had. Once they had gathered before Titan he used his booming voice to challenge them all. The entire mass of warriors before him, versus one man. His one condition was that they be able to stand after he struck the ground beneath them with his fist. If they could do that, then he would fight them. If they could not, then they would stop their fighting and fall under his rule. Of course, they all laughed him off, thinking he had gone insane from the war. Their leaders seeing this as an opportunity raised their arms and beckoned him to continue so that they may end the farce and return to their fighting. What they weren¡¯t prepared for, was the shattering the occurred afterward. Titan slammed the ground with so much force, from only a single fist, that a great canyon ripped open beneath their feet and a third of their armies fell to their deaths. Upon seeing such power many chose to flee for their lives, while other remained unable to move. Titan had not intended to kill so many and was even a little surprised by the destruction he had caused as well. However, the desired outcome had been achieved regardless. It wasn¡¯t long before every man and woman present bent their knees and vowed to do as he said. It took much longer for their lands to recover than those of the eastern island but nevertheless they did. Thus, Lycea was born as the one ruling Kingdom of the West.


    Moving south now, you would have found the Kingdom of Steam, known as Keinor. Unlike the rest of the islands, this island never experience war. At the very least, not to the extent of the others. Sure, a large fight would break out between nations on occasion, but they were so destructive that neither side wanted to drag it out. This was because of their technology. Through nature and magic the inhabitants of the southern island had created weapons of mass destruction powerful enough to destroy their whole island if they were to wage war with them. Being that no one could act, for fear of causing mass devastation and wiping out innocent lives overnight, the southern island found themselves unable to decide who was strongest. While stranded amid their stalemate several nations noticed flying devices appearing several miles above them, hovering. No one could identify what these devices were, and no nation would claim them as their own. The masses began shouting the one question that mattered toward their leaders. Who was doing this and why? As if to answer that question herself, a lone inventor, standing at the apex of human intelligence, revealed herself to the public. Her name was Gloria and she was sickened by the nations and their hoarding of massive technological weapons. She revealed her web of drones to them as devices that would immediately detonate any superweapon that a nation tried to use, causing them to fire upon themselves and wiping them from the map. After doing so she settled down in a small corner of the southern island to continue her work in peace. However, inspired by her great accomplishment, many inventors and their families decided to follow her and soon developed a large and incredibly advanced civilization. Gloria, who had initially refused the role, took up position as their queen in order to stop their relentless pleas which interrupted her work. With her as their figurehead, the other nations quietly acknowledged her rule and diverted their energy toward useful creations. Thus, Keinor was born as the one ruling Kingdom of the South.


    Now, the center island was different than the rest. Unlike the other islands which were composed of several nations competing against each other and inevitably succumbing to one ruler, the center island was home to only one nation. The massive sprawling Kingdom of Life known as Laznir. They knew a peace unlike any other island, as they had no one to wage war against. From the very start of their history they have been one nation, settling their disputes internally in a way that left everyone satisfied and happy. If there was ever a utopian society this was it. Citizens laughed and cried and enjoyed life as much as they could, while their leaders did the same along side them. With the other islands being so far apart from each other there was no chance in them attacking and as such, no need for an army. Without conflict from outer nations, they were able to focus on their own advancement and although not as much as each other nation they still became proficient in magic, commerce, technology, and even gladiatorial fighting. Overall, they were the happiest of the Kingdoms. Eventually a child was born so talented that he could rival the leaders of each other Kingdom. His capacity for magic as endless as Zendaria. Instincts for trade and combat so fine tuned that both Euroc and Titan would envy him, with the intellect to intimidate even Gloria. The people of Laznir celebrated this child with all their being and showered him with gifts enough to fill the Kingdom¡¯s coffers ten times over. However, as his strength grew, they began to see his true being. The boy looked down on all that surrounded him as if it was nothing. Before his eyes Josiah saw only ants, busily digging their tunnels. The day he came of age, he marched into the castle and demanded an audience with the king. Any other citizen would have been arrested on the spot, but for Josiah it was different. The king agreed to meet with him, assuming it had to be important for him to barge in the way he had. Unfortunately for the king, Josiah had no other motive than the hunger for more power. It took him only seconds to slaughter the king and all his guards with his bare hands. Once he had finished, Josiah dragged the king¡¯s corpse out of the castle and hung him from a wooden pole for all to see. With that he declared his rule over the center island Kingdom and the decline of Laznir began.


    Over the following years citizens became increasingly afraid of their new king. Consistently abducting people for gruesome experiments and arresting anyone who spoke ill of him, Josiah had gone mad in their eyes. Together they built a small rebel army and marched into the castle hoping to dethrone him and restore their great Kingdom once and for all. Josiah laughed as they attacked him, well over three hundred men and woman who pushed into the castle wave after wave. Eventually the bodies were stacked too high and they could no longer enter. When that happened Josiah had decided he no longer needed to maintain this charade. He cleared the bodies with one wave of his hand and walked out into the courtyard. After a moment of surveying the land he began chanting in a dark language that no one had ever heard. The magical energy surrounding the castle began to shake as the sky gradually darkened. Having finished his chanting Josiah turned to the soldiers opposing him and waved his hands once more. Dark tendrils of an evil magic extended from his fingers and stabbed into their chests before they could escape. Frozen in place their faces wore an expression of pure terror. After a moment of stillness, they began to move in the opposite direction. However, they now belonged to Josiah. His newly created slaves then marched across the lands killing and burning everything that they encountered. As word spread of the evil army marching outward, citizens fled to the shores and built as many ships as they could. When the army grew too close, they set sail in every direction. They hoped that someone would survive long enough to find help.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Very few ships made it to another island. The journey was too long even on calm waters, let alone the storm ridden oceans they had to cross. The fact that they survived the year long journey itself with as little supplies as they had was a miracle. That would be their only one though. Every nation on every island merely pointed them in the direction of their ruling Kingdom. Once they arrived at the various Kingdoms it had already been another six months and by that time the Kings and Queens had been awaiting their arrival. However, not a single one of them lifted a finger to help. The journey was too far, and the price was too high. They stood to gain nothing and lose everything if they did believe the words of these refugees. If that man, Josiah, really did exist then they were better off leaving him alone. Spirits crushed, hopes gone, the survivors decided to integrate within their new lands. Over time the center island Kingdom of Life, Laznir, became known as something else. The stories told by the refugees earned their homeland a much more sinister name. Death, the Barren Kingdom. As years passed on, Death became a folk tale and the great leaders pushed it to the back of their minds. They grew old and their power began to wane.


    When Death was just about forgotten, the citizens of each island noticed a change in the air. Breathing became difficult, and the winds had grown stronger. Everyone felt a sense of growing unease, but no one could figure out why. Gloria and her Kingdom, Keinor, were the first to figure it out. She hurriedly sent messenger drones to every other Kingdom she could in order to warn them. Her warning was short. He is coming. Josiah had figured out a way to summon all the islands together. The Kingdoms learned of this and panic quickly broke out among their citizens. It took all their time and resources just to manage the fear-stricken population, leaving nothing left to find a solution to their problem. Even if they had the time, not even Gloria could figure out a solution, nor was Zendaria strong enough to stop Josiah¡¯s magic. They could only struggle to survive as their islands were slowly ripped apart while being dragged across the planet¡¯s surface. For the longest year in their lives they survived earthquakes, sink holes, and the sundering of their lands. Whole chunks the size of large settlements would often break off and sink into the ocean or remain in place creating a chain of smaller islands. When the day finally came that their islands crashed into the center the whole world shook for hours, and many lives were lost.


    Enraged by what had transpired and how many of their people¡¯s lives were lost, the Kingdoms¡¯ leaders finally began to act. With no oceans blocking their path, they could march on Josiah and end him. They rallied their armies, readied their weapons, and promised their Kingdom the vengeance they sought. No matter how strong Josiah was, they were certain he would fall to their armies. They marched out toward the ruins of Laznir, toward the Barren Kingdom of Death.


    There was no mistaking the borders when they arrived. As if a line was drawn in the earth itself, on one side their armies and on the other nothing but blackened sand as far as they could see. Winds blew cold and heavy with the smell of rotting flesh. Cautious as they rightfully were, they sent forward a scouting team. The moment they crossed the line into Death¡¯s territory a massive amount of magic sprung forth. From the sand crawled out thousands of horrible creatures of another world. Skeletons, ghouls, giant spiders made of flesh, corpse golems, shades, and various other twisted beings clawed their way to the surface. The scouting party was dead before they could process what had happened. Of the Kingdoms¡¯ armies, about one third deserted immediately. The ones that remained struggled to keep their last meal down while they watched their leaders nervously. Eventually the order they had been waiting for came. They sucked in a deep breath and pushed forward with all their courage to face the army of the damned.


    They lost many hundreds of fighters before realizing that these monsters could not be killed by normal means. There were only two ways to prevent them from rising and continuing their onslaught. You either obliterated them until nothing was left, or you burnt them after rendering them immobile. There was one thought that permeated every living being during that war and that was; This is hell. This war would come to be known as ¡®The Burning Night¡¯ since there was so much fire and smoke that the sky was blackened. The fires were the only source of light to fight by for weeks as the battle dragged on. The lack of sunlight left everyone pale and their eyes grew wild and squinty from struggling to adapt to the lower light level. Sleep was nearly impossible, even in shifts, and healing was rushed through the magics and technology provided by the people of Terroth and Keinor. This left their bodies deformed and haggard but allowed them to continue forward. After several days of this, the weak willed broke and either fled and lost their wits and became useless. Even fewer went completely insane and began attacking their own friends and family. By the time the broken and disorganized armies finally reached the lone castle that towered over all it was hard to tell if they had become monsters themselves or not.


    Josiah greeted the four rulers as they emerged from within the ranks of men and woman. He knew them by name from watching through his minions as they fought, much to their dismay. Wanting to end this fighting as soon as possible Zendaria, Titan, Euroc, and Gloria stepped forward and demanded that Josiah face them himself. One versus four. They knew as well as he did that they had no chance if any of them fought him one on one. When he agreed Zendaria attempted to place a barrier in order to prevent their soldiers from intervening. Josiah waved his hand and shattered it before she could finish. He wanted them all to watch as he proceeded to utterly humiliate their leaders. Euroc was the first to fall, having no remarkable combat abilities. Although her technology was sufficiently advanced and powerful, Gloria too fell to her knees unable to land a single attack. For several minutes afterward Zendaria and Titan fought side by side, one defending against Josiah¡¯s magic while the other held off his physical blows. Hope began to swell within the hearts of their soldiers as they watched, only to be crushed in an instant. Josiah had decided he was bored and so ended the fight by grabbing them both by their throat. No matter what they tried, they could not break free of his grasp. He turned to face their armies and mouthed to them, come. Screaming filled the air a moment later as they rushed forward to free their Kings and Queens. Titan roared to his warriors to stop but they would not listen. Zendaria too called out to her mages only to have her voice drowned by the screams of rage. Josiah tossed them aside, slamming them into a wall, and met their armies head on. His power was unimaginable, killing dozens with one blow after another without needing to use his magic at all. Despite not needing it, he chose to fire several bolts of energy into the ranks which jumped between soldiers like black lightning. Hundreds of soldiers rushed toward him, and not even one managed to survive let alone wound him. Watching his warriors die so easily only reminded Titan of the pointlessness he fought so hard to put an end to in the past. His rage boiling over brought back the strength of his youth as he stood once more. Zendaria felt a similar anger welling up inside her as she took her place beside Titan. The two of them had fought in many battles together during this war which allowed them to fight without speaking. Titan rushed forward, borrowing the sword of a fallen warrior along the way, and swung with all his strength. Josiah blocked with his own stolen weapon but was knocked back several feet. Surprise colored his face followed by a twisted smile of amusement. It didn¡¯t last long however as Titan stepped out of the way allowing the massive spear of ice that Zendaria had launched to shoot past him. Josiah managed to dodge it at the last second only to find Titan waiting for him with another powerful swing. Finally, after so many had died, Josiah found himself bleeding from a gash in his shoulder. Laughter filled the air as he examined his injury. This was the first time he had seen his own blood and it was as black as his soul. Unease settled in their hearts once more as Titan and Zendaria backed away. Josiah muttered a few words they could not hear before pointing his weapon in their direction. Lightning sparked from the tip of his sword and he disappeared. Titan only managed to deflect his blow on instinct, his body reacting before his mind could process it. The force of their collision sent a thunderous boom echoing through the sky. The fight that began afterward was so powerful and so intense that the very landscape was changed forever. The bodies of the soldiers were unavoidably swept away while the walls of the castle were crushed and scattered. Zendaria¡¯s incredible magic left craters of ice randomly as far as the eye could see while Titan and Josiah¡¯s powerful swings would bring new valleys into existence. As the battle continued, the air grew hotter and the ice melted quicker. Soon the sky had grown darker and their blows were no longer the only thing echoing loudly through the air. Lightning had begun to strike with increasing frequency and rain was pouring down on their exhausted bodies. Fearing that he might actually lose for once, Josiah pushed past Titan and grabbed Zendaria by her throat once more. Intending to use her as a hostage to end the fight, Josiah pointed his sword to the ground. He demanded that Titan drop his weapon and serve him. Titan looked into her eyes and found the answer he needed. Zendaria rapidly expended all of her magical energy and entombed herself along with Josiah in a block of ice. In that second, Titan put all his power into his arms and launched the sword into her chest straight through her back and into Josiah¡¯s heart. The ice shattered around them and Zendaria screamed out in pain. Josiah pushed her and the sword off and kicked her away several feet before falling to his knees. With his final breath, Josiah laughed and passed a death sentence to the world itself.


    Congratulations¡­ you¡¯ve broken the seal.

 Chapter 1: Keepsake

    ¡°What happened next grandma?!¡± A young girl asked excitedly as she hopped up and down. Her hair fell to her shoulders, a solid lump of brown. There was so much dirt and grass in it that it resembled a bird¡¯s nest.


    ¡°Josiah did what no one must ever do, under any circumstances. He broke nature¡¯s one taboo and tore apart his own soul.¡± Beth, the old woman, shook her head slightly. It was a story that she had been telling since her father had passed, and one she hoped her daughter would continue to pass on. Villain had heard it many times in his life, though he never believed it.


    ¡°His soul?¡± The young girl scratched the back of her head.


    ¡°Yes, Ahna, his soul. The thing that lives riiight,¡± she paused and tapped Ahna¡¯s chest, ¡°there!¡± The girl screamed and laughed as Beth tickled her lightly.


    ¡°Tell her what happened next,¡± interrupted Villain. Beth scowled at him before continuing with her story.


    ¡°The seal that Josiah had placed on his heart was a trap. Upon breaking, his seal used all the magical energy in the world to create the Immortals. Thousands of all-powerful beings that never age or catch ill. Each with their own unique ability for him to exploit, had he survived. The only silver lining in this story is that his soul was destroyed in the process, leaving his body an empty, rotting husk.¡± Ahna was quiet as she rubbed her toes in the dirt.


    ¡°This world has been trash from the very beginning,¡± stated Villain as he turned away. ¡°Curse your parents for bringing you into it, Ahna.¡±


    ¡°Not everyone thinks that way, V. Some of us see the world before as hope for the world to come.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, have hope V!¡± Ahna yelled after him. Villain pulled on his earmuffs and shrugged. His earmuffs were his most prized belonging, the only thing he had that was of any value. It was several years ago, when a decrepit chest washed up on the riverbank, that he had found them. They were buried under a thick layer of mud and plant matter. After cleaning them in the river he tried them on and found that they blocked all but the loudest sounds. For him, who preferred to be left alone, they were everything.


    Villain walked down the path slowly, gazing at the setting sun in the distance, wondering how much of Beth¡¯s story was true. Surely, he thought, after hundreds of years it must have been exaggerated at least a little. There was no way one man could be as powerful as they claimed, after-all.


    By the time he reached the river the sky had long been dark. He would often lay on the riverbank and try to count the stars only to give up after several dozen. Tonight, was no exception. Villain located his usual spot on top of a large boulder that was partially underwater and allowed him to lay flat with just his feet submerged. The cold water was the perfect way to cool off during the hot summer nights.


    ¡°So boring.¡± Having counted the stars up to three hundred and five, Villain grew bored and gave up. Always the same thing, hiding from the sun during the day before spending the evening by the river. Occasionally he would catch a fish to eat, but that only happened roughly once a week. The rest of the time he would eat moss from the rocks. At first it would cause you to puke your guts out, but once you were used to it you could eat it regularly. It wasn¡¯t the most delicious, or even filling, meal but it kept him from starving to death. His village was quite far from the capital and as such, quite poor. The Travelers rarely ventured this far out, so the opportunity for trade was little. This meant that any food they required would have to be caught, killed, or grown. Since the land was generally dried out that meant that their only source of food was the river and all that it contained. Villain was the only one brave enough to eat moss, so the rest of them focused on fishing. Thanks to the large lake that the river flowed from, fish were plentiful. The only problem for Villain, was that he just sucked at catching them.


    Villain awoke, still flat against the boulder, covered in sweat. The sun was almost to the highest point in the sky by now and he had been baking underneath it all morning. Hot and smelly, he decided to bathe since he was already here. He stood and pulled his patchy shirt over his head before folding it and setting it gently on the boulder. Next, he shook off his pants, which were also patchy, and placed them on top of his shirt. Since his shoes were already off, he did not have to worry about them. He took a deep breath, held it, and leaped into the river. The boulder was so large that it created a small area where the water was relatively calm, which allowed him to bathe without worrying about being swept away. Even if the river had caught him though, he was a strong swimmer and would have been able to escape just fine. The river was only thirty feet across at its widest, and about ten where he was bathing.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Villain let out his breath as he resurfaced. The water felt amazing on his heated skin. He took another breath and plunged under the surface to look for his usual rock. It was just rough enough on one side to be used as a scrubber. Villain fished it up with his foot and snagged it in his hands. As soon as he resurfaced, he began to clean the dirt and sweat off by running the rock along his skin gently. Once finished, he returned the rock to the river bottom. One more deep breath, and he submerged his head so that he could wash his hair as well. They rarely bought soap, so this was the cleanest he could get. He returned to the surface and smiled, thankful that at the very least the river itself was free.


    ¡°I guess that means it¡¯s time for breakfast.¡± Villain smirked, as his stomach let out a loud growl. He was impressed with the fact that he could still hear it, even under water. Turning to the riverbank, he reached out and ripped off a handful of the blue-green moss. After he had washed it in the river to remove the dirt, he shoved half of it into his mouth. It was bitter and slimy but as he chewed, he could feel his hunger slowly fading.


    ¡°I guess I should head back then.¡± He dressed himself and washed another handful of moss for the journey home. Picking a faster pace than the day before, Villain jogged up the pathway leading back to his village. It was built at the top of a very large hill which allowed it to be visible from the surrounding land quite easily. Jogging up the hill, and swimming, was how Villain maintained his body. He wasn¡¯t the strongest or fastest of the kids his age, but he would not lose in a test of endurance. When his body began to sweat, he slowed his pace, but continued jogging the rest of the way up.


    ¡°Tch. He came back again.¡± An older woman scoffed as Villain entered the village. He ignored her, stared forward, and kept walking toward his home.


    ¡°Cockroaches won¡¯t die easily honey.¡± Her husband commented, raising his voice slightly to ensure he was heard.


    ¡°I just wish he¡¯d leave already. He creeps me out. It could happen any day now you know.¡±


    ¡°Him? No way, not going to happen. That¡¯s why they dumped him here remember?¡±


    ¡°Still¡­ It could happen.¡±


    They were talking about him again. Everyone always talked about him, since his parents had abandoned him five years ago when he was twelve. They had named him Villain in hopes that he would gain some sort of power and free them from their poverty ridden lives. When he failed to do so, he became an extra mouth to feed and they ditched him. Having heard enough already, Villain pulled his earmuffs up and pressed them firmly over his ears.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault you know¡­¡± he mumbled under his breath. Most of the villagers treated him the same way. His name and reason for being born scared them, so in turn he scared them as well. They just couldn¡¯t feel safe with him around and if not for the village elder, they would have kicked him out. The village elder Yvard did not believe in what he called, superstitious nonsense. When a mob of villagers came to him in protest of his decision to allow Villain to stay he laughed in their faces.


    ¡°The boy, despite his name, is no villain to us. He has been abandoned by his own family, so we shall become his family.¡± He was the only one to openly speak up for him. Unfortunately, it did not turn out the way he had wanted. No matter how hard Villain tried to fit in or be helpful, everyone always treated him the same. They took advantage of him, bullied him, berated him or just completely ignored him. To the point that he could stand directly in front of them and scream in their faces only for them to look through him without reacting. As a child he just could not understand why they treated him so poorly. He couldn¡¯t stand it. What had he done to them to deserve this? Every time he reached his breaking point he would run away. Surviving on his own, on the road, wasn¡¯t easy however so he always returned. Time went on and Villain grew numb to their mistreatments, ignoring all but a few of the villagers. If there was ever anything that he needed that he could not get on his own, he would ask Yvard. Then there was Beth, the elder¡¯s wife, and their granddaughter Ahna. Beth occasionally took his mother¡¯s place in scolding him, but for the most part would allow him to do as he pleased.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± Villain opened the door to the small shed that he lived in. The one room building was equally wide as it was long, being about the length of his body when lying flat on his back. In it he kept a small chest and his bedding which he rarely used. In the summer it was too hot to sleep in, so he slept at the river or used it as a pillow. During the winter it was too thin to rely on so he would have to build a fire and hope that he didn¡¯t burn to death in his sleep. He often debated whether freezing to death was better than burning to death. In the end it didn¡¯t matter to him as long as he was asleep when it happened.


    Inside his chest he kept his only other set of clothes, his earmuffs when they weren¡¯t around his neck, and some alcohol. In reality it was just a jar of fermented berries he had gotten from Jeck, but it did the trick. It was most useful on nights when he couldn¡¯t sleep as one mouthful was enough to knock him out. If he wanted to drink for any other reason he would sip lightly for a few minutes. That was all he needed to get drunk for several hours. Jeck often made fun of him for being a lightweight but Villain knew the truth. Not even the adults wanted to drink the stuff Jeck made, it was that strong.


    Once he had closed the door behind him Villain pulled his earmuffs down and sat with his back against his bedroll. There were no windows anywhere but the cracks and holes in the paneling let in plenty of light and fresh air. He would have been grateful for them if not for the large amount of dirt they also allowed in. In the corner above his chest there was a large spider web. Villain had thought about clearing it out the day he noticed it but decided to share his living space instead. The spider in return continued to trap any other insects that invaded his home.


    ¡°Three flies since yesterday huh?¡± Villain often found himself engaging it in conversation. He even named him Minion. Every villain needs a good henchman, right?


    ¡°That might be a new record. Good work Minion.¡± Of course, it was always a one-sided conversation. As he stared into the intricate web and watched Minion scutter back and forth he heard footsteps approaching. They grew closer and closer until they stopped in front of his door. Knock, knock, knock.


    ¡°Go away.¡± After overhearing that couple talking about him, Villain was in no mood to socialize.


    ¡°That¡¯s rude. You should at least ask who it is first!¡± He grinned slightly at the sound of her voice. It was Lincera, the only girl his age in the village.


    ¡°Well then, who is it?¡±


    ¡°Lince-¡±


    ¡°Go away.¡± There was a moment of silence just long enough that Villain thought she had listened to him, before she kicked open his door. When it slammed against the wall the whole building shook and dust flooded the air.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming in! What *ack* are you even doing *cough* in here?¡± She had sucked in some dust which caused a fit of coughing.


    ¡°I mean¡­ I DO live here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking, Villain. Why are you always cooped up in here all by yourself?¡± Villain directed his index finger toward Minion sitting atop his web.


    ¡°I¡¯m not by myself, I have Minion.¡±


    ¡°A spider doesn¡¯t count.¡± Lincera rolled her eyes at him before plopping down by his side. Villain turned to face her and unintentionally swallowed. She was only a few inches away from him.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you get yelled at for being here?¡± Her father was one of the villagers that wanted him gone. If her mother were still alive, she¡¯d probably have felt the same way. Lincera shrugged.


    ¡°Have you talked to Jeck recently?¡±


    ¡°About two days ago maybe.¡± The last time he remembered seeing him was the night before last, when they were drinking by the watch tower.


    ¡°How did he seem then?¡± She shifted slightly and wrapped her arms around her knees. Villain thought about it for a moment but could not recall anything out the usual.


    ¡°Seemed like himself. Why, did something happen?¡±


    ¡°He plans on leaving the village soon.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Villain had no idea. He wondered if Jeck had purposely avoided telling him.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Is that really all you have to say about it?¡± She frowned, creating large wrinkles in her forehead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame him for wanting to leave at all. This place, and everyone here, sucks.¡± Her frown deepened and she opened her mouth to refute him, but he waved his hand. ¡°Except for a few of you.¡±


    ¡°Even so, this is our home. I could never imagine leaving it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a home, not one like you do anyway.¡± She again opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. After a moment of silence, she managed to force out a whispered question.


    ¡°Will you go too then?¡± Another moment of silence passed before Villain replied.


    ¡°If he asks, then yes.¡± Lincera stood and brushed the dirt off of her worn dress.


    ¡°You should talk to him then.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I will. It¡¯s not like anyone here would miss me if I left anyway.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Closing the door behind her, Lincera left Villain alone in his shed.


    Later that evening he found Jeck at their usual spot beneath the watchtower. He had already been drinking and was well on his way to being drunk when Villain showed up. The two of them exchanged a nod before Jeck offered him his jug.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Villain grabbed it and swallowed some before nearly dropping it due to the intense burning sensation it left in his throat. Jeck broke out in a wide grin as he took his jug back.


    ¡°This is my best stuff. You might want to sit down.¡± Villain nodded and climbed onto one of the horizontal wooden beams.


    ¡°I spoke with Lincera.¡±


    ¡°She told you then did she?¡±


    ¡°Should she not have?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I was going to eventually.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem happy about it.¡± Jeck shifted his weight from his left foot to his right and lowered his jug slightly.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The two of them sat without speaking for several minutes. Villain could feel the alcohol warming his body as it circulated. It was a comforting feeling being able to sit next to someone who didn¡¯t hate him for something as trivial as a name. From the very first time they met, Jeck had treated him like any other person. At first Villain had suspected him of having ulterior motives but eventually gave up on the notion. After the warm feeling began to subside motioned for another sip and broke the silence.


    ¡°Where will you go?¡±


    ¡°Not sure. North maybe? Could check out the capital I suppose.¡±


    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t really have many options. The borders are closed to everyone but the travelers and slavers.¡±


    ¡°Right. Besides, the rumor is that the territories outside our borders are much worse.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Jeck nodded and wiped his mouth after taking another drink himself.


    ¡°Still¡­ Anywhere is better than here.¡± Jeck remained silent for a moment as Villain lowered himself off the beam.


    ¡°You want to join me then?¡±


    ¡°When would we leave?¡±


    ¡°Day after tomorrow I should think.¡± Villain pretended to consider his offer, even though he had decided to go before coming here. When an acceptable amount of time had passed, he nodded.


    ¡°Yes, I believe I will join you then.¡± Jeck grinned and downed another bit of alcohol.


    ¡°I figured you would.¡± Villain grinned as well and tapped Jeck with his fist. With that he walked off, heading back to his shed. It was an unusually cool evening for summer which meant he could actually get comfortable in his bedding for once. It wasn¡¯t the softest material, but it was better than sleeping on the ground so any chance he got to actually use it he did.


    The next morning, he was woken by a loud knocking. He tried to ignore it and rolled over, but the knock came again. Irritated, Villain stood and threw open his door intending to lay into whoever it was. His face flushed red however when he realized he was standing half naked in front of Lincera. Before she could say anything, he slammed the door closed and began digging through his bedding, looking for his shirt. Once he found it, he pulled it over his head and shoved his arms through their holes. Taking a deep breath, he composed himself and opened the door again.


    ¡°C-Can I come in?¡± Lincera¡¯s face was red as she forced herself to keep eye contact. Villain nodded and moved back to his bedding where he sat cross legged.


    ¡°Two days in a row huh? Is your father really that busy?¡± She shook her head.


    ¡°He¡¯s asleep still. He drank quite a bit last night. It should be a few more hours until he wakes up.¡±


    ¡°What brings you here then?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see you one more time before you left.¡±


    ¡°When did you-¡±


    ¡°Jeck stopped by on his way home last night and told me.¡± She interrupted, noticing his confusion.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Lincera had closed the door behind her but remained standing. She was fidgeting with something that Villain couldn¡¯t quite see between her fingers. After the silence had grown uncomfortable, he spoke.


    ¡°Is there something else? You don¡¯t seem like you just came here to talk.¡± Her face reddened again, and she nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever see you again, so I brought you something to remember me by.¡± She unfolded her hands and held it up for him to see. His eyes widened as the necklace hung from her fingers.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take that!¡± He shouted, standing as he did. It was a silver necklace, with a long translucent crystal hanging in the center. Lincera had worn it only once before that he could remember, and that was on the day she buried her mother.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Villain. Please, take it.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how much that is worth?!¡± Villain continued in a serious manner however he lowered his voice this time. Metal objects were hard to come by, to say nothing of silver or gold. Even then, those were cheap compared to crystals.


    ¡°I do.¡± Her eyes were focused on his, and her expression determined.


    ¡°Why then?¡± They were friends, sure, but he never thought she cared about him this much. To him, she was one of very few people that he could trust and feel at ease around. Yet to her, what was he? There was nothing special about him, and nearly the entire village hated him, so why was she going so far for him?


    ¡°Because you are important to me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°Is that not enough?¡± Her brow furrowed slightly. No matter what he said, he knew she would not allow him to refuse her gift. Villain sighed and placed his palm beneath the necklace and nodded, allowing her to release it.


    ¡°Thank you, Lincera.¡± He closed his fist around it slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it safe. I promise.¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°You better.¡±

 Chapter 2: Peace and...

    Villain lay on his back holding the necklace above his face as he examined it further. The gem itself was about three inches long with another inch added to it from the mount that had been used to hang it on a chain. Although silver was quite weak, something about this silver necklace made it feel the opposite. He ran his finger over the tip and although it wasn¡¯t very sharp, he figured he could use it to cut something if he really had to.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to make sure not to fall on this.¡± Villain pulled the necklace over his head and tucked it underneath his shirt. His excitement broke out on his face in the form of a large grin as heconsideredhis life outside of the village.


    ¡°The village¡­¡± He thought about the few people here that had shown him any kindness and a bit of sadness slipped into his heart. Shaking his head, he decided to go and see them one more time before meeting Jeck and Lincera later that evening.


    Yvard was easy to find, conducting business in his home as usual. Being the elder meant constantly working and as such he lived in the largest building in the village. The idea was that all the extra space could be used to host village meetings and provide shelter in times of crisis. It was also convenient for him, as it made him easy to find whenever someone needed his assistance. The building itself was two stories tall, two houses long, and the usual width. Not a single window could be found on any wall, which Villain never got a straight answer about. Some told him it was an accident, and others said it was to prevent assassins from sneaking in. Either way, it made the building look less like a home than it did a giant pile of logs.


    Villain pushed open the only door on the building and walked in, squinting his eyes as he entered the dark room. In the center he could see a clay firepit that was roughly four feet across diagonally, a huge mound of glowing embers crackling peacefully within it. The air was just as warm inside if not warmer than it had been outside. It was the only way to illuminate the room however, with the lack of windows to allow in natural light. As his eyes adjusted, Villain began to see the inside of the building in more detail. The ceiling opened up to the second floor in this first room, making it feel much larger than it was. Clay covered all the walls, a common trait in their village to fireproof their wooden buildings. It also helped keep them warm in the winter by trapping as much heat as possible. The floor was covered in animal skins from wall to wall, without any of the original wood floor showing. Only the better off could afford to have this many skins on the ground, another sign of the elder¡¯s importance no doubt. To his left was the large staircase that lead up to the second story, and to his right was a table covered in documents and items that Villain knew nothing about. He considered taking a glance at them but decided there would be no point in doing so as he could barely read and wouldn¡¯t understand much of what was written anyway. Yvard had also scolded him for touching things on that table before, so he kept away from it for the most part.


    ¡°Villain?¡± Yvard called out from the top of the stairs, catching him off guard. Seeing the old man standing there, Villain almost wanted to turn around and leave. He had never had a serious conversation willingly before, and Yvard was the most serious person he knew. The thought of never seeing him again filled his mind though and kept him rooted to the spot.


    ¡°Can we talk?¡± His voice did not shake, but he could hear his own nervousness in it. Yvard¡¯s eyes narrowed and he was quiet for a moment before he waved for Villain to join him upstairs.


    ¡°Water?¡± Yvard held out a glass once Villain had reached the room at the top of the stairs.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He took the glass and looked around the room a bit. It was identical to the one below, except the firepit was much smaller and was surrounded by chairs. There was even a table in one corner, covered in documents. Following his gaze, Yvard let out a long sigh.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t seem to clear these tables. Every time I finish with one problem, another one shoots out of the ground. Weeds, I tell you. They¡¯re just like weeds.¡± He laughed and took up a spot on one of the chairs, motioning for Villain to do the same. Sitting in the chair opposite of Yvard, Villain gripped the glass with both hands nervously twisting it between his fingers. After several moments of silence had come and gone, he managed to force two words past his tightly closed lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± Yvard sighed once more and rubbed his temples.


    ¡°I was wondering why you came to see me. You have never been one to talk.¡± He filled a glass of his own using the water jug resting beside his chair and took a drink. ¡°Well, what¡¯s your plan this time?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have one.¡± Yvard raised his eyebrows, a concerned frown appearing on his face.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a great start.¡± Villain shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going alone this time, I¡¯ll have Jeck with me.¡± Yvard¡¯s frown only deepened.


    ¡°I had thought you were done running away. The last time you left the village was some years ago now. Why the sudden relapse?¡±


    ¡°It actually wasn¡¯t my idea. Jeck was going to leave either way, so I decided I would accompany him.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Yvard was silent for a minute before continuing. ¡°Well, what is it that I can do for you then?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t why I¡¯m here,¡± said Villain, shaking his head.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to¡­¡± He choked for a second, embarrassed by what he was trying to say. After taking a deep breath to clear his mind he continued. ¡°Thank you, Yvard. For everything.¡± Yvard¡¯s frown remained on his face as he shook his head.


    ¡°I only did what I thought was right. That isn¡¯t anything to be thankful for.¡± He shook his head again. ¡°Those idiots out there should really take a hard look at themselves, treating you the way they did and all. It is utterly shameful.¡± Villain lowered his head slightly as he looked at his feet.


    ¡°Still¡­ I am grateful.¡± Yvard was silent for a moment. When Villain looked up again, he found Yvard smiling.


    ¡°When do you leave?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Shock overtook Yvard¡¯s face. After taking a moment to recompose himself, he stood and motioned for Villain to stay put. He then left the room, heading further into the second story through a door by the table. It was several minutes later that he returned, carrying with him a small brown sack.


    ¡°I hope this will help you.¡± He tossed the sack to Villain before grabbing the metal rod laying nearby to stir the embers. Villain caught the sack with both hands and noticed that it felt heavy. When he opened it and looked inside, he found a small knife, some meat, and a waterskin. He pulled out the knife first and held it up to the light coming from the embers. It was nothing particularly fancy, but it was well taken care of. The blade extended from the tip of his middle finger to the base of his palm and looked to be freshly sharpened.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°This is for me?¡± Villain looked up with astonishment. Yvard had never given him anything, other than a place to live in the village several years ago.


    ¡°You will need it more than I will if you are going to leave. That isn¡¯t everything, keep looking.¡± Villain¡¯s curiosity rose and he dug through the sack once more. Underneath the waterskin he found a small piece of paper with something written on it that he could not read.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Confused, he held out the piece of paper.


    ¡°If you ever decide that you want to learn how to read and write properly then take that to a woman named Lizisa. The last time I heard from her, she was living in the capital.¡± Villain stared at the piece of paper for a moment, then tucked it back into the sack with the waterskin and knife.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± There was nothing else he could think to say. Yvard had helped him so much by just allowing him to stay there, and now he was helping him again even though he was leaving. If it was not for this man, Villain thought, he would probably not have survived this long.


    ¡°Are you going to see Beth and Ahna?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Do you know where they are?¡± Villain shouldered the bag and stood from his chair.


    ¡°They should be just outside the south gate. Ahna wanted to chase lizards again.¡± The thought of terrified lizards fleeing from Ahna made him smile. Villain waved an arm as he walked away from Yvard who had accompanied him to the front door. Having told him about his plan to leave made it feel more real and caused his excitement to increase. This time tomorrow, he would be on his way to a new life. He couldn¡¯t help but smile as he walked, happy that he would soon be rid of the people he hated most.


    ¡°That¡¯s creepy.¡± A woman said to her friend as Villain passed them grinning.


    ¡°I bet he¡¯s up to something, that Villain.¡±


    They spoke loudly intending for him to hear them yet even then his smile would not break. It only strengthened his resolve to be rid of them. He had several similar encounters on his way to find Beth and Ahna, but none of them bothered him in the slightest. At one point someone called out an insult and he thanked them, which left a sour and shocked look on their face. Villain almost laughed at the sight before returning on his path.


    ¡°V!¡± Ahna called out as soon as he rounded the corner. She was hovering over a rock that Villain suspected some poor lizard of taking refuge under.


    ¡°Hey, Ahna, bullying the lizards again?¡± She crumpled up her face and shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m only playing with them!¡±


    ¡°A giant like you? They probably think you are going to eat them.¡± Ahna placed her hands on her hips and stuck out her tongue.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve decided to leave again.¡± Villain turned to see Beth sitting against the outer wall, reading one of her books.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± There was no way Lincera or Jeck would have told her, and Yvard was still back in their home. Beth pointed to the sack hanging over his shoulder.


    ¡°Yvard may not show it often, but he does care about you just as much as he cares about everyone else in the village. That knife had been waiting for you since the last time you ran away.¡± Villain pulled the sack off of his shoulder and stared at it for a moment silently. The old man really had been looking out for him this whole time. His chest felt warm all of a sudden and he realized that Ahna had run up to hug him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to leave!¡± She looked up at him and her eyes were tearing up.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you just calling me a meanie ten seconds ago?¡± He smiled as she buried her face into his chest again.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it! Please stay!¡± Villain placed his hand on her head and looked up at Beth again.


    ¡°I wanted to thank you. Even though you disagreed with him, you still helped me out.¡± She closed her book and set it on the ground before placing her hands in her lap.


    ¡°You are no monster, Villain. A rude child sometimes yes, but not a terrible person. I feel foolish that I ever thought a name was anything other than a name.¡± Villain was taken by surprise when he noticed that she was also fighting back tears. This whole time he had felt like a nuisance, but maybe he was wrong.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He could not think of anything else to say in response, and they remained there in silence until Ahna finally stopped crying. When she did finish, she used her shirt to wipe her nose and face dry.


    ¡°Will you come back this time?¡± Villain shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will.¡± When she looked like she would cry again he quickly added, ¡°Not for some time anyway.¡± This seemed to calm her down.


    ¡°Are you going alone again?¡± Beth appeared concerned and rightfully so he thought, since every time before he had been solo.


    ¡°I will be with Jeck.¡±


    ¡°You might as well be alone then.¡± Beth did nothing to hide her concern, and her dislike of Jeck. For many reasons, he was widely known as a troublemaker in the village. Villain ignored her comment and pried Ahna off of him.


    ¡°I have to go meet him soon, so this is goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Are you leaving tonight?!¡± Ahna¡¯s voice was urgent. She clearly wasn¡¯t ready for him to leave just yet.


    ¡°Tomorrow morning, when the sun rises.¡±


    ¡°Then it isn¡¯t goodbye yet! I¡¯ll see you later!¡± She rushed over to Beth and tugged at her sleeve until she was on her feet. ¡°Come on, I have to make him something! He can¡¯t leave without something to remember me by!¡± Beth grabbed her book and followed Ahna through the gate a few steps before she stopped and looked back at him.


    ¡°Take care of yourself Villain.¡± Her normally serious expression was soft, almost sad. She must have known he had no intention of waiting until the sun came up. He nodded, and they left him standing alone by the south gate. The sun was beginning its descent in the sky, although it was still quite a distance from the horizon. As he looked out over the land surrounding the village his eyes were drawn to the river where he had spent many of his days.


    ¡°I have time for one more trip I guess.¡±


    Villain took off at a quick pacedown the hill. Since it was much easier, and faster, than jogging uphill he managed to reach the river before the sun could move more than an inch in the sky. As such, it was still very hot outside and he broke into a sweat during his run. When he reached the boulder, he immediately removed his shoes and placed his feet in the water. Villain lowered his back to the warm rock and looked up into the sky as the sounds of the river filled his ears. This was the one place where he could fully relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings of nature. This river had given him life just as much as Yvard had. Without the cool water he would have died from the summer heat many times. The moss that grew along the river¡¯s edge fed him and kept him healthy. As long as you ignore his first attempts at eating it, when it caused his stomach to turn inside out. After closing his eyes, he focused on the sounds around him and the memories he had of his favorite place in the world. The seconds became minutes and before he knew it, Villain had fallen asleep.


    It was the sound of screaming that finally woke him. When he opened his eyes, he noticed that the sun had already set and begun to rise again since the sky behind him was glowing red and orange while the sky above him was littered with stars. Another scream broke the short silence and Villain shot to his feet. He spun around to face the village and realized that the sun had not come back at all. The glowing sky was being caused by a huge fire in the distance. Without thinking he took off sprinting, forgetting his shoes on the boulder with the sack and his earmuffs right next to them. It wasn¡¯t until he stepped on a rather sharp rock that he realized his mistake. Cursing himself he spun around and retrieved his belongings, shoving his feet into his shoes as fast as he could.


    ¡°Why does it have to be uphill?!¡± He yelled as he pushed forward. Although, being at the top of a hill is the only reason he was even able to hear those screams or see the flames.


    ¡°That damn Jeck, probably drank too much again!¡± Villain cursed again as he ran. In the past, he had burnt down half of the village in a drunken act of pyromancy. This had happened three times, and on the third time Yvard realized that there was no stopping him and decided to provide a space where he could build fires as large as he wanted. A bonfire pit just outside the northeast gate, deep enough that it required a ladder to escape it. Another scream flew past his ears and he froze. He recognized that voice, he could never mistake it. His heart began to beat twice as fast and he shot up the hill once more. That scream belonged to Lincera, he was sure of it. Something was seriously wrong he thought as he looked up toward the fires. Just then he noticed a white flash streak through the sky, a shooting star. With the situation as it was, he decided a wish was exactly what he needed. He put all of his willpower behind it as he shouted into the sky.


    ¡°Please let me make it on time!¡±

 Chapter 3: Suffering

    Villain ran as fast as he could up the long hill that led to his village. The flames in the distance grew closer with every step causing the air surrounding him to heat up. Sweat poured down his body as he went, watering the grass with salt and blood. He had yet to notice that his fists were clenched so tightly that his fingernails were digging into his skin.


    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± Another scream pierced the night sky. Each scream only served to confirm his worry that this was no ordinary fire. Pushing himself even harder, nearly to the point that his legs threatened to give up on him, he ran. It was several minutes before the south gate was clearly visible. As he approached, he noticed what looked like two people hiding near one of the pillars. Villain called out to them when he was within shouting distance.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on h-¡± He tried to stop too quickly, and his momentum pushed him over, sending him rolling forward several feet. When he opened his eyes, he confirmed what had caused him to halt. The two villagers next to the south gate were not hiding. They were dead. Looking closer he realized that they were the ones who had been talking about him as he passed by earlier that day, and every day before that he could think of. His stomach turned and he kneeled so he could brace himself on the ground. It wasn¡¯t that he cared about them being killed in the slightest, but the way that they were killed that upset him. Their eyes had been gouged out and replaced with stones, while their tongues had been cut off completely. Even that was mild compared to what had been done to their bodies. Countless lines had been carved into them, all of which stemmed from a center point in their chest where they had been branded. It was a pair of iron balls chained together. Villain immediately recognized who this brand belonged to and his stomach turned over once more. They were the personal slavers of his territory¡¯s ruler. Another scream attacked his ears from the other side of the village.


    Standing in front of the gate he let his eyes roam over the scene before him. The entirety of the village that he could see from here was on fire. Several houses had already collapsed in the north east while the rest were still burning.


    ¡°They must have entered from that gate.¡± He mumbled to himself as he continued to scan his surroundings. Villagers¡¯ belongings, broken furniture, and the occasional body littered the main road. From what he could see the village defense group had been destroyed. If anyone had survived, then they must have been taken. It was a bitter moment for him, watching the village burn. These people were terrible to him and he hated them, but this was still his home for nearly half of his life and seeing it razed to the ground was bound to upset him. With no plan and no choice, Villain stepped forward into the burning nightmare. The walls had created an oven like effect, the heat of which assaulted his body as soon as he began walking forward.


    Breathing became difficult, and he wanted to remain somewhat quiet to avoid drawing attention, so he slowed down. Unfortunately, he was unable to skirt between houses to remain out of sight since most of them were on fire, so he continued in the center of the road. He inspected each body he came across, finding that each of them had been mutilated in the same manner. Lincera, Jeck, Ahna, Beth, and Yvard. Every time he grew closer to a body, he worried about it being one of theirs, and every time it wasn¡¯t, he let out a sigh of relief.


    As he reached the fork in the road that led to the remaining two gates he looked around. His eyes widened as he observed the small stack of bodies under the northeast gate. It seemed that most of the defense group had been overwhelmed right there, and the few he had already come across must have scattered shortly into the fighting. Gritting his teeth Villain turned onto the path leading to those bodies, needing to be sure that they weren¡¯t among them. When he reached them, he realized it was a waste of time. The bodies had been piled up intentionally, so that they could be burned. Not one of them was identifiable. Frustration welled up inside him and he kicked an unburnt piece of wood that was sticking out of the pile. The force caused two of the corpses to roll down the pile releasing a plume of rotten air. It was so disgusting when he inhaled it that he doubled over, releasing the contents of his stomach upon the ground. After taking a moment to clean his face he pushed himself upright again. Another scream sailed over the burning village and his heart exploded in his ears. It was Lincera¡¯s voice again.


    Villain took off sprinting toward the west side of the village hoping that he could catch them before they left. As he ran, he pulled his new knife out of the sack he was carrying before he dropped it to the ground. The weight in his hand felt solid, and with the adrenaline coursing through his blood he had no doubt at all that he would be able to save not just Lincera, but everyone else too. It was then that he found himself standing in front of the elder¡¯s house which was ablaze like the rest of them. What really caught his attention, however, was the large wooden pillar that had been erected in the middle of the road. The pillar was easily twice his height, and just as thick as his torso. If they had not buried the base it would likely have fallen over. Villain looked up and froze. At the top, bound by thick chains with nails driven into them, was Yvard.


    ¡°N-No way.¡± He could not believe what he was seeing. The old man had always seemed like the strongest, most reliable person in the village so there was no way he could lose. No matter how much he fought it though he could not bring himself to reject what was right before his eyes.


    ¡°V-Villain¡­¡± Yvard spoke so softly that his voice was nearly washed away in the sounds of the crackling fires. Villain¡¯s heart lurched as tears flooded his vision. Yvard¡¯s voice had never sounded so weak to him before now.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Yvard!¡± He cried out, tears breaking through and spilling down his face. He rushed forward and reached up to pull the chains off without thinking.


    ¡°AHHH!¡± Yvard cried out in pain as the nails dug into his flesh with every tug of the chains. Villain¡¯s arms went limp as he released the chains and stared up at the old man. Tears flowed freely down his face as he observed the extent of Yvard¡¯s injuries.


    ¡°What should I do? What can I do?!¡± He cried harder and fell to his knees as Yvard weakly shook his head. Fresh blood began sliding down the pillar, proof that he had only succeeded in hurting him more.


    ¡°They t-took th-¡± Yvard choked on the blood climbing up his throat. With what strength he had left he continued speaking. ¡°Beth¡­ A-Ahna.¡± Villain locked eyes with him and fell to his knees, the energy now gone from his legs. Yvard was crying. The man that he owed his life to, and looked up to above all others, was looking at him with helpless tear-filled eyes. The pain in his heart now was greater than any he had known before, including the day his parents had abandoned him.


    ¡°I won¡¯t just leave you here! I can¡¯t!¡± The pleading look on Yvard¡¯s face grew more desperate. When he tried to speak, more blood came spurting into his throat.


    ¡°Stop! Please don¡¯t speak!¡± Yvard was on the edge of death and seeing the old man forcing himself to speak at the risk of crossing that line was something Villain could not handle.


    ¡°P-Please¡­ Villain.¡± Blood spurt out of his mouth, several drops of which landed on Villain¡¯s upturned face.


    ¡°No more! I don¡¯t want you to die!¡± Villain dug his fists into the dirt beneath him and rocked back and forth. Looking back to Yvard he found that his eyes had glossed over. The light had faded from them making them appear more like painted balls of glass now. Realizing what that meant, he threw his head back and loosed a pained cry into the sky.


    ¡°Yvaaaaaaaaaarrrd!¡± Unable to cope with his loss, Villain slammed his forehead against the pillar. The pain he felt brought him a strange sense of relief, so he slammed his head against the pillar once more. Then another, and another. Again, and again and again he slammed his head against the pillar until his blood had mixed into Yvard¡¯s as it crawled to the earth below. When he finally stopped, his head resting firmly against the base of the pillar, his eyes were drawn to the knife he had discarded in his initial haste. The blade caught the light of the fires and seemed to glow a reddish orange. Seeing the knife appear so angry reignited the fire in his body and he used the pillar to climb to his feet.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± He spoke to the knife as he picked it off the ground. ¡°We should kill them.¡± Gripping it tightly in his right hand, he allowed his arms to hang at his sides as he looked up at Yvard one last time. Villain stood there, wobbling slightly, staring up at his body with eyes so wide that you would not believe he had eyelids. Slowly, his lips began to twitch and curve into a twisted smile. A small laugh escaped from his throat as he repeated himself. ¡°We should kill them.¡±


    As fast as he could run, Villain took off down the road. It had been several minutes since he last heard a scream. If he ran fast enough, he might just catch them outside the gates, before they were out of sight. As he ran his lungs screamed in pain from all the smoke he had inhaled but he ignored them and kept pushing. The west gate came into view shortly after he took off. At his current pace he figured it would take him another five minutes to reach it, and if he was lucky another ten to reach the slavers group. Bodies still lined the sides of the road, but he no longer cared who they were. Lincera, Beth, and Ahna had all been taken which meant that the bodies were not theirs. The only one unaccounted for was Jeck, and he would have to wait if Villain wanted to save the others in time. Besides, he thought, Jeck might have been captured as well. In his distraction he failed to notice the body in front of him and tripped over it. Refusing to slow down or stop, Villain allowed himself to fall and rolled forward back onto his feet. Immediately he set off again.


    Just as he figured, he reached the gate in just under five minutes. What he had not accounted for was that as he passed through the gate, another person called out his name.


    ¡°Villain!¡± Hearing the familiar voice, Villain glanced over his shoulder and locked eyes with Jeck.


    ¡°Which way?!¡± He yelled, without stopping. Jeck threw his hand up and pointed southwest. The slavers had apparently abandoned the road which meant that they were going to travel alongside the river. Villain adjusted his direction and gripped the knife tighter. He was running downhill now so his speed would increase, but that was the same for them as well.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Was the last thing he heard from Jeck as he bolted away. Villain promised himself he would get answers later and pushed him from his mind. As he ran, he glanced over the landscape finding nothing but darkness in front of him at first. Increasing his speed so that he was running dangerously fast for a downhill slope he drove forward. After another minute or so he caught a flicker of light in the distance. He recognized thefaint glow of a torch and his strength renewed itself.


    ¡°I can do this!¡± He told himself as more torches popped into view. The hill began to level out as the river grew closer which meant that he could continue his pace without the risk of tumbling downhill. Only three minutes more of this and he would be within reach. Villain had never fought with a knife before, but it seemed fairly simple to him. You stick the sharp end into the enemy, and slash. There was no way for him to count how many slavers there were from this distance, so he told himself it didn¡¯t matter. He would just have to kill them all.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± This time it was Ahna¡¯s voice that he recognized. His rage boiled over and caused him to cry out without thinking.


    ¡°Ahnaaa!¡± There was no way he could surprise them now. He cursed himself under his breath for announcing his presence.


    ¡°Villaaaiin!¡± It wasn¡¯t just Ahna who called out to him. He could hear Lincera as well, mixed in with several other voices that he could not identify. Villain had become so focused on catching up to them that he failed to realize someone was chasing him as well.


    ¡°Shit kid. I almost believed you could do it. I gotta hand it to you though, you sure can run.¡± Fear and shock overtook his senses as Villain spun his head around just in time to see the man behind him swinging a small club. In an instant, everything went black.

 Chapter 4: Mourning

    Villain found himself surrounded in complete darkness. Floating through this empty space, he could only hear the sounds of screams echoing in his ears. A sense of urgency flowed through him, with each one growing stronger. There was something he absolutely had to do, no matter the cost, but he could not remember what it was or why it was so important. The only thing he could remember was that he had been running.


    ¡°Was I running away from something?¡± he wondered. That didn¡¯t seem right though. It wasn¡¯t the type of urgency you would expect to feel if your life was in danger. As he sifted through the possible scenarios that would cause him to run with such urgency, his frustration began to increase. To make matters worse, the side of his head was steadily and painfully throbbing.


    ¡°That man really did a number on me¡­¡± Villain mumbled without realizing what he was saying. When the words sank in, an image of the man flashed before his eyes. He grabbed hold of that memory, like tugging on a loose thread, and suddenly found himself recounting everything that had transpired in reverse order. The sense of urgency that had been gnawing at him doubled and he began to panic. They were all gone! Everyone was either killed or taken! He let out a small gasp. I have to save her!


    ¡°Lincera!¡± Villain shot upright in his cot. With wide eyes he spun his head around, unable to recognize any of his surroundings. He found himself lying in what looked like an expensive, but well worn tent, which housed several other cots besides his own. All of which were equally high in quality.


    ¡°He¡¯s awake!¡± Villain shot his eyes in the direction of a man¡¯s voice just in time to watch someone disappear through a flap in the tent. He reached for his knife only to find out it had been taken from him while he was unconscious. Scowling, he rushed over to the flap and peeked through it carefully. Not wanting to draw attention meant that he could only open it about an inch, but it was enough to see that a small group of people were heading straight for him. He quickly closed the flap and scanned the room. There were no obvious places to hide so he ripped the blanket off his cot and tucked himself away in the corner next to the entrance. Luckily, he thought, none of the other cots were occupied at the moment. As the sound of footsteps grew closer Villain sucked in a deep breath and held it, waiting for the first person to enter.


    ¡°Just how lo-¡± Before the man could finish his sentence Villain launched himself onto his back and wrapped his arms around his throat. Squeezing as hard as he could, he hoped that he would be able to take at least one of them down before he made a break for it. Unfortunately for him, however, his strength had not fully returned so he was easily shaken off. Villain was only on the ground for a moment before he pulled himself back to his feet. Ready to fight his way through the group Villain pushed forward, only to stop himself immediately. The one he had jumped onto was none other than Jeck.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?!¡± Jeck yelled, rubbing his throat. ¡°First you sleep all day and night, and now you¡¯re attacking people without warning!¡± His face was flushed as he yelled. ¡°Psycho! Did he hit you too hard or something?!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Villain shouted back, looking at the two men standing behind Jeck with amused expressions. ¡°Why is HE here?!¡± Villain pointed at the man on his right who he recognized as the one to knock him unconscious in the first place.


    ¡°Would you just! Just calm down!¡± Jeck planted his rear on the nearest cot and leaned forward, resting his elbows on both knees. ¡°A lot has happened. We need to catch you up.¡± Jeck waved his arm for Villain to sit as well, but he refused.


    ¡°No thank you.¡± He would not take his eyes off the man responsible for his intense headache, just as the man would not take his eyes off of Villain.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t our enemies Villain.¡± Villain immediately shot a dirty look at Jeck and spat out his response.


    ¡°You told them our names?! We don¡¯t even know who these people are!¡± Jeck opened his mouth but the man on the left raised his hand.


    ¡°I am Gene, and this here is Vern.¡± Gene grabbed the back of Vern¡¯s neck and shoved his torso down into a bow. ¡°We apologize for the rough handling, but I assure you we had your best interests at heart.¡± He held the man there for a moment before releasing him and continuing. ¡°With a name such as yours, I do not blame you for being upset, however I want to assure you that it holds no meaning to any of us.¡±


    ¡°Us?¡± Villain was quick to pick up on the implication. The number of cots, the size of the tent, and the way the two men were dressed all shouted that they weren¡¯t alone. Gene smiled and held out his arms in a welcoming gesture.


    ¡°We are the Travelers.¡± Villain¡¯s eyes narrowed as he considered what the man was saying for a moment. If it was true, then it would not be outlandish to assume this impressive setup was possible. In fact, he realized, it was the only answer that would make sense. He lowered his arms slightly and took a deep breath.


    ¡°I see. What do you mean by a name such as mine?¡± Jeck shifted uncomfortably as he studied Villain¡¯s face.


    ¡°I would assume, and I could be wrong so forgive me, that your parents were what we call ¡®Power Seekers¡¯.¡± When Villain did not react, he continued. ¡°Power Seekers are those that would do whatever it takes in order to obtain even the tiniest sliver of the Immortals¡¯ powers. I myself have come across countless people who have been named things such as Demon, Devil, Evil, Overlord, Ruler, you name it. Cults performing strange rituals, sacrificing children, worshiping Immortals, anything and everything you can imagine. They are desperate for a taste of the terrifying power that they fear so much.¡± Villain lowered his head as he remembered everything his parents used to talk about. It was as Gene said, a constant quest and hungering for power that they were unable to obtain. Even going so far as to name him Villain before dumping him in some random town, alone.


    ¡°So, there are others then?¡± Gene nodded.


    ¡°You are right to guard your name son. There are many people who will associate you with Power Seekers and in doing so they will extend their fear and hatred toward you as well.¡± Villain looked up once more and met his gaze.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Jeck shifted again, reacting to the underlying challenge in his voice.


    ¡°As I said before. We are not bothered by it. A name, to us, is only a name.¡± After remaining silent for a moment, Villain nodded. Jeck breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Will you sit down now?¡± Villain looked from Jeck, to Gene, to Vern, and back to Jeck before he sighed and plopped down on a nearby cot.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my stuff?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll return it once we finish.¡± This time it was Vern who spoke. His voice was much deeper than Villain remembered, most likely because he wasn¡¯t running this time.


    ¡°Finish? With what?¡±


    ¡°Catching you up, you idiot. Did you already forget what I said?!¡± Jeck yelled and shook his fist. Villain smirked slightly as he reminded him of an angry Yvard. Then the image of Yvard on the pillar overlapped his happier one and his mood soured again.


    ¡°Catching me up with what? The villagers were killed. Yvard is dead, and Beth, Ahna, and Lincera have all been kidnapped. We¡¯re going after them.¡± The men in the room all exchanged knowing, nervous glances. When they remained silent for too long Villain became irritated. ¡°We ARE going after them, right?¡± He turned to face Jeck. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Beth is dead, Villain.¡± Jeck¡¯s words slapped him in the face. With his mouth hanging open, Villain stared at him.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dead. She¡¯s dead, and the bastards that killed her got away.¡± Without warning Villain¡¯s ears began ringing quite loudly.


    ¡°No, that isn¡¯t true. I-I searched all the bodies before I chased after them. She wasn¡¯t there!¡± Jeck shook his head.


    ¡°So, you really didn¡¯t notice her? I see¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Just listen.¡± Jeck took a deep breath and sat upright. ¡°When the village was attacked, I was passed out drunk. By the time I woke up to the sound of screaming, most of the damage had already been done. I ran around the corner of the west gate and froze when I found myself facing three slavers. They hadn¡¯t noticed me yet, so I turned around and hid myself in the empty watchtower.¡±


    ¡°You ran?! You should have fought them!¡±


    ¡°I panicked Villain! Without a weapon there was nothing I could have done! That¡¯s not the point right now anyway, just listen!¡± Villain closed his mouth and folded his arms over his chest. He was angry, but whether that anger was due to Jeck¡¯s inaction or his own lateness he was not sure.


    ¡°Fine. Continue.¡±


    ¡°When the fighting stopped, I peeked my head over the wall and found at least forty slavers moving out of the village. They had Lincera, Ahna, and a handful of other villagers all tied up in the center of their group. Beth however¡­¡± He paused, unable to push the words out of his mouth. After several minutes he took a deep breath and continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but they were dragging her behind them in the rear. Although, it wasn¡¯t just her. It was all of the older villagers. They were treating them all like cargo. It was terrible.¡± Jeck looked up at the ceiling and blinked several times. ¡°The ones responsible for her group had slowed down so their boss gave the order to cut one loose. They cut her throat and left her lying under the tower.¡± When Jeck looked back at Villain, he found tears rolling down his face. ¡°There was nothing I could do, Villain. By the time it was safe enough for me to go down and help her, she was already¡­ She had died.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Gene walked up to Jeck and placed a hand on his shoulder. The older man¡¯s eyes were distant, somewhere Villain was sure he did not want to be. It was clear that he had suffered his fair share of loss in this life.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here kid.¡± Vern leaned against one of the supporting poles of the tent and faced Villain. ¡°After I knoc-¡­stopped¡­you, I followed after them. My intention was to find an opportunity to free your friends, but as Jeck already said there were too many of them. It has been a long time since I¡¯ve seen a group of slavers this large. I had to turn back when they crossed the river, but they shouldn¡¯t be hard to find.¡± Vern reached into his pocket and pulled out a small metallic object. He tossed it to Villain who barely managed to catch it before it hit the ground.


    ¡°This is their symbol.¡± Villain recognized it as the one that was carved into the villagers¡¯ bodies.  Vern nodded.


    ¡°With this, we know exactly what group is responsible and how to find them.¡±


    ¡°Then what are we waiting for?!¡± Villain shot to his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go after them!¡± Vern shook his head.


    ¡°I understand your desire to rescue your friends, and maybe even your desire to get revenge for the old woman but we can¡¯t just rush after them.¡±


    ¡°Why not?!¡±


    ¡°Kid, we¡¯ve got jobs to do. We don¡¯t just travel town to town for shits and giggles. Without the supplies we trade, the entire territory system would collapse, and we¡¯d be sent back into the hundred-year war period.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you even bother doing anything at all?!¡± Vern placed his hand to his temples, clearly frustrated.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t monsters, of course we are going to help if we see innocent people being attacked. We just can¡¯t spare the time or the manpower to go after a group that large, with that much of a head start.¡± Villain remained fixed in place, quietly stewing over everything that he had heard to this point. After several minutes of silence, and tension, he spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m going, whether you help me or not. I won¡¯t abandon them.¡± He turned to face Jeck, eyes glaring down at him. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Did I ever tell you the reason why I wanted to leave the village?¡± Villain¡¯s face was growing more impatient, but he shook his head anyway. ¡°I wanted to get stronger, so that I could protect everyone. I thought that if I left the village, I would be able to meet someone who could teach me to be stronger, train me how to use a sword properly. When I ran away and hid, I realized that I¡¯m nothing but a coward.¡± Jeck stood up and clenched his fists in front of him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a coward. I don¡¯t want to watch anymore of the people I care about die.¡± After a moment of staring at his fists, he unclenched them and let his arms fall to his sides. ¡°But they¡¯re right Villain. There is nothing we can do about them right now.¡± Villain opened his mouth to object, to lash out at Jeck, but Gene stopped him by raising his hand again.


    ¡°As I thought, it really did turn out like this.¡± He scratched his chin and let out a deep sigh. ¡°Villain, after talking with Jeck and assessing the damages to your village we have come to an agreement.¡± Villain raised his eyebrow skeptically.


    ¡°And that is?¡±


    ¡°Your village is done for. The surviving villagers will not be able to rebuild this place with or without you. Afterall, including the two of you, there are only eight of you left. Even if we were to rescue everyone, from what Vern told me that would only leave you with around twenty-five.¡± Villain¡¯s mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. The village had been home to nearly a hundred people. To be wiped out to just eight, overnight, was insane to him. He turned to Jeck, who just shook his head, and fell back onto the cot behind him. It wasn¡¯t that he was particularly saddened by the huge losses, as much as he was shocked.


    ¡°That many¡­ In one night¡­¡± Gene nodded.


    ¡°Which is why we have agreed to allow any who are willing to accompany us as far as the next village. If they will not take you in, then we will allow you to continue until we find someone who will.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Villain stared silently at the metallic trinket.


    ¡°This is the most we can do kid. With that in your hands, you should be more than capable of finding them if you still wish to do so once you¡¯ve calmed down. For now, I suggest you focus on finding a new home for them to return to.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right Villain.¡± Jeck stood and placed his hand on Villain¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We don¡¯t really have any other choices at the moment.¡±


    When Villain remained silent, the three of them left the tent and allowed him some time to think. No matter how many ways he looked at his situation, Villain could not find a faster way to save Lincera than following them immediately. There was just one major problem with that plan though, and that was his lack of strength. If he went alone, he would die. Even if he managed to convince Jeck, or the entire group of Travelers, they would lose when faced with the carnage those slavers had wrought in just one night. After what seemed like an hour had passed, Jeck stuck his head into the tent.


    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± Villain looked up, confused.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°The bonfire.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± The bonfire was how they sent off their dead. With all the stories about the undead from the past, it had become common practice to cremate your loved ones as to prevent them from rising again. Villain stood and followed Jeck out of the tent before stopping, sucking in a large breath in shock.


    ¡°Most of the village was destroyed in the fires, and what remained has been torn down for the bonfire. There are so many bodies that they don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have enough wood to fully cremate them all.¡±


    ¡°Where are we-¡± Villain cut his sentence short as he looked around and found a pillar of wood and corpses almost tall enough to rival the elders¡¯ home. It was in what used to be the center of the village.


    ¡°I tried to convince them to make a separate fire for Yvard and Beth, but they refused. This is probably how they would want it anyway.¡±


    ¡°Why did they refuse?¡±


    ¡°Same reason I mentioned. Lack of resources.¡± Villain nodded. He could understand why after seeing just how large the pile really was and had to strain his eyes just to find the pieces of wood shoved between the bodies.


    ¡°Are they lighting it now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Who is doing it?¡± Jeck pointed over to a small group of people standing at the base of the pile.


    ¡°We are.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Jeck started toward the pile slowly, Villain following just a step behind. As they drew nearer, they both brought their shirts up over their nose. It had not even been a week but the smell of so many together was overpowering. Villain was almost glad that he had not eaten beforehand, fearing that he might have wasted the food if he had.


    ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± One of the Travelers near the base beckoned for them to come forward and handed them each a lit torch.


    ¡°The eight of you, shall send off your loved ones.¡± Villain looked at the faces around him. Sure enough, all six of the ones with torches were surviving villagers. Thankfully, he thought, they were some of the better ones. That is until he faced the sixth person. A man named Sprigor, who had often taken it upon himself to publicly harass Villain. Whereas most villagers would do the same when he passed by, Sprigor would seek out Villain purposefully whenever he had the chance to do so.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t need one.¡± Sprigor pointed at Villain¡¯s torch.


    ¡°Leave it alone.¡± Jeck growled. Although Sprigor was many years older than them, in his early thirties, he was much smaller. The man was short statured and twig like. Villain had often attributed his size to his excessively poor personality.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Sprigor turned away and walked around the pile to the opposite side.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Anytime. He¡¯s all bark anyway.¡± Jeck laughed quietly. The Traveler standing nearest their group cleared his throat, drawing everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± He looked to each of the eight, giving them a moment to resolve themselves. When they had all consented the man turned and addressed the crowd that had been gathering behind them.


    ¡°It is all too common in our world today, a tragedy such as this one. If the stories of old are to be believed, then man once lined the horizon with villages and cities far grander than we could imagine. Now we are reduced to far scattered settlements such as this one, and even still we continue to decline. If only it were not so, then we could instead celebrate life. Yet today, we are in mourning. Though we ourselves did not know these people, the eight behind me did. They will light the fires that send their friends and families into the next life, thereby saving them from an existence of suffering servitude.¡± As his voice trailed off, the eight of them lowered their torches to the wooden base beneath the pile. Villain hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should really be participating, until Jeck nodded in his direction.


    ¡°Rest easy Beth, Yvard, and thank you for everything. I swear to you I will save Ahna and pay them back for everything they did to you two.¡± As the fires spread and the pile began to burn as one, the eight of them stood in place. It did not take long for the heat to become unbearable, yet still they did not move. Each of them searching for the ones they loved within the fires. Only when their skin threatened to sear did they finally submit and step back. The bonfire burned for several hours, with everyone remaining downwind to avoid the stench and debris. When it had finally become a pile of embers, they were relieved to find no trace of the corpses they had burned.


    ¡°Care for a drink?¡± Jeck asked as he approached Villain. He shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in the tent.¡± Jeck placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded.


    ¡°Take your time, but don¡¯t take too long.¡±


    Once again Villain found himself alone. He was unable to make any progress however, as the only thing he could think of was the sight of burning corpses. One of the surviving villagers, a woman, had been crying the entire time they were standing in front of the pyre and for some reason he could not shake the image from his mind. Frustrated, he began to pace back and forth, desperately trying to focus on the decision he had yet to make. When the pain in his legs became too much, he returned to his cot and continued to run over the situation in his head. It was a no-win situation. They either all became slaves or died, or just the ones that had already been captured would suffer that fate. As Villain was about to rip out a handful of hair, Jeck pushed his way into the tent.


    ¡°Hungry?¡± Villain looked up and found a bowl of steaming soup resting in Jeck¡¯s hand. He had not been paying attention to his stomach but seeing the food made him realize just how long had gone by without him eating.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Villain placed a spoonful of the hot broth into his mouth. Although he slightly burned his tongue, he found his mood slightly uplifted by the delicious flavor. It was only chicken soup, but he had spent so many days of his life eating moss that this might as well have been a delicacy for him.


    ¡°It¡¯s good right?¡± Villain nodded his head.


    ¡°If only they could taste it.¡± The words escaped from his mouth before he realized it, and once again the mood had become sullen. It was silent for several minutes before Villain spoke again.


    ¡°Have you made a decision?¡±


    ¡°We either need to recruit a small army or become Immortals.¡± Nothing short of those two options would let them save everyone in time. It was an exaggeration of course, but that was how he felt.


    ¡°Immortals huh?¡± Jeck grimaced. ¡°You sure it was your parents that were power seekers?¡± Villain smirked and shrugged.


    ¡°You know what I mean though. We aren¡¯t strong enough to do anything with just the two of us, and they clearly aren¡¯t going to do anything more than shepherd us around from one village to another until they can wash their hands of us.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I blame them. They have a good life honestly. Travelers can come and go as they please between the borders, and they enjoy a lavish lifestyle we could only dream of. If you ask me, staying with them is probably better than joining another village.¡± At that moment Villain¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°You¡¯re right Jeck. We should just stick with them.¡±


    ¡°What? Ah, but, no they already said-¡±


    ¡°No, this is it. This is how we save them. We have to convince them to let us stay!¡±


    ¡°How is this-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? This isn¡¯t the first time they¡¯ve ran into this group of slavers, and I figure it won¡¯t be the last. If we stick with them, and get stronger in the meantime, then it should only be a matter of time until we reach them again.¡±


    ¡°What if it is already too late by then?¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself earlier. We don¡¯t have a choice. Even if we went now, right now, we would only get killed or captured ourselves. This is our best chance.¡± Jeck was silent for awhile as he mulled it over. Finally, he let out a long sigh and stood placing his empty bowl on the cot.


    ¡°Lincera, Ahna, everyone. They better hang in there until we reach them.¡± Villain nodded. As the other survivors began to trickle into the tent for sleep, they decided to pause their conversation.


    ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Villain said, slipping under a blanket. ¡°We¡¯ll continue this then.¡± Jeck nodded and the two of them, together with the six others, retired for the evening.

 Chapter 5: Starting Line

    The next day Villain and Jeck found themselves much too busy to continue their conversation. As soon as they awoke, they were tasked with learning how to tear down the tents, starting with their own, so that they could make themselves useful as they accompanied the Travelers.


    ¡°Why is this so complicated?!¡± Jeck shouted at a tent pole lying on the ground. He had been trying to fold it into a small enough length that it would fit into the cloth sack he was provided yet was unable to do so. It was made of a material unfamiliar to him that the Travelers refused to identify, only saying that it was of their personal design and nothing more. It would bend when enough pressure was applied to it and snap straight as soon as that pressure was released. The problem Jeck was having involved the release of pressure as he tried to shove the folded pole into the sack. The second he let go with one of his hands it would snap out of the other one and fly several feet away.


    ¡°Just let me hold it open for you already!¡± Villain, who found the sight amusing at first, was growing agitated in Jeck¡¯s stubborn refusal of any help.


    ¡°I can do it damn you!¡± Jeck stormed over to the sack lying on the ground, folded pole in both hands, and glared at it for a moment. Then he nodded his head once to himself and slammed the pole on the ground in front of the sack¡¯s opening. Inch by inch he slowly wiggled the pole into the sack, sliding his hand over the fabric as he went. When he finally managed to fit the entire pole in and secure it closed, he placed his hands on his hips as if striking a victory pose.


    ¡°Great job. Now, can we work together for the rest?¡± Villain swung his head and gestured toward the other nine poles, each as long as the first, lying in a pile by the stack of cots. Several passing women laughed as Jeck deflated immediately and sheepishly nodded his head.


    ¡°Get a move on you two, there are many more tents that need to be torn down!¡± Vern, and several other people including Gene, were busy plotting their route on some rather large map that had been placed on the ground. Villain and Jeck managed to get a good look at it before they started but could not make heads or tails of what they were seeing. Neither of them had seen a map before and were never taught how to read one so to them it just looked like a bunch of lines and colors.


    ¡°Did they tell you where we¡¯re going?¡± Villain asked Jeck as they began working on the rest of the poles. Jeck shook his head, grabbed a sack and held it open for Villain.


    ¡°Apparently that small group of people are the only ones who can read a map, so they help decide the route. Outside of that the others aren¡¯t told where they are heading next to prevent anyone from selling that information.¡± After thinking about it for a moment Villain came to understand why. The Travelers were one of the wealthiest groups of people outside of the capital city and he figured many people would want to try their hand at robbing them.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to wait and see like everyone else then eh?¡± Jeck nodded and the two of them finished their task in silence. Once they had gotten the hang of it, packing up the tent poles wasn¡¯t a difficult task. As long as they worked together anyway. After the poles and the cots were loaded onto a wagon, the tent itself was wrapped over them to protect them from any bad weather. It was a process that they soon came to appreciate as it allowed them to work without their minds wandering away to darker places.


    After the camp had been packed away and everyone had readied themselves to move out, Vern gathered the eight survivors in one place. There he gave them a quick overview of the responsibilities of each part of the caravan and ensured them that if they could keep up and follow their rules, they would be safe.


    ¡°We don¡¯t move fast, and we don¡¯t take breaks often, so use your energy wisely.¡± The eight of them nodded and took their designated place in the center. Everyone except Villain and Jeck that is.


    ¡°Where are we going exactly?¡± Villain asked as they were pulled away from the others.


    ¡°You will be following me today. As for Jeck, I have someone I think he should get to know.¡± The two of them followed Vern toward the front of the caravan, passing several curious eyes along the way, and stopped when they had reached a small gathering of armed men.


    ¡°Is this the boy?¡± A large older man that stood almost two feet taller than them slapped his hand on Vern¡¯s shoulder and pointed his chin at Jeck.


    ¡°Aye, this is him.¡± Jeck looked back and forth between their two faces before speaking.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The large man eyed him up and down several times, grunting to himself every so often, before stepping toward Jeck and reaching out a hand.


    ¡°I hear you want to be a hero kid.¡± Immediately Jeck¡¯s face turned red and his eyes shifted to Vern who was stifling a grin rather unsuccessfully. ¡°Well? Is that true or are you saying that Vern here is a liar?¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s not-¡­I don¡¯t want to-¡± Jeck became flustered as he looked back and forth between them once more.


    ¡°Spit it out kid!¡± Vern yelled from behind the large man, still trying to maintain his composure.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s hear it!¡± The large man in front of him leaned down, his eyes squinted as he watched Jeck¡¯s face.


    ¡°I want to learn how to fight! ¡­S-Sir?¡± His body was stiff and tense as he waited in silence for the man to respond. As the seconds grew longer, he began to wonder if there was something wrong with what he said.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°To fight hmm.¡± The man leaned in a little closer, close enough that Jeck could now feel his breath against his face. It smelled like stale wine and tobacco. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°T-To protect my villa-¡­¡± Jeck trailed off into silence, turning his head slightly so that he could see the rubble that was left of his home. The man stood straight again and grunted.


    ¡°You¡¯re a little too late aren¡¯t cha?¡± The man scanned the horizon as well for a moment before setting his gaze back to Jeck. ¡°So now tell me. For what reason do you wish to learn how to fight?¡± Jeck returned his gaze as well and remained silent for another minute before he answered.


    ¡°There are people that still need me.¡± Vern shook his head behind the large man and turned around.


    ¡°Now you¡¯ve done it kid. Let¡¯s go Villain.¡± At the sound of his name the large man snapped his gaze in his direction and Villain froze. It was the same as it had been with Jeck. Villain found himself subjected to a full scan from head to toe.


    ¡°I see. So, we have a villain,¡± the large man shifted his gaze back to Jeck, ¡°and a hero. What a strange pair the two of you make.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a name.¡± Villain found himself spitting it out before he could think. The man¡¯s eyes narrowed for a moment as the air around them thickened before cracking a smile and leaning back.


    ¡°You are right.¡± He said waving Villain past so that he may follow Vern who was tapping his foot impatiently. As Villain moved past him the man added one last sentiment. ¡°For now, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Leave the kid alone Griff.¡± Vern said over his shoulder as he continued to walk toward the very front of the caravan. Villain, now in a much worse mood, followed in silence. As they grew further away the sound of Jeck¡¯s interrogation faded until eventually he could no longer hear them. After several minutes passed the signal horn to move out resounded through the air and everyone began to push forward. Without realizing it Villain followed Vern to the very front and then continued to push out ahead of the caravan. His mood had distracted him long enough that they were now several dozen feet ahead.


    ¡°What are we doing out here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I told you before didn¡¯t I? I¡¯m the scout.¡± Villain turned his head behind them and squinted, trying to make out Jeck¡¯s position and failing.


    ¡°Then why did you bring me?¡±


    ¡°Would you have preferred to stay with Griff?¡± Villain frowned and faced forward once more.


    ¡°No.¡± Vern laughed at his quick response.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t a bad guy, really. He¡¯s just a bit¡­paranoid? No, no I should say superstitious I guess.¡± Villain raised one questioning eyebrow which prompted Vern to let out a small sigh. ¡°You aren¡¯t the first power seeker¡¯s child he has met. While they don¡¯t actually inherit power, many of them inherit terrible personalities. Griff isn¡¯t one to go into detail about his past, but he did tell me two things. The first is that he showed great kindness to a woman named Soul and the second is that she betrayed him.¡±


    ¡°She betrayed him?¡± Villain asked, glancing back toward the caravan to make sure Griff wasn¡¯t sneaking up behind him.


    ¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t know the details. All I know is that when we found him, he was mostly dead. I honestly think it was his anger that kept him alive long enough for us to heal him.¡± Vern yawned and stretched his arms above his head.


    ¡°Soul huh¡­¡± Villain mumbled her name under his breath, trying to commit it to memory in case they ever crossed paths. Then it occurred to him that Vern had still not answered his original question. ¡°So why did you bring me?¡±


    ¡°To see who is faster.¡± Vern smirked and stopped walking. Villain tilted his head, confused.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You heard me kid. It¡¯s a footrace.¡± Vern began squatting and stretching his legs while Villain stared at him, dumbstruck.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking right?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°You are clearly faster!¡± Villain protested, referring to the first time they had met when Vern had knocked him unconscious.


    ¡°Tch. That doesn¡¯t count!¡±


    ¡°How does it not?!¡±


    ¡°Neither of us were rested.¡± Vern smiled and leaned over with one arm in the air and the other on his hip.


    ¡°Why does it matter which of us is faster?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you win.¡± Villain frowned and looked back at the caravan that was closing in on them at a decent rate.


    ¡°Is this really okay?¡± He turned back to Vern, who nodded.


    ¡°You see that mountain in the distance?¡± Vern pointed northwest and Villain traced his gaze until he found it. Sure enough there was a small mountain out there, so far away that he could have easily mistaken it for a large hill.


    ¡°What of it?¡±


    ¡°There is a small lake at the base of it.¡± Villain frowned again.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Kid do I have to spell everything out for you?¡± Vern seemed to be growing frustrated, so Villain shrugged. With a sigh Vern continued speaking. ¡°It is a freshwater lake, which means we can drink it.¡± Villain looked over his shoulder in the direction they had come from, toward the ruins of his village and the river behind it.


    ¡°There was water back there though.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t called the Travelers because we stay in one place kid. We stay on the move, and as such we need to find places to refill our water stores. That lake is the next source of water.¡± Villain licked his lips as the thought of water made him thirsty. Reaching into his sack he pulled out the waterskin he had been given and took a large draft. ¡°We¡¯re scouting kid. Think about what that means for a moment.¡± Vern nodded toward his waterskin. This time Villain only needed a moment to understand what he was saying. If they were scouting, then they were going to be quite far ahead of the rest, which meant being quite far away from more water. He licked his lips again as the thought made him thirstier.


    ¡°Will we be joining them again before reaching the lake?¡± His worry was evident in the tone of his voice and Vern smirked as he shook his head.


    ¡°Like I said. It¡¯s a footrace.¡± He pointed toward the mountain again and took a deep breath. ¡°The first one to the lake wins. As long as you head straight toward the mountain, you won¡¯t miss it.¡± After another moment of thought Villain began to stretch as well.


    ¡°You never told me what happens if I lose.¡±  Vern laughed and turned toward the caravan which was now only twenty feet away. Villain turned with him and found Jeck off to one side struggling to pull a wagon by himself while Griff sat on top of it yelling at him.


    ¡°You have to join your buddy for some light exercise.¡± Villain frowned deeply as he watched Jeck slip and hit the ground, sending a small dirt cloud up around him.


    ¡°Is he really going to be okay?¡± Vern smirked and let out a loud whistle to which Griff raised his arm above his head and held it there.


    ¡°You should worry about yourself more.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Villain asked, nervously watching Griff in the distance. Before he could get an answer however Griff lowered his arm in one swift motion and Villain felt a light breeze brush against his back. When he turned around Vern had already created a gap between them of twenty feet.


    ¡°Shit!¡± He took off as fast as he could, stumbling slightly from his panicked start, and cursed Vern inside his head. ¡°That was dirty!¡±