Gregor's POV
With things the way they were, it wasn't hard to see how they would end.
Even with my greater reach and natural strength, dealing with 11 people (even if only 4 were a real danger) was exhausting. And I was already tired; dealing with them without killing them didn't help either, and to top it all off, having to take care of the other 3 made things even worse for me.
Deeper cuts starting to appear on my body weren't surprising at this point, nor was the fact that they had formed two groups to try and circle around or, moreover, use the 3 as hostages against me. What was astonishing was how that old witch had managed to make that strange hand disappear.
That she was a macabre old woman, with clear signs of something being wrong, was obvious even before I was born, but knowing one thing and seeing it in person were very different things.
'At least, whatever she was doing required most of her concentration.'
Thanks to that, she wasn't complaining about the lackeys just playing with me. But it won't be long before they get tired, she gives the order, or I get completely fed up and they come at me like a flock of vultures.
'Whatever they were going to do to me didn't matter to me, but I won't accept them doing anything to them.'
I was never really friends with that girl, and I avoided having more contact than necessary with her family as well. But Méia and her family, Mr. John and Mrs. Liz, were the only ones who were truly kind to me and never treated me like the rest of the village. That's why I refuse to let that damned old woman do anything to them.
However, wanting something and actually doing it is another thing.
'I can only hold out for a few more minutes at most. And even then...'
There were 5 I had to deal with: 3 from the old woman's group of lackeys and 2 villagers; others were lying on the ground.
And the mob that had been surrounding me was now further away, hiding inside and between the village "houses," but still seeing everything that was happening. They just weren't making as much noise as before, which was already much better.
I managed to grab one of their swords, but it wasn't good for me. My strength is best used with something heavy and that doesn't require much technique, like a club or mace.
Apart from the five who were still standing, there was still the group circling around, but they continued to observe and laugh at my situation, never forgetting to make insults and insinuations with each cut I received. Besides mocking them, or more specifically the only real companion I had already taken down, apart from the villagers who were helping them and were now lying on the ground.
"If you're expecting that to help, you'd better forget it, kid."
Even though she hadn't spoken very loudly, the irritating, dry voice of that old woman could still be heard above the irritating mockery of her servants. She still seemed focused on what she was doing, but that didn't stop her from carefully observing what was happening.
"I don't know how, and I don't know why you managed to get help from a higher being. But with the block I put on him, he won't be able to do much besides watch."
Before I could retort, I heard a scream.
"AHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
"MÉIA!!!!–AH"
"JOHN, DAUGHTER!!!!"
'Tsk, those wretches.'
Even though they were mocking me, they were still afraid to get close to them, and I hit them with whatever I was holding. After all, they knew that even though I wasn't fast, I still had good aim, and with my strength, even a stone would hurt; imagine what would happen if I threw a sword.
But in those moments of distraction, one of them ran, grabbed Méia, and kicked Mr. John in the head.
"Tsk, and what do you intend to do?"
"Me? Just what's right. Punish those who killed my poor son, and my beloved citizens."
'Fucking bullshit. But now I think I understand a little of what you want, you witch from hell.'
Even someone unfamiliar with this creature could tell she didn't care at all about her dead son, or even the villagers. All she wanted was a pretext to get Méia and her family.
She always had a kind of obsession on her, from what I heard from some villagers when they didn't notice me, or simply ignored me when I was doing some work. In the past, she even tried to buy her from her family when she was still a newborn.
Obviously, she didn't succeed, and since then, curiously, her family's situation in the village became a little complicated.
They were always the ones who produced the least food, they were always the ones most affected by storms, and the meat they produced often had some kind of problem, either saltier than salt itself or harder than a rock.
They still managed to live and pay the bills, but it was difficult to say they lived well; in reality, they were only slightly better off than me and the few drunken vagrants around here. And yet, their daughter Méia grew up to become the most beautiful young woman in the village. I dare say in the whole region.
I also heard that she herself encouraged her "son" to pursue Méia, never exaggerating but always trying to catch her alone and bring her to their house. The imbecile probably thought it was permission to have an exclusive toy, but if that were the case, she would have demanded it from the militia group, as had already happened.
I never understood why she did everything in such a strange way, but it didn't matter anymore. Now her son was dead, practically all his lackeys and even some villagers, besides those I had dealt with.
"Since you helped in their deaths, you are as guilty as they are, but to show how generous I am, I propose a deal. You surrender here and now and you will not be held responsible, but you will have to submit to me."
That was another strange thing; she also frequently offered me work for her, not forcing me, but always asking if I wouldn't submit to her. Curiously, every time I refused, my treatment by the villagers got worse.
The main thing she wanted was for me to submit, not to work or surrender to her, but to submit. That word always drove me to do the opposite, a primitive instinct from my damned father, but in this case, I felt I was right.
"And what happens to them?"
"Obviously they will be punished for the deaths, after all it's not like we could punish them in that way. And you still have value, even more so now that we've lost so many, don't you think, folks?"
She even said this smiling, showing her yellowed and strangely pointed teeth. But the worst part was the people.
"Yes, that's right, Gregor."
"Of course, we'll need your help. Look, even a house has problems; we can't fix it without you."
"I just remembered I still have some wild boar meat you picked a few days ago. How about we use that for a stew at my house?"
Do these wretches really think I don't have a brain? That I forgot how they were insulting me, throwing stones and garbage at me moments ago?
"Who cares about those three? They've always been the most troublesome people in the village."
'Said the wretch who left the gate of the only farm open and lost three sheep.'
"They were always complaining about how easily their clothes got ruined."
'Because you only sold them the oldest fabrics you had at the same price as the normal ones.'
"And that girl of theirs is always walking around talking softly to the men."
'She does that to help the village and earn a little extra money. You know that those who approached her were sent by that idiot lying on the ground, with blood still gushing from his eyes.'
With each word they spoke, my anger intensified to a point it hadn't reached since my mother died. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but I felt as if the anger itself was causing my body to exhale a kind of vapor, and the more of this vapor escaped, the stronger my muscles felt.
When one of the henchmen tried to take advantage of the situation to strike me in the leg, a debilitating but not fatal blow, I simply took a step back, and as he passed in front of me, I kneed him in the face, causing his entire head to explode.
The villagers fell silent, the henchmen who were about to seize Mr. John and Mrs. Liz froze, and even the old woman seemed slightly surprised, but that quickly turned to satisfaction.
"Good. Good. It seems you really have potential. So, will you join us, or them?"
I relaxed the hand holding the sword; it began to slide towards the ground. Mr. John looked on with disbelief and pain, Mrs. Liz with a look of betrayal and half-resignation, while the old woman looked on with satisfaction and triumph.