After a sorrow filled liver soak at the inn all night, I made my way to the keep to see if the king needed anything. When I got up there, he was sitting on the throne, listening to the people of Greengrass say their peace. It was more like complaining hour with the king. He was busy. So, I decided to stand tall and watch out for my king.
"Sire, bandits have kept coming to my farm, stealing my crops and my coin… if this continues the farm will fail and it will be a lash in the crops for the kingdom. Please, send a couple of your finest men this instant to help protect my farm or slay the bandits themselves! I beg of you, my king!" an old farmer begged.
When I heard this, I yelled out, "Where is your farm?" loudly so the old hag could hear me.
"Northeast of here, sir. On the outskirts of the kingdom, near the river." he said as he turned to me looking shocked.
"Ser, Alex… do you need aid? I will send some of my men with you." He said, as he looked surprised and impressed as did everyone in the throne room.
"Save your men. I will kill them all myself." I yelled out, as I started walking and swung open the doors to the exit.
As I walked down the cobblestone stairs and through the city, I arrived at the stables. I then hopped on my white steed, Bucky. He was one of the biggest and fastest as well as the bravest horses in all the kingdom. We rode northeast, towards the bandits and the farm. After about a thirty-minute ride there, passing through the wintergreen forest and open plains and country, through the misty trails. Finally, we saw smoke in the sky down the trail. So, I kicked my horse and rode hard straight for it. When we got there, they were laughing and eating the farmers' food and crops.
"You the pieces of shit, who stole from the old defenseless farmer?" I asked, as I got off of my horse and walked over to them.
"What's it to you, scum?" one of the bastards asked, with his ugly fucking mouth and piss-stained teeth.
"The food you are eating belongs to the farmer you robbed, no?" I asked, knowing the answer already.
"Hey, mate… piss off will you. Or I will cut out your tongue, boy!" he said, as I pulled out my blade and shoved it in his guts and twisted it. He looked scared, as I took his life. One of the scums then drew his rusty blade, as I pulled mine out of the other one and dropped it, while trying to dodge the second one. He almost stabbed me in the chest, but I punched him and nearly broke his jaw and knocked him out. As he fell, I quickly grabbed him by the neck and twisted it and broke it in one twist. The last one ran away like a coward… so, I unclipped my throwing axe and used my sight of eye and threw it at the back of his head. It was a bullseye, and he went flying, face first into the mud.
I walked over to him and pulled my axe out of the back of his skull and spit on his body. I walked back over to the campsite to see what I could scavenge… I found the sack of coin and the hidden carriage full of crops behind some brush and an old maple tree. I felt exhilarated from this small but sweet victory, as I attached the hitch to my horse.
As I followed the trail back to the kingdom, I arrived at the gates after a nice peaceful ride back. I left my dear friend bucky at the stables and the carriage of crops at the gates for the farmer. I made my way back up to the king. It was dusk, as the moon shined bright with its stars. I opened the doors to the keep completely covered in blood, but unphased. The farmer had waited for me to return. "Here is your coin, and your crops are waiting for you at the gates." I told him, as I handed it over.
"Heavens bless you, sir!" he cried out, as he had much gratitude up to his neck in his voice.
"Don't mention it." I spoke.
"Well done, Alex! You keep this up and I might give you, yet another title of the kingdom." The king spoke, as I brushed it off slightly and nodded at the king then walked away. As I was walking out, I saw Celest walk past me, as she winked at me with her blue eyes and a smile so bright you could go blind. I kept walking, but I turned my head and looked back at her scrumptious rump.
Later that evening, I poured myself some wine, when I got a knock at my door. "Delivery for, Ser, Alexander." The courier said, as he handed me a rather large sack of coins and a letter to go with it. It was five thousand gold coins, and a letter from the king that read "Dear Alex, I am so very proud of you. You have shown me and the kingdom astounding courage and strength. You have come a long way from that boy I found lying in the road, who could barely swing a sword. Take this here coin for serving the kingdom with great honor. Your kingdoms gratitude, Titus." Signed by the king.
I was pleased by this, but I realized I did not do the actions for honor nor coin… not even for the kingdom or the people… I did this so I could kill, because my blade and I were blood thirsty and that thought scared me, as I drowned in sweet red, trying to avoid the reality that I might be a cold-blooded killer. Hating myself with every gulp I took.