Torin The Warrior The Bandits Head
Torin The Warrior “The Bandits Head”By Matthew R ClarkChapter 1The sun shined brightly over the sky with clouds dipping it in and out, and the wind whipped quietly through the forest, but even the rays of the sun’s light could not penetrate past the thick green pine trees as below them cast shadows on the ground. A light brown dirt trail separated the forest trees, a trail that was wide enough to allow a carriage through but would also have difficulties turning it around. This road was once used as an alternative route during the great war many years ago, a war that involved a conflict between the continents of Distrias and the neighboring continent of Cerbria. The main road was often attacked by the enemy forces which prevented valuable supplies from reaching nearby towns and armies, therefore the route was made so that caravans could avoid it for a much safer way to transport the goods. When the war ended, however, travelers were now able to use the main road again which is the quickest route between the towns and villages leaving this one mostly unused, save for some travelers who wish to avoid the traffic and crowds. It also became the perfect place for bandits who could still make a profit from travelers while avoiding the authorities.Miles away from any town on this dirt path stood a bandit stronghold, made up of two high wooden towers between the road, both were twenty feet in height. They had no roofs, but a fence was on each to prevent any accidental falls. A wood rope bridge connected them and had a man on each one wearing rough peasant tunics and bows in their hands with arrows in quivers hanging on their backs. The only sound being made was the high pitch ding of a copper coin as a third man named Jurcel leaned on one of the towers at the base flipping the coin in the air with its orange color shining in the sun’s rays. The man was of average height, wearing brown leather armor that had signs of wear and cracks, with dark brown leather boots, and a green cloak with its hood over his head hiding the upper half of his thin facial features. He was flipping the coin out of pure boredom as they have not seen a traveler in days since the last one unwillingly gave them payment for passage. In the five months since their leader gathered them and was stationed at this base that was once used as a guard post, they had a total of fifteen travelers come by. Most of them paid the toll, but some were unfortunate to resist, only to be taken down and buried beneath the earth. He figured that word would be sent of their actions and they would have to move eventually, or so their leader says.“I see someone ahead,” yelled one of the archers on the tower. “I see something as well,” said the other, “although I can’t make out what it is,” peering at the figure with a narrow gaze.Jurcel looked down the road and had indeed spotted a figure in the distance, but he could not fully make out what the figure looked like as the breadth was far between them. What the bandit can see is that it is wearing a black cloak, and has what looked like a red face, or perhaps a red mask, although Jurcel could not understand the reason for wearing one.Jurcel turned and looked up at the archer on the tower behind him, and said, “why don’t you two just shoot him with your arrows, I have an uneasy feeling about this one”.One of the archers reaches for an arrow, but when he started to pull it out, along black-handled spear pierces his torso, with such force it caused the man to fall back and down from the tower he was standing on. Both Jurcel and the other archer were shocked that a spear could be thrown that far with such precision.The second archer frantically reaches for an arrow and nocked it. But before he even pulls the string back, he too is struck by a black spear in the chest. He then falls down the front of the tower dead before he hits the ground.Jurcel pulled out his short sword from its sheath and saw that the figure in the distance got bigger as it ran forward to him at a surprising speed with the hood flying off. The closer it got, the more Jurcel realize that the figure was not human but a lizard man or Lepidian as they prefer it. His muzzled head was of a lizard shape with scales so crimson red the blood would be camouflage if splattered on him, with golden yellow eyes, and digitigrade feet to push him forward. Underneath the black cloak was a scale armor with steel gray plates attached to a long leather coat and was holding a long broad sword in his right hand ready to cut flesh.The bandit attempted to strike at his foe but was disarmed literally by a single slash of the lizard’s long sword. This attack also cut Jurcel’s throat with the tip of the blade, causing him to gurgle and look in horror at his bloodied stump that use to have a hand. He quickly succumbed to his wounds and fell lifeless to the earth floor. The red lizard then wiped the blood off the sword with the bandit’s cloak, then retrieved one of his long black ebony-handled spears still stuck to the archer.He hears a door open with a loud creak, and the fighter saw that behind one of the towers were the living quarters originally used for the guards to go between shifts. Out of the place came a man with two others following him. All three were wearing rough brown leather armor on their chests with leather boots and gloves to match.“What in the world is going on out there,” the first one said with an irritated look on his face, and a sword in his hands. Torin saw the man’s face and knew that this one was the leader of the group and the one with the bounty on his head according to the descriptions on the wanted poster.He spotted the red warrior a few feet away from him and suspected what happened to his men. The lizard man readied his sword which looked to be about two and a half feet long, two and a half inches wide, with a foot-long red leather handle. The metal guard was brass in color with both ends curved towards the blade with round ends like a man flexing his muscles, and a mushroom-shaped pommel on the end of the hilt. The black ebony spear on the lizard’s other hand was at least six and a half feet long which included the steel diamond-shaped point on the end.“Everybody get out here,” yelled the leader. “we’ve got somebody here that needs killing.Three more men came out each with a different type of weapon, one of them had a short flimsy bow in hand that looked like it was made from a tree branch. The other one had a short sword that was worn out with several scratches, rust marks, and even the tip of the blade was broken off. The last one had what looked like a woodcutting ax in hand that was well used and worn out as it had never been sharpened since it was made. The two other men that were with the leader had pulled out their swords that look like they were in even worse shape than the rest of the weapons.The leader quickly went back in the grey stone brick quarters, as the two men charged at the lizard, but he just pierces one of them with the spear, and with one swing of his sword, cut deep in the other killing them both. The archer shot an arrow at him, but the bow was weak and feeble and the arrow that was fired was nearly broken. It was no match for the scarlet lizard’s scale metal armor that he poured several pieces of gold to a legendary blacksmith to craft it. So, the projectile just bounces off the lizard’s armor not doing any damage. Torin held his spear above his shoulders, got into a balanced position, and then threw the weapon with all his might. The mighty lance struck the archer with such force that it pushes him back and sticks his body on the stone wall of the quarters. The bandit leader inside the quarters was startled when he saw the spear break through the thick stone wall and that it was completely coated in blood. The two remaining men attacked him only to share the same fate as the rest when the lone warrior decapitates them with just one simple swing. The red lepidain snorted in disgust, as usual, these bandits hardly put up a fight. They were not true warriors, just a bunch of bullies who pick up a cheap weapon and figured they can use it to force people weaker than them to give them some money. To an average citizen, the bandits were a force to be reckoned with, but to a trained and experienced soldier like him, they were like rats to a lion.Just then the leader came out of the quarters now wearing a breastplate armor, a metal helmet that covered the top of his head and nose, but nothing below it. He was armed with a round wooden shield in his hands and a one-handed longsword in the other. He widened his stance putting the shield in front of him for defense and the blade of the sword pointed towards his opponent ready to attack.“Those men of mine may be weak fools,” stated the bandit. “But I’m on a different level than they are.”The lizard man looks at the stands of the bandit leader and saw that he is indeed a trained fighter, probably use to be a town’s guard. So maybe this one will give him more of a challenge. The reptilian fighter put both of his hands on the hilt of his sword and got into a long tail stance with the sword positioned at the left side of him and blade pointed downward diagonally to the ground, he then finally spoke.“Before we begin,” he said with a low baritone voice. “What would your name be warrior.”“The name’s Nilas,” he answers. “And yours.”“Torin,” he responded.The two warriors narrowed their eyes and got ready for the battle that will leave one of them laying on the ground without a working heart.Chapter 2The two swordsmen stood their ground with their eyes locked on each other, waiting for one to make the first move. There was total silence in the area, save for a gentle breeze flowing through the dirt trail. Torin usually allowed his foes to attack first so that he could easily counter and strike when he saw an opening. But he could see that Nilas was too cautious to attack him, and with good reason as Torin took out all eight of his men. As Torin took two steps forward, Nilas took two steps back, not giving Torin any room to swing his blade to strike him. But they could not stay still forever, one of them had to make a move. Nilas decided to act first, he charged at Torin using his shield to block his sword, and then made a swing at his exposed side. Torin moved back barely avoiding the blade, and then Torin started to thrust his sword at the bandit hoping to stab him. Nilas canceled out the stab by swinging his sword downward diverting Torin’s blade to the ground. He then used his shield to smash at Torin pushing the lizard back.This continued onward as all of Torin’s swings would get blocked by Nilas’s shield, and yet all Nilas attacks would get blocked by Torin’s sword or dodged by the lizard’s nimbleness. Neither one had an advantage over the other, as it was a flat open terrain with nothing to use as cover or to lose one’s balance. They have been at it for some time, but Torin notice that the leader was starting to show signs of fatigue. Torin then saw an opening when Nilas swung wildly at him leaving his right side completely exposed. Making a quick and powerful diagonal strike, Torin was able to land a blow that knocked Nilas’s helmet from his head as well as his right ear.A loud scream echoed in the air as Nilas dropped his sword and held his hand at the bloody side of the head that use to have an ear attached to it. Torin used this to his advantage and made another swing at him but was surprised when he was still able to block the blows with his shield. Knowing that Nilas will eventually tire out, he continued to swing his sword at him making blow after blow at his foe. Splinters started to fly as Torin struck powerful blows at the wooden shield, if he continued then the shield would completely break leaving Nilas defenseless. But just then the bandit threw a small bag at him, right before Torin could make another swing. The bag opened throwing black and purple sparkling like dust at his face. It failed to reach his eyes as he closed them before the bag opened, but dust reached his nostrils and mouth, and it burned inside of him like fire, causing Torin to cough and wheeze covering his mouth.“Curse you, you hellish beast, you’ll suffer greatly for what you did,” Nilas said with anger, feeling the sting where Torin struck him. “That’s poison magic dust I got from a dark sorcerer some time ago, that stuff is so potent it would kill a grizzly bear in minutes, I never thought I would have to use it so soon.” Nilas picked up his one-handed sword and walked towards Torin with the intent of finishing him off. He was surprised that the lizard was still able to hold on to his weapon as he knelled down with a hand over his face. Nilas thought about making the lizard suffer more from the poison, but he just wanted to end it with his blade chopping up the red-scaled body.He swung the sword down intending on splitting open Torin’s head. But Torin was able to lift his sword stopping the blade. He then pushed Nilas back and started to strike at him continuously like before. Nilas was shocked and confused about how this lizard was able to do this with the strong poison still inside him. Torin hit Nilas shield with more force than before, his wound bleeding out even more profusely, which was weakening him greatly. Nilas did not know what to do at this point, he was in pain, weak, and baffled, and could do nothing to stop the constant attacks by this lepidain warrior. His shield could take no more and now had deep cuts carved into it.With a great mighty blow, Torin was able to cut the shield in half making it fly away from Nilas’s hand, and with another swing, Torin knocked the sword from his other hand. With a final blow, Torin separated the bandit’s head from the rest of his body. The last thing Nilas saw was the red lizard, the sky, and the road behind him before going to black as his head fell to the dirt floor. Torin shook the remaining dust from his head, he did not expect a simple bandit to have such an item with him. It was a good thing that he as a lepidain was resistant to poisons, even magical ones. Torin despised sorcery of any kind and always preferred to avoid dealing with it, but sorcery always seemed to have a way to find him.He sheathed his sword and took out a sack that hung from his side belt and then he grabbed at the dirty blonde hair of Nilas’s head. Shaking the remaining blood from it, he put the head in the sack and tightened the string closing it. The bandit leader had a price on him, and the head was enough to be recognized for the reward. Torin also took the one-handed sword and sheath it knowing he could get some good currency out of it. The helmet was nowhere to be seen, as it flew far and probably went into the woods, Torin decided that it was too much trouble to go looking for it. He checked Nilas’s body and the rest of the fallen bandits for anything of value but found nothing. The weapons they have would not fetch much of a price, and Torin did not like carrying much with him as he preferred to travel light. He went into the living quarters and found a chest containing five pieces of gold coin, twelve silver, and twenty bronze. He had expected more from the bandits, even a small group like this, but he will take what he can get. He also found a few dried types of meat to carry with him for later consumption.After getting all that he could carry, he retrieved the two spears and attached them to the black leather straps he wore around him. He then slung the bag that contained the head over his shoulder, took a bite from one of the dried meats, and started walking towards the town that he left. He wanted to be back in town before nightfall to collect his reward, and he realized that it would be approaching soon. Torin knew that the price on this bandit’s head would not fetch much but it would be enough for him to get by. As he walked away from the bandit site, the flies and crows were already swarming around and pecking at their corpses. He then started to wonder who gave that bandit the magic dust and even why. Well, whoever it was, he hoped never to run into that sorcerer again, or any for that matter.Chapter 3The sun was now half-hidden behind the mountains painting the atmosphere with red and orange as Torin reached the town of Willsden on the east side gate. The town was surrounded by a thirty-foot stone wall to protect it from any threats in the open world. Torin walked over to the draw bridge when one of the guards spotted him. They were dressed in chain mail armor-wearing conical helmets on their heads, metal armored boots, and a sword sheathed on their sides while holding a spear. A long green cloth tabard covered their armor representing the colors of the town, with a pine tree symbol on the chest.“Who goes there,” one of them said looking down at Torin with his eyes locked on the lepidain. “Oh, it’s that red lizard again, I guess you were able to kill those bandits and survived, seeing you standing there.”“Sorry to disappoint you,” Torin said mockingly with a bored look on his face. “But I’m not looking to die anytime soon, now could you open the gates, I’d like to see the captain of the guards before he retires for the day.”“Whatever,” the guard said with disdain. He ordered the men to lower the draw bridge and open the gate. The wooden draw bridge made of cedarwood came down with a clanking sound, and then the black metal gate behind the draw bridge came up opening the way into the town, Torin then walked in. Like most towns and villages it had a wide opening with gray stone bricks forming a circle-like road that was one hundred feet in diameter. Around it was five roads leading to different parts of the town, and Torin knew which one to take to go to the office of the guard captain where he would get paid for the head he was carrying.The streets were lit up by lanterns, illuminating the houses made of white limestone with wooden frames and green-colored roofs. Some houses were two stories tall while others were three, and sometimes he would come up to stalls that people would use to sell goods. most of the townsfolk had gone indoors for the day, leaving the streets filled mostly with the night watch guards. And they all greeted Torin the same way they always did, with their eyes narrowed and their hands on the hilt of their swords. Torin was used to this by now, and it did not matter to him if they attack, as his skill was far beyond theirs. After a few minutes, Torin reached the town’s barracks which was a building that housed some of the guards. It was a long three-story building made of grey bricks that made it look like a small square castle. He knocked on the front door that led to the office of the guard captain. “Alright alright come in Torin,” said a voice inside.The hinges squeaked as Torin opened the door, and when into the room. “How did you know it was me Marek,” asked Torin knowing the name of the captain he associated for months. “You’re the only one who shows up at this time of night, right when I’m about to end my shift for the day,” he said. “That and you are the only mercenary here in this town, and after this last job you did, we may not need any more for a while.Torin walked over to the light brown hardwood desk that was cluttered with paper, and ink wells. Marek sat there with a tired look on his face, he was a middle-aged man who had gray and black hair, with medium tanned skin, and several scars that showed his fair share of battles. Torin put the brown cloth bag on the desk, and Marek opened it up revealing the head of the bandit leader. The captain looks at the face and was able to recognize it.“Ah yes, Nilas was his name, he was one of the town’s guards,” Marek said. “I remember training him and arguing with him often. I guess he got bored with his lifestyle and decided to use his skills for a life of crime, and I see that you brought in the head as usual.”“Heads are easier to carry than bodies,” Torin said. “And I prefer them dead since they don’t cause trouble for me.”“Ya that makes sense, so how many other bandits did you kill,” Marek asked?“At least nine including this one,” Torin answered.“Very well then, I'll send in some men to retrieve them so we can burn the remains,” the captain said. “We might as well tear that place down since we don’t need it anymore and so it won’t become a home for more troublemakers. It was useful as a guard post for the trail during the war but not so much anymore.” “So, when do I get my reward,” Torin asked annoyed.“I’ll get to that,” Marek said. “Let’s see, the bounty was for fifty royals.”“I also compensated this sword from him,” Torin said putting the sword on the table.“That sword is a design of our own, every town guard uses them,” Marek said looking at it.” I’ll take it off your hands for about ten lenaris.”Torin knew he could get more from a blacksmith, but he just wanted to get rid of it and did not wish to carry it until morning. It was also too late to negotiate a better price.“Fine, I just want it gone,” Torin said.Marek got up and when into the room where the lockbox was at. He then came out with fifty square-shaped gold coins, with round edges. And ten silver triangular-shaped coins that also had round edges. Torin counted the coins and put them in his money pouch with the rest of his currency.He said his goodbyes and left the office. Night had come, and the two moons of purple and pale blue color shined their light on the town. He started towards the far northwest side to find an inn to stay in for the day. Although he has more than enough coin to go to the finest places, the owners would refuse service to him, given his race. So, he had to go to the cheapest inn called The Broken Lantern, which was on the poorer side of town, where most of the working-class people lived. It was the only place that would accept him, due to them always needing the money. That and the innkeeper at least treated Torin as a person and not a monster.After a few minutes of walking, he came up to the inn and when inside. The place was a mess with rotting wood tables and chairs stained with booze, the floor was dirty, and the planks were bumpy and uneven, with the smell of mold, sweat, and liqueur that filled the air. The fireplace did not do much to heat up the area, and the tables and walls were lit by candles, giving a soft orange glow. The tavern might be the oldest building in the town and might as well have been a forgotten ruin.Most of the people there were filthy and unkempt, and they usually just kept to themselves, not lifting their heads to see Torin come in. He walked to the bar table and sat down. The innkeeper came out with a husky body and a balding head, wearing a white meat-stained apron.“Hey Torin,” the innkeeper said. “Will it be the usual today?”“Your specialty, and a pint of ale, and keep the ale coming,” Torin said.“Right away,” said the innkeeper. “Although I might as well give you the whole barrel,” he said sarcastically.The innkeeper grabbed a wooden mug and pored it with dark-colored ale and then set it on the counter in front of Torin. He when to the back room and came back with a hot stew in a grey cracked ceramic bowl. By the time the bartender laid the bowl down, Torin had already finished drinking the ale. “Hello their friend,” said a boy who was also sitting at the bar.Torin look to the left and saw a skinny human teenager who looked no older than sixteen sitting two seats away from him. The young boy was five-foot-ten inches tall and had pale skin with short brown hair. He was wearing a worn-out white shirt that had some black soot on it, with brown wool pants, hide shoes, and a small pouch attached to his belt.“So, what will it be,” said the innkeeper.“I’ll have some bread and cheese, with some milk to wash it down,” said the boy.“Alright,” said the innkeeper. “But I’d think that working in the mines all day would work up the thirst for a nice cold beer.”“With my salary, I could not even afford your cheapest warm beer,” replied the boy.The innkeeper walked into the backroom to get the food and drink, and the boy turned towards Torin.“I’ll say, it’s interesting to see a lepidian up close, heck I’ve never seen one at all,” said the teenager.“We prefer to keep to ourselves within the swampy marshlands where nobody else ventures,” replied Torin who took a long drink from his mug not looking back.“That would make sense seeing as how you kind is usually treated, even if you do have the same rights as us humans,” the boy said. “The name is Solan by the way.”“Torin,” the lizard man said emptying out the last bit of ale. Most people ignored Torin, some even had a problem with him, but he became accustomed to it by now, which was why he was not being very talkative to the boy.The innkeeper came back with a plate that had a half loaf of white bread, a few slices of cheese, and a wooden cup of milk, he then set it in front of Solan.“That will be four xoori,” the bartender said.Solan reached for his bag and pulled out five-round copper coins with square holes in the center of them dropping the coins on the table as the innkeeper swept them up with his hand. The innkeeper then took the tankard from Torin so that he could refill it with ale. After filling it up with the beverage he gave the mug back to Torin.“I’ve never seen you in here before,” Torin said.“That’s because I never had a reason to be here,” Solan replied. “I used to go to better places to eat with my brothers when they were working to earn enough money, but with the way things are going in the family, I became the sole breadwinner. So, what brings you all the way out here from the swamp,” The young man took a bite of the bread.“Personal business,” Torin reply still not looking at the boy.“Well judging from the gear you have on, I’d say you were a mercenary who makes a living off of the heads of lawbreakers,” Solan said drinking the milk from his cup.“We all got to make money to eat and live,” Torin said. “I’m just using the skills I have to earn it.”“Too bad my skill is just hitting rocks with a pickaxe,” Soldan said looking down with a depressed look on his face. “Do you have a home and family to go back to?”“Just one, my younger sister,” Torin answered eating some of the stew he had. “I have not seen her in three years since I left. The rest are gone from this world, including my older brother who was murdered.”“I know how you feel,” the boy said looking even more depressed. “Both of my parents have been dead since I was ten. My two older brothers use to take care of me, but one of them abandoned us, and I barely get to see the other one. So, it is mostly just me now working at the mines just to get through the day. Plus, I also must live in poverty sleeping in an overcrowded dormitory with several other miners.”Torin took a long drink from the tankard of ale to where it was now less than half full. Then he turned his head to the boy and said, “At least you’re not out in the streets begging for kitchen scraps kid, I say just take what you can get and move on.” Torin took another drink emptying the mug. “Now if you don’t mind, I would like to finish my meal in peace.”“No problem,” Solan said going back to his meal.The bartender once again took the mug and refilled it. When he set the ale-filled mug back on the table, Torin was finished with the stew and asked for a second helping. The bartender took the bowl and went to the back area.Torin had no personal hatred towards humans, sure he ran into terrible ones who either tried to kill him, imprison him, or just treat him like dung on the souls of their boots. But he also met some friendly ones who did not judge him based on who or what he was, like the innkeeper who was mostly interested in the profit he gained from Torin. He even had a thing for the young human females with their smooth skin and long silky hair on their heads. And the lepidian did appreciate the kind attention the young man gave him; he was just too deep in his thoughts on what to do now that there was no work for him.After three bowls of stew and countless pints of ale, Torin gave the innkeeper the money for the food and drink, and then ordered a room to sleep in during the night. The innkeeper called the tavern woman over who was an elderly woman with a wrinkled face and missing teeth. Before they went upstairs to his room, Torin did something that he uncommonly did. He reached for his bag and withdrew a silver triangular lenari which had a value of ten copper xoori and tossed it in front of Solan.“Your next meal is on me boy,” Torin said drunkenly. “Enjoy it while you can.”Torin then walked towards the stairs, but with an unfocused, and intoxicated mind he ended up walking into the wall. “The stairs are to the right of you friend,” said the old lady with a wispy voice.Torin made a sigh, and She led him upstairs to his room and gave him a bronze key to open the door. When Torin went into the room it had almost nothing in it, just a crude table with a wide unlit white candle and a small chair that look like it was about to break. Instead of a bed, there was just a brown colored sleeping bag on the floor, and Torin was surprised that it was clean this time. But none of it bothered him, He trained himself to be able to sleep anywhere, whether it was rain, snow, or shine, on any surface of mud, grass, or even stone floors. And because of this, he never bothered to bring a tent or even a blanket with him, as it was so much easier to travel without carrying it all.Torin yawned and took off all his gear and put them in a corner. He then took off his black cloak and wrapped it up in a roll to use as a pillow. He laid down resting his head on it, still wearing his armor, and not even bothering to get into the sleeping bag. Putting his long sword to the side of him and rested both his hands on his stomach. He quickly fell into the blackness of sleep.Chapter 4Torin woke up to the sound of creaking as the door started to open. He opened his eyes slowly and saw a black figure that showed even with the darkness surrounding it. The only light came from the two moons, that were shining a beam of blue illumination into the room. The light reflected off a small metal blade which Torin saw as a dagger that the dark figure was holding.Knowing what the person intended to do with the knife, Torin grabbed his long sword and unsheathed it halfway to block the knife preventing the blade from cutting his neck. Using his foot, he kicked the dark man pushing him back to the door. Because the door was only a quarter of the way open, it slammed shut when the person hit it. Torin got up and pulled the rest of his sword out and then got into a plow guard stance. The dark figure got up at the same time and with the other hand brought out a second weapon. He was now holding two daggers with both blades being about eight inches long. The person wore a black cloak covering most of his body with the hood over his head and a pair of black leather gloves. Torin obviously could not recognize the person but judging from the height and broad shoulders of the individual it was most likely a male human.“I thought you would be too drunk to wake up and use that sword,” said the cloaked man in a deep voice. “We lepidian’s recover a little faster than most races can,” Torin responded. “And I always prefer to sleep with one eye opened.”Torin thrust the tip of his sword at the man, but he blocked the thrust with both daggers pushing the long sword to the side. Dragging the daggers along the blade the man got close to Torin and attempted to used one of the daggers to slit his throat. Torin however was able to push him away with his left hand to prevent the cut. The cloaked man then swung at him with one of the daggers and when Torin parried it, the man attempted to stab at the lizard, only to have that one quickly parried as well.The room they were in was small and narrow, so Torin could not swing his long sword very well as it would risk hitting the walls. His opponent on the other hand had a great advantage due to him using smaller blades which gave him plenty of room to swing quickly and accurately. The main thing Torin could do is hold his sword up so that the end was pointed at the assassin. They continued to clash with each other’s blades, but Torin kept pushing the man back with the sword’s end preventing the man from getting nearer. “You can’t get close to me boy,” Torin said. “So, I will give you a choice, leave now, and I won’t end your life.” “You killed my brother you damned lizard,” the man yelled pointing one of the daggers at Torin. “His name was Nilas, you lopped off his head, and now it’s on a spike in front of the town.”“He had a bounty on his head,” Torin replied. “I just wanted to collect it.”“IT WAS DEAD OR ALIVE,” he shouted angrily. “You could have brought him in alive, you had that option.”“It’s easier to take them in dead,” Torin said. “You idiot brother choose to be a bandit, a path that would put greater risk to his life, and he died because of it.”“HE WAS STILL MY BROTHER,” the man shouted again. “And you killed him and took his head off for money. Therefore, I am going to kill you and take your scales for money.”“That’s illegal now you know,” Torin said with more anger this time. “Nobody will buy it, and risk getting arrested.”“That is why I’ll sell it to the black market,” the man answered. “They will accept anything regardless of what it is or where it came from, just so long as it has value. I for one think that it’s insulting that a monster like you should have the same rights as we do.”Hearing those words Torin became fully enraged, gripping the hilt of his sword more firmly, he propelled the blade forward stabbing his attacker with surprising strength and speed that was fueled by the lepidian’s anger. The force was so great that it broke through the door, shattering the wood in several places. The man dropped both daggers in shock of what happened.Torin lifted the man up with his sword, using only one arm. The sword’s guard was the only thing keeping the man from sliding down further. Torin could feel the warm blood as it poured from the wound and flowed onto his hand. The dark figure made a choking sound and tried frantically to cling to life. But his body soon when limp with his arms and legs dangling above the floor as he fell to the inevitability of death. Torin positioned the sword downward making the body slide down off the long cold metal. He used the black cloak to wipe off the blood from the blade and his hands the best he could. After sheathing the sword, Torin checked the body for any valuables. He only found a money bag that contained numerous silver lenaris, and only a few gold royals. He also took a belt with sheaths that held the two daggers. Other than that, there was nothing else worth taking, he looked and the face of the man, but did not recognize him, and he of course did not have any bounties on his head, so it was not worth taking. Torin gathered the rest of his possessions and picked up the two daggers off the floor and put them back in the sheaths of the belt. He then when back downstairs to the tavern, where he saw the bartender alone, as the rest of his customers seem to have left. The innkeeper had an expression of fear and concern on his face. “What was going on up there,” he demanded? “I heard some yelling and then it sounded like some big struggle was happening?”“Somebody broke into my room with the intention of killing me,” Torin answered. “I Took care of him obviously, but I broke the door in the process of ending his life.” Torin took the money bag he got from the man and tossed it to the innkeeper. “This should cover the payment for the door, and a few extra to purchase better locks,” said Torin.The bartender weight the bag and said, “I’m surprised that I didn’t notice anyone come in, I guess I was back in the kitchen when he walked in the tavern.”“It looks like I can’t stay here right now,” Torin said looking upset. “I know that if the guards found out what happened, they will just assume that it was murder since they still see me as a monster.”“Well, you have been a good customer in the weeks that you stayed here,” the innkeeper said. “So, I will not mention you when I tell the guards what happened, I’ll just pretend ignorance, but you need to get out of here now and someplace far.”“I’ll have to get out of town tonight,” Torin added looking nervous. “I’m afraid that the town guards won’t let anyone out at night due to the new regulations from the kingdom of this realm.”“That’s right,” Torin said with a sigh putting his hand over his closed eyes in frustration. It was a new regulation that started over a week ago due to the rise of monster attacks at night. “So now what will I do.”The innkeeper looked at Torin and said, “listen up for a royal coin I’ll show you a hidden entrance to the sewers that will lead you out of town. Just head over to the bridge on the northwest side and hang out underneath it. The bridge will be far enough away so that no one will suspect you, and you should be well hidden. I still need to go out and inform the guards what happed so that they can take the body away and clean up the place. But after that, I’ll head over to the bridge where you are and show you to the entrance.”Torin thought for a moment and felt that he did not have much of a choice, he would rather not deal with any guards right now, especially the one at the gate. Plus, he did trust the innkeeper better than most, but not entirely. He reached for his money bag and took out his intended amount.“I’ll pay you five silver now and a gold royal when you lead me to the entrance.” He said showing the five coins to him.“Agreed”, said the innkeeper holding out his hand to receive the payment. “Now get going, I’ll meet you at dawn.”Torin nodded and then walked out of the tavern and into the dark.EpilogueTorin did not get much sleep as he lay under the bridge. He was concerned about being discovered, or that the innkeeper would come to him with guards ready to take him in. The innkeeper, however, was right about the bridge being good cover, because nobody bothered to go under it and was low enough to the ground to where shadows were more present, making it easier to hide in. Daylight broke throughout the sky, and Torin saw the innkeeper walk up to him. He was dressed in a dark green tunic with a long white sleeve shirt, black breeches, and brown leather boots. He was also carrying a small black cloth bag with him on his side that was held with a strap over his shoulder. Torin saw no guards around him, so it was safe to approach. “Alright now follow me and I’ll lead you to the place, and don’t say anything until we are there.” Said the innkeeper.They walked across the bridge and down the street further into the west side of town. None of the town’s guards came after him, so Torin knew that the innkeeper kept his word. Although it did not stop any of them from giving Torin their usual greetings. They came to an abandoned two-story house that was looking old and dilapidated. All the windows were broken and boarded up, there were cracks along the white stone walls, and the roof had moss growing on it. They went to the back yard of the house and Torin saw a hedge wall on the side of the yard that was overgrown and had light purple flowers growing on it. The innkeeper went to the middle part of the hedge wall and pulled open a secret door. It was tall and wide enough to go in, although Torin would have to bend over a bit to get through it.“There used to be a thieves guild in this town,” the innkeeper said, “and they used this entrance to the sewers as part of their operation.”“How did you know about this hidden entrance?” Torin asked looking perplexed.“Years ago, I identified one of the thieves passing through my place, so I followed him over here and found out where it led,” The innkeeper explained. “I reported it to the captain of the guards that they operated in the sewers, and he went down there through the main entrance with several soldiers to take care of them. Course they still obviously left this one intact. When you go down to the sewers keep going north until you make it to the tunnel that leads to the outside.” Torin took out the gold coin and handed it over to the innkeeper. But he held up his hand refusing it.“Keep it,” said the innkeeper, confusing Torin further. “You can also keep the money from the man you killed.” He added taking out the bag and tossing it to Torin. “That man stole from my inn several times. He even killed some of my barmaids and would have killed my daughter if I had not been there for her at the right time. I tried telling the authorities, but because I was not able to identify his face, they could not issue a bounty on him. All they could do is send a few more guards to pass by and keep a close eye out, a lot of good that did. I may not have seen his face, but I do remember that black outfit he always wore. Let’s just say that the money is payment for the service to did for me.”“Thank you again,” Torin said bowing his head to him.“Oh, and you might need this as well,” he said taking out a torch stick from his bag. He gave it to Torin and then took out a flint striker to ignite the fire so that it would light up the dark path within the hidden area.Torin went into the hidden room and walked down the stairs to his left, when he reached the bottom of the steps he came to a door to his right. The door was locked, but Torin had some skill in lockpicking and was able to unlock the door with the small tools he had on him. He went in and saw that the tunnels had some thick luminous moss growing on the walls which gave off a natural green glow around the area. This allowed Torin to see well enough to navigate around the underground area along with the torchlight. Torin then started to walk through the sewer making his way to the north end, or at least he hoped it was north as it can be difficult to know what direction to go without the sky for guidance. Finally, he got to a long tunnel and saw a light at the end indicating that it was a way out of the sewer. He also saw a boy standing to the side of the entrance of the tunnel and recognized him as Solan the boy he met in the tavern who was wearing the same outfit. “What are you doing down here boy,” Torin with a hand ready at the sword just in case.“There are many ways to get into the sewers,” said Solan looking very forlorn at Torin. “My brother used this to go around town when he decided to make a career by stealing from others. He told me to wait here so we can just get out of this town and start a new life together. But since you are here that probably means you killed him.”Soldan now started to have tears flow out of his eyes, and his hands were now clutched into fists. He could no longer look at Torin anymore and started to look down. Torin had a feeling that the man he killed in the room was Solan’s brother, and of course, if that was Solan’s brother, so was the bandit leader from yesterday.“I warned him not to go after you,” Solan said, “I told him to just let it go, it’s not worth it. Even if he did kill our oldest brother, somebody else would have done it anyway.” The tears continued to flow from his eyes. “Nilas chose the life of a bandit, he abandoned both of us just to make more money, because he was tired of his life as a guard and felt that we were holding him back. But my second oldest brother did not care, he still intended on killing you, to get revenge, and to make more money from your scales.”Torin let go of his sword handle, as the boy did not have anything on him that would kill Torin. He also could not inform the authorities as he would be long gone before they get here. It also looks as if the boy had no plans on doing anything to Torin, he just stood there looking pathetic and helpless.“We may have had it rough, but we still had each other, but now with both of my brothers and my parents gone, I’m left with nothing,” Solen said wiping the tears from his eyes.“It would seem that you did not understand what I told you at the bar,” said Torin looking at the boy who look back up at him. “You’re still living, aren’t you, you’re standing, and breathing, you have life. That is something you still have, and if you continue to live and seek things out you will gain more in the future than you would ever imagine.”“Here,” said Torin as he removed the daggered belt and tossed it to Solan, “take this you, might have a better use for these than I would.”Solen looked up at Torin, with a neutral look on his face. Torin started to walk past him but after a few feet away he turned his head to look at Solan. “But if you ever try coming after me,” he said with a look of malice in his golden yellow eye, “you will be left with nothing.”Torin turned his head back forward and started onward down the tunnel, never looking back at the boy....
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