Blade of Fate

"Foreign Lands, Feign Ignorance"

Laying on warm grassy fields of green, while birds are happily chirping, in rhythm with a nearby river. And beside a wayside, what seems a lifeless body. Lucius, lay there unconscious. Head to toe his body radiating with golden particles of light from within, as if existence itself is holding his will to maintain his existence. The dirt road craggy and dry, its early morning greeted by an approaching wagon, driven by dark bearded dwarf, wearing merchant armor. The wagon is not so fancy and well designed, but has its own unique structure that speaks trading business, its roof equipped by a ceiling windows. Its two horses power slowly in a pleasing rhythmic tempo of their own, now nearing the view of the out of place man.

"Me brother! Look!" Banduck calls for his brother, Welit, sitting inside the dark enclosed wagon. The dwarven brother quickly opened the windows to peek, and from there acknowledged the weird circumstance.

"By the mountain smiths, Banduck! I told yer to ignore any weird getup, it is very common for road bandits to roam this parts of the main road to Vanadheim! An obvious play dead trap while his lackeys hid to catch us by surprise!" Welit warned Banduck, as they slowly and carefully surveyed their surroundings.

"Bah! Welit, you dumb dwarven drunk, haven't you noticed that this is an open plain? Surely any type of ambush is not possible!" Banduck mockingly laughed, and points his index finger to Welit.

"Hah! What ever ya say me brother, me wont lay hands on that one if I were you." He said.

Banduck slowly walked towards the unconscious, Lucius. And slightly kicked him by the toes. The man slightly groaned, but nothing of the weird surprised the brothers just yet. The next one to check was Welit, holding his mace just to be safe and sound, poking Lucius and now turning him upwards.

"Well I'll be damned! Is that not some fine armor there me brother? Well hammered I say! But the metal works are similar to one of those arrogant Vanadian knights!" Banduck exclaimed, as he also inspects the unconscious man some more.

"Hmmf! And you want to save this stranger? What if he's one of them, what if he betrays us, brother?!" Welit upsettingly shouts a question, which made his brother face him.

"I understand me brother, I understand your anger...how long was it since we got exiled from our homeland, and how many times we got kicked out from doing business? But remember this brother, in this troubled times, being a good Samaritan is enough for us to be happy! Didn't both grandma and grandpa told us to do good, for surely it will grant us good in return.” Banduck said to his brother, staring straight to his eyes.

“Ya know what me brother? I will give you one last chance on this one, if he so betrays us in the future, I will kill this lad meself, yer got that?!” Welit promised Banduck.

“Aye! You have my word my, brother!” Banduck smiled.

They slowly removed the armor of Lucius, turning him every bit of the way, inspecting further details as they securely put his belonging inside a wooden chest. Both the brothers heaved easily as they carried him towards the wagon, laying there on a different material, wooden planks and on top a brown animal carpet, some with bits and bristles of haystack. It was morning when the brothers found Lucius, and nearly approaching evening when they got to the nearest village, the closest one with no ties to Vanadheim, the "Nameless Village". Their wagon slowly rode towards the said village, and just before nearing its entrance, its many houses can be seen from afar ablaze with high raging fire, thick black smoke coming from every direction. As if a cursed place. The dwarven brother’s were not strangers to such brutal raid, as they calmly talked about their past, a similar scenario they compared. Coming in its fuller view, the night within the village was engulfed in infernal colors of red, many bodies pile the dirty floor, a mountain of bloody flesh, and doors opened forcefully by knights clad in white, wizards casting flame spells towards the flesh mounds. Many screams were filled with terror as both men and women are either burned with wizard fire or stabbed with a spear.

“By the mountains…wha-“ Banduck gasped with teary eyes, an expression of sudden terror.

Indeed both were experienced in passing through a destroyed or looted village. But to witness a raid itself firsthand, only added regret and disturbance. Why would knights raid a village and destroy it by fire? Banduck cried and looked downward on the bloody dirt, a still breathing young lady filled with deep burns on her face, gasping hardly for air. He tried to approach, but was quickly stopped when he saw a nearby knight behead the lady.

“WHAT ARE YOU-“ He tried to scream in defiance, but was quickly grabbed by Welit around the arm to stop his distressed brother.

“Don’t be stupid me brother, they are Vanadian knights! I have heard somewhere that the king had enough with this nameless village, as their local leader rejected submission and instead fought back against Vanadheim and its corrupt influence…” Welit explained quetly.

And just before they hop back inside their wagon, they were greeted by a captain class knight, pointing dangerously by the back of Welit's neck.

“And what do we have here? Care to explain what your lowly kin is here for, hmmmmm?” The knight asked, now pointing his sword on Welit’s throat.

“We are merchants, lad…we have ties within the great plaza of Vanadheim.” Welit explained, as he carefully showed a small emblem, bearing a golden screaming hawk, encrusted with a red crown.

Suddenly, the knight slapped Welit’s left cheek with his side blade, making the dwarf bleed.

“HOW DARE YOU?!” Banduck tried to reach for his hidden mace, but Welit grabbed him faster.

“I am okay, me brother.” He said while holding his bloodied left cheek.

“Go on you bearded people, fight back, that we might add your small heads on that pile over there! My name is Garlandth Fonthurman, the captain leading this raiding party, what is your name, you two?! Answer me quickly!” The captain demanded.

Hearing the commotion. The knights and some wizards eagerly surrounded both dwarves, as they hurled curses and mocking words towards the brothers.

“Me name is Welit, and me brother here is Banduck, I am deeply sorry for my brother, please forgive us lord Garlandth…” He bows, Banduck teary eyes cannot look at his brother’s humiliation.

“Look…do not ever call me ‘lad,’ are we clear? Heck! You have to thank because I only slapped your brother instead of licking my boots. But you know what, give me something beautiful, something worth my annoyance to you merchants, and I will grant you passage!” Garlandth said, still eyeing Banduck.

“Yes lord Garlandth.” Welit replied.

“Tssk! No, what I want is for your brother to act there as his punishment for talking back.” He ordered, eyeing intently at Banduck.

Welit nodded and whispered something to his brother.

“I beg you Banduck to behave, just this once, for our safety and the man…” Welit pleaded.

Banduck stared at Welit for three seconds and walked towards their wagon, and from his side as he walked, a wizard tripped his stubby feet and laughed. All of them mocked and pointed fingers at them both. But luckily, Banduck remembered their pride as Dwarves, the pride of smithing, invention and trading. He remembered to not engage when necessary, for their time of evil will cost them their fortune of fate. Banduck quickly scanned for their valuables, to offer towards the arrogant captain, but found none. Its because their recent trip was of scouting other villages and kingdoms for trade routes, and they did not bring any equipment of business for it is just unnecessary weight.

“Damn it all! To damnation with that fool knight! If only we brought some extra stuff…” Banduck muttered as he rush and look for something of value.

“Hey, what are you doing inside there you small gramp, I told you to bring me something of value! For payment of your cute attitude, I’ll give you one more minute, you better hurry or I’ll take your wagon or burn it!” Garlandth warned, as they all laughed once again.

“Please! Please! Just something…” He nervously muttered.

And finally there he noticed the belongings of Lucius, a shiny chest plate branded with a large red cross at its center, and with light chainmail attached on its shoulder piece.

“I am very sorry for what I’m about to do, young lad…even though this would’ve been a better offer for us brother’s for rescuing you” Banduck said, while carrying it, and now slowly dropping it for everyone to see.

Welit was wide eyed staring the item, and quickly looked at his brother in disbelief. Banduck cleared nodding that they have no other choice, but to get to the safety of the hideout and care for the stranger. Garlandth smiled, and tried the chest plate on. Surprisingly, fitting just right similar to his other set.

“Umm…if you may excuse us, we have a very important trade meeting for one of the lords within Vanadheim.” Welit announced, they quickly tried to left for the wagon but one of the knights blocked their path with his spear.

“Let them, they have already satisfied us well enough, gather the men! This village should be in shambles by morning, move gentlemen!” Garlandth announced.

The brothers successfully saved their lives by sacrificing one of the belongings of Lucius, his Armor. To the dwarves it was indeed a massive slap to the face by giving someone an item that wasn’t theirs, a mockery of good metal or business. The whole night they continued to the road with no sleep and food, only thinking of safely coming home, and quickly leaving the trail of despair, its memory on that village, death. They powered through, and now approaching the outer territory of Vanadheim kingdom. Its gigantic walls the same height of a stiff hill, nearly touching the low clouds, and now a visible gate so big as if built by a mountain ogre. The outer territory was not far off from the burning village, farm houses made of wood, and tired looking netizens working tirelessly its fields. Children fetch their own water with mothers chopping piles and piles of massive potatoes, while flags of vanadian symbol held by many knights on horseback, guarding the villagers. And the wagon finally went through the gate.