An RPG Cleverly Designed by Robo

Chapter V

The road to Mago was harder than the journey to Springtor. "Things have gotten much worse than when I last left Elman," said Hearston. "Although Chaotix has not yet attacked the island, His evils are spreading. We probably could not even make if not for these horses we ride."

They rode further on, until they were met by two cronies of the thief they killed on the road to Springtor. Behind them was a cage, covered with a strange cloth. "Well, what do we got here?" laughed one of them. "Well, if it ain’t the two thugs that killed our boss."

"When people do mean things to us, we take ‘em out!" sneered the other.

"How dare you speak to me in that tone!" cried Hearston. "Do you know who you are talking to? Maybe the unintelligent citizens of this country allow you to speak to them in such a matter, but I demand respect!"

"Big tough man thinks he’s got us beat," said the first one. "You wanna piece of me? I bet he retreats when he sees our surprise."

"Yeah," sneered the other. "You talk the talk, but do you walk the walk?"

In reply Hearston drew his sword, and Michele quickly pulled out her spear. The two criminals lifted the cover of the cage, and inside sat a troll, well over ten feet high. "We found this brute snooping around the southern tip of Jenu" laughed the second man.

"What on earth would a troll be doing in Jenu? They reside in Salan Lakor with their Master," muttered Michele.

"This guy is from Salan Lakor," said Hearston. "I know a troll when I see one. Chaotix must have sent him. If He is conquering Jenu, Malting very well could be next. But why the southern tip of Jenu? I know of no settlements there." The truth was Chaotix was not ignorant of David and how he was going to try to convince Ordac to join the war. Fortunately, He was too late and the troll arrived after the two of them left Ordac’s house, but the two criminals found the beast there, and captured it.

"Enough chit-chat!" cried the first man. "We will make you pay for the death of our friend and leader."

Michele and Hearston had an advantage over the two men; they could ride circles around them while on their horses. The real challenge was the troll. The men stood back and unleashed the troll. Michele jumped down from her horse.

"What are you doing?" demanded Hearston.

"Let me fight this my way," said Michele. "In the northern parts of this island, I hunted greater beasts than this with my tribe."

"I will leave this to you," Hearston admitted. "But you shall not face the thing alone. Let us go forth and show him what we are made of, shall we?"

Hearston followed on horseback, and the troll pulled out a large, wooden pole, made of solid oak. They ducked out of its way, and Michele stared the thing straight in the eye. She drew her spear, and blocked the next attack, then thrust forward. The troll stepped to the side, while Hearston rode around, and made small cuts on the troll’s hide. The troll grew weary and aimed towards Hearston. There was no way he could hit Hearston while he remained on his white horse. He rode through the troll’s legs and stabbed it in the foot. It screamed in pain, and Michele refocused on her opponent. She struck with her spear, but the troll blocked. The troll tried its best, but in the end he could not block one of Michele’s attacks, and was stabbed deep in the chest. In the meantime Hearston continued stabbing at the troll, when Michele called him. Working together, they were able to go through the troll’s defense and slay him.

The two men pleaded for Hearston and Michele to spare their lives. "Promise me money!" demanded Hearston.

"You can have everything we stole," gasped the first thief.

"And you weapons too," said Hearston.

"Whatever you say!" cried the second one.

"Safe passage?" asked Hearston.

"Yes, that too! Just don’t kill us!" they cried in unison.

"What I want," Hearston began. The two men nodded, willing to agree to any demand. "Is for you two to die." With that, Michele impaled the first one. The second one pulled out his mace, but Michele killed him in less than three seconds.

"Mago is almost near, no need for this disturbance to delay us any further," said Hearston.

They rode forward, but found problems when crossing the Chean River. It seemed as if all the thieves in the country gathered together. "Halt! You have killed our leader and evaded our efforts to revenge his death, but this time you will pay dearly."

Hearston sighed. "Do these men control every river in the miserable country?!" he cried. "You know, your master faced death at the hands of myself and Michele during a similar incident when we crossed the Hunter River."

"The head of The Thieves of Malting will be avenged now," said one of the men. They pulled out their swords. Michele drew her spear.

"Worry not, Michele," said Hearston, "there is an easier way to get around them." To the thieves, he said, "Gentlemen, though you are mostly cutthroats and assassins, you are businessmen at heart. You wish to make money. I have here, a rather generous offer," said Hearston. "Here is fifty gold pieces, enough to buy your dearly departed friend an adequate funeral, as well as some new weapons for yourselves. What do you say?"

"It’s a deal!" cried one of the men.

"And as for our master," said another, handling the gold, "we are richer for having lost him."

The thieves ran off to count their new wealth, while Michele said, "Sir, that was not a small amount of money. It may be pennies to you, but fifty gold pieces is fifty gold pieces."

"When I get to Mago, I shall send a young boy who is willing to head back to my mansion and bring me back some gold. A boy who is willing to work for a price, a rather small price that is!" He laughed, and Michele mounted the black horse and rode with him to Mago.

They traveled along, running into a few stray dogs that would suddenly attack them. Their only real trouble began when they were only a few miles from the city. A group of thieves stopped them again.

"Not again," sighed Hearston. "How many times do I have to beat you thugs until you learn? A good beating does not work, neither did bribery, I guess I have to teach you let another difficult lesson."

"We ain’t them thieves you’d been running into before," said one of them. "They were another group of thieves."

"A rival gang of thieves, may I add," said another.

"And we saw you two pay ‘em off," said yet another. "That makes you their friends. And any friend of theirs is an enemy of The Brotherhood of Death!"

They sent forth a single man. Michele impaled him with her spear before he had a chance. They sent two forth this time, but Hearston cut them down with incredible speed. They sent forth four, Michele stabbed two, Hearston sliced two.

"Enough!" cried one of them. "We can’t let ‘em beat us down one by one. We gotta send a bunch of us down to finish him." With that, he and eight others came forward.

They were almost trampled, but Hearston reached down and grabbed a handful of dirt. He threw it in their eyes and Michele struck, killing one. It took longer than the previous challenges, but they beat the men. All the thieves were ready to charge, when a voice was heard.

"Leave the rich man and his lady friend alone, or you’ll be sorry," came a gruff voice. The Thieves of Malting came, wielding swords and clubs.

"Our feud is getting settled right here and now," answered a man from the Brotherhood of Death.

They clashed into each other, and Hearston signaled to Michele. "Let them beat each other to a bloody pulp. Good riddance, I say. Let us continue on to Mago, shall we?"

Hearston looked behind him at the raging gang war and smirked. He and Michele rode until they reached the gates of a large city, with two guards standing in front of the gate, with spears at their sides. "Hurry in, word has it that there is a ‘war’ between The Thieves of Malting and the Brotherhood of Death.

"Yes, I heard something to that effect," said Hearston.

"Well then," said the left guard. "Come in. And welcome to Mago, capitol of Malting."

Music: "Summer" Finale From The Four Seasons

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page