RE: The Broken Prophecy (Walls O' Text)
01-17-2013, 12:06 AM
In truth, the old woman's words still weighed on Edwin's mind. Determined as he was, he couldn't help but worry; what if it was true? What if, no matter how hard he fought, there was no way to stop the demons without Alicia?
The thought haunted him constantly as he rode through the plains. He knew he had to fight, but what if it really was a lost cause? What was the purpose of it all?
After some time, he came to a mountain pass. The castle was not far from the other side. His horse galloped down the long path.
Some time later, he was forced to stop. There was an enormous boulder in the way. Edwin sighed; it would take too much time to turn around, but moving the boulder out of the way was hardly practical either.
He dismounted his horse and reached for a crystal shard. But before he could draw it out of his pouch, something large and heavy struck him on the back of the head. He was knocked to the ground, and the contents of his pouch spilled out. He was still conscious, but barely.
"Huh. What do you suppose these are?" he heard a gruff voice ask.
"Never seen anything like them," a woman's voice replied. "Could be worth quite a bit, or could be worth nothing. We'll take them just in case."
"Fair enough. How about the sword?"
"It's not especially valuable or useful - everyone who can actually use a blade already has one. Still, I can't argue with the price."
Edwin groaned weakly as he felt a heavy foot step on his back.
"Hmm, didn't hit him hard enough," the gruff voice said. "Still got a bit of energy left in him."
"Good. I don't like it when we have to deal with corpses. The stench lasts for days."
"I wouldn't hit him that hard, Min," he protested. "We're out for money, not blood. Some of the other boys may have trouble rememberin' that, but not me."
"Well, get your foot off him, Bert. He's unarmed now, and you still knocked the wind out of his sails. Just keep an eye on him while I grab the horse."
"Right, sorry."
Edwin felt the pressure on his back lift. Slowly, he started to lift himself up, and as his head started to clear, he saw a woman riding off on his horse and a large man with a club standing in front of him.
"Hello, friend," the man said, grinning. "Not the best of days for you, is it?"
Edwin sighed.
"You have no idea. And the enormous demonic fly behind you isn't making matters any better."
"Pah, you'll have to do better than that old trick to..."
"BERT! THERE'S A BLOODY DEMON IN MY WAY!"
Bert swore, turned around and ran. He quickly called back to Edwin.
"Never mind, seems I have to help out the boss. Look, just climb over the boulder and you can get to wherever you were going. We didn't mean any trouble, we're just looking out for ourselves."
Edwin was left dumbfounded as the bandit ran off. He was powerless now - no weapon, no crystals, no horse.
What could he do? No choice seemed appealing. He could press on to the castle on foot, leaving the bandits, and his stolen possessions, at the mercy of the demon. But Edwin had no desire to see people die, even criminals.
He could join the battle with the demon, but what could he even do without even a weapon? And would the bandits even welcome his aid?
And whether Edwin acted or not, if the bandits won, they would still have the crystals - a new horse and a new sword could be found if necessary, but the crystals would be far more difficult to replace. To say nothing of the careless use the bandits might put them to if they discovered their true power.
There was little time to consider the matter. Edwin made his choice.
The thought haunted him constantly as he rode through the plains. He knew he had to fight, but what if it really was a lost cause? What was the purpose of it all?
After some time, he came to a mountain pass. The castle was not far from the other side. His horse galloped down the long path.
Some time later, he was forced to stop. There was an enormous boulder in the way. Edwin sighed; it would take too much time to turn around, but moving the boulder out of the way was hardly practical either.
He dismounted his horse and reached for a crystal shard. But before he could draw it out of his pouch, something large and heavy struck him on the back of the head. He was knocked to the ground, and the contents of his pouch spilled out. He was still conscious, but barely.
"Huh. What do you suppose these are?" he heard a gruff voice ask.
"Never seen anything like them," a woman's voice replied. "Could be worth quite a bit, or could be worth nothing. We'll take them just in case."
"Fair enough. How about the sword?"
"It's not especially valuable or useful - everyone who can actually use a blade already has one. Still, I can't argue with the price."
Edwin groaned weakly as he felt a heavy foot step on his back.
"Hmm, didn't hit him hard enough," the gruff voice said. "Still got a bit of energy left in him."
"Good. I don't like it when we have to deal with corpses. The stench lasts for days."
"I wouldn't hit him that hard, Min," he protested. "We're out for money, not blood. Some of the other boys may have trouble rememberin' that, but not me."
"Well, get your foot off him, Bert. He's unarmed now, and you still knocked the wind out of his sails. Just keep an eye on him while I grab the horse."
"Right, sorry."
Edwin felt the pressure on his back lift. Slowly, he started to lift himself up, and as his head started to clear, he saw a woman riding off on his horse and a large man with a club standing in front of him.
"Hello, friend," the man said, grinning. "Not the best of days for you, is it?"
Edwin sighed.
"You have no idea. And the enormous demonic fly behind you isn't making matters any better."
"Pah, you'll have to do better than that old trick to..."
"BERT! THERE'S A BLOODY DEMON IN MY WAY!"
Bert swore, turned around and ran. He quickly called back to Edwin.
"Never mind, seems I have to help out the boss. Look, just climb over the boulder and you can get to wherever you were going. We didn't mean any trouble, we're just looking out for ourselves."
Edwin was left dumbfounded as the bandit ran off. He was powerless now - no weapon, no crystals, no horse.
What could he do? No choice seemed appealing. He could press on to the castle on foot, leaving the bandits, and his stolen possessions, at the mercy of the demon. But Edwin had no desire to see people die, even criminals.
He could join the battle with the demon, but what could he even do without even a weapon? And would the bandits even welcome his aid?
And whether Edwin acted or not, if the bandits won, they would still have the crystals - a new horse and a new sword could be found if necessary, but the crystals would be far more difficult to replace. To say nothing of the careless use the bandits might put them to if they discovered their true power.
There was little time to consider the matter. Edwin made his choice.
Spoiler