Arachnore

It was a cloudy day today, yet I decided to continue as I did everyday, a little rain never hurts anybody after all. I stumbled outside with my old leather jacket and clumsily walked to the potato patch, having got little sleep, I found it very hard to function. So with my barely functioning self I watered the potatoes, watered or drowned, either one. I planned to go to the market to buy myself a packs of fertilizers, some firewood, and a new axe, my old one was quite rusted and deformed and the blade being about as sharp as a hammer can be, it simply would not cut anything, after all, I also need it to defend myself, the woods I live in contains orcs and trolls, and since its close to some hills and a mountain wyverns and rocs occasionally show up as well, and they would always be too strong for me, forcing me to hide and hope they wouldn't find me, they always do. I pushed the branches out of the way and made my way to town. My name is Simon Riley, I'm 16 years of age and I live in my shack, in a small wood which is near one of the towns in the outskirts of the red phoenix city, the largest city in the kingdom of avadel, one of the largest second-rate kingdoms, but Lord evon, however is a corrupt and powerful person, blind with greed, but thankfully he doesn't seem interested in our little town, probably because he only cares for the rich towns, I sell my crops and hunt creatures for a living, there are lots of shops here and there for different things, so almost everything I get can be sold, but there are lots of times when I almost died due to the wraiths, apparently these woods were once used to t*****e prisoners of war, and the souls of the fallen still exist here as wraiths, bound by something that connects their unfortunate deaths and this place. I plan to move to one of the hills at the base of the mountain, Mt. Quali. Although that mountain has its own problems, its way better than living with the wraiths. I'm always with my wolf, alpha who was gifted to me by the mayor as a thank you for ridding their house of a skeleton infestation, I'm quite skilled with my axe, which reminds me, I should save up for a sword and shield, should be quite useful. An hour of walking later I reached the town, I had got distracted on the way and and got in a spot of trouble with a group of wraiths, I barely escaped with my life, so it was about 6 o'clock by the time I got there, unfortunately the farming shop was closed by then, so I'd have to settle for buying the fertilisers later, but luckily the blacksmith was still open, so I dropped my axe their, they said they had some extra iron and would upgrade my copper axe to steel at a discount, since it meant it would last more and be sharper I happily agreed, it would take a week though. After visiting the other shops I stopped by the local tavern and drank my fair share of mulled mead. I was about to leave when I heard a commotion outside, it sounded as if someone was causing a brawl, I rushed outside to check and saw mayor Lewis yelling to someone on horseback "You...you promised you'd leave us alone, why are you doing this? Please leave us, we'll pay whatever you desire, we'll give anything, just leave this town." and the rider spoke back "Ohh.. But I'm sorry, I thought being the king of a Avadel meant that all cities and all towns I side it belongs to me, but really it's my fault I just don't make enough examples really, I mean, you'd think the destruction of maraq would be enough but no, maybe, I should burn this place place to the ground and hang everyone on stakes, yes, should be enough, but, your offer is tempting, I will take nothing less than 95%of all gold, money, and funds that you have every year, everyone must pay or you will be executed, now kneel" trembling all over the townspeople all reluctantly kneeled down to evony, some of the more rebellious and braver people had to be pulled down by their neighbours, but I didn't kneel, I was furious, how could he threaten to destroy his own kingdom, how could a person with such evil exist? Although I was terrified inside, I mustered up my courage and stood tall in defiance, "huh?" the evil ruler said, noticing me "HAAAAHAHAHAHAA, who is this little pipsqueak? That dares to not kneel? GUARDS! Bring this fool to me." the guards rushed to me although I struggled hard, I couldn't shake off 5guards at once, maybe if I had my axe I could, but they Brought me to the king, mustering up even more even more of my courage, I said 5 words that shocked even me," duel me, if you dare". I heard the entire townspeople gasp in shock "is he mad?"."he'll die.", "take it back" he might kill all of us if he angered him" "we're doomed" I could hear the murmurs rippling through the crowds and I thought to myself 'I messed up''."HAAAHAHAHAHAHAAA, I accept.", 'wow, I really messed up,' "give this kid a sword, I will accept your duel, basic steel longsword, no armor, if you win I'll leave the town, if you win the town pays 95%", a guard handed me a sword, 'dammit, it's too heavy', I firmly gripped it and faced the King, ready for the duel." En Garde" He rushed at me, I barely dodged, he swung, I blocked, I swung, he blocked, this kept repeating, I kept tiring, his attacks got more and more furious, I can only just about fend off these attacks, I lunged at him, hoping to decapitate him, but I missed and lost my balance, he struck, and I went down, "is it the end?" and as I fell the world slowed down, I saw an old man in the distance, a man I never saw here before, who is he? I feel an aura from him. And then I fell unconscious, humiliated, scarred, defeated. My hopes of being a warrior destroyed.