Chapter 6
781 Words
The man smiled as he spoke, “Hello fair citizens of the Empire of Banara, if you would kindly leave your possessions of value here on the side of the road for the emperor’s toll. You can be on your merry way.”
These people were ill-equipped, but many, they were five of them for each of us. They were desperate, and they had to be even more of them in the forest. This might not bode well for the man leading these people. He however seemed stronger than the others. I wouldn’t be able to control him.
“Thieves,” one adventurer spat as he drew his sword, the others took positions around the cart.
“Filthy villagers,” said another.
“Calm yourself,” Maracar responded as his eyes filtered around. “You may have the numbers, but we are adventurers. Mere pitchforks and shovels won’t be enough. Judging from your stance and the weapon in your hand were you a part of the imperial army.”
“So it was a dead giveaway. I was until the emperor decided he no longer had use of us after his war.” The man scratched his beard. “Anyway, like I said before, leave your possessions and we would leave you free to go along about your way. This is the only way for us.”
Seth drew his wooden sword and stepped outside the wagon. The bandits were so close I could smell their stench and see the bones on their ribs showing.
“Reno, what should we do?” Caremila whispered.
“Blasted peasants!” the man behind me shouted.
“We never asked for the emperor’s war!”
“It’s your lot to serve.”
“We have given everything, and it’s still not enough!”
“What you give is more important than your very lives. Don’t forsake your own place or forget it.
The bandits and the adventures exchanged heated words.
“Old man, can you conjure them food?”
Maracar looked back at me as if I had asked the impossible, but it ceased the hostilities as the people around awaited the answer.
“I can only conjure minor food items from the spell. It would only feed about two to three people. If I used all of my magic.”
“Can you show me the spell?”
The mage produce a tome and handed it to me. I flapped through the pages until my fingers landed on the words conjure food.
“Conjure Food I.”
Food of all types seemed to spew from the book of the cart towards the bandits.
“It’s a miracle,” one bandit shouted.
From the expression of Maracar to the surrounding adventurers, it seemed this action was not normal in the slightest. By the time the spell ran its course, it would probably take another wagon to move the food that now lay on the ground. Most of the bandits had even dropped their arms just to eat the food and carry it with them.
The man that had blocked the road finally spoke, “What’s your name, boy?”
“Reno,” I replied.
“Reno the Troll King Slayer,” the bandits muttered to themselves.
“Praise Mangrala, you are a blessing towards us.” He looked at my clothes. “What village are you from?”
“Ha---.”
Maracar placed a hand to my mouth.
“Is this good enough?”
“Yes, it’s more than fare. Thank you again.”
The words thank you and Reno rang on everyone’s lips as the horses moved and I looked back at the people now fading into the distance.
“How did you do that, Reno,” Seth asked me.
“I don’t know,” I replied. “I just didn’t want to see those people starve.”
Seth nodded his head and as the sun faded. We set up camp.
Alone by the fire, Caremila joined me.
“Did you really care about those people, Reno?”
“Those people, I could not care less about what happened to them,” I smiled as I watched my shadow flickered by the fire, revealing Marcar close behind us. “My name on their lips was a different story altogether.”
One adventurer spat on the ground as Marcar spoke. “Go to bed.”
“Damn peasants after that food. They might come back again with even more men.”
Would they really risk attacking us?
- Writer
