Stigma: The Ripper

The Ripper

“Where are the reinforcements? Are they not here yet?!” a soldier scream right after seeing that their army is getting defeated by their enemies. At the same time, someone with a really worn out armor arrived and informed them that there will be no more reinforcements coming for their aid. “What in the world? Where are the Sentinels?” the leader of the soldiers exclaimed. “They are in a pinch and were ambushed, we still have no idea how many of them were able to survive since we are on trouble as well.”

               The leader then turns to the soldier. “Then what of the Defenders? Are none of them willing to defend this side?!” the soldier was about to say something but the leader immediately grabs his armor and knocks him on the walls. “You better not say anything negative or I will definitely go mad.” The soldier then refuse to say anything knowing that the leader would get angry if he says a single word of negativity.

                “Goodness! Are they not willing to help the people that willingly gathered themselves to defend this place despite not having any combat experience?! Are the heads out of their minds?!”

               BAM!

               The leader then slams his fists on the table, splitting it in half in anger. “Leonardo, prepare yourself. We are going to fight to our last breathe.” His assistant then bumps his chest armor and saluted. “Yes my lord.” The assistant then lets the others know of their current situation and gathered up in a place. “All of you, I’m sure Leonardo have already told you what is going to happen. You are all farmers and normal citizen of this kingdom, but if the kingdom itself can’t get to you and help in times of need then we are left to our own devices.”

               “As part of the kingdom, I will stand here before you. I will fight with you to the death! But if there are those who fear death, you can lave. I will not force someone who is not ready to kill another person stay in this force. This is our last struggle, this is our time to show them that we are more than what we capable of! We are going to grab us some glory and honor!” right after what the leader had said, only a few people left the force and they are down to a hundred.

               “It is a pleasure to have worked with you my lord.” His assistant said as he covers his face with a helmet. “The pleasure is all mine Leonardo. Steel yourselves! We are not only fighting against stigmas but also the kingdom’s enemy!” they watch as their enemies march down near the castle where the force is situated at after mauling down the forces’ initial soldiers in the rear.

                The leader and his men fought bravely even when the enemies outnumber them a hundred to one. But this is no fairy tale. The huge difference in number is the key to the enemy’s victory. The leader and his men died without taking  a hundred lives with them. “Was that all? I thought there was at least someone that will be able to satisfy my thirst, what a bummer.” One of the stigmas said after throwing out the head of the leader. “None of them actually pose a threat. They were able to kill a few soldiers but that was it. Nothing out of the ordinary? Why did his highness even send out an army this large just to get a hold of this territory?”

               None of them knew the answer to that question and just shove it off somewhere in the back of their minds. “There is someone walking at this direction.” One soldier with the ability to see afar alerted the others who are adamant in their expression. The appearance of an unknown person did not change their view of the situation. “What do you think is the nationality of that person?” one of the soldiers who grew worried of a single person’s appearance ask the soldier with the ability. “I don’t know. He carries a rather large weapon and looks a bit angry. he is probably on the side of the enemy.” The soldier answered.

               ‘What is this feeling that I am currently having? There is no way a single normal person would come here after knowing what happened, unless he is sure of his ability.’ He then turns to the direction where that mysterious person is coming from and sees his figure slowly approaching them. “He really is alone.” One of the soldiers mutter. That mysterious person then looks around and sees the expressions on the faces of the dead people around him. “He must be crazy, to come here alone without any reinforcements. He must be really mental-! KEUK!”

               Before the soldier could even finish making fun of the mysterious person, his body is sliced in half in a flash and everyone missed it.

               TAG!

               The body split in half as if it was hit by something big and unbelievably fast for a person’s eye to follow. The other soldiers beside their fallen comrade froze in fear for the first time. “You were the ones that killed them huh?” the mysterious person mutters with a really cold tone that send shivers down their spine. The army that knows no fear is now filled with fear after seeing something that they cannot comprehend. “What are you? You did not move your great sword and yet he died.”

               The mysterious person just stared at him blankly and with a simple gesture, the head of the soldier split away and detached from his body.  “Me? I’m just like you bastards. I’m cured like you all are. Now then, let’s dance and get this over with.” The enemy’s army got cut down by a thousand with a single swing. Their abilities were useless against overwhelming strength and the battlefield on that is floating in the pool of blood from thousands of soldiers. The mysterious person then searched and found the leader’s beheaded body, blood flows from his lips as he bit his lip in anger.

               “I told you this is suicide, I have already lost everyone I cared for and you are the last one but you still insist in coming here. Rest well, old friend.” He mutters and takes out a necklace with a cross pendant from the leader’s pocket and proceeded to dig a grave to bury his friend.  “A warrior’s resting place is in the battlefield. That is what you always told me, I thought that it was wrong, a warrior’s resting place is in the hands of his loved ones. Rest well Rios, greet them all for me on the other side.” The mysterious person then walks away after hanging the necklace on the sword of the leader that is plunged on the ground.

               A few days later, a cavalry arrived at the battlefield and saw that the bodies are already rotting and the smell of the dead surrounds the entire battlefield. “Search for Lord Rios’ body!” one of the cavalrymen orders and everyone started going through the dead bodies but none of them found the leader’s body anywhere, all of the sudden one of them stumble upon the grave where the mysterious person buried the leader. “My lord!” the man riding the horse immediately know what his men found and rush to him.

                He climbs down his horse and takes a look at the necklace and clenched it with his hand. “He’s been here. Ready everyone to leave.” He orders the others after learning that the leader has been buried. ‘Do you still resent me?’ he talks to himself as he hide away the necklace. “What are we going to tell the king?” one of the men that is responsible for the reports asked.

               “What else? That his enemy happen to stumble upon that guy and got annihilated. That is the only thing that I can think of after seeing this mess.” He replied with a fierce tone as he ride his horse. “But will the king accept such a vague report?” the man just stare at the soldier and asked. “Do you have any better ideas?” the soldier then shakes his head. “The king should know it himself, the monster that they created is dangerous and can kill this much people if he wills it. They know that is the consequence of their sins against a man that lost everything. Let’s just tell him ‘The Ripper is back.’ That should be enough.”