The CharacterFrom the peak of a nearby hill, an elderly man overlooked the nearby city through thick, round shades. The magic hung in the air as thick as the fog that had rolled in from the sea. His first clue that something was amiss was the sudden change of the sky from this area. Now, he could see that things were
much worse than he had anticipated. He could almost feel the pain and suffering of the townspeople below. There was no question about it, he had to do what he could to help.
He started down the hillside at a brisk pace, cloak flowing in the noxious breeze as he did so. It was then that the vision of a giant monstrous cat appeared beside him. He had seen this apparition often, but never had it had such a fearful expression on its face. It was not often so afraid. It began speaking to the old man.
"WHAT are you DOING idiot?! Can you not feel it? All that dark energy? Why are you heading TOWARDS it?!"The man did not break a step. The vision spoke with a worried tone that was uncharacteristic for it. This was unsettling for the man, who was also fearful of what forces lurked down in the city. Still, his pace went unaltered as he neared the besieged city.
"The people here need help." he solemnly responded to his own vision.
"WHAT?! Why would you risk our life for these... HUMANS?! They are like worms! Let them die! Their meager existences are not worth us DYING for!"The elderly man was silent to the apparition's nagging. He knew that if he could save even a few people, it would be worth the risk. The monster eventually vanished, and he made it to the outskirts of the city. All around him were panicking people fleeing for their lives. The man navigated through the crowd, ignoring the pleas of a few townspeople for him to turn back.
As he entered the city, the man paused. Everything seemed...
familiar. He remembered such sights from his distant memories. The familiar smell of smoke and blood was sickening. The thought that he used to be used to be the cause of such calamity was simply abhorrent. He continued on down the main street, seeing the desolation that had been wrought by some unknown enemy. It was then that the cat re-appeared, seen only by the old man. It seemed more calm now, looking around with a toothy grin on its face.
"Ahh... This takes me back! Why do you not smile? We used to RELISH in such carnage! Remember?"The man ignored the beastly vision, eyes fixed directly ahead. It let out a sigh and vanished again. Ahead, three armed men in matching uniforms were harassing a group of frightened civilians. They pushed the group along, physically punishing any who strayed but a few feet away from the others.
"They are taking captives..." the man thought quietly.
He moved in on the group. One uniformed man turned to notice him.
"Look! Another one! What do you say about taking one more guys?"The other two faced him now. The farthest man spoke with authority, obviously the leader amongst their tiny group.
"No good. That old timer wouldn't last a minute! Better take him down."The first man agreed, and approached the elderly man, axe in hand. He gave a wide swing, targeting the area where the neck met the shoulder. In a flash of movement unbefitting his feeble appearance, the man raised his arm, stopping the axe as the handle made contact with his forearm. The three uniformed men could not believe what had happened.
"How rude. You really should treat your elders with some respect!"The man with the axe was frozen in place, giving his intended target an opportunity, and... an opening. Another quick motion, and the old man's fist found the axe bearer's stomach with enough force to both disarm him and knock him to the ground. He was subdued, at least for a while. His attention turned to the two others, who were still trying to analyze what exactly had just happened. The man slowly moved in closer. The leader, snapping out of his stupor, raised his broadsword over his head and called out,
"I WAS going to let these ones live, but if you take one more step, I swear I'll slaughter them all!"The hostages were absolutely terrified. Some cried, while others begged for their lives. The old man had no choice but to stop in his tracks.
"Fine, I will not move one more step." he said with his stern tone.
The leader was smirking, feeling he had one up on his adversary. His comrade, too, had a look of confidence. The old man crouched to the ground, and picked up a piece of rubble the size of his palm. His feet did not budge an inch.
"What are you DOING?!" the commander cried out as the man stood back up.
He knew perfectly well what the rubble was for, and he readied his sword, waiting to punish that action. Before he knew what had happened, the old man sent the rubble rocketing at him. With a loud
CRACK, the rubble made impact with his forehead, knocking him unconscious (hopefully). The weight of the sword over his head assisted his fall backwards, and the leader landed flat on his back. One left...
That one in question decided it was better to make a "tactical retreat". He ran in the opposite direction, off to tell his superiors about this new fighter. The captives were filled with newfound hope. They cried tears of joy, offering the stranger thanks for his help.
"Go now! Quickly before more come." Those were his only words he gave those he just saved from their unknown fate. They obeyed, and fled towards the exit. The old man showed no emotion, but inside, he was overjoyed that he could save anyone at all. The vision of the cat monster reappeared again.
"There! You did your good deed for the day! Now, GET OUT of here BEFORE something bad happens to us! I do not like the feeling of this place...""We are not finished yet. There may be more people in danger. I am scared too, but I must do what I can to help. It is only right...""I cannot STAND for this! If you get yourself killed doing something stupid, I DIE TOO!"The man, after what seemed like a conversation with the foul-smelling air around him, waved off his vision, forcing it to vanish.
"And this world would be better for it..." he said with a sigh.
He continued on deeper into the besieged city, in the same direction as the one uniformed man had run. The old man left his comrades where they were. They were no longer a threat, and probably would not be until later.