Tim looked at me in terrified manner and said "Who are you and what did you to my brother" I said "We are all growing bro, that's it" He said "Were you goanna really chop of his hand" I said "That wasn't even a possibility do you think some conman who regularly cons villagers like you not had seven gold? So he counted my knife as one gold. Nice" He said again "What if he didn’t?" I said “Then he would have continued his life with one hand less than he already has" Then I said to him "Look at me bro, we are living in a terrible world. Our village is a rare exception. You ask me when we first entered the market why everything is so expensive here? Simple, because of corruption. Guards take bribes from everybody who brings town any good, also they take bribes from the thugs who do racketeering, craftsmen have to add up those extras to the cost. Normally a city this corrupt would have lost its customers to some other nearby town, but there isn’t any. So people around Baldenburg have to buy stuff they can’t find in their villages here.” Tim asked “Lord Marcus would never allow such things in his land, the Baron Herch? Why does he allow this stuff?” I smiled “Ether he got kickbacks or he is exteremely incompetent. Either way that is not our concern.” It cost me a life but I learned the hard way, if you see rampant corruption you don’t fight it, just try to use it for your interest. So I was doing exactly that.

Tim said “I understand why you don’t give me seven gold, you won it but why don't you give me back my knife?” I said “Be grateful I give you two and a half gold, all of those were mine.” he was saddened, in the middle of the market we see a thug beating an old woman. Woman was begging “Please I don’t have any money” Tim grinded his teeth, I turned my face away. A man appeared he said “Leave that woman” Guy was a villager like us, Thug sheeted his knife. Other two thugs appeared out of nowhere they were carrying knives too. They were going to make an example of that villager. I was feeling like crap. I wasn't going to do anything. But Tim grabbed his knife from my belt. Maybe it seemed weird but I felt relaxed, yes I was going to let an innocent man be killed, but not my brother, so I needed to fight. I pulled a knife out of the crate, and threw it to the thug closest to the villager. Normally knife throwing is quite a hard thing, especially with a knife that big. But with the help of magic mine flew like an arrow and hit right between the shoulders. Tim started to run while shouting with a risen knife, the thug saw him take a position with his knife in the stabbing position. I said Oh no, inside. And tried to take another knife from the crate. But villager we trying to save just take the knife in the dead thugs hand, runned and with impressive speed before thug kill Tim he was stabbed him thug in the back, while he doing that last thug started to shout, five more thugs appeared. He took the other knife and with two blades started to combat all six thugs. That was impressive. So he wasn’t a clueless idiot, he was a talented idiot. I was surprised how fast he moved, how accurate he stabbed. Tim and I joined in his fight each of us took on thug on. Thank god or gods Tim wasn’t tring stupid things anymore, we was makeing quick stabing moves, and constantly moveing, and his enemy younger than him, wasn’t doing much better in knife combat. Mine enemy on the other hand was quite experienced, moved like a rattlesnake. But I had magic, while he tested my defences with fake stabs I made him stumble, while stumbling grabbed his knife hand and stabbed him on the stomach all the way in. Oh, that felt good. I enjoyed his life erased from his eyes, his breath slowly disappeared. And he fall. I had a pleased smile in my face but Tim was looking at a pool of blood in the ground with terrified eyes. Truth to be told I never understand people getting in shock when they kill. I didn’t. Even the first time I killed, yes there was a slight uncomfortable feeling the first time but that was it. Hard part of war is losing your brothers in arms. That got anyone, how much thought you be, that hits like a hammer, but killing, that is easy.

While we wasted our single enemies the villager wasted two, remaining two after seeing they are both outnumbered and outsikkiled runned away. Villager reached forth his hand. I shook his hand. He said “I am Bruce” I said “I am Hank, nice to meet you”. But Tim is still looking at the dead boy's body. Both of us got near him when I came close he said “He, He is same age as Sam, Hank. He's just a kid.” I said “You are just a kid too. And he didn’t lie in his blood you would.” He looked at me and said “What happened to you” I shrugged. “Old woman rose and said, this way, we need to hide.”