Burn...

A piping sound echoed through Tony’s left ear to the other, a strong earthquake like tremble shook his body and caused him to open his heavy eyelids, awakening him from his cold slumber with a groan.

A red flashing light stung his eyes. Blinking a dozen times, he blocked the light with the hand and rubbed the eye with the other. Trying to get up he fell down to the side, landing on something soft and comfy while a chilly fog covered his skin and stole his warmth.

Pushing his heavy body up from the floor, he tried to make sense of the surroundings and found himself in a plane between blue passenger seats. Gazing straight ahead the passengers ran in panic from the left to right, screaming while stumbling onto the chair nearby by a strong wobble.

“What’s going on?” He muttered while trying to focus, yet head aching from pain, making his vision blurry as some warm liquid sent shivers behind his back.

Feeling around his messy hair, a pain ran through his mind. A sticky liquid stuck onto his hand. Trying to focus upon it, his hand was fuzzy yet dyed in red.

What do I do? He panicked, taking another look around, smokey clouds covered the ceiling, his body become heavier with each dripping blood that left red marks on the blue mat. He lost the control of his trembling arms that couldn’t stand ground against the strong shaking wobble, hence his body plopped down onto the floor.

Now layin with cheek against the mat as the stench of something burnt took over, darkness covered the edge of his vision as a lockers from above unlocked itself, making a large luggage slide slowly out towards the edge because of all the shaking.

His eyes became wide, his heart beat faster enough for the brain to pick up the sound. If he didn’t move, it would be the end of him his body warned. Taking a last stand to crawl out of the way with his useless arms and legs, it fell, covered his vision as darkness took over.

Tony woke up, gasping with chest tightened as he checked the vicinity. After a while he took a deep breath and laid down onto the cushion, staring at the wooden ceiling of the inn. He thought.Just a dream of the past, but why now?

The sun shone brightly through the window from the right, bathing him in warmth together with a slight breeze that passed his body from the tiny open gap.

He curled himself in the warm and soft cloth, turned around to the left and glanced upon the long hair that covered her small nose as she held her hands together near her own cushion.

Should I go take a look around the village? He thought, gently poking the warm and soft cheek of Rin at the other bed nearby as she slowly breathed in and out from the tiny gap between her lips.

Removing the cloth that kept his warmth, starting with one leg than the other, he stood up on the cold floor, stretched his heavy arms and tight back with a gasp, covering Rin in his silhouette as he stole the shining sun. He smiled, hands on his waist and thought, It has been over 13 years I believe. Master, will I ever get back?

Covering himself in the red cloak, he grabbed the rope to the left of his neck, attached the rope to the right and gently opened the screeching wooden door. “I’ll be back soon” He whispered, while Rin rose from the single bed and scrubbed her eyes. She spaced out, then dropped dead the second after.

Taking the wooden stairs down to the first floor, a lady behind the counter waved and said "Good morning".

Tony smiled and replied the same. “Good morning”

“Anything I can help you with?” she asked.

“No, but thanks anyway” He answered and left the inn through the double door.

Walking around the stone streets of the village, a wind passed by, making the trees and wheat rustle. Birds chirped, flying from one tree to the other as he inhaled the fresh air of the village. Though, taking a closer look around, he saw no one. Where is everyone? He thought, as usually, villagers would be walking outside around this time, doing their daily routine like swords training, magic training, chatting or even wash their clothes on the river nearby.

He shrugged, took a stroll until he turned around the corner and found most of the villagers gathered together near the fountain square. They tried their best to stay calm, but the fear could be seen as they whispered about something to each other. A few even held their mouth as tears rolled down their cheek and finally plopped down onto the street, weeping.

A bell from the church rang as Tony curiously walked closer, he saw that large amount of soldiers clad in the armor of the empire spread out into the houses, driving the villagers out of their homes and forced them into the crowd.

He clicked his tongue, tried to walk away as he knew that it would turn ugly. Though, he was also pushed into the gathering of villagers together with the confused innkeeper.

“What is the meaning of this, I thought Photos had a mutual defense treaty with Afauthien?!” A old man with a crane argued as a soldier pulled him out from his house.

“Oh, you are a bit late for the news.” A man laughed, also clad in black armor, yet more decorated than the others.

“The royal bloodline of Photos has fallen. In a few days they will be executed at the town square in Arkantos.” He added.

“What?! This is madness. Are you backstabbing us?!”

“Madness, backstabbing? The beastmen from the east invaded us on the coast. Cruelly murdered innocent humans even young children who had yet explored the world. With all the reinforcement request to our, so called defense treaty friend, none were even granted and you talk about backstabbing?”

“That’s because you bloody warmongers started the war! Not them! As a neutral zone and according to the mutual treaty, we had the rights to deny!”

“It doesn’t matter, from now on. Everything once in Photos now belongs to the Empire. Including this village” He snickered, taking out a paper and faced it at front of the old man.

“This is the new laws from the Empire! Obey them and we’ll walk out of this place peacefully” He said, handing it over to the old man.

The old man read the paper, he frowned and slapped the black gauntlet with the crane as the wind blew the paper away. “There is no way we can comply with these request!” He shouted.

The soldier grinned, picked up the paper and said, “According to the new laws, Mayor... Acting against an officer of the empire, will get you severely punished.”

The officer gave the paper to his soldier, unsheathed his blade slowly, which let out a screeching metal sound and made the old man stiff. He walked backwards, eyes wide as the public could do nothing. The soldiers knew what their officer was about to do, probably from experience, hence they created a shieldwall against the crowd that tried to retaliate together with swords aimed towards their throats.

The mayor fell back first, crawled backwards until his back hit a cold wall. “No, you can’t do this!” He said.

The officer smirked, walked slowly towards the yielding man and thrusted the blade onto his soft chest. His heart was pierced and he coughed out blood dyeing his white beard in crimson red. “Resistance is futile…” The officer said, slashing the head off of the mayor and scattered the blood onto the walls.

The head fell to the side of the crowd, rolled until it stopped beside the feets of a little girl. “KYAAAAAAAA!” She screamed until someone covered her mouth and hid her somewhere in the crowd.

The officer laughed, swung the blade in the air, leaving another blood mark on the wall and sheathed the blade soon after. “Anyways, since the mayor is now resting in peace, I’ll take the role of a mayor temporarily.” He said, walking towards the crowd.

“According to the law now bestowed upon this village, everyone who can hold a sword or have trained to become a magician will be requested to join the ranks.”

“Shut up murderer!” Someone replied.

He grinned, “Who ever said that bring him on his knees to me”

“No! What are you doing?!” A man got dragged out of the crowd by the soldiers.

“I will make another example, resist and you’ll die” He said, unsheathed his blade and slashed the helpless man in two before he even had time to blink.

The pale crowd gazed upon the blood that dyed the street in red as a tense atmosphere trembled them. All they could do was nod.

“So who will join the empire?” He asked.

“...”

“The rewards is great, your family will be compensated and if you make it through the ranks, you can get anything you want...”

Everyone was pale with silence, the rewards might be good, but knowing that you are forced to join didn't sit well with them. Especially after brutally killing two of the villagers when they could have talked it out. Even Tony who clenched his burning fist throughout the event couldn't do anything. Calm down, if I kill them out of anger and the empire finds out that their platoon didn't return, the one paying the price is the villagers not me.

“Change of plans then. According to the laws, if 20 of each villages don’t join the ranks, they will be forced to. Any male above 16 will be joining and anyone who can wield magic no matter the age or gender will also join the ranks. The female can freely choose if they want unless they can wield magic. Private, do you have the papers I requested?”

“Yes officer”

The officer took the paper and started to read, “Steve Fox, come forward…”

“No! Not my son!” A brave woman begged at front of the officer, while her friend tried to pull her back, though a soldier kicked her friend back into the crowd.

He grinned, “Steve Fox, if you don’t step forward, it will be counted as acting against an officer… You don’t want that to happen to your mother right?”

“No, Son, don’t reveal yourself!” She yelled.

“SMACK!”

She fell to the side, body on the street as she held her red cheek.

“Steve Fox, it was just a warning, the next time will be the last” He warned, bringing the cold blade to her neck that sent shivers down her spine as a drop of blood vanished down her chest.

A teen pushed away the crowds, revealing himself as the officer patted his shoulder. “Good choice”. He said, pointing towards one of the soldiers who showed the teen to sit in a wagon nearby, which continued until at least 41 recruits was brought to the wagon.

“Officer, we have recruited 8 magicians and the rest can wield the sword.” A soldier saluted.

“Good, Any…” He was about to say, until he noticed a young man with a red cloak behind the dead eyed crowd.

“You there, step forward”

Tony poked his nose as the scared villagers opened a path, “Why? I am a traveler, the rules are only for the villagers and anyone part of the nation, no?”

The officer frowned, for him it looked like the red cloaked man was mocking him as he fired the snot onto a tree. Yet, he had to hold the anger chained from the provocation, since what Tony said was true.

Though, a soldier then came and whispered something to his ear.

“What? Bring the beast here…”

A few seconds later, Rin was brought before the officer as she struggled to get loose.

“Well, well, well… Someone with the blood of a beast inside of them” He said, smelling her white and black hair.

Rin shivered with silence.

“Hey, that’s my apprentice you have over there, touch her again and you won’t live to regret it.” Tony warned.

“Oh, are you threatening me?” He asked, caressing her wet cheek with tears.

Ignoring the warning he immediately lost his balance and fell on his knees as a heavy tremble shook the ground underneath him. Turning towards Tony, he saw earth magic erupting from the ground, piercing his heavy armour with a sharp pillar and ended behind his back dyed in blood.

He screamed, body stuck on the pillar above ground, blood dripped from his mouth and wound onto the street as he muttered, "How... This is one of the strongest anti magic armor..."

"Burn..." Tony snickered, clenched his fist and a pillar of fire reached the blue skies, covering it in fire sparks as the officer burned to ashes. Leaving only a few scraps of the armour left as a black smoke rose from the ground.

He walked towards the trembling Rin that tried to look around, he crouched down and whispered to her ear, “it’s okay, I’m here… ”. She embraced him, wept as he hugged her petite body back, “Anyone else?” he asked.

A breeze with leaves passed by the gaping soldiers, they shook their head and left with the recruits in haste as Tony picked up Rin with his arms like a princess.

He turned around towards the crowd, happy as the officer has been taken by vengeance, yet sad as their family was forcefully taken to join the army, "Sorry I couldn't do anything" he said.

The brave mum from the first teen walked forward with a few others. Their face wet from tears yet frowning from anger as one pulled his cloak towards them. "... Why didn't you stop them? With that strength we could have avoided all this!" The first mum asked.

Tony avoided her red eyes from tears, he glanced at the rustling tree nearby as the fountain showered the streets with glittering water. "I couldn't, if I did, who knows what they would do with the village?"

She grabbed the collar as he held Rin and sniffed, "Still... What if they took her? What would you do then!?" You should know how I feel... No, us?" She pointed at every crying villagers. While a few kids tried to hit his back.

"I'm sorry, unlike you, they will probably put me in the wanted list, besides... As I said before, if I did eliminate them, what would you do when I am gone?"

Her frown turned sad, together with the grip that grew weaker.

"Are you gonna force me to stay like how they forced the villagers to join? The officer might be cruel, yet what he said wasn't a lie... If one goes beyond the ranks, they could even control the village for themselves or even the once called Photos"

Avoiding his eyes, her hands dropped to her waist and she asked, "Can I slap you?"

"... If that would satisfy... SLAP!!!"

"I know that I am wrong... But, take this... I couldn't give it to my son before he left" She muttered, left hand near her chest as the other with palm open towards Tony.

"This is... No, I cannot accept something that precious, not as a stranger"

"No, you punished the one who killed my friend's husband and took my son, at least give it to her, I know she will need it"

Tony glanced at the elven ring, a artifact filled with magic, presumably a heirloom passed down from generations. He closed his eyes and took the ring and said, "Thank you... If I meet those brought away, I'll help them if they're in need..."

He turned around, never looking back as he walked further away from the villagers with each step towards the Capital of Afauthien.