Author's rant

Yeah, I decided to add the next one already, I'm pretty much out of material now.

Actual story:

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A while passed by, and the gates finally opened. The caravan moved into the city. The large wooden drawbridge closed behind them, and the metal bars dropped behind the bridge. They entered a narrow passing, with walls on all four sides, before crossing a second bridge. Finally a large main street revealed itself. Wide as the walls, the street was made of finely carved square stones. The street was very long, and led straight to the palace. The palace could be spotted far out in the horizon. Everywhere the streets were filled with merchants, people with wheelbarrows and citizens walking around in all manners of fine clothes - purple clothes, clothes with feathers, multi colored clothes, leather clothes and even a few in plate armour or robes.

The guards quickly shooed people off the road as the caravan passed. At certain intersections, different parts of the caravan split off. First was the craftsmen and cooks and all manners of workers that left. Later it was mages, and finally about half of the guards left just outside the castle.

The huge castle had a myriad of spires and an additional wall surrounding it. finally the outer gates opened revealing a green garden filled with flowers and white statues. The caravan came to a complete halt on the plaza across the garden.

“Come, now. We have much to attend.” Queen Ruby called out.

Mavros gazed at all the statues and flowers as they entered the castle itself.

“Our first agenda, will be a call to arms. Issued by the great hero himself.” Ruby said in a surprisingly happy tone.

“Wait, hold up!” Mavros said.

“Yes?”

“I need some answers first.”

“Okay then, what’s the question?”

“Who are we fighting? Why are we figthing? Who are the Lords allied to us? What’s this about monsters? What’s this stuff with mages? How did you defrost me? Why do you carry the Insignia of the Imperials?”

Ruby sighed. “I’ll make this brief. We are fighting the Peritians, the Incursians and the Viscians. The rest is of little consequence to you. You have a speech to make.”

“A speech? and you expect me to hold a convincing speech completely in blind?”

“Hm. You do have a point. We’ll scratch the speech”

“... You change your mind pretty quickly, don’t you?”

“I have matters to attend now. Guards, please accompany and see to the needs of our guest.” she waved at a handful of guards.

“Wait, suddenly I’m NOT supposed to fix everything?” Mavros asked.

“No, for now.. Just get out of that piece of… Junk.” Ruby waved nonchalantly with her hand.

Mavros looked down his armour. The armour looked as exquisite as the first day it had been made. Shining copper, with red padding and a red cape. “Junk?” he looked back up, only to find Ruby missing.

“Certainly, sir. It looks like it would make a good museum exhibit.” One of the guards said. “We should get you some new garments. Hold on for a moment, we will get a servant.”

One of the guards darted off, and returned with a male servant moments later.

“I have been briefed, let’s get you into some better clothes. Right this way please.”

In a separate room, Mavros armour, shield and clothes were removed, and he was fitted with some fine clothes. Green and puffy, just the way the rich were dressed now a days.

“And please, leave the weapon here as well, sir.”

“I’d prefer not to part with my weapon, thank you.” Mavros replied.

“But sir, you can’t run around armed like a barbarian”

“Oh, I’m sorry…” Mavros started. “But I am a barbarian, from a barbaric tribe back in your past. I will keep my weapon, which was by the way personally given to me be Poenica.”

“Sir, you really can’t be armed in here, hero or no hero, given by Poenica the first or not” the servant insisted.

“I will not part from my weapon.”

“Sir, please understand. I have a responsibility to disarm you inside the castle. I am required to call the guards in case of resistance.”

“So… What you are saying is: Hand over your weapon, or we will take it from your cold dead hands?”

“Not quite so, but the meaning may be about the same, yes.”

Mavros pondered for a second, clenching his fist tightly around his flanged-and-spiked mace. “Has Queen Ruby asked my disarming? if not, I will not comply.”

“Indirectly, yes. It’s her rules.” a second passed. “Guards, please come in here.”

Five guardsmen surrounded Mavros.

Mavros sighed. “You gonna get rough now?”

“If we have to.” one of the guards announced.

Mavros looked at the five trained guardsmen. “Okay, okay, I’ll part with it.” He held his mace out in one arm, and a guard snatched it and quickly left out the door.

“And the knife..” the servant said.”

“My knife?”

“Yes, in your boots.”

“Oh. You spotted that too? I’m not sure I can hand that over either, this was an engagement gift from Poenica the First.”

“Nonsense, sir, Poenica was never engaged to anyone, nor did she have any personal relations with the Hero.”

“How do you know?”

“Our historians tell us so. Now please hand it over, we wouldn’t wanna get rough.”

“This thing is as important to me as Poenica is to you... Especially now. You’ll simply have to take this from my Cold. Dead. Hands.”

A guard immediately and frantically darted off at great speed, out of the door

“Okay then. Which imperial bastard goes first?” He held out his dagger at an arm's length.

The remaining three guardsmen stood back for a moment, while the servant ran out the door.

“Do you really wish to fight us?” A guard asked.

“This dagger is of little consequence to you, but If I am forced to disarm to this extent, I will not comply.”

“That’s too bad.” the guard replied.

A brief standoff later, and a dozen guards entered the room.

“The odds are not in your favour. Surrender!” A guard in full plate armour said.

“Ah, a commander? Then come at me. See who dies first. I am not called a hero for no reason.”

Ruby entered the door. “What is the meaning of this?!”

Mavros calmly replied “I am not about to hand over the knife of your ancestor to some rabble.”

Ruby hesitated for a moment. “Guards... Get some water.”

“But Milady!” The commander protested.

“Do as I command.” Ruby replied in a sharp tone.

A brief pause ensued. “As you wish.” He and the entire mob of guards ran off - presumably for some buckets of water.

“I guess this only speeds up the process.” Ruby said.

“Speeds up the process?” Mavros asked.

“You were about to be replaced anyway.”

“Replaced?”

“We don’t need you. We need your title… A much more reliable man will fit that title better.”

Mavros held out his knife. “I have heard enough. Bring it on.”

Ruby smirked. “As you wish.”

She pulled out small item that could only be described as a piece of steel as well as a piece of flint joined together. “Do you know what this is?”

“Uh… Throwable?”

Ruby snickered for a moment, before composing herself. “Let me demonstrate”

Click Click

Sparks danced in every direction for each click.

“Fire, heed my call!”

Each spark glowed orange, and started burning as if someone blew on an invisible campfire, re-igniting the sparks into flames. The flame grew bigger and bigger, as Mavros eyes widened - He was about to be barbecue.

Mavros hastily threw himself to the ground, barely avoiding a flame-jet that would dwarf a flamethrower. The wall behind him was quickly scolded and burnt black, yet nothing could catch on fire.

Click Click.

“Fire, heed my call!”

Mavros rolled rapidly, barely dodging the next one. A carpet on the ground was lit on fire. “torpíli̱...”

“I’ve got you now!”

Click!

“dýnami̱ sas!”

BOOM!

Amidst the flames, Mavros stood.

blue electrical glows from his knife withheld the flames, yet he still felt outclassed. He could only hold so long, before losing.

“A little longer… She’ll give in… Soon!” he whispered to himself.

“Just… A … bit!”

he could feel his powers fading, if he slipped up, he would become nothing but ash for the winds to scatter.

The flame grew stronger… And stronger.

Mavros grit his teeth. “Grrrrr.”

With the last bit of sheer willpower, Mavros held on.

“Slipping… Slipping… I’m gonna turn to ash…” Mavros eyes became frantic, as the blue glow slowly faded on his knife. Slowly, terror spread in Mavros’ eyes.

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Thanks for reading!