Chapter One, The Mugging
One would think that a city, during such times, would be protected to the teeth and would have guards to enforce the laws of the land, correct? Well, unfortunately, the city of Marura is a pit full of danger and crimes. Marura has the things a city should, guards and walls, but this place is about as safe as a forest full of wolves. I heard tales that, before the wars started, Marura was actually a beautiful place, filled with charming aspects. But I'm afraid that, even if such things were true, they are long past. As I walked into Marura, I immediately saw the crimes that took place here. I had not made it even a foot into the city when I saw a man take out a knife and look around for people to mug. As I continued to walk into the city, my armor clanked in unison. If you have been overseas, you'll know that birds are generally attracted to shiny objects. Once, for a fishing trip, I had been sharpening my spear that I decided to use, not being far from shore, perhaps about 100 feet, for fishing. Then, out of nowhere, a bird swooped down and pecked at my hand. Not wearing my gauntlets, I had dropped the spear and as soon as I did, the bird attempted to carry it. The result of this bird's decision was for it to become my dinner. That was a year ago. Anyway, like a bird to the spear, people stared at me on the streets. I could tell they wanted my armor and weapons, but they weren't dumb. Generally, when a guy tries to mug or steal another guy's sword or armor, they fail. The reason for this? Simple, they're unintelligent. The result would be the realization that the armor and sword are slipped into the sheath and straps. As I walked, I heard footsteps behind me. I made it to the market area and made a wrong turn behind a stand, right into the dead end. As I turned, I ended up facing 13 adult men, almost every single one carrying a knife or short blade. One of the men, about 6'1, took a step forward and spoke, "Hand over that 'purty armor and sword of y'urs." I simply stood there and sighed. When I refused to comply, 5 of the men ran at me. And it wasn't long until, with the swipe of my hand, all five were impaled from behind by spikes made of solid stone. Seeing this, 3 of the men ran for their lives, out into the streets. The remaining 5 charged at me. Pulling my 4 foot long sword from the sheath upon my back, I swung and decapitated one of the men, slashing another in the chest. With 3 men left, the 6'1 theif took out 2 short axes, which was his mistake. Next second, his hands were cut off from the bending of his own weapons, literally. The axe heads stretched out, severing his hands from his wrist, causing a puddle of blood to form below him as he fell to the muddy ground and died. The remaining two men, upon seeing the death of their leader, ran out into the streets. I left the alley and walked into the streets, some blood dripping from my armor and from the sheath upon my back, of which my sword rested in. People eyed me as I walked towards the lord's residence. The lord of this town had decided that his own security was more important than that of his citizens', which was exactly why I decided to "visit" him. As I approached the fence gates to his residence, two guards, posted on either side of the gates, yelled at me, "Stop! Announce your name and reason for visitation!" When I continued walking and spoke no words, they started approaching. The cloak that I had over my helmet and back dropped to the ground as I removed it, revealing a steel helmet with multiple little crosses covering the front, allowing the wearer to see, yet still covering the entire head. The two guards unsheathed their decent-looking short swords. It was then that I rose my hand and a rock hit each guard in the head, knocking them out. Before they hit the ground, I lowered my hand and lifted up slightly, two small plateau-like rocks emerging from the ground and stopping their fall, allowing them to simply be lied down. As I walked through the gate, the plateaus followed, the guards still upon them. Once inside the property fence, I shut the gates and lowered the plateaus into the ground, allowing the guards to lay upon the only grass around for about 2-3 miles. After doing so, and having grabbed my cloak before shutting the gate, I put the cloak over a nearby post meant for horses' leads to be tied to. After that, I walked up the stone path and towards the lord's house.