1: And You Thought Bandits Were Bad...
I was walking around the forest surrounding the village I had spent last night looking for the next job -which was elusive as all hell, damn you elusive goddess of work!-. I had spent the last four months holding my breath waiting for a job to appear (I really thought I was known as a good mercenary... but apparently very few people have ever heard of me), but nothing happened and I just had to wander around from city to city, hoping to find at least an escort job or whatever. Why were mercenaries so out of the blue unneeded? It kept eluding me... -Damn you, goddess of elusiveness!- And every single other mercenary I knew was out of a job either. No adventures? No treasures to find? No evil monster to defeat in a god forsaken cave north of the town?
NO NOTHING GOD DAMN IT! Not even a god damned cat stuck in a god damned tree!
And that's where it hit me... right in the middle of the forest, as I was reaching a clear. I sat in a rather large trunk tilted to the side, making it for a nice resting spot.
Why, isn't this convenient for weary travelers? A nice clear, surrounded by sunlight, and even a nice and comfy sitting spot!
Anyway, it really did hit me. I sat down, and started thinking about my idea. It was sure to work, definitely.
"Hey"
I turned my head to the right and there was even a small spring from where I could get some water! It was almost as if like someone had decided to put up a short-on-gold traveler's resting place in the middle of the forest! Anyway, back on track, I could just... well, CREATE the conditions to get a job. And being the first person that would even know about it, it might just as well work!
"Hey, you there!"
I laid back after drinking some water and decided to keep thinking about my wonderful plan. It was sure to make me rich in only a few months! And then I wouldn't have to worry about getting a job ever again, and not even CONSIDER going back to Laternia!
"Hey, are you listening?"
I heard something. I turned my head right and right next to me were a group of people dressed in ragtag clothing, with a cloth covering their mouths. I waved at them and laid back again, enjoying the scenery.
"Hey, you prick!!" I head again, coming from the group of people. I didn't really pay attention because I...
Wait. Ragtag clothing... covered faces... holy...
"Give us everything you've got!", one of them said. Damn, I should've known better. The trunk was way too eerily placed and shaped. It definitely wasn't natural. Perhaps only the spring was natural in this whole clear... it was a trap set up by bandits to rob travelers of all their money. The bandit in front, wearing a bandana, took out a dagger and pointed at me, clearly smiling while his voice came out muffled from the cloth in his face.
I got up calmly and smiled at them, lifting my arms, "Now, now, calm down..."
As soon as I looked at them, smiling confidently, the group of bandits looked disappointed.
"What the hell's a kid gonna carry with him?", one of them said.
"I don't know... perhaps we should just leave him be?", another said.
"Don't be stupid. We haven't seen a single person in WEEKS. This might be the only source of money we'll have in a long time, so we better make good use of it..."
My smile twitched a bit. I know I didn't look precisely... menacing... but they were really starting to push it over the edge.
"Let's leave him be, Gino. It's not worth the trouble", said one of the bandits in the back.
Gino, the leader, turned his gaze backwards and yelled at his comrades, "I'm saying this kid'll get us dinner and we WILL take it!"
I twitched at the mention of that... I had no idea whether to be thankful of Gino or to kick his ass right now... either way, I made up my mind.
"Hey, guys", I said. This time, apparently though, it was I the one who was being ignored. Completely.
"I say we leave him, Gino. The kid might have nothing in him"
"If I say we take him, we take him!" Gino replied.
"Come on, guys...", I said, slowly taking out my sword from its scabbard.
"But what if he doesn't have anything!? I told you we should set up a trap in the main road, where people are CERTAIN to be travelling!"
"Shut up, Edgar!", said Gino, "I say we take the kid and whatever he has with him!"
"Hey, people, listen here..." I said, smiling while still twitching a little from their talking about me as if I wasn't there...
Gino turned his back and looked at me, "Shut up kid, grown ups are trying to talk now".
That did it. I charged towards Gino as soon as he turned his back on me and I slashed him.
As soon as Gino fell to the floor with a loud scream, I smiled at the group of bandits "Don't worry, I hit him with the dull edge..."
The terrorized sight of the bandits made me look down at a pool of blood.
BLOOD!? Damn! I did it again!
I somehow always manage to hit people with the sharp edge of the blade, even if it's not a double edged sword! The bandits looked back at me angrily. I had killed their boss, there WAS a reason for them to be angry at me, wasn't there? Heh... I just didn't really like it, so I took a small step backwards, "Well... I'm very, very sorry about this HUGE misunderstanding, guys..." I said while still walking backwards step by step... "I just hope we can put all this behind and..."
If sights could kill, I would've been killed more than ten times, judging from the amount and intensity of the gang's staring... as soon as they started chasing, I turned on my back and started running like hell.
What made me do that? Why couldn't I just walk away as they gave me the chance? I might do well as a mercenary -because of luck more than anything-, but I knew that as a swordsman I was proficient, but against a whole gang? Not a chance. I couldn't even hit someone with the dull edge right, and I end up killing him... And so I dodged a few arrows and stones directed at my way, more than likely from the gang earlier.
Man, will they ever get tired of following me? It's been like ten minutes now!
And that's how I hit him. For some reason, a man was standing right in front of my overly complicated path to freedom (and life), and even if he saw me running like a madman from a mile away, he wouldn't move.
"Hey! Old man!! Move!"
"Who are you calling an old man?" said the... well, old man. He had short black hair and was wearing a weird robe only a sorcerer could wear. But come on, weren't all sorcerers supposed to be old men? Anyway, I just kept running.
"MOVE GOD DAMN IT!!!"
I couldn't take the right path from him: at the speed I was running I'd hit a tree. And on the left side, there was a freakin' RIVER of all things that would randomly appear when running for dear life... AND THE FREAKING OLD MAN WOULDN'T MOVE AN INCH!!!
Anyway, when I finally hit the old man, pushing him so he would move, he started smiling.
"What're you smiling about!? MOVE GOD DAMN IT OR I'M DEAD!"
The old man smiled again, "Nice manners for a young man your age"
I twitched back at him, "Are you calling me a kid!?"
"ARE YOU CALLING ME AN OLD MAN!?" the old man yelled at me, while arrows and stones were still flying our way.
"Okay, I called you an old man, you called me a kid. We're even, bye bye!" I said and tried to push him to the side, of course to no extent. He was carrying some sort of bag, but I couldn't be bothered as to what that was right now.
As I heard yelling coming from the bad guys, I decided to take one last chance and push the sorcerer to the side. I wasn't gonna take it anymore, and as soon as I pushed him, I hear a loud splash.
Heh, that serves you right.
As I kept running for my life, I felt a little heat coming from behind me. Suddenly, the whole ground beneath me apparently exploded, making me look charred and useless. It must've been the old man. He did look like a sorecerer, with the robe and all... I had very limited knowledge of magic, mostly revolving around weapon enhancements, but about attack spells I had no idea and I HAD BEEN HIT by a spell while trying to save myself from a group of bandits! Come on, my luck just couldn't get any worse! And I'm supposed to be LUCKY.
Finally, the old man came walking to me and smiled eerily. He was wet from head to toes. Soaking wet, I should add. I smiled nervously at him, he lifted me up and looked back. The bandits were way too close for me to start running again, but the sorcerer smiled at me and put his hands together.
"DILL BRAND!" yelled the old man, and all the bandits went flying up in the air with a spectacular circular explosion.
"Uhh..." I didn't know what to say at first.
The sorcerer got back his stuck up attitude and turned his back on me "Thank you would be nice"
"Thank you..."
"My name's Roy Horzt. And that's two you owe me now..."
"You charred me! I only owe you one!" I said.
Where did that come from…?
"I didn't mean that. You called me an old man..."
And you called me a kid!
Now that I took a good look at him he didn't look that old anymore... perhaps only a few years older than me.
"Anyway, thank you for your help, Mr. Roy. I should be going now...", I said, getting up and walking back towards the town by myself...
That's what I'd like to say, at least. When I looked back, Roy was still there, following me.
"What do you want!?" I yelled without turning back after a few minutes.
"A hundred gold pieces"
Now I turned back. Down on my luck as I may be, asking a poor traveler like me for money!? And a hundred gold pieces at that!? I must have looked extremely angry...
"If you rather have me go back to your pursuers and help them scry you..."
"N-no! please don't!"
Scry me!? Damn! Stupid wizards and whatnot! I hate all that magic mumbo jumbo!
"Very well then, a hundred gold coins"
"I... I don't have a hundred gold coins"
"Very well then, I'll be going now. We'll be seeing each other soon" he said while turning back, waving at me and backtracking
"H-hold on!" I yelled instinctively. I couldn't believe what I was about to say, but... if it saved me from certain death...
"What is it?", said Roy stopping right on his tracks, turning back to face me.
"I think I may... I may be able to get you those hundred gold pieces..."
"Interesting... I'm listening", said Roy.
And that's definitely why it wasn't gonna be a normal day... or week, for that matter.
After Roy and I got to town -one of those nameless towns that work as a resting place between major cities (considering we were pretty close to Ruvinagald City, it made sense for a large town to settle in) we stopped by the only inn there was. It was rather large, having about ten tables in the tavern and six rooms available, all with four beds (although I still wonder why many adventurers travel in groups of four. It's like a standard or something...). We booked ourselves a room and got a nice deserving meal.
"So, Logan... you told me you were gonna get me those hundred gold pieces, but you still haven't told me HOW", Roy said. I knew my plan might not sound great to him, but it did make sense, considering how down on our luck we mercenaries were right now. If there was a mercenary's guild of the coastal states, we would surely be on a strike!
I was choking down on a big nice steak -Ruvinagald was apparently famous for their meat, so this town was probably sort of popular because of that. Eating in a big city is freaking expensive, so smaller towns are the way to go for us down on our gold people (Damn you, goddess of money! You keep eluding me at every single step I take!) Who always want to try out nice meals- and as soon as I finished that, I spaced down and took a deep breath.
"Well", I said while still savoring that nice piece of steak... tender, tender! I raised the fork once it was clean and pointed outside "You know how mercenaries have been running out of jobs?"
Roy was just drinking coffee... I had no idea what the deal with him was, but he still looked pretty odd to me. Having the opportunity to try this marvelous steak and instead getting a plain, boring coffee... anyway, he looked at me with the least bit of surprise and said "And you of all people are out of a job? What a cruel world..." Sadly, sarcasm didn't go with me one bit, and I must've given him such a dirty look that he said, almost immediately, "But yes, I've heard about the shortage of works... isn't that supposed to be a good thing?"
It was a good thing as in there was nothing bad happening to anyone, but that meant I wasn't earning any profit! At all! "Nevermind that", I said, "anyway, the thing is, I have a plan..."
"And that is sure to work..." said Roy, once again sarcastically "I mean, considering how efficient you were while evading those bandits..."
You've done it pal…
Sadly, I still had to put up with the prick or he'd be chasing me with bandits and whatnot... and I decided to tell him about my plan. "You see, the thing is... if there isn't work, we could... sort of make them happen"
For a second, Roy there looked at me with a straight face, and then, for some reason, started laughing hysterically. So hysterically that even the bartender looked our way, and we were quite a few feet away from him. What was his freaking deal? First he saves me, then he charges me, as soon as he finds out I can't pay him he decides he will turn me in to those good-for-nothing bandits and then he laughs at my plan to pay him!
"Okay", he said taking a breath, "Tell me about your 'master plan'", he finished coldly and in a definite sarcastic tone.
With whatever face I could make after that, I said "Okay, so what we do is look out for the best conditions and..."
"Fix it so we can then come and casually 'offer our help'" said Roy, letting out a laugh, "Logan, you're definitely one of a kind. This is gonna be fun"
Huh?! I didn't see that one coming.
"So you're in for it?", I said with a big smile.
"Sure!" he answered, but then he showed his true colors and went all gloomy on me while getting up. "But I don't think I should remind you what would happen if you were to fail in paying me my hundred coins..." With that, he left for our room.
A chill went down my spine, and I finished my meal quitely in a few seconds, thinking what we should do first...
So, with Roy in his room and having that creep out of my face for a while, I thought having a nice walk outside where a marketplace was getting set up would be nice. I stood up, asked the waiter to charge it to our room (Did you expect me to do otherwise?! He was gonna pay for it and we wasn't gonna notice it!) and stepped outside. The workers were hard at it setting up all the stands, and the day didn't really help. Most of the workers weren't wearing shirts because of how hot it was, and even then they were all sweaty. After a few yards, I could see all the already set-up posts selling out fruits and vegetables, a few apparel items and all different kind of cloths. It was hard not to look at everything, but since I was so down on my gold, I decided to buy an apple that was about it.
"HELP!" I suddenly heard from quite ahead in the marketplace, a girl's voice... I had very good hearing, and it didn't surprise me no one else heard it, especially since all the work and yelling from the marketplace was taking place.
"Shaddup bitch!" I heard after a few seconds. This time it was male. I paid for my apple quickly, and while the clerk was thanking me, I walked away, taking a bite on my apple, and still moving forward, to where all the yelling was coming.
At some point, I stopped hearing all the cries from the vendors in the marketplace (you could say I have some sort of selective hearing...) and all my focus was on the cries from the girl and the other men. They were definitely going to rape her from what it seemed, and I couldn't let that happen... I mean, she sounded so cute, insecure and innocent! Anyway, I kept moving forward until the cries got louder and louder.
"STOP MOVIN' AROUND OR WE'LL KILL YA!", one of the men cried. I noticed they were on the back of an alley, a little off from where the marketplace was being set up. I took a small peak at the situation, and noticed five scoundrels and one cute petite blonde with green eyes that looked scared as all hell. One of the bastards was lifting her skirt with his knife while the rest were holding her tight, trying to keep her mouth shut.
Yeah, they're definitely gonna rape her... rape her bad.
I took a deep breath and a step forward. Boy was I gonna regret this, but I should definitely save her...
"Hold it right there, fellas!"
The bandits took a moment and looked at me, a little awed that someone was standing right in front of them and actually wanted to stop them... and if something like this was gonna happen, I'm sure they weren't expecting such a young looking guy like me... there, I said it. Happy now? I look like a freaking kid.
"Scram kid unless ya wanna join her".
Ew, thanks but no thanks, not my taste.
"You better let her go", I said heroically. I grabbed my bastard sword from the hilt -bought from an old man when I was 15 back in Laternia... that's what got me into this swordsmanship business- and pulled it out menacingly.
"Or what?" said one of the toughest looking bandit, who had a beard and a bandana on his head, taking out a knife and letting the girl go. It only took that to make all the bandits let her go and wave their knives at me.
So you're their leader...
The girl disappeared as soon as the bandits let her go and were focused on me. I tightened my grip on the hilt and stared menacingly at the group.
"Now, ya gonna take her place?"
NO WAY IN HELL!
I took a step forward with my sword and waved it at them, knocking their leader's dagger off from his hand.
"YOU BASTARD!" he said while holding his hand, clearly cut. "TAKE HIM, GUYS!" he said, while hurrying to his dagger.
I waved my sword a few times, holding the bandits in place as they came at me as waves. But there were five, and I was just... well, me. I tried fending them off for a while, but it was getting harder as they started attacking me in groups and some of their blades started getting through my defense and cut me at non vital parts, but very painful nonetheless.
"Hahahahaha" cried their leader, "We'll not be taking ya home, but ye'll definitely be going home in a bag!"
As I took a breather, I said with a wide smile "What, you're the master of clichés now?".
"WHY, YOU!!!" he yelled, and waved his dagger at me. This time, all five of them attacked me at once, flanking me from behind and on the sides. I could only do so much, but I was sure to get killed... as I closed my eyes, I waited for the final moment...
At least I got to save that girl...
Or so I would've thought, before I heard a loud bang and I was surrounded by a bright flash of light... Someone had cast a magic spell at the bandits and they just disintegrated before me. Turned to dust.
Saved...
I was saved! I turned around to thank Roy for saving me, but... he wasn't there!
Note to self: thank Roy when you get back to the inn.
Too much of a breather, it seemed, and I was ready to get a deserved rest... at least I knew I wasn't gonna find Roy there to annoy me about my 'stupid plan', and when were we gonna get it started... but as I was walking outside the alley, the blonde girl appeared in front of me again. She wasn't much shorter than me, but that wasn't much to speak. She was definitely young though, as she had no breasts at all and her face was really cute... probably 14, 15 at best. She looked at me with her eyes wide open and I was unsure how to act.
"Thank you, sir!", she said happily. No kidding she was that happy, I just saved her from a gang of rapists...
I raised my arm behind my head and scratched it a bit, showing a little bit of nervousness, "You're welcome!". I could charge her, but that would make me as bad as Roy...
"Here, please take this!" she said, handing me a bag "It's all I have" she smiled at me widely. She wasn't as shy as she seemed at first, but she was definitely kind.
"No, I couldn't take it..." I said, laughing a bit.
Wait, WHAT!? I'm REALLY down on my gold! I could use as little as anything! What on EARTH made me say! I blame thee, goddess of nervousness!
"No, please take it" she said, putting it in my right pocket. I blushed a bit... I mean, I've never been so much as REMOTELY touched by a girl, and this one girl I just met put her HAND in my pocket...
SHOO! SHOO, DIRTY THOUGHTS!
"Th-thank you..." I said, blushing.
"My name is Maria! Thank you very much for saving me!" she said while running off with a smile.
I sighed, a bit from the stress I had accumulated from nearly dying -thanks to Roy I didn't... I reminded myself I should thank him after I got back to the inn-, but mostly from the nervousness of the encounter I had with Maria... she was really cute though. So I reached into my pocket and took out the bag Maria had given me. There were thirty gold coins in there... THIRTY GOLD COINS! This oughta lessen my debt with Roy!
Once I got to our room, I saw Roy laying on the bed, his robe hanging in a nearby chair. He was wearing your standard sorcerer's outfit, whatever that was, with simple black pants, a silver belt and a black shirt. I never noticed, but the guy did seem extremely suspicious, but I was tied to him... at least for now. I threw him the bag and he caught it and right away the greedy bastard opened it, emptying its contents in his hand.
"Nice, apparently your plan is working", he said after he finished counting them.
I shook my head, "You know where I got this from...". I sat down on my bed and watched as Roy started laughing at me. "What're you laughing at, you smartass?"
"You think I'm gonna babysit you all day? No sir, I have TONS of other things to worry about...", he said.
I shook my head again and looked outside, where the marketplace was finally done setting up and they were already selling all their goods. "Roy, you just saved me from that group of bandits".
Roy sat in place and stared at me, puzzled "What're you talking about, Logan?"
"The bandits that were trying to rape that girl! I know you saved me because of that magic thing of yours!" I said. Of course it had to be him, otherwise what could explain what happened back there in the alley?
"But Logan", Roy said while still staring at me. He waved his hands in disbelief, "I haven't moved from here since lunch". I must've looked puzzled enough to make him wonder, since he turned his gaze away from me and stared at the window, "But if it wasn't you..."
Roy looked back at me and smiled, "You must have some secret admirer or something!" I looked at him with my eyes wide open, it was definitely an enthralling idea! Having a secret admirer... could it be Maria?
Ooooh that would be awesome... But I doubt someone as petite as her could cast a magic spell... but on the other hand, I would so love it...
"Now that I think about it..." said Roy, "it does make sense that you have a SECRET admirer..."
"What do you mean?", I said.
"Would anyone be so courageous as to publicly admit they admire you?" he said, sarcastically.
I got up, and with all my might punched the asshole's face so hard that it sent him back towards his bed.
"That was uncalled for!", he said.
"Then stop picking at me at every possible second!", I said and laid down in my bed, turned around and gave Roy my back, all the while thinking about Maria.
"And this is what you call a... job?", Roy said with a gloomy face and an embarassed tint in his cheeks. I must say, in my defense, this was the best I could get in less than six hours, and granted that we didn't have much money to stay longer in the inn, and we were gonna have to get moving in the next few days if we didn't want to get thrown out of the place.
I grinned at Roy and gave him my best heroic stance, "Of course it is! Save the damsel in distress!". But it was hard for me to believe that title, granted that special damsel I had gotten...
Roy took the cat and showed it to me, "So you're telling me you... catnapped this cat, asked her owner, a poor old lady, for 5 silver coins if you found it and came back to the inn where YOU deliberately put the cat?". He was getting pissed off, and that didn't sound nice to me.
"Well, it's the best I could think of since you've been pestering me about it all morning!" I sat down, frustrated. The cat was entirely white and it purred at Roy after he started cuddling him.
"You truly are one of a kind, my friend", said Roy, handing me the cat, "Go return it to her owner and tell her there's no need for the reward".
As soon as I stretched out my arms to grab the cat, it started hissing viciously, and when I took it, it started scratching my face real bad, "That's what you get for being such an ass, Logan", said Roy and opened the door. "Come on, let's go return the poor animal"
I handed him back the cat, and with my scratched face hurting like all hell, I started walking outside.
Once walking in the main street, I turned to Roy, "Hey, some healing spell would be nice".
Roy glanced at me gleefully, "Well, I suppose I could... but I rather not". The nerve of some people... and once it was back in Roy's perfect arms, it started purring again. Once Roy checked us out of the inn -we were gonna leave town after this-, we walked through the clean streets, the marketplace from the day before all but gone with no trace of it whatsoever, and the peacefulness of the town completely unstirred.
We got close to the old lady's house in no time. It was a rather small one storey more like a cottage, with a firm wooden door and two windows that looked at the street. The old lady had told me she couldn't pay the 1 gold fee for getting her cat back, and even reluctantly agreed to pay the five silver... but only on return of the cat. Come to think of it, the old lady seemed extremely disappointed by the fact that I wanted to charge for getting her cat back, but it's only natural! What, do I look like Rezo the Red to her?
No sir, I'm no philanthropist to go and help people just for the heck of it... except if it's some cute girl like Maria... I wondered how she was doing, when I suddenly hit someone.
"I'm so sorry, sir!", said a cute girl's voice. When I looked down, I glanced that all-too-familiar blonde hairdo and cute green eyes that had captivated me the day before, "Oh, Mr. Logan! I'm so glad we could meet again!"
"Maria!" I said, flushing from head to toes. I started reeking nervousness when Roy got my shoulder pads and started pulling me.
"Come on, Logan, we've got work to do...", he said, staring at Maria and then back at me and then back at Maria once again, "I'm sorry, miss Maria, we've got to get going".
Maria did nothing but smile at Roy, "Sure, go on your way. I hope we meet again!" she said and took off.
After that, Roy put his arm around my back and closed in on me with his face, "Not so much as a secret admirer but an admiree!"
I must have blushed horribly, since Roy started laughing out loud, "You're so predictable, Logan" he laughed, "Come on, let's return this cat".
Roy knocked on the door and the fat old lady with gray hair opened the door. She looked at Roy with distrust -I would too, considering he was wearing a black robe on top of all the other black he was already wearing- and then glanced back at me with disgust. "Oh, you got my cat back?" she asked dryly, looking piercingly into my eyes.
"Yes, m'am" said Roy with a big -definitely faked- smile, "We got your cat back" he said as he handed the cat back to the lady.
"Percieval!!!" cried the old lady.
Percieval? What kind of a name is that for a cat!?
Anyway, the lady got the cat and smiled wide at Roy, "Thank you, thank you very much!"
Roy smiled back, "No need to thank me, m'am" and as the lady was reaching to her pouch near a table that could be seen in the entrance, Roy stopped her, "Also, there's no need to pay us. We've got it all covered".
The lady gave me a cold quick look and turned back at Roy, smiling. What was it with people hating me all of a sudden?
At least I had Maria...
"But your friend there said..."
"Ah, my friend can be quite obnoxious at times, I know", said Roy patting me on my head... I'd get him for this later... "but don't worry, I'm here to keep him on a leash"
The lady smiled at Roy and once again thanked him and closed the door. Roy kept petting me on the head as long as the lady was there, and even as we walked out of the street, he kept his hand in there for a second. "DO YOU MIND!?" I said, moving his hand violently.
"Oh, sorry" he said smiling at me, "It's just that I was thinking about your plan..."
"Huh?" I couldn't say anything. That took me by surprise, especially since he'd been acting like that plan of mine sounded retarded or something. It really did seem out of place too when he grabbed me by my arm and ran with me to the outskirts of town, into a nearby forest just a little off the road.
"LOGAN!!" he yelled once he let me go.
"What's your idea, man? You wanna rip off my arm or something!?" I said. It didn't really hurt me at all, but the way he was pulling me made it seem like it was an urgent matter.
"I've got the PERFECT plan for making money!"
And that's when it started sounding extremely interesting...
"And don't worry, it doesn't involve cats. It involves something MUCH larger than that!" said Roy. I had a bad feeling about this, but the guy seemed smart enough not to let things like details pass through him.
"Well, I was thinking about you kidnapping someone and...", I said but Roy gave me a bad look.
"No, asshole, it doesn't involve any kind of -nappings..." he said and turned to the forest, "It includes the whole town!!"
Oh, the whole town. That oughta make us some...
THE WHOLE TOWN!?!?
"Yes! The whole town! I happen to know a place where some bandits are hiding" he said, and then looked down
"Though I better go talk to them by myself..." What was he talking about?
"Anyway, the thing is, if we could strike a deal with the bandits and make them attack town, and then we appear suddenly as the saviours that oughta give us a hefty reward!", he said excitedly. Heck, I didn't think it was even possible for this guy to get excited, but he definitely did. He even flicked his cloak to one side.
"But working with bandits... that's kinda nasty, Roy" I said.
"That's the thing! We don't have to WORK with them! Once they attack town, we take them out completely, and even if they call on us of making the plan with them, no one'll believe them!"
My eyes started shining just at the mere sound of those last words.
No one would believe them, huh? If this was gonna work, it was gonna work BIG!
And so we started trekking up north, where Roy said he knew the bandits were hiding. The forest started to seem a bit familiar, but then again all forests are alike, with trees everywhere. Once we got to a certain point in the forest, right after crossing a small creek, Roy turned to me and said "Okay, you stay here and I'll go make the deal with the bandits. Remember, stay put", he said, with emphasis on "put". Whatever... I was so excited about this thing working that I couldn't move at all!
Riches and fame, here we go!!... even if they're artificially made. Wait, is artificially even a real word?