Vyrin
Vyrin Starright thrummed his fingers against his arm rest, half listening as a man told him the new goings-on of his city. He wore a grey button-up shirt with dress shoes slack, the little man seemed like he'd have been more comfortable in a bank rather than a lair. Vyrin lounged on a large granite throne with two crisscrossing scythes decorating the top. The difference between the two was almost comical.
Weaponry ranging from swords, war-hammers, and guns were splashed across the walls, all in pristine condition. It gave the room the look of an armory than a hideout. Why not both, though? Be prepared, as the boy scouts say.
Aurelia wasn't huge, compared to some of the other settlements, but it was where Vyrin had grown up. Where he'd acquired a reputation as someone to be respected, feared. Most of all, Aurelia was his.
It will be soon, anyway he mused to himself.
He was spared from hearing any more of the reports by one of his lieutenants walking in the door. He flung the door open absent mindedly and strode into the room, itching at the back of his bald head.
"Out!" He shouted, and the underlings face contorted in panic before running out of the room. They called him The Hog as more of an insult at the start, but his wild nature secured the nickname. He stood head and shoulders above most other men. He wore a simple black wife beater stained with more than a few marks that may or may not have been blood. Rough brown hair covered his massive arms all the way down to his knuckles.
He was almost the opposite of Vyrin himself, physically at least. With blonde hair styled upwards, clean shaven face, and hairless arms and torso. He would have had an almost feminine look to him if he wasn't for his heavy muscles. A brightly colored tattoo of a man being impaled into a tree as cherry blossoms fell down was on his left shoulder. A close-up of a frightened looking blindfolded man with a hole in his head smoking a cigarette was on his right. A Huge picture of The Reaper clutching his scythe in his ghastly skeletal hands, garbed in a dark robe painted his chest. The only colors in the picture were white orbs in the background, representing the men he's reaped.
They both sat in silence staring at each other for a few tense seconds until Hog sighed and folded his arms.
"You're not even gonna ask what it is?" Hog grunted, his deep, gravelly voice matched his appearance.
The Hog shifted uncomfortably at the silence, "Alright, I'll spit it out. Chief says he's bringing out the big guns. He says what you did wasn't right. Said it was an atrocity!" He spat the last word.
"Yeah?" Vyrin inquired, "No, they haven't seen an atrocity. Not yet." He rose to his feet and gestured towards Hog
The crime scene had already been cleaned by the time the two arrived. The authorities had tried to clean and remove all traces before people had seen or heard about it, but it was too late. The local police were slow and uncaring, not knowing their authority was an illusion resting on the trust of the public's shoulders.
Men in uniforms tensed and reached for their holsters as the duo confidently approached, both completely unarmed, "No closer or I'll shoot!"
Hog was on him before he could draw, moving with shocking quickness for a man his size. A forearm the size of a tree trunk clotheslined one officer, and he was out. A bullet cracked and missed Hog. A shriek echoed from the crowd where he assumed somebody had been hit. A strike to the jaw and a backhand took out the two gunman.
"I seen enough of blood for today. I got a family. I'm outta here!" One officer said, running. Hog was closing in on him with a hand reached out, but a shout from Vyrin stopped him.
"Let them run. We don't hurt those who don't cause problems." He spoke like royalty, clearly and loudly so it carried over to the crowd that was starting to gather. "You see how they act towards those stronger than them. Cowards! Do you trust your safety to them? It is only a matter of time before a powerful fusionist comes and they flee like zebra from a lion."
He began pacing, animated in his speech "I am not here to convince you. I am here to inform you. I am bringing peace to the city of Aurelia. You will be able to walk these streets unmolested day or night. Any violence, discord, or backlash will be dealt with swiftly and without warning."
The crowd had really started to come in mass. He could see men in uniforms with assault rifles in their hands mixed in with women and children. Possibly a good sign. He could only act and see if he'd planned well enough.
He stopped pacing and stood in front of the crowd dead center, "Who will join me?"
No one moved, most were too scared. Perhaps his approach was a little strong, coming in and announcing it this way on such short notice. An innocent had even been shot. No one dared speak up, but inside he would bet that they wished they had the strength to stop him.
"Now." He said calmly. In unison roughly two thirds of the crowd rose and stepped forward. All of the men in the uniforms with assault rifles. Some men who were dressed ordinarily drew concealed handguns. They all walked to stand besides Vyrin, "This may make my voice a little louder to some. I ask again, who will join me?"
"He's insane!" A wounded officer shouted, "Don't let this city just be ruled by power alone! Justice has its place and he means to get rid of it and officer you Medieval rule! The strong will rule and the normal man will suffer!"
"Kill him." Vyrin ordered, a second later a gun sounded and the crowd was screaming. Gore splattered against the ground where the officer's head had been caved in. People were backing away as a pool of blood drifted close to them. He had to have done it though. If he made threats and didn't carry them out he would not be respected. How could he expect anyone to believe his word if he let someone get away with talking like that?
"Join, leave, or die." There was no confusion there. The majority of the group ran off south to the closest exit of Aurelia. Eight or so remained, men in their teens, and a man as old as forty. They stepped forward towards him, a kind of fear determination mix in their eyes.
"You made the smart choice. We won't hurt you, brothers." He reassured, "You'll have a place to stay. With time, a show of respect, and loyalty, you may even come to own some territory. You'll be delivered weaponry by men later." An Asian man in his twenties raised his tank-top to reveal a handgun and nodded, "or by all means bring your own. Just make sure there in working order I'm anticipating there will be some backlash over this. Best we make a good showing of their first attack."
Hog threw his head back and howled a long, deep battle cry of wild excitement, and for one reason or another some of his other recruits joined in. He looked around the gore and injured bodies. Progress, he thought as he joined in the cry.