Arc 1- Chapter 5 (A message)

About half a day of riding west of the burned camp site was a small town. Not really big enough to be called a town but also not made in a style of a village. It had a single wide road in the centre. On the left side was a barber shop, a blacksmith, and several travelling merchants. On the right side was a tavern, a motel and a large tent with all sorts of things for sale. There were few horses on the road as most people just walked. Everyone was greeting everyone and it was peaceful. It didn't have an official name, but the locals called it Strâd.

Over a green hill a man rode towards the town. It was the phantom. But he wasn't wearing his hood nor did he have weapons on. Instead he was wearing normal clothes and had a smile on his face. "Hey there Jon", shouted the local merchant, "how are you today?"."I'm pretty good mister Pierre.", he answered.

Pierre:"Would you like to buy a good handle for your axe. I just got this new one made of oak brought in."

Jon:"Are you seriously trying to trick a woodsman? Even a child would know that THAT is chestnut. Besides, the last time I bought it from you it broke. I'm more comfortable making my own."

Pierre:"Oh c'mon Jon you're killing my business. I need something to live off of."

Jon:"Well you can always sell it as firewood. Now if you'll excuse me I have some business."

Pierre:"You'll by something sooner or later!"

Jon ties his horse and enters the tavern. It was unusually empty. Only 8 people were in it. Nevertheless it smelled of ale and wine. "Hey there Boris, been a while!"

Boris was the tavern owner. He was a round man in his fifties with grey hair and a rugged beard. He was also the local know-it-all. He constantly listened to conversations and you'd be surprised how much information you can get out of drunks.

Boris:"Wohohoa Jon. Yes it has. Why aren't you visiting more?"

Jon:"Work's been piling up lately. Had to take care a wolf problem, over grown vines, the usual just more of it. Speaking of usual, pour one."

Boris pours a large mug of ale:"So have you heard?"

Jon takes a long sip out of ale:"Heard what?"

Boris:"Don't play dumb. The murders. Word has it, that duke Rodger sent 30 mercenaries to kill one man and they didn't come back."

Jon:"So?"

Boris:"So...that one man was the phantom. He killed them and then burned their bodies and their camp."

Jon:"Oh, so that's what that fire was."

Boris:"See? You better watch out or you might end up next. Didn't that happen somewhere around your forest?"

Jon:"I would think he has better things to do then trying to kill me."

Boris:"Don't push your luck Jon. I mean it. That man is a lunatic."

They both take a pause, Jon nods like he understood what Boris was saying.

Jon:"Alright let me pay for the drink." He tries to find he pouch with coins but it's not there.

Boris:"Problem?"

Jon:"I can't find my coins."

Boris:"You're not getting away that easily."

Jon:"Seriously, I think someone-" he lifts his head in frustration and shouts:"ANN!"

Suddenly, I young woman in her early twenties jumps out from behind the bar. She's carrying a apron and a scarf on her hair like a gypsy. She's swinging Jon's pouch on a rope over her head.

Jon:"Give it back Ann."

Ann"Well why don't you get here and take it?"

Jon:"Fine."

Boris:"Just don't hurt her...much."

Ann:"Thanks dad."

Boris:"Well it's about time someone showed you some discipline."

Jon stepped forward, aiming to rush at her and take the pouch. But Ann is fast. Every time he stepped forward m, she stepped backwards for twice the length. Jon tried to grab her several times but she would always slip."Aw c'mon,are you getting tired?" She taunted him while he was trying to grab the pouch."This is too easy." She started to get cocky and spinning the pouch on a rope. Jon jumped over to her left side. She instinctively jumped to her right, but that was a mistake. The spinning pouch hit a column that was holding the roof and she panicked and looked away. Jon used this opportunity to charge. He pushed her into the column and then stood right in front of her. The gap between them was merely an inch . She could hardly breathe and her heart was pumping faster than ever before. He looked down on her with a menacing face, the face of a murderer."What's he gonna do? Pleas don't hurt me." She thought to herself, but she was to afraid to utter a single word. Jon lowered his head and got closer to her. "This is the end,", she thought,"I'm sorry dad." But Jon just grabbed the pouch and went back to the bar."So 5 copper right?"

Ann sat down on the floor, still terrified.

Jon came up to her and kneeled down:"Hey calm down, it's over. I won. You wanna know how I won?"

Ann barely utters:"How?"

Jon:"You underestimated me. When I was running towards you and you kept dodging, you felt like I was turtle and you were a rabbit. You started getting cocky, thinking that you'll win no matter what. I predicted this and lured you into a trap. Never underestimate people, no matter who they are or what they look like."

Suddenly, 3 men enter the tavern. They were carrying armour that had a symbol in the shape of a black helmet. One was tall and skinny, one was bald and one had a big nose. They sat down and called over Ann"C'mon you'll make out with your boyfriend later."

Boris:"Here, takes these drinks to them."

Ann:"Okay." She was still a bit scared from what happened that she spilled ale on one of the knights. "Oh gods, I'm so sorry."

Jon:"Perhaps I scared her to much."

Boris:"Yeah but she'll come around."

Jon:"So these guys rooting patrols?"

Boris:"Yeah, but they've been coming far less often since the war started."

One of the knights grabs Ann,"Alright girl, how bout you lick it of. Don't be shy it won't bite." They collectively laugh. Ann struggles to break free but she can't. Jon stands up and walks towards them.

Bald knight:"Ahh, the boyfriend. Get lost."

Jon doesn't move a muscle.

Big nosed knight stands up:"You deaf or something?" he grabs Jon's shirt,"Get lost!"

Jon grabs the thumb and twists the arm with his right hand, then punches him in the nose with his left and breaks it. The other two knights stand up and pull their swords. Jon gets ready for a fight but the knight with the bloody nose says:"Leave them! We weren't even supposed to be here. Let's go!" The knights leave.

Ann:"Thank you."

Jon:"Don't mention it."

Boris:"Why don't you stay for the night?"

Jon:"Can't, I have business."

Boris:"Is it really that important?"

Jon looks at the knights across the street from the tavern:"Yes. It is."

Later that night, the 3 knights sneaked around the back of the tavern. The one with the bloody nose was carrying a ladder." Alright this should be good."

Skinny knight:"For what?"

Bloody nose knight:"I'm gonna get in there and rape that little bitch."

Skinny knight:"But why. It was that woodsman that broke your nose."

Bloody nose knight:"Doesn't matter. I haven't had a woman in a long time."

Bald knight:"Save some for me."

"Excuse me,", a man steps out of the shadows, it's Jon,"do you happen to work for duke Rodger?"

Bald knight:"What's it to you?"

Jon:"I need you to send a message for me."

Bald knight:"And why would we do that?"

Jon:"Because other wise, I'll have to kill you."

The bald knight pulls out his sword and starts walking toward Jon, but Jon doesn't even flinch,"then again. I only need one of you."

The bald knight thrusts his sword at Jon, but he dodges, grabs the arm and stabs him in the throat with a knife. The bloodied nose knight gets if the ladder and runs towards Jon. Jon throws the knife at his nose and he falls down and screams in pain. But before he could scream much, Jon stomps on the knife and kills him,"Quiet, Ann's asleep." The skinny knight yells as he tries to hit Jon but he misses every time. Jon kicks him and he falls back, then grabs him by the mouth on the ground."I said quiet. Here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna let you go, and you're gonna go back to the duke and tell him I'm coming." Jon let's go of his mouth. The skinny knight asks:"Who should I say is coming?" Jon tells him:"He'll know."

The knight rides off. Ann wakes up and looks out the window. Nothing was there so she went back to sleep. Jon drops the bodies in the woods, takes their weapons and leaves.

End of chapter 5