The Spy Among Us

As Ciaphas took a moment to reflect on the sudden riot in the village, he considered all the possibilities. He knew that the taxes were high, but that alone couldn't have caused such an uproar. After careful consideration, he realized that the Northmill Barony must be behind it. They had a history of causing trouble and strife in neighbouring villages to expand their territory. With this realization, Ciaphas knew he had to act fast to address the angry villagers and flush out the instigator from Northmill. He needed to be careful in his thinking and approach, as the situation was delicate and required wise and diplomatic handling.

Ciaphas couldn't let the rebellion get out of hand, but he also had to make sure that he found the spy who had caused it. He stepped forward to address the crowd of villagers, his voice ringing out strong and clear.

"Good people of this village, I understand your grievances. I will personally look into the matter of your taxes and ensure that they are adjusted to a reasonable level. As for your wages, I apologize for the inconvenience. We are facing difficult times, and I have been forced to ration our funds. But I assure you that I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are paid in gold, as is your right. However, there is a more pressing issue at hand. I have reason to believe that there is an intruder amongst us, a spy from the Northmill Barony who is responsible for this rebellion. We must find him and bring him to justice."

The villagers were taken aback by this news, and their murmurings grew louder as they began to look around, suspicion etched on their faces.

Ciaphas continued, "This spy has been sent to cause chaos and confusion, to weaken our resolve and pit us against each other. But we will not let him succeed. We must band together and find him before he can do any more harm."

The villagers looked at each other uncertainly, unsure of how to proceed.

Ciaphas spoke up once more, "I will personally lead the search for this spy. But I need your help. We must work together, as one community, to find him. We will begin our search at the outskirts of the village, and work our way in. I urge you all to stay vigilant and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. Together, we will bring this spy to justice."

The villagers nodded their agreement, and Ciaphas led them outside, the search party forming a wide circle around the village as they scoured the area for any sign of the intruder.

As they walked, Ciaphas's keen senses picked up on a faint sound, the snap of a twig underfoot. He quickly signalled to the others, and they moved in unison towards the source of the noise.

Suddenly, a figure darted out from behind a nearby tree, running full speed towards the edge of the forest. Ciaphas recognized him immediately as the spy, and he began to give chase.

The spy was quick, but Ciaphas was faster. He caught up to him quickly, tackling him to the ground with a thud. The two men grappled, rolling over and over as they fought for control.

"You think you can come into my village and cause chaos?" Ciaphas spat, his breath coming in quick gasps as he struggled against the spy's powerful grip. "You will answer for your crimes."

The spy sneered, his eyes glinting with malice. "You're a fool if you think you can stop me. The Northmill Barony will have its way, no matter what you do."

Ciaphas gritted his teeth, redoubling his efforts as he fought to overpower the spy. The two men continued to struggle, each one determined to come out on top.

In a sudden burst of energy, Ciaphas managed to free himself from the spy's grasp. He rose to his feet, pulling his sword from its scabbard as he prepared to face his opponent.

The spy rose to his feet as well, drawing his weapon. The two men circled each other warily, each one waiting for the other to make the first move.

Without warning, the spy lunged forward, his sword flashing through the air as he attempted to strike Ciaphas down.

Ciaphas sidestepped his attack, leaning forward as he met the sword with his own. Sparks flew as the swords met, the contact sending a wave of energy through his body.

The spy attempted to counter again, but Ciaphas parried, the blade shearing from his sword as he deflected it. He brought his sword up, blocking the spy's attack as he brought his cutlass around in a whirling arc, aiming for the spy's gut.

The spy blocked the attack, slicing with his weapon. The two weapons met, and a burst of energy burst from the collision.

Ciaphas grinned as he parried again, the two blades crashing together once more. The shockwave that the collision created knocked Ciaphas off his feet, but the spy quickly recovered and thrust his sword forward, aiming for Ciaphas's chest.

Ciaphas leaned backwards, blocking the blow with his cutlass. It was a weak attempt, and Ciaphas easily deflected it, leaning forward as he thrust his sword forward with all his strength.

A spire of energy blasted forth, bursting from the tip of Ciaphas's cutlass as it shot forward. It impacted the spy's chest, blasting a hole through the man's armour and nearly tearing his heart from his body.

Ciaphas's cutlass had done its job, and the spy went limp, slumping to the ground as he ceased to breathe.

Ciaphas stood over his victim, taking a moment to catch his breath before he looked around. He was surrounded by the villagers, their faces full of awe, shock and worry at the sudden death.

"Quick, drag him back to the village," he commanded, and the villagers began to work together to carry the body of the spy back to safety.

As they pushed the spy's limp body towards the entrance of the village, Ciaphas felt something ripple within him. A feeling of unease, as if he suddenly felt vulnerable. He glanced around him but saw nothing that would explain his sudden fear.

His Rune was pulsating again, mysterious energy flowing from it towards the cutlass, only for it to fade as quickly as it came.

''I will worry about it later, now I have more pressing matters at hand''

They finally made it back to the village, and the body was laid out in the centre of the square, the villagers surrounding it, curious as to who this man was.

Ciaphas looked down at the body, and his eyes widened. He stepped forward and took off the spy's helmet. Underneath, his face immediately reminded Ciaphas of his old sword instructor, Saul.

He stepped back, not sure of what to make of the discovery. He looked back down at the body, his mind still reeling from the revelation. He knew that he had to find out more, but first he had to ensure the safety of the villagers. He had to ensure that no more spies crept into their midst and attempted to topple them from their rightful place.

Ciaphas began to address the villagers, and he stepped north, leaving the body in the middle of the circle of villagers. The rest of the village continued to mill about, their eyes on the body as it lay in the centre.

"I know many of you are worried about the welfare of our taxes and wages. But this is not the time to fear. I need you all to stay strong and remain vigilant. We will not fail. I will remove some of the taxes, and I will make sure you won't get hungry again. But to do that, we need to get to the bottom of this spy's actions.

Ciaphas decided to head home for the night, and the rest of the villagers made their way back to their homes. Ciaphas walked through the market square and headed east, towards his home. The sun had just set as he made his way towards the edge of the forest.

As he walked, he took a moment to glance behind him, checking to see how the villagers were coping without him. They were doing well, the villagers trusted him and were following his lead, but he could tell that they were still worried. He was sure that he was needed back in the village. He had to ensure that they didn't have to wait much longer.

As he walked, he could feel his Rune pulsing once more, energy flowing from it but this time towards his stomach. He didn't understand why, but he knew that he had to get to the bottom of what was happening.

"I don't know why this rune pulsates'' he thought to himself, "But I will have to figure it out later. For now, I need to ensure that no one else is a spy in our midst''