The Search

The city was cowardly under the siege; it lined up like the good child it was. Peter had the citizens lined up in alphabetical order so that it was easier to conduct interviews. Murder was a serious crime, and while Peter was no detective, he had men in his army who were former cops.

The questions they would ask were simple: "Have you seen a purple man?"

If they answered, "Yes." Then they would be separated into a new group.

If they answered, "No." Then they would be let go.

It was like playing "Truth or Dare." You had to make a difficult choice, and there was no room for mistake. The choice was always the same, and it was hard. You had to decide between truth and danger.

It was not a good game for the people of the city. It was hard to live in a land where there was war. They knew it had to be this way; and as the siege went on, their trust of Peter grew.

It was a good time to be a warlord. A warlord made the world work for him. When there is war, it's hard to stop. You're a lion that knows you can kill anything. Everyone was taught to respect your power. You were a beast and an animal to be afraid of. You can eat anything you want. You can do anything you want. You can become the emperor.

And so Peter became.