013 - Fire and Stone - Part 1 -

The blood from the falling body of Sean Jolter rained down on the square like a flood, it hit the knight's armor and with the heat of the bonfire, it instantly dried on the shining steel plating adorning it with thorns of red.

Sir Lambert wore a carefree expression in the aftermath, showing no concern for the life he had so easily taken.

His eyes drifted through the angry mob of villagers until it landed upon Uriel and a smile split his handsome face.

Lambert took a step towards Uriel but just as he did a cry came from one of the villagers, and a man came running out swinging a wood axe wildly, and behind him, several other men charged bearing their various farming tools.

But on this field the knight was a reaper his silver sword flashed in the light of the flame and cut down the men of Old Meadow with ease, their large stature served them no merit when the cold blade of steel touched their muscular bodies.

With a trifle ease the knight parted their bodies one after the other until the bodies were piled high, only then did the people seem to regain their reason and hesitate to step any closer to the knight.

Sir Lambert stopped when the villagers did, and in complete disrespect, he sat himself upon the piled-up corpses and returned his attention to Uriel.

Uriel trembled with a sense of panic and disbelief, he had just seen several men he knew, whom he had worked for and who had fed him when he was hungry, get cut down like they were nothing.

He wanted to run out and kill the knight, but his legs shook and so did his entire body as fear overrode all his other desires.

As he met the knight's eyes he could feel his breathing constrict in his throat.

"I never would have expected to find an Eldrin user out here in the middle of this dump," said Lambert with a cunning eye, he could still see the remnant fluctuations of Eldrin coalescing around Uriel's body.

"Especial one with such a powerful connection to the power, to have almost raised this entire village to the ground, consider me jealous boy," Lambert spoke in an unhurried tone, as he leisurely made himself comfortable on the bodies beneath him.

"But for the sake of the rightful queen I can let go of my jealousy," Lambert spoke slowly and extended his hand, "What say you boy, why don't you come with me and join Queen Celestia Rothwart in her noble goal of unifying the middle lands?"

Uriel couldn't find it in him to feel surprised that the knight knew he was the cause of the earthquake, he knew next to nothing about the power he possessed and its uses, he knew only that it was dangerous.

Uriel glared at the knight finding it hard to speak, not because he couldn't speak, but because all that came to his mind were curses to spit in the knight's face.

He had just killed half a dozen men, the good men of Old Meadow, and he dared to ask Uriel to join his cause, it was ridiculous it made him feel sick.

"To hell with you and your queen," Uriel managed to squeeze out between clenched teeth.

Lambert's eyes flashed with coldness as he pulled back his arm, "Are you sure about your choice boy, you know that power inside you will only get more dangerous with time, and if you don't learn how to control it there's no telling who you might kill by accident,"

"And in complete truth, I've even seen people blow themselves to pieces trying to hold it in, as for someone with as much power as you, your self-destruction would probably wipe this entire village and the surrounding farmlands from the map,"

"If you join Her Majesty, you can learn how to harness that power and put it to use for the unification, and I'll even throw in a little something extra for you, if you accept I'll spare the rudeness of these villagers and leave them in peace," offered Lambert with a thin smile.

Uriel paused with his eyes going wide, he didn't like the look on the man's face one bit, in fact, all that he wanted to do was kill him, but he knew deep down he knew that there was next to nothing that he could do, that anyone could do to the armored knight.

If he didn't accept the knight's terms then everyone would die and it would all be his fault, the knight's words made it clear that he would kill everyone if he didn't accept.

Before he could open his mouth to utter a sound the figure of Zek appeared in front of him blocking the knight's view of him.

"Ya stay the fock away from me' son!" Zek's voice erupted in the square, he stood firmly holding his axe in a defensive stance.

Lambert raised an eyebrow curiously, he had noticed the group around Uriel but figured that they were just villagers tending to the other boy's injuries.

"Your son you say," Lambert whispered, "Is he really, I don't see the resemblance," he said with a strange look in his eye, when he gave it a second of thought he realized that he hadn't seen anyone other than the woman who looked so small in this village.

But as for the men, there wasn't a single one as small as Uriel and on close examination, his features were quite different from these people he didn't look anything like them.

If he had to place the boy's features he would place him as a southerner or easterner, at least somewhere between those parts.

Lambert nodded and turned around, "Do you see village people, I have given you a way out, but it has been declined," he said with a smile.

"But you need not fear, I will offer you one more chance if you bring me the Eldrin wielder and all of those he spent the most time with in chains, I'll spare your village of its fate," he offered with an air of confidence and a wide smile as this was truly a remarkable catch and he would surely be rewarded handsomely for this contribution.

He looked around awaiting the villager's action, it was better this way it would be too hard to find out who spent time with the Eldrin wielder if he questioned them himself, and they were more than likely to resort to lying.

This way they would reveal themselves, but suddenly he was met with something unexpected.

"Piss off…" an angry shout came from the crowd, as one person seemed to find their courage the rest followed suit.

"Why would we betray the lad for scum like you?" someone else shouted.

"Uriel is part of this village, you won't find a lad kinder than him, you must be mad if you think anyone here will turn their backs on him!" came the voice of Archie the village baker.

Uriel watched with his heart caught in his throat, he couldn't believe what they were doing, didn't they see? didn't they realize? that by saying such words they were all going to die.

"Stop!!!" Uriel shouted and climbed to his feet, as he stepped away from Alec's body he promised his friend that he'd protect everyone, that he'd protect their home.

"I'll go with you, just leave them, please just leave them alone, I'll do whatever you want anything you ask for," he stumbled forward and started to beg.

But before he could take more than a few steps several sets of hands extended out grabbing a hold of him, he turned back to see his mother and dad as well as Cassandra clutching onto him as if their life depended on it.

Further behind he saw the mayor and Jack standing with weapons in their hands, Jack carried a large hammer the size of an ordinary person while Mayor Jonah held a sword.

Lambert looked around with surprise, though it was not much, he was just surprised at the foolishness of the people.

"I do wonder what it takes to inspire such… devotion, that you lot would be willing to throw away your lives," he said, "But if you think that your actions will earn you my pardon then you're wrong," he said and started to walk at a leisurely pace.

When Lambert drew close to Uriel's family they all pulled back but surprisingly he walked straight past them he curved around the bonfire and came to a stop at the wagons he brought and standing there were all of his men readied with their weapons.

"I do suppose it's better this way, it would have been a little awkward if we started killing them randomly during the festivities," said the archer Harald as he gave the villagers a mocking smile.

"What do you mean by that?!" Mayor Jonah asked with a stern voice.

Lambert looked at the mayor and gave a signal to his men, immediately a few ran over to one of the carts and pulled off the tarp, then they pulled four long pikes up and presented them to the villagers.

"I'm sure that you all recognize your rangers," said Lambert in amusement as on the tips of each pike rested the severed heads of some of the village rangers.

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