Post by Psy on Aug 18, 2008 2:40:59 GMT -5
Eric trudged through the same, boring landscape that he had been for the last few months now. At least, that day, the sun was shining and there were no rabid wild animals to stand in his way during the patrol. His frustration at his current station would only increase tenfold if the day became only a tiny fraction worse.
Ever since that 'false lead' involving the Syndicate, he had been pulled off the relatively forgiving city duties and sent onto the highway patrol teams, who didn't even see fit to grant him a horse for all his work. All that remained unchanged was his measly pay, and Eric questioned whether the pay-rise promised to him by his former squad leader would actually be put into effect.
Nonetheless, he was stuck marching about on the same dusty trail day in and day out, sometimes being forced to camp out in the wilderness, and the pay rise wouldn't do much to alleviate his misery in the sudden change of post, and his personality held him back from blatantly asking for a re-post to another area.
So far, all he had met were fellow guards, most mounted on horses, some from Skingrad, some from the Imperial City, and a few others who were chasing bandits. Eric found it thankful that, even for his miserable station, he had not encountered any life-threatening situations as of yet.
As his thoughts traveled along a meandering route, his feet traversed the stone road, bringing him ever closer to the Imperial City, hopefully, a good night's rest. Even if he arrived after curfew, the guards would let him in due to his membership in the Legion, although by then, he would be a ripe target for pickpockets. In his six months, petty thieves have deigned, seven times, to rob him as he walked.
You would think that one would know the signs by now, but Eric's far too timid personality held him back from many things, including confronting the thieves. If it hadn't been his father's wishes for him to become a guard, he would've become a local priest, or a scholar, instead of a fool in a metal suit waving a pointy stick around.
Nonetheless, he had complied with the other's wishes. As he has always done, although, at most times, he wished he hadn't. Just that one time. But it was too late to go back on it now. His honor and integrity was at stake right now, even if his heart and body wasn't up to the task.
At least I'm not doing anything dangerous. It's not like bandits would pop out of this next bend on a guard of all people.
He made the turn, and yawned. Of course he didn't get jumped. Who the heck would go for a small guard with no cash to speak of? Now, that caravan up the road was something else entirely. He wondered why it had stopped, the armed people around it certainly distressed, brandishing their weapons about.
He smiled dreamily to himself and continued on. A guard had no obligation to help a caravan stuck in the mud.
Three steps later, upon the stone path, he rewound his thoughts.
...the armed people around it certainly distressed, brandishing their weapons about.
Eric's heart skipped a beat. Fate had decided to rear it's ugly head and prove him wrong. The caravan was being beset by bandits, and he, as a guard, was obliged to protect it's drivers and it's contents. Out of all the guards on patrol that day, it had to happen to him. The boy who wouldn't know how to poke a pig's carcass with the big, unwieldy thing he was holding.
...Wha-.
He froze in his tracks, gripping the shaft of his spear tightly with both hands, cold sweat beading on his back. Maybe they wouldn't see him. They would just rob the caravan and go away, and he could just come during the aftermath. It wasn't as if his presence was going to do anything important, save annoy the bandits some more, and possibly kill an extra person.
"Hey, look here," he heard one of the armed men say loudly," Look! There's a guard on patrol! You bandits better disperse quickly, or you'll be dead before you even blink. 'Ey! Guard! 'Lil help here!"
... He saw me.
Eric's eyes looked around nervously, and he gulped in a large mouthful of air. All eyes were on him now, save for some of the bandits, who were on their prey. There was no getting out of it, and the next patrol was half an hour away. More than enough time for the bandits to kill him and be off.
"Hah!" he heard the man with the nasty looking ebony longsword spit out," A boy I could take out with one hand. C'mon guard, what were you about to say?"
Eric proceeded a few steps further, trying to look confident, if not imposing, failing at both.
"Y-you people are in vio-violation of the I-Imperial Law," he said, stuttering and nervous," Surrender... S-Surrender now or I w-will be forced to use l-l-lethal for-"
He didn't get to finish the sentence as the bandits broke out in loud guffaws.
"Hah!" one man said," You? And us? Are you sure you want to try me?"
"Gah," another said," We'll just kill him for the fun of it."
"Good idea," the third said, grinning wickedly, two gaps in the teeth in his mouth showing.
"Well then, boys," the first gripped his two short swords tighter," What were we doing before?"
"Kill, loot, pillage!"
The shouted in unison, and suddenly, the area around the caravan turned into a battleground, the victims hopelessly outmatched, and Eric watching helplessly as two men rushed over to take him out.
"Can't have any witnesses, can we?" one sneered.
"No, we can't."
And they closed in.
Ever since that 'false lead' involving the Syndicate, he had been pulled off the relatively forgiving city duties and sent onto the highway patrol teams, who didn't even see fit to grant him a horse for all his work. All that remained unchanged was his measly pay, and Eric questioned whether the pay-rise promised to him by his former squad leader would actually be put into effect.
Nonetheless, he was stuck marching about on the same dusty trail day in and day out, sometimes being forced to camp out in the wilderness, and the pay rise wouldn't do much to alleviate his misery in the sudden change of post, and his personality held him back from blatantly asking for a re-post to another area.
So far, all he had met were fellow guards, most mounted on horses, some from Skingrad, some from the Imperial City, and a few others who were chasing bandits. Eric found it thankful that, even for his miserable station, he had not encountered any life-threatening situations as of yet.
As his thoughts traveled along a meandering route, his feet traversed the stone road, bringing him ever closer to the Imperial City, hopefully, a good night's rest. Even if he arrived after curfew, the guards would let him in due to his membership in the Legion, although by then, he would be a ripe target for pickpockets. In his six months, petty thieves have deigned, seven times, to rob him as he walked.
You would think that one would know the signs by now, but Eric's far too timid personality held him back from many things, including confronting the thieves. If it hadn't been his father's wishes for him to become a guard, he would've become a local priest, or a scholar, instead of a fool in a metal suit waving a pointy stick around.
Nonetheless, he had complied with the other's wishes. As he has always done, although, at most times, he wished he hadn't. Just that one time. But it was too late to go back on it now. His honor and integrity was at stake right now, even if his heart and body wasn't up to the task.
At least I'm not doing anything dangerous. It's not like bandits would pop out of this next bend on a guard of all people.
He made the turn, and yawned. Of course he didn't get jumped. Who the heck would go for a small guard with no cash to speak of? Now, that caravan up the road was something else entirely. He wondered why it had stopped, the armed people around it certainly distressed, brandishing their weapons about.
He smiled dreamily to himself and continued on. A guard had no obligation to help a caravan stuck in the mud.
Three steps later, upon the stone path, he rewound his thoughts.
...the armed people around it certainly distressed, brandishing their weapons about.
Eric's heart skipped a beat. Fate had decided to rear it's ugly head and prove him wrong. The caravan was being beset by bandits, and he, as a guard, was obliged to protect it's drivers and it's contents. Out of all the guards on patrol that day, it had to happen to him. The boy who wouldn't know how to poke a pig's carcass with the big, unwieldy thing he was holding.
...Wha-.
He froze in his tracks, gripping the shaft of his spear tightly with both hands, cold sweat beading on his back. Maybe they wouldn't see him. They would just rob the caravan and go away, and he could just come during the aftermath. It wasn't as if his presence was going to do anything important, save annoy the bandits some more, and possibly kill an extra person.
"Hey, look here," he heard one of the armed men say loudly," Look! There's a guard on patrol! You bandits better disperse quickly, or you'll be dead before you even blink. 'Ey! Guard! 'Lil help here!"
... He saw me.
Eric's eyes looked around nervously, and he gulped in a large mouthful of air. All eyes were on him now, save for some of the bandits, who were on their prey. There was no getting out of it, and the next patrol was half an hour away. More than enough time for the bandits to kill him and be off.
"Hah!" he heard the man with the nasty looking ebony longsword spit out," A boy I could take out with one hand. C'mon guard, what were you about to say?"
Eric proceeded a few steps further, trying to look confident, if not imposing, failing at both.
"Y-you people are in vio-violation of the I-Imperial Law," he said, stuttering and nervous," Surrender... S-Surrender now or I w-will be forced to use l-l-lethal for-"
He didn't get to finish the sentence as the bandits broke out in loud guffaws.
"Hah!" one man said," You? And us? Are you sure you want to try me?"
"Gah," another said," We'll just kill him for the fun of it."
"Good idea," the third said, grinning wickedly, two gaps in the teeth in his mouth showing.
"Well then, boys," the first gripped his two short swords tighter," What were we doing before?"
"Kill, loot, pillage!"
The shouted in unison, and suddenly, the area around the caravan turned into a battleground, the victims hopelessly outmatched, and Eric watching helplessly as two men rushed over to take him out.
"Can't have any witnesses, can we?" one sneered.
"No, we can't."
And they closed in.
))