The two were almost in Okyra, but were interrupted in Tzaria. The villages were empty, this place was a ghost town. There were signs of struggles and agony everywhere, blood was the main attraction here. Liliana was shocked at the horrible sight, she fell to the ground with tears pouring out of her large green eyes. “I didn’t expect this, Sam,” she said quietly.
“Who could have done so much to my home?”
Liliana stood up, with the help from Sam, and wiped the tears away from her face. “Thanks,” she said.
There was somebody walking from the distance, the same figure that was at Okyra when The Hooded Man first showed up. The man’s long dark hair swayed in the wind, while his head was still down. You could see the tears dripping from his face, and the blood from his mace left a red trail behind him. The sobs grew louder as he got closer to the two.
“I know that man Liliana, he killed my family back in Okyra. He’s the personal hand of The Hooded Man.” The man got closer, and the sobs grew louder. The bright sun was beginning to fade, soon there will be rain and storms. “WHY WILL YOU DIE, AND I STAY ALIVE!” The man screamed.
The man was now steps away from the two, then began to slowly speak. “I...Its an honor to meet you boy, The Hooded Man has spoken highly of you. Thats why he has chosen me personally, to kill you.” The man took a long pause, while he grabbed his torso in agony and pain. “Oh the PAIN, have you ever endured horrifying pain, boy. I have all my life, my brother was the same way. His arms were torn apart when he was a child, I haven’t seen him since he left me.” He paused again, and grabbed his chest once more.
The man was wearing a large leather cloak, that covered his back and his front. “Can I ask you a question, boy?”
Sam nodded while clutching his sword. “Are you ready to DIE? I have been ready for quite some time, but are you, is the question at hand.”
“I’m not sure if I am, I have a lot of things to live for.” Sam replied.
“Good answer my boy.” The man started to smile but immediately started to frown with pain. He grabbed his chest once more. This time he couldn’t let go of his chest. He fell down on one knee. The tears began to fall from his face and the sobs started to grow. He rose off the ground, and proceeded to remove his cloak. The man ripped of the garments and revealed his disturbing torso. There were four metal rods jammed inside of him, two in his chest, and two in his belly. The man rose his mace high above his head, and flung it down towards Sam. It barely missed Sam’s head, removing strands from his dark hair. Sam removed his shield and wielded his sword, clutching both tightly, making his knuckles turn white. The crying man raised his mace once more and continued to swing attack the boy with great force, each time missing, and creating large craters in the ground.
The boy was faster than before, not flinching at the sight of a large bloodied mace swirling down at him. The Suffering man had a lot of power, but he was blinded by pain, mindlessly swinging his mace. The man paused, and took a step back. He was winded, gasping for air. While trying to catch his breath, Sam went on the offensive. He bashed his sword into the man’s face, sending him to the ground. Liliana began to unsheathe her swords, but was interrupted by Sam.
“I don’t need your help right now Lily. I wish to fight my opponents on my own!”
“Fine...” Liliana said with shame.
“YOU WILL NOT WIN BOY!” The man said while catching his breath.
Sam continued to send out a flurry of blows with his sword and bashing shield. The man was heavily wounded, there were cuts on his torso and back. The rods inside him looked as though they were even more submerged in him.
The man countered Sam’s blows with one huge sweeping blow to the back of Sam., sending him to the ground. The sky was darkened with every attack, the rain was starting to drizzle now. Softening the ground with every drop of cold rain. The boy stood up, with dirt covering his face, picked his sword back up, and went back on the offensive, knocking the sobbing man on his back several times. Sam was confident, his posture was perfect, for the first time ever, he looked like a warrior. Liliana stood back impressed by how much he had grown since she had first met him.
“You can’t win, I have you beat.” Sam said with confidence.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN BOY! THE FIGHT ISN’T OVER TILL I SAY IT IS...” The man plunged himself toward the boy with all of his remaining strength, but missed entirely, the speed of the boy just overcame whatever the man through at him. Sam took one last swing of his sword, slicing open the man’s lower knee, with blood starting to spray out of him, the man hastily backed off, then started to speak softly.
“It seems you are right, you have me defeated. Oh, I don’t even feel the pain of my knee, just the same pain I have felt my whole wretched life. My demented mother put these “THINGS” inside of me when I was just a long boy, she said it would prepare me for the “real life.” In some ways... She was right. Sometimes I just wish I could have a normal life, with my two other brothers. She also damaged them as well. She severed the arms of one, then turned the other into some sort of raging beast. I miss the oldest...
Sometimes I think he’s still out there waiting for all of us, I just don’t believe that he’ll be ready for what he will see in me, and especially .... Thomas. If you see any of them, just promise to me you won’t hurt them, on the inside, they are good brothers, and good people.” The man started to shed tears once more, but it wasn’t from the pain that consumed him, it was from shame and remorse. These emotions will turn any man into water. “One other thing, boy. My name is Tomal. People have been calling me “THAT” name all my life. Do me the honor of calling me by the name my father gave me, long ago. This life will tear you apart, no matter what you do to stop it.” The man got up, and started to limp away, only saying one more thing to the boy, “You will just have to try to save a limb or two....”
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