There was a long table placed in the middle. Maps, daggers, documents, and a feather dipped inside an ink. There was a man in his forties. He was tall, bulky, huge arms, and he sported a beard that covered his jaws. He wore plated armor, gauntlets, greaves, and a belt of satchels.
His eyes have a cold luster. His hands behind his back, he raised his chin up to looked at the darkish gray-haired man who was holding his spear in such a queer manner that it was starting to irritate him to the point that his beard was shuddering.
"Lanon of Nobody, I heard that you participated in the trip to the forests?" said him.
Lanon nodded, "Yes, Sir Rave."
"I see," Sir Rave folded his arms, and nodded. "There was a group of you when I sent you off. Your team went back with only four remaining. Can you explain this to me, Lanon of Nobody?"
"I am not the Captain," he lowered his head.
"I know. The Captain of yours is dead. To save you he had to push your cowardly self out of the way. Lanon the Coward, can you remind me what you are before we took you in?"
"I was nothing."
"That's right," he folded his hands behind his back. "You were a mumbling good for nothing that stole bread and pleads for alms in the back alleys of taverns and bars. The only thing that you were good at was running around like some monkey around the hovels of the Oasis city. We took you in, gave you a purpose, taught you how to speak the Talon's language," he sighed through his nose. "What a disappointment you are."
Lanon bit his lip hard. "I am sorry."
"Sorry?" he scoffs. He slammed his palms on the table, glaring at Lanon. "Will that bring back those you have to turn your backs on? A guardsman of Throes, the survivors of the fall of Oasis, turns out to be a chickenshit coward who runs away and leaves his comrades behind. I should have you executed for cowardice. Do you know why I am not doing so?"
Lanon kept his silence. His eyes pointed to the floor.
Sir Rave said, "Because we lack the men. Instead of killing you we are going to make use of you. Isn't it better to die fighting monsters than dying as a coward?"
"I," he tried to spoke up.
"What?"
"It is nothing, Sir Rave," replied Lanon meekly.
"Tell me," he said with a higher tone. "Speak up."
"Please don't mind it, Sir."
"I said to speak."
"I don't really-"
"SPEAK."
"I, I don't want to Sir."
"TELL ME. SPEAK FROM YOUR DIAPHRAGM SOLDIER."
"I cannot do anything about it, Sir!" he shouted.
"You damned coward!" Sir Rave sneered with disdain. "You cannot even speak what's on your mind. And you dare to say you cannot do anything about it? I'll have you flogged for this embarrassing attitude! Get out of my sight before I change my mind and have you hanged!"
Lanon left the tent with a grim expression. Outside the Commander's tent were the tents of the guardsman of throes. They were sharpening their blades, cooking food, drinking their flasks of water, and dressing their wounds. There was a cold wind coming from the south, leaving a damp smell on the air.
The guards who were near the tents eyed Lanon who was standing so gingerly. Their bland faces changed into that of a grimace as they spit in the ground and turned away in disgust. The others snorted at Lanon and their mood turned for the worse.
"Lanon of Nobody, the Coward of Throes," mouthed a soldier. "I was looking forward to you to be hanged for your cowardice. Are you still alive? Hmm, commander wants fodder for the monsters?"
"Probably," said another soldier. "That's the only reason he's alive for now. A coward has no place in the guards of throes, especially those who abandon their comrades."
Lanon tried to walk away. The soldiers saw this as an insult. So one of them kicked Lanon's back, he staggered and fell face first on the ground. The soldier stomped on his back. His face digging deeper into the muddy ground, he started tasting the mud, struggling for his breathing.
"Commander Rave wants to execute you. We want to kill you for being such a piece of shit coward. So this is your last warning you fucking coward. Abandon another comrade and even if the Commander flogs us we'll do our best to make you know what it is like to be abandoned and killed. Don't forget that!" he twists his foot on Lanon's back before leaving.
Lanon stayed stationed on the ground. His face crumpled as he grits his teeth, suppressing his cry and hiding the tears on his face. He didn't move and used his arms to cover his face whole. And slowly he stood up pretending to wipe the mud off his face.
Consequently, he smoothed his clothes and started to his feet. The soldiers who knew what he did snorted and turned their heads away from Lanon. He ignored them and carried his spear in the same queer manner. His eyes drooping, his head lowered.
The sky kept its moody color. The clouds slowly churned out tiny drops of rain. Lanon raised his head up and turned his head to the clouds with a bitter smile. "Are you crying for me? Or are you pissing me off by wetting my clothes?"
He shook his head. He continued walking until he reached a lone tent separated to everyone. It was hidden under the shade of a tall tree with little leaves left on its branches. As he was about to enter his shoddily made tent, the rain did a heavy downpour. He stopped on his tracks and looked at the sky again. He weaved a heavy sigh through his nose, cracked his neck, and put his spear near the flaps of the tents. He crawled inside the tent and sat cross-legged and smirked helplessly, staring at the muddy dirt. The heavy rain was enough to drown out the sound. So he did what he wanted to ever since getting his head pushed in the head. His face contorted into distraught as tears poured on his cheeks.
...
A farm stood around a field of rice berries. The heavy rain that poured earlier has already stopped. Streams of water flowed into the paddies. Farmers and the rest of the group of peasants started to examine their rice berries. And the rest were plucking the rice berries, putting them into baskets.
Lanon stood near the farm doors with the tip of his spear planted on the ground. A row of peasants lined up and placed the rice berries inside the farm. Lanon kept his silence and started with the peasants doing their work. He was placed in farm watch duty after a few scolding from Sir Rave.
The rest of the soldiers were sent to the forests again to investigate a den of monsters. He was placed here as a non-essential personnel. He was told that having someone that leaves their comrade behind was not needed in a dangerous mission where they have to trust each other's back.
Lanon wasn't bothered by it. In fact, he was rather pleased that he didn't have to get his ass kicked or insulted again. He wasn't that good at interacting with the soldier of Throes. Among the group of soldiers who were able to escape the fall of Oasis City. He was the only with the title of – Lanon, the Nobody, the Sole Coward of the Throes.
He was dishonored among the Throes and many were in favor to have him hanged for cowardice. Lanon knew that he could never act like what he did in the forests of the Teresina settlements. After all, how could he ever expect that while searching for scale monsters the alpha of the monsters would come out to kill them?
The Captain that was the only one who didn't scorn him died because of him. Lanon knew that if he didn't freeze up the Captain would have died. If he didn't run past his comrades to save himself then the soldiers in the camp wouldn't treat him as badly. He could still remember being picked up by the guardsmen of throes. Being taught how to speak the Talon language, how to fight with a spear and defend one's self and how to scout the area and prepare for the worst.
They were kind enough to teach them the basics. Yet, he was now scorned by them because he was not what they expected him to be. Their expectation went to naught and that they were utterly disappointed for his lack of bravery and courage.
Thus, he was here on this farm to be left behind, watching the farmers pick their rice berries. All he had to do was keep watch of the farmers and do it until the commander returns and calls for him. To Lanon it was better than facing the monsters of the forests that are hiding in the shadows. Not to mention that he would be utterly useless if he comes along with them. He knew his limit and fighting monsters were something that he wasn't good at.
"Are you the guardsman assigned?" a voice made Lanon move. He looked at the source of the voice and saw that it was a young man with brown hair. She has a wide smile, she wears a dress with a girdle, and Lanon could tell that she was done picking her rice berries quotas by the look of her palms. There was also a smell of rice berries and muddy water lingering on her.
"Yes," he replied curtly. "Is there anything you want, Miss?"
"Nothing," she smiled. "I was just wondering why they only sent one guard to the farm. Is it really true that the guardsmen of throes are being thinned?"
Lanon was rather surprised by her frankness. "Who knows?" he shook his head. "The Fall of Oasis City has scattered the Guardsmen of Throes. With no City to protect we are forced to hunt down those who have invaded."
"I see." She nodded thrice. "So what is your name mister?"
"Lanon," he opened his mouth awkwardly. "That's my name."
"I see," she scratched her head. "Your name sounds really hard to say."
"I don't speak the talon language well."
"Why?" she leaned forward with a smile reaching up her ears. "Are you not from here?"
Lanon stared at her with a stare looking a thousand yards away. "I don't know. I rather not tell."
She nodded, "I see. It must be your lucky day, Lanon."
"Yes," he nodded and eyed her. "What's your name?"
"My name is Alcina!" she declared. "I am new to this settlement. I work in the farms now."
"Why now?"
"Da's Mill has been overrun by monsters so I was placed here instead. I think we are lucky that we still have work, right?"
"You're right. So Da's Mill, will that place be okay?" he asked.
"Yes," she nodded. "I think that a Walker has come to slay the monsters in Da's Mill. I hope that the Walker finishes off the monsters! I heard the Mire has been cleaned up by him too."
"Sound like he's strong," he said with praise.
"Yes! He's strong and he knows how to handle his sword well!"
"Glad to know then."
Alcina nodded twice and stood shoulder to shoulder with Lanon. He looked at her for a moment and wondered why she was standing close to him. He was about to speak when suddenly there was a loud road coming out of the wooded area of the farm.
"RUN AWAY THERE IS A HOB GOING ON A RAMPAGE RUN AWAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY"
The man's head turned into a pulpy flesh of chunks that spread like a flower on the muddy ground. The farmers who were plucking the rice berries stood still for three seconds before running and screaming away, abandoning their crops.
Lanon's jaws started to shiver badly. He eyed the tall hob that stood about seven feet tall. Its arms were the size of logs and the club on its hand was larger than a standing tree. The hob had excrement like teeth as it guffawed while tearing up the farmers.
"What are you doing, Lanon?" shouted Alcina. "You have to help them!"
Lanon stared eyes wide at Alcina. He was about to speak when she shouted loudly at him again. "GO AND HELP THEM NOW"
Then, his body started to the direction of the Hob. He didn't know why but he rushed at the Hob with his spear at hand. This got the attention of the Hob who consequently grinned at Lanon, readying its giant club. Lanon eyed the monster, his thoughts:
"What the hell am I doing?!"