Baron Schmitters sat upright in the back of his horse drawn carriage. He besieged him on all sides were his loyal guard made up of regular grunts from the Oceanlandian army.
Inside the carriage were four soldiers with him, four other soldiers were riding on horseback beside it and two others were on top of the carriage driving it.
The chariot lightly rocked back and forth on the bumpy forest path. It was like a small boat on a restless river. The smell of the morning due had long since evaporated from the heat of the midday sun. The smell had now been replaced with the tantalizing smell of cooked meats wafting over from the nearby village.
"My Lord, may I ask why you have requested such a force to visit this village?" One of the soldiers asked
"Because this village in particular has been giving me a tremendous amount of trouble." Schmitters answered
"It has? May I ask how?"
"This village isn't paying me what I am owed in taxes. The village Elder claims that since the war is over my tax hikes no longer apply. However, I disagree."
"The bloody bastards."
"With the grace of the Gods, I hope this meeting doesn't devolve into bloodshed. I just want my tax money and to be done with it."
"Why didn't you just send tax collectors?"
"What do you think I'm an idiot? I've sent out many tax collectors to this village, none have come back. I've sent soldiers to this village, they came back and told me the village was peaceful. So I've decided to stop relying on you idiots and do the job myself."
The entourage took one last sharp left turn, flinging them around to the entrance to the walled village.
As the Baron's procession pulled in they were swarmed by a crowd of merry peasants. Many of them swore like sailors and danced around drunkenly as they sung vulgar song lyrics.
The Baron's men swiftly dismounted their horses and gathered their muskets, they began to shoo the crowd away at bayonet point
"Get back your drunken slobs!" One soldier shouted
"Make room for dirt dwellers." The other one taunted
The Baron then emerged from his carriage to thunderous applause. The sound of the peasants clapping was deafening and it startled deer in the surrounding area.
The village Elder then appeared from the crowd.
"Baron Schmitters, You've come for your tax money I presume." He asked
"You have presumed the correct old man. You and your village of peasants have been cheating me out of my tax money. You make a fool out of me in front of the king. That is an insult which I will not allow to continue further. I have come in peace for the final time, but if that doesn't work I will have this village razed to ashes."
"I was afraid you'd make such a demand. I have your tax money in the village treasury, but please stay for the festivities. It is the anniversary of this village's founding, and we plan on throwing a large fest to celebrate."
Schmitters looked over to the old town hall to see a lady in the middle of the building stirring a huge cauldron.
The smell of freshly cooked meat permeated the air, coupled with the Baron's empty stomach he couldn't resist the offer.
"I'd love to stay for supper." He said
A little while later, Schmitter and his entourage are all in the town hall with all of the peasants. The hall was filled with cheer and drunkenness alongside the same vulgar songs from earlier.
Schmitter sat at the long table across from him was a buff bald man with scars all over his face.
"So you're a sailor in the High Kings Navy?" Schmitters asked the man
"Aye, I'm currently on shore leave from HMS Bloodbull." The man answered
"The HMS Bloodbull? What type of ship is that?"
"It's a double decker frigate. Part of the King's Northern Fleet."
"I've always wanted to go out to sea. I've been stuck here on Hilles my whole life. Have you had any adventures while out there on the sea?"
"Aye, one time we were sent to blockade a small coastal town being used by smugglers and slavers. Once the blockade took place the rascals burned the town and fled into the forest. We went on a week-long hint for the criminals engaging them in guerilla warfare tactics. Some brutal fighting."
"Interesting. What's your name kind sir?"
"Gerald."
"It was nice meeting you Gerald."
As Gerald got up and walked away a buxom maiden showed up to the deck with a plate with an enormous piece of meat on it.
The aroma from the meat couldn't be ignored, the second the plate was on the table, Schmitter took a large bite out of it. The taste and texture were unlike any meat he had ever tasted. Yet he devoured the meal bite after bite.
Some time had passed in the dinning hall and as the sun began to drift below the horizon, Schmitter approached the Village Elder.
"Alright I've had enough. It is time for me to collect what I am owed and return to my manor." Schmitter said
Behind him the sound of a hundred unscheefed knives could be heard. He turned around to see a newly formed angry mob all wielding sharp knives.
Schmitter turned to the village elder to see that he had vanished from that location and was now standing with the mob.
"Men gun these peasants down!" Schmitter shouted as he reached for his pepperbox pistol.
The ten guards fired into the crowd. Downing ten mob members successfully. Schmitters fired his pepperbox four times successfully downing another four.
The mob then stampede towards the Baron and his entourage. The men fled for their lives and upon reaching the door found out that it was locked.
The ten guard soldiers then bayonet charged the mob. They plunged their staff into the members of the crowd ripping through their soft tissue and slicing into their vital organs. Nonetheless they were surrounded and cut to ribbons by the mob.
Schmitters drew his cutlass shortly before violently snatching the hand of the aforementioned madain who was serving food. She had attempted to hide in the corner but had now been dragged into this. He shielded himself with her as he held his cutlass to her throat.
"Drop...drop...drop your weapons or I'll kill her!" Schmitters yelled in distress. His hair had become unraveled by the semi literal rivers of sweat pouring down his face. He began to violently hyperventilate. The mob slowly closed in on him with their bloody knives drawn.
The maidan then elbowed the Baron in the gut. Schmitter crumpled to the ground in pain and the mob rushed him.
"No!" He shouted
They swarmed him and cut his clothes off. The Baron kicked and failed wildly as they attempted to hogtie him. Once they had him bound and gagged they dragged him over to the cauldron and then they plunked him into the scalding hot water from him to boil alive.