"You got some spare change?" The old man on the side of the road asked. He shook his wooden bowl, which rattled the coins inside.
I shuffled inside my leather pouch and took out a small copper, and tossed it towards him. I took a couple step ahead, but stopped.
"Tell me this," I asked without turning. " By any chance do you know any Korf?"
The old man did not speak and I figured he didn't know or didn't want to tell me so I decided to move on.
"I….."
I turned back to his husky voice.
"I do know specifically who you are talking about, but you shouldn't have something to do with him...Nobody should."
"Yeah?….and why is that?"
"A dangerous man, he is. Yeah, dangerous! Cruel and heartless!"
"Well then, I will prove you wrong...…I'll rip that bastard's heart from his chest and hand it to you."
With this I moved on.
***
The town looked dead from far, but it was even worse up close. I saw people with their dusty bodies and hopeless gazes. A malnourished child, with his hand clutching to the veil of a rotting body beside him.
There was smell everywhere, and disease, and death. But, it didn't bother me; I had my own stuff to sort.
As I walked down further into the narrow streets, everything got worse and worse. With every passing moment the smell grew acrid, and the dread in the people's eyes. I could feel the sadness, but not so much, with my mind, my heart and my soul draped in the flames of revenge.
I heard faint cries of men women and children all the same, but only thing in my mind was when the soldiers brought my brother's body; the pieces he was cut into and his eyeballs stretched out from his eyes stuffed in his mouth.
My hand clutched tighter and tighter to the hilt of my sword, unable to wait to do the same to Krof.
"Where are you hiding them!?"
I turned my head into an alleyway where I saw two soldiers, all strong and healthy, they held a man against a wall.
One of them pummeled the man's gut with the butt of his spear.
"Where are you hiding your fucking food!? I know you have it!"
The man, lifeless cried and retched blood.
"I….I swear...coff…..I gave all of it."
A few drops of blood spattered over the soldier's face, who left the poor man with a knife in his throat.
I walked towards the soldiers. One of them saw me, and called.
"Hey!..You there, stop ri…."
But before he could finish, and before I could realize, my sword was in his gut. The other jumped on me with his spear, before I slashed his arm off.
He cried in agony, holding his bloodied arm, but there was no passion in me in that moment, only blood in my eyes.
I pinned the man against the wall with my elbow.
"Where is Krof?" I asked calmly. His face was reddening and his screams were continuous. Only screams out of his throat but no answer.
"HEY! If you don't want your other as well, I can do the honors, unless you tell me where that bastard is."
"I'll tell you….I'll tell you…..I'll tell you….please." The man cried.
"You better do it quick then, or else…."
"Green….gardens behind the…..lord's armory...…..with a flag atop…ahhhh…please I beg y….."
At this I threw him away with a strong push of my arm, sending him flying away.
***
It took me a while but I found it, the green gardens. Much green it was, with its wilted flowers and dried bushes. Down south was the lords armory which I crossed and then...I saw the house with the black sun flag waving with grim shuffles.
There were guards surrounding the area, 'bout twenty just on the entrance.
They saw me as I saw them, and they charged upon seeing the blood streaks on the unsheathed sword in my hand.
One by one, I sliced and hacked through them. I punched, pushed, slashed and turned.
And, a moment later, no one stood but me. Wasting no time I went forward near the gate.
But, the gate opened itself, and there he was. Krof, the damned bastard.
As my eyes set upon his ugly scarred face, rage spurred and then blasted inside me.
"KROOOOOOOFF!" I shouted and with my full speed, and maximum strength in my shoulders, I sent my sword straight for his neck.
But, he ducked in time to give a powerful punch in my gut.
For a moment I felt my consciousness fading but then spiked up again. I felt the blood bashing against my vessels, and I knew I couldn't lose.
I scrambled to my feet, and leaving no gap for me to catch my second breath, I saw a vicious fist approaching my face.
In time, I weaved away, jumping as far as I could from Krof.
He was not talking, and I wouldn't have tolerated any word from him either.
I re-focused my self, and went at him again.
He used no sword or any weapon; just his fists, but proved more deadly than me.
I charged again...I would have….until I won.
***
As I walked amidst the people, I saw their expression rise when they saw me dragging Krof's muscular body; his eyes ripped out and stuffed in his mouth. And, his chest torn open, and the heart in my hand.
I walked to the middle of the town and threw the body for people to joy over, if they could manage, that is, and went my way back from where I came from.
I again saw the old man, on my path back, the same bowl in his hand. He rattled the bowl again, "Got some spare change?" He said in his gruff voice.
I took another copper from my leather pouch and tossed it in the bowl, covered in blood from my hand.
"Oh yeah, I also got a gift for you," I said handing him the bloody heart.
The old man stared at the heart and took several bites out of it. While chewing the tough flesh, he asked, " Who are you?"
"Nobody you need to worry about" I said, and walked away.
***