It is finally over! I have finally
completed my training at the Hero's Guild. I must say that I was a
little disappointed with the Guildmaster. All those years of
seclusion here and when it is all over, what do I get? 'Here's some
food, there's the door. Good Luck!' Bah! I guess no one will help me
but me. Anyways, I am finally getting to go out and find these
bandits that killed my family. I just hope they are still around so I
can exact my revenge...
* * *
Baligar stood
outside the Hero's Guild and looked around. How many years had gone
by since he was last on this side of the door? Too many to really
care about. The place hadn't changed all that much in that time.
Almost directly in front of him was a particularly impressive looking
stone stage. Well, at least it had been impressive looking when he
last saw it all those years ago. Now it just looked old and dusty.
He had learned the
purpose of the stage since coming to the Guild, maybe that is what
had broke some of the wonder he had first felt when seeing it. Some
of the heroes would boast about how great they were and how easily
the could complete a certain job they were on. Then some of the
villager that were always around would be able to bet against the
hero if they didn't think he could do it. It didn't look like any
hero had boasted for a while.
Off to his left sat
the merchant cart with a group of villagers crowded around looking at
the wares on display. Those villagers, and the few that were hovering
around the gate, were nothing more than hero fans. Just hanging out
in the hope that they would get to catch a glimpse of their favorite
hero as he came or left, maybe even hoping to catch more than just a
glimpse.
Most of them
probably didn't even realize that no hero really had any need to walk
out the gate, except for the new heroes like Baligar. He looked down
at the tattoo on the back of his hand. This tattoo had been magically
placed there by the Guild and it was suppose to allow him to teleport
back to the Guild whenever he wanted to. The Guild had also set up
these teleport stones in all of the cities and villages across
Albion, that once he touched his tattoo to, could be used to teleport
to the location. So there was really no need to use the gates at all.
Unless you were a narcissist.
As Baligar looked
up from his hand, he noticed a man, dressed in the typical peasant
garb, running towards him. The man stopped in front and grabbed at
his side while he took in deep breaths of air.
“You,” the man
said between gasps. “You are a Hero, right? We need your help! They
are everywhere!”
Baligar was about
to dismiss the poor man but he saw desperation and fear in the guy's
face, and he felt a pull, that he could not explain, to help the man.
All those years of harboring hate and determination to see the men
who had killed his family pay with their blood, the sole purpose for
his time spent training, and here a stranger could run up and make
him want to help. Maybe it was the fear and desperation he remembered
feeling when he found his father lying on the ground that was causing
this. Whatever it was, he knew then and there that he would do what
he could to help this man.
“What is it?”
Baligar placed his hand on the villager's shoulder in what he hoped
was a comforting gesture. “Who is everywhere?”
“The wasps.”
Baligar could feel some of the tension leave the man's body. “Giant
wasps are attacking the picnic area. My friends are still there.
Please help us.”
“It's okay.”
Baligar gave him his best reassuring smile. “I will save your
friends. Show me where they are.”
The man smiled,
nodded his head, and ran back the way he had came. One glance back
over his shoulder was all the reassurance the man needed that the
hero was following. Baligar took the time to contemplate what was to
come. Giant wasps couldn't be anymore difficult to deal with then the
large beetles he had to fight during his training days. He would go
and kill these bugs and gain some respect from these peasants. It
wouldn't be a total waste to help them. Doing this would probably
even get him recognized by others as word spread about this deed. And
that would help loosen lips, making it easier to track down the
people he really wanted to test his skills on.
It didn't take long
to get to the picnic area, or would it have been difficult for him to
find it. People were running from the place and screaming as if the
devil himself was after them. All this fuss for a few flying bugs.
Baligar just shook his head and laughed to himself. Maybe this would
be better than he thought. The man had stopped and looked towards
area, craning his neck as he tried to find his friends in the crowd.
Baligar ran past him drawing his sword as he scanned the area.
There were only a
couple of people left running around as wasps the size of medium
chased them. There were a couple of people lying on the ground near
the picnic tables. Baligar wasn't sure if they were alive or dead
since he didn't see any movement coming from them. His attention was
then drawn to the group of wasps that were circling overhead. The
wasps also noticed Baligar and several dived towards him.
Wasting no time,
Baligar charged towards the wasps, drawing the attention of the ones
chasing the villagers, and began swinging his sword. The flying
insects were as little threat to him as he had expected as his sword
effortlessly passed through wasp after wasp. It took very little time
before he had chopped all the wasps threatening him in half, leaving
their bodies twitching on the ground. He turned and started to put
away his sword when a loud buzzing caused him to stop.
Baligar slowly
turned around and saw a wasp the size of a horse hovering behind him.
He really couldn't say for certain, but he got a feeling the the
giant bug was very angry at him. Before the bug could make a move,
Baligar pointed his hand at the creature and called out the spell he
had been taught during his training.
“Gnitnghil!”
he shouted.
Lightning lept from
his finger tips and arced into the bug. An ear splitting screeched
filled the air as the wasp threw back its head in pain. Baligar
returned the favor and charged straight at the insect, going into a
roll at the last moment. He dove under the wasp and came up into a
crouching position extending his arms and felt his sword skittering
across the hardened shell of the creature. He stood up and turned to
face the wasp. He was shocked to find the wasp had already turned and
was streaking through the air towards him. It began flying in a tight
circle, almost like it was trying to start a tornado, bashing him
several times before he got his sword up. He felt the sword bite into
the creatures flesh this time.
The giant wasp
stopped and let out another screech, this time causing several of the
smaller wasps that were still circling overhead to descend and attack
the hero. Again, the smaller versions proved to be no match for
Baligar and his sword. Unfortunately, they distracted Baligar long
enough for the giant wasp to begin another tornado attack, this one
knocking him down to the ground.
Baligar pushed
himself back to his feet as the wasp came to a stop in front of him.
He knew that a frontal assault wouldn't work but he didn't think he
could get around behind the creature before it started another
tornado attack. He needed a way to get past the creature before it
could react. As the wasp let out another screech, he started seeing
words forming in his mind. Words that held power and then the meaning
of those words came to him. The words were a new spell.
Baligar charged as
a new wave of small wasps descended. He sliced through them and
brought forth the mana he needed to power the spell.
“Hsur
Nissassa!”
The world suddenly
blurred all around him. But only for a second. When everything
righted itself again, he was standing right behind the giant wasp.
Without a second thought, Baligar brought his sword down across the
creatures back, causing it to screech in pain again. As its head
arched backwards, he reversed his swing and lopped off the head of
the creature.
As the body fell to
the ground, twitching and curling up like all dead insects do,
Baligar looked up and saw the cloud of wasps overhead begin to break
up and disperse. He wiped his blade of the bug ichor in the grass and
sheathed it. That was when the villagers began walking down the path
clapping their hands and shouting cheers. He started walking towards
the group and was about to tell them to go home when he got a
piercing headache.
“Baligar.”
It was the guildmaster. He had forgotten the other function of the
tattoo he had received. It allowed the guildmaster to communicate
with him. “Maze has some important information for you. Meet him
by the tavern in Bowerstone.”
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