As Jaérel stood towering over the little boy, he thought about what he had become over the last month, ever since Gi'ra had usurped the throne the honoured city guard had become little more than thugs.
"Jaérel what are you waitng for?" the guard to his left demanded "Take off his hand!"
"He stole from the royal stores for which the punishment is known" the other guard added. Jaérel looked at each of his companions, once, his two most trusted friends, and saw the bloodlust in each of there eyes. They had changed since Gi'ra had come to power, revelling in the power that they now had.
"Yes but if he hadn't he would have sarved within the week, he did it of necessity, is it right to punish something done on instinct? What if he was your child?" Jaérel's conscience was preventing him from following his oaths to uphold the kings law.
"If you wont do it then I will!" the left guard unsheathed his sword, metal scraping against metal, the blade glistening in the sun as he raised it above his head and then with no hesitation, he slashed it down towards the boy. As quick as lightning Jaérel drew his sword and brought it into the path of the guards sword stopping it from plunging into the terrified child.
"Reeckar, you don't want the blood of a child on your hands, lower your weapon now!" Jaérel demanded. Reeckar looked at him, the veins of his neck bulging, his eyes filled with hate. As he stared the anger started to dissappate from Reeckar's eyes and the pressure of his sword eased off as Reeckar started to back away, knuckles still white clenching his swords hilt. Jaérel looked at both the guards his two best friends standing there Reeckar, sword tightly in hand and Karéb standing beside him now unsheathing his sword.
"Jaérel, you have a good heart" Karéb spoke with his deep, raspy voice, "Lets take a closer look at it!" he screamed as he lunged forward thrusting his sword towards Jaérel. Jaérel easily knocked his blow aside and dropped down to one knee slashing Karéb's shin and drawing a cry of pain.
"Run boy!"Jaérel shouted to the child as he blocked Reeckar's blow. The child did not hesitate and ran around the corner and down an alleyway.
"Ignore the street rat, we will get a much larger reward for bringing in a treasonous guard" Karéb shouted to Reeckar as he began after the boy.
Jaérel unsheathed the dagger strapped to his leg, now wielding his dagger in his left hand and his long sword in his right he dropped into his fighting stance and rushed straight towards Karéb who attempted to slash at his chest. Jaérel twisted to the right so he was between Karéb and Reeckar and using his momentum slashed, catching Karéb's unguarded side and cutting him deeply, while his sword was deflected by Reeckar. He continued to run for a few feet then stopped and pivoted in time to see Karéb falling to the floor blood gushing from the wound in his side.
"You'll pay for this Jaérel!"Reeckar screamed and lunged straight for Jaérel his sword targeting his chest. Jaérel dropped his dagger and when Reeckar's sword was only a foot away from his chest he dropped to one knee and thrust the blade of his sword up and straight between his ribs, into his heart.
Reeckar just stood and stared, aware of what had happened but not quite able to comprehend it. He felt the warmth of the blood, his blood seeping all along his chest, he could see the blackness of death clouding his vision, black spots slowly covering everything till he could see no more.
Jaérel stood and slid Reeckar's lifeless body off his blade and lowered him gently to the dusty ground. He placed his fingers over Reeckar's lifeless eyes "For dust we are and to dust we shall return." He mumbled and closed Reeckar's eyes for the last time. He stood and turned, aware of a presence and he saw the little boy standing in the entrance to the alleyway with an older man, perhaps 40, behind him with a hand on the boys shoulder.
"Come, you saved my son today, I must repay you for that" The man offered. He turned down the alleyway without waiting for a response and Jaérel followed. The alleyway was dark and eerie as they trudged down. The man walked through a small wooden doorway into a small house and Jaérel followed, the door opened into a large spacious room with a simple wooden dining table surrounded by 4 wooden chairs.
"Sit, and enjoy a meal with us"
Jaérel sat down and stared intently at the man. He looked familiar but Jaérel could not put his finger on it. "Sir, thank you for your hospitality"
"Please call me Fáren, and it is the least I could do" he interrupted
"Fáren! I knew you were familiar, you're wanted for treason and consorting with rebels!" Jaérel stood abruptly, taking a step back from the table and putting his hand to his scabbard.
"As are you now, so I suggest you listen to what I am about to propose as you may find the offer" he paused, as if looking for the right word, then suddenly a sly smile spread across his face "both intriguing and necessary."
