Not waiting for an invitation, Malik dove through, shouldering several armored bodies out of his way in the process.
His act provoked a commotion of squeals and cries, and several heavyset men lost their balance and tumbled to the mud.
After the initial rush, however, Malik stood absolutely still.
“What’s the matter with you?” a soldier cried. Malik turned to look and found it was the same man he had been conversing with on top of the wall.
“I told you, my head hurt and my passage was urgent.” Malik snapped. “You should have instructed your buffoons to get out of my way.”
The soldier looked bewildered, but he soon recovered.
“Well, if the pain is so great, why have you stopped?”
The hint of a smile passed over Malik’s face.
“It went away,” he said, “the pain I mean. It’s gone. Evaporated instantly.”
He rubbed his forehead before looking back once more at the soldier.
“What do you think that means?”
The table was made of crudely hewn oak boards, and the flagon that Malik clutched was chipped. He lifted the foul smelling drink to his lips and squinted.
“What did you say this stuff was?”
“It’s called Vaas, it’s our local brew.”
“It’s going to make me go blind,” Malik quipped before taking a long pull. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
Malik had discovered that the soldier across the table from him, the same one he had met on the wall, was named Stern. Joining them was another man who wore fine robes instead of armor. Stern had called the fellow shortly after Malik’s arrival. He was one of those obnoxious folks that had a title as well as a name.
“So Regent Jenner,” Malik said, emphasizing the man’s title in a way he hoped came across as suitably disrespectful. “Let me see if I have this straight. Your town…”
“…noble city,” Jenner interrupted.
“Is about to be overrun by an enemy force…”
“…Orcs.”
“So your witch king…”
“…wizard.”
“Magicked up a cosmic headache for any swordsman wandering around…”
“He sent out a call yes.”
“And we’re expected to come and save this dump.”
Regent Jenner winced at the word ‘dump,’ but still nodded. “That’s more or less it.”
Malik grunted and took another swig of his Vaas.
“Let me assure you that the call of our noble King Yadi…”
“Yadi huh?”
“…was never supposed to cause you any pain. To a true hero, the call should have elicited a sensation of euphoria.”
Malik scowled. He didn’t say anything, but he lifted his flagon of Vaas, took a long draw, and set the flagon back on the table without ever taking his eyes off Regent Jenner. When he was done, he again found his voice.
“So what did you do to irritate your attackers?”
Regent Jenner nearly dropped the glass of wine he’d been sipping.
“Excuse me?”
“Why are you being attacked?” Malik persisted.
“They’re Orcs,” Stern said noting that Jenner was too beside himself to answer.
“That’s not a reason,” Malik replied, “what’d you do, build this city on their sacred mating ground or something?”
“Orcs are evil.”
“So are people.”
“I can assure you that we did nothing to provoke this attack,” Jenner snapped. “Orcs are unthinking beasts that exist only to destroy.”
“Uh-huh,” Malik said.
“Do you know anything of Orcs?” Stern persisted.
“I know that there are two sides to any conflict. A fool who steps between a mother bear and her cub will believe he is the victim of an ‘unprovoked attack’ right up to the instant of his imminent death—but he remains incorrect, and a fool to the end.”
Regent Jenner rose from the table, his face turning red.
“I will not sit here and listen to you insult…”
Before he had a chance to finish his words, Malik struck the proud noble with a lightning fast backhand that sent the thin figure spinning into the tavern’s wall. Seeing the aggressive act, Stern moved to draw his sword, but was halted by the tip of Malik’s blade which he suddenly found pressed against his Adam’s apple.
“That sensation you’re feeling,” Malik said in a low tone. His eyes were on Stern but the words were directed at Jenner. “It’s unpleasant isn’t it? Coppery taste in your mouth. Pressure at the back of your eyes. Now imagine feeling that exact same discomfort for an entire month at varying degrees of intensity as you walked to an unknown destination in the middle of nowhere to fight a battle you have nothing to do with.”
“Our call was for heroes,” Jenner snapped, “for a hero it wouldn’t have caused any pain.”
“Well that’s something you’ll have to take up with King Yeti.”
“Yadi.”
“Whatever. I didn’t ask to be here, nevertheless here I am. That being the case, you’ll do exactly as you’re told without giving me any grief. I intend to survive this nonsense, and that requires instant obedience and no lies. Got it? Speaking of survival, what reward am I promised?”
“Reward?”
“Yeah, what does this ‘hero’ get for saving your sorry butt?”
“There is no reward, only the noble satisfaction which comes from doing the right thing.”
Malik snorted. “Typical, you claim you’re in dire straights, but there are already some of you planning for the rebuild now aren’t you? The heroes can die while you wait it out, is that it?”
Malik lowered his weapon and sheathed it.
“Like it or not, the call found me. Do you contest my right to be here?”
Stern lowered his head. Despite his misgivings about the lean swordsman, Stern had already seen enough to know he was no match for the man. He shook his head slowly in the negative. Regent Jenner maintained a defiant stare, but, like Stern, did not speak to the contrary.
“Good, now take me outside and show me the men I’m supposed to lead.” Malik smiled and looked pointedly at Jenner, “Remember, I’ve had a long couple months, so be nice.”
“Here you are,” Jenner said proudly as Stern took his place beside two rows of armored men.
“Twenty,” Malik sneered.
“Yes, this is the garrison for this wing of the city. I can assure you they’re expertly trained.”
“Twenty isn’t enough.”
“But, that’s all there is.”
“What about him?” Malik said, pointing at an old man sitting by a small cart outside the tavern. The cart was filled with glass bottles he was obviously trying to sell.
“You can’t be serious,” Jenner replied. But Malik was already heading over to address the man.
“You, what’s your name?”
“Ives sir,” the man replied.
“Your town is about to come under attack you realize?”
“Yes sir.”
“So why are you wasting time selling bottles?”
The old man shrugged.
“This is ridiculous,” Jenner snapped, but Malik silenced him with a glare.
“Are you willing to fight?”
“Yes,” the old man said.
“What’s he going to use?” Jenner asked.
“Isn’t there an armory?”
“Yes, but it’s empty.”
“There are no weapons anywhere?” Malik asked.
“No.”
Malik’s eyes narrowed. He lifted a bottle from the man’s cart and smashed it against the wall producing a jagged tip. He then handed the makeshift weapon to the old man.