Chapter Eight. A Story from the dark.
1011 Words
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Mall Wear awoke with a start.
Being in a tent underground meant pitch darkness. With dim lantern light, the underground shadows only seemed all that much deeper!
But as a soldier that had lost many a friend on guard duty to the silent assassin or enemy scout, he instinctively knew to keep pretending to sleep while slowly reaching for his sword, under the covers.
As his hand slowly wrapped around the hilt, he heard a whispering voice say
“I need your help”
“I’m listening,” said Mall Wear slowly as he tried to work out where his target was.
Faddy the shadow being, slowly and carefully started to tell Mall Wear a story about s**t and mushrooms and nasty traders!
As his interest grew, Captain Wear loosened the grip on his weapon and listened intently!
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The caravan guards of the Bronze Flag Merchants were bored.
They were sitting around just begging for the head traders to give the ok for a good old-fashioned g******e of an Indigenous culture so they could just simply steal all their stuff.
There was nothing to do down here and no one to kill.
The guards were not all that keen on fighting,
Because fighting meant some element of risk
But killing with no risk to themselves at all, was something they would enjoy! – A LOT!
They were about to have a very bed but very short day....
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In the town square,
Al Fungi King of the Mushroom people was surrounded by cheers and jubilation of his people.
He was about to ceremonially cut onto the once sacred ground sponge for the first time in the Moosh race’s history!
His chair was lowered down and a long pole with a turf blade made especially for the occasion was brought to him on a blue cloth cushion!
The cheers were raised higher and higher, as the King leaned over to plant the blade squarely into the ground.
The Bronze Flag merchants smirked with delight.
This sponge would herald a new set of explosive non-magical weapons that would dominate the world and the arms market.
No amount of counter-spells could stop entire cities from being vaporized by the highest bidder!
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Just as the mushroom races crescendo was reaching its peak and the kings’ shoulders flexed for the plunge,
A large sack hurled through the air landed where the blade was to go…
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Faddy stepped out,
“Not so fast my king!”
I have a counter-proposal.
The Human merchants did not even register what was happing, they were to busy counting coins in their heads.
“What…!” shouted the king, on the edge of rage!
“Just open the sack,” said faddy to the stunned crowd.
The king flicked the sides of the sack open to peer inside.
It was full of manure.
But it was a new type,
The rich smell was amazing.
“What is this” Asked the king.
“It is human and goblin manure,” said Faddy.
“And I can get you far more of that, today!”
“Far more than 10 carts!”
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One of the human merchants snapped out of his revere and elbowed his colleague.
“Wait was can still outbid them!”
“Really,” said Faddy “you were making out that it was super rare and hard to come by?!”
“And..” Faddy added nodding at the King
“We do not want you to cut your scared turf”
“In fact, we insist that you Do Not… ”
“ …IF you want OUR supply!”
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The cold clinically minded merchant with a hardened soul realized that the con was up!
There was no point humiliating himself with bluster and stuttering,
Instead, he got right to the point.
“Cut the sponge!”
“Or we laughter this city and take it all now!”
Faddy laughed!
“You and who’s army?”
“My army, that is only waiting for an excuse to slaughter these fools!”
Sneered the merchant.
“No, you don’t” Laughed Faddy
“Yes, we do”
Glared the merchant with glee!
“No,”
Smiled Faddy back,
“You don’t”
The head merchant smugly and casually waved a hand lazily,
One of his minions blew a horn.
Soon there was the sound of marching as full plated men at arms in the highest quality armour money could buy,
Flacked with halberds, and crossbows entered the square.
“Yes” hissed the head merchant
“Captain – Let the killing commence!”
The Man in Merchant Guard Captains Armor stepped forward
“Are you sure sir!?”
“Yes,” said the head merchant
“I would say let the street flow with rivers of blood”
“But these things don’t have blood!”
“However, they DO scream delightfully!”
“Sir” stated the Man in Merchant Guard Captains Armor
“I am pretty sure that if we begin to slaughter our targets”
“There will be plenty of their blood”
“No”
“There won’t”
Said the head Merchant
“Yes”
Replied the Man in Merchant Guard Captains Armor,
“Yes, there will”
“Captain, I gave you an order”
“Mushroom Humanoids do not bleed”
Shouted the Head Merchant
“But”
Replied the Man in Merchant Guard Captains Armor, as he took off his helmet
“They will not be the target of our mass murder”
“You will!”
Under the helmet was the face of Captain Mall Wear
“Cheers for all the top quality gear”
“Most of the guards we took it off are dead!”
“Now…”
Faddy and Mall Wear smiled and nodded at each other,
“About that slaughter that you were so insistent on….”
Said Mall Wear
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The Head Merchant opened his mouth to say something
Then after a pause,
Shut it again wordlessly.
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Great novels start here
- Writer
