The Hero

            “I Julian eighth of my name, knight of Lord Steven the Strong, bravest of his knights, keeper of the holy flame, slayer of monsters and demons, protector of the truth, guardian of the weak and benefactor to the poor am here, in the name of the peoples of the Southern Realms, tasked with the duty of putting an end to your evil over the Northern Lands!”

            The knight stood boldly in Dark Francis’s great room clad in ornate shining armor as he pointed his heavy two handed bastard sword with ease at Dark Francis with one hand and holding a great red and white stripped shield in his other. Upon finishing his speech, the knight poised himself to do battle with the sorcerer.

            “What business is it of yours what I do in my own realm knight?” Dark Francis said coolly from his stone throne comfortably dressed in one of his finest blue robes decorated with constellations and wearing his favorite pointed wizard’s hat on his head.

             “What business is it of mine? How dare you ask me such a question, I am Julian, destroyer of evil, slayer of demons, protector of the truth…”

            “We heard you the first time ‘knight,’ but it still doesn’t answer my question. What business is it of yours, a knight of the southern lands, what I do in the North?”

            “I seek to destroy all evil.”

            “Who says I’m evil? I accomplish important work here unlocking the secrets of life and death themselves. Who are you to tell me that my efforts are evil or just?”

            “I am Julian eighth of my name…”

            “I’m sorry have you been drinking or something? Have you had some moldy bread recently or…?”

            “Silence foul fiend. I seek to rid your pestilence from this place and bring prosperity back to this land. Prepare yourself for death sorcerer.”

            “Wait just a moment. Do you really think that if you kill me you will bring peace to the land?”

            “Yes. Without your shadow hanging over this noble land these poor peasants will live in prosperity once again.”

            “Who said they lived in prosperity before?”

            “Why my Lord Steven the Strong, protector of the realm, light to the world, keeper of the peace…”

            “And this ‘Lord’ Steven is from the North?”

            “I think not. He is from the honorable Southern Lands like myself Julian eighth of my name, knight to Lord Steven the Strong…”

            “So how does he know again that this land was once prosperous?”

            “Well… we hear stories from passing travelers escaping your tyranny.”

            “Why are you really here Sir Julian?”

            “To bring justice to the land…”

            “No really, why are you here? No one rides hundreds of miles from where ever you are from in the south just to bring ‘justice’ to the land. So really, why are you here Sir Julian?”

            “After I slay you evil thing, I will be famous throughout the realms. My name will be inscribed in stone, poems will be written of my heroism, songs will be sung of my feats, my image will be women into tapestries and tales will be told to each passing generation of my deeds, and having defeated you, I will rule this realm with a gentle yet firm hand.”

            “Ah, now we have the truth of it. Vanity and greed,” Dark Francis stated flatly.

            “I have come for glory and riches sir. I do none of these things for anything so petty as vanity or greed. I am Julian eighth of my name benefactor to the poor, protector of the truth, and you sorcerer will die by my mighty sword.”

            “Hump!”

            “Yes master?” Hump answered stepping forth from the shadows behind Dark Francis’s stone chair with an enormous double bitted axe in his hands. The edge of one blade rested on the floor, while the other stood waist high with Dark Francis’s loyal servant.

            “I’m not afraid of your minions. Call forth as many demons as you like. They will all fall to the point of my blade.”

            “Kill him Hump,” Dark Francis ordered.

            “Yes master,” Hump replied.

            The brave knight sprinted forward. His sword point leveled at the sorcerer’s heart as he let out a booming battle cry.

            “For Justice and…!”

            Hump stepped forward and swung his axe as effortlessly as swinging a broom. The brave knight caught the axe blade with his sword, and for a moment, a triumphant grin flashed across his face as he prepared to make his counter attack, but as he tried to move forward to strike the momentum of the axe blade snapped his sword like a twig and cleaved him in half at the waist.

            “…glory,” the knight gasped finishing his war cry as he fell in two soggy pieces across the stone floor.

            “Clean this mess up Hump would you. I have important work to do, and I can’t be disturbed anymore.”

            “Yes master. I’ll get a mop and bucket.”