The coward stood there before the group. Moments ago his smugness filled his entire chamber. His army and his anti-magic cloud granted him a false sense of security. The moment it was gone, he was less willing to be cooperative and when taken from his keep, he filled with murderous rage. But once again, he was a coward when stripped of his magic items. He surrendered and let go of his weapons.
In that moment the Man knew the evil hidden behind his eyes. There was no surrender for this one. He then saw the foe sitting atop a mighty boar watching his army slaughter innocent women and children. The evil one rode in after the ones trying to escape and struck down a woman with child. Her spawn oozed out of her open wound as she slumped down. He fixed his eyes on several children huddled together. He approached with both his weapons drawn. The Man turned away and when he looked back their corpses formed a pile and the village laid in flames.
The Man looked back in slow motion at the darkness in the eyes. He felt the nudging of his scythe, “Do it.” The weapons hit the ground. Shink. The gut of the beast split open as the entrails reached to meet the ground. The liquid followed with a splash. The Man stood there his scythe almost nodding in approval. The vision returned the kids were standing there pointing at him. They looked with great expectation waiting for something to happen.
“No, you murdered him!”, Xer’xes cried out. His friends looked at the Man with anger and disgust. His jaw and eye began to feel pain. The same pain from a long time ago. He began mumbling a spell in Western. His friends rushed him to subdue him. There would be no resistance. He finished his spell. The kids looked at him, smiled, and said thank you. A woman walked by with a new born in her arms. The children returned to their play and their houses became whole once again. “You’re welcome”, the Man whispered under his breath. His life for many, seems like a fair trade. He will be seeing his family soon. Rest is on the way for this weary soul.
Picture by Gladiator.
Comments
A very tortured soul, with a strange gift.
A good alternate view of the proceedings at hand.
This is going to be a very interesting session this week. What to do, what to do. WE ALL HAVE DECISIONS TO MAKE.
An interesting perspective. As I read it I got the impression that these “visions of events” were not future ghosts, but past ghosts he was trying to appease. In a moment all it took was a simple look to bring back the ghosts of a past tragedy, one perhaps that was very peraonal to No Name. The Giant King was suddenly seen as being the same as the perpetrator of that past tradgedy, and in No Name’s eyes he was making sure something like that would never happen again. How could he not act? If he let the monster live the death of innocents would be on his hands. It doesn’t matter if no-one else understands. He knew what had to be done.
But here’s his selfishness, with the “one for many” attitude. There could be more monsters out there (a term used here figuratively, not literally or racist-ly) and now No Name has potentially placed himself in a position where he can’t stop any of those beings. They walk the Palladium world, free to prey upon those weaker than them, and now the blood of the innocents they spill across the land is on his hands too. By taking himself out of the fight willingly he has allowed all the others free reign.
It shouldn’t have been “One for many.” It should have been “One for all.”
But therin lies the greatest conceit, for was CrIsis not, until this moment, “All for one?” If No Name had but spoken with his companions and explained, could they have agreed with him? Were there not members left in imminent peril? Could they have been saved if all of CrIsis were working together and not divisively?
No matter now, what is past is past. No Name has committed a crime with many witnesses, and his reason- no, his excuse, only reveals his Arrogance. It is my opinion that whether he is somehow acquitted of this charge or found rightfully guilty, he will do this again if allowed freedom. He is not sorry. Do not accept his excuse for an apology. That day he proved his internal demons were too much to overcome. Real demons of the world still walk the land, but No Name instead still fights his inner demons.
At least, that was my interpretation. Great log, I loved finally getting his perspective on the event.
Compelling arguments in this debate. I look forward to you guys resolving this (hopefully) next game!