Hell's Glitch (initial draft)

12 The King's Justice

They stopped right in front of an unlit Beacon Fire that was sitting nearby. Sam lit it up and rested.

The Bones of the Beacon Have Been Lit

The king sat down next to him casually, with one leg stretched out and the other bent with its knee pointing skywards and his hand draped over that. Sam looked over and thought to ask the king an obvious question.

"Sir...king, what's your name, sir?"

"That's alright, boy. In our current situation there's no need for formality. You can just call me king, if it pleases you. But I have to wonder, where you have to be from not to recognize such a famous king as myself."

"I'm from another world, Earth. If you want to get specific, I'm from San Francisco though I originally hailed from Palo Alto."

"I have not heard of such a world, but it is known that revenants lose their wits as they lose their quintessence. You'll have to restore yourself soon or lose your wits completely. But to answer your question, boy, I am the Warrior King Herke of Aschelund. Tales of my exploits have been told the world over. I was once called the demon slaying prince in my youth, but am now known as the just king, for all my deeds leading up to my death."

What about the mad king? When did they start calling you that?

"That was before the curse. Now it means nothing to be king in this undead land." King Herke explained. "All I can do is spread the king's justice to all the depraved souls that I come across with my greatsword. That forest killer for instance."

"Why are you doing this?" Sam asked, naturally curious.

"I consider it a noble duty. Just because I am undead doesn't mean I lost what made me a man." he said with pride in his voice.

"Is that why you're in this forest?"

"You're a curious one." he stated, then laughed. "I'm here because I'm looking to mete out the king's justice to one particular undead."

Sam was impressed by how real this all felt and how natural the king's own conversation flowed. He wondered who provided the voice for the king. It had to be some highly trained classical actor. The king's passion came through with his every word.

"The forest killer?"

"No. But he will receive his justice too. I'm looking for a Cutthroat much like yourself. This one lacks the fire that I see within you however."

Even though he was referring to Sam's avatar, Sam couldn't help but take some pride in the king's compliment.

"Who is this Cutthroat? What have they done?"

"Ah, his name? It's been a while since I've passed that poison phrase through my lips. His name is Rondo and he hails from my own land of Aschelund, at least that's what I've been told. He murdered my family, my wife and my son. I never even got to take his miserable life myself. While on the hunt, I was ambushed. Caught some arrows in my back and neck from some traitors who wanted my throne. So the fiend slipped through my fingers. But I've heard it said that he's in these lands, an undead. I've made it my life's mission to hunt him down, kill him twice for my queen and my heir, and to pillage the impure quintessence that he preciously clings to. He will meet the king's justice."

Sam thought of the Cutthroat he had run into after he'd escaped Caesar's house. He had attacked Sam closer to the middle part of the forest near the cave. Sam hadn't made out too many of that Cutthroat's features and at the time, he was too focused on running back to the cave to pay attention, but that was the only other human enemy that Sam had run into in the forest other than Caesar and possibly the huntsman. Sam knew one thing for certain though, he wanted to help the king. He felt bad for him. To lose his wife and child to a murderer, then his own life before he was able to kill the animal responsible. It saddened Sam, but Sam had also respected the fact that the king didn't let an event as traumatic as his own death get in the way of doling out his justice.