Into the Fire

Powerless Ones

'She's right,' Nobunaga thought as he rested his rifle on his shoulder and stared down at the bodies of the soldiers Toyohisa had slain to save the two elf boys. That girl Tori was pretty sharp. 'They are just too well equipped. They are no brigands. Soldiers, perhaps? Soldiers under the orders of the lord of this fief?' Nobunaga smirked wickedly. 'Fools! Heheheh! They are just inviting me to take everything from them!' "Listen up," Nobunaga said, turning his attention back to the others, "this is what we'll..." He trailed off when he realized only Yoichi was still there. Toyohisa, the girl, and the two elf boys were already gone. "Hmph! So much for being more careful," Nobunaga huffed with a wry smile.

"What's the plan?" Tori asked as they ran, following the kids the rest of the way to the village.

"Plan? There is no plan!" Toyohisa said bluntly, almost causing her to trip and do a face plant.

"We can't just rush in without a plan!!" she shouted incredulously. "Do you want to die!? There are probably more soldiers in the village, and we don't now how many or what their placement is. It would be good if they were scattered so we could take them out a few at a time, but if they're all together, it could be very problematic! We have the kids to think about, too!"

"Hahaha! You sound like my uncle!" Toyohisa laughed. He was always carefully planning and thinking ahead like that. "Do what you will—regardless of the situation, I am going to do what I do best! I'm going to charge them and break through the front!!" he declared excitedly, pulling ahead.

"Line up!!" the soldier's leader commanded while the houses they had set ablaze burned furiously, illuminating the faces of the all the elves they had dragged from their homes and forced to assemble in the middle of the village. The soldiers kicked or hit anyone who seemed reluctant to do so or was too slow. Soon the entire village was kneeling before the commander.

"What does this mean, Lord Aram!?" an old elf asked warily as he emerged from his home and cautiously approached the others. "What have we done!?"

"Elder," Aram said, addressing the elf in his own language since he did not understand the language of the empire. "You entered the forest and saved Drifters, right?" he asked calmly.

"...!" the Elder gasped.

"Elves shan't go into the forest. Elves shan't make bows. Elves shan't get near to Drifters. Breaking any of those rules is a heavy offense," Aram reminded him with a smirk.

"B... But that's... the children did that to save a Drifter who was about to die..." the Elder stuttered nervously, trying to reason with the ruthless man before him.

"You are telling me to forgive you just because they are kids?" Aram asked cynically. "Elves are really hopeless, foolish, and annoying. Dealing with Drifters is a job for the magicians of the 'Octobrist Organization'. So, it is a great offense for you dehumans to get near them. Did you think that we didn't know about your wrongdoings?"

"Shut up!" the younger elf, who had been scolding the boys who saved Toyohisa earlier shouted. "To begin with, you are asking for something impossible! We can't get wood if we don't enter the forest! We can't hunt nor can we get any fruit to eat! You made us become farmers though we know nothing about farming! You took our women from us! And now you say it's a crime to have children help a moribund man!? Are you telling us elves... to die?"

"Indeed! You should die quickly," Aram answered coldly without a trace of sympathy. "If you want to curse somebody, then curse your ancestors, who lost the war. Soon, you elves, dwarves, and hobbits... every demihuman will be extinct as a race! Isn't that so?" he asked, quickly taking hold of the Elder, and stabbing the old elf through the heart.