R.O.A.D.

(4) The Rotten Capital

AN: So believe it or not, I actually do have a reason for not updating for a while. I started high school. (Hallelujah...) Moving on, you could say I was not quite as ready for it as I thought I was. It was pretty overwhelming. There was a lot of running, and homework. When I finally finished my homework (may you burn in hell) I really didn't want to do anything. Like at all. So yeah, you could see it as me being a lazy bum, or you could feel sympathy. I'd personally prefer option 2, but uhhh.. there exists a thing called the First Amendment so..  *cough, cough* Anyway, here's the chapter. Be ready to cry, muhahaha!

Trees swayed, dancing to the tempo of the wind. Flower petals were still damp with dew from the rainfall during the night. Small critters of all shapes and sizes frolicked within the soft green grass. Morning birds tweeted a relaxing lullaby filling the hearts of all who hear it with serenity. Many would describe it as the perfect utopia. However, this seemingly perfect picture of happiness had black patches of destitution.

"Boss, are you sure that someone's gonna come through here?"

Behind the cover of a rather large bush, nine people were crouching down to the dirt. They were so skinny that you see their bones, and their faces were so sunken that in truth they looked more like a skeleton than a human. Their 'weapons' were hoes and rakes. The youngest among them was merely 16 years old. Even then, he looked more like a 12 year old. 

"There are plenty of people who don't want to pay the toll, someone will come eventually!"

'But will the person have enough money'... was unanswered. People who had money would rather pay the toll than risk losing their entire fortune to bandits. Yes, these guys who looked like if they picked a fight with a chicken then they would lose to the chicken are in fact, bandits. The village that these nine fellows belonged to had their crops ruined by magical beasts. In the end, they even had to give up their surplus of food as taxes. Given the absurdly high amount of tax that the Kingdom took as their own, the villagers had no food left. In the end, they turned to banditry.

Suddenly, a ten year old girl with short black hair walked into the clearing. Her feet were as silent as a cat's paw, and her eyes as cold as frost. Little patches of ice were strewn apart across her body. Across her neck was a green stone that practically radiated purity. This was naturally Reina. 

'Nine people? Are they bandits?'

Both her senses and her magic noticed nine people crouching in the dirt by a bush. They were unnaturally skinny, and they had mere farming tools as weapons.

'Another village destroyed by this Kingdom's taxes.. How many was it now?'

Most likely only the Kingdom itself knew how many villages were left in starvation by their avarice. 

As the bandits looked toward Reina from their bush, they all secretly made up their minds. This was their last chance! They would most likely never encounter a 'powerless' child traveling by herself ever again! Although they felt like something was wrong, in the face of starvation logic flew away. 

Letting out a battle cry, the youngest charged forth.

Disdaining even speaking a incantation out loud against this kind of foe, Reina recited it inside her mind instead.

'Glacies, colliga inimicum perdere' (Ice, bind my foe)

The youngest could no longer move an inch. Reina took out a steel knife that she had gotten some time ago, and placed it upon his neck.

"The eight of you, if you move a single inch forward, I will immediately slit this guy's throat."

All of them didn't dare move a single step forward after that statement. They had all instantaneously become pale with fear. 

Reina recited a incantation in her head.

Vox recordum habet, Satus

(Voice Record, Start)

"Let me guess, you all became bandits because of the taxes, right?"

They all nodded.

Reina looked at them once more before pointing at a particular person. The 'boss' of this operation.

"Tell me, do you want to... take revenge?"

The man in question was clearly at a loss for words.

"I can teach you how to hunt, use fighting techniques, tactics, strategies, and even get you all an advanced job later on. In exchange, I ask you to do one thing."

Reina slowly stretched out her index finger.

"All you have to do, is to be my subordinates when I personally send this Kingdom and its King to hell."

7: Kill the King, and the corrupt nobles.

"Miss..?"

The blond haired man said with all of his courage.

"Rei is fine."

"Miss Rei, we would be very honored to accept, however.."

Reina smiled at him.

"It's good that you're smart, not accepting a deal when you don't know if it's a sinking boat or not."

Her face turned cold.

"But I wonder.. does your anger and desperation only amount to that much? If it was me, if there was the single slightest chance... I would grab hold of it no matter what."

The man's face began to show hesitance. What... What if the things the girl were saying was true?

"But you don't have to worry, for I wouldn't say this to you all without some confidence. A failed rebellion means death to all who rebel after all. I'm even willing to make an oath on my honor."

'Well, I don't really have any... But that's beside the point.'

He bowed down while signaling the other members of the group to do so as well. 

"Miss Rei, we are all willing to be your subordinates."

Reina took her knife off of the youngest bandit member's throat, and he hurriedly ran as quickly as he could to the boss. After some rebuking, he quickly bowed down with the other members. 

The leader looked at her in expectation, clearly wanting her to say her little oath. Taking a page out of their bosses' book, they pulled out the dreaded puppy eyes. A resigned sigh spilled out of Reina.

'What kind of nutjobs did I pick up this time? No, they're more like skeletons. Hmm, let's call them skeleys in the future just to mess with them.'

Reina's outward posture was the perfect picture of seriousness, yet on the inside she was madly cackling. The little skeleys shivered in trepidation, not yet knowing what was to come in the future.

"I, Rei, hereby swear upon my honor, and the gods themselves that I will remain true to my promise to take down the King and his corrupted nobles."

The skeleys visibly became less tense and more relaxed. They were starting to truly believe that the young girl, no Miss Rei, wasn't pulling their legs.

"Please tell me all of your names." Rei said

Reina's smile in that moment was the most sinister yet. 

"And my name is Nick. I'm also the boss of this ragtag little group."

Reina spoke the incantation out loud this time.

Vox recordum habet, state (Voice Record, Halt)

Everyone in this world could instinctively knew what the words of power meant when spoken out loud, even if they haven't learned the arcane text.

"Oh, by the way, my real name is Reina. I look forward to working with all."