we know not. Who are any of you to question their will?”
No one said a word as Airos scanned the crowd before finally directing his gaze to Marsk, the butcher. “The poor and the weak should be protected, or we become nothing more than the evil that threatens this town. Am I understood, butcher?”
Marsk, his eyes showing his nervousness, scanned the room. He turned back to Airos trying to match his stare, but to no avail. Marsk, lowering his eyes said, “Yes sir. You are quite right.”
“It is not I who am right, but the High One. I am his voice and that is why I am here. Men and women of Manson, listen closely to what I have to say for I am a cavalier of Ulren, the High One. I am his warrior and I fight to protect the righteous and the good of the lands. Airos drew forth his sword with one smooth motion and held it high in the air, the silver blade glowing green and humming as if alive. The crowd was deathly silent as they listened. “I fight the vile darkness spreading through the lands like a plague. I fight this evil on Ulren’s demands. He has directed me here, to your hardy mountain town.” Airos stopped and sheathed his sword.
Jonas grabbed his mother’s hand tightly as Airos’s gaze moved over him like a searchlight.
“A small army of boargs approaches your town even as we speak,” Airos said bluntly.
The townspeople erupted with frightened responses to this grave news. Jonas felt his mother squeeze his hand tightly as she pulled him closer. Boargs, thought Jonas, what would happen to the town? What would happen to those like him and his mother who couldn’t run or fight? The questions rolled around in his mind.
Airos’s powerful voice rang through the hall again, quieting the townspeople. “That is not all. This force is led by a Banthra.”
The shock of this news hit the townspeople like a hammer. They all stood speechless, wondering if they heard Airos correctly.
Marsk reacted first.
“Sir…a Banthra?” he asked. “I have only heard of the legends. I thought the Banthras disappeared with Malbeck during the last Great War.”
“So we all thought. It seems that the Banthras are back, but we are not sure why. Over the last five years there have been signs of a blackness rising up again throughout Kraawn. There have been mysterious disappearances, animals migrating and leaving the forests, vile monsters crawling from their caves and killing ruthlessly. I have felt it, and even fought it in some cases. The land is being poisoned again by this vileness. This Banthra is yet another sign that evil is stirring again”.
Gorum the baker stood up from his bench to address Airos. “Sir, my name is Gorum. Why would a Banthra and an army of boargs be heading to our small town? It makes no sense.”
Airos looked at the baker for a few seconds before answering. Gorum looked around, uncertain of the cavalier’s stare. Finally Airos smiled and responded. “Ah, good baker, that is a fine question and one for which I have no answer, for I know not why this force threatens your town.” Airos paused and looked at the nervous gathering before him. “My guess is that the Banthra is amassing a small army of boargs and that they are moving through the mountain passes to get to the east.”
Braal, the only man in Manson who had fought a boarg, stood up. He was thick and powerfully built, his tan face reflecting many years of trapping the harsh lands that surrounded their small town. “Sir, the mountain passes are miles from here. They could just move through them unnoticed. Why go out of their way to come to our town?” Braal asked.
Airos looked at Braal with his intense blue eyes. “You are Braal,” Airos said knowingly.
“Yes, sir, I am.”
“You of all people can answer that question. That day, many years ago, when you found the body of your brother? Why did the boarg attack you and your brother when you arrived at the corpse?”
“How do you know about that day?” Braal asked uneasily.
“I know about many things. Tell me.”
Braal looked at his fellow townspeople. “The boarg was protecting its kill. It was feeding,” he said softly, not wanting to bring up the painful memory of that horrible day many years ago.
“That is correct. I believe the Banthra is moving his force to this town so he can feed his army before moving east.