--As plans on how to get out of this bind flashed erratically through Zarak’s mind, an arrow wounded the right shoulder of his would-be executioner. The Hawk lost his balance and fell flat on his back, gripping the wound, while his dropped sword impaled the floor boards right next to Zarak’s face. Slightly out of it, Zarak crawled from under the rack to see angry mercs coming for him, while Donovan was standing behind the shop counter, drawing his bow. “Quickly, there’s no time to waste!” He yelled at Zarak. His words were redundant as Zarak knew when it was time to fight, and when to turn tail. Getting slain in a battle against impossible odds was reserved for the grandiose heroes of classic literature, as they battled evil in their wake. Zarak had no plans to join that club. They made haste, through the back room, and found themselves in an alley behind the shop. Far was waiting for them, next to an open sewer hatch.

-Go lads! – Far yelled -- Down the hatch!

Donovan, gripping the old man’s shoulders asked in a shrieking, concerned voice -- But, what about you!?

Freeing himself, the old man replied -- I’ll hold them off, now stop wasting time!

--The two young men jumped in, and the hatch closed above them. They waded through Bartertown’s supply of human waste as swiftly as they could, while the sound of battle echoed around them. Perhaps it wasn’t just dashing, dumb heroes that sacrificed themselves.

***

--The following day, Bartertown’s newspapers had dawned with the headline “A grand day for justice!” The first few pages were all about the Black Hawks and how they valiantly defended a humble textile shop against an overwhelming bandit assault. A smaller, less imposing article was also found within, detailing the town guard’s apprehension of an assassin “before he was able to complete his vile task.” This one was probably about the rather unfortunate Rosencrantz.

--Zarak folded the newspaper, wiped his behind with it and dropped it into the crapper. The stories printed within were finally home. He pulled his pants up and closed the outhouse door behind him. Green hills were rolling as far as the eye could see. Beautiful scenery framed this country road, so serene it would make any man feel as if he were a child, cradled by the loving embrace of Mother Nature. Zarak couldn’t help but feel lucky that he had ran into this abandoned estate. He’d been walled up in Bartertown for so long that he’d grown accustomed to its various amenities, and was glad to be able to taste them here again. He was a city boy now. This was quite unfortunate, as he won’t be enjoying them again any time soon. After the job, Donovan advised Zarak to lay low outside of Bartertown until the whole thing blew over. It’s been almost a full week since the fiasco that was described in the newspaper that Zarak just finished using. Those were the last pages of it.

--His path was set towards Bluegill village, but he was in no hurry to get there. He knew full well what awaited him. Spending the night at this abandoned estate made the images of what’s to come even more vivid. Armchairs with cushy pillows, multiple dining sets, a twin bed and a cradle, all of these things were signs that this didn’t use to be the home of a solitary person. It was a family home. A place where someone happily greets you when you return to it, makes you a tasty home-cooked meal and asks you to tell stories about your day… About your work and life in Bartertown. Stories that will be nothing but big fat lies, followed by uncomfortable swallowing of spit that’ll roll like poisonous sludge down Zarak’s throat, as he tells them to his mother and sister. That’s who the package he sent at the post office was for; the family he had left in Bluegill village. He has been preparing for this reunion every day on his way there, but he still felt far from ready. Families were hard enough to deal with, Zarak felt, without the added pressure of having to lie to them to hide the fact that you’re a murderer, and that they’ve lived off other people’s blood for about two years now.

--He decided against staying in this haunted house any longer. Evoking melancholic memories was something he considered to be futile, so he mounted his horse and rode on. He found it a bit funny that he was scared of this day more than he’d worry about a sword fight. He hadn’t seen them since he’d left. At first because he couldn’t afford it, and later on because of the guilt he felt over his “trade”.

--Zarak was already pretty stubborn and cruel when he left his home. These qualities were cultivated in Bartertown every time he got cheated by the people there, and they developed even further. They became the foundation to an unassailable wall that, from the outside, made Zarak look as cold and unforgiving as the eternal winter of the northern mountains. That’s the part of him that made him unyielding when facing danger. Would these qualities hold up today and keep him safe from getting hurt?

--Thinking about his past life felt like travelling into a different world, one where he wasn’t a mighty warrior, but still a child growing up without a father, always fighting with his mother over petty things, getting jealous of his younger sibling for getting unjustly pampered while she wastes her life away. Even so, he too felt the need to try and take care of his sister Yolanda, to try and offer her a future better than his own. So when the idea for him to travel to find work came up, Zarak jumped on it both to get away from the bleak environment that was his home, and to do something that would make him feel of use to his mother and sister. “You’re just like your deadbeat father!” These words echoed in his head. He’s heard them too many times. Will that part of the story really change now that he’s not only supporting them, but affording them a rather opulent life? Questions were piling up in his head even more as his journey home became closer to completion, and Zarak felt vulnerable. These questions would have to wait it seemed, as a familiar, disturbing scent bothered his nose. The scent of burning flesh.

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--Thank you for reading. Sorry this update is late, some things came up and I wasn't able to finish it yesterday. Next update will feature four drawings, aka lots of work required. I'll try and have it up on Wednesday so you don't have to wait long to find out what's around this corner. (Even though it might be a bad idea to do so) If you liked my work, please rate, follow or favorite, to support my content. Later...

(Edit: Updated images)