Stolen Love
Stories similar to this that you might like too.
”The World is a Stage and We are the Players.” —Ovid, Metamorphoses.
A small crowd had gathered at one of the many docks in Port City to watch as two ships were being loaded with cargo for their journey northward along the coast toward the capital city. The ship that was currently unloading its goods into the waiting boat on shore belonged to an old man named Jules who ran his own shipping business from this port.
He’d been running it since he first came here when he left home after losing both parents in the war against the Empire, but now there wasn’t much need any more thanks to all the trade passing through these waters between nations like Solis and Anseahla.
It made no sense why they would want to fight each other over something so insignificant, especially if you thought about how they could help themselves by working together instead of fighting amongst themselves…but then again, maybe that’s what makes people do things such as those.
Jules looked up towards the sky above him where a large flock of birds flew overhead before disappearing out of sight behind some high-rise buildings nearby.
There weren’t too many places around here where they could go without having to worry about getting shot down or blown away by stray ordinance from the battlefront, which meant that they needed somewhere safe to rest while flying back and forth across the sea.
This place seemed perfect enough; even though it was still pretty far inland compared to most ports, there didn’t seem to be any military presence near it either. Even better yet, because it was located right next to the ocean, Jules knew that there wouldn’t be anything dangerous lurking below the surface of the water just waiting for anyone foolish enough to swim out into it.
That alone should have told him that something strange might happen sooner rather than later…and sure enough, it did not take long until someone decided to make use of the opportunity presented to them.
“Well well lookie here…” A young woman dressed in black leather armor stepped forward from among her fellow thieves, looking at Jules with a smirk on her face. “It seems we got ourselves a rich merchant here!” She pointed at the bags filled with gold coins sitting inside the boat, calling out to another group of men standing nearby.
They quickly moved closer to Jules’ ship, grabbing onto whatever they could find to pull themselves up onto the deck. One of the younger ones reached out towards a rope dangling off the side of the vessel before pulling himself up and jumping over the railing.
Once he landed safely atop the waves, he turned to see his friends following suit as they climbed aboard the ship. After making their way past the crewmen securing the ropes tied to the dock, they began searching through the various crates stacked upon the deck.
As soon as she saw them approaching, one of the sailors carrying sacks full of grain jumped up in surprise, nearly dropping everything on the floor. He tried desperately to hold onto the heavy load as he backed away from the gang members, trying to keep them from seeing the contents within.
Unfortunately, his efforts proved futile as they already spotted what he was hiding, causing them to laugh loudly at the terrified sailor’s expense.
“Hey! What’re ya doing?!” Another man shouted angrily. “You can’t steal our stuff!”
Ignoring his cries for mercy, the leader of the bandits grabbed the sack containing the grains and threw it aside, revealing several dozen more underneath. With a satisfied grin, she held up the bag and showed everyone else exactly what they had stolen: foodstuffs intended to feed the hungry mouths of starving children.
“What?” The first thief gasped incredulously, taking a step backward when he realized what they’d done. “That’s ours!”
Before anyone could stop her, the woman took a few steps forward and kicked the sack of grain straight into the air, sending it sailing upward into the sky. As the others watched in horror, the sack continued soaring higher into the clouds, eventually vanishing completely from view.
Everyone present immediately fell silent, staring upwards in stunned silence at the empty space where the bag once stood. Slowly, they started to turn toward each other, exchanging glances as they waited for some sort of explanation.
None of them said anything, however, knowing that none of them wanted to draw attention to themselves by speaking up. Instead, they simply sat quietly in fear as they awaited their fate.
After a minute or so passed, the woman finally spoke up, breaking the awkward silence that hung over the entire area.
“So I guess this means that you won’t pay us the agreed amount of gold coins for your shipment today,” she stated matter-of-factly. Her tone was cold and emotionless, devoid of any hint of sympathy for the poor souls who found themselves in trouble at her hands. “I’m afraid that you’ll have to come up with the money yourself…”
***
The sun slowly rose up into the clear blue skies above the port city, casting its rays down upon all those unfortunate enough to find themselves caught between the two warring factions. Some people were forced to flee their homes and seek shelter elsewhere, fearing for their safety if things went downhill further.
Others chose instead to stay put, hoping against hope that the fighting would end soon enough. Many others remained trapped in the middle, unable to escape both sides due to being stuck in the crossfire. It wasn’t hard to imagine how difficult life must have been for these people during wartime, especially considering the fact that the country itself no longer existed anymore.
In the midst of such chaos, the only thing that mattered now was survival. Whether that came in the form of fleeing for their lives or staying rooted firmly in place, the outcome was essentially irrelevant. All that truly mattered at this point was putting an end to the bloodshed as fast as possible so that everyone could get back to living their everyday lives again.
Unfortunately, despite the best intentions behind their actions, neither side seemed willing to give up just yet. For several weeks, the conflict raged on without much progress made toward ending the hostilities. Both armies fought fiercely against each other day after day, never showing signs of letting up until one side ultimately lost control of the battlefield…
“…And then there was light.”
A lone voice echoed throughout the quiet streets below, echoing across the rooftops like thunderous footsteps. Several bystanders looked up at the source of the sound curiously, wondering why someone felt compelled to speak aloud while walking along the street.
A young girl wearing a red cloak stepped out into view from around a corner, stopping briefly before continuing onwards. She paused every so often to look about herself, seemingly searching for something specific. Eventually, she stopped once more and knelt down beside a nearby building, leaning forwards slightly as she peered closely at the ground beneath her feet.
After a brief moment of concentration, she closed her eyes tightly and concentrated even harder than before, muttering under her breath as she searched through the rubble for whatever it was she sought.
Several minutes later, she opened her eyes once more and let out a sigh of relief, looking up at the rooftop directly above her head. There, sitting atop the edge of the rooftop, was another cloaked figure. This time, however, the person wore a black hooded robe rather than the usual white robes worn by most monks.
They stared down at the young girl silently for several moments, watching carefully as she bent down to retrieve something from the debris. When the girl finally stood upright again, the monk reached down and picked up the object in question.
He turned it over in his hand gently, examining it closer before nodding ever so slightly to himself. Without warning, he quickly pulled off his own hood, revealing a familiar face to the onlookers below.
“Well well, looks like we’ve got ourselves a winner here,” the mysterious stranger declared happily. “It seems that my little ruse worked perfectly! You really are quite good at this, aren’t you? Guess I shouldn’t be surprised though; you do seem to know a lot about everything after all…”
He smiled warmly at the young girl standing next to him, giving her a gentle pat on the shoulder. The girl in question merely nodded respectfully in response, not saying a word. She knew full well what had happened earlier, having seen the whole thing unfold right before her very eyes.
However, unlike many of the other witnesses, she didn’t feel inclined to spread the news far and wide. That being said, she did make sure to pass the information onto the appropriate authorities anyway, ensuring that justice would be served accordingly.
With that taken care of, the man turned towards the crowd gathered around them, clapping loudly to draw their attention away from the pair of figures. As they watched, the cloaked stranger began speaking to the assembled masses, addressing the situation at large.
“You see folks, I don’t think anyone needs me to tell you that this is a terrible tragedy!” the man proclaimed cheerfully. His words caused the people present to shudder nervously, unsure whether or not he actually meant what he’d just told them.
“This town has suffered greatly thanks to these two warring parties, but thankfully, our hero here managed to step in and save us all from certain doom. Now, who wants to hear some details?”
Many of the townsfolk glanced uneasily at one another, uncertain of where exactly the man was going with his speech. Those closest to the duo immediately tried to move away from the strangers, attempting to hide amongst the throngs of people milling about the area.
Unfortunately, the cloaked man simply chuckled at their attempts to avoid getting involved, waving off the few individuals brave enough to try and escape.
“Don’t worry, no harm will come to you if you stay put,” he reassured the frightened civilians. “I’m only interested in hearing your stories today, nothing else. So please, go ahead and share anything you might have heard regarding either of those groups fighting outside the walls.
It’s imperative that we learn as much as we can about both sides’ capabilities, lest we find ourselves caught between the crossfire when things inevitably escalate further.”
The crowd shuffled uncomfortably at the statement, clearly reluctant to provide any kind of useful insight to the strange man. Not wanting to cause trouble, nobody attempted to run or fight back. Instead, they remained silent and kept themselves concealed within the crowds, unwilling to risk drawing unwanted attention to themselves.
Over time, the tension gradually faded, allowing the man to continue talking freely among the people.
“Now, first thing’s first: how long ago did all of this start?” the stranger asked casually, causing everyone present to look around at each other awkwardly. Nobody wanted to admit that they were participating in the ongoing battle, fearing repercussions should their involvement become known. Thankfully, the cloaked man seemed content to take the initiative instead.
“About an hour ago,” came the reply, spoken quietly but confidently. A number of nearby citizens looked at one another, then exchanged nervous glances. One of them spoke up hesitantly, making sure to keep his voice low so as not to attract too much attention.
“But… why are you asking now?”
“‘Cause I wanna know which side won already, duh!” the man replied excitedly. “If it turns out that the victor is still alive, I’ll give ’em a reward for saving the day! If not, I guess I gotta settle with whatever loot I can get my hands on, huh?”
Nobody dared answer the man’s question, knowing full well that such knowledge could prove dangerous to their safety. After a moment of silence passed, the cloaked man shrugged nonchalantly.
“Oh well, guess I’ll have to wait until someone comes forward with info,” he muttered dejectedly. “Guess there goes my plan to collect lots of money without lifting a finger…”
His words drew gasps from the surrounding audience, causing most of them to glance anxiously over at the two figures lying unconscious by the wall. With a sigh, the cloaked man shook his head sadly.
“Ah well, guess I’ll just have to leave this mess alone for now. Sorry folks look like yer gonna hafta clean up this big ol’ pile o’ shit yourself. Hope ya enjoy doin’ it, cuz I ain’t helpin’.”
As the man-made to turn away, several members of the crowd stepped forwards angrily and began shouting at him. The man paid them little heed, however, continuing to walk past the group while muttering under his breath.
“Yeh damn fools, always wanting somethin’, even if they’re dead set against givin’ something back in return. Guess that’s just how humans work though. Can’t blame ’em really; after all, that’s probably the best way ta survive in this world.”
He paused briefly before turning to face the angry mob once more. His eyes flashed dangerously as he glared down at the people below, prompting many of them to shrink back in fear. However, despite the hostile expression on his face, the man didn’t seem particularly threatening. In fact, he almost appeared friendly compared to the intimidating aura he radiated earlier.
“Look, I’ve got nothing against ye personally, okay? Yeh can yell at me all ya like, but that doesn’t change the truth. Just because I’m standin’ here right now, it doesn’t mean I’m suddenly gonna be nice to ya.”
Several of the onlookers nodded in agreement, realizing that the man wasn’t trying to attack them. Their relief quickly turned into anger, however, when he continued speaking.
“And besides, what kinda stupid assholes would actually believe some guy who walks around covered in blood and wearing armor anyway?!”
A chorus of jeering laughter followed the man’s outburst, causing him to scowl darkly. He took a step towards the crowd, glaring menacingly down at the people below. Several of the bystanders recoiled nervously, unsure of whether they should flee or remain standing their ground. Seeing this reaction, the man sighed loudly, shaking his head sadly.
“I swear, sometimes I wonder about these people…”
After a few moments of tense silence, the cloaked figure finally started walking again, leaving behind the angry mob. As soon as he was gone, the gathered crowd erupted into chaos, scrambling wildly to escape the area. Many of them were too terrified to move, unable to comprehend the sudden shift in events.
Others simply panicked and ran off blindly, not caring where they went. Those brave enough to stay put tried desperately to find a safe place to hide, only to realize that every single building had been destroyed during the battle. They were forced to make camp outside, hoping that no monsters would come looking for food.
Not wanting to risk being caught unaware, those who remained decided to sleep together in groups of three or four. Some even formed temporary alliances with others, forming makeshift camps within the ruins of the city. All told, roughly thirty individuals managed to avoid capture by hiding inside the ruined buildings.
***
The next morning, a small band of adventurers arrived near the outskirts of the town. Having heard rumors regarding the destruction of the village, they immediately rushed to investigate. Upon reaching the scene of the crime, they found dozens of corpses scattered across the rubble-strewn streets.
Most of the bodies were horribly mangled, having suffered numerous injuries throughout their final moments. A few unlucky victims had been torn apart completely, with both halves of their bodies laid bare upon the cobblestone road.
One unfortunate soul lay facedown atop one of the larger pieces of wreckage, his entire lower half missing. It looked as though the monster responsible had eaten him whole. Another victim had apparently been pinned beneath a large chunk of debris, her arms and legs dangling limply above the street.
Her torso was similarly crushed, revealing an assortment of internal organs underneath. There were also plenty of other gruesome sights to behold: severed limbs, dismembered heads, and countless other horrific wounds. The sight of so much death caused the explorers to lose their composure, forcing them to hastily retreat from the devastated settlement.
Upon returning home later that day, they reported everything they’d seen to the guild master. Though shaken by the grisly details of the massacre, the older adventurer still felt compelled to go out and search for survivors himself. After gathering a sizable party of fellow adventurers, he headed straight for the ruins of the nearby village.
By the time he reached the site, most of the bodies had already been removed. However, there were still quite a number of skeletons lying amidst the wreckage. While none of them seemed to possess any magical abilities, the presence of magic items such as enchanted swords and shields gave them the appearance of powerful warriors.
Judging by their equipment, it was clear that they must have belonged to experienced adventurers. Despite this, however, the remains revealed nothing useful in terms of clues pertaining to their identities. Aside from the obvious signs of violence, there weren’t any other telltale marks indicating how the attackers might have died.
Over the course of several days, the group searched through the surrounding countryside without success. Eventually, they returned to the capital empty-handed. Frustrated by their failure, the leader of the expedition eventually fell ill, succumbing to a mysterious illness that plagued his weakened body.
Unable to afford another trip to the ruins, the rest of the team disbanded shortly thereafter. No further attempts were made to uncover the identity of the perpetrators, and the mystery of the massacre remained unsolved. Over the years, many more expeditions were launched to discover the fate of the villagers, but nobody ever discovered anything new.
In fact, it was rumored that the second wave of attacks occurred just months after the first incident, wiping out yet another community. Thereafter, the region became known as “the cursed land,” its inhabitants becoming increasingly wary of outsiders. For the sake of their own safety, most of them chose to leave the area entirely.
Only a handful of hardy souls dared venture forth, determined to learn the truth behind the tragedy. To date, no conclusive evidence has been uncovered proving that the attack on the village was carried out by human beings.
The End