Chapter Four – Three Heroes and One Bad Plan

The next morning, Ben, Ally, and Anthony plodded to the city gates. All three of them wore massive packs that clattered and clanged with their supplies. Ben squared his shoulders as they marched through the city gates and faced north. The guards at the gates looked weary, and nodded to them as they passed through. A wagon raced past them a moment later, warriors riding in the back cheering and hollering.

“Come on!” Anthony shouted. “We need to go!”

Ben set his jaw. He didn’t share Anthony’s optimism. He didn’t think they stood a chance at all, but… Getting out of the city was a way to escape the mounting debt that now lay behind him, a way to escape the life of a crushing weight that was always upon him.

“Let the rest of them go ahead.” Ally shrugged. “They’ll get killed before us, and then we’ll learn from their mistakes.”

Anthony shrugged, and they started off down the road. Soon, the Imperial City began to fade behind them, and Ben felt his heart lightening a little.

Just a little.

The land in that part was broad and flat, part of a vast river valley that formed the basin for the Imperial River. The city had been built along the river, which served as a vital trade route. Ben could just see it off in the distance, where boats floundered up and down the waters, probably carrying other eager warriors and adventurers trying to make use of the waters for faster travel. The only problem was that most of the boats were magically powered, and were likely just as useless now as everything else.

“It’s okay.” Ally took his hand and gave it a squeeze, and he looked down into his sister’s warm smile. “We’ll make it.”

He nodded, and they strode onward down the road, through vast tracts of fields and farms. Around noon, they reached a large oak tree, where they sat down to eat their first meal of the journey. Ally got a fire going, while Ben sat down with his back against the tree.

“Excuse me?”

Ben glanced to the side as a man slowly approached. He was dressed like a beggar, covered in rags and sores. He held a hat, upside-down, in his hands.

“What can we do for you?” Ally asked.

“I was just… Wondering if you might…” The man sighed wearily. “Spare a bit of something for a poor old beggar?”

“Of course we can!” Ally smiled, and motioned for him to sit down. “Come, come!”

Ben’s eyes narrowed. The beggar nodded and moved toward the camp.

“Thank you kindly.” He folded his hands and bowed slightly. “Thank you kindly.”

As he took his seat, he sighed.

“You know, I haven’t had a proper meal in ages. It’s my legs, you know. They’re always giving me troubles. Can’t walk, you see.”

“I know a spell for that!” Anthony declared. He reached for his staff.

“Perhaps we should let the healer look at it?” Ally raised an eyebrow. “I’m top of my class at the Healer’s Academy.”

Ben sighed, then slowly stood up and drew his sword. To the horror of Ally and Anthony, he placed it on the beggar’s neck.

“For a man who can’t walk, you’ve gone almost eight miles out of the city.”

The man turned slightly, and Ben saw a gleam in his eye. A moment later, something rustled behind Ben, and he spun.

His blade was fast, and slashed as hard as he could. Another bandit leapt forward, and their blades slammed together with a resounding clang. Ben snarled and shoved against the attacker, who chuckled and barred his rotten teeth.

“You’re no match for all of us.”

There was another rustle, and more bandits burst out of the underbrush. Instantly, five of them had their blades leveled at the group. Ally gasped and held up her hands, while the “beggar” chuckled and drew a long dagger.

Seven thugs.

Three adventurers.

“We’ve already taken down two adventuring parties today.” The beggar sneered. “You’ll be the third. I doubt you’ll be the last. You might be a swordsman, but you can’t take us all down.”

“Maybe not.” Ben set his jaw. “But he can. Anthony!”

He had absolutely no hope that Anthony could do more than summon a small breath of wind. Nevertheless, Anthony grinned and snatched at his staff.

BOOM!

A loud crash shook the tree, and lights exploded across the area. The bandits flinched backward, which was all the opening that Ben needed. He shoved the man backward, then spun and grabbed the beggar by the scruff of the neck and placed his blade against the flat of his throat.

“Throw down your weapons, or he dies.”

The beggar dropped his dagger and raised his hands. All around, the other bandits stared at him in confusion.

“This is your leader, right?” Ben snapped. “Throw down your weapons, or he dies. Walk away from this, and you can go and pillage other adventuring parties to your hearts’ content.”

“You kill him, and you die.” One of the other bandits sneered. “You think we care about him?”

“What?” The beggar gulped. “You don’t care about me? I built you!”

“You whipped us!” Another bandit snapped.

“You pushed us around!”

Anthony shook his head, “Ohh, that’s just mean!”

“I formed you into an organized group! Took you from a ragged street gang and turned you into something more! Something greater!” The beggar roared. “Ungrateful children!”

The bandits all looked back and forth at one another, and the beggar tore himself out of Ben’s grasp. Instead of turning and attacking, he thrust out a finger.

“Get back to the hideout, now! I’m going to have you all peeling potatoes from now until doomsday!”

The bandits lowered their heads and slunk away, and their leader snarled after them, stomping his feet and muttering under his breath. Ben, Ally, and Anthony didn’t move for a long moment, not wanting to draw attention.

Then, the moment their sounds faded, they snatched up the remains of their camp, kicked a bit of dirt over the fire, and dashed off down the road.

A smile broke across Ben’s face as they made their escape. It hadn’t been how he had planned it, but they had made it through.

For the moment, at least, that was good enough for him.