The City of Garal(anyone)

"It was just a figure of speech, when the barbarians see their leader dead we'll have won," Joe said to the stake comment.
He approached the sleeping man and stabbed him through the belly. Joe peered down the long hallway. There was a door at the end and the city leaders mark had clearly been ripped off the door and in it's place was a skull nailed to the door.
"Told you they were monsters, I bet this is the place," Joe muttered, opening the door to peer in silently.
"What do you see?" Leonna asked, almost silent.
"The old bag's asleep, in our king's bed. Our king has passed out from beatings not too far away. We could probably kill him easily," Joe said reasonably. "Wait, HA!" Joe exclaimed.
"What?"
"There's an assassin hired to kill the king. He'll probably think that the barbarians our king. But wait, no."
Joe ran in, stabbed the assassin, and turned to slam his sword through the barbarian while he was asleep.
"Why on earth didn't you let the assassin kill him?" Leonna said, bewildered.
"He would have probably killed the king, or maybe he would have realized the truth." Joe said, throwing the dead barbarian over his shoulder and the assassin he threw out the window.
"We only need the barbarian, we can come back for the king."
Joe set off down the hallway again.

I followed Joe quickly, the squeamishness of my stomach growing. "Must you so hastily kill sleeping men?" I whispered, shocked by the bloodshed that had occured. Killing creatures that threatened one in battle, that was one thing--but sleeping men, entirely unable to defend themselves? That was...

I shook my head, forcing out the unpleasant memories that threatened to surface. "Joe, perhaps we may benefit by questioning the next man we come across? There is still much we do not know about these assailants." And that assasin, I added silently to myself.

"Leonna, I know these guys. That man was the leader, I know for sure."
"How?"
Joe produced a badge. "When your head was turned I picked it up, it's the barbarian leaders mark, I know what I'm doing. Even if they were asleep, the assassin wasn't. And I could also tell that he would have killed the king so that he wouldn't be able to report what he saw. Do you trust me, Leonna?" Joe asked, feeling slightly scared of her response.
The next man they met wasn't asleep, but he was a guard and his back was turned. Joe hastily put the sword at his throat and pulled him back. "You try anything you die, we just wanna ask you some questions. This man, is he your leader?" He gestured to the body.
"Y-yes, please don't hurt me."
"Do you and your people surrender?"
"You killed our leader, I am the second and command, we, by our law, have to surrender."

I came out from behind Joe to look at the man, hoping to avoid Joe's question. "You're very brave when you're killing unarmed villagers," I spat at the barbarian, who was quivering with fear. "Now, if you have any desire to live, you will tell me all that I wish to know."

The man stared at me, his fear turning his skin pale. "W-w-what do you want?"

"Why have you brought destruction upon these innocent people?"

"We were told they held a great treasure." The man replied, his rusty armour beginning to clatter with his shaking.

"And what was this treasure? This treasure that would lead you to massacre an entire town!"

The man actually hesitated, turning his head to avoid my gaze. His mouth shut stubbornly, though he still shook with fear...

"Tell her, now. If, of course, your interested in keeping your head on your shoulders. Kaila here's getting restless, she hasn't had a head in awhile," Joe said, gesturing to his sword.
"Okay, okay. It was a stone."
"A stone? You killed my friends and family for a stone?!" Joe said, his sword pressing on the man's throat.
"Not just any stone, it was magic. It had special properties. But our king wouldn't tell us what."
"Your not telling us everything, are you?"
"A man keeps his mouth shut when he can," the man said stubbornly. But seeing the look Joe gave him loosened his tongue. "Okay, okay, he told me, and me only. The stone, would make you be able to teleport."
"Like, instant? That's amazing!" Joe exclaimed. "Where was it?"
"We didn't know sir, our boss told us the stone was here and no one knew what it was. It might not be here at all."
"Thank you, sir, I will not harm you, but know that if you try to attack me whilst my back is turn, you will die instantly."
"Yes sir." The man leaned against the wall and let them pass.
"Leonna, I still want to know if you trust me," he whispered to Leonna."I didn't miss that you avoided my question. I won't press you, but I will want an answer."

"Ah...of course I do! I have come all this way, have I not?" It seemed like the right thing to say, though my words were fairly empty. In truth, there was only one man I really trusted, and only the goddesses knew how far I was from him now. Much of Joe's actions I felt were vengful, destructive, and the things he had done still frightened me.

Still, I knew that however violent Joe's actions might be, he was doing it for his people. I knew quite well how it felt to be in his shoes, to desire only the protection of one's people, but I also knew how destructive that could be. I had once become blinded by vengance, and I did not want Joe to suffer the same concequences as I had.

"Joe, we must be careful. I know you are upset, but a great task still lies before us. We need to disband this group of savages before they cause any more destruction."

"I know, where do you think we're going?" Joe asked. He was walking into the announcement room where there was speaker system. It was just a vent that ran through the castle.
"Attention barbarians," Joe began into the main vent."I have killed your leader and know you must surrender by law. If you do not believe me, the dead body will be outside the door to the announcement room. Thank you and have a nice day." Joe then stepped outside and set the body on the ground.
"I told you, I don't miss a thing," Joe muttered to Leonna. "I know you don't trust me, and I can see why. You may think of yourself as a monster, but your just different. I can relate. When my father died, many people were skeptical, and said that I had the devil's power to be able to do what I can with an anvil and hammer. But soon they realized that it was not the devil's gift, it was god's. You should be treated better than you are. But we need to get out of here and show them we have won. The assassin, by the way, was an evil man, I recognized the symbol on his suit. Don't worry, I don't hurt just because, okay?"

"I understand." I replied stiffly, completely caught off gaurd by his words. So he, too, was once shunned. But he is not what I am...he doesn't undertand...he didn't--

I looked away, gazing at the doors where the body lay. "Are you sure this will work?" I asked, eager to change the subject.

"Of course I am!" Joe said happily. "I've read about a thousand books on barbarian custom! Don't worry! I know what I can do when I do it!"
Then the barbarians arrived. There was a lot of "he's dead!" and "who killed him?" Joe stepped out.
"Your leader was killed by me. And by your law I now command you. My command to you is to get the hell out of here, take the body, and never kill or steal again, got it memorized?" Joe yelled at them.
"Yes sir!" came to greet him.
"Well here!" Joe said, flinging the body into the crowd.
They all walked off, taking the body to their encampment.

I watched the men drag their leader from the room, their faces ashamed. It was almost ironic how helpless the murderers now looked; their pride wounded and their weapons hanging uselessly by their sides. So, in the end, even these cold-blooded killers are merely men...

"Joe, do you truly believe that these men will simply leave the town alone now that their leader is gone? They came after a treasure that they never even found, and once they appoint a new leader, what is it that will keep them from raiding once again?"

"Good point," Joe muttered. "And if any of you come back, i'll kill the next king!" Joe yelled at the barbarians. Joe readied his bow and aimed it at the barbarians. "if any of you try anything an arrow will be iin your head within the second!"
Joe walked over to Leonna and put his hands on her shoulders. "Thank you Leonna, without you i would have lost my entire city."

I stared at Joe's hand on my shoulder, surprised that he had touched me. "I am...glad that I was able to assist you." I stuttered. Most humans were too afraid to be close to me at all, and here Joe was treating me like a comrade. "I am sure these people will remain safe under your care."

Joe nodded, a tear falling from his eye. "So, uh, where are you going next? I have to have some way to repay you," Joe looked at Leonna. "Maybe I can come with?"
Joe awaited his answer as a million thoughts came through his head. Prominent among them was "am I doing this for her, or me?"

Ooc: This is starting to feel like the end of the story, so I hope you don't mind this too much. If you want to start another story or just continue this one, I'll jump right i n (if you want me to).

BIC:

"You gave me shelter when there was none," I replied hesitantly, surprised by Joe's somber expression, "which leaves no debt to be repaid. I am merely glad that I was able to help."

I paused for a moment, pondering Joe's other question. To what end would Joe follow me? I have no destination, no tangible path that can be followed...I merely seek that which does not even appear to exsist...

"Your heart is strong and your words are kind," I said, taking his hand from my shoulder, "and if the people of your city share only a fraction of that, I am sure they will be fine. However, I must continue my journey, and I cannot ask that you follow me. Perhaps someday we may meet again, and until that time, may the goddesses protect you." I turned to the doors of the large room and started to walk away, wondering where it was that I was going to go next...

Joe was thinking hard. Where should HE go? His people were safe and he needed a new adventure. Joe pondered. There had been quite a bit of talk among the villagers about an evil in the land, one that took your very soul. Joe thought he might want to check it out.
Joe walked out of the gates behind Leonna, said goodbye, and walked somewhere else, he had no clue where he should start looking, but he knew he would find it- eventually.

OoC: If your interested Navi, I AM making a new thread for this particular evil, I'm gonna go make it now.