The light of the trodden

The Start of the New Age

"No", the king chuckled.
"Sir this is not about the protection of the country-" the General attempted to explain.
"Then why am I hearing about it?", The King rolled his eyes. The General and the King were in the king's war tent. The tent was glamorous with the king in a comfortable chair overlooking a war map that he did not understand in the slightest.
"Sir we have to have a raid." The General insisted.
"Look, there's shoddy politics going on here. Now I can't tell you everything but we don't want to invite war on a raid we don't need."
"But sir this is about the world." The General reasoned.
He might as well have wasted his breath. The King wasn't a man who understood anything other than politics.
"Look my dear old fool.", The King said even though the General was younger than the King.
" There has to be reason why foreign ministers and kings and queens from other countries visit us from time to time and it's not because we conduct raids on the dark city if you know what I mean. Dismissed." The King ordered.
"But Sir-"
"General did you hear me say dismissed? That's cause I meant it." The King stood up"Is your military training betraying you or are you angry that even though you have no powers I gave you this post."
"I earned this post." The General looked at the ground
"Bullshit and you know it. Now if you make one more squeak I'll rob you of the last shred of dignity you have, you powerless slob, you make me sick." The King walked out of the tent.
****************
"So I need a team." The General concluded the story.
"Not great pickings." A man with a hat above his head was sleeping on a hammock. The General was at a beach but looked out of place in an armour.
" Could you please? You're ruining my view of the ocean." The man said
"You have a hat over your head." The General said, annoyed.
" Ok let's get serious cause I sense you're not gonna let me go unless I help you." The man sat up "I got a guy, actually four guys. A guy with strength, another with speed and a navigator. I can't account for their loyalty but they sure do a good job. I got a ship but that's gonna cost you 40,00,000 gold coins and that's not including a crew. Some may be there who will work for free but they are beginners, not the kind you want. And the rest are on trade routes. You might get some experience at the docks but you can guess the quality. Now stop bothering me." The man laid on the hammock once again
"I'm here to recruit you too." The General smiled, ever so slightly.
"Well, tough luck." The man closed his eyes.
" You're gonna come." The General said.
" Yeah and what's gonna make me?" The man looked at the General.
" Oliver, she might be there."
*****************
"There's the guy." Oliver said when they reached the farm
" He lives here?" The General asked.
"Yeah and you see the person tilling the soil with a plough, that's the guy." Oliver said sliding off his horse. Oliver and General had come to a farm riding on their horses to meet a guy Oliver said had strength.
"He doesn't look very bulky." General looked at Oliver.
"What? You gave me an hour. What am I supposed to do conjour a magical man out of nowhere?" Oliver protested.
"I need a man who can actually fight."
"Did you see him fighting?"
"Well no but-"
"Did you come to me for guy's?"
"Yes but-"
"Then shut up and meet him."
The General scowled angry at Oliver and walked towards the lone man ploughing the field through his own body.
"Hey Nolander. It is me, Oliver." Oliver shouted out to the man.
The man waved " Hey Oli. Nice to see you. Wife all right?"
"Yeah man no big deal."
"What you here for, Oli?" Nolander asked.
"Can't I visit an old friend?" Oliver smiled broadly.
" Naw man you got buisness otherwise you won't come here." Nolander laughed, Oliver laughed along him.
"Who's your friend?" Nolander asked.
"This is General." Oliver said.
"What, you're name is General? Wierd ain't it?" Nolander raised his eyebrow.
"Nolander isn't a very pretty name either." General looked straight into Nolander eyes, Nolander stared right back.
"You here to recruit me eh?" Nolander crossed his arms.
"I would rather recruit a bear." General replied. Oliver looked to and fro from this battle of words, he was always eager to see how these conversations go.
" Well a bear would be the only thing that you'll be able to control cause you got no leadership, hon."
" Really that bad a comeback. I shouldn't have expected better of such weak people."
Nolander laughed "Well you are one person who can't be shook. Tell you what? Since you want to recruit me let's make things interesting with a game."
" Tell me the terms."
" Whoever can pick with the plough and drags it from one end to the other of the field then he wins fair enough?"
" It wouldn't be fair to you." General smirked.
"Let's do it."
***************
"His power is that he can produce energy in his body which strenghtens his body and toughens it up, you can't win." Oliver said.
"I have trained and if I'm right then he doesn't know how to use his power the right way." General said picking up the plough. Nolander was already in position.
"Go" Oliver shouted.
Between the heat of the competition and the dust risen up from it Oliver couldn't see that the match had finished before it even started, as General had taken a remarkable lead and Nolander was forced to join the company.
"How did you win?" Oliver asked when they set out again. Nolander had promised that he would be at the dock at 4:30 tomorrow and that he would be ready to join the crew.
" As I suspected he did not know how to use his power." General smiled " Onto the next conquest."