The only one left standing in the middle of the camp was me. Around me littered the numerous bodies of the fallen. Some felled by arrows and magic shot by my teammates but the majority of the fatalities were done by my hand. The dirt underneath us was muddied with blood and littered with viscera. The crows would not go hungry tonight.
[Unit Arlan. No hostiles detected within range. Rerouting systems to standard operating protocol.]
No one left. Not even the wounded. I move towards the burnt out tents and poles for a better look. Most died in their comatose state from heat or smoke, still supine. There were only three corpses that were lying prone on the floor, arms in front. They were trying to crawl out. All of them have turned blackened and charred. Is this what I look like now? Underneath all the metal and tubing?
Only one of us was using physical arrows during the assault. And I didn't use magic. Damn you, Mateo.
Just a few moments ago, as we drew closer to the Glavian war camp, I had made my intentions known to everyone. Mateo's reaction to my suggestion was unsurprisingly expected.
Idiotic. Moronic. Wasteful. That was the short version of what he said to me when I asked to offer the warband clemency. These weren't bandits, I argued. Aaric had scouted ahead and, with his skill in [Forest Striding], brought back intel regarding our targets. It was a small garrison. Low morale. High casualties. Visible grief over the lost and soon to be.
"So?" Mateo refuted, "These are invaders, golem. They either retreat back home alive or stay here forever as a corpse. There's no negotiation."
"So we just kill them?" I rebuked, "I can go in there and do that, no problem. That same advantage gives us options. We can capture them. Help Haldin get some intel. Maybe a prisoner exchange."
"The Imperials don't take prisoners. Not that many. And they don't stay alive."
"I can talk to Lord Selvin. Convince him to toss them in cells and make use of them in some way. Why is the only solution is to just kill everything against us?"
It was then the Wolf Lord stepped it, "Enough. Arlan, these soldiers have committed unforgivable atrocities against us. But I know the value in your actions. And the values you hold tightly within your heart. So I will allow you to try."
But now I'm left in the wake of my decisions. Did Hoektan agree because he saw the merit in my actions? Or was he trying to teach me a lesson?
Mercy was a luxury in this world. It was rare; difficult to hold on to. Not many have it, not many wanted to give it and you sure as hell never expect to receive it. I was a rich man trying to pay with a currency no one wanted. Worthless.
My time in solitude on the road and my experiences in Wolf's Rest have turned my thoughts dark for the past few days. It was in these quiet moments I turned inward to reflect on my new life and my actions.
From terrible, monstrous beings to common men, I've done nothing but hurt and kill. Though I have never hesitated to act nor will I ever when lives and the wellbeing of others are on the line, in the quiet hours of the night I can't help but wonder. This world won't let me choose. And deep inside my core, a terrible feeling emerges. A deep, dark fear made from my beliefs creeps up within. A dread thought from my human side. I shoo it away for the most part but it keeps rising whenever I have a moment to contemplate.
Am I-
The wet squelch of compacting mud puts me back in the moment. Aaric approaches me with the Wolf Lord in escort. From behind them, Tsume surges towards me in full speed. She comes to a stop and nestles next to my foot, her eyes locked to mine and delivering a sympathetic whine.
YOU ARE READING
The Golem Adventurer
FantasyA combat medic dies on the battlefield after his fireteam is hit with an IED while on patrol. While his spirit floats in an abyss of emptiness, an unearthly being find him and sends him towards a light. He finds himself inside a body of an ancient...
