Short Stories

The Side of Good

Word count: ~4,900 (sorry it's a long one)

"They'll come for me. And when they find me, they'll find you so even if you kill me you're a dead woman." The soldier sat tied to his chair in his dark green uniform and spewed hate at the woman standing before him in her black dress, twirling a knife in her fingers.

"Ohhh, threats? I thought good guys were supposed to be above those." She smirked and sheathed the knife at her hip. Sauntering forward, she placed her hands on the arms of his chair and leaned down so he could see nothing but her face.

A grin split her face as she whispered, "You think you're a hero, don't you? You think you're here to kill me because I ruined your little army, because you think of me as the reason you lost five years ago. That your's is the only side of good and that I am evil. But I'm tired of being the villain to your stories, little boy. So, all I have to do is tell you the truth and set you free. You'll either spread my story or come running back once you realize who it is you work for."

She stood and walked over to pull the wooden chair in the corner so it faced him before sitting primly. He spit at her but she simply raised an eyebrow and waited.

"What they tell you about me is that I rose through the ranks of the Bronze Oath and killed anyone who got in my way to turn them into an elite fighting force from a lowly group of bandits. I took those fighters and we turned the King of Stolryn against you, leading to my spying on your King to get the castle wards, sparking a war between our countries. Two years later, on the Yrlan Plains I summoned and killed your greatest General leading to a defeat that started your downfall. So really, the war and the reason so many people died, and Phillia lost it's southern province was all due to me. Because I hate Phillia."

The soldier strained forward against his chains. "You led to the downfall of the Phillian Trading Empire! You destroyed our trade routes, our soldiers, our Kingdom! You killed my brother, Vesh the Destroyer!"

Vesh simply smiled and sat back. "Did you know before they called me that I was Vesh the Defiant?" She asked conversationally, as if the poor soldier boy wasn't trying to kill her with his mind. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have a single magical bone in his body.

"Who cares what they called you?"

"You should, very much. Because you should very much want to know who it is that gave me that title. Aren't you at all curious?"

He grit his teeth, shaking his head. "I will never believe you."

"Don't worry. We'll get to the proof later." Another beatific smile. "I know you're dying inside to know my true story. So, because you're too proud and loyal to ask, I'll just tell you." She took a deep breath.

"I grew up in Klolan." A pause and smirk. "Yes, that is deep in Phillian territory, only a three day walk to King's Seat. As a child, I lived on the streets with my best friend, Istok. We decided that living as beggars in Klolan was silly when King's Seat was so close and so we left for the big city to follow our dreams. I wanted to be a mage and Istok wanted to be a soldier and we decided that anyone could be anything they wanted to be in the capitol. Can you remember the last time you actually believed in something so simple?"

He caught her eye. "The day my brother left. I thought, he's a good man and good men always come home."

She shared a sad smile. "But we both know that to be a lie. But my dream, my dream wasn't a lie. When we arrived, I found my way to Prenmore, a small magic academy on Ciac Street run by an old woman that used to work in the palace. Istok found himself locked up more often than not for stealing by Ryon St. John, the famous watchman until he finally convinced St. John to mentor him. And so, in a way, both of our dreams came true."