The bag of coins dropped onto the mayor's desk with a clinking thud. Marschal watched as the mayor's eyes shifted between Juren and the bag of money on his fine desk.
"For your services," said Juren.
Marschal stood not too far behind his friend, studying the mayor's office in boredom. Aside from the morning sunlight slanting its way through the window, the room seemed no different from when he was last there pretending to be bought. It was also a tad warmer than before though Marschal attributed that to a nice good sleep far from any rugged forest floor.
He also noticed the easy and comforting atmosphere enveloping not only the building but the town as well. The recent news of Kollo's death was received by the townspeople with wide-eyed disbelief at first. But it didn't take long before the residents of the town accepted that truth with a quiet calm comparable to a breath of relief.
However, there were some who were skeptical of that peace.
"So," said the mayor, "Is he really...dead?"
Juren answered with a nod. "Yes."
The mayor studied Juren's face for a bit before eventually leaning back in his large quaint chair. He then expelled a deep breath. "I...I can't believe it. You really killed Kollo...What about his men?"
"They won't be a problem. So, we're leaving now."
"So soon?"
"We have our own lives in our own towns...Or what's left of them."
"Oh...okay."
An awkward silence permeated the room before Juren continued.
"...Okay. We'll be heading off then."
Juren then looked over his shoulder and gestured to Marschal, signalling an end to the meeting. With that, they both moved away from the desk and headed for the exit. But before they could reach the door, Marschal and Juren slowed then stopped as a soft sobbing sound reached their ears.
When they turned around to face the mayor, Marschal was taken aback by the beaming smile on the round man's face and the trailing tears glazing his cheeks. It took a while for Marschal to realize that the mayor's shoulders were bobbing up and down because he was laughing.
The mayor giggled and cried simultaneously as he spoke. "I still can't believe it. After all these years...We're finally free."
He then gazed up at Juren and Marschal with eyes that held a pious admiration that made the Paravellan uncomfortable.
"When Kollo first came to this town," the mayor continued, "we resisted at first. But that didn't last long." He shook his head as he looked down at his fidgeting fingers. "I always kept thinking that one day it would all be different. That everything would just change...But I lost that hope long ago..."
The mayor then lifted his head up to face Juren and Marschal with tear-soaked eyes. "And then you came along."
Partially moved by the mayor's gratitude, Marschal approached Juren to whisper in his ear. "Can we go now?"
"Thank you," the mayor said with a wide smile on a face glistening with tears and snot.
When Juren didn't respond straight away, Marschal turned to him to see a blank expression on his face. What was he thinking about? Before Marschal could ask, a forced smile suddenly appeared on Juren's face as he met the mayor's eyes.
"It was nothing," Juren finally replied.
He then turned around and walked out the doorway of the mayor's office.
YOU ARE READING
Warwielder - Book 1 of The Evernoth Odyssey
FantasyMarschal's down on his luck. He's a remnant of a fallen empire that once spanned several conquered nations. Now he's forced to struggle through day-to-day life with too many enemies on his tail. But all that changes when a stranger offers to grant h...
