Chapter 32 (2/2)
“The answer is simple,” The policeman responded. “Move into the city. We have set up a defensive perimeter. The monsters will be easily slaughtered.”
But Donny was shaking his head already. “The Village needs to be defended. If the monsters make it to the center and destroy it, it becomes-”
“Then we will give you that protection. Police Officers will be stationed out here. You might have classes, but we have guns. Why are you being so stubborn? We are trying to help.”
Donny just stared him down. “You might have guns, but you are not strong. If you were, you would just kill a blue monster yourself, and obtain a coin to found your own Newbie Village. Do you think you can hide and still benefit from those of us who risk our lives?”
“You fucking little-” The head policeman stepped forward, but his instincts stopped him dead.
“There is another option.” The voice was mild, but the fact that the 20-something man in front of him had appeared there without any warning cooled the police officer's temper.
‘...was this….?’ He wondered. ‘The power of a class?’
Decklan leaned forward and waved his hand lazily, his eyes glued onto the action. “...enters the Ghosthound.”
Dozer frowned and squinted at the figure. Decklan admitted he wasn’t anything much. Tall, but not too tall. Athletic looking, but in a wiry way, with the long arms of a swimmer. Short, dark hair. Cold eyes the color sunlight on grass, a vivid, warm green that strangely filled you with a deep fear.
His trademark spear was nowhere to be seen, but Decklan had seen it appear from thin air before. He was wearing tan shorts and a brown shirt, with a satchel over his shoulder. His feet were bare and dirty, and it looked like he had been bleeding, because his left shoulder was stained red.
“Another…. Way….?” The policeman repeated, eyeing the figure in front of him. His initial instincts, from 10 years on the force, told him that he wasn’t a threat, but something deeper, more primal, made him cautious. And the possibility of a class gave him pause.
But then the man did something the policeman hadn’t expected. He flourished his hand and produced a golden coin.
Most of the watcher’s eyes went wide as saucers.
“I was worried that you would press, so I had insurance. There should be 4 blue bosses in the area. I’ve taken the goblin and the wolverines. The imps possess magic, and you are too fearful of the lizards underground dens to challenge them right? You were at a loss, right?”
The police officer’s fist tightened. Randidly tilted his head to the side and looked at them. “You can have it. All I want in exchange is…. glassware.”
“Glassware?” The policeman repeated in a disbelieving tone. Randidly nodded.
“Beakers, vials, jars…. That sort of thing. Anything glass and sealable. Plastic will not work. Deal?”
The police officer stood still, towering a good 5 inches above Randidly. But Decklan had watched people all his life, and the police man was the one who stank of fear.
“...what is your name?” The policeman finally asked.
“...Ghosthound.” The word was soft, but Decklan felt himself and several others mimic the word, saying it silently, feeling it out with their mouth, echoing it so it hit the Police officer again, in a soundless wave.
Ghosthound.
“...Fine, Ghosthound, you have a deal.”
And with that, Randidly flipped the coin to the police officer and walked away, heading towards Donny. After an unwilling few seconds as the Police Officer struggled over the fact he had been clearly dismissed, he turned and walked away, the rest of his group following.
Decklan watched it all with sparkling eyes. Humans were complex and simple at the same time.
They had 1000 motivations, 1000 justifications, 1000 reasons. They struggled and fought for all of them or none of them.
But sometimes, it only took one powerful ideal, one object, one symbol, for all the complexity to fall into line. It didn’t seem likely that anyone in the village would act out too much, with this powerful figure lurking in the shadows.
Decklan found his lips moving again, almost against his will.
Ghosthound.