Nature Sure Is Crazy
The party went through the loot in much the same way as last time; one large pile for the junk, and the good stuff was laid out individually. After the small taxed portion was allocated, Callum bought out everyone's shares of the Beast Cores.
He could see that his party members had questions in their eyes. After all, he had just spent a lot of gold and silver the day before, and here he was buying even more.
Although Callum was starting to relax a little bit, he still wasn't ready to confide in his secret just yet. He had even gone through and disabled the castle bonus for everyone but himself and Amarok; it was one of the first things he did after he learned of it.
If he had left the bonus intact, someone would have noticed the small but unusual buff. He could always turn it back on in the future at the drop of the hat; which he would probably do when The Dog and his men came to besiege the castle.
_____
Ravi indicated that he wanted to talk to Callum, and they both dropped behind the rest of the party as they trod back towards the castle.
"Lord Murray, I saw you hesitate in there. I'm glad that you ultimately followed my instructions, but even hesitating can get you or someone else killed. We can always talk after a battle, but we each have our parts to play, and we need to be able to count on everyone to do their part."
"Yeah, I know. But, the battle was so close, I could have activated <
"You're right, we probably would have won. But it's my responsibility as the party leader and the healer to ensure everyone gets back out alive. After all, the dungeon will always be here tomorrow, but we might not be, if we take too many risks."
Callum lamely nodded his head, he still wasn't 100% convinced in Ravi's point of view.
"Look, I get it. I'm not trying to be an asshole here, I really don't want to play the tyrant role. This isn't a game though, and lives are at stake. Remember, I'm always available if you want to talk one on one or with the whole party," Ravi finished before rejoining the rest of the party.
Callum joined the party, but was quiet for most of the way as he thought about where Ravi was coming from. He understood it intellectually, but he was having trouble getting his heart on board. Eventually, he realized he was feeling frustrated.
He was tired of backing away.
He had kept his head down when the community turned against him and he avoided confrontations with his brother for months after his parents' death. He had had to run when he first entered the dungeon.
And now, there was a sense of anxiety from knowing there was a more powerful force that could descend upon them any day now.
For the first time, he felt like he was striking back at those that threatened him. It felt good, and he didn't want to stop. Backing away from the fight versus goblins was just the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.
'That or I just need to get laid,' Callum thought to himself, 'It's been what . . . over seven months now? Hmm, almost eight months.'
"Eww, I didn't need to know that," Alea said as the rest of the party looked over at Callum.
'Shit! I talked out loud again,' Callum thought.
"Wow, what a weird bird call that was. Nature sure is crazy," Callum blithely said as he ignored the stares and laughter directed his way.
_____
The party arrived at the castle and split up as some went to find food, and the others simply wanted to rest. Callum was just finishing the food in front of him when Boren and Alea approached him.
"Grab your axe, I think we need to get some sparring in," Boren bluntly said.
"Did Ravi put you up to this?" Callum said; he was still a little heated from his earlier conversation with Ravi.
"No, he didn't put us up to this. We've watched you fight and you're overly reliant on your Strength, but that's going to be a bad end when you face someone who can match you there," Alea responded.
They eventually convinced him to go outside. Callum quickly found out that they had lied, it wasn't really sparring, at least not at first; they adjusted his stance and how he was holding his weapon.
Eventually, they let him start to attack Boren at half speed; no one wanted to lose gear durability points when the nearest blacksmith was almost a thousand miles (1,600km) away. He had a hard time getting a clean strike in.
The dwarf expertly used his sword and shield to stop Callum's strikes, and he often accomplished this by deflecting Callum's swing in such a way that left him exposed to a counterattack.
Boren sheathed his sword and traded his shield for Callum's axe.
The dwarf walked Callum through how to change his attacks mid swing to throw off an opponent. He also hooked the shield with the axe head and pulled the shield away from Callum in such a way that left Callum off balance and open to attack.
Callum knew that dwarves being good with an axe was a stereotype, but he readily acknowledged that Boren was much better with an axe then he was.
Alea mainly watched for the first hour as both men alternated shield and axe; Boren would demonstrate a move and then Callum would replicate it. She occasionally chimed in if she saw something, but Boren was the primary trainer.
In the second hour, Alea stepped up and Boren moved back into a secondary role. She taught Callum how to counter nimble opponents like herself. She danced around Callum, deftly avoiding his swings and closing in for what would have been a grievous wound.
She didn't have the same skills with the axe that either man had, so she had Boren stand in for Callum. Together, they showed Callum how to deal with fighters like Alea.
The third hour was chaos. By then, they had attracted a small crowd of bored individuals looking for entertainment. People challenged each other and it almost felt like a small tournament; Callum mainly watched, but he did spar against others with mixed results.
_____
As night fell and fires were lit, Callum suddenly realized exactly why he had been feeling irritable all day.
All of the prisoners were led out in enchanted manacles, designed to prevent people from casting spells or using abilities. Those not scheduled to be executed wore the kind of manacle that didn't drain their Mana, so they were fully conscious of what was going on.
Those about to be executed were wearing enchanted manacles that drained their Mana. Callum remembered his own experience with that type, and hoped that it ensured they felt calm as they were led out.
He knew some in the crowd wanted them to suffer, and had even advocated to execute the whole lot. He could empathize with them, but he wanted to base his lordship on the rule of law and not barbaric practices; even if it would have been more satisfying.
Aside from those on watch at the valley's entrance, everyone in the castle was present.
Callum's guts roiled as he contemplated the executions that were about to take place. He had killed before, but those had all taken place in the middle of a battle. It was literally kill or be killed on a battlefield.
He wasn't looking forward to what was about to happen, but he had insisted that he would perform the executions himself. He had ordered their executions and he felt responsible to do the deed.
Callum was starting to wonder if that had been a mistake. It had clearly been bothering him all day, even if he had done his best to ignore it until just now.
Folxi, his acting herald, quieted the whispers in the crowd when she announced the executions. One by one, those about to be executed were led up to the chopping block and she read out their particular crimes.
The first person whose head was laid upon the chopping block was a scrawny man who looked like he was just outside of his teenage years. Callum steeled himself before he swung his axe down.
The head rolled off to the side, and he sighed in relief at the clean death. He'd had a nightmare last night that his aim was off and the prisoner suffered before his death.
The other six prisoners slated for death soon followed without incident.
As he stared at the dead, he wondered if he should feel something more after striking them down. It had been just as easy for him as it had when he slaughtered livestock back on his farm. All of his emotions, leading up to the executions, were gone.
Callum felt hollow inside, an emotionless husk of a man. He wasn't sure if that was healthy or normal.
The watching crowd was somber as some of the injustices against them were rectified. The mood around the fire was a far cry from the jubilant mood after the morning's hunt or the almost tournament like atmosphere of the midday sparring.