Three Bandits

When Seth saw Gullit in the distance he called the boy to him, "Would you look at that," Seth started, "your actually going to leave this town." Gullit had a serious face and hit his chest, "I am a man of my word you know."

"You once promised Richard that you'd never steal again, and you did the next day."

"From now on, i am a man of my word." Gullit hit his chest again. Seth shook his head softly, "Whatever you say boy. You gonna keep yapping or we going now."

"What do you mean, are you coming with me? Why would you want that?" Gullith was actually confused on that, from what he could presume Seth didn't like him one bit and now he was willing to travel with him.

"Alcohol," Seth said, "yesterday everybody celebrated my alcohol out of stock. I'll buy more in Interia, so I thought why not bring your scrawny ass along." "No thank you!" Gullit interjected, he shook his head rapidly. Seth knitted his eyebrows,

"Geez whatido to you kid." "You only judge me and then give me terrible advice. I rather be alone."

"Oh come on give it a chance," Seth pleaded but Gullit kept shaking his head.

Seth held his chin,

"Do you even know where Interia is, which roads to take at what crossroads or how long it will take, do you? And then you have things like food, sleep and bandits, you know the small things."

Gullit's eyes opened wide with shock, and closed again in thought. He still didn't find Seth's reasoning for taking him along convincing enough due to their previous relationship. But he didn't mind the company anymore.

"Alright, I'll come, but no judging alright." Gullit said reluctantly, Seth raised his shoulders and together they began their walk.

Seth said that if they were lucky that they could arrive in Etirnia within four days. Arriving at noon, then Gullit could take a carriage to castle Black immediately. So when they first began walking Gullit felt very positive. Walking at the front with a great stride and no wall that could stop him.

But as they went on he began slowing down. His feet became heavier and he ended up slouching. Until he was holding the cart for support.

They ended up walking twelve hours that day, with only three half hour breaks to eat. Seth lended Gullit one of his blankest and the boy fell on the floor like a log. Gullit watched his whole day pass by in a never ending walk of boredom and tiredness. He couldn't help but think that if he stayed in the village he wouldn't have to exert himself to the extend he did today.

That's when he fell asleep.

The next day Gullit got woken up by Seth in the morning by pulling the blanket of of the boy. It was still early so it was pretty cold out. Gullit only had time had time to wash his mouth and the two were on there way again.

Gullit felt like he didn't had time to sleep at all and his feet were still sore from the previous day, it was like walking through a thick haze.

Tired and weak the boy turned to Seth who was now walking at the front.

"Hey bartender," Seth looked at Gullit in a asking manner to which Gullit asked, "can i please get a bit of extra sleep in that carriage."

"...sure!" Seth said after a moment. Happy, Gullit ran to the back of the cart an was in the process of getting on it when he heard Seth talking.

"But if you do get on the cart, you might as well not join the army." The bartender said coldly.

Gullit looked at Seth offended,

"There you go again, judging. Why would you even say that!?"

Seth continued walking forward unfazed, "What your doing now is just walking, walking and nothing more. If you are planning to join the army you'll be doing this and more all the time. Not even mentioning that you'll be surrounded by death and destruction. If you can't do the basics, go home."

Gullit then proceeded to look at his feet in shame. To him his feet felt like stones in a back and his body felt hot. Yet he knew this wasn't even half of what he would experience. He sighed and continued. He really did consider going back to the village but the image of his uncle flashed in his mind.

"I don't want to go back. And my uncle wouldn't take me back, especially not after what I did."

"What did you do." Seth said listening to the murmurs of the boy. "How did you hear me!?" Gullit shrieked.

"Compared to the full tavern of the Obelisk, it is quite easy to hear someone in a open forest. Now tell, what is so bad that your uncle won't take you back?"

A bit afraid of Seth's hearing abilities Gullit explained the situation after which Seth called the boy "Not salvageable."

They continued talking to pass the time, in which where Gullit found out Seth his parents where killed by Killian raider nineteen years ago years ago. And that Seth himself was adopted by the previous owner of the Obelisk.

"Remember old man Wes?" Seth asked, Gullit shook his head to which Seth continued, "I thought you wouldn't, you where still a small child when he died. But he loved you, you know."

"Really!?" Gullit was surprised that some old guy in the past used to love him or whatever. Seth continued to tell the boy that Wes used to babysit him alot, even change his diaper.

Seth also told him that Wes was the disciplinary figure for his father when he was still a child.

"I didn't get to see it myself but Wes told me he used to spank Imogit when he was a kid like you, and this other man Folian. Not Richard, he was twice as mature as them."

"Sir Folian? The man Richard is sending me to." Gullit said. Seth turned to the boy with his eyebrows raised, "Richard sent you to sir Folian." He kissed his lips,

"Thing are going to be though for you kid. Your father and Folian used to be bitter rivals, always fighting always arguing, they were inseparable from eatchother in a twisted way."

Seth held his chin thoughtfully then threw his chin in the air laughing, "I even remember when Imogit was so pissed at Folian that he stole all his clothes and hid them. Folian was running around the town with nothing but a towel."

When Gullit asked why his dad was pissed, Seth dryly responded that Folian flirted with his mother. "Yeah he used to hit on everything with boobs that guy, charming almost all of them.

I understand, he was a very lickable guy. But don't get me wrong, every man danced when he left nine years ago."

Gullit felt kind of nervous, "If my dad and Folian really where rivals, do you think he'll train me."

"He will, but the reason I'm worried is that Folian has high standards for everything except women. A prideful man like him might kick you out for being too weak."

They talked like that for the rest of the day until the afternoon when they found a place to sleep. They where up early and ready to go the next day, continuing their walk tirelessly.

Seth said that they were about half a day away from the town, even congratulating Gullit on his great pace. But even though the two of them had developed a great chemistry over the last days something still felt off to Gullit.

He couldn't keep the thought out of his mind that this was the same man that used to barate him for everything he did wrong. He didn't really know what to make of his thoughts. To distract himself he looked at his scenery.

They just passed a meadow, and were now deep in a forest again walking the road to Interia going left on a crossroad.

Then, only a moment after Gullit saw the bushes around them shake, two men jumped infront of them on the path and one appeared behind them.

All the men whore black cloacks with their face hooded, spilling a dark shadow over their faces. All of them pulled out swords

then one of them spoke, "You already know what's going on, come on, give it up." The man had a voice that was drowned in smoke; rough and demanding of respect.

Gullit looked at Seth in a slight confusion but Seth was worried, constantly switching his gaze from one cloaked man to the other.

"Seth, what do we do?" Gullit asked softly. Seth held his hand to his head in disappointment, "We need to give them whatever they want."

"Haha this guy gets it!" The previous Bandit yelled happily, "Yeah he's right, work with us and we'll make it fast!"

"No!" Gullit declared, he had his sword out already and it was now glistening in the sunlight beautifully.

"I won't be pushed around by you bandits!"

"Gullit, STAND DOWN." Seth demanded, he sounded more serious than he ever did before, but Gullit didn't listen.

"You know what we were just looking for food and a horse you know, but we got to teach that kid a lesson." The Bandit said, "We weren't even looking for a sword but you know what, we're taking that beauty with us!"

Then the Bandit signalled for his partners to stay put and he rushed to Gullit.

Gullit saw the Bandit running to him as fast as crazed horse and kept his sword at his side like a bat for a good swing and waited.

He saw the dark cloaked Bandit disappeared in the shadows of the trees for what seemed like forever but was only a moment. When the Bandit appeared again he was only one meter away from Gullit.

Panicked Gullit swung his sword wide only for the Bandit to duck under it. What Gullit felt next was a feeling of pain radiating in his chest.

The world became engolfed by darkness as Gullit's body got dragged to the ground. He heard the worried call of his name by Seth.

He didn't know how long he slept, when woke up it felt as if only a moment had passed. He sat up immediately and looked to the sky only to realise that a few hours had already passed.

He was lying on the side of the road and he saw Seth sitting not much further away from him. The bartender sat in a defeated pose, with his hands interlocked.

When Gullit felt his back his swordsheat was gone and when he looked he didn't see Seth's horse anywhere.

"It's just bad luck is all, were on the main road to Interia thieves are a rare occurrence here." Seth said.

When Gullit asked how long he had been passed out Seth said for three hours. He also said that after Gullit was knocked out that they took everything except the cart.

Gullit felt defeated, not only did he lose his father's sword on the third day that he got it, he didn't even stand a chance. It took a while for him to stand up again, he didn't feel like he was worthy to become a warrior. He sat with his head held down.

Seth scooted up to him, "You know we gotta be fast, If we want to be there tomorrow. Come on stand up."

Gullit gave him a look that said he didn't want to be bothered and in response Seth told him the same thing again.

"What does it matter to you when we make it there, you can just go on your own if you want!" Gullit bursted.

"You want to be a warrior right, well warriors don't sit around crying on the side of the road." Seth said. Gullit vein bursted out of his head and he looked at Seth with a angry look.

"What does it matter to you wether I become a warrior or not aren't you the same guy that laughed IN MY FACE when I said I wanted to join the army! You don't care about me,

you just look at me from a distance and with every mistake I make you say something condescending like "this ones always stealing here." you don't care about me so just leave me." Gullit hugged his leg tightly.

Seth just got an earful of yelling to his face, he never expected that to come from the boy. "I never knew you felt like that." Seth said Gullit didn't acknowledge him.

Seth scratched his head then took a deep breath,

"I remember my village being raided by the Killian's, that place turned to hell, as everything was on fire and I saw everyone I loved being brutally murdered. Butchered like animals.

But I escaped and for a year after that I was wandering the lands stealing from whoever I could wherever. Nobody wanted me, so I did what I had to. Until old man Wes, I tried to steal a bottle of booze to sell but he caught me.

I remember that night eighteen years ago, when he spanked me all night long. Next day I was under his apprenticeship. He took me in his house and gave me a future. Was he harsh? Yes, but he also gave me a code I still hold on to.

When I see you, I see myself, I wanted to give you a future, but your uncle didn't allow it. Least I could do know is bring you to Interia. I'm sorry kid. "

"But your horse, aren't you mad about that." Gullit asked now concerned. "Betty was a old horse, that is actually couldn't let you on the cart." Seth responded

"And the alcohol what about that?"

"I get alcohol delivered at the tavern every two weeks, I don't need to go to Interia."

When Gullit saw Seth this time he saw a whole different man. First he saw someone who looked at him like a rat, but now he saw someone he could be in the future. Gullit apologized for screaming, Seth wasn't even mad and they both were on their way again.

Arriving in Interia the next day, they would greet eatchother goodbye. Seth borrowing a horse and money from a local friend. Giving the money to Gullit, "Enough for your carriage and a little to have fun." Gullit bowed his head deeply to Seth, "I will repay you for this bartender."

"Don't bother, consider this my parting gift." Seth laughed. That's when he drove of to the sunset with his horse.

Later Gullit was in a carriage filled with chicken on his way.

It was four days later when Gullit stood at the door of Castle Black.