Heroes and Villians

Heroes and Villians

�Gregory.� The woman�s voice was both cold and resigned. She was a tall woman in battered looking armor with an air that belied her youthful appearance. The man she was pointing a bow at looked much the same, save for an expression of mild amusement to her stiff features. He pointed to his campfire.

�Long time to see, Alyssa. I�ve got a campfire if you have something to cook over it. Wasn�t planning to eat today, snake that you always called me, but why the hell not? Unless you�d rather shoot an unarmed man who hasn�t even provoked you. Significantly.� With the snake comment he twisted his arm so that the fire played off the tiny scales thus revealed. After that he lapsed back into a sort of meditative amusement.

�You�re being strangely... Civil. And perhaps I should shoot you. God knows that you have committed crimes enough.� Despite her words she seemed to find a little humor in the situation as well, if the small grin tugging at her mouth was any indication.

� Psh. Come off it. I suppose you�ve never had to do anything morally iffy for the greater good recently? Any, say, rebellions to be put down?� Gregory had apparently taken the position that her righteousness was something to be treated with mirth. He had been there once.

�Oh, shut up. It�s� Different from what you did. We have a reason. We have the support of the peasantry.� She suddenly seemed old and tired. She sat down heavily on a log, unstringing her weapon wearily.

�And we didn�t? At least at the start� Come to think of it, I hear that your old friend, the pretty one, he�s been neglecting his duties a little in favor of parties. Everything sinks into decay, eh? By the way, what happened to all my old allies? Never heard what happened to the half of them.� He had a little nostalgic smile on his face, staring off into the middle distance.

� Lassarat, we caught her pretty fast. I wasn�t there, was trying to figure out your little disappearing act, but I heard that she took out almost a company of knights before the archers wore her down.� Her tone was faintly and unwillingly admiring.

�She was a haughty bitch anyhow. Strongest thing this side of the jungle though. I heard what happened to Yojimbo. Committed, what�s it called? Hair cari? Anyhow, he killed himself with a gut wound, right? Bet he squealed like a pig, cowardly fucker.� This was all said with a good-natured malice. They may have been assholes and cowards, but they had been his assholes and cowards.

�How the mighty are fallen.�

�In the midst of battle. Nobody ever completes that quote. What happened to Bayobob, little quisling that he was?�

�He ran into a miracle. It ate him.�

�Ahhh� I remember marching ten thousand to kill said miracle��

�I remember ten thousand dying without a mark on them.�

�I remember a certain to-be quisling treasurer unwilling to spend a bit of money for protective amulets.�

�I remember marching ten thousand. With hideously expensive amulets.�

�You lucky bitch! How�d you get them to spring for it? Last I checked your old boss worshipped the damn thing.�

�That was before it ate a quisling treasurer, wife, ranger sandwich.�

�Oh gods, he got cuckolded by BAYOBOB and TSITE? Now THAT is sad��