The Man in black

I do not own SC3 or make money from it.

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Chapter Fifteen
The Butcher Of Armindale

Everyone stood up quickly and moved towards him.
Tira was the first to make it to him. Tira stared into his eyes and placed
her hands on his shoulders.. before ramming her knee into his balls.
Peyton staggered and cupped himself as she walked past him, slamming the door on her
way out.. Cassandra rushed to him to hold him up and looked angrily at the door.
Sophitia looked at him as if he were a ghost, not believing he was standing before her.
"You.. cannot be real, we saw you covered in your own blood.. you were dead!"
Pyrrha and Patroklos took a step away from him, looking strangely at him.
The children looked up at Sophitia and asked, "Mommy.. is he a ghost?"
She looked down at them smiling, shaking her head.

Rothion spoke with him in private about Sophitia..
He forgave him but he felt like he needed some time to mend his mind and asked if he would leave.
Rothion spoke as they walked outside, "I thank you for saving my life..
pelase do not take this the wrong way, i'm not asking you to leave and never come back..
if you did that Sophitia would be crushed..", He frowned.
Peyton nodded and clapped him on the shoulder.
"I understand Rothion, don't worry.."

Cassandra and Sophitia sat, waiting for Rothion to come back inside.
When Rothion came back in alone Cassandra looked at him.
"Well? where is he?"
Rothion sighed and looekd at her, "I asked him to leave..."
Cassandra gapped at him, "YOU WHAT!? I didn't even get to talk to him!!"
Sophitia rested a hand on her sisters.
"Cassandra.. pelase understand.."
Cassandra pulled away and stood up, walking away from them, pouting.
She turned back to them before leaving the house.
"You're always telling me what to do! I can't take this anymore!"
Cassandra walked from the house and into the morning mist.

Peyton caught up with Tira in a wooded area, she was still angry with him..
She crossed her arms, walking in front of him.
Peyton sighed, trying to explain..
"Tira.. I don't see why the hell your even mad, I was cewerd to save your
crazy ass!"
Tira growled and fell back behind him, following him.
He took it as a sign that she was ok again.

They stopped to think of where they should go next.. he hadn't really been
able to ask about any rumors our information before he had been thrown into
yet another situation. Peyton sighed and leaned against the nearest tree.
He heard rustleing from behind him and reached up to hold the hilt of his sword.
Someone jumped out of the bushes, exclaiming, "Gotcha!"
He dodged to the side as a young woman smashed face first into the ground..
it was Cassandra..

Cassandra sat up, rubbing her forhead.
"ooooow, that hurt.."
He looked at her and cupped his own forhead.
What was she doing here?
He kneeled in front of her to check on her head and asked her..
"What in the world are you doing Cassandra?"
Cassandra looked up at him, as if the answer should be obvious.
"I'm following you silly.. sis and Rothion won't let me do anything...
soooo.. i'm gonna follow you for a while." , she smiled.
Tira came over and stood above them, she was in her depressed mood..
"What the hell good would you be? you look like you'd get cut by a blade of grass..
might as well go home before you get yourself killed little girl".
Cassandra made a face at Tira as she stood up, taking the time to brush off her knees.
he stood up, looking down at her.
"Did you at least ask for permission to come with me?"
She was unable to hide her grin as she said, "Y-Yeah, of course I did!"
Peyton sighed.. he knew she was lieing.. Sophitia would kill him..
He shook his head and looked at her, "Well.. you won't leave even if I asked, would you?"
Cassandra shook her head.
Peyton rubbed the corners of his eyes.
"I guess I don't really have a choice here.. you can come".
Cassandra punched the air aobve her head and laughed.
Tira made a disgusted face and looked away, commenting, "nuisance.. such a nuisance.."

Not long after that the two women were found argueing.
"What?!" Cassandras eyes were wide in shock, "You did that.. with him.. when he was.."
Tira threw her head back and cackled.
Peyton wasn't listening very intently.. his mind was wandering again..

~A slightly balding man sat in a glorious throne surrounded by his servants.
His city was beign destroyed... why? why would someone do this just for some resources?
The man breathed heavily, his head hanging down in sadness.
"The screams are getting louder.. he will be here soon.."
The screams were indeed louder now, and no sooner had he thought that
that the giant double doors to his throne room burst off their mighty bearings
and fell to the floor, a man in golden armor steeped onto them..
The mans personal bodyguards rushed to protect their king..
The maan in golden armor strode forward, his grotesque arm hefting that
damn blade, and in one swing completely destroyed his guards.
The man came closer, his own soldiers rushing into the room and killing anyone
they came across. Men.. Women.. Children.. they were all dead.. he had left him for last..
The man in gold stood before him now, His glowing red eyes burned with satisfaction
at his murderous rampage..
The city of Armindale had always been peaceful.. even completely self sufficient.
They never did anythign to garner any enemies so why had this happened?
The king of Armindale looked up at the man, defiantly rasing his chin as he stood from his
throne.
"I can see the reason to end my life.. and even my guards.. but the women.. the children..."
The mans expression turned to one of pity and disbelief, the man spoke softly..
The demon in gold's smile broadened even further.
The king of Armindale looked angrily into his glowing red eyes, looking into
the depths of madness.
"You monster... you.. YOU BUTCHER!"
The Butcher of Armindale rose his blade quickly, silencing the man for good...
He turned to his men, grinning, his men took a step back. He knew even his own men feared
him. One of his officers spoke nervously, "P-Peyton sir.. what is your next order?"
Peyton stroked his chin and looked around the throne room.. this place was truely a
jewel of a city, it was a place of beauty..
He looked the man in the eye, a look of bloodlust now present..
"Burn it to the ground, leave no man, woman or child alive..
kill all those who disobey my orders.."
The officer nearly fainted from his look and turned to the large force of soldiers in the
throne room and gave the commands... Armindale would burn..~

The final words of the dead king seemed to repeat in his head.. Butcher..
He heard a young womans voice ask him, "Peyton, are you ok? snap out of it!"
His mind refocused and he looked up, he hadn't notice he had stopped walking.
Cassandra looked at him worridly, Tira however was agitated.
Peyton smiled to reassure them, "I'm fine.. don't worry, what do you two say we find
a town.. I need to check o nsomething".
Even Tira liked that idea, a town meant there would be peaople, and people meant there might
be possible killings..

They arrived in a rather large city late that night, Cassandra complained that
she was not going to be sleeping on the ground. Tira poked her, teasing,
"aaaw, is the little princess afraid of the dirt?". Cassandra shot her an angry look,
why did Peyton travel with this woman? She obviously hated him.. Cassandra just couldn't
understand it.

They found and Inn and purchased two rooms, he would let them have one and he would sleep
alone. Cassandra was nervous, Tira kept winking at her and saying "You'll be all mine, hee hee!"
Peyton rested his blade near the bed and laid down.. he would get information in the morning,
but for now his mind was tired.. he needed to think.

~Peyton stood again in Armindale, the city was burning around him.
He was in his present clothing though. He looked around at the bodies
of hundreds of innocents and gagged, what monster could possibly have done this?
He heard someone behidn him, he turned to see who it was and came face to face with.. himself..
His other self's red eyes glowed like fire, shining almost as brightly as the golden armor he wore.
The Butcher of Armindale grinned wickedly at him, saying, "There you are my friend.. how have you been?"
Peyton gritted his teeth, he hated this man..
"Shut you mouth Cleon, I am not your friend!"
It was odd to be argueing with himself like this..
Cleon shook his head in amazement.
"Why are you so hateful towards me? I gave you exactly what you wanted..
You became a god amung men.. and caused this!". Cleon swept his clawed hand
aroudn at the burning city and dead bodies.
"You were given all you asked for, you became strong, unequalled in power..
you had women throw themselves at your feet wherever you went.. you were respected and feared!
truely a god.. or should I say.. I was".
Peyton reached to his back for his sword and gribbed the handle.
"Enough Cleon.. you should not exist now, I gave up the blade and the dark
burden it carried with it.. I will never go back to.. this".
Peyton motioned with his free hand at the bodies and flames.
The smile left Cleons face.
"Fool.. you think that just by getting rid of some cursed blade you would be free of me?"
Cleon stepped forward, menacingly.
"You cannot be free of my darkness, because it is your darkness.. You were never me, I was you!"
Peyton took a step back and Cleon stepped forward one.
Cleon smiled again, "I was born when you follishly followed you little kings orders..
killing entire cities and bringing civilizatiosn to their knees!"
"The halteese republic.. The kingdom of Dalkia, and even your own country..
The Grandallian empire!" Cleon counted on his grotesque fingers.
Peyton pulled his sword free and sprang forward, seeking to slice the monster in half.
"begone monster, your words are poison!"
His blade sunk into the earth, Cleon was gone.
He heard cleons voice above the roaring flames..
"We will speak again.. soon.."
Peyton released his blade and it fell to the ground,
letting the darkness close in around him.~

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......I was spelling poison wrong......