KLOVER

“Look, I only need you to hand over the money you owe. I don’t wanna have to kill you over such a small inconvenience…”

Klover walked closer, every step frightened the poor child.

“I’ve–,”

Julius continues to sob.

“I’ve spent it all… the money—and I know I made a big mistake but please, give me another chance.”

Klover looks down on the child with a cold look, beginning to crouch down close to the boy.

“Look kid, you may have been able to fuck over the rest of the other debt collectors all this time, but your lucks run out.”

Klover pauses waiting for a response.

“I’m not as lenient as me colleagues ya’ know… knowing this now, surely you can pay it back, right?”

Klover got closer to Julius.

“You wouldn’t wanna get me upset would you, Julius?”

The child shook his head no.

“I can’t pay it back.”

Klover took his time before responding.

He looked to the floor and let out a slight chuckle.

“I see.”

Klover slowly gets up.

“I guess you may be tougher than I assumed, but you’ve gotta pay with something, kid. You should know atleast that much.”

He chuckled lightly once more as he drew his sword, Julius quivers moving further from Klover.

“I’ll settle for a trade I suppose…” Klover examined his blade as he spoke.

“But we’ve been at this for so long, a leg or two won’t do. Won’t get me what I want…” He looked at the child.

Julius began silently sobbing.

Klover noticed this and started angrily.

“The fuck is wrong with you? Ya’ steal from us, and now what? You expect pity or some shit?!”

Klover paused.

“This country has no use for you thieves. Whether you can pay me or not is no longer my concern…”

Klover raises his sword as Julius looks up with wide eyes.

“I’m just a child… he wouldn’t really kill me, would he?” Julius thought to himself.

“I swear, I really don’t have it!” Julius whimpered.

“P—Please, I don’t want to die…”

The boy’s eyes became barely visible as tears flowed from his pupils down to his chin.

“Can’t I make it up to you somehow?”

Julius asked in confusion, his voice continued to break throughout his speech.

“It’s too late for that Julius. You’ve been holding out on your royalties for far too long.”

Klover gave the boy a cold glare. His blank, dark eyes, told the child everything he needed to know.

Realizing it was too late for him to get out of the situation he found himself in, he turned to the only solution he could think of.

The boy yelled at the top of his lungs for someone to come and save him.

“SOMEONE HELP ME!” He yelled.

Klover slowly followed the youngster as Julius back peddled away, whimpering in fear, too afraid to run from him.

“How pitiful you are.”

“Crying for help.”

Klover chuckled.

“I think, I’ll kill you now.”

Klover impales Julius through his heart.

And the child’s body became lifeless.

Klover began looting his corpse and found a knife hidden under his foot.

He shook his head in disappointment.

“You can’t survive in this world, if you aren’t ready to spill some blood every now and again.” Klover thought to himself.

(Many Hours Later)

After a long day of bloody adventure, Klover arrived home to his sickly mother yet again.

“Mother, I’m home! I’ve brought more gold for you!”

Klover says this as he opens up the door to his home.

“Oh Klovis… how great it is to see you, my son.”

“Is that so mother?”

Klover chuckled lightly.

“Ya’ know… I’ve been getting quite a lot of praise from me coworkers lately. You could say, I’m cleansing the world of all the evil people who might try to harm us.”

Klover says this wholesomely as he places down the large bag of gold.

His mother stared at him as he brushed off the statement.

“Don’t say things like that.”

His mother gulped.

“Who exactly are you ‘cleansing’ Klover? Who is trying to hurt us? Don’t come here with such nonsensical tales.”

Klovers mother stares intently at his sword as her expression changes.

“How foul of you… ‘cleansing’. On top of your foolishness, you come into my home with a weapon like that!”

“My home.” Klover muttered quietly.

His mother scoffed.

“Keep that outside for Christ sake! I’m sick and I’m tired, and bringing a sign of violence into our home like that, isn’t helping at all!”

“How isn’t this helping? You don’t know what crazy man might come here unannounced?”

“Klover, you are that crazy man that you fear might harm me! You’re unstable! I don’t even know what to do with you anymore!”

Klovers mother begins to cough uncontrollably.

“Mother, you are the unstable one… screaming and yelling at your own creation like he’s some monster, completely unaware of what you’re doing to yourself… there’s nothing to be worried about! You don’t even know the first thing about the work I do!”

Klovers mother begins to calm herself down as Klover does the same and sits down.

“That’s the issue.” She started.

“I have no idea what you get up to outside of these walls. I feel like a damn guinea pig, completely unaware of what’s happening around me.”

“The least you could do is clean your sword. The blood is still fresh, it’s dripping on my carpet…” She chuckled with a state of worry on her face.

Klover begins to wander in sorrow as his mother continues.

“It truly pains me, to see you haven’t given up on your barbaric manners of living, even after all these years. You’re nothing like how I remember your father being… he was kind and held genuine care in his heart for others.”

She paused.

“But you were always hurting people… It’s like it’s fueled your system or something… like you get a hidden ’kick’ out of tormenting others. That sword you wield proves it all.”

“I don’t think I need to know what you do for work to know it’s wrong. You’re pathetic Klover.”

Klover looks at his mother and scoffs.

“Father is the truly pathetic one. Maybe he was always just… weak… a warrior like him shouldn’t walk around worrying about others when he should’ve been worrying about himself!”

“Protect the country this, show loyalty to the king that. Who the fuck cares about fathers morals mother?! He was a weak warrior and because of that simple fact that you just can’t seem to understand, he is dead!”

“Even if he wasn’t a ’warrior’ you would’ve loved… I still love your father! He knew when it was time to put down the sword and start doing some good in the world. His nature wasn’t barbaric!”

“For the last time, I’m not barbaric mother! If I don’t carry a sword, how can I show my strength?! I can’t protect myself or you without one and you know that!”

“If you love father so much, then maybe you should drop dead and die just as he did! You can rot in hell with that weak piece of shit for all I care!”

His mothers eyes began to swell as she tried to speak, and she rubbed them gently.

“Klover, I fucking despise you.”

Klover was taken aback by the harsh comment.

“Someone who is truly strong doesn’t need a sword to protect himself and the people he loves! I’ve always tried to reason with you and understand you but I simply can’t. All you ‘warriors’ are the same!”

“Your father never viewed himself as a ‘warrior’, because warriors like you are disgusting, psychopathic, hypocrites! They have an uncharted lust for battle and no moral compass! There’s no such thing as pride for such things!”

“Your father was a soldier! He protected, he taught, and he loved, and you’ve never had any of those qualities!”

“I am protecting you!” He cried.

Klover struggles to build up a proper response. His voice broke each time he tried to speak up.

“You are still too young to understand, I see. Or maybe you just choose to ignore it.”

Klovers’ mother stands and slowly walks with her cane towards Klover.

“But you are still my son… I still love you, I only want the best from you. This is simply… not the best… give up on your barbaric nature. Give up on the sword. Stay here and live an honest life.”

“You may not be able to use your strengths for good, but it’s not impossible to let them go and be someone new…”

Klover looks at his mother with complete and utter resentment as he begins to produce an angry, toxic, and brutal frown.

He aggressively pushes his mother to the ground.

“Who the fuck do you think I am?!”

Klover took out his bloody blade and pointed it at his mother.

“This will never leave my grip! This is the path I chose, and you won’t be the one to break it, not even in death mother!”

His mother stares at the gold, then glares at Klover sternly and begins to walk back to her rocking chair.

“You can keep your gold, I won’t take riches from a heartless criminal.″

“With the way you are now… anything and everything you’re ‘path’ meets, will die…”

Klover turned away from his mother and put away his sword.

“If that’s the truth, then I don’t care where my path takes me. The world will perish before it has my life and blade. That’s the kind of warrior I am.”

He shuts the wood door behind him.

“What am I doing wrong? What would you have done Keijeen?”

Klover never got to meet his father and he didn’t plan on learning any more about him.

In truth, he hated his father as he grew older.

When he was young, the thought of a protector, someone who answered to and was respected by a king, someone who helped others, made him happy.

But at some point in his life he resented the idea of a warrior like his father. He thought helping others he didn’t really know was meaningless.

But at the end of the day it didn’t matter, because the person he did care about was the one who loved what he despised.

His mother was the only one who took care of him as a child and he understood from a young age that from birth he was always the way he was. The world he lived in was what helped him realize that.

He’d steal from merchants and traders and take whatever he could from whomever he could. As he grew older this wouldn’t change.

It didn’t matter to him as long as his mother could stay safe and well, because he loved her. Even if she lost love for him.

She was the only one he didn’t have true spite towards. To him, people were just objects of his use so he could let his mother live.

But this mindset is what halted his mothers life.

Deep down he knew he did much wrong, but he was too far gone.

He thought this was how he had to be to survive.

He didn’t have dreams or goals for himself, he only wanted to help his mother.

He’d been visiting her periodically like that for months since she began to show more and more symptoms of old age slowly but surely killing her. Klover tried everything he could whether it’d be bringing in food or gold but her condition only got worse.

He was too infamous within the area he lived, so a nearby doctor he could trust was simply out of reach. Traveling at the time within or out of the country wasn’t possible either…

Klovers mother was unfortunately suffering from the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s as well, each time he’d come back to visit he had to put on an initial act like the two weren’t at each other’s throats not long ago.

But one day, his mother died.

—

Klover routinely came home once again with large bags of food and gold. But instead of seeing his lovely mother resting soundly in her rocking chair. He saw a much grimmer scene. A picture that was certainly unpleasant even for Klover.

He showed no sign of sadness initially looking at the corpse but he knew what the situation was. She was dead…

“No she’s not dead… she’s just passed out… a hangover perhaps.”

Klover crouched down and turned her over, getting blood all over himself. He saw stab wounds and small cuts all over and it was a truly disturbing sight. Punctured areas were plotted across her entire body.

On her chest, thighs, arms, neck, etc.

“I should’ve been here.”

Klover whimpered.

“I should’ve fucking been here! Who could’ve done this… what sick man would do this to a sickly old lady… why did it have to be her? Did they know about our transactions? Did they know of the gold?”

Klover checked around the whole house to see if anything, anything was missing but everything was fine. No sign of burglary.

No sign of anything but a murder.

“Why then? Why would they kill her? She never did anything wrong to anyone!”

Klover cried.

After a few long minutes of crying, and punching, and ripping, and yelling. He slowly calmed himself and took a good look at the corpse. He noticed a knife beside her.

It sat roughly near her hand that was cold and dry with blood.

“She killed herself?”

He sat there in disbelief.

“Was I not in her thoughts? Did she think nothing of how I’d feel? She knows… I’d never allow this… I’d do everything in my power to get her to put down the blade.”

He stopped for a moment and his anger boiled up to the brim.

“You fucking wench! Don’t you care about your fucking son!”

He yelled at the corpse in pain. Once again he found himself crying and decided to accept the fact that all of this was more than likely, all his fault. He was to blame.

The only person in his life he really cared about was gone. What was there for him to live for now?

When his mother died, Klover wished that would’ve been the day he realized everything he was doing was truly wrong and there needed to be a permanent change.

But that simply wasn’t the case.

It took awhile for his actions to really hit him where it hurt so he could act accordingly, and change his mindset for the better.

Change his life for the better.

—

Klover was walking the streets of the country he knew as Jomsgrills. Sword in hand stood tall next to his partner, Richard. This was a year later after his mothers’ death and he had ’moved on’ since the incident occurred.

He realized how good his swordsmanship really was in a world where strength was the most important thing in a man’s life.

After dueling with so many men, he decided he’d try his luck with the royal King Dayton of Jomsgrills’s army.

He rose through the ranks quickly, never even really having to train.

Now he works directly under the king with his partner Richard.

He was carrying out a mission to find a child who was reportedly stealing from people around the area and threatened to kill several men and women if they didn’t give him what he asked for.

He had a large bounty of two hundred gold for anyone who brought him in dead or alive. Dayton saw this child as a threat and wanted to deal with him quickly, so he sent his two best men out to finish the job.

“So this kid, he reminds me of myself… I used to be a rascal who would steal and even threaten to kill so I could keep on goin’.” He chuckled, sounding slightly disappointed in himself.

“I’m interested in the kind of person I might find him to be. How’re you feelin’ about meetin’ this kid Rich?”

Richard pauses before he speaks up.

“I dunno, this kid just doesn’t seem very threatening to me.”

“I’ve seen Dayton at lows but this is low.”

Richard chuckled.

“Don’t get me wrong I’m all for bounty huntin’ but he’s a kid… what harm could he really be, for us to have to set him out for two hundred gold?”

Richard laughed.

“I mean c’mon…”

Richard paused.

“Normally I’d leave something like this to you, but the money on display is too hefty to let an opportunity like this slip by.”

“I say, if I gotta kill him, then I’ll kill him.” Richard laughed once more.

“No Richard. I’ll do it, if it comes to that. You don’t need that kind of blood on your hands.”

“Klover, you don’t seem to understand the lengths I’ll go to for some cash. I’ve killed a lot of people for Dayton…”

“To me it’s not about the money, I live only to serve now.”

“I have no interest in the bounty. I just wanna do whatever it takes to carry out my duties as a soldier here in Joms.” Klover responded.

“So I can take the whole sum, is what you’re saying?” Richard says with a large grin as he chuckles.

“Yup, I’ve got no interest in it…”

“I’m just wondering… if a kid like this is worth letting live… I wonder if he can change a man like me.”

Richard stares at the dark sky and looks back at Klover,

“Change you? Nothing about you needs to change, you seem just fine to me, just a bit gloomy at times…”

“I’ll tell ya’ what, after we collect this bounty we’ll have ourselves a drink and have a good ol’ time.”

Richard laughs.

“Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad… should take my mind off of his death afterwards.” Klover thought nervously as he chuckled with Richard.

As a few minutes of walking through the town pass, Richard asks Klover a question.

“So um… how exactly do we plan on spottin’ this boy?”

“Oh that’s easy, the kids sure to be robbin’ some little old lady by now. If we just keep walking we’ll find em’ soon enough.”

Richard thinks intently about what Klover said and starts.

“Find ’em soon enough? How can you be so sure of that?”

Klover doesn’t respond for a bit.

“I mean… if I were a kid again, I’d probably be doin somethin’ along those lines…”

“Well you’re not him Klover. We don’t know what the hell he could be doin’, he’s wanted, we can’t really think of him as just a child as hard as that may seem…”

Klover gives no further insight.

“Mind you, even if we’re to find this kid walkin’ about, we haven’t got our horses and I’ve got no intention of having a foot race.”

“Well what did you expect I–”

“Klov I expected you to have a plan ya’ dumbass.”

The two stop walking as the confrontation begins.

“We can’t just keep walking around willy nilly without even knowin’ where the kid’s at, or what he’s doin’. I mean… we may have even passed ’em moments ago and we wouldn’t have a clue. Lend me the bounty poster for a sec.”

“Ouch… I thought me plan was quite brilliant?” Klover chuckles.

“Yeah well it’s quite shit!”

Richard snaps at Klover.

“Jesus, that old shit of a king can’t even send his best men in the direction of the boy before they’re sent off.”

“I mean to be fair you never asked him where he might be, you just heard Dayton say what you’d be paid and you were fully on board.” Klover stated.

“Cut the shit Klov. Let me take another look at this photo.”

Richard unravels the paper.

“Short brown hair… overalls… a backwards cap—who the fuck raised this kid? Is there anyone we’ve seen so far that fits the description?”

Klover stares blankly at Richard.

“Rich… I thought the kid had blonde hair.”

Richard turns slowly towards Klover.

“How the hell are you my partner, you’ve got the skills for the job but absolute shit for brains.”

Richard continues squabbling with Klover until Klover notices a small child with a cloak on and a giant bag.

The boy glances at Klover as he walks past and quickly turns away, walking quicker than before.

“Rich… Rich… Richard!”

“The hell is it now, quit cuttin’ me off you sack o’ shit!”

“I think we found our boy.”

“What do you mean, do they have blonde hair too?!”

“No Rich, I’m certain of it. You see the kid with the cloak speed walkin’ over there with the big bag?”

“Yeah what about ’em?”

“That’s gotta be him, just look at their demeanor, and why else would they be wearin’ a cloak like that with a large bag? Even if it’s not him, he sure is suspicious–”

“Oh come off it Klov! The hell do you think we are, the fuckin’ city council?!”

“We don’t have any other leads! Would you prefer that we continue arguing like two shitheads or do you wanna catch the fuckin kid Rich?!”

Richard began muttering to himself as he looked away and unsheathed his blade.

Klover looked at the child and did the same as the two made their pursuit.

“Shit I had a feeling it was them, they’re onto me, I’ve gotta find somewhere to hide quickly or I’m fucked!”

Klover and Richard were still walking quite slowly as they continued to follow the child.

“Damn the little shits really goin’ huh?” Says Richard.

“Yeah but he won’t get far, the bag looks far too heavy for em’ to be carryin’ in the first place.”

Richard nods as the two begin to pick up the pace.

After a couple more minutes of chase, Klovers attitude begins to shift a bit.

“This kid is pissin’ me off. How long is he gonna run for?”

“LOOK WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WE HAVEN’T GOT THE TIME TO CONTINUE FOLLOWING YOU LIKE THIS!!”

“IF YOU JUST TURN YOURSELF IN–”

Before Klover can finish the boy begins sprinting away from the two.

“Damn, I hoped it wouldn’t come to this.”

Richard says as the two begin to give chase.

The kid begins straining as he continues running, with the bag dragging across the floor; eventually the bag rips and tons of supplies and food come flying out.

“NO!”

The child turns back but as soon as he looks, he sees Klover and Richard looming over him before getting knocked unconscious.

“Jeez why do kids always gotta be so difficult.” Says Klover as he sheathed his sword.

—

“Where am I?”

The boy wakes up in disarray and in front of him, he sees Klovers’ devastating grin.

“Damn, how long have you been out for bud?” Klover starts.

“I was starting to think you had died…”

Richard sits down behind Klover as he continues.

“You’ve been causin’ some trouble man. You ought to apologize. Luckily for you that’s all you have to do… apologize.”

The child looks at Klover with a confused look and scoffs.

“You’re dumber than you look. Okay then, I sincerely apologize–”

Klover kicks the kid in the mouth before he can finish and the boy spits out a tooth.

“Didn’t think you were so naive.” He started.

“When I say apologize, I mean apologize with your life… if you wanna get outta here you’ll have to get through us.”

The boy shivers as he begins to stand.

Richard scoffs after hearing the words come out of Klovers mouth.

“Just get it over with so we can collect the bounty and go.”

"Oh come now, let me have my fun.”

“You’re fun is fucking annoying Klover.”

The boy reached into his pocket and seemed to be looking for something.

“Where is it?” The boy whispers.

“Oh are you looking for something?” Klover starts.

“I don’t want you getting the wrong idea, I’ll give you ya’ knife back, but if this is gonna be a proper duel then I’ll need you to tell me ya’ name. It’s no fun if you just lunge at me and die in the blink of an eye.”

The kid looks at Klover with an uncertain look and says,

“I never agreed to a duel with you. Call me whatever you like you sick fuck.”

“C’mon. It would be a shame on whatever honor I have to duel a kid… and not even know their name.”

Klover grins.

The child stares at Klover with an intense look and doesn’t say a word. Klover loses his grin and starts.

“I see… well let’s get started then ‘whatever you like’, heres ya’ knife.”

Klover throws the boy a ragged and scratched up knife as the boy then proceeds to catch it with ease.

Klover grabs his sword off the wall and continues;

“Alright now that we got the introductions out of the way, let’s start.”

Richard cuts off Klover.

“Klov what the hell are you doin, you ask the boy his name without even giving yours?”

“Oh right, right.” Klover turns to the boy, reaches out his hand and says,

“The name’s Klover.”

The boy angrily looks at Klover and smacks away his hand.

“If this is gonna be a duel then let’s get to it already! I’ve got no interest in conversing with the likes of you!”

Klover scoffs,

“You’ve got quite the mouth kid. Maybe I should cut off your tongue first. A criminal like you has no right talking to me like that.”

The child stares at Klover with an angry glare.

“You people enslave children like me, you kill us off and pretend that it’s just sheep’s blood being wiped off your hands. You’re the damn criminals you henchman!” The child looks down at the floor and tightly grips his knife.

“People like you killed my mother. The only person who cared about me and helped me survive amongst you people here in Jomsgrills. Why did she have to die?” The child begins to weep.

“Was it because she was a slave? All she did was try to adapt to your way of living and she paid the price for it. I--”

Klover cuts off the boy.

“Look kid, I don’t give a rat’s ass about your fucking mother. We’ve experienced pain you can’t even imagine. If you wanna hate me, fine but don’t act like you’re above us… we’re the same.”

The boy begins to whisper to himself.

“We’re not the same…”

“Oh I’m sorry, what was that?”

“I SAID WE’RE NOT THE SAME!”

The child aggressively swings his knife at Klover as he swiftly dodges out of the way.

“This is why I hate kids like you. We’re exactly the same… I lived a life of crime just like you. If you live long enough you’re just going to grow up to become like me.”

Klover says as the boy continues to swing at him.

The boy snaps back at Klover.

“You don’t even know me! You just choose to believe that because it favors your cause! I am not you! I am nothing like you! It was never supposed to be this way!” The boy stops swinging and takes a breather.

“If you people really wanted to, you could change but you’re too afraid to. It’s safer for you to stay the shitty way you are. I live like this because I have–”

Klover kicks the boy in the side of his ribs which flings him against the wall making pieces of rubble from the ceiling fall down.

Klovers arrogant, boastful, and cocky expressions turned into anger and spite at the child’s words.

“Jesus! Klov you didn’t have to hit the kid that hard!” Richard says with an annoyed look.

Klover approaches the boy as the kid begins to cough up blood.

“You can’t kill me, you know that right?”

Klover gets in the child’s face.

“Do you wanna know why you can’t kill me? Because you are simply too weak… and it’s a shame that you will never have the chance to grow out of your weakness. You have been fated with death ever since our eyes locked and you’re afraid… that’s why you can’t kill me. Weak people die, just like your pathetic slave of a mother and soon enough you’ll die too.”

Klover raises his sword as he stands to his feet.

“You may be a kid but you grew up here just like me, and that makes us one in the same. You’re just another shithead here in Joms!”

“So give me a reason not to kill you and you might just leave alive.”

The boy stares at Klover in anger and looks down at the ground.

“I thought this was a duel not a lecture… I’m not strong enough to kill you, I know that. At this point I’d rather be dead! I don’t want anymore bloodshed, but it won’t end with people like me. I don’t wanna be around for it anymore.”

“Looks like the opponent has surrendered…” Klover said coldly as he lowered his blade.

The child looked up with anger and tears in his eyes.

“Stop acting like this is what I deserve! All I wanted was a normal life! I never wanted this! I never wanted to have to kill anyone!”

Klover looks at the boy surprised but then he smiles.

“Maybe the people here don’t have to suffer the same fate as me after all…” He thought.

Klovers smile turned into a chuckle, which turned into an outburst of laughter.

The child raises his head and looks at Klover with a confused look as Richard does the same.

Klover then proceeds to drop his sword in front of the boy and tells Richard,

“Let’s go.”

Richard looks at Klover and sighs.

“The hell do you mean by let’s go Klov? I don’t know what form of enlightenment you just reached but I’m claiming that bounty– pick up ya’ fucking sword!”

“Rich, what’s the point? He clearly doesn’t want to fight. He doesn’t want any of this. He’s not the same as us.”

“Of course he’s not the same as us, he’s a criminal! It doesn’t matter how he felt when he stole from and killed people because the point is those people are stolen from and have died.”

“He’s easy pickings, why haven’t you killed him already?!”

Klover looks at Richard and continues.

“Look Richard, I don’t wanna live like this anymore. I don’t wanna live as a warrior, I wanna live as a person. I want to become a better man on behalf of my mother. That’s what she’d have wanted. I want to live an honest life, A life without the sword.”

Richard looks at Klover unimpressed,

“So please, just spare this poor child.”

Richard looks at Klover then looks at the boy, then looks at Klover.

“Klov, I don’t know what the fuck happened, but you’ve gone soft. An honest life won’t do anything but put you in poverty and deep depression. It’d be putting a blemish on my honor to let this child or you leave here alive, I came here to claim a bounty.”

Richard stands up and unsheathes his sword.

“Kid this is the last time either of us are gonna ask you… what’s your name?”

“You don’t get to know that… you’d forget about me in the span of a day. I want you to live with this for the rest of your life, you piece of shit.”

Richard looks at Klover as Klover looks at Richard angrily,

“I didn’t ask you for me, kid. But I guess we’ll never know.”

Richard swings his sword at the child but Klover steps in and blocks the attack with his sword.

“I knew it would probably come to this Klov.”

“I hoped it wouldn’t but I guess I have no choice but to ‘change you’ as well.” Klover says.

Richard looks at Klover scornfully.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘change’ anyway?”

Richard parries Klover’s attempt at trying to overpower him with his sword which in turn knocks Klover back on his side while Richard takes a knee.

Richard and Klover both pant before the two get up and Richard continues.

“When you say you want to change, what does that even mean for you? You mean you want to give up on your blade?! If you really wanted to change you wouldn’t have even raised your blade at me in the first place!”

Klover looks away from Richard.

“Klov I want you to look at me.”

Klover turns toward Richard.

“I don’t wanna fight you… so I’m about to give you a good example of why you can’t just give up your blade. It’s not a matter of wanting to but not being able to… you just can’t.”

With those words Richard turns his attention back to the child.

"I guess this is it.” He thought to himself.

With a swift gesture of his sword, he strikes down the child leaving him on death’s door.

Klover looks at this in shock.

He tightly gripped onto his sword and anger filled his mind.

He struck Richard right in the chest faster than even he could process.

Realizing what he did Klover looks up and says,

“You could’ve moved out of the way… why’d you let me–”

Richard cut him off.

“Klover… I want you to realize something… People like us can’t change. You can’t fuck yourself up over things you can’t control. Warriors like us aren’t cut from the same cloth.”

Richard looked at the child.

“He isn’t dead yet. You know what you have to do now…”

Richard coughs up blood and continues.

“Klover deliver the finishing blow already!”

Klover gets up and pulls his sword out of Richard.

Richard’s lifeless body topples over and Klover turns to and slowly walks toward Elijuah.

“Look kid. No hard feelings alright. This is just… who I really am.”

The boy tries to utter one last word but struggles and tries to get back up.

“You piece of shit…”

Klovers expression slowly grows heavier and heavier with malice and anger.

“Go fuck yourself…”

The boy’s vision blurred as he looked up at Klover.

Klover took a step toward the boy.

“I have nothing more to say to you–”

Klover beheaded him on the spot before he could finish.

He grabbed a bag he had prepared and put the head of the unnamed child inside of it.

“Looks like I’ll be collecting this bounty after all.”

Klover looks at Richard’s corpse.

“Don’t worry old friend, I’ll be back so we can have that drink we talked about.”

—

Klover arrives at the king’s palace, he’s greeted by the soldiers close to the headquarters who stood outside the tall doors that led to the king’s room.

“Welcome Klover, it seems that kid gave you some trouble didn’t he?”

“Yeah a bit, but he couldn’t put up much of a fight against me.”

Klover holds up the bag with blood still dripping out.

“Wow, you’re one crazy bastard. Didn’t think anyone would have the guts to kill ’em.”

The guard chuckles.

“Come on in Klover.”

The other guard stops Klover before he can walk in.

“I understand you’re eager to see his majesty but where’s Richard?”

Klover looks at the guard intently.

“He was killed.”

“What! Richard was killed?!” The guards say with wide eyes.

“Yes, it’s quite unfortunate. He was snuck up on by the boy and stabbed in his side. I didn’t have enough time to help him, and so he died whilst me and the child had our duel.”

“That’s preposterous! How could he be killed by some kid? He’s been working under the king for years and he’s endured many battles, how could he be killed?!”

“That ‘kid’ was stronger than we thought. We let our guard down and he got the drop on us.”

The guard quickly gathers himself, recovering from the shock of Klovers message and gets back into position.

“Well um… enjoy your stay Klover.”

The guards open the large doors for Klover as he proceeds to walk in. The king sees Klover enter and kneel, then he starts.

“So… have you completed your duty?”

“Yes, your majesty.”

Klover holds up the bag and smirks as he raises his head.

“I see. I can finally rest safely. Your reward is over there.”

King Dayton points to the bag of gold and silver that sat to the right of him.

Klover looks toward the gold and gets up to speak.

“Your majesty?”

“Yes Klover?”

Klover pauses before he speaks up again.

“Aren’t you going to ask about Richard?”

The king waits before he answers.

“I do not wish to know what happened regarding his whereabouts. If he has died that is his own fault.”

Klover sighs and walks over to the gold as he continues his speech.

“I should’ve expected that answer from you.” Klover chuckles.

“I can’t say I’m not impressed with your work Klover… you’re more valuable than even Richard was. I want you to know that.”

Klover picks up the bag of gold and silver, and places the head of Elijuah next to the king’s chair.

“I loved him like a son. I haven’t lost my heart, but I haven’t lost my crown either. Until then he’s simply another corpse.”

Klover ignored Dayton.

“To keep this country safe, I need to cut ties with the outsiders.”

“Richard wasn’t an outsider… It wouldn’t hurt to shed a tear or two.”

“Tears don’t heal you Klover. Strength does. Strength is what will heal the law in this land. Not tears.”

Klover looks back at Dayton and says nothing. He turns back around to walk out.

“Well if that’s all, I’ll be on my way. I will continue to serve.”

Klover waves as he walks toward the exit.

“I still want to change. Even if I can’t. But this country won’t help me accomplish that.”

Normally Klover during his free time would hang around the palace. But this time around he made his way back to Richard.

When he finally got back he tried to forget everything that happened earlier that night.

“I’ve got drinks Rich.” Klover chuckles and sits down next to the lifeless body.

He sets one of the glasses next to Richard’s. He takes a sip of the wine and starts.

“This is pretty good. I know you would’ve enjoyed this kind. It may not be your favorite, but this may give Jomsgrills best a run for its money.” Klover laughs as he continues to talk.

“What do we have here? What a morbid sight, drinkin’ beside a corpse.”

Klover slowly turns around and grips his sword as he sits.

“And who might you be?”

“I’m just a nobody, I happened to be passing by.” The man grins.

Klover looks at this odd man and begins to think to himself.

“This guy isn’t just some nobody. He definitely doesn’t look like he’s from here.”

The man walks into the room. His chains atop his boots that ran down to his soles clanked along the floor as he slowly approached Klover.

“There’s no need for us to get hostile right? The hell are you doin’ in a place like this anyway?”

Klover begins to stand with his drink in hand.

“It’s quite roomy isn’t it?” Klover says sarcastically as he laughs.

“Jeez it smells like shit! I suppose I should introduce myself nonetheless. The names Wesgard, pleasure to meet you, Klover.”

Wesgard reaches out his hand.

Klover looks at Wesgard with an unsure look but extends his hand regardless. Wesgard smiles and pulls out a revolver, shooting Klovers hand, knocking the drink out of his grasp as it spills.

“SHIT! The hell is that thing!”

Wesgard laughs and starts. “We call this thing in the far west a gun pal!”

“You’re from the west?! Your Jom English is quite good to be fair.”

Klover takes out his sword and swings it at Wesgard and he quickly pulls out his and paries the attack.

“As they like to say where I’m from, you shouldn’t bring a toy like that to a gunfight.”

“Are you implying my weapon is a toy?”

Wesgard laughs and says,

“That’s exactly what I’m saying Klover!”

Klover jumps back and begins to charge Wesgard as he continues to shoot the revolver repeatedly and Klover blocks all the shots with his sword. Klover stops his pursuit and takes a minute to rest as he continues,

“Stop being a fucking coward and use your sword you bastard!”

“I don’t think so pal you just blocked all my shots with that sword, if I let go of this baby I’ll be toast.”

Klover angrily looks at Wesgard.

“Well then I’ll just continue to block.”

Wesgard laughs.

“Are you sure about that? Look at your sword and say that again.”

Klover shifts his gaze to his sword and he sees deep indents.

“Don’t take your eyes off the prize Klover!”

While Klover is distracted, Wesgard shoots him in the thigh.

Klover writhes in pain and takes a knee.

“AHRGH!!”

Wesgard points his gun toward Klover and continues.

“Damn, Klover I thought you’d put up more of a fight!” Wesgard laughs hysterically.

Klover tries to reach for Wesgards gun, but he steps back and shoots his wrist.

“S– SH– SH– SHITTT!!”

“I’m here on a mission Klover, with many men who have guns even more devastating than mine. They may not be as good a shot but they work under me for a reason. We’re here to take over Jomsgrills in the name of the great George Franchez. To do that we gotta take out Daytons best warrior, and from the looks of it… that would be you.”

Klover looks at Wesgard with sinister intent, and before he can say anything, Wesgard continues.

“Lucky enough for us Richard has been killed so we haven’t even gotta worry about him. But apparently from the rumors he was killed by a child so he probably wouldn’t be much trouble in the first place.”

Klover clenches his blade in his hands and says,

“A child didn’t kill him, you dumbass.”

Wesgard laughs.

“HA! Then who was it? A baby perhaps?”

Klover sighs, “No it was me.”

Wesgard stops laughing and gives Klover a blank stare.

“I don’t understand and frankly I don’t care to anymore. All that matters is two of our largest issues are about to be disposed of.”

Wesgard puts his gun closer to Klovers head. “Any last words Klover?”

Klover pauses before he responds.

“Well shit… I mean if I’m gonna die here, I’d like for it to be by a blade.”

“You’re dying wish huh? I’ll gladly grant it for you.”

Wesgard holsters his gun and draws his sword.

He raises it in the air and right before he strikes down Klover, he stops.

“Wait a moment. I just had a thought.”