Chapter 7: "Hello, I was just dropping by..."
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    Leon watched in silence as the massacre continued in the town
square.  "Strange," he thought, "It can be so peaceful near a tomb,
while fifty feet away, a town is being bombarded."   The Imperial
soldiers were slowly crushing the townspeople of Thamasa.  While he
watched, he heard a slight rustling behind him.  Quickly, he spun around
and grabbed his claw tightly as his sharp eyes caught the figure of a
man rising from behind the tomb.  The man was lightly built with what
didn't appear to be a warrior's frame.  He had two dirks in his hands,
and a cape around his shoulders which looked in the light to be a shade
of blue.  He had a cheerful countenance that shone through his face,
and his style seemed carefree and almost childishly friendly.

    "Hi, I saw you tumbling from that airship..." started the man.

    "What do you want?" interrupted Leon impassively.

    "Well, I was thinking that, you being a soldier of the Empire and
all, since you ARE assaulting this peaceful village, I thought that I
would help these nice people out."  With those words, the man launched
himself at Leon with both of his weapons out.

    "I think you are mistaken," stated Leon firmly, as he parried the
lunge of the man.

    "Yeah, and your airships were mistaken when they bombed this
village?  Get real," he retorted with a slash.

    A leap backward was all that prevented Leon from spoiling his day
with a split stomach.  "That wasn't my airship!" cried Leon as he
countered the slash with one of his own.  The man dodged quickly.  He
was really fast.  "Listen buddy, I was thrown off the airship by troops
that I was fighting."

    "Then how did you get on?" he responded as he cut into Leon's
shoulder.

    "With a hook!"  And with that, Leon flung the man against the
tombstone.  His dirks were knocked away by the impact.  "Look, I'm on
your side!" he declaired sharply as he walked up to the man.  "And you'd
better accept that."  With that, Leon kicked one of the knives back in
the direction of the man.

    Picking it up, the man stated, "Sorry."  He retrieved his other
knife and made his way over to Leon.  "I'm Alaric.  Wandering bard
and minstrel extraordinaire!"

    "Leon," he replied dryly.  "Vicious cut," he said with a thin smile
on his lips, "and interesting style."

    "Sorry about the shoulder - my mistake," responded Alaric.  "How can
I compensate you for the wound?"

    "By chasing the Empire out of here with me."  Leon answered.  His
grin had evolved into a large smile by then.  Alaric had that effect on
people.

    "Gladly!  I'l be more than happy to help in your enterprise."  At
his words, they both burst into laughter.

    "Then let's show the Empire some lip!" was the last remark as Leon
and Alaric both left the glade to give the citizens of Thamasa a
slightly better chance of survival.