"The baffled king composing Hallelujah" Hallelujah. It had been a few hours since dawn broke, and I saw a small village. There were lush green mountains behind the village. A great forest surrounded most of the village, and between the dirt road were wide open flower fields. The only reason I enter the village was because most of the houses looked like hobbit holes. I always wanted to live somewhere in the countryside and live in a hobbit hole. I hid my bike and walked into town. The village was quiet too quiet it bothered me, and the reeked of death was strong. I took a swig from my flask. I decided to pull my gun and get ready for combat. The sounds of fallen leaves ruffled, and the smell of sweat came across my nose. An arrow flew overhead a few inches into a tree trunk. I started moving and firing off a few rounds not hitting anything, but using it as cover. 15 rounds in the magazine, and an unknown number of combatants. Their were commands being given out, and sounds of quick feet began to surround my position. Hooded people started to pull both long and short swords outs, and arrows continued to fire at me getting closer and closer. I pulled my knife and fired my pistol at the blades trying to break them. When the hoods moved in closer I started using my knife and stole a short sword I knocked out of one hand. All of them started attacking at once, and the swords started to get cuts off me. The commander started to yell about something I couldn’t understand. The hoods damn near overflowed me when I finally understood what he was saying. “What did you do to my people, you son of a bitch” The man said. “What” I said. “Your kind took my people and you dare to come back here like nothing happened.” The man said. “So what you think every human being is in ties with each other. The only thing I've been doing is sleeping, drinking, and driving. Sometimes drinking and driving.” I said. “Why would some random human appear only days after humans raided are home taken are women and children, and burned are homes.” The man said. “I just came here to see the hobbit holes.” I said. “What the FUCK is a hobbit hole!” The man yelled. “It a home that is built into a hill. I thought the houses looked nice and may have seen if their was a blacksmith here.” I said. “Your staying that you are not one of the hoodlums that attack us.” The man said. “YES” I yelled. “Well ok. Stand down everyone, this man is safe.” The man said as he pulled down his hood revealing pointy ears. Others had tails or animal like features. Their was also small hairy people, so all and all normal fantasy races. “I would like to discuss a matter with you humans,” The man said. “Sure,and call me V.” I said. We walk to a place that looks like a tiki room. The room was full of smoke, and 4 people sat on one side of the room. An old dwarf and elf were the only ones smoking pipes. There was a dragon lady, and a man who seemed to be in his 60s with a cane across his lap with a large scar across his left eye. The old man was smoking cigarettes that look like he rolled them himself, and he looked japanese. “Who have you brought us Faelon?” said the old japanese man. “Mr.Kashiwagi I brought a man here who may be able to help with the raid tonight.” Said Faelon the Elf. “How could this man possibly help us?” The dragon lady. “Miss.Saphira this man fought off dozens of people, and he doesn’t seem to have any magical powers.“ Faelon said. “I don’t see anything wrong with this man joining the raid. Do you two have anything to add to this conversation? Are you just going to smoke until your lungs collapse?” Osamu the old japanese man said. “I don’t really care,” The old dwarf with the long beard said. “Cathal right if he can fight then why shouldn’t we let him join” The old Elf said. “Thank you Zeitgeist.” Said Cathal. I decided to light one of the 18 cigs I had left. “You smoke, too kid” Osamu said. “I try not to, but I’m already dead so it doesn’t matter.You got a good blacksmith in this town.” I said. “Yeah you're talking to him right now. What do you want, kid?” said Cathal. “I wanted to increase my fire power and restock on equipment” I said. “Ok meet me at my store and I’ll see if I can help you,”Cathal said. The meeting wrapped up after that. Faelon and I left through the front and the four olds went out in the back. My cigarette was half smoked when I asked Felon a question. “I’m I going to get anything out of helping you?” I asked. “You will be paid, and you are allowed to keep any treasures or money you find.” Faelon replied. Faelon was called over by another elf so I started to walk around. The only thing I could smell was the smoke coming from my cig and all around was green and brown things. I also saw people just walking around, children running around,family laughing, and people loving. I got a melancholic feeling from it. Was it because how normal this raids were that these people were able to bounce back or was it just remembering the past. "I see friends shaking hands, saying, "How do you do?" They're really saying, "I love you" I hear babies cry, I watch them grow And I think to myself, What a wonderful world." Wonderful world. After walking for a while I found a blacksmith shop wondering if this was that shop the Dwarf brought up. I knocked on the door. “Come in” A voice said. I walked in the room smelling of ash and smoke. Smoke seems like a common smell in this town. “Ah you that guy from before what do you want.”Cathal said. Pulled out the blue prints I been working on for the shotgun and my second pistol and give it to him. “Well in all my years I have never seen things like this before.” Cathal said. I also give him my pistol and a magazine with bullets in it “I thought if you were able to see something in real life it would be easier for you.” I said “Well kid I should be able to make what you need, but it will cost you” Cathal said. I pulled out all the money I had on me and said “Here everything I have, and give you everything I get from the raid, and that also includes all weapons.” I said. “ That should cover the cost, but it will take me a bit to finish this shotgun, as you call it. I will be able to finish you pistol before the raid tonight. I’ll just need the original thing to make it the way you want it.” Cathal said. “Okay” I said. “Well pick it up around late noon it should be ready.” Cathal said. I waved a goodbye and left. I felt naked without my gun. I had time to kill due to it being only mid morning and the raid will start at dusk. My hair has grown and so has my beard. The length of time I spent in this world has been long and tired some. It has revealed to me the length I’m able to go for standing alive. I took a swig from my flask and sat on a rock.17 cigarettes left and 68 bullets with 4 four magazines in total… “I see you found the best look out for this village” Osamu said. “I guess I have.” I said. I turn around to see the view the old man was talking about and saw a beautiful scene. The sun painted the sky as it slowly faded from view. The sound of family’s laughter echoed throughout the land, and the flowers colored the ground with purple and red. The green mountain reminded me of my grandparents and the heat remained me of summer as a child having no worries about life.Never wonder about the meaning of it all and whether or not getting home even means anything. There's nothing there for me back where I once lived, and there’s nothing here either. “You know I come up here to ponder about my long life here. I was born in 1944 and only 16 when I was sent to this world. This land was hell. I was dropped right in the middle of the first human and demon war. I was summoned to be the hero of their people, and told to dispose of the Demon King. And that’s what I did. I built a group that would help me. First the best ranger in the world, he was a tall,pale,and skinny elf. He had beautiful golden hair that glimmered in both moon and sunlight. Second the strongest warrior in the land who was to cut anything in half with his mighty axe, and he was also an amazing blacksmith. And finally the brains she always kept up are money, and how we would attack that would harm the demon lord army the most. She was also quite the beauty back in the day.” The old man slapped his knee after saying that and a bit of a laugh. “We fought hard those days and when we pushed into the demon's land we realized why the demon fought as hard as they did. They may have been demons but they were all evil. Their were family without farther,sons,brothers, and husbands because war takes from everything it touches no matter who are what it is. They all were so skinny you could see the bones, and corpses lined the streets.” The old man took a long smoke from his pipe and I took a drag from my flask. “I was no hero, I was a soldier killing for a land I knew little of, and a war I was forced upon. We made it to the Demon King and he looked like a normal man. He had dark eyes bugs, and blood shot eyes. He looks more like a pauper than a king. Skinny like the rest and look sick. The King raised his head to us and gave a faint smile. “So you must be the hero's party. You have destroyed the plans I had made, and destroyed my most powerful commanders. And now you’re here for my head. I know my name will be scorned for the evils I have done, but I did it all for my people. We had nothing and would have died with nothing. At least I tried.” The King stood staring at each of us. “I am ready for death, oh brave hero. Because in the end, we both doing what we must to help save our country’s.” The King said. I draw my sword with shaking hands, and with one great blow cut his head off. Their was nothing triumphant about the scene more like a release of pressure for a single man. Well when we got back home the people cheered for us like heroes. Later on the second Human and Demon war happened but we avoided it because we made this town. It originally was to get away from the Kingdom, but more and more people who need a safe place came here. But there are ways evil and they gained greater strength. I’m sorry for all the rumblings, but I felt like pounding about the past.” The old man said. He sat on the rock next to me with his legs crossed and his cane across his lap. We sat there in silence and in warmth watching beauty… It was almost the break of dusk I was ready for the battle with a new gun and my magazine count now being at 10 giving me 170 bullets. I felt good. Faelon was standing in front of a tree “You know my people are ready to take arms against those who have attacked us.” Faelon said. “I know, but I won’t just be killing these people I will make a example of what happens when you dare attack your people, and I want to test out my new gun. I also don’t want any more of your people to get hurt. I know you were planning on taking a group, but like I said I hate people blooding their hands” I said.“Good Luck“ Faelon said. It took about 2 hours to get to the encampment. The bandit encampment looks like two pill boxes on top of each other. From what I see their about a dozen people, possibly more. I load my guns and get ready. “Wam bam Mon chat Splash g?t sur mon lit A bouffé sa langue en buvant dans mon whisky” from ?a plane pour moi. Bang! Bang! Two round fired two killed. A bell begins to ring and I smile. Two man come bursting out of the door with long swords and in full armor. I fire one in the head and two in the chest for both. Both dropped. A ball of fire past my head and icicles start fire at my legs. I started to fire back but I couldn’t get a clear shot off the fuckers and then I remember that I have two grenages left. I lit one and throw it the grenade made it inside, blowing up and sending little chunks of them flying. I entered the bunker and decided to holster my new Jerico and pull out my knife. One guy came at me with a short sword getting a cut off. I shot the guy one in the leg and stabbed him through the neck. Two guys from both sides came at me both with long swords and chest armor. I fired three time at the guy on the right and thrown my knife at guys on the left head it got him but he was able to stab me in the side. Ok that should be 10 only two left. A started to hear loud footsteps coming from the stairway. And one big fucker appealed. He was about 8ft, about 250 pounds of muscle. I pulled my second pistol out and started firing, but guy tank them off and started running right towards and he sent me thought a concrete fucking wall. I coughing up a bit of blood. Interesting that they concrete in this world. The behemoth grab my leg and he pulled me up to his face and said “You’re should of never had came here” and I said “You should just killed me.” I stick both guns into his mouth and started and didn’t stop firing until both magazines were out of ammunition. By that time no longer had a top part of his head. Took a long swig from my flasked and said “That’s eleven.” I walked up the stairs and blow it open and saw a man hiding behind a desk. “You smell that it the smell of blood. I love the smell of blood in the morning. I once fought over a hundred men with two knife and another guy. It took 5 hours but we killed them all… Blood smells like victory. Now where the fuck are they.“ I said. “Where who?” He said, pissing himself. “The people you took from the fucking elf” I said “There downstairs” He said. “Ok.” I walked closer to him “Why are you coming closer I told you where to go” He said. “I what you told me, but I have to make a example out of so no one ever bothered those people.” I said. “Why!” He screamed. “Because I’m the Devil and here to do the devils work.” I said into his ear. I found a crow bar near this man’s desk and bashed it down on his hands, and then I broke the guy's feet. Then I put the guy in a chair, and tied his arms and legs down. I started slowly ripping off his fingernails and cut of his left hand. I then cut his left foot off. And I told over his horrific yells “If you are anyone ever dares to attack that tribe again I will personally come back and take your right side and their left side. Now you tell everyone in your world that the Devil will come for them if they prey on the weak and take part in any form of slavery.” I said. “Ok ok I do whatever you want.” I said. “Good,” I said. I took a set of keys that were on top of his desk and left the room. I was covered in blood and sickening about the event that I just took a part of. I popped a cig out and lit it while I was walking to the basement, and I unlocked the door. The basement smelled of piss and shit and it damn near pushed me over the hang. Well it was like any other raid I done before seeing things no one should and people who gone through things no one should ever should. I unlocked the doors. The people were afraid but eventually they realized that I was there to help. By the time I made it back the sun was creeping up and night was disappearing. I close up my wound on the walk back with my lighter and a lot of drinking from my flask. In the end the people were save, I torture a man, and killed 12 people. As always it was a bitter sweet experience seeing the smiling face for family reunion and weeping of joy. And there me the man loses more and more pieces of himself… I mean myself. Nothing could get the bitter taste out of my mouth. “I must thank you for helping my people, but I must bring up that it was rather foolish to go in without any back up.” The old man said. “Sorry to worry you I just wanted to keep all your people safe and not to carry the sin of combat.” I said “Well all well if it ends well. We going to have a feast as a celebration for all who have returned. You should join us, "the old man said. “Sure,” I said. I had to stay anyway because my shotgun wasn’t finished yet, but there was no reason to bring that up. “And you should also take a bath because blood never feels good” The old man said. “Yeah” I said. The old man actually pointed my way to a free bathhouse. It was always nice washing the blood away. Even if most of the blood was my own this time instead,of my enemies. The cauterization wound looks as good as a cauterization looks. The smell of burning flesh will stay with me till my dying days, but that was the worst wound I had. I had little cut all over me from the constant little I took over the months. My clothes were also cleaning, and repairing themselves. I had a bit of a drink and soaked in the bath. I left after a good long soaked, and good long drink. It was only early when I left the bathhouse. And I saw the old man sitting and smoking his pipe. I saw friends shaking hands saying how do you do, and family members having fun. And I think to myself what a wonderful world. I decided to head to my bike and sleep for a bit till the feast began… “Hey the feast is about begin kid wake up.” The old man said. I opened my eyes to the sight of him. “ I’m up. I’m up.” I said. “Look like you are now kid. Now let's join up with the rest.” The old man said. “Yeah. Yeah don’t get your knickers in a twist.” I said. Well the two of us walk to the camp, and get to the feast. “Here to those who came back and here’s to the man named V who saved are people.” Faelon said. “Here’s! Here’s!” The village said. The feast was a great party with the whole village celebrating. Drinking,eating, and telling tales about life. The old talking to the young and friends bickering about simple things. All were having fun. I always forget that life isn’t as grime as I make it out as. Just always remember to make the best out of times like these. When everything wrapped up it was late in the night with only a few still up. I saw the old man sitting alone and decided to talk to him one last time before I leave in the morning to the next place. “You be leaving up in the morning ain’t that right sunny” the old man said. “Yeah I never like staying anywhere too long, but this place is truly nice. If you ever need help again I will make my way back like a bat out of hell.” I said “Well I keep that in mind son. Just remember a fun life because that all we can do with are life. To have fun.” The old man said… "Someday I'll wish upon a star Wake up where the clouds are far behind me Where trouble melts like lemon drops High above the chimney tops that's where You'll find me, oh Somewhere over the rainbow" Somewhere over the rainbow. I rode away once more to some land far away.

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