5 The noble Zacharias

Simon, Desmond and George walk together on the dirty streets of Mountain Ass. Today is a day of rest so they are free from their usual duties. In these years Simon started to help as a shop assistant in Mr. Paul's shop while Desmond and George dedicated themselves to transporting trolleys in and out of the mine.

Desmond is now much more polished and thanks to his gigantic body he already looks like an adult man more than a boy of almost sixteen. George, now eighteen, has already been considered an adult for two years. His body also strengthened thanks to work in the mine and training with the sword together with his friend Desmond.

A different story for Simon who has not changed much in these years. Although his strength has risen by some point, his appearance is still that of a small undernourished boy. But everyone in Mountain Ass started with time to appreciate his other talents. Many go to him to ask him to read a few letters or just to help them with calculations.

The three are friends for years now and together with other local boys are often found during rest days to compete in competitions or to train. The group spurred by Simon decided to try his hand at the art of war, becoming adventurers or soldiers could change their lives to the fullest.

Basically, both jobs have the same mortality rate as miners but substantial economic benefits. Simon thanks to the skill "Minor Warrior" acquired by Desmond has understood the importance of being able to fight and above all to win for his plan, indeed for that of Elza, to become truly an emperor.

For the moment the goal is not far, it is very far away.

Elza sitting on a fence together with the Madame of the Mountain watches the boys begin training with the sword held by Desmond. One word ... despair. "How is it possible that despite having activated the ability we are still at this point, Simon has managed to conquer the loyalty of your dear Desmond and nothing more, I do not know what to do with him, now only four years left before the arrival of the demons. "

The old lady "Come on, do not break down, if I have to be honest, I did not even think she could survive until adulthood. It's also a matter of time before George and the others decide to follow him as a leader instead of a friend. "

"What you said is also true but I remain skeptical anyway. Maybe I made a mistake. Maybe I was too soft ... just too soft "

With a wicked smile on his face, the deity of Fate sets off towards the woods. After a little less than ten minutes, strange noises start to feel not too far from the group of boys.

Simon, used to fear even his shadow, immediately catches the signs of something strange. The lines of animals like birds or other small animals in the area suddenly went out. A noise of branches instead began to feel in the woods nearby.

Time to warn Desmond and George and here is a giant fire salamander from the bushes nearby. "Strange, very strange ... it should live on the other side of the mountain, what's such a beast doing here," Simon thought.

Elza satisfied sits next to the elderly lady and the latter "In my opinion you exaggerated".

Simon wastes no time, organizes his friends placing the strongest physically on the forehead and urges them to hold the defensive position, while he and the others are preparing to throw stones or other. With what they have, stones and sticks, it will be hard to achieve a victory but the important thing is just to be able to remove the animal from the settlement.

The stones are thrown repeatedly whenever the salamander tries to move. A boy takes care of retrieving stones for the other two. When this comes too close the avant-garde moves the sticks to the animal's nose to scare it. The damage is minimal if not non-existent but the disorienting effect seems to work as a deterrent.

A scream. A really loud and close scream. A man who runs and screams closer and closer.

He is Zacharias the noble appointed by the Lord to manage mine taxes. Once he was a knight or as Simon thinks a knight's squire.

The man armed with a shining sword and his chest protected by a chainmail is throwing himself into an exaggerated charge towards the animal.

Simon worried curses "I bet the salamander is a joke of that stupid deity. We cross our fingers hoping that the braggart is really a knight. "The other guys busy chasing the beast start to back off on the signal of the guy behind them.

Zacharias now within reach of the sword makes a diagonal cut on the beast. The salamander, warned by the screams, avoids the blow without too much effort and turning on itself with an impressed rapidity hits the man with a powerful stroke of the tail.

The salamander, as big as a grown man, is now almost over the feet of Zacharias, a man in his forties, athletic and handsome enough. The noble swings his sword forward with the force of despair, but from that position the force of the blows is nothing.

Simon seeing the salamander load the flame inside the fangs, ready to spit out his fiery liquid, acting without thinking. He takes one of the training sticks and running towards the lizard tries to hit his face using it like a spear.

The blow fails and sticks to the ground, under the jaw of the beast. The boys lose their breath. Zacharias tries to roll to the side trying to exploit the time gained by this absurd action.

Simon holds back his tears and with an effort he leans on the noble's knee, snapping his stick just under his jaw. The blow did not cause much damage but seems to have numb the animal.

The noble rolls several times to get out of the range of action of the animal and tries to pose again to continue the fight.

Desmond, in total panic, does not know what to do and starts running to help his friend. But the necessary time is clearly more than what is available. The salamander turns to face the nobleman and with his tail violently hits Simon's side. The young man ends up on the ground with at least a couple of broken ribs.

The boys are preparing to shield Desmond's retreat while he is helping his friend on the ground. Meanwhile, Zacharias exploiting the distraction of the animal, hits him with the sword at the very moment when the head turns to perform the stroke.

The salamander falls to the ground with his head crushed by the sword stroke and goes off in a pool of blood.

Zacharias raises his sword as a sign of victory and rejoices towards the crowds rushed by the scream. "As my Lord ordered me, I am not here only to collect taxes or to check that you work, I am here also to defend you at the cost of my life from such calamities! My sword does not forgive and if it had not been because of these clumsy boys I would have solved the problem in an instant. "

Some girls blush at these words as some men approach the nobleman to better hear the story of what happened.

The boys instead remain speechless. George, with his abrupt character, is the first to react. With his clenched fists he walks towards the swordsman to break his beautiful nose. Desmond, however, stops him and points to Simon who nods his head and murmurs "You will not earn anything and your father needs work in the mine, forget it."

George tries to relax his fists and giving his back to Zacharias approaches Simon. "I am convinced that if we left your plan to proceed, no one would have hurt himself. I do not understand why you feel good that the bully who almost gets killed takes the credit for something we did. "

"Forget it, at this moment we will not earn anything to put ourselves against him but I assure you that I have more than one plan in mind to revenge. I will make him regret this salamander, the money he steals from taxes and the arrogance with which he treats the people of this post. "

"You scare me when you talk like that because I know you'll do it ... just like you did with me. If you promise me that in the plan you have in mind my father will not go in between I will gladly help you and with me my companions too! "

With a sign of assent the others also join the speech of their young leader.

Simon barely holding tears for the pain in his abdomen and trying to look as cool as possible "If you swear to follow me I assure you that it will be very easy"

The boys after a brief look at each other "Ok"

Elza on the fence "It could end badly and instead fate is on my side! Three other purchases. Simon's statistics have risen again and from that George has also learned "Minor Resistance", the weak version of his unique ability, will be useful to bear the pain of those ribs. Even the three boys will soon notice the improvement. All their features went up slightly thanks to Simon. "