I remember when the second Sword came to town. He was also wearing iron, but had none on his right leg. He walked into town, and I followed him to the square, where he stopped and seemed to be looking around for someone to talk to; but nobody would come near him after the events of the previous week. He walked over to the place where it had all happened and knelt to briefly examine the blood-soaked dirt and the wildflowers that had been left. He shook his head and stood up, then he spotted me crouching behind the rain barrels. He started to approach but stopped when I got up to run.
He said to me in a slow and even tone, "Did you see this happen?".
I nodded...
> He might have been smiling but his eyes were glittering hollows of some
> savage amusement. "A fine collection of young fellows." he growled. maybe it
> was friendly, I don't know. From his tone, how could you tell? It was like
> bones grinding together.
> "Have you fought many battles...Sword Lord?" I asked as strongly as I was
> able.
> He laughed almost joyously. Then he knelt down to us. "I've fought
> accross the Pass and past it against all manner of foes. I've worked for Kings
> and Queens, Dukes and Lords but have called no man master. I wander where I
> will and no hand is laid against me that is not removed a moment later! I am
> death on two legs and I live to deliver my gods message to those who stand in
> the path I chose to follow."
> "Have you no Clan nor hearth?" Chipped in my aunty Erthen who'd come up
> behind us as we spoke. Her tone was sharp and I remember being puzzled at her
> hostility at the time..
> The warrior stood and bared those teeth again. "I have no ties, I have
> no home. My brother is my blade, my family is war and my food is battle. When
> I stand before Humakt in his halls of Death all I will ask is "where is the
> fight?" and I shall know the perfection of eternal combat."
> My aunty shook her head sadly. "It is a wasted life that you are
> leading. You produce nothing, you make nothing and if you were but one of many,
> you would make all else nothing too." As she spoke many of the villages menfolk
> had gathered around. I noted that some few had weapons with them, from hay
> forks to barely hidden swords. The iron warrior didn't seem to notice.
> "What do you know woman? You have never held a breach when all others
> flee, you have never tasted the glory of a charge into certain death yet through
> skill you survive. You will live you life here, among your folk, knowing
> nothing of the world around you, nor will you know the wonder of risking all
> with nothing but your skill and cunning between you and oblivion. These things
> I have experienced and seen. Who leads the wasted life? Not I!"
We stood there for a long moment and, starting to become nervous, I spoke, asking a meanlingless question to break the silence: "If you're a Humakti, where's your warhorse?".
"I rely on no man or beast save myself; so I have sworn", he replied.
After another pause, he said "Do you remember the man who did this?". I nodded again. "Can you tell me about him?"
I talked to the Humakti for a long time and he listened to everything I had to say. I felt that he was sorry for what happened, but also I could tell that he was growing angrier every time I mentioned the other Humakti and what he had said and done. He put his hand on his sword, and I saw a fiery glow rising from a ruby-crystal in the hilt of the sword. He looked briefly to the north at the hills...
I continued my tale:
> The Thane arrived then with three of his men, one was my elder brother.
> He was wearing his scale hauberk, the one I'd thought to be so fine till I saw
> the iron warriors harness of war. "What do you want here deathbringer?" He
> demanded.
> "Are you Thane Thuren?" Asked the big warrior lightly, his fingers were
> hooked casually over his sword and axe hilt and haft..
> "I am." said the Than proudly. "Why do you ask?"
> "Because I'm here to kill you." With that he pulled out his sword in a
> shimmering blur and vaulted over the childrens head's to cut into the Thane and
> his men. I could not close my eyes during the scene. To this day, I remember
> every stroke, every spray of blood and most of all, every scream.
> They lasted mere moments against this titan of death and he turned at bay
> as the rest of the malefolk of the village leapt upon him screaming vengence.
> Bursts of magic exploded within the mass of men that surrounded him and the
> constant sound of metal on metal was overlayed by a deeper, meatier thump that
> occured every few moments. From the mob the screams began and in seconds they
> broke and fled for their lives. Five more men, including my father lay dead at
> his bloodspalttered feet Three more reeled away missing their arms or clutching
> at opening stomachs.
> The Humakti stalked past me. I heard him mutter. "Next time they want a
> killing they can damn well get someone esle to do it unless they can find me
> some decent opposition!" He leapt onto his horse and prepared to ride away.
> Ignoring the screams all around me I leapt at him in rage, beating my
> little hands against his greaved leg. An armoured paw hauled me up to face
> level. "I'll kill you you murderer!" I screamed at him, no fear in me at all.
> He looked into the hate in my eyes hard and long, then he laughed.
> "Maybe you will little fellow, maybe you will. But wait a while yet before you
> try or you will be little competition. Remember me well, little one for I will
> be waiting. When you want me, my name is Onslaught. Remember." With that he
> dropped me.
He gave a little smile and snorted when I said the other Humakti's name. Still nobody else dared to show their face, and finally the Humakti and I ended up sitting together on the steps of the Ernalda Temple.
He told me about Honor and how a Humakti is sworn to uphold it. He told me about Truth and how a Humakti is sworn to defend it. He told me about Death and how a Humakti is sworn to wield it with responsibility.
I came to realize the difference between this Humakti and the other. I reached into my shirt and took out the piece of the first Humakti's sword I had been hiding. I handed it to him, and he said "This broke during the battle?"; he didn't wait for an answer, he seemed to know. Then he said to himself "...a bastard sword...another modernist apostate...". I didn't understand that, and kept silent, watching him mull over the broken blade.
Finally he said, "You were brave, son...what's your name?"
"Hralf, but everyone calls me Bingo..."
He put his hand on my shoulder and smiled, "Bingo, you'll be a fine Humakti one day, mark my words..."
Then he stood up and started to walk across the square towards the northern hills. He spoke as he was walking away, the smile gone from his voice, replaced by a grim determination, "This dishonor will be avenged, Bingo, tell your family and friends that...".
As he was going out of sight, I jumped up and called after him, "What's your name?".
"Arreth", he said.
I remember that as a child watching him walk away, he looked shorter than the other Humakti, he had no horse, he carried a shorter sword. I thought that he was crazy for going after him.
I wasn't until much later that I realized who was the greater man.
> That was ten years ago now and as I stand ready to take my final vows and
> enter the ceremony, I reflect on the purpose that has driven me all these years
> till, at last, I stand ready to become a Sword of Humakt. I remember a name, oh
> yes. I remember.
>
> Martin Laurie
End of Glorantha Digest V2 #495
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
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