The Wrath of Snicker - The Beating   Shadows masked much of Leinster, as night had fallen long ago. Few were about at such an hour, as even the taverns had closed their doors for the night. On the main street of town, only one person could be seen. Walking silently through the shadows, approaching the town hall was the figure of a young boy. When he emerged into the pale light of two lanterns, which lit up the hall's entrance, it could be seen that despite his size, he was not a boy at all, but a man full grown. Or as fully grown as he would ever get. His small size was not the only feature that caught the eye though. Even his clothes were unusual. Black armour was not uncommon for warriors, but his jade boots and cowl, as well as the jade baldric slung over his left shoulder, caught the eye of those who saw him. He was not an outspoken person by nature, and would have chosen a more subdued look, but the baldric, boots and cowl were all that he had left to remind him of his parents. Both of whom had passed away when he was just a child, condemning him to a childhood in the local orphanage. It was to the orphanage, in fact, that he was heading. A small bag of coins was tucked into his belt, which he donated every month. He would make the donations in the early hours of the morning, as he wanted to remain anonymous. Although his time there was not always happy, he knew that they would put the money to good use. But more than that, he felt the need to repay them for taking him in and providing what comforts they could afford. It was not much, but he always tried to repay a debt if he could. So intent was he on completing his errand that night, that he failed to see the four shadowy figures that appeared out of a nearby alley. When he noticed them at last, they had surrounded him, and closed in. He recognised two of them immediately. Razor he'd had a run in with in the past. He was a notorious bully that most stayed clear of. The other one he recognised was a woman, although he'd only seen her from a distance before. Up close, Rialla was pretty enough, but she had a reputation for cruelty, and was someone not to be trifled with. The other two were strangers to him, but they were big and looked equally as dangerous. One of them had stepped behind him and grabbed his arms, pinning them painfully behind his back. Razor stepped forward, and eyed him with glee. "Snicker. It's been a while my friend. You haven't been avoiding me, I hope." Snicker tried to ignore the pain in his arms, and stared Razor in the eye. "Just tell me what you want and then let me go." Razor snorted at him. "Just wanna have a bit of fun with ya. We were just wandering around when I said to my friends here, there goes my old pal, Snicker. He's always good for a bit of fun. Let's go say hello." Snicker tried to glare at him, but the man holding him tightened his grip, turning it into a grimace. Rialla, who had been watching the scene with amusement, tapped Razor on the shoulder. "Make him do the noise. I want to see if it's as funny as you said." Razor chuckled, and balled his right fist. He brought his arm back and slammed it into Snicker's stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs. Snicker started gasping for breath in small doses. The result sounded like a weird type of laughter. He had been involved in a lot of fights at the orphanage, because of his size, and it had not taken long before the other children had heard the strange laugh, and given him his name. Rialla laughed gleefully at his discomfort. "You were right Razor, he does snicker. What a freak!" Snicker felt the blood rush to his head, as his breathing returned to normal. He had been mocked for one thing after another since the day he was born, and he had developed a quick temper that was hard to control. Without hesitating, he lifted both legs off the ground, ignoring the searing pain in his arms, and lashed out with both boots, striking Razor in the most sensitive place he could reach. Razor yelled out and doubled over, dropping to his knees. Before he could recover, Snicker lashed out again, this time connecting solidly with his head. Razor fell back clutching his face, blood streaming between his fingers. Before Snicker could even contemplate doing any more, the man holding him tightened his grip until tears nearly came to his eyes. When Razor rose to his feet, a few moment later, the look he gave Snicker was chilling. "You made a mistake there my friend." His voice was soft and devoid of any mirth. Signalling to the others, three of them closed in on him while the fourth one held him tight. They didn't hold back as they struck him repeatedly. Snicker withstood the pain as long as he could before it all became a blur and he passed out. It was morning when he awoke. Leaning over him was Anga, who ran the flower stand near the hall. He was battered and bruised and winced as she helped him to his feet. Although he was a mess, no bones seemed to be broken and he was able to walk, although a little unsteadily. He waved off any more help from the girl, and left her standing there looking at him pityingly. He hurried home as fast as he could. He hated being pitied more than he did being small. It only made him angrier. When he reached his house, he cleaned himself up as best he could. There were only a few cuts, but he was heavily bruised, especially his face, which was swollen in several places. Feeling dizzy still, he lay down in his bed and tried to sleep. For several days he remained at home, nursing his injuries until he felt well enough to go out. He had a lot to do now. He was too small to beat even one of them in a fair fight, but it didn't stop him from planning their downfall. They were strong, but he would beat them nonetheless. He'd been doing it for years, and this would not prove to be an exception. Page 1 of 3 Return to Index Next Page   This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page