I could see the smokestacks of Rolak in the distance, it was comforting how far we had come from Dunlok the boring capitol of the empire to Rolak. Tarnak had proved at least a humerous companion, he told me stories of rural mischief, stuff like letting food animals into peoples houses, or stealing small objects and placing them in difficult to reach places to mess with the elderly (funny to me). He actually spent the whole time talking, talking about his life, his wife, his two kids. It was refresing to have someone else talk (and because speaking hurt my ribs). I found out the cargo we were carrying was spices from the northern farms, they helped preserve local meats and mask the meats putrid flavor should it have gone bad, so they were extremely valuable, and my new partner had a lot of them. Which unfortunately meant he was a bigger target for bandits, its why he was happy I agreed to help him out.
We had transitioned nicely from the desert around Dunlok to the rolling green fields near Rolak when we ran into trouble. I had earlier asked Tarnak for a scarf like he was wearing to keep the dust out of my face (it also obscured my face like his, my true purpose for wearing the scarf), so I figured we were safe to travel the road from prying eyes of the Ronerawth military. How wrong I was. There was an impomptu road block set up outside of town, it looked to be staffed with Ronerawth military, but I couldn't tell at first. People were coming and going and looked to be paying for the pleasure. It seemed strange to do because the road was just a path in the middle of a green field, nothing prevented people from just side stepping the barricade and moving on. And yet they lined up with their wagons, goods, or just by themselves. Tarnak and I got in line with his pack animals behind us, I was more than a little nervous as we approaced the front.
"Toll road, we accept coin, goods, or services." The soldier repeated the line as he had been saying it to everyone coming through.
"Services? What possibly could we do to service you?" As soon as I said it I regretted it immediately, the gleam in his eye was not one that warranted bickering.
"Well obviously nothing you could do, but should have you have any female companions you'd be willing to spare, but seeing as you don't, its either coins or goods." Tarnak looked at me pleadingly, I guess he didn't have any coins or wasn't expecting a toll.
"Whats this a toll for? I can just avoid your little gathering and continue on to Rolak." One of the other soldiers of which there were three others cocked his rifle.
"And we can just declare you both traitors to the regime and have you shot." Their leader apparently had given this speach before, from behind me I could hear some grumbles about letting people past and just pay the damn toll. I looked at the rifle the soldier had cocked at me and it looked like an older version, with an exposed breach.
"This man is under my protection and under my protection we pay no tolls, stand aside or face the consequences." They all moved back to take up firing positions I heard the intake of breath from Tarnak and the people behind us fled to the surrounding countryside.
"You've got one chanc..." I didn't let them finish, like a domino effect of explosive death my fire spell lept from open breach to open breach exploding the butt of each rifle in a hail of shrapnel and destruction. Now I had been out of society for around a hundred years, but I hadn't forgotten my magic, if anything I'd worked on controlling it a lot better. I didn't have to even show exertion to ignite the gunpowder on their rifles. One moment they were standing ready to fire, the next they were screaming in agony. I couldn't tell if they had all been mortally wounded but they were out of commission and I motioned my companion forward which he did with haste.
"Heretic!" The leader uttered reaching for a pistol, I held my sword to his throat and he lowered the pistol.
"One should take care angering the Fire God or her servants, petty thieves should know their place." I left him there, I didn't really worry too much about retribution, using the guise of the Fire God would be enough to scare them, the religion had grown vastly, and followers were known to be graced by her presence. And it wasn't like I appeared to be the normal spooky sorcerer type anyway.
"You are a follower of fire?" Tarnak almost seemed mystified at the prospect.
"Of course, why else would I be alone in the desert? I fear nothing of heat, her watchful gaze is always upon us." A total lie, I've never heard of the followers being not fearful of fire, as the Fire God's element is more of an example or her rage and not some kind of manifestation of her divinity. Tarnak didn't know that, couldn't know that, he was a simple farmer, he'd never read the chronicles or in my guess even able to read at all. And so it came that me and Tarnak arrived in Rolak (ak ak sounds are killing me here). Sadly our troubles were just beginning, revolution was brewing and I accidentally lit the fuse.
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