The man in black embarks on his quest across the ocean, pulled westwards by an unknown force. He heads west to the unexplored land where the only thing that is certain is that his story is coming to it’s conclusion. It is a feeling in his bones that it feels like a changing of the guards, a new breed of mercenaries is emerging younger and with no code of honour. For the last few months he has been battle worn and run down.
He’s been a long time at this, forty years next week. Forty years of killing, kidnapping and other dirty deeds. Over the years the fortune he amassed has faded, his acquaintances have faded to dust but the memories of all his deeds have remained. They exist like this dull glow just out of his vision that he can never see, but all the time giving off waves of regret and hatred. His last contract was to kipnap a local lords daughter. He knows this is a set up, the days for this type of kipnap and ransom are long past. Things are more “civilised” now, when ones honour is impeached upon the offended party simply kills the offending party. This involving of other family members is an antiquated method and one the the man in black has built a small fortune on it.
The sky clouds in and thunder booms in the distance, it seems like the saints are giving him an appropriate send off for his last contract. Some may ask how he knows that this contract is a set up. He knows it is because of the location, there is a reason why this region is known as the unexplored region. There is nothing beyond the small settlement village where the docks are.
The rain starts as the boat approaches the moorings, the fog descends from the mountains towards the village lights. The bellow of the captain interrupts his reflection on his life and past deeds. The game begins again possibly for the last time. He heads towards the village inn where the rules of the game will be laid out.
The inn has a roaring fire and a bard is playing some old melody that some of the locals are tentatively dancing to. There is an air of tension and apprehensiveness to the inn something has the village on edge they are waiting on something to happen. The contact is where he’s supposed to be in the back snug. Good she seems like a professional someone who has done this before. The contact gives him his instructions, they’re straight forward, there should be a castle or fort forty to fifty miles north west of the village. The daughter should be in there. Then the she drops a bombshell the father is the Man in Red.
Suddenly everything falls into place in the man in blacks head. That feeling of being pulled towards the village and this side of the world. That feeling that his story is reaching it’s climax. Of course it should have been so obvious to him. The man in red left the game a decade ago, ran out on an unfulfilled contract and double crossed the man in black. It was the man in blacks duty to either capture or kill the man in red. For the only time in his forty year long career the man in black had been bettered. The man in red defeated him in hand to hand combat. The code of honour that is lacking in the new breed compelled him to allow the man in red to escape.
The dawn turns the sky a fiery red and the last of the fog from the previous night is being burned away in the early morning sun. The man in black watches the women on their morning pilgrimmage to the well and the men as they start their day. One column meanders between the foot hills towards the fields and the other moves towards the docks and the fishing boats. He takes a breath and embarks on his journey towards the final confrontation and the conclusion of his story.
