Background music ------> http://www.animeaddiction.net/anime/Berserk/mp3s/berserk_forces.mp3
As is most of the time of Rease Hunter's moments of thought, it is night time. The Pretarian Tavern stands as dark and alone as the core of his soul feels on this night. However, this night he will not pray silently to some uncaring god of good or evil for deliverance of his own personal hell within him. Tonight this isn't about him, his past, his drunkedness or his personal feelings for the matter. Tonight he makes a choice to help a friend out and to put his skills back on the line.
With that, he walks slowly up the stairs of his Tavern. Strange as it is how he can still call it his "Tavern" when origionally he intended the place simply as a place of inconvenience not to long ago. Back then it had been simply a place to lay low, and take the so called "easy path" from his past. His wife Artemis, long ago in the throes of maritial bliss had decided that for their progeny sakes they would stop their violent life of blood and murder. Ahhhh the blissfull days of a bloody innocence, he fondly remembers. How life had tooken a most interesting, if not confusing, turn. The Vandor still do not know where he is, and here he stands Artemis-less, Ethan-less, and Kasha-less, with a town under his own belt to uphold, and an army behind him that looks to him with.......what? Admiration? Respect? Awe? Reverance? HAH! It was enough to make a man laugh, and he probably would have done so if it were not for the seriousness of the situation. Let them think of him as they think. He knows the truth of the whole matter.
However tonight, the situation becomes mroe confusing. During the meeting earlier, there was a disturbance within. A man, either drunk on too much booze and drugs, or insane with madness, overtook the steps and overcame 2 of Damira's Paladins, practically throwing Smit out of his own window. But it was the words of the man that confused him the most, despite his appearance of amusement:
"Find the heir! The heir I say! You cannot win without the heir!"
and with the end of those rants, he quickly turned to dust at Damira, Smits, and Ryori's feet.
And its not just about that that bothers him. The night before last in one of his drunken stupors he stumbled into his bed to rest off his nightmares and anger. It wasn't long before though that he had a strange dream. There he was, in the middle of the Taverns main part, with a man across the table who went by the name of Najaal and gave him close to 100,000 gold and stand down his forces and serve his Lord Abraxius. However, despite not having a voice he would have gladly told the man off, but for the money laid before him, and his inability to move. He told him he had a choice to make.
And then the morning after with Atheryn as well, telling him that he must not falter in his plans because of what is at stake.
They both told him he had a decision to make....
Now he has made that decision, and it is to help the Empire of Sosaria and the Paladin Queen in their cause, perhaps just this once in the matter so he can consider his options and promises that this Najaal has spoken of.
He stands now within the confines of his own room, clear of the debris and pugnent odor of cheap booze and unwashed clothes. His decision now comes and leads him to a chest at the foot of his bed now. His fingers trembling, opening the chest to reveal.......
....a pair of almost pure black clothing and armaments. Aged by the time of unuse. A sigh escapes his lips as he then stands, and remembers of the time when he wore this with pride. Of the innocent people he killed, of the blood that soaked into these garments, of women, men, and children both who were either slaughtered or left behind who lost family, all in the name of money. All the source of his anger and shame of himself.
However....for just one day, he will don the colors again and ride upon a mount, with his blade in his hand. This time, he will wear the colors in the name of helping and good (a laughing stock more like 5 years ago).
For just one more day he'll be the Black Swordsman for the right reasons.