Night had fallen on the town of Rockfell, somehow the poor mining town looked worse illuminated by rays of moonlight, the stars, and lanterns. Scores of downtrodden townsfolk scuttled about. Some assisting Maria with her search for her son Mir, others just seemed to moving about aimlessly.

Mir was tucked under my arm fast asleep as I watched the people of Rockfell with a blank expression. Behind me a set of footsteps marched undisciplined but in sync.

“Well are chuu gonna tell the townsfolk the good news?”

“I’m about to Chuu. But first I need to get their undivided attention.”

Chuu watched as I opened my unclenched fist, the orange and yellow flames burned brightly in the night. With my hand aimed at the sky I released my flame into the air.

WHOOSH!

Just like a firework in the sky the flame burst with a flash, attracting the attention of all within Rockfell. Even with my dazzling display of magic it took the townspeople a moment to gather nearby. When they did I could see their exhausted and tired faces, their eyes that lacked passion, seeing that made my decision all the clearer.

Mir dropped to the ground as I released him from my grip, he woke confused looking up at me. I returned his gaze by glaring down at him.

“Go to your mother’s side. Now.”

Mir tried to say something as he got to his feet but I ignored him. His mother Maria pushed through the crowd meeting up with her son who she wrapped in a loving embrace.

“Thank you. Thank you Mao, Mir, why’d you run away. I…I thought…”

“Ehem…people of Rockfell there was a witch preying on the people here. Bewitching them, using them for her own personal game. She is no more.”

“That’s good right.”

“Yeah.”

“Does that mean we can go back to the mine?”

“I don’t know I don’t really wanna go back.”

Even without the obstacle in their way the people of Rockfell seemed like they were disinterested in returning to work. They lacked motivation, they lacked a direction. They had become stagnant resigned to living in this remove region of Rockfell.

“I’ve defeated the witch. And I’ve come to a decision regarding Rockfell and the future of its people. The town of Rockfell, this poor sorry excuse you folks call your homes. Is now mine!”

There was a brief silence followed by hushed whispers. Maria looked me straight in the eyes.

“You can’t be serious.”

Without saying a word, I pointed a hand at her flames emerged a moment later, Maria and the people behind her flinched. Without removing my eyes from Maria, the flames leapt into the sky.

WHOOSH!

The light from my flame bursting in the air illuminated the area long enough for the townsfolks of Rockfell to see the army of bandits standing behind me.

“Hear me now when I saw that Rockfell is mine. And as such the mine will reopen. The people will work and work until your hands are numb from pain…”

“You can’t do this.”

“What gives you the right?”

My eyes scanned through the crowd as I smirked showing of my prominent canines.

“Is there a problem? You people of Rockfell stood idly when your own townspeople were besieged by a witch. You walk about with your heads down apathetic to the world around you. No one cares about pathetic wretches like you, why shouldn’t I claim this town and extract from it whatever meager value it might have. It’s not like any one of you will try to stop. I mean even if you did try…”

The flames in both of my hands sent my point across, not completely satisfied with that I decided a show of strength was necessary. The first of my flames destroyed the corner of a building sending rubble crumbling down. The next hit the ground near the townspeople and the third went off in the air.

A wave of fear washed over the people of Rockfell, I sneered as I watched their faces, one in particular stood out. An old lady with faded purple twin tails that spiraled down the length of her body like a drill. This strange old lady happened to be sporting a large bump on the side of her head.

As soon as she realized I was looking at her the old lady turned away trembling. Well that makes it kinda obvious now doesn’t it.

Ma must have used the remainder of her magic to mitigated the damage from my attack. Which also explained why her petrification was dispelled. She was harmless now, not that she was the biggest thing that Rockfell had to worry about right now.

“This is horrible. You can’t do this.”

“Mao, why, why I thought you were my friend.”

“Hahaha. I don’t have friend’s brat.”

“Why is this happening to us. No! No! Nooooo! Uhhh huuu…”

Some of the people of Rockfell seemed to slowly coming to grips with what was happening. As they lamented their fate a despicably cute blue voice of reason spoke.

“Chuu guys are upset cause chuu all are lazy.”

For some reason that got the attention of a lot of people.

“What did you say, you blue bastard?”

“Chuu closed the mine cause chuu were scared but didn’t bother to find out what was going on. Lazy. Mir was lost twice and chuu barely lifted a finger. Lazy. This perverted creep stalked his prey in broad light and chuu guys just watched. Don’t chuu get it if chuu save Mir chuu get free food. Free food, Chuu.”

It felt like Chuu had lost some of the point he was trying to make even so some of the townsfolk apparently did not like being called lazy by a floating blue ball of fur.

“We are not lazy. Take it back.”

The bandits stepped forward, along with the bandits a number of townspeople that had been turned to stone now stood beside me.

“You remember them? Why didn’t you look for them? You just assumed they were lost and out of reach. You gave up and became stagnant. Living simply to survive. And you’re doing a shit job of that.”

The townsfolk of Rockfell tried to refute my claims but I wasn’t done yet.

“Why is this happening you ask? Because that impassionate look in your eyes pisses me off. You’re just poor people in a poor town in a poor region that no one cares about. No one is coming to help you because you don’t matter.”

There were so many eyes focusing their hatred on me, even that was so small in comparison to the hateful gazes I was used to.

“You can’t do this. Who the hell do you think you are? You. You. Villain.”

“Yeah. You’re a villain. Vile. Wretched.”

The townspeople began chanting insults, I honestly thought that would require more effort for them than they could muster. But what did they thinking insulting me would do. It wasn’t going to stop me. I was going to destroy Rockfell. Plain and Simple.