Within the Guard Castle stands Todd. Todd is currently being yelled at by the Captain, his boss.
Captain: How the F-... HOW? How did you manage to screw this up?! It's literally the easiest Job I give! I usually give it to the Children of other guards so they can learn responsibility and make a little Coin, yet you still manage to screw up! How?!
Todd: I'm sorry, but I-...
Captain: Don't bother explaining! I already know you're incompetent, but this? I'm gonna assume you screwed it up on purpose just to get a reaction out of me. There is no way that a grown man would accidentally screw this up!
Todd could only stay silent and look at his feet as the Captain yelled.
The Job that Todd screwed up was Sharpening the swords of the Guards. Normally the Guards would either do that themselves or have one of their children do it, but today, the Captain decided to have Todd do it. Why? As an adult who has been sharpening his own sword for over a decade, he should be able to get it done faster and more efficiently than a child.
Also, the Captain knows about the power sapping incident with Todd and the Hero and Todd is currently too weak to do his normal job now. He is currently too weak to wear his armor for 15 hours a day and needs to rebuild his strength. So the Captain thought about having him take care of the Guards swords until then.
What the Captain didn't expect was Todd to manage and use the grindstone to effectively cut the store blades in half. Out of 1,241 swords that Todd was responsible for, just under 700 of them are broken now. And the reason 500 of them aren't broken is because one of the Guards saw the Massive pile of broken swords and reported it to the Captain, who came and stopped it before Todd managed to break more.
While the Captain was pacing back and fourth, he happened to glance at the broken sword pile and noticed something strange. He walked over and carefully picked up one- or... Two halves of the same sword. The sword he picked up was cut in half length-wise. Not down the middle, but from the tip to the butt of the handle. What's more is the sword was cut along the edge of the blade, with the cut being where the edge was. If you showed that sword to someone, you wouldn't even be able to tell it was cut in half without turning it.
The Captain looked at the sword, dumbfounded.
Captain: H-...How... HOW?! THAT GRINDSTONE IS LITERALLY JUST A WHEEL CARVED OUT OF A MOUNTAIN, AND ITS 20 CENTIMETERS THICK (more or less)! HOW-
The captain suddenly stopped talking and paused, his hand raised to clutch his chest slightly, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Captain: You know... Before you started working here, I had a full head of hair. I had luscious blonde hair, a healthy thick beard, not to be arrogant, but I was gorgeous. Women were jealous of how beautiful my hair was and how low maintenance it was. My skin was nice too, if it weren't for my beard and muscles, people would mistake me for the Queen herself.
Todd looked up and at the Captain, he opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but the Captain raised his hand to stop him and continued talking.
Captain: I've been a guard for almost 50 years. I believe I was on my 16th year when I became the Captain. Yet, the 45 something years I had here before you, my hair stayed beautiful, my beard stayed thick and healthy, my skin stayed nice and smooth (aside from a few scars), the years had no effect on me. I looked no different at 60 than i did at 20.
Todd was about to say something again only to be stopped. The Captain continued.
Captain: Then you started working here, by your first year, my knee length hair was barely down to my jaw and I had a massive bald spot. My beard was patchy and honestly looked like pubic hair. My beautiful skin was covered in blemishes. My healthy body that never had any issues was now failing me, I used to be able to wrestle farm animals, but now my back can make me wanna cry just by getting out of bed too fast.
Todd: I'm s-
The Captain stopped him again, continuing on.
Captain: By your second year, I gave up and cut all of my hair off and cut my beard. It took you two years to take me from looking like a God to looking like a hard boiled egg with a soft and wrinkly shell. Honestly, Esebelle gets treated too harshly. She's violent and unpredictable, yes, but at least she's competent at her job. You? You get treated too nicely for someone who should have been fired.
Todd's eyes grew wide, seemingly knowing where this is going, he wanted to say something, to try and stop it, but right when the Captain was about to start talking again, Todd was saved by something unexpected.
The Heros mouth breathing suddenly filled the room. The two of them looked in the direction of the Hero, the Captain sighed and Todd had a hostile look on his face.
Captain: What do you want?
He asked the Hero.
The Hero didn't respond, like usual, but instead, he pointed at Todd. The Captain had a confused expression on his face.
Captain: Hm? You want Todd?
The Hero Nodded vigorously.
Captain: Fine. Take him. You can keep him, honestly, I don't care anymore.
The Captain walked pasted the Hero and left, leaving Todd and the Hero alone. Todd's hostile look never left his face.
Todd: What do you want?
He asked with a hint of Venom in his tone, looking at the Hero with a disapproving glare.
The Hero quickly gestures his hand for Todd to follow, he didn't follow, he just looked at the Hero with a confused stare.
Todd: You know, I don't know why nobody questions why you never talk. You're an adult, use your words.
The Hero gestured his hand more aggressively, eagerly motioning for Todd to follow.
Todd: You know what? No. No... It's not official yet, but I lost my job because of you, you used magic to sap my strength away and take it for yourself, and now you want me to follow you around with no knowledge of what you're planning? No. Not happening.
The Hero slowly stopped with his hand gesture and stared at Todd, for a moment, Todd thought he was making progress with the Hero, maybe the Hero would finally start using his words and acting like a normal human being-...
Todd is now over the Heros shoulder like a potato sack... While Todd was thinking about how much progress he was making, the Hero walked up and threw Todd over his shoulder, if Todd wasn't gonna come willingly, then he would carry him.
The progress Todd was daydreaming about was abruptly cut off when the Hero picked him up. Todd was kicking and struggling, throwing his Elbow into the back of the Heros head, it was a constant, Futile struggle as Todd was carried through the city, being stared at by everyone with the occasional child pointing and laughing, he was embarrassed. Humiliated. He currently hates the Hero more than anyone else.
While Todd was hiding his face in his hands, it was kinda pointless as he had a helmet on, but while Todd was wanting to die, he eventually looked around and noticed that they were now in a forest. In the middle of nowhere. Bordercross was nowhere in sight.
Todd: Are-... Are you gonna kill me?
Todd asked with a shaky voice, he knows that he was wishing to die after the embarrassment, but it was fake wishing. He didn't truly wanna die, he was just being dramatic, he didn't want it to truly end here.
While Todd was trying to think of a way out of this, the Hero suddenly handed Todd another bottle. It looked no different than the one that was handed to him when his strength was sapped out of him.
Todds eyes narrowed, his courage suddenly came back as he realized what the Hero was planning.
Todd: I see ... So you haven't stolen enough from me yet? You already took some of my strength, and now you're gonna take more? What's next? Are you gonna take my girlfriend as well?
The Hero shoved the bottle in Todd's direction, gesturing for him to drink it, but Todd wasn't gonna. He's not gonna let the Hero steal more from him, not happening.
Todd verbally and visibly refused, not drinking it like the Hero wanted, he paused for a moment, then approached Todd and grabbed the back of his neck and forcibly made him drink.
He struggled for a moment, not wanting to drink it, but as the drink was forced into his mouth, his struggles became weaker, he didn't even drink it, it was just sitting in his mouth with his tongue, but he still felt his movement become harder as time went on. Eventually, the drink even found itself going down Todd's throat involuntarily.
After less than half a minute, Todd was stiff. Still. Unable to do any movement, not even able to blink or look around, he was like a statue, only able to look directly where his eyes were facing.
"Paralysis?!?" Todd questioned, the potion the Hero wanted him to drink wasnt another Soul Linkage potion, but a paralysis potion. "But why did he need to paralyze me?" Todd wondered,
As Todd was trying to figure out the Heros thought process, he failed to notice the Hero pull out a sword. The way Todd was positioned by the time to paralysis potion kicked in completely, his chin was up and he was facing the sky, his eyes were looking down, but he could barely see what was in front of him, he could just see the Heros head and shoulders.
While Todd was thinking, he suddenly felt a sharp pain his side and felt blood rushing down his legs.
He knew this feeling decently well, the Hero struck him with a sword slash. The Hero swung his sword into Todd's side, the Leather and Chainmail armor kept Todd from being cut in half, but the armor is garbage now after that strike.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!!?" Todd wanted to shout out, but he was completely paralyzed, he couldn't even blink, let alone demand answers from the Hero.
While Todd was losing blood and wanting to pass out, he suddenly felt a warm feeling overwhelmed him, like stripping down and laying in a warm bath. His body felt lighter and the agonizing pain in his side was being washed away.
"Healing Magic?" Todd thought, the Hero nearly cut him in half, then used healing Magic to fix the damage. Todd was confused, "What is the Hero doing?" He wondered.
Before he could think too deeply on this, He suddenly felt the sharp pain in his side again, the Hero struck him again, this slash was a lot lighter, the armor still did nothing, but the slash wasn't enough to cut him in half. The fact he's still alive is a miracle though.
Todd somewhat anticipated this, but the warmth of healing magic swept over his body again and the damage was all gone, as if it was never there.
Then, Todd anticipated this again, but another slash came to his side. It hurt, Todd's eyes were watering, he was crying, but he couldn't let out any noises, he couldn't even blink, so the crying was worst as his eyes would eventually dry out when he ran out of tears.
For multiple hours, Todd was slashed with a Sword and then healed right up as if the slash was never made. Todd couldn't fight back, he couldn't complain, he couldn't do nothing but deal with the never ending cycle of abuse.
Once he got used to the pain from the sword, he was surprised about his eyes. They were sore, yes, but the constant crying seemed to keep them from drying out completely.
Todd grew used to a rhythm. The Hero would strike his side with a sword, then cast healing magic 2 seconds later. 5 seconds after the healing magic ended, another sword strike would hit his side, but now? The sword strike didn't come at its usual time. Seconds passed and there was no sword strike.
Todd couldn't see why, he was blind from all the tears. His vision was blurry beyond belief, he couldn't even see the Heros silhouette,
"Maybe he's done with his torture?" Todd Optimistically told himself, while he was thinking about how he would report this and get the Hero arrested, a new sharp pain arose in his side again. It wasnt a slash, there was no ripped flesh, it was completely blunt trauma, ribs broke, a few organs ruptured, and Todd body finally moved, well, it moved like a piece of wood being flung to the side. Todd's body was now on the ground, his tear filled eyes now full of dirt and his body full of pain.
"i-... Was that a Mace?!" Todd screamed in his head, "Is he using me as a training dummy?!? Is he gonna do this with every single melee weapon?" The thought filled his mind, and just like before, 2 seconds later, Healing Magic flowed through his body, Todd was scared that his guess was true and the Hero was just using him as a training dummy, the Healing Magic didn't do anything for the dirt in his eyes, which in its own way, was even worse than being struck. He couldn't use his arm to wipe his eyes, he couldn't blink, and now his eyes that can't blink are full of dirt.
"Oh GODS!... KEITH IS ALWAYS SPYING ON ME, WHY ISNT HE HERE NOW?!?!..." Todd cried internally.
Todd then felt the Hero pick him up and lean him against a tree. Before he knew it, the Hero was spraying his face with water magic. The Water stream cleaned all the dirt out of his eyes and off of his face in no time. It's a shame the hero didn't watch the pressure as Todd's eyelids were ripped off from the pressure and the water was bloody now. (Im reading it back to correct spelling and yes, I do realize the inconsistency. Todd was supposed to have a helmet on, why did his eyelids come off? Let's assume his helmet fell off at some point during the hours as I don't wanna erase all of this and rewrite it.)
Todd then felt the Hero start tying him to the tree, then he finally felt another Mace swing collide with his side again. Ribs breaking and organs rupturing, the pain overflowed him again, 2 Seconds later, Healing Magic flowed over his body, repairing all the damage and regrowing his eyelids. For the first time in hours, Todd's vision was unhindered and he finally saw the Heros face, the Hero was smiling. his face was no different than it was normally. "Is he enjoying this?!" Todd internally cried out, but then the Hero walked up and Closed Todd's eyes. As if he was closing the eyes of a dead person.
The Hero then resumed his actions. For the next 9 days. The Hero was using Todd as a training dummy. Hitting him with every weapon available. Hitting him with one handed swords, Two handed Swords, One handed Axes, Two handed Axes, Maces, Warhammers, spears, Staves, Bows, Crossbows, Throwing weapons, Halberds, his fists, everything. The Hero used every weapon he had on Todd for multiple hours, non stop, for 9 days. The weapon Todd found the worst was a tie between a Whip and a Spiked ball on a chain.
Todd has gotten used to it. He questioned how he was still alive, he was completely desensitized to pain, and his body felt weak despite all the healing magic he was filled with over the 9 days, but the Hero suddenly stopped. He wasn't doing the strikes anymore. He stopped. Todd then felt the Hero untying the ropes holding him to the tree, he was set free. The Paralysis was still on him, but the Hero wasn't attacking anymore.
Todd's eyes were still closed, unable to be opened,he felt the Hero pick him up again, carrying him bridal carry instead, and carried him through the forest again. Before Todd knew it, he was placed down, the ground below him felt solid, like cobblestone, so he must be near Bordercross or at least an official road again.
It wasn't long before Todd heard people, maybe 10 minutes, he heard unfamiliar voices speaking to him from a distance, asking questions on why he's not moving, he then felt someone start touching his shoulder, only to feel how stiff Todd was and announce to a different person that Todd may be under the affect of paralysis. Todd was Saved...