Frontier Justice

You take a deep breath and walk forward onto the main road through the village. Dark buildings loom on both side of you. Behind every fencepost and down every alley you see a potential captor, ready to seize you and carry you off to some dark fate. Biting back your fear, though, you press onward.

Suddenly, you hear shouting behind you. You dive behind a bush growing in the dirt road and watch.

The shouting grows louder, and you see dim lights rapidly approaching you. After a few moments you can see dark figures running in your direction. At first you fear that they're coming for you, but then you see that they're chasing someone. In the light of the torches they carry, you can see that it's a frail old man, wearing rags, running for his life.

The villagers back him up against the wall of the building next to you. They're no more than twenty feet away. You shrink farther into the bush, knowing that if they get any closer that little cover won't be enough to save you from this mob.

"No!" the old man cries. "No, you don't understand!"

"Quiet, Greger," says one of the villagers, who from his appearance looks like the leader of the group.

"I didn't..." the man named Greger begins.

"Are you trying to tell us that you didn't break into Stephan's house?" the leader says.

"No!" Greger whimpers.

The leader laughs bitterly. "Oh, Greger. You're even worse at lying than you are at thieving."

"Please..." Greger says.

"Get him!" the leader calls to the villagers. They swarm onto him.

You know that it's foolish. You know that you can't possibly stand against all of these men. Still, something tells you that Greger's telling the truth, and you know that if you don't help him he's doomed.

1. You draw your sword and leap out of the bush.

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