Read nothing about the "contest" being over so... here we go.
Something Better
In the land of Morrowind lies a small town named Suran. The town would look at first glance to be the best spot to spend the night or even build a residence but… Once you enter the town you’ll find it to be actually a dump. So many things go wrong in here that the towns guards have even started to avoid certain areas on their patrols. It shames me to think that I live in this town but, alas fate has lead me to this place where it seems I shall grow old and die.
Why, you ask, haven’t I left this place? Well the answer is very simple. Crime. The sheer amount this town has is enough to make even the bravest man look over his shoulder before exiting his yard. You never know when some crazy, half deranged, guy might come up to you and try and tell you some storm is coming form Red Mountain and that you will not escape its wrath.
But no longer will any of these things trouble me because I, Thord Hamish, tax collector of the town, have decided that I shall rid this town of its bad people and make it a perfect place for future families. My first target for the cleansing will be Amieg, the very man who murdered my son on his way to the market to buy some new cloths. His place in this town is about to come to an end.
I grabbed my robe and dagger form the shelf, shook off the dust, and finally after years of staying inside waiting for my time on this cursed earth to end, ventured forth into the busy street. The sheer number of people in the town was staggering. It was time for the annual Fight Through the Night competition. It’s when dozens of men and women go out into the Ashlands west of here and play the deadly kind of hide and seek. Usually only one emerges as victor and that person who kept winning that competition just happened to be my target for the night. Three year winner of the Fight Through the Night, Amieg.
I walked up the steps towards the south gate where the competition would begin and saw Amieg at the front of the line showing off his swordsmanship to the women around him. I snorted and walked to the back of the line near the corner of the wall and got ready for the start of the game.
After a few more minutes of waiting in the shadows I saw the owner of the local Tavern walk up on top of the wall and ready a bow. The contestants got ready for the signal and the town suddenly grew quiet. The man lit an arrow, drew it back and shot it into the air above the crowd. The mass of people surged out of the town and into the wilderness. A few of the less gallant men stabbed a few people in the back on the way out. They were the first deaths of the game. I slowly followed the crowd out and stayed within sight of Amieg as he ran about slashing and hacking people in the steam pits. I searched the area around where he was at and saw a large rock near the edge of the steam gusts and decided to hide there and wait for my prey to come to me.
Alas my wait was not long and I soon found myself holding my dagger tight as Amieg slowly walked underneath me. Now was the time for the strike! Now was my time for revenge! I yelled out a fierce cry of anger and landed upon my target with a loud thump. I put my dagger in my mouth and used my arms and legs to pin him to the ground. When I felt certain he couldn’t get out from under me I spat my dagger out and snatched it up with both hands and help the dagger high over my head and shouted towards the heavens.
“My time has come! I will not fail!” I looked back down at Amieg looking to see his terrified face but to my own surprise I saw my sons face. Tears were streaming down his face and he shook his head at me.
“Revenge is not the way to solve your heartache. You could have done something better.” With that he turned his head away from me and vanished leaving the horrified face of Amieg behind. I dropped my dagger and stood up and fell to the ground a few feet away.
“Why!” I cried out into the sky searching for my sons face again. “ I want you back with me! What else could I have done?” I heard someone walking up behind me and I turned around.
“It seems you live in pain old man. Let me ease that for you.” With that he stabbed me through the heart. I collapsed into the dust and watched him stare at me. With my vision fading and the noises starting to fade away I heard a few words ring clear through the dullness.
“You could have done something better…”