Heaven Destroyer

The dust flew, and a man galloped towards the August Capital on his horse. His face had been obscured in the hood while he wore a long black robe that fluttered in the wind, as he dashed towards his destination. There was an insignia embedded on his chest, under that insignia wrote a word: Heaven. 

After riding the horse for a certain amount of time, the rider looked in front of him and saw a colossal city gate in front of him. He did not decrease his speed, instead, the horse paddled its hooves faster than ever on the hard creaked ground. 

"Halt!" a shout came from up ahead, but the man disregarded the voice and continued to sprint on his horse towards the gate. "Stop, or you will be hurt!" another shout and again no reaction from the black-robed man.

"Shoot!" a cry came from the wall and a whooshing noise followed. But when the arrows were about to penetrate a black-robed man, they stilled in the air. Then all the arrows pointed towards the man who commanded to shoot, and with horrified gazes, the guards saw their Captain dying miserably. He screamed and begged and pleaded when he saw arrows turning towards him, but who would hear him? Life was as cheap as a whore, or even cheaper than salt. That was the truth and a fact. 

The arrows pinned the man in the air and killed him before he could even touch the ground. One had to say he died a painless death, after offending someone so powerful and someone from Heavenly Palace. Or the death could become far miserable and far horrifying.

After seeing the death of their Captain, no one hindered the man and let him pass the gate and pretended as if they saw nothing, heard nothing, and happened nothing. Everyone stood there woodenly as the man entire the capital.

"He asked for it." One of the old guards said disdainfully, as he knew something others did not.

"Yeah, he sure was an arrogant butt. To think he dared to obstruct someone from that place." Another man shared the same thought as the old man.

"What are you talking about?" an additional guard who stood at the side did not understand their talk, so he decided to break the silence. "Who was that man in black robes?"

The older guard looked at the additional guard and shook his head. "You are also new like that Captain so you don't know…" he reached there and shut his mouth as he remembered something even horrifying. He looked at the younger guard and asked: "Do you know why there are so many new guards on this gate and even Captain was new?"

"Why?" asked the man confusedly. He did not understand.

The old man once more shook his head. "Because everyone was killed last time... by that man… we are the few lucky ones who survived." he looked at the youngster who looked no more than twenty years old. "Now you are also added in the lucky ones. He killed only one man this time, after all."

The boy heard the older guard's words and shivered, while the cold sweat dripped from his temple, rolling on his cheek even in the cold weather. Lucky indeed.

Whilst the guards whispered among themselves, the man in black robes turned his horse towards the Royal Palace. The city was big and prosperous. From the outside, no one could find a fault in it. Beauty, calmness, and everything else, the city satisfied every aspect. The big giant mountains could be seen far away on the horizon. Two rivers made the place even more important. However, behind this good looking and calm city, there was blood and sweat of many peasants hidden. 

Alas, who would care about the measly peasant in this world as long as their arse was out of troubles, that was good. One has to be logical about these things after all. Heroes are only good in books and fairytales, in real-life heroes are made for graves.

The man on a horse galloped on the wide road while people whispered behind him among themselves, pointing at him from time to time: it was not anything surprising because no one dared to ride their horses on the main road to the palace. He, who dared to do such a thing must be a lunatic or someone very powerful.

When the rider reached the gate of the palace he did not slow his horse down. When the Guard Captain was about to shout, another guard stopped him. He knew this black-robed man! He still vividly remembered the last visit of this man, when blood flowed like a fountain on the city gate, he was there.

"What are…" 

"Shhh…" before the guard captain could speak his dissatisfaction the guard placed his hand on his mouth, shutting his voice off. Afraid that guy would hear and start slaughtering once more. He did not want to die because of this stupid Captain's loose tongue. The man in black robe entered through the palace gate at a dashing speed, only then, the guard retracted his hand from his mouth.

"How dare you!?" the Captain roared at the man who covered his mouth.

"You can curse me all you want, but just now, I saved your life. Do you know who that man was?"

The Captain stopped for a blink to think, then raised his brows in a confused and bewildered way. He did not know the man as he was also new, as for the last one…it's obvious. 

"Who cares about that man! How dare he ride the horse in front of the palace!" when nothing came this his stupid mind he once more started to shout.

"What do you know? He could ride a horse here and he could ride a horse inside the palace, and he could even ride the horse of the Emperor," the guard said. "Loose tongue could cause a catastrophe, if you want to die, just die yourself. Don't drag others with you."