With

I was the blunt instrument they chose to use when tact failed. Every tool belt needs a hammer.

I was the tallest man here not just because I was the only one left standing. Blood covered my arms up to the elbows, but it wasn’t mine. None of my armor was damaged either. Thank the gods for the little things. I stared down at my chest plate, there was blood on that too. Damn it takes forever to wash blood out.

I sauntered over to the leader of the group, kicking the remains of the wooden negotiating table out of the way. I crouched down on my haunches resting my elbows on my knees. One of his eyes was completely swollen shut. Blood trailed from a badly broken nose. I am honestly surprised that he was still alive. Not too many would be at that point.

“Couldn’t just play nice there could you, had to draw swords. How did that work out for you? Hmm?”

“Fuck off you half-blood freak. You’re filth you know that.”

“Back to the matter at hand we were discussing what it would take to end the raids against the Gold Rock Mining Company, although now that seems to be… what’s the word that I’m looking for here?”

“Fuck yourself.”

“No, no, I’m sure that wasn’t it.”

I grabbed his head with one giant meaty hand, and began to squeeze. His legs began to writhe in pain. One of his arms reached up to grab at me. His other arm dangled limply, completely broken. The tent was completely destroyed. I began to lift him up off of the hard packed earth as I drew up to my full height and he tried to kick at me. I squeezed harder.

“Unnecessary. That was the word! That was just killing me. Figuratively killing me, not literally killing me, not like what I’m gonna need to do to you. See I’ve beaten nearly every man in your little outlaw gang into a fine pulp. Most of them might live if the healers get back here in time. I can go back to our camp and fetch them right now if I wanted, but here’s the thing, you stole from a very important group of people. That was my second objective. See. I had two: one, make it so that your little group doesn’t interfere with the business of my employers ever again. Check.”

I held up one finger

“And two: recover the lockbox you pilfered two weeks ago.” I held up a second finger, because he was probably too stupid to count that high.

“I had a nice baggie of gold with your name on it, but now I think that will just go right into my pack instead. I’ll file it under cleaning expenses.” I gave him a wink.

“So before most of your friends here shuffle off their mortal coil I suggest you tell me, where did you put the lock box?” I dropped him on the ground, and he fell on his broken arm.

“Half a mile north of camp, buried it! Couldn’t get it open. It’s all there I swear!”

“See, was that so hard?”

I stepped back away from him, and rifled through my belt pouch. I took out a large square shaped blue crystal, tapping it twice. “Dix, you hear me?” I inspected my surroundings. Tall pines surrounded the clearing filled with broken tents and bodies. A small cooking fire sat miraculously undisturbed in the center of camp.

“You’ve been using the Com. Crystals for how long now? Of course I can hear you. You ass.”

“Well, while you have been sleeping in, and generally drinking away your morning, I found the camp. Got about fifteen guys here, ten of them are still breathing. Bring those healers we talked about along. We can cart them back to town for a formal trial and to collect bounties, and by we, I mean you.”

“Alright I’ll be there in twenty. You secure the lockbox yet?”

“No but I have a location, I’ll meet you back in town.”

I walked back over to shit-for-brains and lifted him up by his good arm, pointing him north.

“Walk.”