The Duel

(A short story) The tale of a young man seeking to help others.

There was once a young boy who lived in a town called Grapevine.  In Grapevine, all of the townspeople could only tell the truth.  If someone had news you could ask anyone else and they could relay the message to you.  There was no need for a town crier or daily message system.  Everyone in grapevine already knew what was happening.  The young boy soon grew up into a young man and set off to do good in the world.  So he left Grapevine and went west.  He came to a town that had been burnt to the ground and he looked for survivors.  He found an elderly woman under some debris and rushed to her side. She told him of evil warrior that destroyed the town.  He traveled to this warrior’s fortress and met him face to face.  “Why did you destroy that village?” the young man asked.  The Evil Warrior replied, “ They did not submit to my rule.”  The young man inquired, “What will it take to stop you from hurting others?”  The Warrior smiled and said, “The only way to stop me is to defeat me in a duel,” as he motioned to a wall decorated with weapons. On the wall were a long sword, a short sword, a shield, and a pen.  The young man took the pen and exclaimed, “The pen has always been mightier than the sword!” The warrior responded, “You’re a fool,” and stabbed him through the heart.