Kail walked his horse, courtesy of the village of
Eastthorpe, towards the west entrance of Yamato, where traffic would be leaving
and entering. He had his sword sheathed over his back, and he wore some new
leather armour, bought with some of the earnings from his latest job. He had
another one lined up, but this time he planned to sell his services as a guard
protecting someone leaving the city instead of paying his way to his
destination. He had his hair tied up as well to hopefully look more the part. He
found a promising group. Three wagons being drawn, with people preparing to
leave. He went over to the ones holding weapons and they pointed him to the
merchant who was leading the group.
The leader of the group was talking to a boy, shorter and
younger than Kail, dressed in what Kail recognised as a squire’s clothes. The
clothes he wore seemed to be the high quality clothing that nobility would
wear, but he also wore a tabard adorned with a knight’s colours, although Kail
didn’t know which knight it was. Kail approached the merchant leader; a woman
wearing extravagant and exotic clothing, displaying her profits, with a wild
hair style too.
“Excuse me, my Lady” Kail awkwardly started. The woman
smiled in amusement. “I heard that you’re heading over to Hombruck?” he asked.
“You heard right.” She answered. “And what of it?”
“I have a horse and I have a weapon, and I’m well versed in
combat. I’m from the mercenary guild Anima. Would you like an extra guard?” he
asked. The woman’s eyebrows raised at the mention of Anima, who were well known
around Yamato. She looked at him in suspicion, and he showed her a necklace
that he hadn’t needed to show anyone in quite some time. It was a simple chain
necklace that carried a tag representing Anima. It served as proof of
membership. She nodded in approval.
“I have enough guards” she said. “And I don’t have enough
money to spend on extra guards just for the sake of it” she lied. “However, if
you’re going our way anyway you’re welcome to travel with us and camp with us.
You can lend us your protection and in return you’ll have the security of
riding with a large group such as mine” she offered.
She really knows how
to call it, huh? Kail thought. He wanted to head to Hombruck as soon as
possible. He could head there alone,
but it wouldn’t be a smart choice. He’d have to take this offer.
“Very well” he answered. “I’d be honoured to ride with you.”
She smiled in satisfaction.
“Hold on!” said the boy. “Who are you?” he asked, a frown on
his face.
Kail looked straight at him. “My name is Kail. Nice to meet
you.”
“You don’t look any older than me!” the boy protested. “and
you’re a guard? Or a mercenary? I doubt it!” he said. Kail couldn’t help but
grin. He has the accent of those from the
inner city. And the ignorance.
“Again, I’m part of the group called Anima. And I am well
trained with the sword.” Kail said.
“Well I’m the squire of Sir Walter Day. I don’t feel safe
being protected by someone so small. I’ve been taught how to use a sword. Have
a duel with me. If I win then you’ll be staying behind” the boy said.
Kail looked to the merchant lady for help.
“Eh. I don’t care either way.” she said, waving her hand in
dismissal and walking away.
“Stay here” the boy said. “I’ll get my training swords” and
he walked off to one of the wagons.
“I didn’t agree!” Kail called after him. The boy ignored
him, so Kail followed him. He came out of the wagon holding two wooden swords. He
threw one to Kail and glared at him, standing ready with his weapon. Kail
didn’t want to make an enemy out of nobility, but he needed to travel with this
caravan.
“Fine” he said. He didn’t bother to take off the sword
strapped over his back. He held the wooden training sword. It was light. He
decided to hold it in one hand. The boy narrowed his eyes in annoyance and came
at him. It was a simple attack, and it wasn’t particularly executed badly, but
he didn’t have any real combat experience. Kail deflected it to the side and
slapped the boy’s hand with his sword. The boy shouted in pain but regained his
composure and tried again. That time Kail hit him on the other hand and once
lightly on the head. The boy was very angry. Kail was reminded of the many
times he’d been in the same position, when he had been trained how to fight. Despite
being painful at the time, he looked back on the memory fondly.
It brought a smile to his face. Then the boy tried again,
this time flailing wildly, trying to be unpredictable, even though it created
the biggest opening so far. Kail walked into the attack, guarding with his
sword, and grabbed the boy, pulling him over Kail’s outstretched foot and
sending him tumbling to the ground. Kail then closed in and pointed his sword
at the boy’s throat. The boy looked shocked, angry, and… scared. Kail withdrew
his sword and offered a hand to help the boy up. The boy refused and got to his
feet himself.
“Fine, fine!” he said. “I guess you’ve had a bit more
training than me.” He looked around desperately, then his eyes lit up. “Hey
you! Come here!” he shouted. Kail looked to see one of the guards walking
towards them, confused. “Hey, I want you to fight this guy here!” he said,
pointing to Kail. The guard shrugged as if to say Why would I do that? “There’s money in it for you. Just a practice
fight, not a real one! I’ll give you… 500 caps if you can beat him.”
He really is nobility.
Kail mused. 500 caps? Ridiculous.
The guard was shocked too, but he greedily agreed. The boy handed him his
wooden sword. The guard looked at it dubiously.
“Don’t think I’ve ever used one of these” the guard said
with a smirk. Kail threw his own wooden sword to the floor and unsheathed his
real one.
“Let’s use these.” Kail said. The boy looked at him,
shocked. He seemed even more shocked when the guard agreed and unsheathed his
own sword. “Don’t worry, your highness” Kail couldn’t help saying sarcastically
to the boy. “We won’t kill each other.”
The loud clang of steel shocked the boy as Kail and the
guard’s swords met, deflecting off each other. Kail leaned forward, a feint,
and the guard swung his sword at him, but Kail had judged his range and leaned
back to avoid it, then swung his own sword at the guard, who hastily brought
his sword back to guard against it. Kail tried it again, leaning in, but the
guard was more careful that time and didn’t take the bait. Kail leaned in and
swung his sword next, the guard moving his sword to meet it, but that had also
been a feint. Kail brought his sword back then hit the guard’s sword from the
other side, knocking it wide. He then swiped at him, narrowly missing him. The
pattern repeated itself. Kail would draw the guard in then attack in a
different way. After a while the guard lifted a hand in surrender.
“I concede” he said, sighing.
“What!? But he didn’t hit you” the boy angrily objected. The
guard looked at him in annoyance.
“He doesn’t need to. He could have if he wanted to. If he
had, then I’d be on the ground bleeding right now.” he said. He shook his head
in frustration and walked off. The boy was speechless.
“He’s not bad” Kail said to the boy. “But he’s not quite as
good as me. Sometimes you need to know your own strength.” Then he walked off,
back to his horse, and waited until the group started to move.
*
The journey to Hombruck was peaceful. The roads were
dangerous for the unprotected, but having armed guards served as a good
deterrent. During one of the nights, when they had set up camp and made a fire,
the boy unexpectantly approached Kail and sat next to him.
“My name is David. David Dowden” he said. The Dowden family
was a rich family, confirming Kail’s suspicions.
Kail nodded in greeting. “Why are you going to Hombruck?
Shouldn’t your Knight be training you?” he asked.
David looked down. “He sent me to deliver some letters to
some important people. He told me I should practice with these wooden swords as
much as I can.”
“Doesn’t he ever personally train you? Sparring?” Kail
asked.
“No… not really” David responded.
A lazy knight, I
guess.
“Can you teach me?” David asked. Kail thought about it, but
it didn’t seem like a good idea.
“No.” he said firmly. “I’m just a mercenary. And I’m going
to be busy with the job I’m on.” he explained.
“What job?” David asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Well…. A friend of mine… A mercenary like me. I guess it’s
his job really. But he hasn’t returned, and it’s been a long time, so I’m going
to join him, and make sure he’s alright.” Kail explained.
“Is he also a good fighter?” David asked, seeming more like
an innocent child than an arrogant noble.
“Yes.” Kail answered with a smile. “He’s actually a better
fighter than me.” David seemed in awe.
*
Kail found himself in Hombruck, standing before a large
mansion. The owner of the mansion had sent the job. He had left the merchants
on fairly good terms. They hadn’t encountered any trouble, and the guards
seemed to like him because he had beaten one of them. David had also warmed up
to him, wanting him to teach him how to fight.
Kail felt increasingly uncomfortable as he walked to the
front door of the mansion. Nobility made him uncomfortable, but he pushed down
his feelings. He was doing this to find Kin. He knocked on the door.
The door opened to reveal and elderly lady. She looked at
Kail in confusion. Whether it was because of his strange appearance, or his
lack of expensive clothes, Kail couldn’t be sure.
“I’m here for the job.” Kail quickly said. “I’m from the
mercenary guild Anima.” He revealed his necklace.
“Ah I see.” the lady responded. She indicated for Kail to
move inside and she closed the door behind him. “Follow me.” she said, leading
him through the house. Kail couldn’t help looking around. The high quality
candles, the smooth walls, the expensive furniture. It all screamed nobility.
Kail’s skin crawled. He found himself becoming short of breath but he forced
himself to calm down. The lady led him to what seemed to be some sort of
waiting room and told him to stay. As he sat down on an expensive looking couch
Kail heard the door lock, as if he wasn’t nervous enough already.
Soon enough the door was unlocked, and a middle-aged woman
walked in. She looked thin, and haggard, as if she hadn’t slept or eaten well
in a long time.
“You’re from… Anima?” she asked, her eyes frantic.
“Yes. You must be… Lady Bennet?” he asked.
She nodded. “Someone from Anima already came here… a.. a
young gentleman… like yourself. Tall.” She said.
Kail nodded. “We haven’t heard from him so I’ve come to
investigate.” he said.
“It’s…. it’s the monsters! No one will believe me! He seemed
like he believed me…. But he never came back. Just like my daughter…” she said,
tears welling up.
“Please tell me everything, so I can find Kin… the other
mercenary, and your daughter.”
She nodded, hope shining in her eyes. She smiled kindly.
“Thank you…” she said.
Then she explained everything that had happened so far.
There was a forest nearby: Ookami Forest. There had been rumours about the
forest, strange sightings. They were just that though, rumours, at first. Her
daughter, curious, had gone to have a look, and she had never come back. That
had convinced Lady Bennett that the rumours were true. There must be monsters
in that forest. No one had believed her, however, and people had distanced
themselves from her. So she had sent a request, to a certain mercenary guild
that she had heard good things about: Anima. Then Kin had arrived, listened to
everything she had said, and set off for Ookami forest. That had been a month
ago. After hearing everything, Kail assured her that he would head to the
forest as well, and that he would find her daughter, even though he himself was
more concerned with finding Kin. He hurriedly rushed from the house and set off
for Ookami Forest.
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