[b]The Swordsman[/b]
[u]Location: Earth Kingdom - Middle of Nowhere[/u]

The Earth Kingdom shrivelled up like a bug under a magnifying glass. Too dry to support anything but the withered husks of what were once plants, it was a rare occurrence to see another human being out on in the harsh outskirts of civilisation. A well-trodden path cut through the endless arid plains, marked by the old dusty footprints of previous travellers – the only connection to life in such a desolate landscape.

The sea of parched, cracked earth was broken only by a dark, human-shaped blot by the side of the road, the spot marked by a katana embedded deep in the ground. It was eerily similar to the grave markers for fallen swordsmen; the only difference being that the 'corpse' was still holding on to the hilt with a desperate grip. The trail he'd left behind suggest he dragged himself for a few meters to ensure he was visible to passing wanderers before just... giving up.

Crushed glass surrounded the man, stinking of cheap liquor and covered in fresh blood – quite probably his own. One bottle was clenched in his free hand, emptied of the last drop, while dried in rivulets ran down his chin. The overpowering smell of a night of boozing still permeated the area; however, the cuts on the man's face – coinciding with the glass shards from a broken bottle – suggested a brawl would be the cause of death, not alcohol poisoning.

Except he wasn't dead. His breathing was shallow and he showed no reaction to the pain of his injuries, but there were signs of life indeed – including the trail of drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. A sign fastened by a rope around his neck (horribly misspelled and mostly illegible) read, 'Swordman Jun four sale. Help needed.' Clearly the poor wanderer hadn't received any Earth Kingdom hospitality. Dragged on a cart out into the middle of nowhere, dumped and left to the buzzards.

A shadow loomed over his unconscious body and he hummed in relief as it blocked out the torturous sunlight on his burnt, blistering skin. Perhaps it was help?