Brilliant. I knocked out the guard, took his sword, and I'm probably gonna be marked as some criminal. Well, I was already one, but now the village is gonna put a bounty on my damned head. Guards will roam more often, and I'll probably be finally caught rather than given fines around this place.

Now what? Run. Get away from this place, don't talk to anyone, and most importantly make a profit from your losses. I was gonna be marked as a dangerous fugitive now, at least in this place.

Shuffling my cards in my hands, I was still shaking. I leaned against the wall to stop myself falling, yet I nearly dropped one of my cards while not paying attention, sending me back to where I was now. I hid the sword well in my clothing, but I was gonna be recognisable what with my clothes and face. At least I wasn't petty and tried to kill someone; violence against others is just not my thing. You see, I believe everyone has some value, whether that be through friendship or hard labour. Killing them ends their legacy, and... well, I take the fact I'm still alive as a bit of a message from whatever lies above.

Either way, whatever lies above better treats me nicely. I just lost my way of life to... myself. I didn't even know what happened. I just... acted out of impunity. I should've run, but I felt as if I needed to stand my ground or something. Whatever the hell happened, its gotten me into this situation.

I scratched the tip of my snout, rubbing my eyes and looking at the alley I had just left. That guard was knocked out cold, but sooner or later someone was going to see him and help him up. I needed to plan my escape; just simply running out of the village wasn't a good idea. I mean, what would you do OUTSIDE of the village? At least this place was fortified against the monsters within this forest, but frankly I knew I'd be stuck between claws and a hard place once I got out of here. I had a sword and a few darts, and some leftover change from earlier. I would need a bag, some armour, and some food and water to keep myself alive in the outside world.

Right. I'd be charged with theft and robbery. Not as bad as killing someone though; thank goodness that never happened.

Yawning, I pushed myself from the cobblestone walls of the village, slipping my deck of cards within my coat-pocket. I looked around, wondering if I could get some more money to prepare myself for the journey. Sure enough, some hunter with a bag of coins was present, trotting his bow and quiver while walking beside the buildings of Birchvale. He seemed a bit tipsy, but aggravated robbery probably wasn't a good idea, especially in the daylight.

"Oi, you wanna double your cash lad? You win, you'll get the best bow of your dreams!"