There wasn’t much of a place for Chatsu in any of the nations for an extended period of time. Any major city in Thaos was sure to have a few people who would recognize even a mostly forgotten traitor like him. The other two nations were rarely hospitable to an individual who looked like a Thao, and while in Doniaeth people cared little for his armor, there were always a few who took offense in Kaien. Something about how it looked similar to the armored of certain Paladins, only blackened and ruined. Regardless, the intensely religious nation was where he had found work for the moment. It didn’t pay well, the smaller settlements that required his services usually couldn’t, but he wasn’t lacking at the moment and could afford it.
Even less sunlight managed to touch the forest ground today. The thick canopy overhead made it difficult enough, but the clouds even further above meant the forest was almost dark as night. He continued deeper into the pack’s territory nevertheless, watching for any signs of the beasts that had been terrorizing the village. He didn’t know why the creatures had grown bold enough to raid and even kill humans, they normally did their best to avoid coming in contact, but it didn’t really matter. All that was left was to drive them away and if it meant the pack had to die... then so be it.
It didn’t take long for him to find the beasts… or more accurately the beasts to find him. He had walked straight into their territory after all. The sound of whisper-like footfalls reached him first, followed quickly by faint scent of blood that lingered on the beasts, and at last their gleaming eyes emerged from the shadows and stared at him from all directions. Heightened intelligence mixed with primal instinct was enough to warn the creatures that Chatsu was not simply prey… but whatever madness drove the beasts to prey on humans compelled them to do the same to him. He just sighed as the dire wolves charged in as a pack, his sword and shield unslung and unsheathed in a blink of the eye.
It was a dirty and bloody brawl, plain and simple. Vicious snarls filled the air as claws and fangs were turned aside by metal while metal tore through fur, flesh, and bone. He was a machine of death amidst the pack of a dozen dire wolves, spinning and weaving through them too fast for any of the creatures to follow. Even a beast’s pounce, with its entire bodyweight behind the blow, couldn’t do much as he flowed with it and threw the wolf off in a fluid motion. Each slash of the great sword cut cleanly into one of the creatures, leaving them in no position to fight as they collapsed, dying. Backhands with his shield shattered bones and sent the beasts to the ground in pain. And when all was said and done, the only sounds left in the forest were those of the wind and downed wolves. The latter were silenced quickly.
“Oh thank you. Thank you so much.” The village leader had been quite happy to see Chatsu return from the forest, and was practically ecstatic when he had been given the dozen wolves’ fangs. “I’m sorry we can’t afford more.” The slightly elderly man looked apologetic as he fished out the small pouch filled with Chatsu’s payment and held it forward for him to take.
“It’s what was agreed on.” He replied nonchalantly as he took the pouch from the man before he fished out and returned several coins. When he noticed the man’s confused expression, he held up an armored hand. “There were less, and it was easier than expected.” Accepting the leader’s further thanks with a small nod, he made to leave only to stop when he was called out to.
“Actually, sir knight! You were out for a while, so you might have missed it. A ceasefire was decreed by all three nations. The crier just passed through town a few hours ago; saying the Pope calls for any capable of fighting these monstrosities.”
Well those weren’t the man’s exact words, but he had spent about a year or two in total within Kaien now and had already learned to tune out the more religious aspects of their speech. An eyebrow climbed ever so slightly at the information though, and he paused to consider it. Before he dwelled too long though, he gave the leader another nod and said, “Thank you for the information.” With that he turned and walked away at last, heading to the small building that he had been allowed to stay in, for his equipment, before he would hit the road. It seemed he would be visiting one of Kaien’s more affluent cities at last.
