The trials of the land had grown fierce. Jin finally wandered into town. Leaves poked out of the seams of his clothes like eager children spying around a corner. Grass stains smeared on the knees of his pants. His hair was unkempt, with strands falling wherever they pleased.

He held up his arms with a sigh at the tattered state he was in. Life in the forest had not been forgiving in many ways, and a bath was what he needed. The young mage dropped himself at an Inn and leaned far into his chair.

"Finally. Thought you'd never leave the forest. This is for you," a waitress bowed and set a letter on the table then sprinted off.

"Hm," Jin began as he unsealed the letter. "What!?" He rocked forward. Leaves spilled from his collar and onto the table.

"That much has changed. A joint assignment with Reiner. Protect a caravan from rebels as it travels to Stella for resource gathering," he read aloud and to himself. The rebel forces had been gathering steam during the chaos between the heirs and are launching coordinated attacks on caravans and endangering the forest.

Jin tucked the letter away and drug himself up to his room. After a long bath, he awaited the next day. He dressed strapped the spear to his back before walking out with his hands resting on his head toward the gateway leading out of town.

A caravan of a few vehicles was parked and ready.

"You must be one of the two we are waiting on. Pleased to meet you," The driver said.

Ikazuchi had recently been passively taking requests and acting as a guard for merchant caravans at the behest of his employer. Other than the first caravan that he guarded with Akushitsuna, there hadn’t been any notable trouble. Instead, it was peaceful and leisurely to the extent that Ikazuchi was irritated. For someone like him, the lack of combat despite actively seeking it was something that frustrated him. Ikazuchi was someone who spent most of his free time training and honing his skills, so he always wished to verify his progression.

He arrived in town a few days ago and received a letter detailing his next request shortly after. It was the same frustrating task that he had grown tired of recently, escorting a caravan from one town to another. When he saw that, he couldn’t help but sigh in frustration and think to himself. ‘I'm sick and tired of this country…’

Still, Ikazuchi wouldn’t turn away his employer’s request. He was informed at the time that they would set out after another escort arrived. The lack of a strict schedule was surprising, but he didn’t mind. Instead, he was curious about what kind of individual he would be working with later. A couple of days later, he would be informed of the time when they would meet and set off.

Ikazuchi woke up early that morning for some light training before he readied himself to head to the location where the caravan was. He accidentally ended up running a bit late, but he still arrived at an acceptable time. “Looks like you’re the other escort?” Ikazuchi nodded as he briefly observed everyone around the caravan. “It’s nice to meet you in that case.”

“You as well.” Ikazuchi replied cordially to the man as his gaze found itself focused on one individual in particular. ‘Blue Pegasus?’ Ikazuchi could easily tell that this person was the other escort that he would be working with today. Ikazuchi found himself slightly curious about this man, and even looking forward to this trip that he had been dreading. ‘Jin Tatsumi, huh?’

Word Count: 340

A warrior approached the caravan next. Jin stepped to the side to get a good look at the man, that was joining them. It was nice to see someone that was ready for a fight, as this land was becoming more and more like a battleground.

"Your the man from Reiner's group. I'm Jin," he said and gestured for the man to take the first sit on the caravan. They would be riding on the outside to keep a good eye out for anything dangerous.

"A joint operation between the heirs is new to me. But this seems pretty straightforward," he nodded and if Ika boarded the Carriage, Jin would follow after and settle into the long wooden seat on the back of the carriage. A driver squeezed his way onto the front of the carriage and took the reins.


"Provisions are in the basket under the seat," the driver said as he tapped on the side of the carriage. Beneath the sit, the lid of a small wicker basket filled with fruits, nuts, and some more pleasing snacks peeked out. Jin settled in and propped his spear in a crevasse on the side of the carriage so it'd be easy to reach.

The driver shook the reins and the horses began to trot forward, well-rested and almost jubilant to stretch their legs on the winding roads again.

Jin reached into the basket and took a handful of walnuts. "feels like this battle has been going on for a while. You from Stella or Bosco?"

“It’s nice to meet you, I’m Ikazuchi.” The young man responded comfortably as he followed the gesture of his fellow escort. Ikazuchi’s steps were light as he stepped up onto the caravan, but the slight shift in weight made it apparent that the lightness of his steps was due to his own strength and didn’t reflect the weight of his gear.

Following behind him was Jin who spoke as he followed Ikazuchi onto the vehicle. Ikazuchi smiled slightly and thought to himself. ‘New to you? Imagine how surprised I am when they didn’t even mention the fact that we would be working together?’ He didn’t say this though, and he didn’t care much for the lack of information. Work would be work whether it was with a stranger or not. “This was definitely a surprise for me. It should go smoothly though, it isn’t often that anything difficult appears.”

After Ikazuchi replied, the driver made his way up and told them about some extra provisions that were being provided. ‘They’re treating us better than the last caravan I escorted.’ Ikazuchi felt slightly satisfied as he adjusted his swords in order to sit comfortably. Jin spoke to him as he was doing that. He couldn’t help but recall the history of his sword as he recalled the guild that Jin was in. ‘I wonder how he would feel about Damocles if he knew?’ Ikazuchi’s thoughts drifted for a moment, but he wasn’t slow to respond. “It feels long and tedious. I’ve lost track of how long I have spent on the road as an escort since I was hired.” Ikazuchi looked at the basket that Jin was eating out of in contemplation for a moment before slightly shaking his head. He didn’t want anything at the moment, though that could change. Ikazuchi found himself looking out at his surroundings as he resumed speaking a moment later. “Neither, I’m a Mercenary from Fiore. How about yourself?”

Word Count: 320

"And you as well," he responded to the man's greeting. jin noted the light steps Ika took in getting up. The carriage barely moved, which was surprising considering Jin was well versed in how heavy the man's armor must have been. It was nice to be traveling with a talented man at arms again.

The two swords gleamed with magical power. Maybe even the man was too powerful. He seemed better outfitted and battle-ready than was needed for something like this. leading Jin to wonder if he was underused or if things were going to get dangerous.

"That's good to hear. I thought we were gonna be in for it. You seemed...more armed than I would have expected them to send for a simple escort mission," Jin nodded to the man's weapons and leaned back on the carriage seat to relax, but he kept his eyes alert. Knowing that anything could change that.

Jin cocked his brow and slid the basket more toward Ika, making sure he knew it was all fair game as the light mage was content with the handful of walnuts. "Tell me about it. Been wandering the woods and forests, forever. Ah, a merc." Jin asked casually as the carriage began to roll down the path, his tone wasn't one of judgment. He himself had been in that position and saw it as noble as any other.

"Well, I'll be," Jin shook his head and looked up into the sky as the sun radiated down, warming the wooden seat.

"Seems, we're both a long way from home. I'm from Fiore too. Blue Pegasus Guild. I came here to really just get some time away from home and ran into this chaos. How did you end up here?" He spoke, downplaying his journey for excitement, that had turned bitter sweet.

Ikazuchi felt slightly bitter when Jin commented on the quality of his equipment. He knew that his equipment was above the standard for an escort, but there wasn’t anything he could do. His current task reflected his value to the employer, despite his actual capabilities. Ikazuchi missed his chance to respond at the time as their conversation flowed onward naturally.

Jin responded in kind about his origin, something that Ikazuchi welcomed. He knew that info naturally, but he also couldn’t speak about it. He had attempted to do so in the past and suffered, so he had to be careful when conversing with others.

“Blue Pegasus? That’s the big guild in the south, right?” Ikazuchi didn’t have any visible sign of surprise, but he made a point not to gloss over it as it would typically be a big deal. Not many people could ignore the big guilds in Fiore. After receiving a response Ikazuchi would continue speaking. “Ending up in this mess unintentionally sounds pretty unlucky;” Ikazuchi paused for a moment as he smiled bitterly. “On the other hand, I chose to come here when I heard about the chaos.” He couldn’t help but sigh after saying that, and then continued to explain. “I’m unable to use magic. As you’ve noticed, I’m pretty well equipped despite that. I came here hoping to distinguish myself and rid myself of the stigma that’s attached to those like myself…” Ikazuchi turned his gaze from the surroundings and towards Jin for a moment. “...I guess you could even say that I’m looking forward to combat.”

After Jin responded, Ikazuchi would naturally shift the conversation back towards Jin. "What about yourself? What's keeping you here?"

Word Count: 260

"Yep, That's the one," Jin gave a lopsided smile and looked at the dirt road unwinding behind them. "To be honest though. I've only really met one member of the guild. Met him on the road, joined up, and then not long after...ended up here." Jin couldn't help but shrug and splash in some laughter at the thought that he had spent more time in this country than with his own guild. Even if his affiliation with the guild brought recognition to their name in these countries...it still felt a little empty. "I feel a little more familiar with my traveling companions here."

Jin's eyes turned back to the warrior as he explained that he came for the chaos. A mercenary's choice no doubt. Go where the action is. The man sighed about his disposition to magic, and Ji once more looked at the swords he carried, it all making more sense now.

The carriage bumped along the road in silence, aside from the fledgling conversation between the two. Jin nodded along, "mmm," listening to Ikazuchi recount the quest that brought him to this land. "A risky move. But I get it. This land supports mages with guilds and fanfare. It's not a pretty place so far. But I hope you find your glory here," JIn folded his arms on his lap and leaned forward, relaxed at the peaceful pace. "Works for me. I'm a healer, so the front line isn't my strong point. Good to have a man that can fill that spot and I'll keep you trucking through," Jin joked about the situation. But it was fortunate. Mage's moved around and too far for him to keep in an effective range for his healing spells.

Jin let out a long breath and put his chin in his hand and then flowed his hand to the back of his neck, "Guess...more than in Fiore. I found something worth fighting for here. Kinda grew on me," his eyes swirled with a bittersweet resonance.

"COMPANY," the driver sheepishly called out.

Ikazuchi was surprised and amused by Jin’s story about his guild interactions. ‘He’s just about like myself in that case.’ The fact that someone in a guild gave the impression of being a wanderer was surprising. He had imagined guilds to be tight knit groups, so he felt slightly disillusioned amidst his amusement.

The conversation progressed step by step as the two learned bits and pieces about the other. It couldn’t be called meaningful, but the flow was natural. Ikazuchi wasn’t particularly skilled at conversation. Ikazuchi thanked the man for his well wishes towards his goal amidst the flow. He welcomed the positivity as Jin continued to speak. Jin expressed his skillset and joked a bit about the situation causing a small chuckle to escape from Ikazuchi before he responded. “I’ll be counting on you then.”

After Ikazuchi shifted the conversation towards Jin’s goals, the atmosphere turned a bit awkward. He had been learning more about people in the last few months than he had in his entire life. Ikazuchi’s insight towards the underlying emotions of an individual had grown as a result. He wasn’t able to tell what, but he knew that something was off with Jin’s response. ‘Must be something important…’

Ikazuchi was unsure about how he would respond when the driver’s voice cut in. An obstacle had appeared at the most ideal moment. He felt as if he had jinxed their group, but was also thankful for the obstruction. “I will say this now, I don’t hold back against my enemies.” Ikazuchi spoke quickly to Jin as he disembarked and moved to intercept the disturbance. His weapons were already drawn and ready for battle at this moment.

As for why he said what he did to Jin; that was because he didn’t know his fellow escort. Considering the man belonged to a lawful guild and called himself a healer, Ikazuchi wanted to make it clear that he may not be merciful.

Word Count: 320

It was good to have a travel companion that cracked a smile. At least they could work together well it seemed. Jin joined in the small bout of laughter with the man's response. An odd moment hung in the air between them, Jin snapped himself out of the fog of memory and put back on a smile. His mouth opened, ready to tell Ika that things were alright, and cast away the tense conversation when the driver interrupted.

Jin's handed wandered to the handle of his spear. The blade was ready to be loosed in battle once more. Jin looked back at Ika, who was speaking quickly in the midst of battle. The paladin hung on the urgent opening of his phrase and nodded back.

"Me either," Jin replied with the spear in hand and dropped from the carriage behind Ikazuchi, who was moving like a bat out of hell to engage the enemy. Jin kept pace with the man, wondering if the reason he brought that up was to prepare the paladin for a merciless battle. It was easy for the light mage to forget his connections and affiliations and the persona that came along with being in Blue Pegasus...but this was war. He wanted Ika to know exactly what kind of man Jin was.

As he moved beyond the carriage, rebels poured out from the woods on both sides. Jin dashed forward. A magic circle appeared around Jin's feet and a shield of light appeared on his arm, blocking a sword slash from a bandit. He swung the spear around one-handed and split the man's thigh.

Ikazuchi was appreciative of Jin’s quick and straight forward response. He had been influenced by reputation into believing that members of the normal guilds like Blue Pegasus wouldn’t be in favor of killing. He could comfortably approach the situation knowing that there wasn’t any reason to hesitate.

Ikazuchi approached with his weapons ready, but he had some lingering hope that they could discuss this issue. That hope was crushed when he was met with the attack of a rather eager bandit. ‘Talking is off the table in that case…’ He wasn’t surprised by this, but he had to hope for the best case scenario for his employer's sake.

For him though, this was precisely what he looked for while working as a Mercenary. He couldn’t prevent a slight smile from forming unintentionally as he easily parried the axe. Almost simultaneously, he followed up with his second sword. A quick and powerful strike landed squarely on the man’s chest.

The man had a smug grin on his face due to his armor, but it was cut cleanly as he flew backwards ten meters. ‘This is a nice relic…’ Ikazuchi couldn’t help but praise the cause of the large knockback as he used light footwork to avoid various strikes that followed. He paid attention to not be put into a disadvantageous situation by the several men as he moved, striking at any given chance. Other than his own safety, he actively moved in order to prevent anyone from approaching the caravan.

It was progressing slower than he would like, but that was the price for playing a defensive role. Still, that didn’t prevent Ikazuchi from taking every opportunity for offense. He had just swung Spellcutter at a tricky angle and pierced one of his enemies in their throat. Some form of defensive spell had been activated at the last moment, but it disappeared when it came into contact with his sword. ‘Nine more to go…’

Word Count: 320

Jin watched a man soar backward through the air from his ally's slash. Impressive weapons, after all. Jin dashed away and lunged forward, using his spear's reach to keep distance and stick close to the caravan. Almost a dozen men faced them down and surrounded the caravan. if they weren't careful this could take a turn for the worse.

An arrow struck the side of the wagon. Jin deflected another with his shield and stabbed forward, as the archer was reloading. His spear caught the man's side and spilled blood onto the yellow daffodils. The archer recoiled and Jin followed through with a piercing thrust that ended the man's volley. "Okay, another one down," he spoke softly to himself. One bandit slipped by and leaped onto the side of the wagon.

Jin tossed his spear upwards and pressed his hands together in prayer. An 8-meter diameter explosion of light shinned around them. It healed any potential wounds Ikazuchi may have had. It was also met with groans and yells of pain as it sent gut-wrenching pains through the bandits. The man fell from the wagon and the others, paused from the life-stealing attack, giving Ikazuchi an opening to let loose.

There weren’t any opportunities in this situation, but Ikazuchi managed to direct his attention towards Jin on more than one occasion. He had been slightly concerned due to the man describing himself as a healer, but it seemed that he was still capable despite that.

Realizing that he didn’t need to be overly concerned about his companion ignited Ikazuchi’s competitive spirit. As someone who fought as a front-line combatant, he didn’t wish to have a self-proclaimed healer perform better than himself.

He was comfortable with his armor, so he didn’t hesitate to plunge into a small group of men with a quick lunge. His opening strike was a quick pommel strike to the top of a bandit’s head with the sword in his right hand. He didn’t hesitate to further test his relic as he caused a knockback that smashed his opponent into the ground with no visible signs of life.

The man on his right was quick to respond with an overhead slash, but Ikazuchi just glanced at the preparatory motions as he moved the sword in his right hand to block the path of the sword. There was another man slightly forward to his left, but still in range. This person was slower to respond, giving Ikazuchi the opportunity to make a quick stab at this person’s throat with the sword in his left hand.

Around the moment his sword pierced that bandit’s throat, the other bandit’s attack clashed with his weapon at that moment allowing Ikazuchi to feel his way through the interaction. He skillfully used his weapon to push the opponent’s to the side as he used his footwork to reposition. He didn’t hesitate to do a half spin and bring his left sword around rapidly to target the opponent’s neck.

The result was natural as the bandit was decapitated with ease. At some point during the combination a spell circle appeared providing healing, however Ikazuchi was lucky enough to not be hurt. ‘I guess he was serious about healing.’ Ikazuchi had a bit of blood splattered on his armor, but otherwise he was untouched at this moment.

“How many are left…” This was a question that he asked without any intention of receiving a response in order to pressure the bandits mentally. Seeing the dead bodies alongside a comment like this could easily influence the less experienced. It was also partially due to Ikazuchi’s genuine curiosity as well. He wasn’t one to stop moving during combat either; he had already started walking towards the nearest bandit when he spoke earlier.

Word Count: 420

Ikazuchi moved like a hurricane of blood, slicing down his enemies. Jin held his own, blocking one attack after another as the bandits pressured forward. Seeing their comrades drop one by one, left their attacks with less bite than before. Jin pushed back and whirled his spear around, knocking down one bandit while the other ducked beneath the strike.

A bandit dashed forward, beneath the spear swipe and shoulder tackled Jin. The tow fell backwards and knocked into the carriage. The wooden vehicle rocked from the impact. Another bandit had climbed atop it and latched onto Jin's shoulder. The bandit on the carriage pulled out a dagger. Jin tried to push against the other bandit that was holding him pinned up against the carriage.

The dagger rose high, as the man above him was ready to plunge it downward. Jin wiggled an arm free and brought up the shield of light. The dagger grazed against the shield and would have penetrated his shoulder. Jin drove an elbow into the bandit's back that held him, stumbling the man to the ground. He followed with a kick knee, that battered the man's face.

Jin was freed from his grasp and stabbed the spear into the bandit that loomed above him. bracing his feet, he yanked the man from the top of the carriage and slammed him into the ground with his spear.

"Not enough," Jin replied to Ika's question. Their numbers were broken already. Only three were left. Two faced down Ika and one glared at Jin. Their boots shambled on the ground unsure if they wanted to charge or flee. Jin backed up towards Ika.

"I can heal myself as well, so feel free to go all out, and I'll cover you.