As the man watched the lady in front of him lean down to gently blow on the fire she was fostering, he took this chance to take stock of his situation and condition. He remembered being deep in enemy territory on a mission that most would agree was a suicide mission. He had gone scouting ahead dressed as a common hunter, in simple protection garments and with a basic but reliable sword at his side. He also carried a bag of basic equipment to further sell the act if he was stopped by enemy soldiers. He had successfully snuck passed enemy lines and scouted out the forces but had been caught in an ambush by the enemy and had fought his way through taking heavy damage in the process.

Most would have fled or surrendered but he simply continued on, losing a steady stream of blood from a massive gash on his side from an enemy’s lucky blow. He had been a part of the military since the day he was born, his earliest memories consisting of battle drills and strategy lessons. He had been taught absolute obedience and that failure for a mission was not acceptable. Even if the mission couldn’t be completed, they were to continue trying to fulfill their goal until they died. The man had never known a different life, but he had pretended.

There had been several missions that were done undercover. He had posed as a mercenary, a merchant, a farmer, and many other roles during his life, but they had only been a means to an end. As such, despite the overwhelming pain pulsing throughout his body he continued on. He finally reached the dropoff point and stuck the bloodstained notes into the hidden nook of the tree they had established months prior. Black started to seep into the edges of his vision and he knew he didn’t have much longer. He made sure not to stop for long, pausing long enough to tuck in the paper and continue on. Protocol stated that he needed to throw them off the trail, so he headed towards the cliffs he knew were nearby.

Step by step he trekked onward, leaving a steady trail of red behind him as he navigated amongst the trees. Finally, the trees opened up to the cliff sides, a waterfall nearby blanketing the bottom with a thick grey mist. He stood there catching his breath and looking at the peerless blue sky above him and taking the moment to ponder over his fate. Dogs barking in the distance signaled the approach of enemy forces. This was a risky move but if he pulled it off, he might just survive. Soon, several dogs and their human trackers popped out of the dark tree line and surrounded him. At their humans command the dogs halted feet away growling and keeping their eyes locked onto him. Right on their heels was a man that he was quite familiar with.

He was a large man, wide shoulders adorned in shining armor. The two men often plotted and planned in the same areas and as a result had to outwit the other constantly. This was the first time they were facing off with each other without the haze of battle distracting them. Studying this long time foe revealed a pair of sharp eyes studying him back. The man offered for him to switch sides and live out of respect for his skills, but he only knew how to follow orders, so with a nod of respect he took a sudden jump back and plunged down the cliff.