Village in Peril

{Are you sure you're alright, Ryker?} Bestie also spoke up worriedly.

'Well, okay, I might be a little shook.'

Ryker forcefully exhaled, trying to get a grip on himself. Now that his anger over them targeting a defenseless young child had passed, he was starting to feel the realization that he had just killed a person setting in.

'No worries. Let's deal with this first, and I can reflect on what happened, later,' he thought, more for his own benefit than Mini C's or Bestie's. Neither of them pursued the topic, any further, as he looked back down at the boy in his arms and spoke.

"Hey, don't think I caught your name, kid."

The little boy looked back up at him, his gray eyes wide as saucers as he mustered up the spirit to speak.

"... Zhao Gui," he finally answered, looking forward, once more.

"Well, Lil' Gui, looks like we're getting close..."

With another leap, he heard two frightened cries ring out as they burst through a cluster of bushes, and Ryker looked over to see two women fallen on the ground in fear. One looked to be middle-aged, faint crow's feet around her eyes, while the other had her hair down, looking to be just barely an adult.

"Mother! Sister!!"

Zhao Gui jumped down from out of Ryker's grasp and ran towards them, eliciting surprised gasps from the two women as they rushed forward to pull him into an embrace.

"Xiao Gui! You're okay!"

"Gui Gui, we were so worried about you!"

Ryker stood back with a smile, letting them have their emotional moment as he consulted Mini C on where to go next.

"Can you tell where Lil' Gui's village is?" he asked,

[No... There are too many readings spread across the forest to get any clear direction on where the village might be.]

"Hm..."

He rubbed his chin as he thought of what to do, before Zhao Gui, hearing their conversation, suddenly stood up in determination, looking back at Ryker with a steady gaze.

"I can guide you back to the village!" he said, his lips resolutely pressed into a thin line.

"Xiao Gui, who is this?" the woman who apparently was Zhao Gui's mother asked, creasing her brows in worry.

"This is Ryker! He's a powerful warrior who can help us save the village!"

His sister also gave him a worried look, fussing over the scratches on his body with a frown.

"Gui Gui, what do you mean you'll guide him? It's too dangerous to go back to the village, right now!"

"But, Father... What about Father?!" Zhao Gui cried out, stomping his foot in frustration, "Father is still back there! If we don't do something quickly--"

"You'll just get in the way! If anything, I'll guide Sir Ryker back to the village--"

"No way! I'm smaller, I know a lot of places to hide--"

"Hey, hey, that's enough arguing!"

Ryker came up between Zhao Gui and his sister, holding his hands up placatingly.

"Just point out the direction I need to head in," he said, putting his hands on his hips, "It's too dangerous for either of you to come with!"

"But--"

"No buts!"

The two of them looked at each other before nodding sullenly, Zhao Gui pointing towards the northeast. Ryker smiled, rubbing the child's head while giving him a thumbs up.

"Don't worry, champ, I'll go find your dad and bring him back, safe," he said, grinning broadly.

"Sir Ryker..."

Zhao Gui's mother, however, looked at Ryker with worried eyes, though she eventually shook her head, bowing to him pleadingly.

"Please, if you can help my husband... he's a tall man, with a scar under his left eye..."

"Got it, ma'am. I'll keep an eye out for your husband," Ryker said with a confident smile. He took out his Sturdy Iron Cudgel, looking back once more before he left.

"Keep yourselves safe, alright?"

With that, he kicked off in the direction Zhao Gui pointed out for him, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust in his wake.

Zhao Gui looked off into the distance where Ryker had disappeared into the forest for a long time, even as his mother collapsed to her knees, taking her two children into her arms and praying to whatever powers that be for the safety of her husband.

--

"Just die already, you geezer!"

In the chaotic din of battle, a ruffian fought with an elderly looking man, their sabers flashing as they exchanged blows. Their battlefield was a small, rundown village, and several of the villagers had formed a defensive circle around the largest building at the center of the village, as the bandits pressed in and tried to break their line.

Their situation looked grim; the bandits outnumbered them two to one, all wielding weapons and clad in leather armor that had been fitted with steel plates over top of it.

But the bandits weren't prepared for the old man's skill, nor the ferocity he brought to this fight. He clearly knew how to handle himself; his movements were smooth and sure, even if there was still some stiffness in his joints.

"Hold them back!" the old man shouted, deftly blocking the bandit he was engaged with and slashing at another in the same swing. His blade flashed through the air like a snake, each strike wounding or forcing back a bandit, before moving on to the next.

"Stop those brutes from getting any closer!"

He looked around him, assessing the situation, at hand. A few of the defenders had gone down under the bandits' assault, having been dragged back into the village hall for emergency treatment. The village hall itself contained those villagers that couldn't fight, but also couldn't run away, in time; unless the defenders wanted to abandon them to their fate, they had no choice but to hold their ground.

At that moment, one of the bandits tried to leap over their defensive encirclement, whooping loudly as he brandished his sword. But the old man stepped forward, kicking the bandit in front of him to make some space before jumping up to slash at his leaping foe.

The bandit could only block the heavy saber while in the air, getting blown backwards and falling face first onto the ground. The old man, on the other hand, landed lightly on his feet, before quickly falling back into the defensive line while panting heavily.

Things couldn't keep going, like this; although they were holding up, admirably, the old man was already at the limits of his endurance. If they didn't do something to force the bandits to retreat, soon...

He grit his teeth, tightening his grip on his saber. As the village head, there was no way he'd let that happen!

--

"Damn, this old man's good."

Off in the distance, one of the bandits, a burly man with a shaved head and a scar across his chest, watched the old man as he fell back, taking a moment to admire his skills.

"Is this really necessary? We already lost a few guys, and it's not like there's anything worth taking, here."

Another bandit, a woman with short blonde hair, walked over to his side, running her fingers through her thick locks as she observed the ongoing battle, as well.

"Boss wanted the new guys getting some real experience. Guess he figured this shithole would be good enough, since there haven't been any caravans running through, lately," the burly bandit responded with his arms crossed.

"But who knew there'd be a guy this strong, out here?"

"When are we stepping in?" the woman asked simply, not taking her eyes off of the battle for a moment.

"Give it another few minutes. It looks like that old geezer is at his limits; once he goes down, the rest will follow quickly enough."

However, just when they were about to stand back and relax until the fighting was over, a tall figure burst through the underbrush behind them, leaping clear over them as they reflexively drew their weapons and rushing towards the melee in the village.

"... Shit. This looks like trouble," the burly bandit muttered through a strained smile. His partner could only nod as they followed behind cautiously, waiting to see how this new situation would play out.