3. Village Invasion

Nashiro was holding his breath, scared that he was going to get caught. He didn't move an inch as couldn't take any chances. The owner was getting ready to burst the hay with his pitchfork. To Nashiro's luck, the horse started acting wildly. It ran around the yard knocking some tables and chairs down that were placed near a few statues. The owner dashed to the door.

"What in the world of Olinda are you doing!?" he shouted furiously.

"Now, you're going to pay! Get over here you a dumb horse!" he threw the pitchfork and pulled out his whip.

With the owner distracted, he left the haystack and then the stable, the same way he came in. He sat down behind it and took a deep breath. He wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeve. He felt exhausted. He was so close to seeing the pitchfork through his waist and being dead, not that he would know that until he was actually stabbed.

Suddenly, he heard a cry. Not a human one but an animal.

"The horse!" he muttered.

He snuck up behind the stone wall and peeked over. Horrified by the sight, he gasped. The horse, who he quite liked, was getting whipped badly. It was on three limps, limping around the yard and letting outcries as the whip hit its already frail body.

"This is what happens when you misbehave Daisy!" he whipped her, "I thought you would know by now. But you're as stubborn as some of my shitty employers..." he tightened his whip.

Nashiro wasn't watching anymore. He was sick of this man and his treatment towards the poor thing. He wanted to climb the wall and knock this guy out. But he couldn't. He was powerless here and he didn't know how to fight. He covered his ears as the sound of the whip and cries of Daisy were too much for him. He got up and ran away. Tears were going down his face as he felt useless as a human being.

'Why am I so pathetic?!'

He was back on the street in no time and bumped into the hooded figure again.

"Oh it's you a-..." she noticed his expression, "Are you okay? You look like you've seen something terrible," she placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up slightly and saw her face. Her black hair was neatly tucked in revealing her exquisite emerald coloured eyes. Her face was clean and she seemed to be around his age too.

A pain went through his head and he groaned a little.

"Hey, take it easy," he grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side so he didn't draw any attention.

"Wait here, I'll get you some water,"

As she went away, the pain went away but his head still felt fuzzy. It was just about noontime when he glanced up and saw a flock of birds, heading away from the forest. The ground started vibrating.

'I think I'm hallucinating.'

He scratched his head, trying to calm down. The unforgiving whip of that evil man on Daisy left a bad taste in his mouth and he couldn't take it.

"Aaargh!" A man squealed as he dropped to the ground. Nashiro turned his head and saw an arrow sticking out of his chest. The villagers started panicking and ran around in panic.

"They're here!" A woman shouted as she slammed the door of her home.

"We're under attack! We're gonna die!!!" An older gentleman bawled before taking an arrow and dropping not far from the first guy.

Blood leaked everywhere and Nashiro's eyes widened with terror. He didn't need this. Not after what he had to experience.

"Oh God..." his legs moved a few steps back as they shook.

Another round of arrows was fired and some of them were thermal. They hit a few of the passing villagers that didn't take cover or were startled enough to forget to hide. It was horrific to the point the few houses nearby were set on fire. Nashiro could only help and watch from behind an old wooden cart.

"T-this is..." he was lost for words. He could see an army march in through the place. The fire was spreading from house to house as more people got killed by more arrow shots. There was one man that stood out among the rest. His helmet had two horns on them and he held a sword in his hands.

"Hmph! Easy pickings if you ask me, boys..." he chuckled and turned to his army, "You know the drill! Loot to your heart's content!" He shouted and they roared with cheers. They broke into houses and started their raid with minimal resistance. The would get all the loot from the building and take the woman and children as hostages. Nashiro was hiding under the cart, holding his head in his arms. Terrified for his life, more than he was when Daisy's owner was about to find him, he was watching it all unfold. From one of the bigger houses in the middle, one of the men brought a beautiful blond woman.

"Look what I found!" one of the men exclaimed.

"Well, well, nice one Gary!" he looked the girl who was struggling to get free from the guy who was holding her.

"Can I have this one?" he asked.

"Umm, sure... You deserve it."

"Hear that? No need to be stressed, I'm gonna treat you nicely..." he licked her neck.

"No! Screw you!" she exclaimed as she struggled even more. He pulled her to the back and into a cage after tying her into binds.

Nashiro wasn't watching anymore. He was too scared to look as the men laughed and killed the villagers who were trying to defend their families and even the people who were trying to run.

"Sir Harold! We found this guy, trying to escape through the back."

Daisy's owner was thrown next to him. He looked up to him in fear.

"Please, spare me!" he begged.

"Did you find anything else?"

"No, except for this whip and some blood in the back," he gave the whip to him, "It looked to be an animal that was tortured. It was possibly a horse."

Harold gripped the whip tightly and looked at the owner with a sharp look.

"I-it wasn't anything like that... I'll spread your name through my employers and make you rich. Yes, very rich..." he laughed nervously.

"Where is the horse now?"

"We didn't find it. It must have escaped." the soldier shook his head.

"That doesn't matter. I let it go into the wilderness. I-"

"LIAR!" Harold pulled out his longsword, "Scum like you disgust me. Do you not have any mercy for anyone but yourself you pitiful excuse of a human!"

"I-it wasn't a good horse. I promise y-you," he shivered and moved away a little. A slash across his neck made easy work of him.

Nashiro somehow managed to open his eyes to see him get wasted by Harold.

All of a sudden, he felt someone grab his leg and pull him from under the cart.

"What do we have here? A hider? A stalker? Or just a measly rat?"

"Let go of me, I beg you..." he pleaded as the guy placed a dagger at his throat.

"Move slave before I slice you like a pig," he ordered and he was forcefully pushed forward. He was captured. He wondered, if he would have been able to get away. Maybe if he wasn't too frightened to get shot.

'It would have been worth an attempt. But it's gone now...' he looked down as he moved towards his doom.