Wheel Of Life

Mark headed towards the barn, flanked by Sakura and Leif. He stepped carefully over a bandit corpse, an arrow was lodged deeply in to the dead bandits throat. The bandits eyes were wide open and stared blankly at the sky above. He had died an unexpected death and the shock was obvious on his face.

They passed a couple more dead bandits before reaching the warehouse doors, it was the size of a small barn, with it's large doors wide open.

Leif stepped infront of Mark, sword raised, as he walked in to the warehouse first. The warehouse was dark, with very little light passing through anywhere other than the doorway. There was a slight slit in the roof which allowed a steam of light to reflect on a metal cage that was too the back.

Mark followed closely behind Leif, with Sakura to his side. As he looked around the space, his eyes began adjusting to the difference in light from the outside. The haze of the darkness gradually dissipating from his vision. What reached his eyes was a spectacular site.

Large metal cages adorned the rear and left hand sides of the warehouse, with wooden c.h.e.s.ts and wooden crates to the right. Inside the large metal cages were groups of tightly packed people, dressed in a variety of dirt ridden clothes. Leif headed towards them and looked back at Mark for reassurance, but Mark held his hand up for him to stop.

The people in the crates looked at them entering. Some had eyes that were begging for freedom, whilst others showed a mass amount of fear. Having heard the cries of battle earlier, a certain terror entered their minds towards the newcomers.

Mark signalled towards Leif, pointing towards the cages and then pointing towards the entrance way. Leif understood the simple instruction and ran outside to get more people. Mark then nodded at Sakura before heading towards the cages, Sakura followed close behind him, watching the surroundings and attempting to gather information from the reactions of the caged people.

Mark looked at the dirty caged people, trying to dissect what type of people they were. Most having very simple civilian backstories. There were a few merchants, shop keepers, stay at home parents and farm hands. However amongst the group were a few people with simple military backgrounds, ex soldiers or guardsman with no notable achievements in their previous lives.

"Why are you locked in these cages?" Mark asked a woman gently.

"We are just travelling merchants!" She replied quickly, hopeful and fearful at the same time. "We were passing through the mountain pass when we were ambushed. They killed some of us in the initial attack and we quickly surrendered. We thought they would take our goods, but they didn't just do that, they also took us. Some of the group have been taken away and r.a.p.ed or tortured. The rest of us have been left here until they are bored, we rot or our colleagues back home pay for our release."

"How long have you been here?" Mark asked politely, keeping himself a safe distance from the cage. Sakura walked a bit closer, staring at the mass of people beyond.

"We have been here two weeks now, however some have been here longer." she stated, pointing at some of the other cages in the warehouse.

Mark looked and saw a group of people, hugely malnourished and close to starvation. It was hard to see where the dirt ended and the people began. Mark headed towards them slowly.

"Please don't leave us!" The woman shouted.

"Don't worry." Sakura replies reassuringly in Mark's place.

Mark reached a large metal cage, where a skeleton like man sat, hunched over uncomfortably, covered in his own dirt. The whites of his eyes showed little reaction, as if he had lost all will or notion to live anymore.

Character Information

Name - Clive Sparrow

Position - Merchant Prisoner

Age - 45

Relationship Status - No reaction

Level - 4

Additional Information - In a past life, Clive owned a successful chain of stores in an inconsequential country. He had a fulfilling life with a large family, dying a natural death at an old age.

Skills - Merchant, Gold Maker, Shop Keeper.

Potential - 3 stars

More information upon level up.

Mark crouched down to Clive's level and gazed in to his eyes.

"What is your story?" Mark asked gently. Clive just stared back at him blankly, as if he didn't understand how to react to conversation anymore.

There was a sound of chattering coming from the entrance as Leif returned with a handful of Red Ribbons in tow. The happiness from the battle quickly disappearing as their eyes adjusted to the scene inside the warehouse.

"F.u.c.k, they are caged like animals!" Octavian exclaimed as he entered. His huge hammer resting across his armoured shoulder.

"Can we free them boss?" Leif asked seriously.

"Yes, but slowly. Have the search teams find food from the houses and bring it here. Don't let anyone leave here until we have checked them all through, but make sure they are fed and watered." Mark ordered. "And be careful."

Lief nodded in response, before motioning for Octavian to hammer the locks on the cages open, which he was only too happy to do. Mark watched as the first cage lock was smashed open, the prisoners inside happily stumbling towards their freedom. Mark nodded to Sakura before leaving, hoping that she could work her way through the crowd of people. He decided he would offer them time to recuperate at the fort, before letting them return to their normal lives if they so wished to.

Mark left the warehouse and looked out across the battlefield. Bandits had been rounded up and sat around the fire pit, whilst Red Ribbons either guarded them or excitedly searched the houses. Boudica sat on her horses back, which she had reclaimed from Sakura, monitoring and directing those below her.

She noticed him leaving the warehouse and trotted her horse towards him.

"It has been a fortuitous trip so far." she offered.

"We have cover now to pretend to be the Mount Tai Wood Bandits when the Wolfheads arrived." ?Mark agreed.

"We didn't loose anyone." She added, "Kish is shaken up, and we have a few minor cuts and injuries. Hector received some more heavy wounds that should heal though, I think we need to speak with our doctor friend back at the hideout. Francois has twisted his ankle, he tripped during the charge, so headed back to assist the archers."

"I was worried, especially about Kish, when we charged in, I thought he was a goner." Mark replied.

"He's fine! We also have prisoners!" She replied excitedly.

"We have more than that." he replied, pointing to the warehouse. "Inside there, there are crates full of merchants wares, which are now ours, I will let Eduardo look through it all and let me know how much. There is also however several metal cages, packed with their own prisoners they had captured. Some are in a terrible state."

"That is atrocious!" she exclaimed.

"Its inhumane." Mark replied. "I plan to let them recover at Raven's Peak. Maybe some will stay."

"New people is always a plus!" She replied, deep in thought.

"There is one though, his eyes were lifeless, as if he had already given up on existing." Mark added, "It scared me, what they must have gone through!"

Boudica saw the anger starting to billow on Mark's face.

"Boss! Boss!" a Red Ribbon shouted, Mark looked and noticed a happy Coyotl. "come see!"

Mark waved in response and walked past Boudica, leaving her in deep thought about the path ahead. She motioned for the men to continue guarding the bandits around the fire, whilst she headed to the warehouse.

Mark reached Coyotl quickly, who was stood by the door to a house. The house was cheaply made, with the wood from the forest barely creating a suitable structure.

"What is it?" Mark asked intrigued.

"There is something, no, someone you should see." Coyotl replied enthusiastically.

Mark headed past Coyotl and in to the house. The inside was larger than it looked, with several rooms joining a long corridor that past through the centre. At the end of the corridor, stood Gan Ning, who was trying to get his attention.

Gan Ning's armour was coloured in blood, and it was obvious that he had been in some serious fights today. His double blades were pushed in to their scabbard at his waist. Mark wished he had seen him fight when they were a combined weapon.

"I'm coming!" Replied Mark, wanting to explore the structure of the house first. The corridor reminding him of his days as a university student in his youth. Of course his university halls were slightly better looked after.

"Theres a man tied up in here." Gan Ning explained, causing Mark to hasten his pace.

The room at the end of the corridor was small, a similar size to a small family car. There were metal concoctions across the walls, with a wooden brace in the centre. Strapped to the brace was a muscular man with a dragon tattoo on his c.h.e.s.t. The man's breath was ragged, as his scared body moved up and down.

Mark exhaled as he saw the man's stats, he was more than a good candidate for a loyal follower.