The life of a nomad was an lonesome path,this was it had alot of perks attached to it,one never had to stay in one place for one and you didn't have any family bonds tying one could say nomad's had alot of freedom but it was a dangerous and difficult had to do an odd job here and there to just get a meager amout of outsiders basically everywhere it was difficult to haggle for a higher reward,but beggars can't be chooser' why you needed strenght to make through this world,without that you could forget trying to accomplish anything.
In a world like Renmant you either need to toughen up or get trampled on.
Such was the way of life no matter where you were.
A SAVIOUR?
The road between the forest was quiet with only the occasional chirping of birds to be heard and the occasional clanking of armour.
Keir followed the road intent on reaching the next village or small was gonna go through the same routine which consisted of him looking for work,getting paid and then heading to the next town.
It might've seemed excessive to move around so much but Keir was content with such a life.
Besides he didn't carry much with him save for his armour and sword,water and food he could gain by exploring and hunting.
Such was the way of life for a nomad.
Keir stopped his musing once he caught site of the villiage It was a small one with a few houses neatly line up against one another with gaps between them,there was also a tall tower with what looked a large bell villiage seemed to lack any outer defense as well,there were a few armed men around the villiage all of whom sent him suspicious glances as he walked through the least they possess some security detail,they would need atleast the bare minimum to survive in the wilderness.
All and all the villiage looked decent enough,not too big but not exactly small either,so the residence here ought to have some work they want done.
But first,
"Could you direct me to this village's inn or tavern?"Keir asked after he approached one of the elderly woman,the rinkles in her face evident .
She seemed taken aback by his apperance and voice evident from the surprise plastered on her face.
She quickly cleared her throat and stared at the stranger before her,taking in the details of his armour before finally opening her mouth to speak.
"That building over there acts as both an inn and tavern so that'd be what your looking for,dear."She said as she pointed at a building that was slightly talker than the others.
Mouthing a thank's Keir approached the building and enterd.
The interior was neat with clean wooden floors and a few tables and chairs spread throughout,with only a few people occupying was also a set of stairs that led to the upper level.
At the far back there was a counter with a women behind it,she seemed around thirty with an average height,long jet black hair flowing freely and emreld eye' for a green dress and had a white apron on top of it.
Walking to the counter the women was quick to notice him.
"Oh?A traveller?We sure don't get many of your kind here."The woman spoke as she continued to observe Keir.
"That so?"
"Yeah,but you certainly stand you Huntsman by any change or is that sword and armour there just for show?"
"No just a nomad."
"Ah,a shame my daughter would've loved to meet one."She said with a slight sigh."But anyway your sure to be parched from your travels so what will it be?"
"Just water,please."
"Really just water?"She said with a raised eyebrow before she shrugged her shoulders."Okay,"
It didn't take long before she retrieved a class of cold water and set it on the counter.
"So,you plan on taking that helmet off or are you just gonna drink through it?"She asked sarcastically.
"I'll mange."He mutterd as he took a seat on one of the chairs laid before the counter.
The woman herself continued staring at him as she rested he cheek on her hand.
"As a nomad you travel around alot right?"She asked intent on starting a conversation.
"Yes."
"So have you been to Vale before?"
"No I tend to avoid the bigger cities."
"That so?A shame."
"You interested in Vale?"
"Course I am!Is there a soul in Renmant that isn't?"She declared sounding more enthusiast."Most make it big in Vale and most legends spawn in Vale too."
"Legends?"
"You know,most big names started out in the Grimm Slayer Vex,or the Beauty Sabbath,hell it was even home to Vales own Boogyman Agnar."
Those titles seemed strange but he supposed they did deeds that earned them those titles,but the last one's name sounded foreign.
"So what became of these legends exatly?"
"Haven't a clue."She said with a shrug of her shoulders."Those legends spawned some time ago,so their all probably dead by now."
Keir nodded his head before he took a look around the tavern again,seemed it was even emptier than usual.
"Business always this slow?"
"No wasn't always like Grimm have been spotted pretty close to the villiage recntly so everybody's too piss scared to leave their homes,but I do get the eventual patriot who drowns themselves in alcohol every now and then."
"I see,then your husband's fine with you being on your lonesome this late?"
"I don't really have to worry 'bout that,cause I'm a widow."She said causally.
"Oh,I'm sorry for your loss."
"No,it's fine it happend a long time ago."She waved off."Besides I still have my little angel to keep me smile is all I need to power through,a shame I don't spend more time with hey seeing as business is this slow I might as well take a few day off."
"True."
"So the what about you?"She asked.
"What about me?"
"I told you bit about myself so I think you owe me a bit of backstory,tell ya what I'll even throw in a free room seeing as I doubt you have any place to stay the what do you say?"
A free room?If it meant not having to spend money who was he to refuse.
" away."
She smiled as she immediately fired her questions.
"So how did this whole nomad life of yours start?"
"It wasn't any grand start,once I was strong enough I just started traveling around here and there."
"That all?Then what about any family or friends?"
"I don't tend to make alot of friends on the road and as for family,I only have two other brother's whom I haven't been in contact with for a while."
"I see,it must be lonely to travel so long without any company."
"Not do you have anymore questions?"
"Only helmet,you don't seem to want to take it looks extremely uncomfortable,there any reason your still keeping it on?"
"There is,but let's just say it's personal."
"I see,I won't pry I suppose a promise is a promise."Reaching behind the counter she pulled out a key and handed it to him."Once you reach the upper floor your room will be the first one on the right.
"Thanks,much appreciated."Keir thanked her as he stood up from his seat,Before he went up the stairs he was stopped by her voice.
"Oh yeah it completely slipped my mind,we haven't properly introduced ,your name?"
"Keir,just about you?"
"Emilia,a pleasure to make your acquaintance"She said with a smile as she did a small curtsy.
"Same to you."With that he bid her a goodnight.
Going up the stairs he entered his temporary room.
It wasn't too big but there was a decent sized bed against the wall with white covers on top of it.A window at the other side of the room as well as a wooded desk and chair,finished with a cobard.
All and all a pretty nice place to spend the night,he's surprised Emilia let him stay for free.
Most people he met on the road were not as welcoming as her so this was a nice change of pace.
Removing his sword from his back he set it against the took a seat on the bed,it slightly creaking under the weight of his armour.
He reached for the pockets embedded into the cloth of his armour,he pulled out a folded up map,unfolding it he examined the map.
He is overall location was in Mistral but the map didn't display the villiage he was residing sense the map was a tad old,but he needed to gauge where he should go next.
After he earned some money here he would head out,he'd probably go around Mistral some more.
"Guess I'll just head to the town or villiage that's closets,the locals ought to know which direction to point me in."
Putting the map aside Keir allowed himself a momment of respite.
He didn't get moments such as this often,most of his life only included traveling and doing odd jobs,most included killing this point he might as well have been an unofficial Huntsman,from all the knowledge he had on Grimm to the amounts of Grimm he killed.
Honestly he didn't see the appeal of becoming a Huntsman,although they exeld in other jobs their main priorities remained with Grimm getting more dangerous the job of a Huntsman ought to sound less appealing,alas it did not for some foolish youths think the life of Huntsman would solve all their problems.
But he digressed, it wasn't a subject worth thinking about.
His thoughts themselves didn't continue long as the load ringing of a bell reached his came from outside and it was loud enough for everyone in this small villiage to hear.
"This spells bad news."Grabbing his blade he made his way down the stairs and saw Emilia who looked surprised as she was in the process of cleaning up.
"What's with the bell?"
"Shit!This signals a Grimm attack,I need to find Emily!"And then without another world she rushed out of the tavern and bolted to who knows where.
Following her lead he exited in the tavern and immediately noticed all of the villiagers running around clearly in distress.
"Their running in the opposite direction of the entrance,must be where the Grimm are."Wasting no time he ran for the entrance,and despite the heavy armour he made it in record time.
It was Beowollfs,about twelve of of the villagers were holding there own against the Beowolfs but it was clear they would be eventually be overwhelmed.
"This many Beowolfs but no alpha?"It was strange but he had no time to ponder about his sword he leaped to action.
To other's his form might as well have been a blur,in a flash he cleaved through the Beowolfs,his sword cutting through them without any resitence.
In just a short time he had already dispatched five Beowolfs who were in conflict with the few villager's,those villiager's looked on in confusion on why the Grimm before them were suddenly cleaved to pieces.
Keir ignored them and focused on the remaining seven Grimm who now turned their attention to him,clearly sensing a bigger threat in him.
Two leaped at him simultaneously,their claws on full display looking to skewer him.'
The first one closet to him received a guantleted fist to the face,the crunch of it's bones could be heard as his fist sank deeper into it's force of the punch sent it flying back and colliding with the other Beowolf,it was momentarily stunned and Keir took the oppertunity to attack and he cleaved at both the beast at the same remains fell to the ground as three others circled him.
They too attacked at the same time,bearing their fangs and claws.
He simply leaped to the air and they collided against one another,they were in slight disarray.
While mid air Keir gripped his sword with both hand and quickly spun till he reached the ground,the added momentum made it all the more easier to cleave through the Beowolf's simultaneously,the force of his strike creating a smale crater.
Looking around he noticed that the two other Grimm were missing.
"They must've gone deeper in the villiage."He wasted no time in running through the people defending the entrance were still in dissary meaning the village was vulnerable deeper in.
He didn't have to move far as he immediately spotted one of the two Beowolf's.
It was busy trying to bite at someone it had pinned to the ground,the person in quiestion had a broom louged between the Beowolf's mouth to stop it from killing him but it was only a matter of time before it broke.
Keir prepared to help but it would seem his intervention wasn't needed as the Beowolf found an axe louged into it's skull courtesy of Emilia.
The Beowolf's movement's soon stopped and it's body went victims of it's assualt pushed the body off and just ran while screaming his head off.
"Thought you needed to look for your daughter?"
"I found her,her and the rest of the villiager's are held up at the that church their."She said gesturing to a building that stood out from the rest,it was certainly bigger and a ways away from where they were.
"Then what are you doing here?"
"I won't just sit on my ass when I can help!"She declared as she took her that was louaged into the Beowolf's skull,then resting it on her shoulder."But seems you got everything coverd."
"Not 's still one Beowolf left and everybody in that church is sure to be scared and that'll attract it."
"Then what the hell are we waiting for!"Not waiting for him she ran at the church.
INSIDE THE CHURCH
Emily was scared,very scared.
First her babysitter get's attacked by those monster's and now she didn't even know where her mother mother would come protect her,right?
She clutched onto her makeshift doll fearing the worst,she was only eight she didn't know what to do besides run and hide from those monster's.
And the other scared villiager s inside the church didn't exatly help.
"Now,now everyone calm down have strong men guarding this villiage I'm sure the Grimm will be dealt with short."The eldery villiage chief spoke up infront of everybody,intent on dispelling the other's seemed to have little effect as everyone was more or less terrified,this was the first time they faced a Grimm attack and no one had an idea what to never proweld close to the villiage after all so them suddenly attacking was unexpected.
"Stupid Grimm!Let me at 'em I'll show them who's boss!"Another boy the same age as her declared while wielding his short makeshift wooden was Emil,his short brown hair and freckles made that obvious.
"Yeah you go,Emil!"His two friend's/minion's chanted behind of them was chubby with glasses,while the other had moppy black hair and was always encouraged him no matter what he did,it was quite comedic.
Actually seeing their idiocy made her feel a bit better.
And at least she now knew why her mother wanted her to stay away from the other kids.
Her moment of respite however was short lived as a loud bang was heard at the church entrance,everybody grew silent as fear enveloped only way out was through the entrance and no one had any weapons to even attempt to defend themselves.
All everybody could do was back away till they reached the end of the church.
"I-I ain't afraid!"Emil spoke up as he raised his shaky hand that held his woodenen sword.
"Step back child!"The chief yelled as he pulled Emil back.
At the same time the constant banging on the door stopped.
And in the next instant the Beowolf burst through the doors.
It's intimidating size,it's pitch black fur,it's blood red eye's and armour like bone's spread around it's body,all of this was enough to terrify the people.
Emily couldn't move her eye's stuck to the monster just a few meter's infront of her,she couldn't will herself to even attempt to move,she was completely frozen in fear.
The monster must've noticed this becaused it seemed to stare right at her.
It walked closer to the people and they were all helpless,even if they attempted to run to the entrance the beast would still surely kill a few of them.
So with each step it took they grew more fearful.
(Please mom!Please help!)She could nothing but pray,she wanted all of this to just go away,she wanted her mom and she never wanted to see these monster's her eye's shut her prayer's seemed to have been partially answered.
The Beowolf's advance suddenly stopped.
The villiager s looked on slightly confused until the Beowolf suddenly split into two,as if it was cut in confusion now turned to full blown surprise.
"Damn,this wasn't the Alpha either."
A mysterious armoured stranger mutterd as he rested his sword on his shoulder.
They couldn't help but stare in awe at how effortlessly he took down the Grimm and how easily he wielded such a blade.
Emily especially,it was if she was staring at one of those knights in shining armour in one of those stories,although he did look alot more there was a certain calmness she felt while staring at if he was one of those knight's from the fairytale's,would that make her the princess?
She was however snapped out of her fantasy's by a worried voice calling out to her.
"Emily!"Emilia came through the entrance as she rushed to her daughter.
"Mommy!"And with that the last of her worries disappeared as she rushed to couldn't help but cry out as she clutched her mother's leg."I w-was so scared!"
Kneeling down to her daughter she cherished her."It's fine now,those monster won't be bothering us anymore."
Keir looked on at the scene as he sheathed his blade.
"So that's her daughter,looks like a younger version her."Keir mused as an bald elderly man approached him,with three children trailing .
"I must thank you kind sir,Lord knows what would've happend had you not interfered."The elderly man said with a smile and a slight bow of gratitude.
"Man!How did you do it!You cut that Grimm in half with just one swing!"One of the children exclaimed,wielding a wooden short sword.
"Yeah that was awesome!"Another one chanted.
The kids however were quickly taken back by their still worried parents before they could gloss over Keir more.
"I wouldn't go celebrating just yet."
"Why,what's wrong?"Emilia asked as she approached them with Emily clutching to her dress,while meakly staring at Keir.
"Well,you see about twelve Beowolf's attacked here,usally a pack like that should have an Alpha."Keir began explaining.
"Well what does it mean if there isn't one?"Emilia questioned.
"It usually means one of two things,it's either they recently lost their Alpha and were in search for a bigger pack...or they were already part of a much bigger pack and these few Grimm here were just a small potion of a much,much bigger one."
"A bigger pack?Just how much bigger?"The elder questioned clearly worried.
"Well it could range from thirty-fifty."
"Fifty!?"Emilia couldn't help but exclaim as the rest of the villagers sent her strange glances.
"Calm down,we shouldn't alert the other' they panic it'll only draw the Grimm in quicker."
"I know,I know but that's an absurd number of Grimm,how'd do they even get to that point."
"It's simple Grimm grow smarter and know that their chances of survival increase if they stay in much larger groups,that's why renmants of previous destroyed packs bad together."
"But if it is as you say then I am at a lost for what to simply don't have the required manpower or defense's to propel a large scale Grimm attack."The elder mutterd worredly.
"Mommy,are those monster's coming back again?"Emily asked pulling at her mother's dress.
"It will be fine sweetie,it will all be fine."She said with a comforting smile which seemed to ease her daughter's worry."Mama here will protect you,and her new knight friend will as well."She said gesturing to Keir.
Emily stared at the knight as if he was some kind of Angel that would solve all their problems,Keir didn't like that stare at all.
"I can indeed help propel any Grimm attack."Keir announced to the elder.
"But how?Your only one man"
"Yeah he's right,if it is that many Grimm than we should call for a Huntsman or Huntress,or we should atleast evacuate the villiage."Emilia suggested but Keir just shook his head.
"Either option will take too long,the Beowolfs will probably come looking for their missing kin anytime now."
"Then we are out of options."The elder mutterd in despair.
"Not really,our best bet is to wipe 'em out at the same time."
"But we don't that kind of firepower."Emilia mutterd.
"I do,let's call it it my semblance,yeah let's go with my semblance I should be able to wipe them out in one fell swoop."
"A semblance?I thought you said you weren't a Huntsman."
"I'm not,but I need you to do something for me."
"Sure thing I'll do anything to help."
"The Grimm are sure to attack at the entrance like the other's but when they will attack is anyones I want you to tell the rest of the villagers of the Grimm attack that's soon to happen."
"But I thought you said that would just draw the Grimm in quicker."
"Yeah I know,and that's what I accumulated fear of an entire villiage ought to draw in the Grimm alot all is figured out then I'll head to the etrance and await the Grimm."
Keir exited the church as he made his was to the village's entrance.
Honestly he was too soft,once he saw that their were children here he deceided to play hero without asking for a reward,one of the many lessons he learned on the road was to never play the he might as well throw caution to the wind.
"I shouldn't use too much of my 'power' though,that'll just attract unwanted attention..."Keir mutterd to no one in particular,his 'semblance' was obviously not one,it was a power more complex one witch he rather not be using but one could one do.
Killing the Grimm the old fashioned way would take too long so he's left with little option's.
"Guess this'll be my good deed for the day."
