Ash was walking on a dirt road for some time now. He had encounter some weird walking animals: pigs, goats, bunnies… a lot of them actually «not a great biodiversity around here» he joked with himself. He had try to speak with some of them…..all of them actually but every time, it didn't go well: «MONSTER!» «THE HELL IS THAT THING!?» «AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH» they shouted and ran every time.
Ash was getting more and more angry and that's when he found himself face to face with a group of rhino guards, alerted by frightened animals that he snapped. «You there! stop right where you are!» ordered one of the rhino probably the leader of the group thought Ash
Ash stops in his tracks and says « what do you want?» in a low voice.
Some of the new recruits shiver a little a the hostile tone that Ash was using. «surrender and we will take you to the nearest guard station for questioning» the leader speaks again with a firm voice
«And what if i don't want to?» Ash asks while clenching his fists, he was getting impatient. When he was willing to ask questions to travellers he was rejected and now he was some kind of criminal or something. These rhinos will answers his questions but first he will have to reduce the surplus of workfoce or play it cool and calm things down.
« then we will use the force!» the leader threatens while signaling to his men to prepare themselves to attack the human
«All right guys, this can go two ways: the gentle one where YOU answer my questions and everyone go his way and everyone is fine or the hard one where you go back to your moms with missing teeth» Ash suggest to the group.
The leard growls and frowns «That's it, CHARGE!» he shouted to his men who start running toward Ash with their weapons.
Ash sighs « wrong choice, boys» he says while summoning his armor
With the rest of the group
No one's POV:
Al and Sim were both searching for some more food and firewood…if they were going to stay outside tonight, they will have to make camp and manage. «this was not the evening i was planning for» Sim joked while picking up an apple.
«yeah, same here..» Al laughs with him «but we will have to do with what we have» he says.
«do you think we-» but Sim was cut off by a scream and the both of them turn around in time to see Ed running toward them like he was on fire or something. «Ed? what's going on?» Sim shouted
«NO TIME! RUN» Ed shouted as well whille passing the, still running.
He didn't have to say it twice, his two friends start running with not really knowing why but they start running anyway.
«what is going on Ed? why are we running» Al ask him while running but before he could get any answers he looked behind him and got his answer: animals chasing them with no so kind faces « HOLY SHIT!» he shouted and start running faster « you couldn't tell us that we were hunted by the squadron of death edition animals» he asked angrily while passing Ed.
«told you! *pant* no time *pant* Predator *pant* don't want to die» Ed tries to say while running for dear life «Man *pant* i reaaly need to improve my stamina» he remarked.
«uuhh guys? where are them?» Sim caught their attention. They all stop running and look behind them but they were nothing behind them, no animals,no nothing.
Al and Ed look around but they were nothing .. «did we smoke something or are we going crazy?! they were those animals chasing us not a minute ago!» Ed says while frowning, he was really disturb by all this
Al scan his surronding and found the tiger pouncing on him «Oh crap!» he manages to say before finding himself plow to the ground and block on this one by a tiger who growls at him with a scowl «Run guys! Save yourselves» He shouted to his friends thinking this was were he would die
«Alright, bye man» Ed says and start running.
« Seriously Ed?!» Sim muttered angrily and charges at the tiger wasn't paying attention to him
Tigress who was pinning Al to the ground is really disturbed by the appearance of this creature but doesn't let anything show and maintains her cold facade. « you're not going anywhere!» she growls at him
«oh yeah? Say hi to my friend» Al strugles to say while trying to break free
That's when Tigress who was too focused on the Human that she forgot the other two and that was her mistake. Before she could react Sim had already made a penalty in the head of tigress who find herself ejected a few meters away from them. Sim helped Al to get up. «thanks» he thanked his friends.
Sim merely nods but refocused on his surroundings because the rest of the animals finally join the tiger and encircle the two humans. «stop right there creeps» says the monkey.
«surrender peacefully and we will not hurt you both» says the tiger who the rage was clearly apparent in its eyes.
«Says the kitten who attacks first» Sim retorts, tigress snarls at the name «let's see if the training that Ash gaves us pays off» he told Al while taking a fighting stance, not a perfect one but what can he says…he not a fighter to begin with.
«i don't think that will get us anywhere but i don't get down without fight» Al says, taking his own fighting stance. The two get back to back and wait for the animals to attack. The latter preparing themselves for the fight
«wait! wasn't there three of them?» asked the Panda. The two didn't move nor say anything. On the other side, tigress's eyes widened: how can she be this distracted? first she forget that they were the other one while she was pinning the other on the ground and now she forget the third one.
She growls and order « Crane, Viper you go searching for the third one! we will handle this»
Both nod and start slithering and flying towards where Ed ran. «this is your last chance of surrender, come with us for questioning and we will not harm you» tigress told them. The two stayed still, focused, prepared «as you want. Attack!»
Back with Ash
Numbers of unconscious rhino are lying on the ground while some are still fighting against Ash. He throw a punch to one of then rhino who is sent flying towards his friends and they all collide against a massive tree destroying the tree in the process.
All that was left was the leader who was bit scared right now and had some bruises here and there «ready to talk now?» come Ash's voice who was a bit darker with the armor.
«y-yes» the leader stuttered. While looking at his falle men « but please, don't kill my men! they have families: wives, children. If anything kill me but please leave them» he pleaded.
Ash look at him a bit confused but he understand the situation he was in and that in thi case HE was the that he sighs and his armor vanished slowly «i don't plan on killing anyone..» he says softly. The leader look up at him «i'm not a murderer nor a bandits or something like that. I only want answers to my questions» the rhino nods at him signaling him to continu and ask his questions. «where are we?»
«close of Qinshui» the leader answers
« Qinshui? weird name for a city…wait, wich country are we in?» Ash asked
«uuh China» the rhino answers a bit confuse. Ash's eyes widen: 'China, wtf' he thought to himself. «if that can help we are not to far from Gongmen city, i don't know if you know that cithy» the leader try to help but flinch when he saw the look Ash gave him.
Ash sighs « no i don't know but i don't think i twill be very wise for me to go in a big city where everyone don't know what i am» he explained.
«About that, what are you? he asked Ash who look at him with a raised brow « i've never seen someone like you… Are you a weird monkey or something?»
«i'm a human» Ash says but the look the leader gave him confirm that ther wasn't human around «i take it with that face of yours that human is not something common around here» the leader shook his head 'no'…« where is Qinshui? wich direction?» the leader point to the east «alright, i will be on my way now. Don't try to follow me otherwise i will not be as merciful as i was today, understand?» Ash says while starting to walk away
«wh-where are you going? how can i be sure that you are not a threat to us?» the rhino guard ask to Ash who stops and turns around facing the rhino.
« you are still alive, aren't you?» he ask, the leader nods « then i think that you have your answer» Ash says with a small smile and resume his walk «have a good day, Officer» he joked
«Officer?» the leader asks but didn't get anything else from the walking human.