Long before Kenji had arrived at the Headless Hunter Guild, he had reverted back to the boy knight.

The 'Guild' was a shabby tavern on the outside of town, built under a giant willow tree and threatened to fall in on itself at any moment. The slightest push of wind across the surrounding fields caused the tiled roof to creak and the wood to moan.

Sauntering around it were the lowlife's Kenji had feared, more than a few revealing shining steel at their belts. Like packs of animals, they strode up from various dens, tents and strange forts built atop trees with rope paths between them.

"What have we here, Scab?" Muttered one, spitting out something foul into the mud. He had raven black hair with an equally dark eyepatch and spellbook. Ywt none of those could compare to the darkness welling in that remaining eye, as if Kenji peered into death itself.

"A pretty boyss Jed that'sss what. What are you doing out heress pretty boyss?" Hissed a woman with slits for pupils, elegant swathes of blue scale down her neck and a snake's tongue. Smiling wide, she revealed toothless gums save for a pair of poisonous fangs.

"I'm here to see...damn, what was his name again?" Kenji racked his brains, but as the pair approached in their bandit leather and wicked grins all sense had left him. Oh gods - the memory of those warriors storming the Golden Goose Guild haunted him, and Kenji had just left them to die like that?

"What'sss wrong with you kid? Didn't meanss to shake you up that bad," the snake woman said with welling concern. As Kenji fell to one knee he began to breathe faster, lungs like bellows that roared in short sharp bursts.

Lithe hands wrapped around him, boneless and cold. But they felt as warm as a mother at that moment, as they stroked his head and hissed endless pleasantries.

"Let'sss bring him inside Jed, poor thing'sss all out of sortsss," Scab said, Jed answering by pulling Kenji up to his feet and snarling.

"What's wrong with yea? Who did this to you, did someone steal somthin'?"

Kenji was already overwhelmed, but such unexpected kindness nearly sent him over the edge.

"Here, for your Guildmaster. The Golden Goose...it's been attacked. The people of Tariak too," Kenji held back heavy sobs as he held up the letter, Scag and Jed looking at one another with concern. Prying it free from his too-tight hand, Jed nodded and bound inside.

"Come with me, I thinkss there are two thatss have been expecting youss," Scab led Kenji by the hand, through the cracked wooden door and into the opposite of what he had expected. Children, teenagers and the wounded were stacked on a dozen bunk beds and nestled within the blankets of the floors.

Scarred men and women, with the clothing of ruffians and the blades of the wicked, now strode with warm smiles as they offered medicine, conversation and bowls filled with hot soup. In between a pair of fevered eyed elders sat Tenko and Violet, their eyes brightening as Kenji walked over.

"KENJI!" Tenko shouted, several guildmembers hissing at her to be quite. Apologetic, Tenko wove between the sickbed to press her fuzzy ears into his side.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Violet had twinkling eyes as she watched, but refrained from breaking her conversation with an elderly woman who seemed in a wretched state. Dark veins spread across her arms and up her neck, every breathe coming short and sharp. But those eyes were filled with delight as every soft word was attentively heard by the purple beauty by her side.

"This is where your money went," a certain buck-toothed thief muttered at Kenji's side. Jumping with surprise, Kenji turned sharply to the boy.

"I didn't notice you were there," he admitted.

"Tenko did~" Tenko said with a big cheesy grin. The buck-toothed boy turned his head away, a slight blush on his muddy cheeks.

"What is this place? Some kind of hospice...I thought you were adventurers?" Kenji said that with a bit of shame. After all, if adventurers were supposed to help people, how could the adventurers here be anything but the purest form of what an adventurer is supposed to be?

With only a cursory glance, he gave found Hero ranks between [J] and [F] without even needing to know another thing. If he had the time, Kenji is certain he could have found several worthy of being scouted.

"You, messenger," Shouted Jed from across the room. Jerking his chin into a side room, Kenji nodded.

"Let's go - and kid, keep the money. This is a good use for it as any. Thank you." Kenji bowed at the boy. After figuring out how to close his mouth, the boy began to laugh.

"You're thanking me for stealing from you? Do you have an egg for a brain?"

"Don't push your luck punk," Kenji growled, reaching for the boy only to find him slippery as butter.

"Can't catch your own tongue, egg-brain," the boy snickered as he moved through the crowded Guild Hall as easy as the King's road. Kenji meanwhile wasted several minutes just getting to the opposing door. Followed by Tenko and Violet, they paused before they entered.

"It's good to see you two safe," Kenji said, forcing away his worry for the moment. For them at least, he would appear strong.

"It's good to see you ok. I thought I'd lost you," Violet whispered, giving his hand a quick squeeze while Tenko tried to stifle her laughter. Scowling Violet pulled away and Kenji felt...oddly disappointed.

Striding within they were met with the usual black armour of the pigman Guildmaster.

"You three, your timing is impeccable. My Guild members will be assembled soon enough, so whoever dares look down on brother Almanac will see the error of their ways while I grind my steel through their skulls!" Snorting, the Guild leader let loose twin jets of steam.

"But I do have a favour I need to ask of you. Two of our orphans has so far been kept from the Lord's clutches, yet I fear he will use this chance to seize them. Please, take them with you," Standin up the Guild Master's huge mass forced the table forward. From his great height, the Guild master then bowed low, "please! I beg of you, their very lives could depend on it!"

"Please, uh..." Kenji still couldn't remember the pigman's name, "...Guildmaster, you don't need to bow. I think I speak for all of us when I say we would be proud to help these orphans of yours. If I might say though, there is a plan that could save both your Guilds while simultaneously helping us out of the region."

Kenji would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the shocked expression of the Guildmaster.

"What is it, what plan could possibly do so much as that?" The Guildmaster grunted, squinty eyes filled with intrigue.

Before Kenji could answer, Jed burst through the door with gritted teeth.

"Guildmaster - something is wrong! Pain's team came back early from collecting medical supplies, they say the Inhumans in Tariak are being rounded up! And...and..."

"What is it Jed? What has shaken you so?"

Jed's single eye fileld with black rage.

"They said something is coming - something in command of a host of undead nonhumans. It's...it's too late for us to evacuate the children and the infirm."

Raising both fists, the Guildmaster sent them crashing down into his desk.

"Then order the Headless Hunters to prepare for battle, we won't give up even one of our weakest without a fight! And you - messenger- explain your plan. Now!"

Amidst the flurry of activity, Kenji grinned as he explained how he would save all their lives.