Those of the modern age are simply.... unaccustomed to the ways of the old.
The battle, the bloodshed, the torment.
Mmm yes.
A livelihood that many a soul would call... death, horrible and suffering.
A livelihood that many in the modern age would call.... hmmm... I do believe the term is dark.
Moving on...
Vance: My brothers, ... move!
And so they did, without a second guess, or a second thought, as shinobi would.
So, dear reader, dare I ask, know ye how a shinobi hunts?
Why... ye, of course, know of how a knight hunts.
A knight hunts with valour and vicious ferocity in their eyes. Yes, with a viscosity they move through the air and the land, fighting their enemies, leaving nothing hidden and nothing unperturbed.
Truly, it is the way the proud fight.
Those proud of their power, those proud of their beliefs, and also, those proud of themselves.
However, the shinobi are, themselves, the complete opposite.
A shinobi spends countless hours training.... for battle.
Battle?
Why, you must be mistaken.
Shinobi do not fight.
Well... that would be incorrect, as several shinobi do indeed... "fight".
However, a shinobi's true calling in battle is not to fight, nay, it is to avoid a fight.
Or, rather... to avoid a fight he cannot win head on.
For this reason, these shinobi chose to strike Vesturia at its weakest.
That is simply the way of the shinobi.
However, dear reader, dare I ask... does that make the shinobi any less proud of their arts?
If the shinobi and the knights are opposites, does that make their prides opposite?
Is one proud in a wrong way and the other in a right?
Are the shinobi correct or are the knights?
To this, dear reader, I leave to you to decide.
That much being said...
Vance: Turn off your communication brothers.
Jon: Hmph.
Yes, he did indeed say that. The simple reason, of course, so as to focus on the hunt.
And all brothers in arms did as he spoke, turning off their stones, leaving them all... as they would say... incognito.
All alone, without a soul to count on.
Well... I suppose that was not true.
They did indeed have their brothers in arms at their side.
Yes. Indeed.
Truly and truly, it is a good thing that a man have someone to watch his back. Be that not the case, and doom is certain upon his body and soul.
And of the hunt, dear reader, you may ask, what is it that a shinobi hunts?
Why... the simple answer to that lays in the simple question.
What is of worth to a man living in these times?
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Gold, jewellery, money things and perhaps clothing and food.
Yes.
For that reason, fools will indeed go to great lengths.
Why, many a fool indeed.
Hmm?
There is more to it than that in this case?
Dare I say, dear reader, sharp you are.
Sharp you are indeed.
Moving along...
Vance and his brother quickly rushed into the fray, making certain of many a thing.
Vance: Remember the plan, brother.
Jon: Hmph.
It was a simple thing to be sure, rob civillians that had long since lost their hearts.
However, in this case, yes. Even in this case, a shinobi would think twice before striking.
After all, even the lightning lands on the ground, does it not.
For even lightning strikes with sureness, and so, for a human to strike with sureness, he must be certain.
Vance: Keep your eyes out for knights.
Jon: Sir!
Such was their dynamic.
As brothers in battle, it was no longer brother, older and younger.
Nay.
It was brother, leader and soldier.
Such is battle.
Such is war.
The brothers Hessenger rushed atop the buildings, as the knights found themselves rushing to the scene, all the while busying themselves with finding the cause of the fire.
There were several of them, each rushing towards the fray, all in spite of the people rushing for safety to the inner parts of the city.
These knights were not nearly as well trained. However, for their bravery, they must be awarded.
Yes.
Even for something as simple as coming to the battle.
Even that is worthy of praise.
Voice: We mustn't tarry, brothers.
Name: Alfred Siegefire
Age: 34
Description: A muscular bearded man
Occupation: City patrol knight, rank C
Weapon of choice: Spear
Threat level: C
Fact: This mighty man finds himself running laps every day, why yes, every day.
And besides him was yet another man.
Voice: Yes sir!
Name: Wilfred Jambers
Age: 31
Description: Muscular bearded man
Occupation: City patrol, rank D
Weapon of choice: Sword and shield
Threat level: C
Fact: He is worried for his brother. Yes. His now deceased brother who was once guarding the castle. Shame... really.
These two and two others did indeed rush to the fire, completely missing the shinobi running across the buildings.
Vance: The enemy has been avoided, brother.
Jon: Yes sir!
Vance: I can only hope the same fortune finds itself amongst our brethren.
Jon: Yes... sir.
And what fortune they would need, one would say.
Seeing as all knights from all directions finally took courage and started their descent from the inner halls to defend their state.
And many a knight they were.
Many enough that the majority of the Hessengers would soon and eventually be caught up and hunted down.
Yes, that was likely.
After all, the nation of Vesturia was not unwise enough to leave itself completely unguarded.
However, that was a matter of perspective.
Take your time to ask yourself this, dear reader.
What are the odds that a knight would think to look upon the air rather than the ground for his foe?
What are the odds... when what lay in front fo them was, ... yes.... a burning wall.
Voice: Water! We need water!
Name: Colin Bravestone
Age: 35
Description: Muscular, bearded man
Occupation: City guard, rank C
Weapon of choice: Single sword
Threat level: C
Fact: Through and through, this man finds himself a farmer and a poet as well.
And water didst they bring unto him.
Buckets and buckets from men carrying it from wells, lakes, be it even rivers.
Yes.
These men would stop at nothing to end the tyranny of the flames.
As for the shinobi that were also wizards, what would one say unto them?
Their mission was simple.
Voice: Fire!
Name: Brandon Johnson
Age: 33
Description: Large muscular man
Occupation: Knight, meal hunter, rank C
Weapon of choice: Bow and arrow
Threat level: C
Fact: He enjoys playing in the snow. Yes. Even a grown man can love the snow. Tis nothing to be ashamed of.
And of his words, truly, he was correct.
There was indeed a fire.
And a mighty one indeed.
However, as you may have guessed dear reader, or, perhaps presupposed, I would not have brought light to that without reason.
Hmmm?
You think I would do such a thing?
Very well...
That much being said, the wall was indeed on fire.
But... that was not the fire of which the man by the name of Brandon Johnson was concerned.
No.
In fact, it was of the fire that was then burning their buildings.
Their buildings?
Yes, indeed.
Even their very buildings were then on fire.
So, then, dear reader, you may ask, how so?
Hmmm?
How be it that flames travelled from the wall to the buildings it was meant to protect.
Well, perhaps I simply neglected to tell you of how the flames slowly spread to the buildings
Yes, yes. That is a possibility.
But... my dear reader, I tell you that there is yet another potentiality.
Yes.
Yet another.
That the shinobi themselves spread even more flames.
Hmm?
An incantation?
Why did I neglect to mention that?
Well... I.... Hmmm.... moving on....
Vance: Burn them...
Jon: Sir.
As the man by the name of Vance Hessenger led his brother along with him to the fray, burning all they could.
Jon: Incantation! Flames of Rage.
And with that, the man by the name of Jon Hessenger felt a heat upon his hands, a heat that soon turned to flames, flames that soon fell out of his hands, burning everything in sight.
Buildings, cattle, pasture... even the few unlucky souls that failed to flee from the mercilessness that lay before them.
Vance: Let them all know, brother. Let them all know.
Jon: Hmph.