Ronnie had been guarding the gates to Riverwatch for fifteen years in that time he’d seen a lot of eccentric types walk through these gates, courtesy of the adventurers guild he was certain. Still, to this day he didn’t think anything came even close to the sight waiting for him as his shift was coming to an end that day. In the distance was a figure of ebony skin drenched in red, pulling a cart with what looked like an old man and a bound form riding inside. 

“Hey Sadie am I mistaken or is that guy a Minotaur cuz I’ve never seen one so small before, in fact I don’t think he has a bulls head now that I’m looking at him.”

Shading his eyes Ronnie tried to get a better look at the bizarre figure in the distance. Out of the corner of his eye he watched his fellow gate guard, a grizzled old woman who retired from adventuring when she lost her eye in a battle she has never talked about. She could still take him with both arms behind her back and one eye closed he had no doubt about that. Which was why he nearly wet himself when he caught the look of genuine fear on her face.

“Get all the guards on duty ready for battle but keep ‘em on the walls and out of sight, if that idiot Thomas tries to pull rank and undermine my orders then give him a good one upside the head, now move!”

Blank faced Ronnie felt the almost instinctual urge to ignore he and ask what the hell was going on but reined it in and sprinted into the small door next to the gate that lead into the guardsmans barracks. After Ronnie ran inside the gate hollering orders Sadie took a deep breath of the hot summer air, allowing the tension she once felt before a big hunt from her years of adventuring seep back into her bones. Only once had she seen a Variant in person which is more than most can say.

It was the also the day she lost her left eye, her entire party, and half a village. A dull throb from the empty socket threatened to drag her back to that dark day but with an effort of will she shook away the memories. Reaching deep she called upon the signature Skill of all adventurers, instantly her inventory filled her awareness full of all her old adventurer gear, the armor and spear as pristine as the day she’d sworn to put them away for good.

Looking back on it she was glad she hadn’t simply sold the gear, it may be the only thing that saved her life today. With a mental flex she activated the second ability of the inventory Skill and watched as the guardsman attire broke off into flakes of light, disintegrating on a nonexistent wind. When the flakes had fully peeled away she found herself clutching her old spear, its staff carved from the wood of a Treant and etched with strange markings, the spear head shone in the afternoon sun, its base fused into the wood itself. 

Sadie took comfort in the power that filled her as her old armor embraced her like a lost lover, the pelt made from the fur of a Direwolf somehow didn’t make her feel any warmer despite the oppressive summer sun. Rolling her neck Sadie felt a bit like the rumored Wolfslayer she had once so proudly called herself. 

Cutting a rather striking figure the retired adventurer struck the ground with her spear, silently activating one of her signature Skills from her monster hunting days. Mentally preparing herself for the battle to come Sadie finally let her eyes drift upwards to the top of the cart where she could now make out the features of the two forms inside.

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Surprisingly one seemed rather relaxed which was completely at odds with what she had expected. In fact the man seemed to be smoking casually out of a pipe. The other passenger was tied up and seemed to have a cloth wrapped firmly around his head. Silently Sadie found herself praying that this wouldn’t end in bloodshed after all.

”Hey, so you look badass and all but I’m kinda covered in blood and tired of pulling a damn cart for ten miles so if we could hurry whatever the hell this is along...”

Without her even realizing it the Variant had stopped right where the stone bridge met the dirt road. What’s worth mentioning is that it also stopped just outside of the range of her Skill. Warily she eyed the blood soaked figure taking in its biazarre hair and eyes was well as the oddly bulging sack sitting on the drivers bench behind its head.

”Look if this is about me being covered in blood then I’m sorry about that but we had a bit of a bandit issue on the way here and things got a little messy...”

Looking closer Sadie noticed that there was blood pooling at the bottom of the sack. Mentally she berated herself for not noticing such an eye catching detail.

Giving the appearance that she’d relaxed her guard a bit Sadie pulled up her old “business smile” she used to wear when dealing with clients and even still used now when dealing with idiot superiors...

”Sorry about that friend, we were a bit concerned by the blood soaked giant dragging a cart with what looks like a dead kid in it, in fact my partner Ronnie almost took you for a damn Minotaur.”

Laughing lightly Sadie kept one hand behind her back, a vial of paralytic poison clenched between her fingers. Silently she readied any number of skills she had for keeping the Variant in place, if only for a moment so that the guards could fill it with arrows.

“Nah it’s cool I get it, not to often you see a person pulling a cart but the bandits killed the old mans Dolbino and since it’s my fault they got to it...”

Surprisingly the Variant had a small, subdued smirk on its face to her memory she’d never heard of a Variant  smiling, well unless they were engaging in acts of brutal slaughter. Lost in her own rumination for a moment she almost didn’t see the subtle change come over it.

Its hair had fallen forward obscuring the top of its expression from view.

”...of course if my being a Variant is the issue then it would certainly explain all those shiny arrows pointed at me.”

Eyes widening Sadie took a stance with her spear held out, seconds away from leaping forward and piercing the Variants heart and if that wasn’t enough the poison in her off hand would slow it down enough for the guards to finish it if not wound it. Her weight transitioned forward, power building in her legs from her back foot to her front foot to boost her forward. Almost in slow motion she saw the Variant let go of the cart as its arms came up to attack.

 Her spear leapt forward, hungrily closing the distance between them in moments. Distantly she noticed the long forgotten farmer standing up, shouting something. It didn’t matter, she’d question why he was there in the cart with it when this was over.

 Quickly the Variant dove to the ground, would it try to roll under her spear? No it...

Without even realizing it Sadie had come to a stop, the silver glow of her Martial Art fading from the spearhead. Her spear had met empty air where the Variants heart used to be, instead she found herself gazing down at the kneeling Variant with both arms behind its head.

”Please miss stop, Corvo here saved my life, he’s trying to surrender to you there’s no need to fight!”

With a start Sadie finally realized what the aging farmer was trying to tell her. Hesitantly she lowered the spear inch by inch finally the spear head rested against the stone of the bridge. What was this? Variants were mindless killing machines, Sadie had personal experience with that fact, she should kill it how while she had the chance.

It’s eyes were closed and it’s face was filled with stoic resignation, it was a menace that needed to be out down. If that really were the case then why didn’t it’s face look so menacing anymore. Since when did he start looking like just another person.