The sound of horseshoes hitting cobbled roads echoed through the air as Orion slowly rode his horse into the town. He did not know the name of this town, only that it was in the direction he was heading. Somewhere to the south of Murgilia, the most northern kingdom. He was heading for the docks in hope to get a boat down to Belkachava, for a single beach has been plaguing his meditation for weeks.

Belkachava having the longest beach front on the continent, Orion thought that would be the best place to start.

The sun had started to set as Orion entered this unnamed town, the cold moonlight making his pale skin give off mild glow. The streets were empty except for a few peasant folk walking around dressed in their usual rags. I’m cold in just my leather armour, never mind these poor folk in their rags. This is no way to live when winter is upon on. Orion thought.

“Excuse me, sir?” Orion called out to one man walking past.

“Yeah, what you want?” He shouted back.

“Is there a place I can stay for the night in this town?” Orion questioned him, hoping to find an inn. I don’t need a comfortable bed, just a roof, he thought. He assumed his town wouldn’t have the best keeps.

“Down there on left,” The man shouted and pointed down the road, “It has two lanterns outside, can’t miss it.”

“Thank you.” Orion called back and aimed his horse in the direction that the peasant showed him. “Nearly there Fleor, then you can have some food and a place to sleep.” He said to his faithful stead as he patted her neck.

It wasn’t any more than two hundred feet when Orion found the building with the lanterns outside. In a flash, a man walked out from the door to greet him.

“Do you run this inn?” Orion asked him, jumping down from Fleor.

“Aye, how can I help ye?” The man asked.

Orion held onto Fleor’s reigns as he stepped towards the man, he was only short but had a pork belly, scraggly black hair and a scruffy black beard.

“I’m looking for a room for the night, something to eat for me and my horse?” Orion asked him.

“Aye, you can stay here,” The man replied, “And there is a stable in the back for your horse.”

“Thank you kindly.” Orion replied and turned around to lead Fleor to the back.

“You will have to keep yer weapons outside though. Not allowed in my establishment.” The plump man told Orion.

One of these? Orion sighed to himself. He turned around and looked at the plump man, Orion knew he was no threat however he didn’t plan on leaving his weaponry outside unguarded.

“You seem like a good man,” Orion said, wanting to butter up this fat man, “Do you know who the Ashi are?”

“Heard of em, ye.” He grunted back.

“I am an Ashi, weapons are in my religion, you can’t expect me to part with them?” Orion asked.

“No weapons!” He replied back in an annoyed tone.

Urgh, guess I can’t stay here. Orion thought, he turned around and looked back at his horse.

“Come on girl, let’s keep going.” He said to her.

“Excuse me?” A woman’s voice cautiously asked, her voice was broken as though afraid. Orion looked around Fleor and saw a young woman stood the other side, dressed slightly better than the rest of the town but in no means well.

“Yes?” Orion asked her.

“Did I hear you say you are Ashi?” She asked him, her eyes darting from looking at him to looking at the ground.

Orion marvelled at her long, blonde hair that fell down to her waist side. For an unkept town, this she is a true beauty, He thought.

“Yes, what be of it?” Orion asked her back.

“My… my father is the mayor,” She told him, “He could give you a room for the night.”

“Why would he do that?” Orion asked, knowing that no one, especially those in power, do anything out of the kindness of their heart.

“If you could spare the time to speak with him, I know he would enjoy your presence.” The woman told him.

Hmmm, either get started now and try and find somewhere else to stay for the night, or, risk wasting my time speaking to the mayor?

“Okay, I’ll see your father.” Orion told her and Orion watched her face light up with joy.

“Great, follow me.” She said before turning around and walking down the road.

“Where is this going to lead us?” Orion asked his horse. He gripped Fleor’s reigns and followed the young woman down the cobbled road.

It was five minutes later and the sun had well and truly started it’s decent by the time Orion reached the mayor’s home.

“Here we are,” The blonde beauty said, “You can leave your horse here, after you’ve spoken to my father and if you want to stay we have a stable by the side of the house.”

Compared to the rest of the town, this mayor’s house was luxurious. Unlike the rest which were made of wood that was half splintered and battered, his was the only that was made from stone which stood firm and true.

Orion grabbed his shield and spear from Fleor.

“I’ve never seen a shield like that before.” The woman said quickly.

Orion knows that his shield is a little out of the ordinary, an oval shape with a slit on the top to hold his spear.

“Have you seen many shields my lady?” Orion asked her.

“True.” She whispered back as though embarrassed by her words.

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

Orion slid the wooden shaft of the spear through the sheath on his back, sitting next to his two handed great sword.

Upon entering, the warmth from a fire in one of the rooms hit Orion like a welcomed warm bath.

I could definitely stay here for the night. Orion thought to himself as he walked into the sitting area of the house. His black, leather armour that covered his entire body was cold from the weather and Orion was looking forward to getting out of it and warming himself up.

“Who are you?!” An older man’s voice shouted out.

Orion looked across the sitting room and saw the old man sat on his red, silk chair. He looked fairly tall and well built for an older man, except for his balding grey head and grey goatee.

“Father, I invited him.” The blonde woman said in a delicate tone, “He can help with our problem.”

“I never said that.” Orion interrupted, not surprised that there is some problem he can assist with.

“We don’t need his help.” The mayor barked back, not moving from his chair, as he spoke his failing teeth were in full view, most missing and those that remained were mould covered and chipped.

“I never agreed to help.” Orion said again.

“Yes, we do father, nothing else has worked!” The young woman argued.

Can these two not hear me? Orion thought to himself.

“What makes you think this one man can help us anyway?!” Her father shouted back, he stood up from the chair, although he looked well built his legs were clearly weak as he needed a moment to balance himself.

“He is Ashi.” She told him.

“What?!” Her father shouted back.

I could walk out of this room and neither of them would notice. Orion mocked in his head, growing tired of their family drama.

“An Ashi?” Her father said in a more inquisitive tone.

“Yes father, he could be our last chance.” The younger woman pleaded with him.

Orion stared at the mayor who stared back at him, his eyes showing an argument in his head until he finally sighed.

“Fine, come in.” The mayor said.

“Let’s make this clear, I have not agreed to help with anything. If you need my help, you will have to pay.” Orion told him, not one for charity.

“Look around,” The mayor said, “Does it look like I won’t be able to pay you?”

“Hmmm, fair enough.” Orion said back and he walked over to a chair and took a seat.

“Servant, get us some wine.” The mayor shouts to one of the workers who quickly left the sitting room.

Servants, silk furniture? The rest of this town looks as though they’re starving and freezing whilst this man lives a life of luxury. Orion thought.

“First things first,” The mayor said sitting back down on his personal throne, “An Ashi, what are you doing in my town? So few of you left I never expected to meet one.”

“I’m heading to the docks, looking for a boat.” Orion replied, “I just needed a place to stay for the night.”

“Well this could work out well for the both of us.” The mayor said with absolute glee in his voice.

The worker girl returned with three silver goblets and a jug of wine, she placed the goblets down and filled them with the red liquid before handing them to the mayor, Orion and the blonde woman who sat on another chair.

“What is it you need?” Orion asked as he grabbed the goblet and gave the worker a smile.

“We are having an issue with our caravans getting to the docks, stopping our trade and as you could probably see making life around here quiet difficult for the people.” The mayor said, he leant back into his chair, crossed one leg over his thigh and drank from the goblet.

“You seem to be doing okay for yourself.” Orion grunted back at him.

No matter where I go, nine times out of then the high class shit on the lower.

“I am the mayor, you cannot expect me to live in squalor.” He barked back clearly taken offence by Orion’s remarks.

“Our caravans have not made it to the docks for the last four months!” The young blonde girl interrupted.

“Hariett, the men are speaking.” The mayor shouted at her, putting the young woman back into her place of fear.

“Sorry, father.” She whispered and carried on sipping from her goblet.

“Why haven’t they been making it?” Orion asked the mayor.

“Don’t know,” He groaned back, “We have never had a survivor and the caravans have never been found. So not only are we losing money on trade, we are having to pay for new transport every time. I have paid for guards, knights, you name it, none of them have come back.”

“Hmmm, sounds dangerous, dangerous isn’t cheap.” Orion remarked.

Could it be a simple raiding party? Picking on the caravan, yet I’ve never come across a raiding party that has been able to take down a fully guarded caravan before.

“I understand, I have a few caravan guards that have agreed to go on the next run,” The mayor said, “With you being there, I am willing to give you a few of my personal guard to assist.”

A small town mayor with a personal guard? Somethings not right with this man. Orion thought, however, if he pays who am I to judge.

“Okay, I can help take your next caravan to the docks.” Orion agreed.

“Good man,” Mayor said back with a grin on his face, “Now tell me, I have heard many tales of you Ashi, you are supposed to be the greatest fighters in the world? Unkillable I’ve been told.” He asked.

“We are definitely killable,” Orion told him, knowing he has come close himself to death, “However we are trained to fight with all types of weapons from a young age, to master them.”

“Interesting, yet you class yourselves as peaceful meditators?” The mayor asked.

“We are trained to fight as a peace of mind, to remain in constant control. Over our emotion, over our safety.” Orion informed him, knowing that his people have a reputation for being born killers, “Before… Back when he inhabited Izikiria we trained to fight yet none of us would ever see a drop of blood. It was only when we relocated to the mainland that we became known as the killers you see us.”

“Yes, it is a shame about Izikiria.” Hariett whispered out, seemingly finding her bravery to join in the conversation.

“Here he is,” The mayor called out, he stood up from his seat as Orion could hear footsteps coming into the room, “My head guard, C’vashi.”

Orion turned his head and witnessed the head guard, A fucking cat.

It had been a while since Orion had seem a member of the Cialshaen race, cat like beings. Most of them were quick, lean and nimble beings, however the one that stands before Orion was a beast.

Orion stood at over 6 foot but this cat towered over him and was as thick as an oak tree, his fur was jet white like the snow on top of a mountain with blue stripes going down his face. The cat had thick leather armour with steel over his chest and arms, How did he come to have that armour? I’ve known rich knights that can’t afford steel armour. Orion thought.

“You summoned me, Jeremiah.” The cat spoke, his voice was deep with a role at the end of this sentence, a common accent with his kind.

The mayor walked over and gestured towards Orion.

“Indeed, this is…. I apologise I never caught your name.” The Mayor, Jeremiah said.

“Orion.” Orion replied, he stood up and walked over to the Cialshaen, “You’re big for your kind.” Orion said to him.

“Funny man, you would look even funnier with your eyes clawed out.” The cat threatened as he walked across the room and stood over Orion, their eyes locked in a deathly gaze.

The cats eyes were thin with bright yellow straight lines that went through the centre of the white, unlike Orion’s simply brown eyes.

“Now you two,” The mayor said stepping into the middle, “Orion is an Ashi, you are going with him on the next caravan run.”

“Ashi? I’ve not killed an Ashi before.” The cat grunted out, his eyes never broke from Orion’s.

“Sorry I missed that,” Orion said, “Hope you haven’t got a fur ball.” Orion mocked back to the overgrown house cat.

Orion trusted himself as a master fighter, however he has never fought a Cialshaen of this size before. He has fought all kinds of monsters and beasts, all of which he was able to figure out how to kill, yet nothing like this, C’vashi.

He’s tall, I wonder if he is as quick as most of their kind, with that armour on he can’t move as fast as they normally would. A few quick deflections and a hit to his legs I could have him defeated in no time. Orion thought as he sized up the beast in front of him.

C’vashi smiled back to Orion, flashing his razor sharp white teeth below his blood red gums. Teeth that look sharp enough to bite straight through steel, never mind leather.

“That’s enough!” Hariett shouted, “Our town needs this and your bloody egos are not going to help!”

Orion diverted his eyes from the cats and looked at the young woman giving him her best sad face.

“Hmmm, fine.” Orion said, he turned around and sat back down on the chair and took a sip of wine from his goblet.

“Good,” The mayor said and took a seat back down as well, “Everyone, leave us three alone to talk.”

“Good night, father.” Hariett said to the mayor and flashed Orion a smile before she and the servants left the room, “C’vashi, take a seat and have a drink.”

Hope they have milk in. Orion laughed to himself.

Although the Cialshaen wore heavy armour he seemed to be able to move well enough, he managed to sit down on the long chair with no trouble at all. He grabbed a goblet from the table and rose it to his lips, his bright yellow eyes never left Orion once.