Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

[Courage Wolf]

Spoiler

Welcome to the Devil's Playground.
Status: Holding a good buzz HP:48 PP:34 EP:34

Acheron had been an interesting place to try and fall into for Micheal, with it's promises of hard work and harder play. After having his original illusions shattered by everything that had happened, it seemed like a sort of paradise to the hard working mercenary. He had been carried to this roaring town of the devils children after a job had promised a reward that was too good to turn down, a house. Living in the southern quarter near the high wooden wall, it's black garbed sentries staring out into the night, brought a kind of peace to the troubled man as he slept.

He had seen these men and women hold their own unlike the cowards who had betrayed his own village long ago. Now living comfortably but always restless, Micheal took the jobs that let him continue his search, the bullet he carried always within easy reach.

Tonight had been a promising one, sitting in one of the darker taverns, its dim lighting and quiet atmosphere calming to the man, and the services it offered to mercs unique. Sitting at a table in the back, his rifle checked at the bar to keep the peace, Micheal had hidden his revolver within his uniform just in case, and in Acheron, it was almost expected. Strength and Peace were both respected in equal measure, as you could not have one without the other and as he sat alone, drinking steadily and waiting for an old friend to show up with work as promised, he noticed something a little out of the ordinary.

Across the long and narrow room was another man at the bar, or was it a woman, it was hard to tell, wearing an old uniform much like his own, nursing a drink. Although this may have not been odd all on its own, the two men harassing the person in question, and his refusal to answer them was. If he had survived in that uniform for this long, why did he put up with the bullshit these men were plaguing him with without so much as a reaction, just quietly sipping their drink as if their words meant as little to him as their presence...

Acheron was always full of opportunities for all manner of things, all you had to do was reach out and take them.

 

[NorthernCross]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Acheron had proven to be everything Micheal hadn't expected it to be. A city of devils and shadows, it had proven to be everything he needed it to be instead. Steady work for those unafraid to get their hands dirty, exotic elixirs and women one could never find anywhere else and even a safe place to lay ones head when you are finished with the first two.

He had stopped believe in self-important bullshit long ago so when he heard of a rare attack on the city walls he was ready to get mixed in. However, by the time he had gotten there the enemy had been so thoroughly trashed that there wasn't anything to do. So he went home and back to sleep, confident that the 'Protectors of Acheron' could fully back up their words.

And so it came to be that he sat at his table in a tavern that he had visited many times before. But even now, the place next to him felt empty without his rifle however necessary it was to check it in at the bar. Almost three years of depending on his rifle had instilled an almost fanatical need to always know where it is. It was true that the rifle itself had changed over time, but he always insured that some small part of his previous rifle made it onto the next in some way.

He then looked up from his drink to see something he didn't expect. Someone wearing a Badarian uniform and it seemed that whoever this was seemed content to ignore two men trying to get a rise out of 'em. He strained his eyes in the dark tavern to see if he could make out any unit insignia on the uniform before he downed what was left of his drink. He would have to make sure if he was former militia or regular before he made a decision. He casually stood up from his table and made his way in their direction almost as if he merely needed to take a piss. He would have to have a closer look before he decided whether or not to get involved.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Despite his attempt to get closer, no matter how nonchalant it may have appeared, the drunken state of the two men was inconsolable. As he moved through the narrow room of the main body of the tavern, the man nearest him turned and shoved him away. "Piss Off"

His breath smelled heavily of cheap liquor, and he looked ready for a fight at half an excuse, but he wasn't going to let Micheal any nearer without one it seemed. From his position he could see the insignia on her uniform, and it was a she now that he was closer. The badge on her shoulder listed her as a regular, and an officer no less, someone who could very well have information on the man he had kept his eyes open for for so long, and now, with a possible lead right in front of him, a drunkard stood in his way.

At nearly 6'4", the drunk man stood half a head above Micheal and leered at him with broken and yellow teeth, his shaggy long hair unkempt and dirty, and the thin leather armour he wore in a state of disrepair that would never have been tolerated by a soldier. The loop on his belt where his weapon should have been meant it had been checked at the bar, much as his rifle had been, but he could very well have concealed a weapon in the same manner.

Stepping closer to Micheal again, he jabbed him in the chest with a finger. "Whatsa matter weakling, this your girl? Matchin uniforms and all." The tavern keeper would not tolerate a fight inside, but the guards were more then happy to let people brawl outside a tavern as long as the participants payed for any damages and faced any justice the city saw fit.

The woman who had put up with all of this so far without a reaction, turned her head slightly to look at Micheal, her violet eyes reading his for a moment from underneath a curtain of dark brown hair that hid hawklike features and a predatory gaze before she turned back to her drink, ignoring him for now even as the other man continued to make all manner of lewd comments. Micheal could intercede and make a stand for a chance to explore this lead, which meant dealing with the two morons, or he could walk away, leave the woman to her own problems, and let the possible lead slip through his fingers...

 

[NorthernCross]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Micheal glared at the drunk who had shoved him and got right up into his face ignoring the height difference. Not only did the officers insignia on her uniform mean she was a potential lead, but letting this asshole walk all over him was not in his plans at all. “Back the fuck off and you get to walk away.”

He didn't flinch or back down as the drunkard leered over him and his stench seemed to thicken the air. In a city like Acheron, backing down to something like this was unheard of and it certainly wasn't going start with him. He remained unflinching when the punk jabbed him with his finger and started talking down to both him and his uniform. “Congratulations, you just made this my problem. Despite all the assholes and cowards I've met, too many good people died wearing this uniform to let you touch it with your filthy hands! Get your ass outside so we can do settle this, or would you rather I throw you out there myself?”

Micheal was well aware of the fact that this nut less sack of shit had more than enough booze in his system to throw the first punch regardless of where they were and readied himself for the eventuality.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Spoiler

HP:40 PP:34 EP:34 Status: Punched in da face.

Rolls

Spoiler

Thug Attacks! Success... Barely.
Damage 1+2+5=8

The man looked as if he was going to swing right there, his fists clenching as he glared down at Micheal. Hearing his words however, the woman stood and dragged Both of them outside, depositing Micheal and the idiot outside with surprising strength. "Men" she said before heading back inside, shoving the other man on his ass outside as he came out.

Standing and staring at Micheal, the man lunged forward and took a crow hopped step before throwing his fist forward and catching Micheal on the side of the face, snapping his head back and staggering him for a moment. Whatever that could have been said was well passed now. As Micheal felt a small trickle of blood flow from his split lip, the thug grinned. "Whats the matter short stack?"

 

[NorthernCross]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Micheal didn't respond to the thugs taunting as any words from this point on were superfluous. He merely wiped the blood from his split lip and stared down his foe. He wasn't a brawler by any means but he felt confident in taking this guy out. His buddy wasn't in the fight yet and he wasn't the one picking a fight in the first place but he would try to keep an eye on him regardless.

Micheal rushed toward the thug, intending to take control of the situation with a hammerlock hold. He suspected that this guy wasn't much of a grappler.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Spoiler

Status: Fine HP:40 PP:34 EP:34

Rolls

Spoiler

Thug Attacks! and misses!

Micheal attacks and grapples... Success! Thug is now Grappled.

As Micheal recovered and rushed the man, the thug took another swing which Micheal ducked as he grabbed his wrist and wrenched it behind his back, folding it and twisting and took him to the ground. It wasn't sunk in as well as he wanted it to be, but the Thug was too shocked to do much about it but howl in pain as he hit the dirt. It wouldn't take much to make it a real hold, but for now the Thug was thrashing too much to do so without investing a little more effort. Still, the tide of the fight had changed drastically.

His friend, the other man standing, had been about to jump in, but seeing how handily his buddy had been taken down, decided it was far safer to stay away from the obviously experienced and not nearly as drunk soldier, deciding to sit and watch quietly...

 

[NorthernCross]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Micheal eyed the other man who had wisely decided that this was a one on one affair and to simply spectate. Turning back to the man he had planted into the dirt, he gritted his teeth at both his stench and his thrashing attempts to get out from underneath him. He wrenched the arm in his grasp further as he attempted to transfer more of his weight onto the man in order to consolidate his hold on him.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Spoiler

Status: Fine HP:40 PP:34 EP:34

Rolls

Spoiler

Grapple Check...Ya... He's not getting out.
Thug is put into a Submission Hold.

No matter how he twisted or thrashed, the man was unable to escape from Micheal as the lock he held only grew tighter with every motion, soon rendering him completely unable to move without somehow breaking his grip, which didn't appear to be happening any time soon.

Before he could guess at his next move however, Micheal heard the clinking of chain mail as the guard patrol in the area came upon the brawl. Seeing the situation, the leader, an obvious demon with wide wings and broad shoulders walked up calmly. "It's over, you've Won. Anyone can see that." He said, his voice deep and echoing in the night as he surveyed the two men, Micheal obviously holding a superior position.

"You can both calm down, and go back to your night, or we can arrest both of you as I'm personally not in the mood." He said quietly, drawing a large cudgel from a ring on his belt, the hard wood gleaming in its finish under the moon. "Who Started it."

As if on cue, the uniformed woman came striding back out with a drink, as if to watch. Now confronted with two people wearing Badaria military regalia, and two thugs, the guard looked at both curiously. "They did." The woman said gesturing at the thugs calmly and taking a sip on her tankard, smiling. "You can talk to the bartender for confirmation if you want" She said loudly as the other man on the ground who had merely been watching spoke as if to object. After saying her piece, she leaned against a nearby rail and continued drinking, watching Micheal with intense interest now...

 

[NorthernCross]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Micheal felt a twinge of satisfaction as the thug's struggling only seemed to get himself deeper into his tightening grip. He was almost ready to start chocking the asshole when the tell tale sound of chain mail approached. He looked up at the approaching guard patrol and heard them telling him to stop.

“As you wish.” Micheal stated, as he complied in releasing the thugs abused arm. He stood and took a couple steps back from the dirt eater before dusting himself off. He calmly listened to the guard and was ready to state his case when he heard the uniformed woman speak in his defense.

“It's as she said, I just finished it.” He added, not really having need to say anything further. His eyes met the female officers and he couldn't help but feel a little surprised. He hadn't expected a Officer to stick out her neck for a militiaman, but that could just be his view tainted by Him.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

The Guard nods and motions for the thug, only now rising to his feet, to leave with his cudgel, the threat of a severe beating with a hard wooden stick more then enough to gesture to his friend and move away. "Go about the rest of your night then." He said quietly as he moved away with the rest of the patrol.

Smiling slightly above her tankard, the woman gestured for Micheal to join her back in the Tavern. If he seemed to hesitate, which was unlikely, the woman would walk over and drag him back into the tavern, and since she was a possible lead, Micheal saw no reason not to follow. Slapping a couple coins down on the bar, she signalled for two more drinks and went to Micheal's original table and sat down, the drinks being delivered quickly.

My name is Farsa, and that was an impressive little piece of work there for a militia man. Some of you saw the worst of the fighting and I need a good man for some hard work. The pay is good."
She said quietly, offering her hand like any man and waiting for his answer. She didn't know his true motivations, and seemed to be less soldier now and more freelance, much as he was...

 

[NorthernCross]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Micheal followed the woman back into the Tavern without a moments hesitation. He kept his face calm even as his desire for revenge kept demanding that he interrogate her now. As he joined her at his table, he considered whether or not she would even know who he was asking her about. For the moment, he clutched his freshly arrived drink and listened to her speak.

“My name is Micheal Moddian. And I welcome the offer of hard work for good pay...” He briefly considered asking her, but as he shook her hand he decided to wait until he'd built up a rapport with her. There was a chance that she might be on His side and it wouldn't do to reveal his hand yet. “I look forward to it in fact.”

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Farsa chuckled and nodded. "I'll be here waiting in the morning at sunrise. Don't be late" She said grinning from ear to ear as she stood and without another word took her leave. If he wanted to make sure he got up and there on time, Micheal had probably better call it a night... As he watched her leave, he couldn't deny that Farsa wasn't a bad looking woman by any means, strong with generous curves and a confident attitude that intrigued him a little...

 

[NorthernCross]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Micheal couldn't help but feel his eyes follow Farsa's form as she left the Tavern. A woman who was attractive, confident and strong enough to haul him and another man out of the bar. There was something about a woman like her that drove him nuts. After all, in Acheron he could easily find a woman to part her legs for some gold but having someone strong like Farsa welcome him would be something else entirely. The appeal of an Officer moaning underneath a militia grunt brought a smile to his lips as well.

He finished his drink and made his way to the counter to reclaim his rifle and leave a tip for the bartender. As he headed for the door, he took a moment to make sure that the thugs from earlier hadn't decided to try again before he headed for home and his bed.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

As he entered his small 2 room home, he passed through the reinforced door to enter the main room of his home. Devoted to a workbench for his weapons upkeep and a large fireplace he kept impossibly hot to melt and cast his own ammunition, a skill he had picked up early in the chaos, Micheal took a moment to look at the few trophies he kept on the wall. One was the feather of an Angel, not a reminder of his victory, but of his survival as he had narrowly avoided being gutted by the angry celestial. Turning away, he headed to his bedroom, a humble and meager place with a small dresser for his clothing and a small bed in the corner. The Bed, admittedly large enough to share with others, was still far above and beyond smaller then those of some of the women he had bedded in their own homes, large luxurious pieces with satin sheets and feather comforters that had been true joys to sleep in, as soft and inviting as the women who had invited him to share it.

Stripping and crawling into bed, Micheal dreamed of that horrible day when it had all gone to hell, the day when his illusions of the soldiers he had idolized were shattered and what was supposed to be the image of pride and courage, faded into the truth of cowardice. As Micheal was haunted by the sights of his fellow militia men dying around him, the experience as real in his dreams as it had been that day, he awoke sweating and full of rage and fear, the remnants of the first moments of that horrible day. Looking around the room quickly, Micheal realized he had only been dreaming, and the visage of the man he hunted was once again, burned into his mind like it was every night, and would always be until he made peace, the blood of that man fresh on his hands...

 

[NorthernCross]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Micheal stretched after he secured the door to his home and he headed to his workbench to give both his rifle and revolver an inspection. Neither had seen action that day but that was no excuse not to check them before he laid down to sleep. The enemy wouldn't wake until he'd had his morning coffee and checked his weapons before they attacked him after all.

Finding his weapons to his satisfaction and his ammunition still plentiful he placed his weapons into their cases and found his eyes drawn to the Angel feather on the wall. That entire incident had been nothing but trouble.

A group of bandits had set itself smack dab in between two competing lords domains but hadn't done much. One of the lords had hired him to infiltrate the bandits camp and find out who exactly they intended to start raiding. He joined up with them and was in the process of being friendly with the ring leaders when a couple of panicked bandits came rushing into the camp. And right behind them came flying in an angel ready to punish the unrighteous. Only two thoughts occurred to him. The first was that this was going to suck and the second was that she had a magnificent set of tits. He must have uttered at least the last part of that thought aloud because she immediately turned her attention to him.

What followed was him emptying his musket into her to little effect before being forced to dodge and run from her very much effective sword swings while trying to find a moment to safely reload. When all was said and done, he had half a dozen cuts and a gash where the angel had tried to gut him. His reward for this was his pay from the lord as the scattering of the bandits meant they wouldn't be bothering anyone and a feather he had managed to find lodged in his clothes at the end. And the lesson he took away from all of this is to get a gun that loads more than one round and to never comment on an angels bust size.

Breaking out of his memories of the Chaos, he doffed his uniform and folded it up by his bed side. His bed was large enough for his purposes but it was nothing compared to the bed of Mrs. Fairfax. Sadly that was a one off affair but what an affair it had been...

Micheal shook his head, this was no time to get lost in memories as he needed to get up early in the morning. He slid himself into bed and quickly found himself dozing off to sleep.

…

“Hold your fire! Nobody fires until we have the order!” Micheal yelled as the militiamen nervously stood their ground against the advancing Xenos. The milita only had access to antiquated muskets and if they were to be effective against such a large force they would need to volley their fire. With the Xenos still outside the effective range of their fire they would have to wait lest they waste bullets. He glanced back the the Company fanned out in the rear ready to reinforce the line when and where it faltered.

The Captain of the 6th Battalion, 5th Rifleman Company gave him a reassuring nod from horseback when he found himself looking back at him. The order remained to hold fire. And so they held fire as the Xenos came ever closer.

“Steady men. The Army knows what it's doing.” Micheal reassured his men as they nervously stared down the Xenos. He was ready to open fire when they cross into their effective range but the order to fire never came. Glancing back, what he saw there froze his soul and caused his heart to plummet into his stomach. The Company was withdrawing from the field of battle! And with the enemy so close the militia wouldn't be able to even attempt to escape without taking massive losses.

“First rank, Open Fire and Kneel!” He yelled desperately. The rolling thunder of the first volley started dropping Xenos but it wasn't putting a dent into their numbers and he raised his own musket to join the next. “Second rank, Open Fire!”

“Fix bayonets! We can't let them reach our families!” There was no time to reload for another volley, the enemy was upon them. He had barely slid the bayonet into the barrel of his musket when he found himself knocked to the ground by a large creature he couldn't identify. He viciously stabbed it from his position on the ground but found himself thrown sideways be the retaliatory strike. The only thing he could see before he blacked out was the line breaking as they were overwhelmed by the superior force of the Xenos. But in his mind, he only saw the bastard Captain's face reassuring him that they would make it through this.

…

Micheal awoke with a start desperately reaching for where his rifle had fallen next to him. Slowly, the realization that he wasn't on that accursed battlefield anymore but in his bed forced him to take deep breaths in an effort to calm himself down. Rubbing his face, he got out of bed and reached for the bullet he kept near him at all times. He rolled it between his fingers and tested it's weight.“Soon.”

He took note of the time. If it was almost time for him to rise, then he would inspect his weapons one more time before he had to go meet with Farsa at the Tavern.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Going over his weapons one last time was a calming exercise for Micheal, soothing in its own way, and before long, he had shaken the last vestiges of the dream that had brought him tearing out of his dreams. Looking out the window, he saw the time was upon him to go and meet up with Farsa for whatever it was he had actually signed on for.

In hindsight, he probably should have asked what the job entailed, but it hardly mattered now, there was coin to be made, and possible blood to be shed. On what scale and where he had no idea, but harder work usually meant better pay and it would be interesting to figure out exactly what it was Farsa had in mind.

Heading out into the morning sun, the large celestial flame only cresting then horizon as he moved, the city streets were still quiet. With his weapons at his side and moving quickly, it was easy for him to retrace his steps back to the tavern in question, and as promised, Farsa was there.

Turning to look at him, she smiled and waved him over. Around her was a group of 5 other men, all, like him, sporting weapons and most likely a fair amount of skill. I'm glad you actually joined us Micheal, we can get underway. I needed 6 men to handle the situation, you were the last i was hoping to recruit. Welcome to 2nd Company. Questions can be answered on the road, we have a fair bit of traveling to do and an occupation to drive out. I hope you're ready."

Turning and nodding at the rest of the men, they shouldered their gear and stretched, getting ready to march without so much as a spoken word. "Micheal, You're partner for this venture is Debrik" she said gesturing to an older man in his late 40's who had a bolt action rifle slung across his shoulders and a uniform that matched Farsa's to the letter. The silver haired hard eye'd man looked at Micheal and nodded. Militia man eh? And still alive, Good. We'll get along just fine" he said in a surprisingly soft voice as he held out his hand and smiled. The smile seemed off somehow, as if something was broken in the man, friendly but cold, as if any emotion he showed was simply a facade he put on to comfort those around him.

 

[NorthernCross]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Micheal stood at the doorway to check is gear. His uniform was in good order and his rifle fit perfectly against his shoulder. It had been cleaned and oiled in preparation for the next job. His revolver had been holstered instead of hidden within the folds of his clothing and his dagger had been hidden in his boot sheath. It didn't find much use in combat he had to admit, but it was still a useful tool in other situations.

He really should have asked about the job but the thought of his revenge had clouded his mind to such details. But considering that she based her opinion on his combat worthiness he could wager gold to copper that he would be seeing a considerable amount of combat. And based on his experience that meant he could very well be fighting in what was effectively a battle.

After he headed out to the tavern, he quickly spotted Farsa surrounded by a group of men. A headcount revealed that there was sex men hired with Farsa acting as leader. They were almost certainly going to see at least a small battle before this is over.

“I'm thankful to be considered useful and for the welcome. I'm ready to go whenever you are.” Micheal responded to Farsa's welcome and introduction, while also taking note that they were going up against an occupation force. He paused to muse upon the fact that he was falling in with a company. “...2nd company, huh...”

“Yes, I think we will Debrik.” Micheal met Debrik's smile with a thin one of his own and firmly shook his hand. His smile didn't fool him though, he'd seen it a lot during the Chaos and he knew better than to comment on it. But his age meant that he was good enough to survive this long for better or worse.

He fell in with the marching men as they started off in the direction of there objection already intending to ask about the enemy composition and location.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Seeing his look, Farsa chuckled. "The only true surviving members of 2nd are myself and Debrik. All the other men here are hire ons like you, they've been around a bit longer, but they're family all the same. MOVE OUT!" And with that they were off, moving east out of the city at a steady clip. The men were quiet for a long time as they moved but the talk picked up a fair bit when they got out of Acheron proper. Debrik, who had fallen in right next to Micheal and stood on his left in the 3 pairs moving in line with Farsa at the head down the dusty road, spoke quietly.


"I've been ordered to get you up to speed. You're the replacement for this job as part of the skirmish and scout team. We're headed to a village that's been overrun by an unknown group. Farsa only caught wind of it a fortnight ago. Village was home to maybe 90 or so people and information is limited. This is not a Recover, We kill them all as an example."

He said all of this without any emotion at all, revealing the ice that was the true man and telling Micheal exactly what it was they were going to do. The other men marching stayed quiet for the rest of the trip until lunch, focusing on the pace Farsa was setting and moving quickly down the road. They didn't stop to break or rest until the sun was high overhead and Farsa called a halt for lunch.

"Alright, Lunch. We don't need to be marching in the full heat of day. Korst, get out the rations, Syrus you're on water duty." The two men who had been marching directly behind Farsa nodded and set about their tasks, Korst, a large and barrel chested man carrying a sword fully as long as he was pulled off the large pack he had strapped across his back as well and set about splitting up trail rations for everyone, dried meat and hard dense bread. Looking at Micheal, he saw that Korst only had one good eye, while a scar ran through the other, originally hidden by the mans full shoulder length, raven black hair. His uniform seemed to have steel plates stitched in under the fabric, giving it a layered look that never changed as he moved and betrayed the hidden armour's presence.

Syrus, the man to his right, nodded and took off. Only 5 foot tall at best, the small and short bald man took off to the south, presumably towards a stream he already knew about, the only weapon seen on him a large pistol that Micheal had never seen the make off before. Micheal never had a better chance to look at it as the man was quicker then a hare and out of view within moments, covered in everyone's canteens and a large water skin as well.

Everyone else took a seat off the rode, right where they were, keeping their weapons handy just in case and catching a breather as they started on their rations. There were plenty of introductions to be made, but 2nd company seemed to be a fairly quiet bunch, or maybe they were uncomfortable with the new addition. Regardless, if there were other questions to ask, now was the time.

 

[NorthernCross]

Re: Broken Mirrors (NorthernCross) GMed by CourageWolf

Micheal listened carefully to Debrik's briefing of the situation and didn't speak until he was finished. “Understood. Villagers escaped or presumed dead already?”

Micheal didn't express any surprise at Debrik's true personality as he had already expected it. Once he heard Debrik's answer and asked any questions that may have sprang from it he fell in with the silent march.

…

Micheal bore the march without complaint as he had gotten used to such things while hired on by the various nobles during the Chaos. As he heard the call for lunch, he committed the names and faces of Syrus and Korst to memory before thanking him for the trail ration he had been handed.

“Hello. My name's Micheal Moddian.” He introduced himself as he sat and set his rifle within quick reach of himself. Regardless of whether anyone felt like introducing themselves, he started eating his ration. If they felt like introducing themselves, he'd talk with them but otherwise he didn't know how long this lunch break would last and he intended to eat his fill.