Blood and Burden

Morning has come, a faint light swept through the blinds in the windows, casting a pale glow over the room. Nathan and Amara wakes up quietly, the events of last night still lingers in their minds. After a brief of silence, they began preparing themselves for the day, as Amara about to clean up and change her clothes Nathan goes outside to take in the fresh air. 

Upon going outside, he notices many of the soldiers from before were sleeping in the Bar, he doesn't want to interrupt them so he went outside quietly. There, he saw the many of carriages and wagons parked up near the vicinity, while the horses were being tended by some soldiers that've waked up to do their duty.

He tried to walk around the town, its quiet and empty. He saw many abandoned houses and buildings alike, some of them even been wrecked to absolute zero. Just as he's about to inspect the wreckage, he got startled by a voice coming from behind him, "Hey!"

Nathan's froze and responded accordingly, "Who's there?" But, his reply somehow offend the caller since he heard a familiar sound of a blade unsheathed and felt a tingle in his spine as if that particular blade is pointed at him, so he instinctively raises his hand to avoid problems.

Is it one of the soldiers? Why would they point a sword at me?

"I'm unarmed, I bring no harm," he slowly tried to turn around and faces his offender but they stopped him. "Stop! Don't try to do anything funny and show me your identification, right now."

"Alright, I will reach for the identification inside my coat," he then shows it in the air for them to grab it, "I'm mere humble merchant that wanted to expand to south with the goods from up north."

He heard the heavy footstep of the soldiers closing in while also unsheathing their sword in the process. 

Two people. Seem like the ones that I seen tending their horses.

They grab his identification and examined it, murmuring among themselves.

"From the Empire... " "It looks real... " He heard couple of their murmurs, but stayed completely still. Until, another footsteps is heard.

"Aye! What're yer mates doin' in 'ere and not tending our horses," that person shouted with full authority. "Who ya messing 'ere with, eh?"

With only that presence alone, makes the soldiers give him his identification back to his hand. "Sorry, sire! We're just finding this person suspicious, that is all."

"Suspicious?" That footsteps came closer, exactly at behind Nathan's back, and instantly spins Nathan, "What this man ever do to yer? He look like just a goddamn farmboy," one of the soldier then corrects him, "but, he's a merchant, sire."

"GET BACK TO YER DUTIES!" He screamed at them and they went back running before saluting to him.

Meanwhile, Nathan saw the face of the full authority that he just heard, and he can't help but to ask while engaging in his facade, "excuse me, but who are you people?" The man in front of him looks at him, scrutinizing his every bits of looks, "I'm from the Klythen army, Flammare unit, leftendant."

What Nathan saw was a much more menacing beastmen of a wild dog-lookalike, he was tall but skinny with a dotted fur that cover his entire body, but what Nathan notices the most is his scars that could led to his previous battles, while using his uniform and coat many of his scars could be seen as he let it loose in the top a bit.

Leftendant? Is that the same as a lieutenant in the Imperial army? If he is the lieutenant then the captain must've been a powerful person. I should move cautiously within this town.

"Relax, mate. I won't do anything to yer, as long as yer did nothin' foolish." He said that but his eyes keep staring Nathan from head to toe as if he's a prey. "Thank you, sir. I-I'll be leaving now... excuse me now." Nathan goes past the scary looking beastmen and hurrily on back to his lodging.

"That's an odd fella," said the beastmen as he walks down the empty neighborhood.

*****

Back in the inn, Amara has finished cleaning herself up, after noticing that Nathan is nowhere to be found in the room, she tried to go to the bar to find him.

But, as soon she goes outside of her room, she met with the women that she sees exiting one of the carriages last night.

They met eyes with each other, and neither one of them is backing off. She seem normal and about the same posture as Amara since they met eyes immediately, she has a brown waist length hair that put up in a ponytail. Her eyes though is that of a jade stone, combined with her facial features that of a royalty makes her in par or even far much refined than Amara herself, even though she herself isn't really claiming that she's a beauty in any way, but men around her says otherwise, except for a couple of people.

Shit, I have to just met with one of them here.

Amara stood there staring at her, and even examining her from head to toe without realizing it.

"Uh... hello," Amara said with a polite nod. Which she immediately reply with a smile, "Hello, didn't know there's another costumer." She then ask to Amara, "Traveling alone?"

"No, I'm with my husband... he's... nowhere to be found," Amara acts as if she's tried to look around the room to find Nathan. However the women in front of her not buying it and keeps on asking her question, "Are you okay, madam? Seems like you went ham on the booze last night for your mind to be convoluted like this."

Nathan, where are you when you're needed the most!

Like a hero from fairy tales that arrived at the last moment to save the world, he at last showed his face. "Husband! There you are!" Amara went straight to his arms, putting a facade that she's scared.

"Is there any problem here?" He asked to both of them, exchanging glances between Amara and the women in front, "I believe none, good sir," the women responded with a calm voice making it seems like nothing has happened.

Holding his arm, Amara decided to tighten her grip a little which went noticed by Nathan, and so he decided to check up on her, "What's wrong, my wife?" He then went as far as going down to her eye level to make it believable, Amara herself even put up a face that could be said as terrified face.

Seeing as the two couple in front of her going at it, she decided to bow to them, "My apologies, sir. It appears I've wronged your wife." Hearing that she backed down on it, Nathan makes a move to establish a line to make her think that they're just a normal couple, "If you really sorry, then apologize to my wife... not me."

She then move forward, while making an eye contact to Amara, instead of bowing down like how most would, she somehow kneeled down and puts her right arm horizontally in front and left horizontally in her back, "As the captain of the Flammare unit from Klythen armies. I hereby pledge, that I will help these people in front of me, no matter what the circumstances are. By thy oath, help mine to succeed."

Baffled by the sudden oath, they just looked at each other and stunned there for a while, even the person in question is confused on how to respond to that, "uh... thank... you?"