Wanderer Hisao

The suns slowly rolled down beneath the horizon. The first stars appeared in the West. A wanderer slowly drifted upon the road. An old lone wolfen in simple cloth. He carried a satchel behind his back, filled with the strangest of things, as if gathered from all the corners of Signum.

– Halt! – A watchman with a spear, a young soldier in shining armour stopped the wolfen’s path. The second one, apparently older and more experienced, stayed back, near the trees. – That’s as far as you go! Mere peasants have no place near a military camp!

The wanderer nodded at the soldier, but did not even slow his pace.

– Are you deaf? – The soldier pointed his spear towards the wolfen.

The wanderer, with the very same expression, grabbed the spear from the soldier’s hand and knocked him off his feet with the shaft. The second soldier charged the old man, but a blow from the wolfen’s staff threw him off the road, senseless.

– The stars have pointed this way to me, that means the path is open. The wolfen smiled from beneath his greyed mustache and offered the spear back to the terrified soldier – Do not hold your spear with your arms stretched forward. It is harder to land a hit that way, and easier for the foe to rebuke it or even take your weapon from you. Remember my advice. One day, it shall save your life. For your companion – take this elixir. It shall help heal his wounds.

The stunned soldier took the spear and elixir, and slowly stood up from the ground. He wanted to call out to the old man, but the wanderer was already long gone from the road.