Jin's boots thudded heavily against the blood-stained earth, each step resonating with a cold, unyielding purpose. The ground beneath him was uneven, cracked, and littered with shattered debris—remnants of a merciless battle fought not long ago. The coppery scent of blood hung thick in the air, mingling with the acrid smoke that curled from distant ruins.
His gaze remained locked on the prisoner before him. She sat slumped against a jagged stone, her face pale and streaked with grime, bruises blossoming across her skin like dark flowers. Despite her exhaustion, her eyes still held a flicker of defiance, though it wavered with every shallow breath.
Jin's steps slowed as he drew closer, the weight of the moment pressing down like a silent storm. He didn't speak immediately—only the sound of his boots breaking the uneasy quiet.
"Please... no more," the prisoner whispered, her voice barely audible, cracked and trembling with fear and pain. It was a plea not just to him, but to the cruel world that had brought her here.
Jin's voice cut through the stillness, rough and commanding. "Give me your hands."
Her eyes flickered up, uncertain, but she obeyed. Slowly, she lifted her chained wrists, the cold metal clinking softly as she revealed them.
With steady, deliberate movements, Jin grasped the chains, feeling the weight and chill of the cold iron biting into her skin. The sword he carried gleamed faintly in the dim light, a harsh contrast to the fragile woman before him.
Without hesitation, Jin raised his sword high above his head. The blade caught the faint glimmer of what little sunlight remained, gleaming with a deadly promise.
As it descended in a swift, decisive arc, the prisoner flinched—her body tensed, heart pounding in desperate fear.
The sword met metal and cut through the chains.
"You're safe now" Jin said reassuringly
The woman dropped to her knees and expressed her gratitude.
"Thank...y-you" her voice was laced with exhaustion.
Jin sheathed his sword.
"Koichi" Jin called out.
The boy emerged from a hollow tree stump. A perfect hiding spot for someone of his size.
"We have to move"
Koichi swallowed hard, nodding without a word. He looked at the absolute mess Jin had made.
They began travelling. A silent journey only interrupted by the crunch of their footsteps.
Soon, a narrow river came into view, cutting through the landscape alongside the trade route. A weathered wooden bridge arched over it.
Jin, Koichi and the woman stepped forward onto the wooden bridge.
Jin knelt down on the side of the bridge. He cupped his hands and let them sink into the water before bringing them back up and splashing water on his face. All the dirt, grime and blood were being washed away.
Koichi mimicked him, cleaning his face and hair. He watched as the blood of his family that stuck to him washed off. The only physical memory of his shattered world being washed down stream.
They stood up and began moving again.
"I'm tired" Koichi exclaimed.
"Just a little further boy" Jin responded.
There were two hours till sunset. Perfect time to set up camp to stay overnight.
They hadn't moved far from the river.
"Go get rest, tomorrow we have to travel for God knows how long" Jin said.
They found a spot uphill the river concealed by a rock. A perfect spot for the night.
Jin glanced at the dimming sky, then at the trembling boy beside him."There's dry wood around. You can manage that, can't you?"
Koichi hesitated. His eyes darted toward the shadows creeping between the trees."I—I'll try."Jin said nothing, just turned back to clearing a space for the fire, leaving Koichi to prove his worth—or remind him why he was a risk.
Jin unsheathed his sword and approached the riverside.He waited for the fish to appear,and when they did he skilfully impaled them on his blade.
He only managed to get 3 medium-sized fish, but it was enough to guarantee survival for the night.
He placed them on a small rock next to the river. He unsheathed one of his daggers from his belt, wiping the blade on his sleeve. He then picked up a single fish and slid his blade from the tail to head along its belly. Guts spilled into the water below, swept away from the current.He removed the entrails quickly ,no hesitation.
Using the edge of his blade, he scraped off the scales off the fish, flicking them aside like dead skin. The head stayed on, there was no time for delicacy.
He repeated the process for each fish. Once finished, he rinsed the fish in the cold water, letting the blood wash off. The meat was rough but it would cook.
He went back up to the makeshift camp.
Koichi stumbled back through the underbrush, arms bundled with a haphazard stack of sticks and twigs. Some were too damp, others too thin to burn properly. Leaves clung to his hair, and his breath came in uneven huffs.
"I-I got the wood," he said, dropping the pile beside Jin with a loud clatter of broken branches.
Jin glanced at the bundle, expression unreadable. "Most of this won't catch," he said flatly, picking up a limp, moss-covered branch and tossing it aside.
Koichi shrank a little. "It was all I could find..."
"You passed two dead trees on the way there," Jin said, already sorting through the salvageable pieces.
Koichi looked down, ashamed. "I didn't know."
"It's enough to cook" He said disappointingly "Next time be aware of your surroundings"
Jin knelt beside the pile of usable firewood, quickly assembling a small but steady stack.
He then got out a small steel striker and flint stone from his gear. He crouched low, striking them together with sharp, precise motions. Sparks flew, and a small flame caught onto the campfire.
He shielded the budding fire with his cloak, coaxing it into a steady blaze. The flickering light pushed back the encroaching shadows and warmed the chill night air.
He got a stick and used his dagger to sharpen it before skewering the fish.
He then let the skewered fish sit above the fire for twenty five minutes, slowly rotating them every few minutes that passed.
The fish was cooked thoroughly and all three of them got a fish each.
"It's delicious" The woman's voice rasped "Thank you for this meal"
The campfire began to die down. As the last embers flickered, Jin sat back in the smoking glow. Koichi and the woman were asleep.
Jin looked down at his body. The shallow stab wound from earlier was there. He almost forgot he had been stabbed due to how busy he was.
He went down the river to wash it off and tore a bit of his cloak as a makeshift bandage.
He then entered the makeshift camp and laid down.
Exhaustion finally claimed him, but his sleep was often disturbed by the faintest of sounds. He was on high alert. He needed to be, he looked at Koichi and the woman sleeping peacefully.
"For their sake" he whispered to himself.