The Selfless Fisherman

Sitting atop a lone rock as powerful gusts swept through the area and a torrent of water rained down around him Xiang awaited patiently for his catch. His body was drenched to the bone as droplets streamed down his face, keeping his position still was a tad difficult but if he couldn't even brave the onslaught brought upon by nature then he'd never truly be able to accomplish anything or grow stronger. He was alone in the midst of the storm, or at least that's how it appeared. A short ways away just up the river there were a couple of shacks that had been set up, albeit not very well crafted, in order to offer protection from the harsh weather that had been frequenting as of late. Within them were several refugees from the war who had been forced to flee or would have had to face being drafted into a losing battle or wind up caught in the chaos as civilian casualties. Perhaps it was a bit presumptuous of him to expect that they would lose simply because they were facing Kou, but that was neither here nor there right now. It also did not matter that they had been aligned with an enemy, with their decision to metaphorically throw down their arms and seek refuge within the country it meant they were now members of it. Xiang had a duty to uphold to protect the people of Kou and to lend his aid to them whenever they would call on him, such was what was to be expected of a soldier. Trivial details like citizenship meant nothing to him, he could not simply turn his back on those who were in need and leave them to fend for themselves. His father had raised a far better man than that. With another burst of wind and the sound of thunder booming somewhere above the dark clouds that seemed to swallow the sky he allowed himself to think back to his first encounter with the refugees.

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Magoi: 60/60
Stamina: 140/140
Post WC: 337
Total WC: 337/500

Job Details:

Item Brought:

It was just another day of patrolling the area to which he'd been assigned, standard protocol for all lower ranking soldiers, and because of Kou nearing the end of a small war with a neighboring land it was in everyone's interest to keep an eye out. Better safe than sorry and all that. When given the opportunity men will charge forward to the front lines in search of glory and rewards for their deeds, but Xiang was different. He fought when he had to in order to ensure victory but he cared nothing for compensation for simply performing his duty admirably, although he wished to grow stronger and have his name be one worth remembering. In his mind it there was plenty of honor to be had remaining back home and making sure the people of Kou were protected from invaders and the like. He was also a man who stuck to himself, asking for his patrols to be solo and areas where he wouldn't have to deal with too many people. A bit much for someone of his standing to ask for yes, but his track record spoke for itself and the standing officer in charge was happy to oblige. Thus Xiang found himself wandering about the Shu-Fang River and the surrounding forest, he allowed himself to relax but still remained vigilant. He preferred to be thorough and as such had spent a few hours searching through the forest for anything out of the ordinary so all that remained at this point was looking around the river itself. As he stepped out from the mass of trees he stopped by the riverside to rest for a short while before continuing his watch.

Reaching down Xiang grabbed a handful of water and held it to his lips, drinking it he felt the inside of his body begin to cool slowly but surely. He repeated this process a few more times before suddenly stopping, the slight hint of movement came as a bit of a surprise to him. Quickly turning to face the unknown entity he grabbed for his blade but they vanished into the forest as quickly as they could. Giving chase Xiang had to at the very least identify the source, it could have simply been a wild animal that he'd startled, but it also could have been a scout for an advancing force and he would never roll the dice on such a risk. He quickly caught sight of a boy, probably only a few years younger than himself, running frantically. "Stop! Identify yourself!" The boy didn't do so much as turn around and simply continued to run, ducking in-between trees and making strange turns in what Xiang figured was an attempt to throw him off. In a few moments he was surprised with the sight he was greeted with, several foreigners were caught off guard as the boy dashed into one of the many shacks and merely stared at the soldier of Kou with fear in their eyes. A thick silence hung in the air as no one so much as moved an inch, Xiang's eyes darted from person to person and started to take in the surroundings in order to paint a picture of what was going on here. They had some supplies set out for construction and up-keeping the shacks as well as some berries and other greenery collected for food. There wasn't a weapon in sight and with the numbers advantage they could easily have attacked if they so desired. All of this told him exactly what he needed to know.

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Magoi: 60/60
Stamina: 140/140
Post WC: 598
Total WC: 935/500

Allowing himself to relax and straightening his body rather than remaining in a fighting stance he raised a hand and smiled gingerly as a way of showing he meant no harm. "Do not be alarmed. I mean you no harm and I can tell from your reactions and the way you carry yourselves that you bear no ill will towards me as well." The foreigners still remained wary of him but seemed to ease up a bit, they didn't move from their positions however because of what was probably fear of being attacked. "I am a soldier of Kou, I was simply on patrol around the area when I came across the boy that ducked into that shack over there. I wasn't sure if he was a spy or some sort of threat, but I understand now." They seemed to panic at the mention of Xiang being a soldier but still they didn't show any sort of hostility. "You're seeking refuge from the war aren't you? Hiding in order to avoid any sort of persecution for being in enemy territory. You've got nothing to fear, you people will be safe here." At first the refugees held their gazes at the ground as Xiang spoke, some of them trembling from fear, but they all had shocked expressions as he finished, unable to believe what they'd just heard. "So you're not going to kill us? Or turn us over? Or-" The person speaking had been a young woman probably about Xiang's age, but he held his hand out to cut her off. "I'm not going to do any of those things, it won't accomplish anything nor is there any point. You people are just trying to live your lives." An older man probably about the age of his father stepped forward waving a small hammer intended for construction at Xiang. "And how exactly can we trust the likes of you? You are a soldier after all!" The distrust he was exuding seemed to be shared by most of the refugees but Xiang remained his usually un-bothered self. For a few moments he genuinely pondered about what to do but was having difficulties, he wasn't good at these sorts of situations after all. "You can't." The sheer simplicity curtness of his words caught everyone off guard although the man who'd spoken up seemed like he was about to pop a vein. "You can trust that you're still alive though. I'd have made my move by now if I was going to do anything, being outnumbered means nothing if you don't know how to fight."

Scratching the back of his head Xiang started to consider his options, glancing about it seemed like they hadn't been here for very long and were still trying to adjust to their new way of living. "You're all unarmed and still trying to recover, I'm not so dishonorable that I would take advantage of that. If you still don't believe me then allow me to help." The refugees looked from the man to Xiang to each other unsure of what to do, little by little they seemed to reach their own conclusions but still awaited for some sort of grand decision. For a long while the man remained silent before becoming visibly calmer and nodding his head. "Alright. I still don't trust you but you look like you'll be good for work. We still need to finish a few more homes for everyone, help us with those." Xiang nodded his head, glad that everything had been resolved and took a step towards the refugees. They were still skittish towards him but he didn't let it bother him, just a natural reaction given the circumstances. With the man leading the way Xiang followed and met up with a group of men currently constructing another shack. They hadn't been present for the whole exchanged and freaked out at the sight of a citizen of Kou but the man from earlier held a hand out. "It's alright, he says he's not here to do us any harm." The men quickly began voice their opposition to this but the man, who at this point was undoubtedly the leader around here, shut them all down. "He's underestimating us anyway. We can use him for work to get things finished and settled around here faster. Just get back to work and let me worry about him." All the while as this whole exchange was taking place Xiang had cast off the armor of his clothing and left his katana beside it and was currently hammering some nails in. Everyone was surprised to see him leaving himself so open and couldn't help but relax at the sight, although they were reluctant they went back to work. The leader couldn't help but smile and laugh at the whole sight. "You're certainly an interesting character there kid. The name's Rolamus." Continuing to hammer nails in and lift up pieces of wood Xiang didn't give any sort of indication that he'd heard him. "Xiang."

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Magoi: 60/60
Stamina: 140/140
Post WC: 849
Total WC: 1,784/500

A massive crash of thunder and various lightning bolts dancing through the sky shook Xiang from the trance-like state he had been in. That whole ordeal had occurred a few weeks back and ever since then he'd stop by every now and then in order to check on Rolamus and the others to see how they were doing. They didn't really have the layout of the area down-pact so he'd take them around and show them where to find various berries and herbs as well as inform them on what to avoid. Some animals lived around the area that they could hunt but this place was a bit remote so the ecosystem probably wouldn't hold together too well if they just killed indiscriminately. The river was also a good option for fish as many happened to live along the length of it. Little by little they'd gotten more and more comfortable with their circumstances and seemed to be getting the hang of things. Although for about the past week or so the heavy storms that were plaguing the area seemed to be doing a number on them. A few shacks had fallen apart and needed to be rebuilt, this lead to the others being reinforced in order to avoid any other such issues. Because of the weather they were forced to remain indoors much more and couldn't acquire as much food and with the animals taking refuge wherever they could that meant the river was the best bet. However it seemed they weren't well equipped enough, during his last visit a few days prior he had found that a few people had gotten sick while attempting to fish during the storm. The people were getting by on whatever berries, mushrooms, and greenery they could get by on but they wouldn't be able to last this way nor would anyone be able to get better without a proper meal. They were in dire need of help but refused to ask and upon Xiang offering the people told him that he'd already done so much that they couldn't possibly ask for him to risk himself like that. Without another word on the matter he said he'd take care of things.

The storm the past two days had been particularly bad but it was now at a point where it was bearable for him. His lure continued to bob up and down in the turbulent waters as he waited. Due to the darkness of the sky it was hard to tell what time it was or for how long he'd been here, but he wouldn't leave until his job was done. There was a tug with a bit more strength than usual and Xiang pulled back, feeling the opposition he began to real in the catch. With a massive swing a large fish practically soared through the air before landing firmly in a pile of dead fish, it flopped about violently for a bit before finally dying down. Satisfied with his work Xiang jumped down from his position and lifted the basket of fish up, heading towards the refugees camp. Because of the harsh weather they had all managed to construct a sort of covering that connected the roofs of the shacks, making it possible to walk around the camp without getting rained on although the wind was still a bit of a problem. Stones were kept on top of the roofs in order to keep everything in place, it wasn't the greatest but it would work until the storm passed. Upon arriving they were all ecstatic to see him and thanked him endlessly for what he'd done. "Thank you so much for what you've done Xiang. We'll take care of cooking this you've done enough." An elderly woman reached forward for the basket of fish but Xiang turned from her and started to walk towards one of the larger shacks. "Nonsense, I'll take care of the preparations for everyone, you all sit tight." Some of them were brought to tears because of Xiang's kindness. "Why do you do all of this for us? Complete strangers." Stopping in his tracks Xiang turned to the man and shook his head before smiling. "Strangers? You are all people of Kou, and it is my duty and honor to make sure you are all protected and happy." Continuing on his way Xiang stepped into the large shack and was greeted by Rolamus. "Xiang, thank you. I don't know how we can all possibly repay you for what you've done." Shaking his head Xiang set the basket down and lit a fire, getting ready to begin preparations for a huge feast. "War is hell. Because of the people I serve you all are forced to live here. I'm not complaining or condemning anyone, such is the way the world works. But because of that I'm sorry. This is the least I can do. I don't need any sort of payment Rolamus, this is simply what I feel I must do. Now not another word of thanks or compensation, let's just enjoy ourselves tonight."

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Magoi: 60/60
Stamina: 140/140
Post WC: 852
Total WC: 2636/500