How long had it been since that day? Since the day of the ambush, where he had been left for dead with a slit belly and spilled guts? How was it fair that his magic had healed his otherwise fatal wound, and Tai, Reggie, Allesa, and all the others were dead or taken captive? The guilt of living when his friends, his comrades, were bereft of life or freedom weighed down on Reshiro, causing him to question whether he wanted go onward.
Yet always he trudged on. He couldn't stop. He was the last of the emissaries from Pellidar. His nation needed him to complete his mission. Whether he wanted to or not he had no choice. He had to continue onward to save his land and his people.
Despite his noble intentions, he was hopelessly lost and had no idea where he was going. He had found a road the other day and walked alongside it. He hadn't passed by any other travelers to ask even where the road went. At least he had food and water. When the Ingladians had ambushed they hadn't taken the supplies that the Kathalan Regiment had been carrying with them, leaving Reshiro with plenty of food and water to take. By the time he had regained consciousness after his injuries, several days after the ambush, some of the food had spoiled, but most of it was fine. It was hardy travel food, not prone to mold. A few bugs crawled around in the hardtack but Reshiro was expecting that.
Now his food was beginning to run out. He needed to find a town soon and restock and find out where he could go to get allies for Pellidar. He could hunt, but a sword was not ideal for that. He knew how to make traps and snares, but he would have to wait, possibly for days, for those to yield anything. He didn't have days to spend away from his mission. No, his best bet was to follow the road until he found a town and buy supplies there. The Ingladians hadn't taken any money when they had ambushed, either, so Reshiro had taken a large sum from the purses of his fallen comrades.
There! Was that a town in the distance? Yes! Reshiro broke into a run. Even if it was a small town someone should be able to direct him somewhere he could find aid. Perhaps he could buy a horse at the town as well. It would likely take up most of his money, but it would be worth the faster travel.
After an hour or two of running Reshiro reached the town only to find it bare and deserted. Where was everyone? He wandered around, trying to find someone to talk to and get information. He didn't have any luck, so he entered one building that wasn't locked at random. Inside were a bunch of people. Some looked confused, some appeared to be guarding those who looked confused, and others seemed to be spectators. Reshiro nearly backed out of the building because of the strangeness, but he remembered his point for coming. He had finally found some people, so he had to take advantage of it.
"Sorry to interrupt," he began, not sure who to address, "but what is this place? I am a traveler and I need to buy some supplies."
It didn't occur to him what a strange sight he would be. His shirt had a large hole in it from the sword slash that had eviscerated him and was stained with blood. His trousers were likewise splattered with blood. He carried a dirty pack, a large sword, and a shield. His hair was long and uncombed from the days of travel. Dirt covered him since he had found no place to bathe. He had become used to these things because he had had to live with them for weeks by now. So thus when he addressed this group of people he was totally unaware of his odd, perhaps even frightening, appearance.