A Hero in the far east

In the Marsh outside Sages Sanctuary the former Rathkin imperial city of The Wilds, you Prince Kaito are hunting outsiders that have nearly killed your father Sage Saito "It was lucky uncle Akechi was able to prevent the second arrow from hitting father or he would be dead" you say to yourself just as you hear a twig snap to your left.

You quickly jump forward narrowly avoiding an arrow that would've pierced your throat. "Come out you cowards and face me with honor or I will make sure you suffer a slow " you shout into the marsh where the arrow was fired.

Surprisingly a group of seven masked men move out into the open answering your challenge. They look at you noticing your features and freeze realizing something was wrong with their plans. "It's the prince of the Wilds didn't the boss say Feng poisoned him a month ago?" One of the masked men says in fear causing you to remember your cousin who was acting oddly a month back every time he saw you training with your uncle or father.

"No, if Feng did poison me and it failed then these assassins must have an alternative motive in my father's from within the Wilds not an attack by the Errian invaders who were scouting just out of our territory," you think while watching the cowardly assassins move to circle you.

Before they could charge you see movement behind two trees and raise your bronze gauntlets blocking two arrows fired by hidden archers stopping them but knocking you off balance allowing three of the seven men to charge you, striking at you from your front and both sides with their swords.

Like it was the plan of nature, their attacks were not synchronized as the man in front trips on a rock with his forward momentum which knocks you back causing him to get slashed by his ally to your left forcing him to drop his sword at your feet which you grab and thrust into the enemy on your rights throat.

You release the sword not able to withdraw it as your opponent on your left moves with two quick slashes in your direction causing you to roll to your right and grabbing the injured man using him as a shield as two more arrows fly into him you toss the dying man into the last of the first three to charge you knocking him over where you quickly jump him bashing his head with your left gauntlet. You hear a painful bone crushing sound when your fist connects with his skull but think nothing of it as you immediately draw your Katana with your right hand.

"I thought I said face me with honor not have those archers stay hidden like cowards!" you shout "But no fear, The Wilds are about to take them out of play," you say noticing a young Beastmaster training his bear signaling to strike the two archers mauling them within seconds.

"AHHHH no gods, no!!!" the second archer screams as his life slowly fades from his body. You imagine the other must have died instantly or at least didn't make a sound.

When the scream ends three of the Assassins turn towards the bear waving their spears at it in an attempt to keep it at bay as their leader who gives you a sicking smile starts drawing twin Short swords aiming them in your direction in a challenge "You're one of the greatest warriors just as my master said, but I don't understand why your people live in this shithole of a nation when they could take the smaller Kingdoms between here and the Rathkin Empire and put an end to the war with Errian!" The leader says laughing at your expression at him calling your homeland a shithole or his comment of your home being a former territory to the Rathkin's before your father lead the people of The Wilds to freedom a mere 30 years back.

"The Wilds Is a nation who live within nature! We are a balance to the world, not the Chaos between the Three Greats to the west! We have an alliance with my mother's homeland of Tenor who like to stay neutral along with trade pacts with the smaller nations in between us. We have no need for conquest, we've spilled the blood of the greedy Empire of old for our freedom and now we push invaders back as their blood gives life to our lands!" you recite your oath to the Man standing before you.

He hasn't realized or cared that his three followers fell to the bear and beastmaster with little effort.

"Welcome to The Wilds, I hope you enjoy the stay in our prison," you say with a grin getting the man to charge you in anger. You quickly swing your Katana into two feints before You swipe the right hand of the Assassin leader causing him to drop one of his swords while you Sidestep to the left where he overreaches his counter thrust allowing you to knock him out with a jab to the back of his head, causing him to crash into the marshy fields below, capturing him for questioning.

You've got more to worry about such as the news of Feng's potential betrayal and finding the person behind your father's attack. You signal the young Beastmaster to take the prisoner knowing he could tie him up and have the bear bring him to the guards in Sages Sanctuary and get a bounty that will aid him in the future training of his majestic bear or another animal.

As you leave the make-shift battlefield, you just pray to the nature spirits that the council doesn't push for an offensive engagement without knowing who is behind the attack, hopefully Uncle Akechi will be able to hold off any push for war until you find out the truth behind the threats to the nation and your family.