Picking up a traitor

You walk out of the marsh and head through the farmlands outside of Sages Sanctuary as the local Farmers look at you covered in blood in a mix of admiration and fear knowing not to approach by your focused attention on the massive tree behind the gates into the city which houses the Sage's tree mansion with a throne room with an attached council meeting room for the Druids & Shamans, a dining hall, two thousand scroll private library, twenty-one bedrooms, a large pool and bathhouse that uses the Rainwater from the many storms that grace the city.

The Great Shrine to the Mother Goddess of Nature and smaller shrines to her spirit animal companions along with the council's private homes are built nearby overseeing the city below the small tree city on the thousand foot Holy Tree of a population around ten thousand including servants for the true nobles of The Wilds. You look lower at the well maintained Gate of the Former Rathkin City that is home to roughly three-hundred-thousand people and current Capital of The Wilds.

Nearing the Gate you notice the royal guards led by Captain Gao make their way towards you looking extremely worried about something besides your unauthorized hunt of the outsiders causing you to think that your father must of taking a turn for the worst.

Captain Gao is an elderly warrior of fifty-five years who once fought beside your father in the Rebellion against the former occupiers from Rathkin Empire thirty years ago when the western Kingdoms saw your people as savages. More recently Gao helped advise you in the beginning of Errian's invasion four years back helping bring Errian's larger military to a false stalemate where you infiltrated and burned their supply forts forcing the Invaders to retreat only for them to lose to the Golden Eagle Commander Rixx of Rathkin in another of the Western Kingdoms endless wars which weakened Errian enough to bring peace to The Wilds until Errian royalty sent a scouting party of several hundred warriors to the border six months ago causing the entire Wilds to gather its resolve to repel the Invaders once more planning to give the land a bloody blessing in the name of the Mother Goddess that The Wilds must remain free and that invaders only are worth fertilizer to her holy land.

"My you must have been successful in your hunt Prince Kaito or should I call this new look as a fashion statement since it was an unsanctioned hunt and you never want to dishonor your father by going rogue," Captain Gao says with a laugh liking to tease you when you act in secret or without permission.

"I see the current chaos has not lowered your humor, Master Gao." you say as you grip his hand with a firm grasp "I hope to keep this as an act of the unknown person who was hired by an anonymous benefactor in the interest of The Wilds continued peace" you say matching the old warriors grin.

"Oh, how I love our talks but unfortunately you have been summoned by your Uncle Akechi to be present at the Meeting of the Council after we retrieve your deadbeat cousin from his Manor in the noble district as the Heathen chose to not live among us in the Holy Tree" Gao states as fact making you raze a brow at his more or less demand instead of request. "Don't look at me like that my boy, your father was nearly killed and your uncle got information from lady Mei that Feng and some outsider were involved and are currently held at the Manor." Gao notices your thoughtless expression "We must hurry if we want them alive before Mei tortures them to ," Gao says knowing your adopted cousin's perverse pleasure in tormenting captives will end badly if she kills her brother before his trial.

"Fine Gao, I was going to go to the home to wash the blood off before going to visit the Great Shine and cleanse my body after taking three lives but I guess we need Feng and the outsider alive, so I'll have to do it later," you say with a sigh as you start walking through the outermost district where the Hunters, Farmers, Builders, and Beastmasters live in the safety of the wall around Sages Sanctuary. "Wait you said Three I was told there were nine assassins who fled the city?" Gao says looking worried.

You laugh "I know, I killed three and captured their leader while a Beastmaster and his Bear took out five." you smirk at the thought of the helpful ally "I left the prisoner to that Beastmaster and I'm ninety-nine percent sure he use that prisoner to farther the training of his Great Bear for aiding in his arrest". you say earning you a clap on the back by your mentor.

Brief minutes later the two of you arrive at the manor and are about to enter but you both come to a halt as you hear a commotion at your side.