Blind Trust

A starving mouse hastily runs under the full moon. Desperately searching around a dirt path. Misfortune follows this creature. No matter how hard it works, it can't find food. Winter has taken everything.

The corpse of a wither tree takes pity. Under its last breath, the tree drops a nut.

The fool runs after the nut. Ignoring its screaming instincts. The nut is lifted to the moon. The mouse thanked the stars above. A feeling short-lived.

Unders the shadows of the dead tree, a snake hides. Waiting for the perfect moment to claim its meal.

As quickly as the blessing came, the snake ate the mouse. Now, the nut belongs to the snake, but what purpose does a nut hold for a snake? In truth, the snake does not care for the nut. Regardless, it now belongs to them.

Sadly for the snake - in this cruel world, what goes around comes around - an owl takes flight from the tree. Its eyes on the snake. Its sharp talons smash the skull of the slippery devil, causing its instant death.

The owl ignores the lizard's corpse and instead claims the nut for itself. Back on the top of the dead tree, the owl inspects its newly acquired treasure.

For now, the owl holds no use for the nut, but it does recognize its value. The owl keeps the nut. Foolishly holding hope.

A man sent by Fort Blood walks on this dirt path. The same path the mouse followed. He saw everything. Yet his heart wasn't moved. To this man, he witnessed nature. A nature that follows all.

This man is a Hunter. A Hunter on a mission. Heading to a small village near The Mighty River.

Unlike Hunters from other forts, this one works at night. Just like his peers from Fort Blood. The nightly terrors can't control Leiz.

A skillful man he is, years of knowledge rest with him. A pale man he is, as pale as the full moon. Faintly white pink adorns this man's skull, and for the windows of his soul, the color gold is worn.

A black cloak hides this man from the chili night. Underneath, he wears dark leather armor. Not only his appearance this cloak hid, but the various tools and equipment its master carried.

After a long walk, Leiz reaches the village. He spends no time settling in and quickly goes to business. He does not care for the schedule of the village and knocks on the door that desperately calls him. On the third knock, the door is answered. An angrily peasant man, the door reveals, "Who calls this late at night?"

Leiz shows an open letter to the peasant, at which the man responds, "Are you stupid? Since when do peasants read!"

Leiz quickly points at a sigil that signed the letter, and the attitude of the peasant instantly changes, "Fort Blood sent you! I am sorry, please take no offense to this hag. I beg you to come in!"

The man moves aside welcoming Leiz, but he does not enter, "Please sir, I don't wish to speak out in the cold." He finally gives up and enters the home.

Leiz is guided not so far from the door to a wooden table in a corner. The man looks at Leiz, "I can't offer much but please sit with me as I explain."

Leiz did as asked, and the man quickly followed, "My boy has been missing since before winter. I fear he's lost. He's muted so he cant get help to come back.

"If he stays lost for long, the winter will surely take him. I need my boy back, I can't work on the farm by me self and he is the only one I have left.

"I do not have anything to pay you but you must not worry about that. Fort Blood owns me since I help one of you're people," The man keeps rambling drawing at straws in hopes Leiz would help him.