The Ajacent River, The Bridlewood Forest, Outskirts Of Elderbloom
Rushing water from the river had been all around the hunter known as Kedon as he found himself coming up from beneath the surface of the icy river water after diving in following the discarding of his weapons and attire being kept in a safe location and guarded by Ferkus who had not been a fan of rivers. Kedon had not been bothered by the cold as he'd found he was born warm-blooded and no amount of off-weather had any sort of effect on him. He didn't worry much about disease or injury given that he had never before experienced it despite being confused as a child, he was under the impression that all humans had been this way until his adoptive father had convinced him of a difference. Looking back at his upbringing, Kedon had believed it was due to his having been nursed by the teet of a she-wolf that set him apart from his fellow menfolk. His extraordinary abilities had been another matter but with proper training from his adoptive father, he learned to hone them and navigate through human existence like any other of the menfolk he'd seen in passing.
Kedon continued to bathe, enjoying the water's cool touch amid his exposed olive-tanned flesh as he stood amid the rushing waves. His bare cock, an impressive thing when one considered its length and girth in comparison to any other man's had been twitching about as the cool waters splashed against it. His equally large bare feet had touched the bottom of the riverbank and were firmly planted giving him leverage against the rushing waters as he continued to splash away all of the blood from the Karabuk that lingered amid his exposed flesh.
He splashed some of the cool clean river water on his tired face soaking his dark facial hair had been quite thick and coarse due to his lack of interest in keeping it groomed. Most of the time he often wore a silver facemask fashioned in the style of a wolf's head at the base of his mouth so as not to obscure his keen dark eyes when he'd been on a hunt or in combat with a brute in need of being put down.
The skillful hunter Kedon's long dark locks had been draped along his broad shoulders and his rippled muscle was splashed over so gently by the rushing waves of the river as he continued to enjoy his bath and wash away all of the dirt and blood that covered his body prior.
While the hunter had been enjoying his bath, a group of vile men, all dirty and clad in studded brown leather uniforms had been interested in him and his coin purse ever since he'd dropped off the Karabuk carcass in town. They had no interest in the animal itself knowing next to nothing about how to skin or sell it but they were avidly interested in the 10,000 Solaires that Kedon had received after hunting it.
Greed had been their primary motivation when it came to seeking out the hunter known as Kedon in the woods and it had propelled them into the vile manner of thinking to relieve him of his wealthy burden in favor of their own aims at obtaining it.
They were called, The Onyx Pincers, and they were the deadliest gang in the province terrorizing many a settler and traveler for coin or drunk they came across in their so-called territory. Kedon had not been in the least impressed by their reputation nor had he been worried when they cornered him just as he was stepping out of the waters and onto the bank his rugged heavily muscle-toned body dripping from the remainder of the water that lingered on his olive colored flesh. His dark hair soaked and slicked back as he noted the group of five men all armed with onyx-infused daggers and ready to strike any vulnerable point in a bid to get to his hefty sack of coins.
The leader of The Onyx Pincers, an experienced thief and fugitive murderer by the name of Selkath Keating had been watching Kedon since he first arrived in Elderbloom. He was a lean pale man with wavy dark brown hair and sickly green eyes which gave Kedon the impression of a snake in human form. Selkath had sharp yellowed teeth rumored to have been ground to a fine point by way of a dagger, the very one he held in his hands as he tossed it back n forth in Kedon's line of sight as the naked water-soaked hunter stood his ground despite being outmatched, unarmed, and caught unawares as far as the gang of thieves had been concerned.
Kedon for the most part had been quite calm as he stood breathing rather slowly and tilting his head to get a sense of the sounds around him.
"Hand over the coins and no one has to get hurt," demanded Selkath as a wicked grin filed across his thin pale face.
"As you can plainly see I am unarmed and undressed meaning I have no coin to give you," replied Kedon rather calmly. "It will be in your best interest not to pursue this foolish venture and return to your regular day-to-day schemes as trying to intimidate me in this ridiculous fashion will only result in your gruesome deaths."
Selkath chuckled darkly at this.
"You hear that boys?" he asked with an arched brow as he looked around at his fellow gang members. "This naked slab thinks he's a match for us, all the while being unarmed and undressed."
A roar of laughter echoed from the other four members of The Onyx Pincers as they each aimed their daggers at Kedon and set about surrounding him on all sides.
Kedon stood with his face impassive as he noted their childish little strategy of thinking numbers would save them. He didn't care one way or the other, they were merely cravens as far as he'd been concerned.
"I'll try this one more time," said Selkath his voice growing darker with fury and ambition as he began tossing his dagger back n forth between his waiting and surprisingly skillful hands. "HAND OVER THE SOLAIRES OR BE GUTTED HERE AND NOW!"
Kedon did not say a word nor did he make a move to comply. It was all Selkath needed to ignite his frustration as he lunged at the naked taller man and attempted to stick him with the business end of his onyx-infused dagger. Much to his shock and later horror, Kedon swiftly grabbed his hand and pushed the dagger into Selkath's own throat sliting it effectively and causing him to drop to his knees oozing a good deal of blood. His men had been enraged and all attempted to attack Kedon at once.
This proved to be their undoing as Kedon grabbed each one by one slamming them into each other and ending them by way of impaling them through the chest with their own daggers slicing some across the chest and belly and dropping out their bloodied innards. They had threatened to gut him and he had done it to them in the end as the bodies dropped and the so-called terrifying minor gang calling themselves The Onyx Pincers had been no more.