Previously in NWC-
Reno shoots the bandit leader but only hit his arm, quickly escalating the situation to a full blow war against the village of Bambadale and the bandits. He hands off the guns, causing Kent, Deb, and the mayor to rush into town to fight. Lyn uses the last gun to save Reno then tells him to go protect her shop. Lyn manages to scare the young timid bandit into joining the town of Bambadale and they make their in after Reno. Reno watches the mayor rush into battle, left alone with his thoughts. He notices a note in the Town Hall and reads it...
"Thank you to Reno, the newest member of Bambadale. He showed up out of nowhere and began doing everything he could for our town. So, tonight, for our celebration of life, we celebrate a new member of our extended family."
Reno's heart turns in his chest as he finishes reading. He slowly stands up, placing the note back on the counter. He looks back at the window, the red hue from the fire lighting up the entire town. "I can't. I can't run away. I told Luna I'd fight them. I told Mr. Kent and Mrs. Deb I'd fight! I told the mayor we'd turn Bambadale into something greater! I promised Arthur I'd come back!" Seemingly finally able to harden his resolve, Reno grips his sword tighter, walking to the door. "This is it! I have to fight!" Finally, Reno rushes out, joining the battle.
Outside the village, Lyn lazily points the loaded gun at the kid at just the right angle for him to be able to look down the barrel. 'You don't seem like one of them, boy. Tell me, you said you just wanted to make money. Why would you become a criminal to earn it? There's a world of possibilities, yet you chose quite possibly the most idiotic option available."
The boy shakes with fear, entirely convinced he would die tonight. "I needed medicine for my mom! I didn't have the time to find a real job! I never wanted to hurt anyone, promise! I had heard they only show up and take your guys' stuff! I didn't know they'd start killing people! They paid for my mom's medicine, and all I had to scare people by holding a knife at them… I didn't mean for it to turn out like this… I'm so sorry…" The kid begins to cry, holding his face in his hands as tears rush down his cheeks.
Lyn sighs, shaking her head and putting the gun against her shoulder, aimed in the air. "Fine. If you're truly sorry, then I suppose we'll find out." Lyn grabs the boy by his shoulder and forcefully stands him up. "I'm not quite as patriotic about Bambadale, but it's my home, and I see a great deal of potential in it. You're going to prove you're sorry by putting your life on the line, turning your back on your comrades, and protecting this village. That, or I can shoot you right now. Either way, it doesn't affect me much."
The boy looks at Lyn with wide eyes, his breathing becoming more panicked. "Turn on the boss?! I'll be killed! He apparently killed the last person who even so much as HINTED at having sympathy!
"Well, I'm giving you the choice. You can die at the hands of your old boss for being a human and having compassion, or you can die being my tool. At least by being a tool, you can do what's right." Lyn observes the boy, sighing. "Tell me, boy, are you religious?"
The kid looks at Lyn with confusion, caught off guard by her sudden question. "I… yes. My family believes in the twin gods, Ciryu and Feyr. Why do you ask?"
"I'm not too keen on religions things. I acknowledge that there's something greater than us humans, but I quite honestly don't care. I also refuse to think that once we die it's over just like that." Lyn begins walking towards the village, not looking back. "So I'd personally prefer having interesting stories to tell in the afterlife."
The boy watches as Lyn leaves, her long black hair swaying as she struts to join the fight. "What is wrong with me… Mom would be so disappointed if she knew how I paid for her medicine." The boy's previously muted emotions all began rushing into him. Blinded by the desire to save his mom, he had subconsciously justified his actions, instinctively blurring his scene of what was right and wrong. He'd convinced himself it was okay to steal if he was trying to save his mom. He shakily grabs the knife the bandit leader had dropped earlier and stumbles over to Lyn's side, joining Bambadale in the fight against the bandits.
Reno rushes out of the town hall, jumping right into the heat of things. On either side of the village were fights, the villagers clearly outmatched, but still avoiding being killed. Uncertain of who to help first, he hesitates. A loud crack goes off at the village entrance. Reno looks over to see Lyn and the boy, entering the fight. A bandit falls, freeing a farmer from battle and allowing him to rush across the street to stab a bandit in the back who was preoccupied fighting another farmer. The two farmers quickly begin trying to put out the fire that was raging. Irritated with his hesitation, Reno sighs, rushing further into the town. Reno, who was running and staring forward, failed to see the bandit to his right. The bandit charged at Reno, yelling as he raised his sword. Reno's attention immediately snaps to the bandit, who's sword was already making it's way for his head. His eyes widen as he instinctively ducks, his training with Medusa paying off and allowing him to avoid this attack that was significantly slower than what he had practiced with. Sloppily, Reno swings his sword. It makes solid contact with the bandit, cutting his stomach deep enough to send him reeling back, writhing in pain and screaming. Reno looked down at the bandit, his eyes getting wider and wider as he watched the bandit roll on the floor, bleeding. The red blood caused Reno's own blood to race, his flight or fight response screaming at him to run away. He tries to process the fact that he had just cut another human being but was unable to as he helplessly stood there, watching.
"You're hopeless, business partner." Lyn puts her hand on Reno's shoulder as she approaches him. "Look, Reno. Just like a business woman knows she could lose all her money; these people know they could lose their life. Besides, the cut isn't deep, I'm sure this scum will live." She begins to inspect the bandit, looking back at Reno. "He'll live. I'll make the kid patch him up. You, however, need to make sure nothing else get's burned down in this village." As she says this, another fire erupts further in town, in the direction of her house. "If my house gets damaged, I will make your life a living hell!" Lyn's voice turns from supportive to angry almost immediately.
"Yes, ma'am!" Reno snaps to attention and begins running towards the new fire. He rounds a corner to se more fighting, but Deb and Kent quickly subdue the two bandits on the street, with a group of three farmers carrying wounded villagers. Reno continues, rounding the corner to see the house next to Lyn's on fire, almost touching her house. Reno, seemingly more afraid of evoking the wrath of Lyn than dying, rushes in. He hears a loud crack from a gun go off on the back side of the building. "That can only be…" Reno runs as fast as he can, turning the corner to see the mayor holding his smoking gun up, a bandit falling but another already swinging his weapon down on the mayor, The one attacking the mayor had a hand wrapped in cloth and was none other than the bandit leader. Reno watches helplessly as the mayor slowly lets go of his gun and begins falling to his knees, his chest oozing blood. "No!" Reno rushes over as the bandit leader holds his sword up, ready to stab through the mayor. Reno subconsciously body checks the bandit leader, running and shoving him away with his shoulder. Reno's eyes were fixed on the bandit leader who had begun to swing at Reno. This attack, to Reno's surprise, was much faster than the last one he'd dealt with. It was glaringly obvious why this man was the leader, his swing was swift, almost immediately reaching Reno in a second. Reno is barely able to jump back in time, the tips of his hair getting cut slightly as he moves back.
"You little shit! Now I'm pissed off! Know your damn place, you rat!" The bandit leader lunges at Reno, the tip of his sword nearly contacting Reno's stomach as he stabs forward.
Reno manages to turn his body just enough to avoid being stabbed. "(What the actual fuck am I doing?!)" Reno's mind races, causing him to stumble slightly. The bandit leader takes this opportunity to kick Reno in the stomach, causing his bruise to scream in agonizing pain. Reno stumbles backwards, holding his stomach with one hand and his sword with the other. He does his best to maintain his breathing, watching as the bandit leader walks slow circles around him.
"You're annoying, even for a rat. I'll make sure to take my time with you! Let my name be burned into that shitty head of yours! I am George!"
TO BE CONTINUED...