Murim Recurve

North-western gate of Burfuna City, the soldiers stationed at the gate were feeling bored now. Most of the crowd that wished to work left in the morning. And, they would only be arriving during the evenings.

They still had some time before they would become busy. At present, the soldiers were just chit-chatting with each other, making small talk.

Through the main road appeared a carriage, driven by a couple of horses. All the horses were cared for in massive sheds in the city built exclusively for them. So, everyone that owned a horse would leave them in the shed and pay a certain fee for the caretakers to take care of the horses' wellbeing.

And when they wished to take them, they had to complete a couple of formal procedures. After that, the horses would be harnessed to the carriage they either rented or owned for the occasion. And, the place where all the carriages were stored was right opposite to all the sheds of the horses.

This way, the process was efficient. Moreover, there was a wide road connecting them to the main road of the city, allowing them speedy exit when necessary. And now, treading on the main road was a rather old carriage driven by two horses.

The horses were on the older side, looking like they had to retire from duty within a couple of years. The coachman was in his fifties, slightly malnourished. And, seated within the carriage were two people, slightly cramped in the seats.

The remainder of the carriage space was filled with goods, seemingly food, and other daily necessities. The soldiers immediately motioned for the carriage to stop. As the coachman struggled a bit to stop it, one of the soldiers opened the carriage door and looked inside, noticing the figures of a man in his seventies and a girl barely in her teens.

The old man seemed to be her grandfather. And, he didn't seem to be in the best of health, having suffered from numerous injuries during his service that wasn't treated. Just a glance at them showed that they weren't well off.

The soldier looked at the old man, speaking with a brisk tone, "Please show me your permit."

"Here," The old man seemed reluctant but took in a deep breath, seemingly accepting his fate as he fished out a metal plate and handed it over to the soldier.

"This isn't the city permit…" The soldier frowned as he looked at the metal slab, realising the content as his eyes widened, suffused with a look of pity. He then returned it to the old man, "Which settlement are you planning to head towards?"

"Ka (Fire) Clan's Southern Settlement." The old man sighed while replying.

"May you lead a stress-free life there," The soldier patted his chest as he pointed at the goods in the carriage, "We need to make a sweep of the goods, sir. It won't take long."

The old man nodded, seemingly having lost the energy to say anything. All along, his granddaughter hadn't spoken a single word. She just sat in silence, not even having the intention to do anything.

A couple of years ago, she had lost her parents to a Sha. At least, her grandmother and grandfather were alive while her brother had become a soldier and became the breadwinner of their house. It was hard, but they still managed to get by and pay the required taxes to stay within the city.

But, such times didn't last long. Her brother had been drafted to the raid into the land of the Treka. Even though the raid was a success, they had lost a lot of lives in the process, and one of them was her brother.

The news of his death sent her grandmother into shock, claiming her life. And, as if that wasn't enough, a couple of days later, she lost her eyes to the Blinded Ghost. Devastated, her grandfather was helpless.

Their source of income was cut short while the living members of their family consisted of an old man and a blinded teenager. Even if they wished for, they had no other means to live within the city. And, before they were kicked out, they used the remainder of their savings to find a spot in the Ka Clan's Southern Settlement.

The old man managed to find a job. Although it was a low-paying job, it would give them enough to get by in the Settlement. But, he had lost all hope. With his granddaughter blind, there wasn't anyone to take care of him as he grew old.

Moreover, he had to take care of her instead. And the day he fell ill was when she would be stranded on the streets. Currently, their expressions were gloomy. And after she had witnessed the deaths of her family one after another, and had also lost her sight, the girl shut herself in her heart, no longer talking or even doing anything.

She looked like she was welcoming her death. And, it was evident as the strings making her Tikka jewellery sported signs of damage.

After the inspection concluded, the soldiers allowed them to leave the city, watching the carriage pass through the gates and proceed north.

One of the soldiers sighed, "Such a tragedy."

"If we don't stay alive, our family will suffer from the same fate." Another soldier commented with a sigh.

There was silence in the surroundings before one of them spoke, "If I were to die in the future, please take care of my family."

"Likewise, us brothers need to support each other in these troubled times."

"Heh, when were the times not troubling? We have enemies on all sides."

"You are right about that."

The carriage continued to move forth as it proceeded on a well-paved road connecting the city to the nearest settlement. The old man closed his eyes as he sighed, lacking the motivation and hope to see the next day.

All he could do was pat his granddaughter's head as a form of consolation as he looked at the sight of the city walls looking smaller and smaller. Since birth, he had lived in Burfuna City. And now in his old age, he was leaving it. As he thought about it, tears streamed out from his eyes, "A Raid…on the Treka. Was it necessary?"