It attacks Kazh with terrifying speed, its movement almost invisible in the dark, Kazh weaving through the trees needs to do something desperately. Upon attempting to use his powers, the shackles instantly tighten, biting into his flesh, like a white hot brand against his skin. For a moment a surge, small and desperate, moved through him. The chains, humming with a dim glow pulsating through them. A spark of inspiration, a desperate gamble, ignited in his mind. It was a long shot, a reckless maneuver, but it was all he had.

  Maybe, he thought, his voice a whisper in his own mind, maybe this could work. As the creature moving in the shadows tried to find an opening and rushed to Kazh from his blind spot, he summoned his powers and in that split second of power surging through him, he lunged the chains. Wrapping around its neck, power humming through them making the chains heavy and yanking its head to the ground. The creature let out a choking sound.

  With the creature ensnared in his chains. He felt the agonizing pain spread through his body even more. In a desperate attempt to kill the creature, with a final, agonizing surge, severed the creature's head.

  As he realized his battle was over, the moon shining over him illuminating the area around him, Blood from the beast splattered around him. He felt relief, out of breath his shoulders slumping and pain pulsating through him he limped to the ground almost going unconscious.

  “ I won,” he faintly said before blacking out from the pain.

  Waking up to a throbbing ache in his ribs and a dull, persistent burn in his wrists, he felt the cold sticky blood, almost black in the dim light on his hands and stolen clothes. As he rose, he saw a few scratches that hadn’t healed yet on him. Then the strange mix of triumph and guilt weighed on him. For the first time he had won a battle, not against his own but with a foreign entity. Should I feel good? He thought, maybe it was defending its territory, and I trespassed it. Kazh had only ever seen the battle's aftermath on his mission but never his own violence.

  Standing from where he was, his limbs still aching in pain, he strained to look for water, “I just got these”, looking at his dirty clothes. He made his way through the woods and listened intently for flowing currents. He heard only faintly but followed the sound. Arriving, a wave of relief washed over him.

  He hastily stripped off his coat and clothes standing naked looking at the water he fell and splashed. The cold wild water hitting his skin shocked his senses, but the water soothed his body.

  Upon the moon setting Kazh rinsing out the water from his clothes and coat, he set them on rocks next to him trying to imitate how their clothing was when he stole them. An eerie thought hit him. Maybe there's more of those creatures out there… if only I could find more of their kind that resembles me, he thought. “They didn’t look or feel hostile, at least not entirely”, “ They might be of help”, he mused. Looking for answers on where he was he followed the river's current looking for civilization.

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  “I might be safer with them than whatever that beast was”, he reasoned.

  Leaving the area from where he rested, he looked around at the forest, a strange sense of wonder mixed with caution as he observed the towering trees and dense undergrowth. Upon miles of walking, his walk more heavy than normal, the faint thrum of his powers usually so subtle to be unnoticed, had become a constant burden since his fall. He would have suppressed it to where it wouldn’t bother him, but the shackles constantly clawing at him distorted his ability to do so. With this burden he kept walking, far into the horizon, a flicker of hope ignited within him as he spotted some buildings.

  With a surge of hopeful anticipation and caution he proceeded closer to the village, small, with dusty tracks winding between the buildings. Smoke coming from the chimneys of rough wooden buildings. A trading post with people surrounding it, and a saloon with doors swinging, and horse wagons with the sound of bells, he approached the village. Believing he would blend in with the clothes he had, though still damped and hanging loosely on him.

  He proceeds towards the settlement, chains clinking against each other, he senses he is being watched. His gaze sweeping across the crowd, their eyes following him with confusion and unease. The air thick with a smell of burning wood and dust, making his way towards the trading post. He moved towards a group of onlookers and gestured at his coat. They might know where I can find an attire that's not torn, he thought.

  The people more curious than fearful shied away from him, watching the chains and shackles binding his wrists. Whispers rippled through the crowd, “He looks weird,” one man muttered. “ Did he escape from somewhere?” Another man directed his finger at a wooden structure, with a faded sign above the door down the road.

  Kazh with a hand on his chest slightly bowed to the man to thank him, approaching the building he was met with sound and sights unfamiliar to him, Garments hung on racks and shelves, some that vaguely resembled his own yet somehow… different. A low murmur rose from within, hesitating at first unsure what to expect, he stepped in.

  Surrounded by rows of garments he looks for a coat like the one he has, struggling to find one he approaches a man behind a counter, “Coat…”, Kazh says. The man was confused by his appearance “In the back son, to the left”, he said, continuing to read his newspaper. The man behind the counter stared at Kazh for a moment, then repeated slowly, as if to a child, 'Back. Left.' He pointed, more emphatically this time.

  Kazh, hopeful he was finally being understood, headed to the back, scanning the room he saw coats, trousers, shirts of different colors, some black, others dark brown, some made of rough leather, others of thick wool, all unfamiliar to him yet strangely intriguing. He glanced at the ones he had stolen, they hung too loose on him, his eyes landed on a coat, dark and rough with a bit of style to it, a high collar and silver buttons catching his eye, he was amused. While searching for a more fitting outfit, trying to decipher the purpose and style, taking off the ones he had and putting on the new one, it felt surprisingly comfortable.

  these feel great, Kazh mused, running his hand over the fabric. While leaving the shop the man stood “Hey!” he demanded, “Are you gonna pay for those?”