Legend of Ransera

---

It all seemed to happen pretty fast for Linden between entering the swaying car and moving to the front. The woman leaving rather quickly without any eye contact as he looked out the windows while wondering why Kotoru kissed his cheek. For Linden, it was embarrassing as the color of his cheeks reached his ears and he turned to see the man in the front hunched over to the side as if asleep. Finally dawning on Linden that this man was the one from earlier that he ran into at the station. Then another thought came to him. What did this man do?

Hmmm... I should have asked what his crimes were, but Kotoru did say the man was dangerous.

Staring at the man, their eyes were closed and appeared to be sleeping. One hand appears to be applying pressure to their side which is probably why Linden smelled blood when entering the car. They were probably still bleeding. Walking over to them, Linden knelt down with a worried look on his face. They were already pale at the station so for all he knew this was their normal complexion.

"Sir?" Linden says gently and reaches out. "Sir?"

A gloved hand grabs his wrist and twists that caused Linden to hiss in pain. The man glaring at him with the one good eye, "what do you want?"

"Are you injured?"

The man's eyes narrowed as he sneered. He was already jumpy and probably wanted to kill Linden right then and there.

"I'm a doctor, sir," Linden says quietly as he looked at the man in the eyes. "When I got to the front I could smell the blood in the air and wanted to make sure you are okay."

The man twisted Linden's wrist a little more as it forced his body to move to help alleviate the pain. "You got a good nose on you, doc," he growls and leans forward. "Now why is someone like you roaming around, hmmm?"

"Well it's simple. I've never been on a train before," Linden says truthfully. "I wanted to know if the front can lead you to the front of the train, which it doesn't, and did you know there are two luggage carts, four cabin cars, and three regular seated cars?"

Linden's heart was beating fast when the man released his wrist with a "tch" and sat back too hard. They winced as Linden reached out again and was backhanded. This time LInden grabbed the man's wrist and glared at him. "I'm trying to make you don't die because of your pride," Linden says loudly that had the man's eyes widen for a moment. "I don't care what caused you to get it, but I remember you. I ran into you at the station and you smelled like blood back then too. You have a light sheen of sweat on your forehead and your right hand is applying pressure to your side. If you want to die quietly in your sleep while up here then that is up to you or you can come with me to my cabin where I have my medical bag and we go to the luggage cart area where there are no windows. After that, I don't care, but I would have done my civic duty to ensure life continues on."

"You got some balls on you to grab me suddenly, kid-"

"You hit me and I don't like getting hit in the face."

"If I say no to leaving? My stop is almost here and I will be leaving quickly."

"We have roughly another half-hour and by then you will not last another hour. You will begin to start getting lightheaded and grow weak. Your vision will begin to blur as you feel cold. You will attract more attention than if you let me treat you, give you something for the pain, and you can walk out with your dignity intact."

Linden may be mild-mannered, but what told the man was true. He doesn't like getting hit in the face and his continuous assaults with his eldest half-brother haven't gotten better with time. Linden wasn't a fighter like they were, but dammit! He wasn't going to let someone smack him around especially when they were injured! Unless it was his half-brother... He might let them suffer a little bit before helping.

"My name is Linden from Atinaw. Now," Linden releases the man's wrist. "If you are interested then just follow me to my cabin to allow me to assess you. If you don't follow then that is fine too. Just know if you collapse later and or die, just remember someone did try to help you."

Rubbing his cheek with his palm, Linden stood up and flexed the injured wrist as he walked out of the car. Not turning around once to see if the man was following him at all. The occasional glances to some of the passengers told him that he was being followed. Some of the women had the look of being unnerved as they looked away.

Damn he has a strong backhand, Linden thinks to himself while opening and closing his jaw as it popped. Adrenaline fading and a part of him internally screaming to be so bold with a dangerous person who he doesn't know what their crimes were. I wonder what classifies someone as dangerous? Bandits. Raiders. Killers. Thieves. They are all dangerous... Traitors?... Serves me right for not clarifying and just offering myself up like this.

The cabin car that Linden belonged to was empty and most of the occupied ones had their blinds down. Stopping in front of the one that was his cabin door, Linden counted to five and entered before closing the door. Going to his satchel and began to pull out a few things before feeling his body hitting the cabin floor. Linden didn't even hear the door open and close, nothing. A strong hand grabbed his hair and pulled him up enough to expose his neck. The injured man looking down at him with constricted pupils as something pressed against his throat.

"That was... Really not called for..."

"Who are you helping?"

"Huh?"

The pommel struck his lower jaw as the man jerked him again. "I said, who are you helping?"

"No one," Linden croaked out. That pummel was no joke and it bloody hurt.

"Who are you helping?" The man says again.

"For the - I said no one! Don't let delirium make you paranoid too and if you strike me again I will let you bleed out."

"Oh? How will you do that if I slice open your throat?" The man grinned and pressed the cool blade against heated flesh.

"Because there's an artery in the inside of your thigh and given your condition, you will bleed out in less than two minutes most likely. So even if I die, you are coming with me."

The man paused as he felt something sharp touch his skin between his legs and looked at the young doctor. The grin turning into a smile as they laughed and dropped Linden onto the ground with his hand coming up to cover the side of their face. "What a doctor you are," he states and glances to see a master-crafted scalpel in Linden's hand. "Okay then, doc. Treat me and depending on my mood, I may not kill you in the end."

"Hmph," was Linden's response as the removed the last of his small kit out of his satchel and opened it up. Motioning to the bastard to open his coat and lift up the shirt.

The shirt underneath the coat was soaked. Peeling away the bloodied cloth and Linden could tell that it was deep and made with a narrow blade. Shaking his head he walked over and looked at his needles and sutures. "Change of plans. I am going to give you something for the pain and we are going to ransack someone's luggage. You need a proper bandage and I don't have that, but first. I am going to clean this area and sew you back up. I am going to ask you to take something, but it will taste quite disgusting. So as long as you have a strong stomach and no real gag reflex, you will be fine."

Carefully Linden took out a small, hard case from his satchel and removed a couple of vials. Holding them up to the light and giving them a shake and setting it down. Taking out a needle and syringe to draw up one of the vials before removing the needle. Walking over to them as they looked at him suspiciously.

"It's called-"

"If you start giving me a lesson I am going to stab you."

"Well, in that case, open wide and swallow," Linden says annoyed as he dispenses the syringe inside of their mouth as they swallowed while gagging and coughing. "Give it a few moments and we will move to the luggage cart after the quick sew up to help with the bleeding. Once we reach our destination, you need to find a proper clinic to disinfect the wound and suturing of your injury... Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes. Just get on with it and what is wrong doc? Don't want to ruin your nice clothes and that's why you are going to take me to the luggage cart or perhaps for something else?"

"You are an odd one," Linden replies as he gets the needle and thread ready and begins to work on them.

"So what did you give me?"

"Atropa."

"A what?"

"Atropa. It's a plant that mixed with another will aid with pain, inflammation, and can be a muscle relaxer."

"I see."

After a few more minutes, Linden was finished as he gave a frown. Wrapping up his needle in a cloth to be washed later if he can see if the train sold any alcoholic beverages for him to soak it in. After buying the bottle of course.

"Well, let's get going to the luggage cart and see if I can find you something to apply pressure because yes, I don't want to use my clothes on you."

Linden didn't like the fact his hands were growing tacky with some of the other's blood, but he had his own mission to do. Motioning for them to follow as the duo walked side by side. Something small and sharp was in their hand when they grasped Linden's waist. The man telling him that if they feel that Linden was up to something, then they were in for a rude awakening.

With a nod, the two enter the luggage car. It was dark and there were some slivers of light coming from above and from the sides where the large sliding doors were for loading and unloading. The back was fairly shaky as it rattled loudly and Linden stepped away from the man.

"I never caught your name."

"Why do you need it, doc?" He asks while turning the brass ring on his finger to hide the poisoned needle and tucks it away before drawing his dagger slowly. "Not like you are going to need it."

☵ Searing 12th, Year 117 ☵
"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

☵ Bounty on the Oriental Express ☵ ☵ Both viper children laid in wait as the doctor was doing his part to lure the target into their trap. A million scenarios played around in Koto's head as he awaited the pair to arrive. If he was lucky the ones without him dying would be the best outcome for this situation.

He was worried that Linden bit off more than he could chew, getting himself killed trying to help them on this bounty. He knew he would never hear the end of it, nor would he ever be left to his own devices on missions. He was hoping for both their sakes that the doctor came out ok.

Ayane gave him the signal that footsteps where approaching, causing him to slink back into his hiding spot. When Linden and their target entered the car he looked to his sister, waiting for the signal to strike. He watched Linden carefully, looking for the slightest sign of fear.

He was more so surprised at how composed he was in such a dangerous situation. That's when he noticed it, the wound Linden had been stitching up. The doctor did mention smelling blood earlier, but the viper thought nothing of it till now. That would make this even easier for them then.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, till Linden asked for his name. Koto & Ayane could see the man fiddling with something, and out of fear, the vipress moved in. Coming up from behind, the woman lunged into a sweeping kick at his legs, knocking the man off his feet. Koto leaping from his vantage point, landing on him moments after hitting the floor, his elbow colliding with the assassin's chest, knocking the wind from him.

"End of the line for you Margrave. You won't be killing anyone for the foreseeable future." he hissed, pinning the man;s arms to the ground, Ayane coming to secure his ring and restrain him. The air was then filled by the blaring of the train's horn, signaling they had come to their destination, and not a moment too soon at that. Looking at Linden, he gave the man a sincere smile.

Seeing his face, however, made the viper scowl at Margrave. He bowed apologetically to Linden. "You were injured because of me and my selfish thinking. For that, I ask for your forgiveness. I'll ensure his death is as painful as what you've endured once we return home." he assured, approaching the man.

A hand reached out and took hold of Linden's face, inspecting it further as his eyes gleamed with interest. "A shame to have damaged such a pretty face at that. I must admit however, you handled yourself well, given who you were up against. This man has several counts of murder, kidnapping, and various other charges under his belt." ☵

---

The sound of a thud and cursing had Linden turning around before the cars began to shift to let people know they were coming to a stop shortly. The woman he passed in the car was beautiful with long, sleek hair as she glances up to Linden and his eyes went to Koto who was on top of the injured man. Watching the elbow land on the chest as instincts kicked in with Linden waving both of his hands at them.

"Ahahaha! I gave him Atropa so in a few more minutes he won't be able to fight you off anyways! The dose was high enough to dull the pain, but will make him a tad... Not right in the head for a bit until you get him patched up properly!" Linden sighs heavily as the train's horn blared. Though when Kotoru and him made eye contact, Linden smiled back to the young man when they were now bowing and apologizing. "Oh no need to worry! I've been hit in the face before plenty of times so this isn't new. Besides, the pain wasn't that bad so no need for his death to be painful over a strike to the face?"

When Kotoru straightened up and reached out to touch his face surprised Linden at first before chuckling. Explaining again that he was alright before pausing when the injured man's crimes were mentioned. The color draining from his face with Linden's gaze looks around Kotoru to look at Margrave who was being bound by the woman.

"Murder?" Linden squeaks. "Kidnapping and other things?" Again he looks to Margrave and then focuses on Kotoru as another chuckle came forth. "So not a thief... Of course not a thief... Well I was happy to help and get away with the injuries that I received then. Um, if I am not to be a burden, I did tell your injured bounty that he needed to get stitched up better at a clinic if there is one close by if you wish for him to stand trial. I did just a quick patch work to minimize bleeding, but he needs his wound to be cauterized with finer stitching. Since we are all headed in the similar direction, I don't mind being the one to do the job unless you wish for another doctor? I just need better supplies is all since mine is very basic and minimal."

Linden knows that these two can easily tell him no and the woman's gaze seemed to be saying it at the back of Kotoru's head. Well, maybe it was more annoyance than a no? Oh who knows right now anyways.

☵ Searing 12th, Year 117 ☵
"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

☵ Bounty on the Oriental Express ☵ ☵ Koto smiled at the man, seeing his demeanor as interesting. Did he want to help patch up the man that injured him? It was unexpected, though Koto knew not many thought like he did, so it was only natural that the man would want to help. If it were Koto, he'd have Margrave's head.

"I don't see why not, It would take a few hours for a medic to reach us anyway" he noted lifting the man from the floor alongside his sister. Once the train came to a stop, Koto was greeted by his mother, who was delighted to see her children unharmed on such a dangerous endeavor.

Once off the train, Ayane and Koto handed Margrave over to his mother and their retainers, explaining the situation to her. Her eyes flipped from her children to the young doctor, and with a smile, she went to embrace Linden in a hug. "My children tell me that they owe your success to your aid, you are quite the physician Lord Linden." she praised, with an eloquent bow. Both Ayane and Koto now stood beside their mother, both bowing to him and thanking him for his help.

"If there is ever a time you are in Kalzasi or in need of something, don't hesitate the reach out to us, we never forget a debt we owe." she added with a bow herself as a sign of respect to Linden. With that, she departed them, Ayane not too far behind her mother. Koto stuck around looking at the sun setting before turning his eyes onto Linden

Taking Linden's hand he began to write something on the man's arm. "This is how you get to our estate, come by whenever you have the time. I find you rather interesting." his words following with a wink as he followed after his mother and sister, ready to take their bounty to be processed. ☵