Seth of Valeria was in shock, a special kind of shock that only came when something utterly unexpected had just happened. 
He was a swordsman, he earned his daily bread using this tool and would surely one day die still clutching it. Over the years he’d face many opponents. Scavangers and looters, bandits, other mercenaries. Orcs, he had lost count… Even a demon or two had tasted his blade and fallen. He’d been prepared to die every time he’d drawn the blade of Valeria, and each time his skill, preparation, vigour, luck or simply his ability to take a beating had ensured his victory. Today something he had not been prepared for at all had happened. 

He hadn’t expected to survive. 

But he was alive. He patted himself down, ensured to himself that he still had a body. People walking past met his eyes, they smiled and nodded, he did the same. If he was indeed dead then the afterlife was a grand bit duller than the priests had told him. He stood up and let the blanket fall. Some of the fishermen saw him and spoke in between themselves, a boy quickly dropped what he was doing and came running. 
“I think I am fine” said the nobleman and gestured the boy to get back to what he was doing. 
“Mister, sit. Pappa said you should sit” the boy told him and picked up the blanket. Still in a daze Seth of Valeria sat down and watched the boy return to his duties. He sat for a good while until he once again stood up. This time he turned around and caught the blanket before it hit the ground. He tried folding it, but couldn’t quite get the ends to meet and had just given up when he saw the boy come running once again. 
“This time I am sure I am fine” he said and handed the boy his poorly folded parcel. 
“Pappa says it’s ok now. But take it easy, alright?”

Seth of Valeria only nodded and walked away. At first he wobbled around like a drunkard, but soon his feet remembered how to walk and did their best to keep him from bumping into things. He didn’t think about where he was going, but he had an urge to move. People on the street stopped, some gave him a helpful nudge away from delicate objects, others just stared. He kept going. He’d almost reached the end of the village when the wind changed and brought with it the smell of food. His stomach suddenly came alive and informed Seth that he was very hungry. The smell seemed to come from some sort of establishment and upon asking about it he got the idea that they would indeed serve him food. A middle aged woman looked worried, but set a plate in front of him and watched him empty it. As he asked for more she obliged him. As the third plate was emptied the woman carefully asked him for compensation. Seth of Valeria opened his money pouch and looked inside. After a moment of contemplation he selected a beautiful golden coin and handed it to the woman and continued to eat. The woman looked even more worried and called a man to her. 
“Look at that sword, he must be here for master Cylus. Go to him and tell him to come quickly” he said and took up position by the door.