[Aelwood – South of Bosargia's Capital]
[September 21st – Year 662]
SHUUUNK.
The arrow cut through the air and pierced the rabbit's chest, straight through its heart.
It died instantly.
The shot came from the top of a nearby tree, where a sharp-eyed young man never took his gaze off his prey.
Once he saw it motionless, he descended with agile movements.
He walked toward the animal, pulled a knife from his belt... but just as he was about to gut it, a sound stopped him.
Metallic. Close.
Swords.
And then, a scream:
"KYAAAAA!!"
The clash of blades only put him on alert.
But the scream... the scream sparked his curiosity. It was high-pitched. Female. He had never heard anything like it.
He advanced in silence. When he was close enough, he climbed to the top of a tree and watched from the shadows.
The first thing he saw was death.
A golden carriage had been attacked. From above, he counted four bodies on the ground.
And armed men surrounding them.
"Bandits…" he whispered. Then he glanced at one of the bodies. "Poor old man."
It was too late to intervene. So he waited. Observed.
Until he heard another scream.
"HELP!!"
He turned his gaze to the trees on the other side of the road… and saw her.
A young girl with golden hair. She was cornered against a tree trunk.
He didn't think. He drew his bow and fired.
SHUUUNK.
The arrow pierced one of the bandits through the neck.
No one saw where it had come from.
The girl took advantage of the confusion and fled into the forest.
"DON'T LET HER ESCAPE!" one of the bandits ordered. His presence was different.
Though his face was also covered, he had a far more imposing air than the others.
Three men ran after her.
"You're the leader, aren't you?" the young man murmured.
He drew the bowstring again and fired.
But this time, the bandit reacted. He unsheathed his sword in an instant and deflected the arrow with a precise motion.
His eyes rose, locking onto the treetop.
"There you are, you little bastard…"
The young man descended swiftly, shooting arrow after arrow without pause.
None hit their mark.
Not because he missed.
But because the man deflected them all, as easily as one brushes away branches on a path.
As soon as he touched the ground, the boy ran into the forest, following the girl's trail.
The bandit smiled beneath the cloth covering his face.
"You're making this easy for me, brat," he murmured, before pursuing him.
But the young man had an advantage.
That forest was his home.
He knew where to run and where not to.
He knew how to step without making a sound.
And most importantly, he knew where the beasts lived...
If those fools already caught the girl, we can trap him from both sides, the bandit thought as he spotted a trail of blood on the ground. He quickened his pace.
But a deafening roar shattered the silence of the forest.
"RRRAAAAAAGGHH!!"
The sound echoed through the trees, scattering birds in all directions.
The bandit froze.
He had made a mistake sending his men into the forest.
And now…
He had lost the boy's trail.
Meanwhile, the young man kept running until he found her.
The girl lay on the ground.
Her white dress now torn and dirty.
Two men held her by the arms and torso.
A third was unbuckling his belt.
The young man came to a dead stop.
At first, he didn't understand what he was seeing.
But when he saw the tears in the girl's eyes, his body moved before his mind did.
He picked up a stick from the ground and began to advance, silently.
Two of the bandits saw him…
They didn't move.
Fear paralyzed them.
What they saw wasn't a boy.
It was a beast.
The third bandit noticed their expressions and turned, confused...
Too late.
The blow was devastating.
The stick smashed into his head before it splintered.
Half of it flew behind the bandit, and the other jagged half remained in the young man's hand.
Once that one stopped moving, he turned to the others.
By pure instinct, they drew their swords and tried to raise their guard.
But the boy moved first...
Before they could stand, he drove the splintered stick into one of their necks, using the shards like spear tips.
The body dropped silently.
"DIEEEE!!" the remaining bandit roared as he charged at the young man with his sword.
The blade grazed his ribs, forcing him back.
He avoided a fatal wound, but he was bleeding.
And that, in bear territory… was a problem.
The young man knew it.
He couldn't waste time.
Running away alone would be easy.
But he couldn't leave the girl behind. She was paralyzed.
To his eyes, she was fragile.
He picked up the sword of the man he had killed and prepared to attack.
He had to end it quickly.
But something interrupted them.
Footsteps.
Branches breaking.
Something big was coming.
And then it appeared…
A massive black bear emerged from the forest's darkness.
Its eyes looked like extinguished coals.
It had scars all over its body.
And a human arm hung from its jaws.
"Urrakar…" the boy murmured, terrified.
He knew the beast.
He knew he didn't stand a chance against it.
The last bandit stepped back, pointing his sword at it.
When he looked closely, he recognized the arm the bear was chewing on.
"Boss…" he whispered sadly.
Then that sadness turned to rage.
The bear advanced slowly.
And the bandit readied himself for battle...
They were only a few steps from each other.
"Hey," the boy said, looking at the bandit. "Good luck!!"
He grinned.
Then lifted the girl onto his shoulder and ran back toward the carriage.
"YOU BASTAAAARD!!" the bandit screamed.
And those were his last words.
The bear lunged at him...
And killed him in an instant.
As the young man ran, the girl still unconscious over his shoulder, he looked up.
In the distance, beyond the trees, lights flickered like fireflies in the night.
Torches. Armed men.
"More bandits?" he whispered.
He clenched his teeth and disappeared into the forest.