After giving the messenger his report on Airee Valguard's progress to send to the Duke, Knight Lyon stood and exited his quarters.
The guards straightened, and he nodded at them.
Breathing in the cold air, he surveyed the snowy camp around him.
With the absence of the squires, Airee included, the camp seemed quiet and lifeless.
…
"Sir, if I may speak," one of the guards spoke. "If you are seeking the children, they've gone hunting, including the young lady, sir."
"…I'm aware," Lyon responded shortly.
Knight Bob left with them as well, guiding the hunt.
…
[It should be alright], Lyon thought to himself. [[They] are far from where we are. And Bob knows not to stray too far.]
║║║║║║║║║║
I steadied my bow, breathing as I aimed at the rabbit that had finally traipsed out of the brush.
As soon as it stiffened, sensing me, I released the arrow without hesitation.
"Very good, m'lady!" Knight Bob praised when I returned to the group with the dead rabbit.
"Thank you! Good work as well," I added, noticing his pile of dead animals.
Overall, Knight Bob caught one rabbit and two fowl, while Taz caught two rabbits, Tenth one critter, and I the one rabbit.
Having caught none, Tin sulked as we trudged through the snow back to camp.
"You were bragging last week about being better, but who's the better hunter now?" Tenth gloated to Tin.
Tin scowled unhappily.
Then he crouched and balled up snow, grinning as he threw it at Tenth.
"Just wait until next time, Tenth! I'll be sure to catch more than you!" he shouted, running as Tenth gave chase.
Both tripped over snow, one after the other, and their laughter soon filled the air.
"…How childish…" Taz muttered under his breath.
Knight Bob and I grinned toothily.
║║║║║║║║║║
Rabbit stew was served that evening.
While the squires and I were eating our steaming portions heartfully, someone galloped into camp on horseback.
They dismounted breathlessly, barely handing over the reins to someone nearby before striding quickly through the camp.
Knight Bob met them halfway, and rapid whispers were exchanged before both headed towards Knight Lyon's tent.
Becoming alert as well, Taz said, "That's one of our scouts responsible for tracking the Hmon clans living near here."
"The Hmon clans…?" I repeated, a faint memory stirring within me.
Taz nodded, and Tenth and Tin stopped eating to listen.
"While the clans aren't any trouble," Taz informed me, "some of their stray members have been raiding the villages and land near the borders lately. That's why we're here, to catch those responsible."
We all stared at him.
"If that scout is here," Taz continued, "that means…"
=====
"A group of Hmon attacked the nearby villages, sir!" the scout reported to Knight Lyon, adrenaline rushing the pace of their words. "They killed the knights posted at those villages and stole their armor. The villagers seemed to have fought back, but—alas—all are dead. The women and children, sir—the women were violently violated before being impaled, and the children—the children—"
The scout stopped, their face glistening a sickly pale.
"Their arms—their legs—their heads—they were all cut off and—"
"Enough!" Lyon interjected harshly for the scout's sake.
"Yes, sir—A-apologies, sir…" the scout mumbled, blinking rapidly as they visibly pulled themselves together.
"Your orders?" Knight Bob queried after Lyon sent the scout away, ordering the scout to rest.
Behind Bob's calmness, fury simmered.
[…]
"…The safety of our lady comes first," Lyon finally spoke. "At dawn tomorrow, I'll personally see Airee to the post north from here. Ready the camp while I'm gone, Bob, and we'll move when I return."
"Yes, sir!"
Lyon's own fury clawed its way through his next words.
"They won't step foot further into these lands alive. We Valguard knights will ensure that…!"
"Very good, sir!!!"
║║║║║║║║║║
Long into the night, after Knight Lyon informed us about the slaughter of the villagers, after Knight Bob informed me I would be sent elsewhere, not to participate tomorrow, I pondered as I laid bundled up in my tent.
[Our purpose for being here.]
Eager for the experience only, I never thought to ask about it.
…
I closed my eyes and berated myself.
[I need to be aware of these things just as much as training to become an E-knight… I am naïve, so I cannot be hasty… Remember that.]
I exhaled.
[One step at a time.]
…
Putting myself aside, I thought about the more pressing matter on hand.
The Hmon.
In the game, the Hmon were a collective group of clans living in the rough mountains west and southwest of Dorono. Collective as they were, however, each clan was as different and prideful as the next, the dynamics between any two clans varying frequently.
Those ever-changing dynamics strained the relationship between the Hmon and Dorono, contributing to misunderstandings and conflicts between both over the course of centuries.
That's why, when rumors abound about the unification of all the clans under one leader, Prince Lilith was sent to the southwest to secure an official alliance with them.
He would eventually secure it, earning trust and favor among the people.
That event occurs years from now.
Thus, all the Hmon activities happening now…perhaps we were witnessing the midst of that unification…?
I revisited Knight Lyon's news about the deaths of the villagers, knowing the unification would surely claim more.
…
[Bloodshed is here.]
…
Though I would not be participating tomorrow, my bones and nerves trembled with fear and anticipation.
=====
As the beginnings of light filtered through the edges of camp, a lone Valguard watchman yawned, shuddering the cold away.
They dutifully patrolled the edge where the camp met the surrounding forest, pausing when they heard brushes rustling.
Keeping a hand on the hilt of their sword, they listened.
Silence echoed back at them.
Uneasy, the watchman cautiously approached the brushes, peering into the dark, glimpsing a blend of leaves and limbs and shadows that somewhat resembled people—
[SLICHK!]
=====
Taz startled awake, grunting when he felt and heard Tin shuffling beside him.
"…Pee…" Tin mumbled groggily when Taz asked where he was going.
Realizing he needed to do the same, Taz stood with a yawn.
Strapping on his sword, he barely avoided the sleeping Tenth before successfully exiting their tent.
Following the back of Tin into the trees, Taz trudged through the snow, becoming fully awake when he suddenly tripped.
Reminded of the scene just yesterday of Tenth and Tin laughing while in the snow themselves, Taz chuckled as he righted himself.
His amusement evaporated, however, when he reached Tin.
Tin had stopped walking to stare at something up ahead.
Up ahead, a person wearing Valguard armor approached them, possibly one of the watchmen.
Yet…Taz didn't recognize them?
And why were they walking so fast, wielding that curved blade—
"TIN, WATCH OUT!!!" Taz roared, jerking Tin back as the strange watchman lashed out.
║║║║║║║║║║
I startled out of an uneasy dream, hazily wondering who had been shouting. Grunting, I forced myself to stretch, layer up, and exit my tent.
The guard outside it greeted me as did the cold.
"Mornin', Hazel," I greeted back with a shiver, noting how dark the sky still was.
From nearby, someone called out, and I turned to see Tenth trudging towards us.
"I heard something…!" she claimed as we walked closer, looking wildly half-asleep as she attempted to strap on her sword.
"Me too—" I began but stopped when someone sprinted from the trees behind Tenth.
[Tin…?]
Tin ran towards us, his eyes wide and wild, blood splattered across his front and cheek.
Barking for Tenth and I to stay back, Hazel stepped forward to catch Tin as Tin stumbled.
"It's Taz…! Taz…!! Please help Taz…!!!" Tin pleaded wildly in Hazel's arms.
Before any of us could question him further, several figures sprinted out from whence Tin came, their clothing and appearance sharply distinguished.
The next several events happened in a flash.
Hazel ran to intercept the figures who were wielding different types of blades.
Tenth gripped me and Tin close, shouting something as Knight Lyon and Knight Bob suddenly appeared to aid Hazel.
Furious shouts in an unfamiliar language ripped the air as Hazel, Knight Lyon, and Knight Bob began cutting down one figure after another until finally, Knight Lyon slashed and killed the last one.
"…Taz…!! Taz told me to run…so I did…!!" Tin wept with a twisted expression as Hazel, Knight Lyon and Knight Bob returned to us. "I—I ran away…!! I did nothing but run while Taz—!!" He stopped and burst out into a sob.
"Tin," Knight Lyon spoke gently yet brusquely.
Flinching, Tin stood and faced Knight Lyon, his eyes and chin trembling as he abruptly swallowed his tears and hiccups.
"There is no shame in fleeing," Knight Lyon uttered, putting a firm hand on Tin's shoulder. "Taz is wise; if he told you to run, you did him right by running."
Tin's expression twisted once more, and he swiftly looked down as fresh tears ran down his face.
"But now…" Knight Lyon continued, his silver eyes flaring with urgency, "You need to go with Knight Bob and find Taz. You'll have to do it [now] and [quick]."
Wiping his face, Tin gritted his trembling jaws before shouting, "Y-YES, SIR!!"
As Tin led Knight Bob back into the trees, Knight Lyon told Tenth and Hazel to accompany me towards the stables where Leo was.
"Ride north immediately, and protect the lady," he swiftly ordered. Ominously, he added, "Go now; those Hmon we took down—there are likely more."
[Those were the Hmon…?] I thought, struggling to process the situation as Hazel and Tenth rushed me towards the stables. [The Hmon are here—?]
"VALGUARD KNIGHTS, AWWAAAKKE!!" Knight Lyon roared at the top of his lungs behind us, shocking me in place.
Hazel excused themself before carrying me the rest of the way.
"THE FIGHT IS HEERREEE!!!" Knight Lyon continued roaring in the distance, the ferocity and volume of his voice squeezing my nerves painfully. "AWAKE AND DEFEND THE CAMP—NOOOWW!!!!"
Leo was waiting in the center of the stables when we arrived, agitated and untied.
As we calmed him before Hazel helped me mount, I suddenly noticed how empty and silent the other stalls were.
Anxiety shot through me.
The other horses.
And the horse-keeper.
Where—?
Someone lunged from out of the dark stall beside me and yanked me off Leo.
As I crashed into the ground, they hissed something in that unfamiliar language from before—the language spoken by the Hmon?
Hazel and Tenth shouted in unison, and I heard swords being drawn as I rolled to my feet, bruised but uninjured.
I caught sight of Hazel plunging their sword into the Hmon before Tenth rushed towards me, enquiring if I was alright.
"I'm okay—" I breathed but stopped when something past Hazel caught my eye.
My blood ran cold as a group of seven or so Hmon gathered at the entrance of the stable, their gaze cold and their demeanor restless as they stared us down.
Without giving us time to react, they rushed us with weapons raised.
"Leo…!" I cried in alarm as he began neighing nervously.
Bucking wildly, Leo suddenly bolted towards the entrance, trampling a few of the Hmon as he galloped out of the stable without us.
"Protect the lady…!" Hazel hissed at Tenth as the rest of the group converged on us.
Weaponless and frozen, I watched as Hazel cut down one Hmon before defending against another three.
Tenth blocked an attack from a Hmon before narrowly evading an attack from another.
"When you have the chance…run, m'lady…!!" Hazel snarled, sinking their sword into a Hmon before defending against the other two.
[Run…? I should…run…?]
My heart throbbed in my throat, and a strange tremor—terror—gripped my limbs.
Hazel was fighting fiercely against the two Hmon, and the other two were preoccupied with the losing Tenth.
If I wanted to run—run for [my] life—now was the time—
Tenth cried out, jarring me into the present.
As she evaded an incoming blade and jostled against me, I realized she was bleeding heavily from a gash on her forearm.
"Sorry…milady…!!" Tenth huffed as she righted herself, shoving the attacking Hmon back with her sword to create space.
The Hmon backed off, an amused grin splitting his mouth.
He turned to speak to the second Hmon, his undertone vulgar as he gestured in our direction.
Seeing an opening, Tenth lunged, aiming to strike him across the chest—
The second Hmon stepped forward and intercepted her blade before stabbing her, causing her to drop her sword and breathe out with a deep shudder.
The first Hmon grabbed her by the hair before she could fall, and he and the second Hmon laughed when Tenth cried out in pain.
Neither paid attention as I picked up Tenth's sword, my vision spectating red from above and my breath pounding loud in my ears as I drove the sword past Tenth and into the first Hmon's stomach.
It went through him with little resistance, and, as his head swiveled towards me in surprise, I wrenched the sword out before stabbing him again, a furious scream tearing wildly out of me.
The second Hmon grabbed me as the first one fell back, and I was backhanded into the ground.
Pain exploded throughout my face, and I felt the Hmon straddle me before coiling their iron hands around my neck, squeezing.
Immediately, I clawed and struggled against them, my lungs desperate for air.
The hands constricting my neck tightened even more, and my vision darkened as the pressure in my head reached its max.
Then—
There was a faint crunching sound, and I was suddenly inhaling air greedily as the hands on my neck unclenched.
As my vision slowly returned, I realized the Hmon straddling me was strangely still, his limbs slack as blood dripped rivers down his now headless torso—
It fell forward, and—needing air while at the same time not wanting to drown—I choked and sputtered as waves of warm blood oozed onto me and into my orifices.
Just when I thought I would suffocate, someone shoved the body off me and lifted me.
Sputtering and panting, I looked wildly into the earthy eyes of a bronze-toned child not much older than Tin or Tenth.
"You assisted in capturing these oath-vermin…" they rasped, their voice low and gravelly. "…Thank you, little one."
I stared at them for a moment, speechless.
Then I passed out.