They appeared to be bandits, armed with a variety of weapons. The ones closest to us brandished cutlasses, while others wielded daggers and crossbows.
Vale removed her hand from Jace's mouth and stood upright, her back against him as she scanned the bandits, analyzing their next moves. The rest of us stood frozen. Helena trembled, staring at the dagger that had nearly struck her foot.
In a sudden motion, the bandit nearest to Vale lunged at her, but she countered with a knife-hand block and delivered a throat strike that rendered him unconscious.
Then all hell broke loose.
As Vale moved to engage the next attacker, Jace stood up and began blasting magic at the oncoming bandits. His spells were precise, aiming to incapacitate rather than kill.
At some point, Jace must have shoved Helena and me back inside the tent, but we both peeked out to watch.
Although I had seen Helena's magic before, it was awe-inspiring to see Jace wield his powers so skillfully, controlling his attacks to injure without killing.
Vale was even more impressive. Without magic, she employed a variety of martial arts techniques to disarm, incapacitate, and even kill the bandits with ruthless efficiency. She moved with astonishing speed, executing a series of precise hand movements and graceful kicks.
Together, the two of them fought off the bandits swiftly, as if swatting flies. The last man standing tried to flee but stumbled. Vale mercilessly approached him and slit his throat with her hunting knife.
It was a gruesome sight, but it was better than the skeletons I had seen the day before.
There were bodies surrounding our campsite, the majority of them were still breathing, only a few were actually bleeding out and dead.
"Vale, you alright?" Jace asked, turning to face her, his breath slightly labored.
She nodded, hardly breaking a sweat. "Just a light workout," she replied with a smirk.
Jace then turned to Helena and me. "What about you two? You okay?"
We nodded, still in shock but unharmed.
A while later, we cleaned up the aftermath. Jace meticulously packed up the tent to its original form while the rest of us assisted Vale in burying the bodies in a single grave.
Or rather, it was just Vale and me. Helena, gagging the entire time, chose to stay as far away from the grim task as possible.
Once we finished, we gathered to hear Jace's plan. "Koen and Vale, you two go ahead. I'll cast a spell to help you locate the bastard," he instructed.
"What about us, Jace?" Helena asked expectantly.
"I'm going to escort you back home," Jace replied firmly.
"What? Why?" Helena protested, her mouth slightly agape in shock.
Jace's eyes softened slightly but his tone remained resolute. "It's too dangerous for you, Hellie. I need to know you're safe."
Helena's eyes narrowed, her frustration evident. "I can handle myself, Jace. I'm not a child."
Jace sighed. "I know you're capable, but this isn't up for debate. I need to ensure your safety."
Vale and I exchanged glances. The tension between the siblings was palpable. Vale, ever the pragmatist, finally spoke up. "Let's get this over with. We have a target to track."
Jace nodded and shoved his hand inside his pocket then pulled up a deck of tarot cards, he picked one out of the pile and muttered an incantation which made it glow and placed it on the ground and within seconds an ethereal wisp materialized, shimmering with a soft glow. It hovered momentarily before darting forward, ready to lead the way.
"Follow the wisp," Jace instructed. "It will guide you straight to Baynard."
As Vale and I prepared to set off, Helena shot me a look of concern. "Be careful, Koen."
I nodded, feeling the weight of her worry. "I will. You stay safe too."
With one last glance at Helena and Jace, we followed the glowing wisp into the unknown.
The forest that Jace had taken us into was huge, it had been an hour or two and we still hadn't found an exit.
It wasn't helping me at all when I started noticing Vale looking behind us every once in a while as if someone was following us. She didn't bother to make conversation with me either, which made it silent between us.
To make things less awkward I decided to start instead of waiting for her to talk. "So, Vale…I don't think I got your last name?" I asked.
She gave me a bored look for a moment like she was thinking if this was the best I could do. She eventually sighed in defeat and answered me, "Don't have one."
"Why not?" I asked in confusion. No last name? That's not possible.
"I'm an orphan."
Oh shit, wrong topic. Fuck.
I decided right then and there that it was best to keep my mouth shut and just keep walking until we find Baynard or at least until Jace finds us.
We eventually emerged from the woods and found ourselves in a bustling town. It was even more chaotic and rough around the edges than the Neria Kingdom. Soldiers were everywhere, and the citizens had an intimidating stare, much like Vale's.
"Where are we?" I asked her, hoping she'd know.
"Berene Kingdom, the war country," she replied.
I furrowed my brow at the title. "War country?"
"Berene is solely focused on warfare," Vale explained, striding confidently through the streets. "They create all sorts of weapons and train every citizen in basic combat, ready to draft them in case of conflict."
"Why?"
"Do you know about Ardora, the abandoned kingdom?"
I nodded.
"And you know the old legend associated with it?" she asked. I nodded again.
"Then you have your answer," Vale said, falling silent.
The legend went that around 300 years ago, Berene had a princess sent off to marry the prince of Ardora. One day, she murdered him and seized control of the kingdom. Berene, gripped by paranoia, shifted its focus to military and warfare, fearing she would attack them in revenge. But that attack never came.
"Why are they still paranoid now?" I asked. That princess would have been long dead.
"Because rumors spread that she used black magic to overthrow Ardora."
"So they think she's immortal?" I asked in disbelief.
Vale, frustrated with my tone, turned to me. "My people are stupid, that I know. But they are just scared."
Her people? Was she from here?
Before I could ask, Vale continued walking, her expression hardening as we navigated the tense streets of Berene.
I thought about lightening the mood with a soft little joke, "So is this where you got those fancy moves?"
Thankfully, it worked because after I said that I saw her lips twitch for a second in the form of a small smile.
As we navigated the tense streets of Berene, a sudden hush fell over the crowd. The bustling market grew eerily quiet, and I felt a chill run down my spine. Vale's eyes narrowed as she scanned the area, her body tensing for a fight.
"Stay close," she muttered, her voice low and urgent.
Before I could respond, a group of heavily armed soldiers emerged from the crowd, their eyes locked on us. At their head was a tall figure clad in dark armor, his presence exuding authority and menace.
"Vale," the man said, his voice dripping with disdain. "It's been a long time."
Vale's expression hardened. "Commander Lorian."
"You should have known better than to return here," he continued, taking a step forward. "Especially with an outsider."
I glanced at Vale, confusion and worry mixing in my mind. She knew this man, and it was clear from the tension in her posture that their history was far from pleasant.
"We're just passing through," Vale said coldly. "We don't want any trouble."
Lorian's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Trouble has already found you."
With a swift motion, he drew his sword, and his soldiers followed suit, encircling us. Vale's hand went to her own weapon, ready to defend herself, but I could see the odds were not in our favor.
"Koen, get ready to run," she whispered, her eyes never leaving Lorian.
Just as I was about to protest, a shadowy figure stepped out from behind Lorian. My heart sank as I recognized the face. It was Baynard, grinning wickedly.
"Going somewhere, Koen?" Baynard taunted, his voice sending a shiver down my spine. "Did you really think you could escape me?"
Before I could react, Baynard raised his hand, a dark energy crackling around it. He cast a spell, and the ground beneath us began to tremble. The crowd scattered in panic, but the soldiers remained, closing in on us with deadly intent.
Vale and I were trapped, surrounded by enemies on all sides. As Baynard's spell grew stronger, I felt a surge of fear and adrenaline. We were outnumbered and outmatched, and the only way out was through a fight we might not survive.
"Get ready," Vale said, her voice steely and determined. "We're not going down without a fight."
Just as Baynard unleashed his spell, a blinding light erupted from behind us. I turned to see Jace and Helena, their faces set with fierce determination as they prepared to join the battle.
But even with their arrival, the odds were grim. As the spell hit, the ground split open beneath us, and everything descended into chaos.