The night wore on as Ye Shengtao led Fergio deeper into the forest. The occasional beam of moonlight filtered through the tangled branches above, casting silvery patches of light on the ground. The distant sound of rushing water grew louder with every step, and Ye Shengtao knew they were approaching a river—a sign that they were, at the very least, moving in the right direction.
Fergio, thankfully, had fallen silent. The hero seemed to be mulling over Ye Shengtao's earlier advice: Don't get yourself killed.
For a brief, blessed moment, Ye Shengtao dared to hope that the hero would simply follow along without asking more ridiculous questions.
But, of course, that hope was short-lived.
As the trees began to thin and the river came into view, Fergio broke the silence with his usual exuberance. "Ah! The sound of water! A river! Surely this is another sign from the gods, guiding us toward salvation!"
Ye Shengtao, his patience wearing thinner by the second, swished his tail irritably. "It's just a river," he muttered under his breath, but Fergio was too busy admiring the scene before them to hear him.
The river itself was a wide, slow-moving stream, its surface glimmering in the moonlight. Large rocks jutted out from the water, creating small ripples as the current flowed around them. On the far side of the river, the forest continued to stretch into the distance, but to the west, the trees gave way to open fields, and beyond that, faint lights flickered in the distance.
Ye Shengtao squinted, his cow eyes adjusting to the darkness. The lights were clustered together—likely the village Fergio had been so desperate to find.
"There it is," Ye Shengtao said, pointing his nose toward the distant lights. "The village you're looking for."
Fergio followed Ye Shengtao's gaze, his eyes widening with excitement. "By the gods, you were right! You truly are a wise and noble guide! Thank you, dear cow—uh, I mean, noble one."
He bowed slightly, as if Ye Shengtao had just performed some great act of heroism.
Ye Shengtao resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Let's just get there and—"
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the air, followed by distant shouts. The flickering lights in the village grew more frantic, and the faint glow of fires began to rise above the rooftops. Ye Shengtao's ears twitched as he listened closely.
Fergio, ever the overzealous hero, perked up instantly. "Do you hear that? The village—it's under attack!"
Ye Shengtao groaned inwardly.
Of course it is.
He should have known that this journey wouldn't end peacefully. There always had to be some complication, some danger waiting around the corner.
Fergio's hand flew to the hilt of his sword, his eyes blazing with determination. "This is my chance!" he declared. "The gods have guided me here for a reason. I must defend the innocent people of that village!"
Before Ye Shengtao could say anything, Fergio sprinted toward the riverbank, his heavy armor clanking with every step. He paused briefly at the water's edge, his gaze scanning for a way across.
"A hero cannot be stopped by a mere river!" he cried, already preparing to leap from rock to rock.
Ye Shengtao sighed.
He's going to get himself killed, he thought.
But there was no time to argue with Fergio's reckless bravado. The shouts from the village were growing louder, more desperate, and Ye Shengtao realized that if he didn't act quickly, things would spiral out of control.
Reluctantly, he trotted after Fergio. "For the record," he called out, "I'm only doing this because I don't want to end up as someone's steak in the middle of this mess."
Fergio, either not hearing or ignoring the comment, had already jumped onto the first rock in the river. The current was stronger than it appeared, and the hero wobbled precariously as he tried to balance on the slippery surface.
"Careful," Ye Shengtao muttered under his breath.
But Fergio, to his credit, managed to make it across without falling in. Once he was safely on the other side, he turned back and called out, "Come, noble one! We must hurry to the village!"
Ye Shengtao reluctantly followed, hopping from rock to rock with surprising agility for a cow. As he reached the far side of the river, he shook the water droplets from his fur and shot Fergio a look. "Next time, let's not make any heroic speeches before crossing a river, okay?"
Fergio just grinned and unsheathed his sword. "Onward!" he cried, charging toward the village with the same boundless enthusiasm as before.
Ye Shengtao rolled his eyes but followed, trotting behind him at a steady pace. As they neared the outskirts of the village, the smell of smoke filled the air, and the glow of flames illuminated the scene ahead. The village itself was small, with no more than a dozen thatched-roof cottages and a central square. But chaos had erupted in the heart of it.
A group of armed bandits, their faces obscured by ragged masks, were ransacking the homes and shops. Villagers, mostly women and children, were fleeing in every direction, clutching what few possessions they could carry. One of the bandits kicked down the door to a cottage, dragging a terrified farmer out into the street.
"Get out here, you coward!" the bandit snarled, raising his sword as he prepared to strike.
Fergio's eyes blazed with fury. "Not on my watch!" he bellowed, charging toward the bandit with his sword raised high. "For justice! For the kingdom!"
Ye Shengtao sighed. Here we go.
Fergio leaped into the fray with all the dramatic flair of a hero in a bad stage play. His sword clashed against the bandit's, sparks flying as the two men locked in combat. Fergio's golden armor gleamed in the firelight, and for a moment, even Ye Shengtao had to admit that he looked the part of a hero.
But the rest of the village was still in chaos. More bandits were looting the buildings, and the villagers were panicking, scattering in every direction. Ye Shengtao's instincts told him to stay out of it, to slip away and let the idiot hero handle it, but something tugged at him—a sense of responsibility he hadn't asked for.
He spotted a group of children huddled together near the edge of the square, their wide eyes filled with fear as they watched the chaos unfold. A bandit was heading straight for them, his sword raised menacingly.
Ye Shengtao's heart pounded. No one's going to save them, he realized.
Before he could think it through, he charged forward, his hooves thundering against the cobblestones as he barreled toward the bandit. The man turned just in time to see a very small, nevertheless, very angry cow charging at him, but it was too late. Ye Shengtao lowered his head and rammed into the bandit with full force, sending him sprawling to the ground.
The children stared at Ye Shengtao in awe, their fear momentarily forgotten. "Did the cow just save us?" one of them whispered, wide-eyed.
Ye Shengtao didn't stick around to answer. He turned back toward the square, scanning for more threats. Fergio was still locked in combat with the first bandit, but now a second one was creeping up behind him, dagger raised to strike.
Of course, Ye Shengtao thought with exasperation. He's too busy being dramatic to notice.
With a snort, Ye Shengtao charged again, this time aiming for the bandit sneaking up on Fergio. His hooves thundered across the square, and just as the bandit was about to strike, Ye Shengtao rammed into him with a solid thud, sending him crashing into a stack of barrels.
Fergio, oblivious to the danger he had just been saved from, finally knocked his opponent's sword from his hand and kicked the bandit to the ground. "Justice prevails!" he shouted triumphantly.
Ye Shengtao snorted. "Justice prevails because I just saved your sorry hide."
Fergio turned to him, a confused expression on his face. "What do you mean?"
Ye Shengtao rolled his eyes. "Never mind. Just finish this already."
The remaining bandits, seeing that their comrades were either unconscious or fleeing, began to retreat, disappearing into the night as quickly as they had come. The village was still in disarray, but the immediate danger had passed.
Fergio sheathed his sword and turned to Ye Shengtao with a grin. "Well fought, noble one! Truly, you are a companion unlike any other."
Ye Shengtao sighed, exhausted.
"Let's just get out of here before anyone asks too many questions."
Fergio nodded, and as the villagers began to emerge from their hiding places, Ye Shengtao led the way toward the outskirts of the village, hoping to slip away unnoticed.
But as always, the situation didn't seem to want to go his way.