The forest was silent in the aftermath of the ambush. The ground was littered with the bodies of the fallen bandits, their blood soaking into the earth. The mercenaries moved slowly now, tending to their wounds and checking the area for any stragglers.
Kael stood off to the side, his breath still coming in short gasps as he wiped the blood from his blade. His hands trembled slightly, but this time, it wasn't from fear. It was the lingering adrenaline
He had fought and survived.
"Not bad, kid," Zane said, appearing at Kael's side. His tone was light, but his eyes held a glimmer of respect. "You're still standing, and that's more than a lot of people can say."
Kael nodded, unsure what to say. His chest still heaved with the memory of the fight, and his mind raced with the realization that he was growing stronger. The way his blade had sunk into the bandit's side, the way his body had moved on instinct, it all felt distant, yet too close.
"Don't let it get to your head, though," Zane added with a grin. "You still have a long way to go."
Kael gave him a small nod in return, appreciating Zane even though the weight of his thoughts still pressed down on him.
Kael's moment of reflection was cut short when Bran stormed over, his face twisted in irritation. His eyes flicked to the blood on Kael's blade and the bandit corpses around them.
"Lucky again, huh?" Bran growled, his voice dripping with disdain. "Or maybe Zane just had to clean up after you, like always."
Kael's fists clenched at his sides. Bran's words grated on his nerves. He had fought, he had killed, and yet here was Bran, belittling him like he was still just a burden to the group.
Zane, sensing the tension, stepped in with his usual casual tone. "Come on, Bran. Kid did just fine. Not everyone can be as good as you, right?"
Bran's eyes narrowed, his gaze flicking between Zane and Kael. "This little runt is still dragging us down. Kerric might think he's worth the trouble, but I don't."
Kael felt something snap inside him. He had tolerated Bran's taunts for long enough. His grip on his blade tightened, and before he realized it, he was stepping forward.
"I'm not dragging anyone down," Kael said, meeting Bran's glare head-on. "I fought just like the rest of you."
Bran's expression darkened, a smirk curling on his lips. "You think you're one of us now, boy?"
Kael's heart pounded, but he didn't flinch. The memory of the bandit's blood on his hands was still fresh, and he knew that he wasn't the same frightened child he had been when he first joined the group.
Zane shifted uneasily beside him, sensing that things were about to escalate.
"Enough."
Kerric's voice cut through the tension like a blade. The mercenary leader stepped into view, his eyes sweeping over the scene. He didn't need to raise his voice; the command in his tone was enough.
Bran stepped back, his smirk fading into a scowl. He spat on the ground, casting one last glare at Kael before turning away.
Kerric didn't say a word to Kael, but the brief glance he gave him was enough. Kael had proven himself, and that was all that mattered.
The group settled down for the night, the fire crackling softly as the mercenaries tended to their wounds and prepared for another day of travel. Kael sat alone, the weight of the day's events heavy on his shoulders.
Zane joined him after a while, tossing Kael a waterskin. "Don't let Bran get to you. He's just pissed you're doing better than he expected."
Kael took a sip of water, his throat dry and sore. He still wasn't sure how to feel about what had happened. The fight, Bran's words, it was all a blur.
"You did good today," Zane said after a moment, his voice softer now. "Most people don't make it this far."
Kael looked at him, the weight of the compliment sinking in. He wasn't sure he deserved it, but he nodded all the same.
"Get some rest," Zane added with a grin. "You'll need it. Tomorrow's not going to be any easier."
Kael laid down, the crackling of the fire lulling him into sleep.
Next morning was the forest quiet as the mercenaries trudged forward, their steps slow and cautious. The ambush had left its mark, and no one was keen to be caught off guard again.
As usual, Bran's gaze burned into his back like a brand, his voice a constant presence in Kael's ear. "You're dragging your feet again, boy. Did that last fight leave you too tired to walk straight?"
Kael clenched his jaw but said nothing, focusing on the path ahead. He knew better than to let Bran's words get to him. The mercenary had been pushing him since the beginning, but Kael wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
"You know," Bran continued, his voice dripping with disdain, "I'd have thought Kerric would've ditched you by now. Must be some reason he keeps you around. Maybe he thinks you'll make a decent shield."
Kael's fists clenched, but he kept his eyes forward.
When the group finally stopped to rest, Kerric beckoned Kael over with a silent nod. The other mercenaries kept to themselves, tending to wounds or sharpening their weapons, but Kael knew this moment was important.
"There's a scout up ahead," Kerric said, his voice low and steady. "He's been tracking us for miles, probably reporting back. We need to take care of him."
Kael swallowed, his heart pounding. "You want me to kill him?"
Kerric's gaze was hard, unyielding. "You remove threats, or you become one. That's the rule. Think you can handle it?"
Kael nodded, though his stomach twisted with uncertainty. He had killed before, but this felt different, deliberate. There was no battle, no fight for survival. Just an order. A task. A line he had to cross.
Kerric studied him for a moment longer, then nodded. "Don't make a mess of it."
As Kael prepared to head out, Bran sidled up to him, his grin more vicious than usual. "Kerric's sending you on a real job, huh? Must be desperate if he's trusting you with something important."
Kael kept his eyes on the ground, unwilling to engage. He had bigger things to worry about than Bran's taunts.
Kael's hand tightened around his blade. Bran was pushing harder than usual, and it was clear why, Kael was becoming a threat to him. Bran had always been the veteran, the one with experience. But now Kael was proving himself, and Bran hated it.
"I'll get it done," Kael said, his voice steady despite the knot in his stomach.
Bran snorted. "We'll see. Just don't trip over your own feet."
Kael moved through the forest with silence, his senses sharp. His heart raced, Kerric's words still his mind: You remove threats, or you become one.
The trees felt like they were closing in, the dense canopy above casting shadows. Every sound, every rustle in the leaves heightened Kael's awareness. His pulse quickened as he spotted the scout, crouched near a cluster of rocks, intently watching the path ahead, completely unaware of the danger creeping up behind him.
Kael's hand tightened around the hilt of his blade.
Kael crept closer. His breath slowed, and his mind focused, every instinct honed to this task. He was close now, close enough to see the scout's shoulders rise and fall with each breath, close enough to hear the shallow exhale as the scout scanned the horizon.
This is it, Kael thought, his muscles tensing.
Just as he prepared to strike, the scout shifted, his head turning slightly as if sensing something wrong. Kael froze, his heart pounding in his ears. The scout's hand moved toward his waist, where a dagger was sheathed.
Kael's mind raced. If the scout turned around, if he saw Kael, it would be over. He had to act now.
With a surge of adrenaline, Kael lunged, his blade flashing in the dim light. But the scout was quicker than Kael expected, twisting at the last second. Kael's blade sliced across the man's shoulder instead of his neck, a spray of blood arcing through the air as the scout let out a strangled cry.
The scout staggered back, drawing his dagger, his eyes wide with fear and confusion. "What the hell—"
Kael didn't give him a chance to finish. He pressed the attack, slashing wildly with his blade, each strike driven by desperation and the need to silence his enemy. The scout blocked the first strike, deflecting the blade with his dagger, but Kael's momentum carried him forward.
They clashed, Kael's heart hammering in his chest. He swung again, harder this time, aiming for the scout's torso. The scout dodged, slashing at Kael's side with his dagger, the blade grazing his ribs. Pain flared, but Kael ignored it, his survival instincts taking over.
I have to end this, Kael thought, gritting his teeth as he threw himself at the scout, tackling him to the ground.
They rolled through the dirt, Kael's blade flashing as he tried to find an opening. The scout fought back with a ferocity Kael hadn't expected, his dagger flashing dangerously close to Kael's throat more than once.
For a moment, Kael found himself pinned beneath the scout, the man's dagger raised high, ready to plunge into Kael's chest. But Kael wasn't about to die here. He twisted, bringing his knee up into the scout's stomach with a vicious force, knocking the wind out of him.
The scout gasped, his grip loosening, and Kael seized the moment. He rolled to the side, knocking the dagger from the man's hand. With a grunt, Kael brought his blade down, slashing across the scout's arm, disabling him further.
The scout's eyes widened in panic, his hands scrabbling for the fallen dagger, but Kael was quicker. He grabbed the man by the throat, squeezing hard as he pressed his blade against the scout's neck.
The man's breath came in ragged gasps, his eyes filled with terror as he looked up at Kael. Blood dripped from Kael's blade, pooling in the dirt below.
Do it, Kael's mind screamed. Finish it.
His grip tightened around the man's throat, and with a swift motion, Kael drove his blade deep into the scout's neck, silencing him once and for all.
The scout's body went limp beneath him, and Kael stayed there for a moment, his chest heaving, his hands trembling. The fight was over. His body was slick with sweat and blood, his side aching from where the dagger had grazed him.
Kael slowly released his grip on the scout's throat, standing over the man's lifeless body. The forest was silent again. His hands shook as he wiped the blood from his blade.
He had done what Kerric asked. He had removed the threat.
Kael returned to the group, his clothes stained with blood. Zane was the first to meet him, his usual grin replaced with something more serious.
"You alright?" Zane asked, his eyes flicking to the blood on Kael's hands.
Kael nodded, though the weight of the kill still pressed down on him.
Zane's expression softened. "It gets easier," he said quietly, though there was doubt in his voice. "But it's not supposed to."
Kael looked at him, trying to understand. Zane had always been the one who laughed in the face of danger. But now, for the first time, Kael saw something else, a flicker of doubt, of uncertainty.
"I did what I had to," Kael said, his voice steady but his hands still trembling.
Zane nodded slowly. "Just… make sure that's the reason. Don't let it become something else."
Kael didn't respond. He wasn't sure what to say, and he wasn't sure if he could promise that.