The merchant fled off to the forest while the woman struggled to get the bandit off her. Arin reached for the sword, stopped by the bandit leader and getting yanked onto the ground with a hard slam.
The bandit leader grumbled something as he threw a punch at Arin, sending him onto the ground. The bandit leader climbed to his feet, grabbing the sword with his left hand and pointing it at Arin.
"Well, look who we have here?" The bandit leader managed to laugh through the pain of his twisted right arm. "Some desperate man trying to play hero and save the girl!"
The bandit leader swung his sword with all the rage bubbling inside of him at Arin, but was met with a shadowy creature materializing out of nowhere and sending the bandit leader into the wagon.
Screeches erupted from within the wagon while the woman was struck two times. Nocturnis wrapped his jaw around the bandit leader's twisted arm and bit down on it, tearing it off in one swoop. The man screamed in pain as the Shadow Panther spat the arm off and moved for the kill.
"The girl…!" Arin groaned. Nocturnis, understanding his Master, turned and rushed at the bandit on top of the woman. He Shadow Stepped forward, knocking himself into the man and sending him flying through the air. Nocturnis and the man landed on the ground and he wasted no time ripping the bandit's throat out.
The people cowering within the wagon shrieked as they saw Nocturnis. The woman quickly lifted herself up and notched and arrow, pointing it at the Shadow Panther.
"No!" Arin shouted. The strange familiarity of the man's voice caught the woman's attention, temporarily stopping her. Nocturnis turned, realizing he was the target for the woman's arrow.
"He won't hurt you!" Arin rushed passed the woman and stood in the arrow's sight. He stuck his hands out. The bewildered yet protective look made the woman's amber eyes glisten with a memory.
"Arin?" The woman spoke his name with venom. She narrowed her eyes. "What're you doing here? You're half a journey's day away from Thornwood. What would a useless Hunter like you be doing out here with a Beast like that?"
Arin's face grew puzzled. The woman in front of him looked familiar somehow and the familiar venom in her voice pulled a list of people who might speak his name similarly. "I heard shouting and came to see what's happening! This is my Beast. Do not harm him!"
"That's… your Beast? You? A Beastlord?" The woman slowly stood up, arrow still pointed at him. She took a look at the Shadow Panther that loomed behind Arin with its yellow eyes, carefully watching her. "There's no way Hunter Leader's son could be a Beastlord!"
"Ahh, that's why you sound familiar," Arin smiled. "You're Lira. LIra Velien."
Lira never liked the way Arin said her name. He said it with a softness familiar to her elder brother. The same elder brother Arin had taken away from her.
"Get my name out of your mouth! You will never be like my brother!" Lira shouted.
"I keep telling you, I had nothing to do with that. I barely remember what happened then."
"You ran out there when they were supposed to be protecting us! You killed all those people including my brother! You killed your own mother because you live in a fantasy where Beasts and Mankind can co-exist!"
"A fantasy?" Arin raised an eyebrow as Nocturnis swept across his left leg. He lowered his hand and gave Nocturnis a pat on the head. "Is this a fantasy? Beastlord and Beast working together to save not only you but the others in the wagon? If it weren't for me, you would've been meat for those bandits and the others might've died because you decided to play hero. Who's the idiot here?"
Lira never liked Arin. Ever since they were kids, his head always seemed to be in the clouds about Beasts and becoming a Beast King. It was a fairy tale dream. She had trained hard and after her elder brother died, she decided to push all of her anger onto Arin like the rest of the young generation and focus on growing stronger to protect herself and innocents from Beasts.
She didn't want to lower her loaded arrow. She would rather put an arrow through Arin's heart and kill the Beast he had with him but something about this Beast rang familiar. Her eyes shook, realizing what Beast was casually standing besides Arin.
"A Shadow Panther?" Lira lowered her bow, loosening the bow string. "There's no way you made a contract with the Shadow Panther. That Beast wouldn't bow down to anyone! Why would it choose you?"
Arin shrugged her question off. "I don't know quite myself but Noct did help me save the others. If it weren't for him, they would've died to an ogre."
"An ogre? T-there was an ogre here? Where? What happened? Are the others okay?" Lira's true nature temporarily slipped out. The worrywart Arin was used to seeing when they were kids. She stepped forward, walling off her true nature and taking a step back.
"They're fine. Things have been interesting since then. Everyone's afraid of Noct but he's as harmless as a house cat." Arin pet Nocturnis, again. "Come. Let's find the merchant and bring the wagon to a safe place nearby for the night. Wouldn't want these goods and people to freeze where monsters and Beasts roam."
- - -
After checking on the people in the wagon, cowering in a corner, Arin decided to look for the merchant with Nocturnis. They eventually found him cowering a couple hundred feet away. With some convincing Nocturnis was harmless and the bandits were dealt with, they brought the merchant back and lead them to Nocturnis' Sanctuary.
The merchant and Lira had their doubts Arin was taking them to a safe space, but once they moved through the shadows, the peaceful sanctuary melted their worries away.
"You can set up came on this side." Arin told the merchant. He pointed behind him to the large tree. "I'm just over there. Oh, feel free to wash up in the stream. It's mana-rich so it might feel a bit uncomfortable at first but it's fine to drink and wash up in. Just don't have anyone going towards the waterfall."
The merchant and his family thanked him for his generosity. The merchant turned to leave but his wife grabbed him stating to her husband, "This young man saved us and you won't compensate him for anything?"
"If I gave everyone who protected us something, I'd go broke!" The merchant protested.
"Come on, dear. It seems Miss Velien knows this man. They must be from the same village." His wife pointed out. He melted at her vixen words that always seemed to sway him. "Isn't that, right, Mr. Drakhar?"
"Oh, you don't have to call me Mr. Drakhar." Arin waved his hands. "That makes me feel like I'm my father. Call me Arin."
"Alright, Arin." She smiled. She tugged on her husband's arm. "C'mon, dear, a little something for the young man."
"Alright," the merchant sighed. He moved to the wagon and dug around. He poked his head up a couple of times before returning with a weapon wrapped in silk. "This is quite expensive. I was hoping to get it refined since Thornwood has miners and foresters here. I was hoping to get this looked at since I'm not sure what it is but maybe you could use it. I hear from Ms. Velien this is a place of Hunters that use spears and bows?"
The merchant set the wrapped weapon in Arin's hand. Arin uncovered part of it, noticing a beautiful blue base with runic etchings and a beautiful spear-tip laced with gold and silver metals.
The merchant must've understood Arin's amazement as he spoke. "I bought in off a merchant in Velan. They said it was useless and sold it to me for a couple silvers. I've had it examined by many different warriors, smiths, and even the Guild but they all say its a useless item devoid of mana. It's pretty sturdy from what I've gathered, so feel free to use it!"
"I couldn't possibly…" Arin looked at the merchant.
"Don't worry about it. My wife would rip my head off if she knew you refused it. Plus, you did save me, my family and my wares. This is the least I can do for you, Arin." The conversation went on for a little more with small talk. Arin learned the Merchant and his family had been recommended to sell some of their weapons and wares to Thornwood in return for some Eldertree and ores. That's when they met Lira who was on her way to Thornwood and invited the woman to join them.
The Merchant soon excused himself to set up camp, which left Lira to check up on. Arin found Lira scanning the surroundings and checking the place out for any traps, evildoers and possible harm.
"There's nothing that can harm you here except that waterfall." Arin's voice popped up behind her. She hadn't heard him walk up on her as she turned. He was smiling like he was some sort of old friend.
"You and that Beast are worrisome. I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt because of you." Lira pushed passed Arin. She moved towards the sanctuary's edge with Arin in tow.
"It's a protective spell Noct put on this place. It's safe from monsters and Beasts. No one will want to come here because its so unassuming from the outside like you saw earlier."
"They'll most likely want to eat something meaty after eating horrible rations on the journey. I should go hunt for something." Lira coldly dismissed his attempt to comfort her worries. Arin made her feel uncomfortable with how familiar he was being towards her. It could've honestly been because… Well, she shook the thought off and stepped out of the protection.
"Noct, protect." Arin ordered before stepping out with Lira.
'Yes, Master.' Nocturnis answered telepathically.