Alexandra watched the bandits fall back, their ranks crumbling under the relentless onslaught of the holy knights and beastmen villagers. Cheers erupted around her, cries of victory ringing through the night. She too let out a triumphant shout, her voice blending with her comrades' as she dropped to a single knee, her chest heaving. She drove her sword into the earth to support herself as the fierce lion aura around her flickered and faded. With a tired but satisfied sigh, she wiped the sweat from her brow and looked up.
Glimpses of fiery light pierced the darkness in the distance. The faint glow flashed erratically, followed by horrific screams of terror and agony that echoed through the trees. The chilling sounds of the bandits' demise filled the night, but they faded almost as quickly as they had started, snuffed out one by one in a matter of minutes. The beastmen and holy knights around her tensed, bracing for more, but Alexandra raised a steadying hand, signaling them to lower their guard as the battle sounds died down.
Through the treeline, four holy knights emerged, their faces and armor streaked with blood. Alexandra's heart swelled with pride and relief as she recognized her comrades. She sprang to her feet, sprinting toward them with a wide grin, her voice joining the chorus of cheers that broke out among the beastmen. The whole group gathered around the knights, patting their backs and celebrating the hard-won victory.
Alexandra approached one of her comrades, clasping his shoulder with a wide smile. "You did well out there," she said, her voice almost breathless with excitement. "I don't think I've ever seen bandits scatter like that."
The knight, his face weary but his eyes shining, chuckled and shook his head. "Quite the easy extermination."
Just then, another knight piped up with a smirk. "Should've seen the look on their faces when they realized they were surrounded," he said, drawing laughter from the group.
Alexandra nodded, a glimmer of fierce satisfaction in her eyes. "Serves them right for underestimating us." She looked around at the weary but grinning faces of her comrades, her chest swelling with camaraderie. They had fought hard, and they had won.
As the group continued to celebrate, Alexandra noticed Captain Edwin watching them all with a rare, faint smile of pride. She made her way to him, grinning. "Captain, it's good to see you unharmed. We all held our own tonight."
He inclined his head, his stern expression softening. "It was a team effort. You all did well."
But as Alexandra took in each of their faces, she realized with a sudden ache that Ophelia was not among them. Her expression shifted from joy to worry as she hurried back to Captain Edwin who was talking with the Chief of the village, her voice tight with worry. "Where is she? Where is Lady Ophelia?"
Captain Edwin turned slightly, and Alexandra's breath caught as she saw a graceful figure approaching from the shadows. Silver hair spilled over her shoulders, glinting under the moonlight, and her silver eyes shone with a faint, otherworldly glow. Ophelia walked toward them, her hands slowly clapping, each clap echoing through the night. Her lips curved into a pleased smile as she surveyed her victorious warriors.
"Well done, all of you," Ophelia's voice rang out.
A wave of relief washed over Alexandra, and her tense expression softened as she ran up to Ophelia. She stopped just before her, breathless, her eyes wide with admiration and a hint of lingering concern. She wanted to speak, to thank her, to ask if she was unharmed, but the words caught in her throat. Instead, she stood there, face flushed, simply gazing up at Ophelia in a silence that conveyed all the respect, relief, and gratitude that words could not.
"You did well, Alex."
"Th-Thank you, My Lady," She warm-heartedly smiled.
Through the groups of cheering villagers and knights, the beastman chief emerged, limping slightly, his body marked with the brutal toll of the battle. Blood dripped from a gash above his brow, and his muscular arms bore fresh bruises and slashes, yet he held himself with pride. His fur, dark and matted in places, was dusted with blood and dirt, but his eyes shone with a fierce fire as he approached Ophelia.
At first, his face held a wide, grateful smile, one of relief and gratitude for the aid she had brought to his people. He gave her a deep nod of respect, acknowledging the skill and strategy that had helped to get rid of the rest of the bandits. But as he looked past Ophelia, his expression began to harden, his smile slowly fading. His eyes narrowed, and a deep, simmering anger replaced the warmth on his face.
The anger wasn't directed at her; rather, it was clear that the fury was reserved for someone else—the raiders who had dared to invade his village, threaten his people, and burn their homes. His jaw clenched, and his hands curled into tight fists at his sides. Even battered and weary, his form seemed to bristle with barely restrained rage.
He turned back to Ophelia, the intensity in his gaze unyielding. "My Lady," he said, his voice a low, rumbling growl, "you have our deepest gratitude. Without you and your knights, this night would have claimed the lives of one of us. But know this..." He glanced at the retreating forest where the last of the bandits had disappeared, his face darkening. "This blood they have shed will not go unanswered."
"I agree," Ophelia nodded, spreading out her arms and taking to the head of the crowd, just her presence drawing all eyes onto her.
Ophelia stood at the head of the gathered crowd, her presence radiating a fierce authority that commanded the attention of every beastman, every knight, every weary soul who had fought tonight.
"BRAVE WARRIORS OF THIS VILLAGE! LOOK AROUND YOU!" Her voice rose, carrying through the forest, through the pain and exhaustion. "YOU HAVE FOUGHT WITH COURAGE! YOU HAVE DEFENDED YOUR HOMES AND LOVED ONES AGAINST THESE COWARDS WHO DARED TO STRIKE IN THE DARK! TONIGHT, YOU HAVE SHOWN THEM WHAT IT MEANS TO FACE THE FURY OF THE TRUE AND THE RIGHTEOUS!"
A cheer went up from the crowd, their faces shining with pride despite the blood and sweat streaking their skin. Ophelia lifted her hands, calling them to attention once more.
"BUT THIS BATTLE IS NOT OVER!" she continued, her voice booming, fierce and unrelenting. "THESE SHADOW BANDITS THINK THEY CAN STRIKE, THEN SLINK AWAY INTO THE DARKNESS LIKE THE SNAKES THEY ARE! THEY THINK THEY CAN INVADE OUR HOMES AND ESCAPE WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES! BUT I SAY—NO MORE!"
Her silver eyes swept over the gathered villagers and knights, her gaze piercing and unbreakable.
"NOW IS THE TIME TO SHOW THEM WHO WE ARE!" she shouted, her voice raw with passion. "REST FOR A MOMENT, CATCH YOUR BREATH—BUT DO NOT RELAX! LET YOUR WOUNDS BE A BADGE OF HONOR! LET YOUR SCARS BE REMINDERS OF WHAT YOU'VE FOUGHT FOR TONIGHT! AND THEN, WE GO AFTER THEM! WE WILL NOT LET THESE RAIDERS THINK THEY CAN TERRORIZE THE INNOCENT AND FLEE UNPUNISHED!"
The beastmen shifted, the weariness in their faces replaced by a renewed determination, a fierce resolve. They could feel the power of her words coursing through them, revitalizing their tired bodies. Ophelia took a step forward, her voice rising to an even greater crescendo as if fueled by the collective energy of the crowd.
"THE REMAINING BANDITS TO THE NORTH ARE NOT AWARE OF OUR VICTORY! NOW IS OUR CHANCE TO STRIKE AT THE HEART OF THE SHADOW BANDIT TROUPE!" She raised a fist to the sky. "FOR YOUR FAMILIES, FOR YOUR VILLAGE, FOR EVERYTHING THEY HAVE FORCED UPON YOU TONIGHT—WE WILL BRING JUSTICE! WE WILL BRING THEM TO THEIR KNEES!"
A thunderous roar rose from the crowd, beastmen and knights alike, their voices merging into a single, powerful cry of resolve and unity.
"WE MOVE AT DAWN. LET NOTHING STAND IN OUR WAY. LET NOTHING HOLD US BACK. FOR TONIGHT, WE FIGHT FOR MORE THAN OUR LIVES—we fight for our legacy, our honor, and our people! NOW, WHO WILL JOIN ME?!"
The crowd erupted, rallying into a thick cloud of bloodlust and anger.
"RAHHHHHHH!"
As the rallying cries and cheers gradually subsided, Ophelia lifted her gaze toward the heavens. The nearly full moon was inching toward its peak, casting a soft, silver glow over the battered village. The night was calming, a quietness settling over them all as she calculated the hours. It was autumn, and she knew they had perhaps six, maybe seven hours until dawn. Just enough time to recover, regroup, and prepare for the coming assault.
"Everyone! Back to the village!" The Chief cried out.
Once everybody had reached the heart of the village, the four village medics immediately began to tend to everybody to the best of their abilities. Though they were few, each one was adept in the arts of both healing magic and traditional medicine.
Their hands glowed a verdant green as they emitted a gentle healing aura, which pulsed with soothing energy. The light illuminated the darkened village square as they moved between the wounded, carefully closing wounds.
For the deeper wounds, their magic slowed the bleeding, and with agile fingers, they stitched flesh and sealed cuts. One of the medics knelt beside a Holy Knight whose shoulder bore a jagged wound. Muttering an incantation, she pressed her glowing hands over the injury, sealing the flesh as though knitting fabric together. The knight winced, but the pain quickly eased as the medic worked, the wound swiftly closing cleanly.
In cases where injuries were more severe, the medics crafted medicines from the herbs that were already in village storage. They prepared pain-relieving pills and potions to ward off infection, the earthy scents filling the air as the medics mixed and applied the remedies. For the most life-threatening wounds, they employed more aggressive techniques, using torches dripping with hot tar to cauterize the bleeding tissue in an instant.
As everybody quickly recovered, keeping the same intensity as before, the Chief of the village walked up to Ophelia, gesturing for her to follow him.
"What is it?"
"I'd rather not talk here," He replied.
…
"My Lady, thank you very much," The Chief Beastman bowed his head, the Chieftess bowing her head in unison as well.
The three were sitting in the Chief's dining room, at their simple wooden table. A simple glass pitcher of water sat on the table, with three dining mats placed in front of all three beings, however nothing sat upon them. Not even a single glass cup for the pitcher to fill.
"I understand you wanting to thank me, but I believe you did not call me here to thank me personally. Go ahead and speak your mind, Chief."
"Yes, you are smart, aren't you?" The Chief spoke while both he and the Chieftess raised their heads, a slight grimace worn on their tired faces. "Then, I believe you are smart enough to identify why these bandits finally attacked us after half a year of just harassing us when we got too close to their base."
"It is because of your presence that they felt should attack us," The Chieftess continued. "Whether it was because they wanted to loot you or they felt threatened, I hope you understand it is still your fault."
"Yes, then I would like to apologize for the inconvenience," Ophelia spoke, causing the two beastmen to look at each other with slightly stunned expressions. They hadn't expected this. "However, I hope you understand just how important this opportunity is to your village."
"Yes, we do. They have been the main source of our stress for the past half a year," The Chieftess followed up. "So, for this opportunity, I would like to thank you, My Lady."
"Yes, thank you," The Chief added.
"For your troubles, you will be compensated heavily in the future. So, just hold out for now," Ophelia affirmed, standing up from her chair and pushing it back underneath the table.
"Thank you very much, My Lady," The two beastmen nodded before watching the woman soon exit their humble abode.