The beast lunged, jaws wide enough to snap a man in half. Its scales shimmered with a sickly green sheen, reflecting the pale torchlight that lined the village square. The gathered crowd screamed and scattered, wooden stalls crashing under panicked feet.
Kael did not move.
His eyes, hard and unblinking, locked on the beast as if nothing else existed. The sharp edge of his presence—his aura—hung in the air like the moment before a blade fell.
"Kael!" Bram roared, already charging in, his massive sword raised overhead. "Don't just stare it down—move!"
Bram's blade slammed into the beast's side, sparks flying as steel met hardened scales. The creature shrieked, tail whipping through the air. Bram caught the blow with brute force, his boots digging trenches into the dirt as he laughed.
"Come on, you ugly lizard! Hit harder!"
The villagers gasped, holding each other back, watching the impossible struggle.
Kael finally moved. One step. His boots barely whispered against the ground. His hand brushed the hilt at his side, fingers loose, calm. His voice, low and steady, cut through Bram's roar.
"Stop showing off. You'll get yourself killed."
Bram barked a laugh, straining against the monster's weight. "And let you have all the glory? Not a chance!"
Kael's eyes narrowed. His sword flashed free, not in a grand arc but in a line so sharp it seemed to split the air itself. His strike landed where Bram's brute force had failed—precise, merciless. The blade pierced a gap between the beast's scales, straight through to the heart.
The creature froze mid-snarl.
Kael exhaled, his aura flaring—focused, absolute. The villagers swore they saw the night itself bend away from him, as if the world acknowledged his dominance. Then the beast collapsed, twitching, blood darkening the dirt.
Silence held for a heartbeat.
Then the square erupted.
"They killed it!"
"It's dead!"
"Our children are safe!"
Cheers rose. Villagers rushed forward, pulling Bram back in praise, reaching out toward Kael. But Kael had already stepped away, sheathing his blade as though the kill had been nothing more than a routine chore.
"Kael! You saw that, right? I softened it for you!" Bram shouted, grinning like a fool while three women clung to his arms.
Kael didn't look back. "You softened the dirt when you almost tripped."
The girls giggled. Bram gasped in mock hurt. "Grand betrayal! You wound me, brother!"
But Kael was already gone, slipping from the crowd before anyone else could corner him. His strides were purposeful, clean, not hurried but impossible to catch. The surrounding aura—the deadly, focused stillness—parted the crowd like water.
---
The scent of roasted meat and ale washed over them as they entered. The pub roared with warmth and laughter, villagers lifting mugs in salute.
"Kael! Bram!"
"Our heroes!"
"To the best beast slayers!"
Bram lifted both arms high, grinning ear to ear. "Yes, yes, more cheers, please! Louder!"
Kael gave the faintest smirk and slid into a corner seat.
The manager, a burly man with a neatly trimmed beard, strode up. "There they are. The saviors of our poor village." His voice carried a booming pride. "Name's Darron, for those who forgot in your absence. And this pub—still mine."
Bram clapped him on the back. "Darron, my good man, you owe us at least three barrels of your best!"
Darron laughed. "You'll settle for one mug each until I see coin, greedy fool." He turned to Kael. "And you—still silent as ever. You've been gone too long."
Before Kael could reply, a woman appeared from behind the counter, drying her hands on her apron. Her smile was warm, eyes sharp with fond familiarity.
"And don't think you can vanish again without so much as a word," she scolded gently. "Long time no see, Kael, Bram."
Bram's face lit up. "Mira! The real boss of this place!"
She laughed, swatting at him. "Flattery won't get you free drinks. Welcome back. It feels like forever."
"Mira," Kael said softly, inclining his head.
Darron snorted. "Don't get ideas, Kael. That's my wife you're addressing."
Mira rolled her eyes. "There are plenty of beautiful girls in this village who'd throw themselves at you if you gave them the chance."
Bram puffed his chest. "Yeah—and they all like me."
The pub roared with laughter. Darron smirked. "Most of them use you to get near Kael, you idiot. Girls like the quiet, unbothered type. You should try it sometime."
Bram clutched his chest, staggering dramatically. "Kael! Brother! Defend my honor!"
Kael didn't look up. "He's right."
The room erupted again.
---
When Darron left to fetch drinks, Bram leaned closer. His voice dropped, quiet beneath the hum of the room.
"Kael… maybe we should settle. Just for a while. A place like this isn't bad."
Kael's gaze stayed fixed on the table. "Have you forgotten?"
Bram's grin faltered.
"We can't risk another Verdant Kingdom," Kael continued, his tone clipped, final. "We keep moving. Always."
Bram sighed, shoulders heavy. "Yeah. I forgot." He paused. "I wonder how the others are doing. We promised them a feast, didn't we?"
Kael's eyes hardened, but he said nothing.
When Darron returned, laughter resumed, but the shadow lingered between them.
---
The pub doors slammed open. A guard rushed in, breathless.
"The Mercenaries! You're summoned by the chief!"
The room rose in a toast. "To Kael and Bram!"
The guard saluted sharply.
Bram puffed his chest. "Payment time!"
Kael smirked faintly. "At least you're honest about your greed."
"Hey, someone's got to manage our finances," Bram retorted. "Otherwise, you'd spend it all on sharpening stones."
"You mean surviving."
"Same thing!"
Kael shook his head.
---
As they stepped out, Mira caught them by the door. Her smile was softer now, her voice lowered.
"It's getting dark. Be careful."
Bram chuckled. "We killed the beast. What else is there?"
Her eyes flicked to Kael. "Sometimes the real dangers are closest to home. Hidden in plain sight."
Kael's aura sharpened subtly, though his face betrayed nothing. Mira leaned closer, whispering:
"The world is bigger than you think. Stop drifting. Do some research before it swallows you whole."
She stepped back, her smile bright again. "Take care."
Kael and Bram exchanged a glance as they walked into the night.
---
"You feel that?" Kael's voice was low, edged.
Bram scratched his head. "Feel what?"
"It was too easy. The beast. Its tracks were obvious. It almost wanted us to find it."
Bram frowned. "You think it was a distraction?"
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Something feels off."
Bram gave a shaky laugh. "Maybe Mira's right. Maybe we should… do research."
Kael smirked suddenly. "Then it's a date. Me, you, library—tomorrow."
Bram nearly tripped. "No! Absolutely not. You creep."
Kael's laugh cut through the night, sharp and low, carrying with it both ease and warning. The villagers who heard it swore it sent shivers down their spines.
---
But as they walked, the air felt heavier. Kael's laugh lingered like steel drawn in the dark—lighthearted on the surface, yet threaded with suspicion, a promise that something greater and more dangerous waited just beyond their sight.
---