The forest thrummed with secrets as Rayan led Natasha and Toha through the village's outskirts, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the mossy paths. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, the Great Tree's canopy a distant silhouette against the amber sky. Rayan's heart pounded—not just from the scout's report of human activity, but from the weight of his new role. Prince. Leader.
Natasha strode beside him, her silver braid swinging with each confident step, her bow slung across her back. "So, Your Highness," she teased, her voice light but her eyes sharp, scanning the treeline, "ready to prove you're more than a pretty prince? Or are we just out for a stroll to impress the ladies?" Her grin was all mischief, but the way her hand rested on her quiver betrayed her readiness.
Rayan shot her a sidelong glance, his green eyes glinting. "Keep talking, Nat. Maybe I'll let you take point and see how you handle a real threat." His tone was playful, but his grip tightened on the short sword at his hip, a gift from Elder Marcus, its hilt carved with protective runes.
Toha, trailing a step behind, adjusted her healer's satchel, her dark hair catching the fading light. "Both of you, focus," she said softly, though a smile tugged at her lips. "We're not kids sneaking into the orchards anymore. Elara's report sounded serious too many for a simple scouting party." Her gentle voice carried a quiet resolve, her hands already glowing faintly with preparatory healing magic.
They passed the village's edge, where crystal chimes hung from low branches, their soft tinkling a ward against intruders. Rayan's gaze lingered on the rebuilt homes—wooden structures woven with living vines, a testament to their people's resilience. We've come so far, he thought, but one mistake could burn it all down. The memory of his brother's lifeless eyes flashed unbidden, and he pushed it away, focusing on the path ahead.
The trio moved deeper into the forest, guided by a subtle elven enchantment—a shimmering thread of magic that pulsed beneath the soil, leading them toward the outermost reaches where even elves tread lightly. The air grew cooler, the trees denser, their gnarled roots twisting like ancient guardians. Natasha's teasing faded, replaced by a hunter's silence, her bow now in hand. Toha's breaths were steady, her magic a soft hum in the stillness.
At the forest's edge, where the trees parted to reveal a rocky clearing, they spotted three elven guards crouched behind a fallen log. Their leather armor blended with the undergrowth, but their tense postures screamed alertness. The leader, a wiry elf named Kel, raised a hand in warning as Rayan approached.
"State your purpose," Kel hissed, his bow half-drawn. His companions, Lira and Vyren, mirrored his stance, their eyes narrowing at Rayan's fine cloak and circlet. "This is no place for villagers."
Rayan straightened, his voice firm despite the knot in his chest. "I'm no villager. I'm Rayan, your prince, here to investigate the human threat." He met Kel's skeptical gaze, noting the disbelief etched across the guard's weathered face.
"Prince?" Lira, a sharp-eyed elf with a scar across her cheek, scoffed. "Our Prince died in the war. Don't you dare to use his name."
Natasha bristled, stepping forward. "Watch your tone. That's Prince Rayan to you." Her hand twitched toward an arrow, but Rayan raised a hand to calm her.
He reached into his cloak, producing the royal insignia—a silver medallion etched with the Great Tree's likeness, glowing faintly with ancient magic. The guards' eyes widened, and as one, they dropped to one knee, bows lowered. "Forgive us, Your Highness," Kael murmured, his voice thick with respect. "We didn't expect…"
"Rise," Rayan said, . "did you not heard about my marriage with Princess?"
"Oh, we did, but.."
"What have you seen?"his tone softer but commanding.
Vyren pointed toward a distant rise, where a crude human tavern squatted like a blight on the forest's edge—a ramshackle structure of logs and canvas, smoke curling from a makeshift chimney. "Slavers," she whispered. "We've watched them for hours. They've got captives—children, not just human but dwarf, bunnykin, wolves. They're keeping them in cages near the back."
Rayan's blood ran cold. Children. He detest them to the core who put harm on children. His hand tightened on his sword. "We observe first," he said, echoing Kel's caution. "Numbers, defenses, then we decide."
They crept closer, using the forest's cover to circle the tavern.Using magic they looked inside of first carriage. Human Traders were drinking wine and playing cards. They had swords, crossbows. Behind them, a crude wooden carriage held a handful of children binded by chain and iron collar—some dwarves , a bunnykin girl and a human boy and girl. Behind them were 5 other carriages all carrying slaves. Rayan's heart clenched; they were so young, so scared.
Natasha's breath hissed through her teeth. "Bastards," she muttered, nocking an arrow. "Say the word, Rayan, and I'll pin their leader to that wall."
Toha's hand touched her arm, calming. "We can't rush in. We need to keep ourselves alive." Her eyes met Rayan's, steady and supportive. "What's the plan, prince?"
Rayan's mind raced. The guards' caution made sense, but those children suffered. He signaled for a retreat to regroup to create a strategy. But as they turned, Natasha tripped over a root, her bow clattering against a stone. The sound echoed, sharp and damning.
"Where the sound came from?" someone asked. A mage shouted noticing elf presence. "Intruders!" Lanterns flared, and the slavers mobilized, their crossbows glinting. Rayan cursed under his breath. Wrong way, wrong move. Frustration boiled over, the childhood sufferings fueling his resolve. "No more watching," he growled. "We end this now."
"Rayan, wait—" Toha began, but he was already moving, sword drawn, Natasha and the guards at his heels. Toha followed, her satchel bouncing as she readied her magic.
The slavers met them in the clearing, a burly leader named Gorr shouting orders. But the real threat emerged from the tavern's shadows: two combat mages, their robes crackling with arcane energy. One, a wiry human named Silas, summoned a fireball that scorched the earth where Rayan had stood moments before. The other, a woman called Veyra, wove a barrier of shimmering light, deflecting Natasha's first arrow.
The battle erupted in chaos. Rayan ducked and weaved, his elven agility keeping him just ahead of Silas's flames. His sword clashed with Gorr's axe, sparks flying as he parried a blow that would've split his skull. Natasha's arrows flew true, one piercing a slaver's shoulder, but Veyra's barriers blocked her best shots. Kel and Lira fought back-to-back, their bows singing, while Vyren grappled a slaver to the ground.
Toha stayed back, her hands glowing as she shielded Rayan from a stray crossbow bolt, the magic flaring like a star. "Stay sharp!" she called, her voice steady despite the strain. But the mages were relentless—Silas's fire hit Rayan's cloak, and Veyra's barrier pinned Kael against a tree.
Rayan's breath quickened, his muscles screaming. We're outmatched. A fireball grazed his arm, searing pain lancing through him. Natasha's cry of alarm cut through the din as she loosed an arrow at Silas, only for Veyra to deflect it. Toha rushed to Rayan, her healing magic soothing the burn, her touch a fleeting anchor in the storm. "You're too reckless," she whispered, fear in her eyes.
Just as despair crept in, hoofbeats thundered from the forest. Elven reinforcements—six soldiers led by Captain Selena—charged into the fray, their spears gleaming. Selene's blade cut through Veyra's barrier, shattering it like glass, while her soldiers overwhelmed the slavers. Silas fell to a precise arrow from Natasha, and Gorr, seeing his forces crumble, tried to flee.
"Stop him!" Rayan roared, his voice carrying the weight of command. Kel tackled Gorr, binding his wrists with enchanted vines. The remaining slavers surrendered, their weapons clattering to the ground.
But protocol demanded the captives both slavers and children be bound for questioning. Rayan's eyes fell on the cages, the children's wide, terrified gazes piercing his heart. "No," he said, his voice cutting through the soldiers' murmurs. "The children go free. Use magic to ease their fear, use sleep spells, carry them gently. They've suffered enough."
Selena hesitated, her stern face softening. "As you command, Prince Rayan." She gestured, and a soldier named Taryn wove a soft lullaby of magic, the children's eyes fluttering shut as they slumped into peaceful unconsciousness.
The soldiers carried the children to a armies cabin crafted from living wood, its interior lined with soft furs and glowing crystals. Rayan watched, his chest tight with a mix of triumph and lingering anger. Natasha clapped his shoulder, her grin fierce. "Not bad for a prince who can't hit a barn. You led us through that mess."
Toha's hand brushed his, her touch warm. "You saved them, Rayan. That's what matters." Her eyes held pride, and something deeper—a spark that made his heart skip.
As they returned to the village under twilight's veil, the Great Tree loomed, its leaves whispering secrets. But the victory was short-lived. Queen Maria awaited them in the grand hall, her silver hair glinting like a crown under the crystal chandeliers. Her eyes, usually warm, were steel.
"Rayan," she said, her voice low but cutting, "you are our hope, our prince. And you throw yourself into a slaver's den like a reckless child?" She stepped closer, her presence commanding. "Do you know what it would mean if you fell? "
Rayan bowed his head, shame warring with defiance. "I couldn't let those children suffer, Your Majesty. I… had to act."
Maria's gaze softened, but her words remained firm. "Leadership is not just bravery—it's survival. You are too precious to risk." She glanced at Natasha and Toha, who stood silently, their loyalty unwavering. "Next time, consult me. We plan, we prepare. Understood?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Rayan murmured, though his heart still burned with the image of those kids.
As the hall emptied, Rayan slipped away, drawn to the royal cabin where the children slept. He pushed open the door, the soft glow of crystals illuminating their peaceful faces. Lia's bunny ears twitched in sleep, Borin's tiny hand clutched a blanket. Rayan knelt beside them, his mind racing. I got reckless and nearly died. I should have been strong and reliable leader, not a reckless fool. Guess "prince title" only made me full of myself.