Nolan woke to the smell of smoke and cooking meat.
For a disorienting moment, he thought he was back in Lintbloom, that his mother was making breakfast, that everything that had happened was just a nightmare. Then reality crashed back—the hard ground beneath him, the unfamiliar sounds of the camp, the ache in his muscles from yesterday's fight.
He sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. The sun was just beginning to rise, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold. Around the camp, his teammates were already moving with practiced efficiency. Kaida was performing some kind of meditation routine, her hands tracing patterns in the air as water droplets danced around her. Darion had climbed onto one of the wagons, scanning the tree line with his bow ready. Selene was cooking something over the fire—the source of the smell that had woken him.
"Morning," she said without looking up. "We've got about an hour before we need to move. Eat while you can."
Nolan joined her at the fire, accepting a plate of what turned out to be salted pork and some kind of root vegetable. Not the best meal he'd ever had, but warm and filling.
"Any sign of the bandits?" he asked.
"Darion spotted their camp about two miles northeast. They're still there, tending their wounded. Probably won't bother us again—we hurt them too badly yesterday." She poked at the fire with a stick. "But we're staying alert anyway."
The drivers were stirring now, groaning and complaining about sleeping on the ground. Merchant Corvus emerged from his wagon looking distinctly rumpled, his previous night's dignity still somewhat compromised.
"Are we safe to continue?" he asked nervously.
"Safe as we'll ever be in contested territory," Selene replied. "We should reach Millhaven by nightfall if we don't run into more trouble."
"If?"
"It's the contested zone, Merchant Corvus. Trouble is never guaranteed, but it's not exactly rare either."
They broke camp quickly, the team moving with an efficiency that spoke of long practice. Nolan tried to help where he could, though he was still learning the rhythms of road travel.
"Don't overthink it," Kaida said, watching him struggle with his bedroll. "Roll it tight from one end, like this—" She demonstrated with her own. "The tighter you pack, the more space you save."
"Thanks."
"You did well yesterday," she added. "I noticed you channeling energy through your weapon. That's not an easy technique."
"Selene taught me during training. Though I'm not sure I did it right—the first bandit I hit basically flew into a tree."
Kaida smiled slightly. "That means you put too much power into it. But at least you're channeling cleanly. Some mages burn out their weapons trying that technique, especially early on."
She's watching you, Diablo observed. Studying your power. The elf is too curious for her own good.
"She's just being helpful," Nolan thought back.
Is she? Or is she gathering information?
They set out as the sun climbed higher, the morning mist burning away to reveal another clear day. The road improved slightly as they traveled—still not the well-maintained thoroughfare near Eldoria, but at least wide enough for the wagons to travel two abreast.
Nolan found himself walking alongside Darion's wagon, the dwarf perched on top with his usual vigilant posture.
"Question," Nolan called up.
"Answer," Darion replied cheerfully.
"Yesterday, during the fight—how did you know where to shoot? Everything was happening so fast, but you never seemed to hesitate."
"Practice, mostly. I've been doing this for five years now." The dwarf adjusted his position, eyes never leaving the tree line. "But also, you learn to read a fight. See where people are moving, predict where they'll be in the next second. It's like... have you ever watched a river?"
"Sure."
"Water flows around obstacles, takes the path of least resistance. People in a fight do the same thing, mostly. They move toward openings, away from threats, following patterns. Once you learn to see those patterns, you know where to aim."
"That sounds complicated."
"It is, at first. Then it becomes instinct." Darion nocked an arrow casually. "Like right now—see that tree, forty meters ahead, left side?"
Nolan looked. "Yeah?"
"Something's behind it. Too big to be a squirrel, wrong shape for a deer. Probably a person."
"Should we—"
"Already told Selene through hand signals. She's working her way around. Just keep walking normal, don't let on that we noticed."
Nolan forced himself to keep his pace steady, though his hand drifted toward his axe. Seconds crawled by. Then there was a shout from the trees, followed by Selene's voice:
"Don't move! Drop the weapon!"
A figure stumbled out from behind the tree—a young woman, maybe seventeen or eighteen, dressed in ragged clothes and holding a knife that shook in her trembling hands. Selene was behind her, sword pointed at the girl's back.
"Please," the girl gasped. "I'm not—I wasn't going to—"
"Then what were you doing?" Selene's voice was hard.
"Hiding! Just hiding! I swear!"
Selene studied her for a moment, then lowered her sword slightly. "From what?"
"The bandits. They... they attacked our village three days ago. Took everything, burned the houses. I ran into the woods, been hiding ever since." The girl's voice broke. "I'm just trying to get to Millhaven. My aunt lives there."
"Alone? Through contested territory?"
"I didn't have a choice!"
Selene's expression softened marginally. She sheathed her sword and called to the caravan. "It's safe. Just a refugee."
They gathered around the girl, who looked terrified of the attention. Up close, Nolan could see she was younger than he'd first thought—maybe his sister's age would have been. The thought made his chest ache.
"What's your name?" Kaida asked gently.
"Mira."
"Have you eaten, Mira?"
The girl shook her head. Kaida immediately produced some bread and dried fruit from her pack. "Here. It's not much, but it'll help."
Mira devoured the food like she hadn't eaten in days. Which, Nolan realized, she probably hadn't.
"We're heading to Millhaven," Selene said. "You can travel with us. Safer than going alone."
"I don't have money to pay—"
"Didn't ask for any. Just stay with the wagons and don't slow us down."
Relief flooded Mira's face. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
They resumed traveling, Mira walking alongside the last wagon, still clutching Kaida's food. Nolan noticed his teammates exchanging glances—communicating something without words.
"What?" he asked quietly when he fell into step beside Selene.
"Her story checks out," Selene replied, equally quiet. "Darion scouted ahead yesterday, saw smoke from a burned village about five miles east. Timing's right."
"But?"
"But nothing. Just being cautious." She paused. "In this line of work, you learn that not everyone who seems helpless actually is. Could be genuine. Could be a bandit plant, someone meant to get us to lower our guard."
"You think she's lying?"
"I think I don't know yet. So we help her, but we watch her. That's how you survive."
They traveled in relative peace for the next few hours. Mira kept mostly to herself, though Nolan noticed Kaida checking on her periodically, making sure she had water and wasn't falling behind. The elf had a gentle way about her that seemed to put the girl at ease.
Around midday, the road began to climb, winding up into hillier terrain. The forest thinned, replaced by rocky outcroppings and sparse vegetation. The view was spectacular—rolling hills stretching to the horizon, with Millhaven visible in the distance as a collection of buildings clustered around a river.
"Almost there," Corvus said with obvious relief. "Another few hours."
That's when the ground began to shake.
It was subtle at first—just a faint trembling beneath their feet. Then it grew stronger, accompanied by a low rumbling sound that seemed to come from everywhere at once.
"What is that?" one of the drivers asked nervously.
"Off the road!" Selene's command cut through the confusion. "Get the wagons off the road NOW!"
They scrambled to comply, drivers whipping the horses toward the rocky shoulder. Just in time—thirty seconds later, the source of the rumbling appeared.
A mana beast. But not like the panther from their previous mission.
This thing was massive—easily twenty feet tall at the shoulder, built like a bear but covered in stone-like scales that gleamed in the sunlight. Its eyes glowed a dull red, and when it opened its mouth to roar, Nolan saw row upon row of crystalline teeth.
"Rock Titan," Kaida breathed. "That's a Rock Titan. Those are B-rank minimum!"
Now this is interesting, Diablo said. Real power. Real danger.
The beast lumbered down the road, each footfall making the ground shake. It didn't seem to have noticed them—yet. It was just... passing through, following some path only it understood.
"Nobody move," Selene whispered. "Nobody make a sound. Maybe it'll just—"
One of the horses whinnied in fear.
The Titan's head swung toward them.
For a moment, everything froze. Then the beast roared—a sound like an avalanche and a thunderstorm combined—and charged.
"SCATTER!" Selene shouted. "Don't let it corner the wagons!"
Darion's arrows were already flying, striking the beast's hide and bouncing off harmlessly. "It's armored! We need to find weak points!"
The Titan swung a massive paw at the nearest wagon. The driver barely got the horses moving in time—the blow missed by inches, but the shockwave from the impact still knocked the wagon sideways.
Kaida thrust her hands forward, and a jet of high-pressure water slammed into the Titan's face. It didn't damage the creature, but it made it stumble, buying them seconds.
"Eyes!" she called. "Aim for the eyes!"
Nolan circled around, trying to find an opening. The beast was so large, so heavily armored—how were they supposed to fight this? His axe would be like a toothpick against those scales.
Use me, Diablo urged. Real power. Let me show you what we can really do.
"Not yet."
When then? When everyone's dead?
The Titan charged again, this time directly at Mira. The girl screamed, frozen in terror.
Nolan didn't think. He just ran.
Blue energy exploded from his hands as he thrust them forward, forming a barrier between Mira and the beast. The Titan hit it like a wall, the impact driving Nolan to his knees. His barrier held—barely—but he could feel it cracking under the pressure.
"Mira, MOVE!" he shouted.
The girl finally unfroze, scrambling away. The barrier shattered, and the Titan's momentum carried it forward, right over where Nolan knelt.
He rolled aside just in time, the beast's foot slamming down where he'd been a heartbeat before. The ground cratered from the impact.
Selene was suddenly there, her sword blazing with white fire as she struck at the Titan's leg. Her blade actually bit into the scales this time—the creature roared in pain and surprise.
"There!" she called. "The joints aren't as heavily armored! Target the joints!"
Darion adjusted his aim, his next arrow finding the gap in the armor at the Titan's shoulder. The beast roared again, turning its attention away from Mira toward this new threat.
Which left its back exposed.
Now, Diablo said. Channel everything. Through your weapon. Like you did with the bandit, but MORE.
Nolan knew it was risky. Knew he might lose control. But the Titan was going to kill someone if they didn't stop it, and conventional attacks weren't working fast enough.
He raised his axe, letting the blue energy flow—not just a trickle, but a flood. His weapon blazed with crackling power, so bright it hurt to look at.
"NOLAN!" Selene's voice, warning or encouraging, he couldn't tell.
He threw the axe.
The weapon spun through the air like a comet, trailing blue fire. It struck the Titan square in the back, right between two massive scales, and the concentrated energy detonated on impact.
The explosion sent the beast staggering forward with a roar that shook the hills. It crashed to its knees, momentum carrying it forward until it slid to a stop, smoking and stunned.
But not dead.
Nolan's axe had buried itself deep, but the Titan was already trying to rise, bellowing in rage and pain.
"Again!" Selene shouted. "Hit it again while it's down!"
But Nolan couldn't. The energy drain from that throw had left him gasping, vision swimming. He'd put too much power into it, and now he had nothing left.
Told you, Diablo said. This is why you need me. Fully. Completely.
Kaida stepped forward, both hands extended. The water from her canteen, from the horses' trough on the wagon, from moisture in the air—all of it converged into a spinning drill of pressurized liquid.
"Everyone, cover your ears!"
The water drill slammed into the Titan's exposed back, right where Nolan's axe had created an opening. It penetrated deep, and the beast's roar cut off into a gurgling scream.
Then silence.
The Rock Titan shuddered once and collapsed, truly dead this time.
For several long moments, nobody moved. Then Corvus began to laugh—high-pitched, slightly hysterical. "We're alive! We're actually alive!"
"Barely," Darion muttered, retrieving arrows from the ground. "That was way too close."
Nolan stumbled over to his axe, which was still embedded in the Titan's back. He had to brace his foot against the creature's scales to pull it free. The blade was hot to the touch, but undamaged.
"That throw," Selene said, approaching him. "That was incredible. Reckless, but incredible."
"I didn't know what else to do."
"It worked. That's what matters." She looked at the dead Titan. "Though we're going to need to report this to the Guild. Rock Titans don't usually come this close to established roads. Something drove it here."
"Or someone," Kaida added quietly.
They all looked at her.
"Think about it. Bandit ambush yesterday, now a B-rank mana beast today? In the same stretch of road? That's too much coincidence."
"You think someone's trying to kill us?" Darion asked.
"Or trying to kill someone in our group." Kaida's eyes swept over them, lingering for just a moment on Nolan before moving to Corvus. "The question is: who, and why?"
She's not wrong, Diablo said. Two near-death experiences in two days. Either you're incredibly unlucky or someone knows you're here.
"That's paranoid."
Is it? The cult is still looking for you. They know you came to the capital. How hard would it be to track down a new adventurer with unusual power joining the Warriors Three?
The thought sent ice through Nolan's veins. Could they have found him already? Was he putting his team in danger just by being here?
"We should keep moving," Selene decided. "Whatever's going on, we're safer in Millhaven than out here in the open."
They resumed their journey, but the mood had shifted. Everyone was more alert now, more suspicious. Even Mira seemed nervous, though that could just be the normal reaction to nearly being killed by a Rock Titan.
As Millhaven grew closer, Nolan found himself thinking about what Kaida had said. Too much coincidence. But if someone was targeting them—targeting him—that meant danger would follow wherever he went.
Which meant everyone around him was at risk.
See? Diablo whispered. This is what happens when you try to have friends. You just endanger them.
For once, Nolan didn't have a good argument against that.
They reached Millhaven just as the sun began to set, the town's walls a welcome sight after two days of near-constant danger. Guards at the gate checked their credentials, accepted Corvus's merchant papers, and waved them through.
Inside, Millhaven was smaller than Eldoria but cleaner than Nolan expected—cobblestone streets, well-maintained buildings, people going about their evening business with casual normalcy.
Normal. Safe. Boring.
It was wonderful.
"There's an inn near the market square," Selene said. "Corvus is paying for our rooms tonight as part of the contract. We'll rest, resupply, and head back tomorrow."
"What about Mira?" Kaida asked.
The girl had been quiet since the Titan attack, staying close to the wagons. Now she looked uncertain, like she didn't know what to do with herself.
"My aunt's shop is in the craftsman's district," she said quietly. "I can find my way from here. Thank you—all of you. I'd be dead without your help."
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Kaida pressed.
"I'll manage. I always do." Mira offered a weak smile, then disappeared into the evening crowd.
They made their way to the inn—a sturdy building called the Golden Grain—and secured rooms. Corvus paid for everything with only minimal complaining, then retreated to his room to "recover from the trauma of nearly dying twice."
The Warriors Four gathered in the common room over dinner—hot stew, fresh bread, and ale that actually tasted good.
"So," Darion said, breaking the comfortable silence. "Tomorrow we head back?"
"Tomorrow we head back," Selene confirmed. "Different route, though. I'm not risking that road again."
"Think we'll have more trouble?"
"Hope not. But I'm planning for it anyway."
Nolan picked at his stew, exhaustion finally catching up with him. Two days of near-death experiences, using massive amounts of power, constantly fighting Diablo's influence—it was taking its toll.
"You should get some sleep," Kaida said, noticing his fatigue. "You burned through a lot of mana today. Your body needs time to recover."
"I'm fine."
"You're not. But you're stubborn." She smiled slightly. "Just like someone else I know."
She glanced at Selene, who rolled her eyes but didn't argue.
Nolan did eventually retreat to his room—small but clean, with a real bed that felt like luxury after sleeping on the ground. He collapsed onto it fully clothed, intending to just rest his eyes for a moment.
Sleep claimed him instantly.
For the first time in days, there were no nightmares. No visions of his family's deaths, no Diablo whispering temptations. Just deep, dreamless rest that his exhausted body desperately needed.
When he woke the next morning to sunlight streaming through the window, he felt almost human again.
Enjoy it while it lasts, Diablo said. Tomorrow we go back through contested territory. And I doubt it'll be as quiet as the trip here.
"Can't you just let me have one peaceful morning?"
Where's the fun in that?
Despite the voice in his head, Nolan found himself smiling as he got ready for the day.
One more day in Millhaven. Then the journey home.
He could handle that.