Kaelen Stormhunter was sick and tired of listening to Tharin complain. They had been riding for over three hours since leaving the last village, and Tharin still hadn't stopped grumbling about losing money on the last trade.
"How am I supposed to make a living when we’re yanked back so soon? This is ridiculous!" Tharin whined, his voice grating on Kaelen’s nerves. Normally, Kaelen would be content on journeys like this—away from his father and brother, with time to read and enjoy the peace—but today, peace seemed like a distant dream.
“Tharin, will you shut up already? We all lost money on these trades!” Karn, the lead merchant, barked back, shooting an irritated glance over his shoulder. His light bronze skin, weathered from years beneath the sun, was cracked and wrinkled. His raccoon-like ears twitched with annoyance, the fur there and on his striped tail flecked with gray. The patches of faded fur on his body, now silvering with age, gave him the look of someone wise but worn. Still, despite his frustration, Karn carried himself with the authority of a seasoned trader, though it was clear even he was getting fed up with Tharin’s endless griping.
“Yeah, but come on, Karn! We were just making a killing with those humans! Who knew that Skylift pottery would sell so well in a backwater like this? Why did the Matriarch have to call us back so soon? This is insane!” Tharin continued, voice rising in frustration. “Ithra, isn’t there anything more you can tell us?” He shouted toward the scout who had arrived earlier with the urgent summons.
Even Kaelen had to admit he was curious. In his nineteen years, he could count on one hand the number of times an emergency recall like this had happened, the last being when the old Guard Commander died—over twelve years ago when he was just seven. Whatever this was, it had to be serious.
Karn muttered something under his breath, his temper barely restrained. “You think I don’t wonder the same thing, Tharin? But orders are orders. So quit your whining before I stuff your mouth with the rest of that pottery.”
"No need to be so rude, Karn. Maybe the lovely Ilthra would care to explain a bit more?" Tharin said with a grin, directing his comment to Ilthra, the rabbit Beast Kin scout riding ahead. She was on the smaller side, barely five feet tall, with fluffy white hair, twitching ears, and a fuzzy tail. Despite her cute appearance, she was vicious with the twin swords on her hips, and her mouth could put a sailor to shame.
Ilthra didn’t even glance back at Tharin, her sharp eyes scanning the trees around them, as if she hadn’t heard him. But when she spoke, her voice sliced through the air like one of her swords.
“Tharin, the day I ask the Matriarch why she makes her decisions will be the same day I sleep with your ugly, bear-fat ass. So do us all a favor and shut that ass-flap you call a mouth,” she snapped, her words biting and laced with venom. The group around the carriages erupted into laughter, the adults chuckling at Tharin’s expense, minus Kaelen, who remained quiet but couldn’t help feeling a bit sorry for the poor bear.
Tharin’s usual bravado faltered, his expression slipping into shock as the words hit him like a slap. He had been trying to charm Ilthra since they were teens, to no avail. His face flushed as the laughter rippled through the group, his earlier confidence deflating. He slowed his horse and trotted over to Kaelen, who patted him sympathetically on the back.
“You’d think by now I’d learn to keep my mouth shut,” Tharin muttered, his spirits visibly dampened.
Karn let out a snort, still amused. “You? Learn? Not in this lifetime, Tharin.”
As the group continued down the dark road, their laughter faded into the night, but the sting of Ilthra’s words still lingered in the air. Thrain slowly fell back next to Kaelen, looking a bit teary-eyed and upset
“Don’t take it to heart, Tharin. You know how she is,” Kaelen said, patting his friend’s backt.
Tharin looked up, the hurt still lingering in his eyes but slowly shaking it off with a nod. “Yeah, you’re right. I guess I should be used to it by now,” he said, managing a weak chuckle. “But I know she knows something. Have you seen how on edge the guards and scouts have been? We could’ve stayed for another day, but they insisted we leave that night. The kids in the carriages are barely asleep, and we had to offload most of the goods dirt cheap just to lighten the load. Something’s going on.”
Kaelen’s brow furrowed. He hadn’t thought about it that way. Traveling at night wasn’t unusual for their kind. Beast Kin had excellent night vision and could smell trouble long before it arrived. But the hurried departure, the tension in the air. It was strange.
“Yeah, maybe they’re keeping something from us,” Kaelen mused. “Or maybe Ilthra’s just waiting for the perfect moment to spill the secret after making you squirm a little longer,” he added, a smirk tugging at his lips.
Tharin snorted, some of his usual humor returning. “Well, if I make enough from the next trade, maybe I’ll finally be able to buy her affection.”
Kaelen laughed softly. “You’d have better luck buying Karn’s love at this point,” he teased.
Tharin laughed along, the slump finally lifting from his broad shoulders. “Ha! You’re probably right. At least Karn appreciates a good meal.”
But then his expression sobered as he glanced ahead, his voice dropping. “Still… something’s not right. This feels like more than just a trade gone bad. We should keep our eyes open. Whatever’s going on, it’s bigger than we think.”
The weight of Tharin’s words hung between them as they continued down the road, their easy banter replaced by an uneasy silence.
Kaelen, a Deer Kin, had good night vision like most of the others—except for the Squirrel Kin, who mostly stayed in the carriages. But even with that advantage, traveling at night carried its risks. If it weren’t for the increased number of guards and scouts, Kaelen would have felt much more nervous. He tried reassuring Tharin that things were fine, but a sharp whistle pierced the air, making everyone freeze in their tracks.
Ilthra and several scouts leapt off their horses in an instant. Captain Orin, the Wolf Kin in charge of security, barked orders to his guards to spread out and surround the caravan. Kaelen strained to hear what Ilthra and Orin were discussing, but before he could make out the words, she and the other scouts bolted into the woods, disappearing within seconds.
Kaelen’s heart thudded in his chest as the tension gripped the caravan. Tharin, no longer joking, moved quickly. He reached into his Dimensional Pouch, pulling out a mace, and positioned himself behind the guards but in front of the rear carriage. Other fighting merchants formed a smaller circle around the carriages, ready for whatever was coming.
Kaelen moved swiftly, albeit clumsily, as he climbed onto the top of one of the carriages. His hooves slipped slightly before he steadied himself, drawing his wand. Though he was supposed to be a hunter—he even had a level in it—everyone knew, much to his father's dismay, that his true strength lay in magic. With three Level 1 spells and a few cantrips at his disposal, Kaelen’s eyes scanned the surrounding darkness, his muscles tense. Whatever was lurking out there had to be serious.
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Below him, Tharin had positioned himself at the back entrance of the carriage, his mace drawn, eyes wide but focused. His usual easygoing nature had disappeared, replaced by a readiness that Kaelen rarely saw.
“Stay sharp, Kaelen,” Tharin muttered, his voice tense and low, no hint of his usual jokes.
Kaelen nodded, his heart pounding as his night vision kicked in. The shadows rippled with uncertainty, and the scouts, including Ilthra, had vanished into the woods far too quickly for comfort. Something was definitely out there.
Everyone stared out into the woods, waiting for the scouts to return. Kaelen’s nerves were on edge as he felt the subtle activation of magic rippling through the carriages. The cloth covers hardened into something more like reinforced wood, and the horses’ leather-draped sides, meant to protect them from arrows, shifted slightly. This wasn’t the first time they had been attacked—bandits and monsters were a known threat—but this felt different. The guards were unusually tense, and even Captain Orin, typically calm under pressure, was scanning the trees with anxious, jerky movements.
Time seemed to crawl. Although it had only been a few minutes since they got into position, it felt like hours. Kaelen’s eyes were locked on the treeline, trying to focus, when he noticed a flicker of movement to his right—a light crunch of leaves. His eyes widened. Just as he was about to shout a warning, a bolt shot out from the shadows, aimed directly at him.
He ducked instinctively, the bolt whizzing past him so close he felt the air shift. Before he could call out, a blinding ball of flame exploded among the guards, setting the night alight and sending screams echoing through the woods. Chaos erupted in an instant—men burst from the treeline, rushing the guards with weapons raised, blades clashing violently.
Kaelen scrambled back to his feet, heart pounding, and aimed his wand at the charging attackers. Distinguishing them was easy—their attackers were human. He fired off a series of Magic Missiles, each dart streaking through the air and hitting its target with precision. One struck an attacker in the chest, another in the leg, giving the nearby guards the opening they needed to strike.
Sweat beaded on Kaelen’s forehead, each spell draining a bit of his energy. His hands shook as he aimed again, focusing hard to keep up with the relentless assault. Amid the chaos, a shout from Tharin reached his ears—faint, nearly lost in the cacophony of battle.
“Duck, you Rat-brained Fucker!” Tharin bellowed, his voice cutting through the noise.
Kaelen glanced over, noticing a group of crossbowmen aiming right at him. Panic surged through him, and he threw himself off the carriage just as a barrage of bolts zipped through the air where he had been standing. One bolt slammed into his calf, and pain shot up his leg, making him scream as he hit the ground, flailing. He tried to get up, but the pain was intense his leg barely able to support his weight.
Before he could struggle further, Tharin rushed over, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him upright. “Stay down, you idiot! Don’t you remember anything? Shooting out in the open makes you an easy target!” Tharin’s voice was sharp, but Kaelen could hear the concern behind the words.
Kaelen winced, knowing Tharin was right, but he wasn’t a real fighter. Not like Tharin or the guards. He fumbled for balance, his leg screaming in pain as he tried to move. As he helped the guards at the front, a shout came from behind.
“They’re surrounding us!!” someone yelled, panic rising in the air. More fighters attacked from the other side, flanking the caravan. A group in black and red armor rode in on horseback, cutting through the guards with brutal efficiency. From one of the lead horsemen, Kaelen heard a chilling command.
“Kill the guards! Keep the women and children to sell. Don’t you fucking hurt the merchandise!”
Kaelen’s eyes widened in horror, heart pounding in his chest as Tharin pushed forward, joining the guards in battle. With every step, Kaelen could feel the searing pain in his calf, but he couldn’t stop. He reached into his pouch, pulled out a numbing potion, and chugged it down. The relief was immediate—the burning pain dulled to a distant throb, just enough for him to move more freely.
As Kaelen made his way toward Orin, a shadow loomed to his side. He turned just in time to see an attacker charging at him, sword raised high. Instinct kicked in, and Kaelen raised his wand, firing a Magic Missile directly at the assailant. The magical dart hit the man square in the head through his eye, dropping him to the ground with a sickening thud.
Breathing heavily, Kaelen pushed forward through the chaos. The battle was relentless, but the numbing potion kept him going. Tharin fought like a beast, taking down attackers left and right, but they were surrounded. Kaelen continued firing spells as best as he could, the weight of the situation pressing down on him as he pushed through the swirling chaos toward Orin.
Kaelen saw Orin, the Wolf Kin captain, expertly cut down two attackers with swift, deliberate strikes, his sword and shield moving in perfect rhythm. Orin’s skill was undeniable, but the sheer number of enemies closing in was starting to overwhelm even him.
“Slavers! They’re slavers!” Kaelen shouted, trying to warn him.
Orin barely acknowledged the call, his attention focused on the three attackers advancing on him. He blocked one sword with his shield, the force of the blow making his arm tremble, while he deflected another strike with his own blade. Sweat gleamed on his forehead as he dodged a thrust from the third attacker, but the pressure was mounting.
The three slavers coordinated their attacks, forcing Orin to parry, block, and counter in quick succession. His movements were sharp and precise, but the relentless assault was beginning to wear him down. One slaver’s blade grazed his side, and though Orin quickly retaliated, cutting the man down, the other two pressed in.
Orin grunted as he blocked another heavy blow, the impact rattling his shield. He managed to strike back, landing a slash across one attacker’s arm, but the third slaver was quick, darting in with a wild swing. Orin barely deflected the strike with his sword, the strain showing in the tightness of his jaw. He was giving ground, step by step, his back almost to the carriage.
“Shatter Plan Gold! Move!” Orin bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Kaelen froze for a moment, the weight of the command sinking in. Gold. That was the second-highest threat level, something they had been trained to recognize, though Kaelen had never expected to hear it. Panic surged through him as the guards swiftly shifted to the other side of the carriages, pushing the slavers back. The canvas covers of the carriages were yanked down, and the children were rushed out and toward the woods in a blur of movement.
Kaelen followed, heart pounding as the guards formed a protective barrier to cover their retreat. He fired a Magic Missile at an attacker who lunged for one of the children, the magical dart hitting the slaver square in the chest, knocking him back. The kids were quickly pushed into the woods, disappearing into the undergrowth.
Suddenly, a flare of magic erupted from the carriages, followed by a deafening boom that shook the ground beneath them. The explosion blinded the slavers, but not the retreating Beast Kin. They covered their eyes just in time, using the moment of confusion to escape deeper into the woods.
Kaelen ran behind the children as they scattered into smaller groups, the guards holding off the slavers in a fierce struggle. Tharin was beside him, his breath coming in ragged gasps as they sprinted through the trees. After several tense minutes, they finally stopped near a secluded spot, a small clearing hidden among dense undergrowth. Two children had broken off with them, moving quickly and quietly.
“Here,” Tharin gasped, pulling out a camouflaged cover from his pack. They spread it out over the ground, laying low and hiding themselves beneath the fabric. Kaelen did the same, his breath steadying as they melted into their surroundings.
Even though they had made it this far, the danger still loomed close. Kaelen could hear the distant sounds of fighting as the guards and remaining fighters cleared a path for the children’s escape, holding back the slavers with everything they had. All Kaelen could do now was hope they’d bought enough time for everyone to disappear safely into the night
The Shatter Plan was designed for rapid emergency escapes, with "Gold" indicating they must stay hidden for 12 hours. It also meant the carriages would be destroyed by hidden magical devices, and the guards would sacrifice themselves to hold off the attackers. Kaelen lay still, his leg throbbing until he downed a numbing potion, knowing there wasn’t time for proper healing. Everyone remained silent under their camouflaged coverings, waiting for the signal to emerge—the code phrase "Crystal Forge" in the old Beast Kin tongue. Until then, they could only trust the plan and hope.