Drakon and Lucian led Mira through the forest, her hands still bound behind her back. The girl stumbled occasionally on the uneven ground, but neither man offered to help her.

As they walked, Mira broke the tense silence. "So, where are you two headed anyway? Must be somewhere important if you're this desperate to get your stuff back."

Drakon didn't even glance back at her. "That's none of your business. Just keep walking."

She snorted, a hint of her earlier bravado returning. "You know there's no point to this little transaction, right? As soon as you release me, we'll just hunt you down and kill you both."

Lucian raised an eyebrow, looking at the girl. "Is it really wise to tell us that? I mean, we're the ones with the upper hand here."

Mira fell silent.

After a moment, Drakon spoke up. "Even if we do release you, it won't matter. By the time this transaction is done, we'll be long gone. You won't find us."

"We’ll see about that."

The group lapsed into an uneasy silence as they continued their trek. The forest around them seemed to grow denser, the air heavy with moisture from the earlier rain.

As they crested a small hill, a thin column of smoke became visible in the distance, rising above the treetops.

Mira's eyes widened. "Looks like my friends are looking for me," she said, a hint of smugness in her voice. "They've probably noticed I'm missing by now."

"Then we'd better pick up the pace," Drakon gave Mira a small push forward. "Let's go. It's time to settle this."

"Hey, careful!"

"I don’t get it," Lucian muttered. "What is a group of teens suddenly became bandits? Where are your parents?"

"We’re orphans," Mira replied. "The streets are all we have now."

"Orphans, huh? That's rough."

"What happened to your parents?" Drakon asked.

"They're gone. Dead. We were on our own from a young age, forced to fend for ourselves."

"Who killed them?"

"Spartans."

"Spartans?" Lucian repeated, his brow furrowing. "What do you mean, the Spartans killed your parents?"

Mira's eyes narrowed. "What do you think I mean? The Spartan soldiers, they came through our village and slaughtered everyone."

"Are you sure it’s them?"

"Look, I know what I saw. The Spartans came through our village and killed my parents right in front of me."

"And those kids that are with you?" Drakon pressed. "They're all orphans from that same village?"

"Yes, we were all there that day. The Spartans showed no mercy - men, women, children, it didn't matter," Mira goes on. "They burned our homes, slaughtered our families. We were the only ones who managed to escape."

Lucian's usually calm expression hardened into a mask of anger and disbelief. He knew that the Spartans are cruel, but to dive to this low level of targeting innocent is something else. His gaze shifted to Drakon, hoping for some sort of understanding or shared shock, but the man's face remained stoic as if he didn't care or simply did not want to discuss it. Did he condone these actions, or was he just too hardened and numb to feel anything anymore?

"Uhm, old man," he whispered. "You can't seriously be okay with this?"

Drakon glanced over. "What do you want me to say, boy?"

"I don’t know. Anything would be fine."

"It’s a topic I really do not care about."

"How can you not care about innocent people being slaughtered? That goes against everything the Spartans stand for!"

"Listen, here's the truth about war," Drakon said. "Innocent people die all the time. It's brutal, it's tragic, but it's the reality. The Spartans may preach about honor and duty, but when it comes down to it, they'll do whatever it takes to win the war."

"So those people who were pillaged? Was that a war strategy?"

The old Spartan nodded. "Probably. Here’s my take on it; back in my days we did those things to prevent the enemy from resupplying."

"Scorched earth."

"Exactly. We would burn down villages, slaughter the people, and destroy their crops and livestock to starve out the enemy. It's a brutal but effective tactic."

Lucian felt his stomach twist in disgust, and to hear it so from someone who had participated in such atrocities gave him a new perspective on Drakon, one that was hard to reconcile with the man he had come to know as his mentor.

He swallowed the bile rising in his throat and tried to focus on the task at hand as they approached the bandit camp, Mira bound and stumbling between them.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Drakon tightened his grip on the girl's arm, his makeshift stone knife pressing against her neck. "Let's go," he growled, shoving her forward.

Lucian followed closely behind, his spears at the ready. His mind raced with the implications of Drakon's words, but he couldn't afford to dwell on them now. Survival was the priority.

As they neared the camp, Drakon turned to his apprentice. "Hide among the trees. If anyone tries to attack from behind, take them out."

He nodded, slipping into the shadows of the forest. He moved silently, his senses heightened, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

When Drakon and Mira came into view, the teenage bandits leapt to their feet. Swords were unsheathed, bows were drawn and aimed at the intruders.

"Na-uh," Drakon called out. "Don't even think about it, you little shits."

The tension was palpable. Lucian's grip tightened on his spears as he scanned the area for any sign of movement.

The old man leaned in close to Mira, his breath hot against her ear. "Tell them to put their weapons down. Now."

Mira hesitated, defiance flashing in her eyes. But as Drakon pressed the knife harder, she felt the sharp edge break skin. A trickle of blood ran down her neck.

"Put your weapons down," she called out, her voice strained but clear. "Do it now."

A boy stepped forward and said, "Mira, what—"

"Shut up, Talos," she snapped. "Just put them down. All of you."

The teens exchanged uneasy glances, but slowly lowered their weapons to the ground.

Lucian's attention was drawn to a flicker of movement in the periphery. Two boys were attempting to flank Drakon, creeping through the underbrush.

He readied his spear, muscles coiled, waiting for the right moment. As the boys lunged forward, he released his weapon with a swift motion.

It sliced through the air and buried itself in one boy's shoulder with a nauseating crunch. The impact sent the boy sprawling backward, hitting the ground with a bone-jarring thud, his scream piercing the air like a siren in agony.

His comrade, eyes wide with shock, stumbled back. Fear overtook any thoughts of heroism, and he turned tail and fled.

Lucian pulled out his other spear poised and ready. His eyes met Drakon's in a brief moment of understanding. The message was clear: no one would be sneaking up on them today.

"Anyone else feeling heroic?" Drakon called out. "I'd advise against it, unless you want to end up like your friend over there."

Silence fell over the camp, broken only by the wounded boy's whimpers. The teens exchanged nervous glances, their earlier bravado evaporating in the face of real danger.

"You've made your point," Talos said. "What do you want from us?

Drakon's grip on Mira tightened, causing her to wince. "First things first. I want all of you to tie yourselves up. Nice and tight."

The teens looked at each other, confused. Some opened their mouths to protest, but Mira cut them off. "Just do what he says!" she yelled. "Trust me on this."

Talos hesitated. "We can't just-"

"Shut up and do it," Mira snapped. "All of you. Now."

Reluctantly, the teens began to comply. Their fingers slipped on the ropes as they looped and twisted the strands around their wrists. Each knot tightened with a reluctant pull, the fibers creaking under the strain.

"Hurry up," Drakon barked. "We don't have all day."

As the teens worked, Lucian emerged from his hiding spot, keeping his remaining spear at the ready. He approached the boy he had wounded, who was now curled up in a fetal position, sobbing.

"What should we do with him?" he asked, gesturing towards the injured teen.

"Tie him up too. Make sure the wound isn't life-threatening."

Lucian nodded, kneeling beside the boy and examining the injury. The wound was deep, but it had missed any vital areas.

"I'm sorry, kid," he muttered, yanking the spear from the boy's shoulder, blood spurting out as the spear slid free. "But you shouldn't have tried to play the hero."

Lucian then grabbed a rough cloth and pressed it firmly onto the wound before he wrapped it around the shoulder, staunching the flow of blood. Without a moment's hesitation, he seized the boy's hands, binding them together.

Meanwhile, the other teens had finished tying themselves up and sat in a loose circle.

"Good," Drakon surveyed the scene. "Now that we've all calmed down, we can discuss the terms of your release."

"Terms?" Talos spat. "You're the ones who attacked us!"

"After you robbed us," Lucian cut him off. "Don't act like you're the victims here."

Drakon lowered Mira to the ground, keeping his makeshift knife close at hand. "Don't try anything stupid. Hey, boy. Let’s go get our things."

"Don’t mind if I do," Lucian approached the pile of stolen goods."Let's make this quick."

"Sure, let’s go."

They began sorting through the items, tossing aside unfamiliar objects and reclaiming their own possessions. Lucian let out a small sigh of relief as he found his pack, rifling through it to ensure everything was still there.

"Our map's missing," he said, frowning. "Where is it?"

Talos, still defiant despite his bonds, sneered. "Maybe you lost it."

Drakon fixed the boy with a cold stare. "I suggest you tell us where it is, unless you want things to get unpleasant."

"It's in the blue satchel by the fire pit," Mira spoke up. "We thought it might be valuable."

Lucian retrieved the map, folding it and tucking it away. "Thanks."

As they continued to gather their belongings, Drakon kept a watchful eye on the teens. The injured boy had stopped crying, now lying still with his eyes squeezed shut.

"We should do something about his wound," Lucian said.

"There are some extra cloths in my pack. Wrap it up quickly."

"Ok."

As Lucian tended to the boy's injury, Drakon finished collecting their gear. He double-checked everything, ensuring they hadn't missed anything crucial. "That's everything. Now for the horses."

They located their mounts tethered at the edge of the camp. The animals nickered softly as they approached, clearly relieved to see their owners.

Preparing to leave, Mira spoke up. "You're just going to leave us like this?"

The old man halted and swiveled his horse. With a flick of his wrist, he threw his knife unto the ground with a dull thud. "Here."

"That’s it?"

"Yeah, what’s the matter?"

"How am I going to reach that?"

"I’m sure you’ll think of something. You guys are resourceful."

"That’s not what I meant."

"Anyways, we wish we could chat a little more but we have things to do. Consider this a lesson in choosing your targets more carefully."

Lucian finished securing their packs to the horses, then swung himself into the saddle. "For what it's worth. I'm sorry about your parents. What happened to your village... it wasn't right."

Before any of the teens could respond, Drakon cut in. "Let's go. We've wasted enough time here."

With a final glance at the group, Lucian nudged his horse forward and rode out of the camp at a brisk trot.