The woman was nowhere in sight. Fear gripped Evan’s chest as he scanned the surrounding forest, his eyes darting between the trees and the fallen bodies of the assailants.

“Damn it! Where did they take her?” Evan’s mind raced with possibilities. His instincts urged him to find her, to ensure her safety, but the vastness of the forest made it seem an impossible task. His thoughts started returning to the last time he was in a similar place. “Lily…” Choked Evan, his voice barely a whisper.

Ardentrex’s voice cut through his desperation. “Focus, human. You cannot let emotions cloud your judgment. Search for clues, tracks, anything that gives us a direction.”

Evan took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. He approached the fallen assailants, examining the area for any signs of the woman’s whereabouts. The forest floor was littered with fallen leaves, making it challenging to spot any distinct tracks.

As he circled the clearing, Evan’s eyes spotted a torn piece of fabric caught on a branch. It looked like a fragment of the woman’s clothing. Rushing, he followed the path as it led him deeper into the forest, the small pieces of torn fabric becoming a breadcrumb trail through the dense foliage. Evan’s senses jumped at every noise as he scanned for signs, the urgency to find the woman driving him forward.

The forest seemed to close in around him, the trees almost whispering to him as the breeze passed through their leaves as he passed. His mind, now clear of the recent battle, focused solely on the task. The rhythmic sound of his footsteps matched the anxious beating of his heart.

Evan stopped, crouching, as he observed a part of the forest where someone had set up a makeshift camp. A small fire smouldered nearby. The woman he was looking for was bound to a tree, her eyes wide with fear. Evan’s jaw tightened at the sight.

“Ardentrex, do you sense anyone nearby?” Thought Evan.

“Why should I help you? You keep refusing my request.” Came Ardentrex’s voice. “I could just fight you for control. It would be, oh so easy.”

“I told you already. Not until I repay my debt. Besides. Even if you try to take control. We both know that my body cannot survive your magic.” Evan replied.

“That is still not an answer, human.”

“Yes. Ok. Yes, I will go to this village or whatever you call it. But not until I have finished with the guild.” Thought Evan.

“Fine, I will accept this. For now. Do not test my patience. Now let me see. No. I do not sense anyone nearby other than the woman.” Came Ardentrex’s voice.

“Thank you.” Muttered Evan as he approached the campsite cautiously. A soft chuckle slipped out. “Ha. Why did I get stuck with the psychotic dragon spirit.”

Evan surveyed the area, looking for hidden traps or threats before moving out from behind the tree. The assailants seemed to have abandoned the camp in haste, leaving the woman behind. Moving across the camp quietly, Evan cut the ropes binding her.

The remnants of the camp told a story of urgency. The fire, now reduced to smouldering embers, had been left unattended. Evan noticed the scattered belongings and the haphazardly discarded weapons. The assailants had left in a rush, leaving behind clues of their departure.

“Are you okay?” Evan asked, his voice filled with concern.

The woman nodded, tears streaming down her face. “Thank you. Thank you for saving me.”

Evan offered a reassuring smile. “We need to get you back to Sylvanreach. It’s not safe here. Here, let me help you up. What’s your name?”

“Thank you. My name is Isolde. Isolde Duskmire.” Said Isolde, standing.

“Isolde. It’s ok. You are safe now. You can call me Evan.” replied Evan as he took all of her in. Her once pristine gown now bore traces of the forest’s ordeal, its shimmering surface now dusted with earth and twigs. Isolde’s locks of auburn hair, tousled and windswept, framed her face like a crown of autumn leaves, and her emerald eyes that met his held a sadness that Evan knew all too well.

“Where did the people who attacked you go?” Asked Evan, turning to hide his gaze, focusing on the forest floor around him.

“There were only two of them left, they left after they tied me to that tree. I’ve never seen two people so scared. It was almost like they were running from death.” Replied Isolde with a shiver. “Did my sister send you?”

“Hmm, hopefully, that means they won’t be back.” Sighed Evan in relief. “I don’t know who your sister is. No one sent me here, I just stumbled across your carriage being attacked and decided to help. Though I don’t want to stay here if they choose to return. Let’s get moving ok. Here, I’ll lead, you follow me. If anyone attacks, stay back. I’ll protect you ok.”

As they made their way through the dense forest, Evan couldn’t shake off the sense of someone watching him. The distant echoes of creatures hidden in the shadows and the rustle of leaves seemed to scare Isolde with each sound. The forest’s scent, a mixture of pine and damp earth, enveloped them. Evan noted that it seemed to calm Isolde down.

Isolde clutched a piece of her torn gown, her eyes darting nervously between the trees. Evan sensed her reluctance to speak, the fear of the kidnapping weighing heavily on her.

“Where are you from, Isolde?” Evan asked, stumbling over his words as he awkwardly held up a branch for her to duck under.

“Huh. Oh. I ah. I grew up in Arcadia. My father is a scholar, and my mother is a well-known enchanter.”

“You’re lucky. I grew up in a small town. Ah,” Evan stammered, feeling an unmistakable nervousness and fluster taking over his words.

Isolde furrowed her brow. “Oh, really? Which town?”

Evan’s eyes widened, and he desperately tried to change the subject. “Ah, well, you know. It’s just a tiny place on the outskirts of nowhere. Not worth mentioning. Let’s focus on getting you back to Sylvanreach, shall we?”

“Ok.” Chuckled Isolde. “You keep your mystery.”

“Real smooth human.” Came Ardentrex’s voice, laughing along with Isolde. “You are terrible at talking to females.”

“Shit up, Ardentrex. It isn’t that I can’t talk to them. It’s just I have never… Shut up. I am not discussing this.” Thought Evan as he heard Ardentrex’s booming laughter.

After walking in silence for a while, they entered the clearing where Evan had first come across the attack. The bodies were still scattered around the overturned carriage. The stench of blood and decay hung heavy in the air.

Evan spotted Gromm, towering over the fallen bodies of the guards, his massive hands rifling through their belongings. Isolde’s face contorted in rage at the sight of someone desecrating the dead.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Hey! By the goddess. What do you think you’re doing?” Isolde shouted, her voice a mix of anger and disgust.

Gromm turned, his expression unreadable beneath the heavy mane of unkempt hair that framed his face. His eyes, however, revealed a primal intelligence that matched his appearance. Evan stepped forward, placing himself between Isolde and the imposing figure.

“Easy, Isolde. Let me handle this,” Evan whispered to her, trying to keep her fury in check.

“Why are you picking through their stuff? Have you no decency?” Isolde continued, her voice trembling with anger.

Gromm grunted, his gaze shifting from Isolde to Evan. “These dead men don’t need their belongings anymore. You never know what useful things one might find.”

Evan felt the tension rise. “You can’t just loot the dead. Have some respect for the fallen.”

Gromm’s lips curled into a sneer. “Respect? Ha. I don’t care for human sentiment. Unlike the corpses they belonged to, these things can be useful to me.”

Isolde, unable to contain her anger, took a step forward. “You heartless brute! How can you be so cold?”

Gromm’s eyes narrowed, and he lunged at Evan without warning. The sheer force of Gromm’s attack sent Evan sprawling backward. The fight erupted in a chaotic dance of fists and desperation. Evan tried to block Gromm’s blows, his agility poorly matching Gromm’s brute strength.

“What are you doing? Stop this.” Shouted Isolde, but her pleas were meant with silence, as the fight intensified.

Gromm’s movements were relentless, and Evan struggled to keep up as the rain of blows kept him on the back foot. The forest echoed with the sounds of their grunts and the rustle of leaves as they exchanged blows. Evan knew he was agile but physically outmatched. Slowly giving back he found himself battered and bruised.

“You think you can challenge me?” the hulking figure bellowed, delivering a powerful blow, smashing into Evan’s face, and sending him to the ground with a crash. Pain pulsed through Evan’s body as he struggled to rise.

“Please stop.” Pleaded Isolde. Neither of the two listened as Gromm prepared for another strike.

Evan rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding Gromm’s attack. Despite his injuries, the black dots dancing across his vision, Evan’s determination burned bright. “I can’t take much more of this.” Thought Evan. “I need a better approach. His is just too big.”

Evan slipped under the next swing, as he dodged around Gromm. Trying to get Gromm to move. To chase after him. “Come on then.” Shouted Evan, ducking under another wide swing. “Ha, you couldn’t hit the side of a mountain, you dimwitted goblin ball sack. I bet your mother was a stupid goblin shit stain as well.”

“I will kill you.” Screamed Gromm, his face twisted in rage. “No one insults my mother!

“Not sure if you are trying to get him angry. But it worked.” Said Ardentrex’s voice.

Evan delivered a swift counterattack as their struggle intensified, each blow sounded like thunder. Evan rolled under another wide swing. Picking up a branch from the ground. He swung it as hard as he could. The wood shattered as it connected with Gromm’s chin. The force of the blow forced Gromm to his knees.

Evan quickly stepped forward and drove his knee into Gromm’s chin repeatedly.

Gromm rolled away, shaking his head as he spat a mouthful of blood, Evan quickly drew his sword and readied himself. Gromm grunted. Sensing the tide turning against him, roared with fury. “You’ll pay for this, little human!” as he stepped back and turned, sprinting away into the depths of the forest, swearing revenge as he ran.

Evan collapsed to the ground, catching his breath. as he slid the sword back into its scabbard. Isolde rushed to his side, concern etched across her face. The forest, once again, fell into an uneasy silence, disrupted only by Evan’s laboured breaths and Gromm’s distant, echoing growls.

“I’m sorry.” Cried Isolde. “This is my fault. He only attacked because of me.”

Evan pulled her into a hug. “It’s ok. No hard done. He and I don’t have a good history. This was bound to happen sooner or later.” Said Evan, his voice still shaking and he tried to calm Isolde down.

“I. I just couldn’t stand to watch him searching through the bodies of people I have known.” Replied Isolde, holding Evan tighter as her sobs racked her body.

“Don’t worry ok.” I told you I would protect you didn’t I?”

Isolde nodded. Opening her eyes as she realised that Evan was moving his hand up and down her back. Her cheeks flushed with her embarrassment, as she pushed away from Evan.

“Th… Thank you.” Can we please continue to Sylvanreach? We need to arrange for someone to come and lay the bodies to rest.” Said Isolde, as she turned to hide her face.

“Yeah, sure. Ok.” Replied Evan in confusion. “Did I do something wrong?”

“What. No. No, nothing is wrong.” Stated Isolde quickly. “Which way do we go.”

“Ah, this way.” Said Evan, pointing off to the right of the clearing. His face still held a confused look as he watched Isolde walk ahead.

“You have no idea about women do you human.” Came Ardentrex’s voice with a chuckle.

“Shut up,” replied Evan as he followed after Isolde.

The sunlight filtered through the leaves overhead, dappling the ground with patches of warmth as Evan and Isolde walked. The air carried the scent of pine and damp earth, a comforting mixture that seemed to ease Isolde’s nerves. Evan, however, remained lost in thought, his face still etched with confusion from the encounter with Gromm.

“Why was he even out here?” Thought Evan. Nothing about them finding him at the attack site made sense. “Was he told in advance or did he just stumble across the site?”

As they ventured deeper, the trees seemed to close in around them, their branches forming a protective canopy overhead. The rustling leaves created a symphony of nature that underscored the fragile peace that hung in the air. Isolde clutched a torn piece of her gown, her eyes darting nervously between the trees. Evan could sense that she was still shaken. He knew it would still sit heavy on her shoulders, like a burden, one that she wouldn’t be able to remove for quite some time.

As Isolde and Evan reached the forest’s edge, the sun, descending in the distance, bathed the outer walls in a warm, orange glow, casting a serene light over the scene. Evan’s eyes shifted between the city and Isolde, observing the mix of relief and emotion on her face as she wiped away a tear.

The outer stonewalls of Sylvanreach stood sturdy, weathered by time and bearing the scars of countless stories. Moss clung to the crevices, adding a touch of natural artistry to the otherwise formidable structure. Vines adorned the walls, weaving a tapestry of green against the aged stone. The sunlight, now dancing on the surface, highlighted the intricate textures of the impressive feat of construction.

“I never felt so happy to see Sylvanreach as I am right now.” Said Isolde as she raised her hands, trying to stop the tears. “I bet Elara is so worried.”

“Who?” Asked Evan.

“Elara Duskmire. My sister. I was travelling here to see her. My family has a house here and she came to get experience as an adventurer. She should have taken her exam to get a guild card by now. I bet she is so worried.” replied Isolde. Lifting her dress skirt, she started running down the path that led to the main gate.

“Hey wait up.” Shouted Evan as she started jogging after her.

“Did she mean the Elara? The Elara that was part of my exam group?” Asked Evan to no one.

Evan had almost caught up to Isolde just as she reached the soldiers at the gate. “Help me. Please, help me.” cried Isolde. “My carriage was attacked. They tried to kidnap me. A man was trying to rob the dead bodies.”

The soldiers at the gate drew their weapons and stepped in front of Evan as he ran up, forcing him to stop short. “You there. Stop. What have you done to miss Isolde? Why are you chasing her?” Came an angry voice from one of them.

“Get the sergeant.” shouted another.

“What? What do you mean? I saved her. Hey, why are you pointing the spears at me? I’ve done nothing wrong here.” Shouted Evan. “Isolde tell them.”

“They… They killed everyone. We need to collect the bodies.” Sobbed Isolde. “Please.”

The sergeant at arms stepped out of a nearby door, wiping his face as he put his arm around Isolde and began to lead her away. “Arrange a quest to collect the bodies.” He called. “And hold Evan until we can sort everything out.”

“Everyone is dead.” Sobbed Isolde as she was led into an open door just inside the Stonewalled gatehouse. Her voice faded away as she continued to cry. “They killed the horses….”

“Hey. Wait. I killed the bandits who attacked the carriage.” Shouted Evan. “Isolde tell them.”

Evan's thoughts raced. “Why am I the one they are suspicious of? Surely they don’t think I did this?”

“It would look to them like you might be responsible for this.” Said Ardentrex’s voice. “You said you were heading deeper into the forest this morning. Now they see you chasing a woman, crying for help. You don’t even have the Silverbane we were meant to collect. Surely, even you can see why they are suspicious.”

“Shit.” Said Evan out loud.

“Shut up you. We will deal with you later. You better hope you haven’t done anything to hurt Miss Isolde.” Said the closet guard

“Hey didn’t that Gromm guy say he was attacked by someone in the forest when he was trying to help a woman?” Asked a different guard.

“Yeah, that’s right. It was you, wasn’t it.” Shouted the first guard. “Grab him.”

Evan jumped back as he tried to avoid the hands grabbing for him. Hesitating if he should draw his sword, one of the guards grabbed him from behind, slamming him into the ground.

“Night. Night.” Came a cold voice as Evan watched the butt of a spear slam into his head.

“You are still pathetic human,” said Ardentrex, as the world went dark, the pain from the blow quickly overwhelmed Evan’s senses.