A soft nudge hits my shoulder; my eyes shoot wide open only to see Lukia having her hand pressed against my mouth. A finger on her lips to let me know to stay quiet. Her eyes lock to the side, staring at the dark woods. There's something there, more than one set of footsteps, humanoid; I can hear them approaching slowly.

"It's a small group; they sound aggressive from their posture; bandits, are my guess. I will pretend to head back to bed, but you need to alert Celia quietly; we must let them think we are asleep. When they get close, we strike." Lukia gently lowers her hand and turns to the side, imitating being asleep.

Without looking suspicious, I slowly wiggle toward Celia and bring my face close to hers; my hand gently grasps her mouth. She shakes awake, alerted; I quickly steady her movements and cause her to relax, not make a scene. The bright red hue of her eyes stares directly into mine as I stare back and softly whisper to her about the bandits.

"Be quiet, bandits approaching; Lukia is ready to strike when they get close, so do your best not to rouse their suspicion. When they get close, we cut them down and fast. I will roll to my side; when I do, take my dagger and be ready to attack." She gently nods to my words. I remove my hand and slowly toss to my side, her hand brushes down my back to find the dagger strapped behind my back and draws the blade from the sheath. She cradles the blade close and conceals it.

A moment passes as the campfire has dwindled to tiny embers, barely lighting up the area. The stress of anticipation began to swell inside my stomach. I needed to breathe, but I felt like I was coughing or vomiting. My hands trembled; the trauma of my past began to seethe into my mind. And a single thought pressed into my mind.

Was I ready to kill someone?

I had killed before, but was the lingering feeling of death catching up to me?

Can I protect my companions? Will I be able to?

There's a snap—the sound of twigs breaking under a foot. There was a moment of silence before the sensation of murderous intent loomed over me. It was time. Without a moment to think, I shot awake, drew my sword from its sheath, and plunged it deep inside the chest of a man. His eyes are wide open as the crimson spray of his blood splattered all over my hands and face. My breathing was heavy, my hands shaking violently, my mind racing; it was a blur. In the back of my mind... I felt it. The sickening feeling of this pleasure. The pleasure of taking a life, the joy that dragged my previous life into hell. Sato Haruki, the Headhunter, smiled with glee.

"CALEB!"

I snapped back, looking upon the dead body of a lowly bandit. His body is limp, and standing on his feet, the weight begins to push me around. I look over to see Lukia grappling with one of the bandits; he raises his short sword and swipes at her neck. She catches it with her blade but is quickly tackled to the ground by another assailant.

The one who called my name, Celia, drives the dagger in her hand deep into the throat of another bandit; two now lay dead at her feet as she is grabbed and thrown into a tree before being pinned by another. There were more bandits hidden elsewhere, totaling about eight. Three are dead, five remain.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

"Grrah! Get off me!" Lukia screams as the two bandits quickly restrain her. Their faces filled with disgustful glee and lust.

"Lukia!" I shout, kicking the body off my blade; his body gives one last bloodied spray that hits across my neck and chest. A sharp pain hits me in my back. My legs go limp as I am falling. No, I was launched into the air. There is a solid second as I stay in the air before I slam face-first into the rough ground and roll to my side, unable to breathe. I struggle and claw at my throat before a wave of blood pushes out my throat and onto the ground. I hack and cough violently as I feel my ribcage is broken.

Approaching me was possibly the leader of these bandits, a tall, scarred man looming with a massive iron club. A smirk across his face as he grabbed my head; his hand was as big as nearly most of my entire head.

"Caleb!" Celia tries to call out but is quickly pinned down by the last remnants of this troop of bandits. Without any hesitation, they lusted onto her, grabbing her chest and thighs. Their goal is clear, and their minds vile.

The other bandits begin to assault Lukia the same. A fire begins to burn inside my chest. The pain numbed over by adrenaline, fear, and rage consumed me. A hideous laughter bellowed from the massive human who clutched me in his grasp.

"You may have done a number on my boys, but like I give a shit! We will relish in our spoils no matter what happens as long as we still live! Boys! Give these bitches a night to remember! Don't be shy! I don't mind seconds this time..."

"Don't mind if we do, boss! Come on! Help me get her clothes off! I want a piece now!"

"N...No!!" Both girls scream. Within me, my blood began to boil. The scent of blood and blind rage filled my mind. Struggling to free myself, I gripped on his hand hard and kicked at his chest.

"Oh, don't worry kid! We won't do a thing on you, we know you are some sort of royalty, with that insignia and all. We can make a pretty coin on your head if we sell you to the Iron Chains; I hear they pay extra for nobility."

"I won't let you touch them!" I burst out, and hidden in my boot was a tiny dagger; I slipped it into my hand and slammed the blade into his hand. He reacts to the pain, but he doesn't let me go. Without a moment to pass, he grabs my hand and grips hard to cause my arm to crack. I yell in pain and drop the dagger; it hits the ground with a thud and rolls to its side.

"You little fucker! Need to break an arm, eh? Fine by me!" He grips hard, and the pain of my bone being crushed rattles my mind. I cry out and feel my body locking up. A feeling of desperation begins to loom over. Yet, I know I can still fight; there is still something I can do to save all of us.

I turn my head to see my mother's artifact; I focus my mind on summoning my magic into it, hoping I can channel my emotions to push past the limits that it holds on to me. I summon a barrier in between myself and the bandit and, slide my legs past and ram it straight into his face, aiming for his eyes and nose. His grip loosens on my arm; I use this to slip free. I fall to the ground as my glove slips off my hand, removing the artifact in my possession. The barrier dispels from the loss of focus, and I retrieve my sword. Turning to the man, he shakes his head as blood begins to pour from his nostrils.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Enraged, the bandit swings his massive club; it is just predictable enough for me to duck under the attack, leap forward and stab him through the chest. The blade barely makes it a few inches before his hardy body repels the blade. A small yet minor wound was inflicted.

Realizing I don't have the strength or weapon to land a killing blow properly, I channel my inner thoughts. Letting them guide me just this once, just long enough so I can win and save them. The lights in my eyes dim, the soft, bright blue darkens, and the aura around me shifts—a feeling I would rather not mention, a sensation I would like to not recall. But, just for the moment, I allow Haruki...no... The Headhunter is free once again...