Inside the elder’s house, several figures stood around a small table. Anger, fear, and confusion were on all their faces.

“Where is my boy, Feyt?!” Rayn’s voice echoed angrily through the small room of the elder’s house.

“I-It’s all my fault…” Teffa sobbed, covering her face with her hands. “I was the one who sent him to the market… What have I done…”

Fray, her daughter, stood silently beside her. She herself looked distraught at the news, staring into nothing, deep in thought.

Rayn moved closer, pulling Teffa into a comforting embrace. “Don’t blame yourself, Teffa. It’s not your fault.” He glared at the elder and the guards behind him. “It’s theirs! Where were you all when this happened?!”

One of the guards stepped up. “As I’ve already explained, we were on our way as fast as we could! But the road to the market was just packed with people, and we couldn’t–”

“Enough with the excuses!” Rayn cut in harshly. “You’re supposed to protect us, to protect our children! You’re a failure as a guard!!”

“It’s not their fault,” a voice came from the other side of the room. It was Kyrat, his dignified look sullied by exhaustion.

“And you are?” Rayn’s glare shifted to Kyrat.

“My name is Kyrat Sareid. Those bandits were targeting my daughter, Carine. Your son merely happened to be near her, so they took him as well. Forgive me.” Kyrat gave a deep bow towards Rayn and Teffa.

Rayn stormed up to Kyrat and grabbed him by the collar. “So it was you!! You’re the one who brought those bandits here?! This village has been free of them for years, and now you come here for your ‘tradition’ and ruin everything?!”

“Honey!” Teffa grabbed Rayn by his arms. “Please, calm down! Being angry at him won’t solve anything!!”

Kyrat didn’t retort back at Rayn, he merely took Rayn’s wrath directly. He knew what Rayn had said was partially true. The fact that he was visiting led to the kidnapping of both his daughter and an innocent boy.

“Rayn!” Teffa pleaded. “Please, let go of him!”

Rayn’s grip on Kyrat’s collar tightened for a moment before he reluctantly let go. Kyrat stumbled back slightly, but he remained silent.

“Ehem—!!” The elder, observing from his chair, cleared his throat to regain attention. “Now that you two are calmed down, can we discuss our plan to find both of your children?”

Rayn’s intense gaze lingered on the elder for a moment before he looked down at the ground. “Yes, let’s…”

…

“From what we know, the bandits charged out of the south gate with their horses,” the elder said, stroking his beard as he studied the map of the area surrounding the village. “We need to determine if they’re still traveling or if they’ve set up camp somewhere.”

“Actually,” one of the villagers said, stepping forward, “I was on my horse near the south gate when they broke through. I chased them as far as I could and saw them riding further south and disappearing into the trees. They were moving quickly, like they knew exactly where they were going. I’m sorry I couldn’t catch them, though.”

“No, that’s alright,” the elder said. “You did good, chasing them alone would be foolish. Thank you for your report.”

“Yes, elder!” The villager bowed and stepped back.

“It’s already getting dark,” Kyrat said, turning to the elder. “If they haven’t set up camp, they’ll likely do so soon. We should assume they’re either in a base or preparing to settle in for the night in the forest. Could you tell me more about the forest?”

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The elder and the guards exchanged glances before one of the guards spoke. “We often hunt and forage there, it’s not that large but I don’t recall anything resembling a hideout.”

Kyrat’s eyes narrowed. “Are there any deep cave systems or something similar in the area?”

The elder shook his head. “No, there are only a few caves, and we’ve explored each of them thoroughly in the past. The locals often use them for rest during hunting trips.”

“Heh, I wish,” one of the guards scoffed. “Almost all of them are filled with monsters nowadays.”

“Yep, all filled with Wild Boars and Black Bears,” another guard chimed in. “Thankfully, there’s that one cave by the river. That’s the only empty cave left.”

Kyrat’s eyes widened. He grabbed the guard by the shoulders. “Tell me more about that cave!”

“Huh?” The guard was taken aback. “T-There’s really nothing in that cave, Lord Sareid…”

“No monsters? No animals?” Kyrat pressed, his grip tightening.

The guard nodded. “None at all.”

“Idiots!” Kyrat’s frustration boiled over as he shook the guard slightly. “That’s the most suspicious thing in that forest!”

“Oi, don’t shout like you own the place,” Rayn interjected, glaring at Kyrat.

“F-Forgive me,” Kyrat said, releasing the guard, who let out a sigh of relief. “It’s just… When it comes to my daughter, I’m just…”

“It’s alright, Lord Sareid,” the elder said. “Now, could you elaborate on why that cave is suspicious?”

Kyrat cleared his throat before explaining. “Caves are natural shelters when it’s rainy season. Animals and monsters often inhabit these caves, the only reason a cave might be empty is if someone actively prevents them from entering.”

“But isn’t the cave empty?” One of the guards asked. “It’s pretty shallow too, where could they be hiding?”

“They most likely have mined an entrance and concealed it. But it’s clear that cave is the most likely place where the kids are.”

Rayn, his anger barely contained, clenched his fists. “Then why are we wasting time here? Let’s go!!”

Kyrat grabbed Rayn by the shoulders, preventing him from exiting the room. “I understand your urgency, but don’t be rash! Going there alone won’t–”

Rayn shook off Kyrat’s hand. “Don’t touch me! Do you even understand how this feels? My son is out there, and every second we waste is another second he’s in danger!”

“Of course I understand!!” Kyrat shouted back, taking Rayn by surprise. “My daughter is also out there, alone and scared! I promised to take care of her during this trip, I wanted this to be a learning experience for her, yet I failed!!”

Rayn’s anger faltered slightly as he stared at Kyrat, his face filled with contempt for himself.

“I am just as desperate to find our children as you are. Rushing in without a plan will only endanger both them and us.”

The elder stood up from his chair. “We’ll organize a search party immediately and head out at sundown. It’s the best way to ensure we find the children and deal with the bandits.”

Rayn, witnessing both Kyrat and the Elder with calm minds, reluctantly nodded. “Fine. I’ll be ready. Just make sure we act quickly.”

Fray, who had been silent throughout the whole meeting, spoke up. “Mom, Dad, I’ll be heading out a bit…”

“Fray, are you serious?!” Rayn glared at her. “Your brother’s missing, and you want to head out?!”

Teffa gently grabbed Rayn’s arms, stopping him. “Dear, please, she needs to clear her mind.” She turned her head towards her daughter. “It’s alright, stay safe, Fray.”

Fray nodded and quietly left the room.

After that, the rest of the remaining adults prepared to leave as well. There was no time to waste, two young lives were in danger.

…

Outside, Rayn and Kyrat stood near the edge of the village, the sky beginning to darken as the sun was beginning to set. The tension between them had eased somewhat, but there was still some remaining.

Kyrat took a deep breath and then turned to Rayn. “I owe you an apology. I should have been more careful. Had I paid more attention, neither Carine nor your son would have ever been kidnapped.”

Rayn was taken aback by the apology, but he lightly scratched his face and took a deep breath as well. “I-I’m sorry too. I let my anger get the better of me.”

“No, I understand. We’re both fathers, I know what you feel, and I feel the same way. We must save our kids.”

Rayn closed his eyes. “Yes, I guess we must.” He placed his hands on his hips. “I’m going to show Feyt how much of a cool dad I am when I save him!”

“I guess you could say the same to me. I haven’t had the chance to show my daughter what I am capable of.” Kyrat extended his hand towards Rayn. “I suppose I should re-introduce myself. I am Kyrat Sareid, after all this is done, shall we head out for a drink?”

Rayn grasped Kyrat’s hand, giving it a firm shake. “The name’s Rayn! And yeah, let’s head out for a drink after this. You’re paying, right?”

“Haha! I suppose we’ll have to make sure we find them first before we worry about who pays.”

“Hey, you two ready?” Shouted a man from inside the village.

Kyrat fixed his sword’s holster. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Rayn lifted and rested his aging battleaxe on his shoulder. “Sure. Haven’t been hunting in a while, let’s hope I still got the knack for it.”