The day seemed idyllic, with birds singing and the sun casting its warm rays, completely oblivious to the impending upheaval.

Emerging from the thick bushes on the forest's edge, located on a short slope right above the road, a figure draped in a tattered cloak stepped forward. A massive individual; the person threw back the hood, revealing a weather-beaten face adorned with an unruly beard and salt-and-pepper hair in dire need of grooming.

The figure fixated on a distant point—a wagon drawn by a pair of horses, surrounded by a gang of raiders. Retreating into the concealment of the bushes, he peered again at the ambush spot he had chosen. It was perhaps a bit too close to the village, but there was no better location along the way. His makeshift camp lay hidden nearby, camouflaged from prying eyes.

"Damn it," he growled to himself, "I'm not staying here a moment longer."

Turning around, he kept a keen eye on the road while putting his red bucket helmet on. As the wagon and riders drew nearer, he could hear the resonant thud of shod hooves approaching—a rhythmic cadence that sent tremors through the ground.

The first riders passed him, so with unhesitating resolve, he leaped forward, landing squarely a relatively short distance in front of the horses pulling the wagon. The startled animals reared and whinnied, but the driver was steadfast, urging them onward.

The man started yelling as he stood up on the wagon with reins in hand, but the warrior paid no mind to that.

The cloaked man positioned himself firmly between the charging horses just as the vehicle bore down on him. His shoulders collided with the massive beasts, momentarily pushing him backward, but he leaned in and gripped the drawbar, his shod boots digging into the earth.

Despite being violently dragged along, he held his ground, resolute in his grip on the wooden bar. Only groaning loudly through gritted teeth. The driver yelled even louder in panic, and the horses continued their frantic neighing. With a surge of strength, he forced the drawbar down, lifting the cart's rear wheels, and then the wooden beam dug into the dirt shortly before it snapped, freeing the two front beasts.

The horses reacted by wailing loudly in panic, but didn’t stop their run, and charged forward. Losing his balance, the man tumbled forward, getting kicked, and stepped on, as the charging animals and wagon covered him. He found himself trapped under the cart, feeling the weight of the grinding wheels passing over his body. Undeterred, he reached out frantically, his hand searching for anything to hold on to. He managed to seize the front wheel, so he yanked it violently tearing both wood and the metal ring around it, keeping it in proper shape, causing chaos on the road.

The wagon flipped, sending the driver into the air, as the whole construction dug into the soil before it fell on its back, partially embedding itself in the ground with a cacophony of shouting men and panicked horses. The harness broke loose in the process, setting the remaining horses free, while the overturned cart crushed the screaming driver, leaving him helpless.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

The loud cacophony came to a halt, with only the hoves of the horses beating the rhythm, but it was nothing more than a brief pause in the storm that gathered.

In the blink of an eye, the man sprang back to his feet just as a group of riders closed in on him, their swords slashing at his cloak, but finding a much harder surface underneath, which produced a loud clang upon impact. In a swift display of strength, he grabbed one soldier by the leg and yanked him from his horse, using the rider as a screaming weapon to knock down another assailant. Grabbing his axe already humming with resonance, he unleashed a precise and devastating assault, swiftly dispatching both the soldiers and the horses with relentless efficiency and zero mercy. The cries of agony mixed with the frantic squeals of dying animals, and filled the air. Blood splattered everywhere drenching the dirt underneath his feet.

As quickly as the chaos erupted, silence fell upon the gruesome aftermath once again, punctuated only by the pungent scent of blood and the scattered remains of the carnage. The man turned his attention to the overturned cart, where he could see the two raiders who originally had passed him. Now they returned, charging forward in the saddles of their horses and brandishing strange sticks. Those proved to be wands capable of conjuring balls of fire, which flew at him roaring with fury. With a simple gesture, he activated the ring on his finger—a golden band adorned with runes and a black gem—and the balls of fire, which were about to explode upon smashing right into him, dissipated into darkness before they hit the mark.

The remaining soldiers stopped abruptly, quickly exchanging glances, their courage waning. They swiftly turned their horses to gallop away, leaving the warrior standing tall amid the remnants of the battlefield.

"There is no fucking way I'm letting you leave," the warrior muttered to himself, determination etched on his face as he reached for a similar stick hidden behind his belt. With a swift motion, he aimed the wand at one of the figures, uttering an activation word. A fierce burst of flames erupted from the top part of it, roaring loudly at first before fading into the distance.

He quickly shifted his aim, repeating the process, and two fiery explosions echoed through the air, followed by the agonizing squeals of the animals.

As the chaos finally settled completely, he approached the overturned cart. Despite its flip, it appeared mostly intact, with a few cracked wooden planks but no major damage. The locked door impeded his access, so he effortlessly tore it off, sending it crashing to the ground in a cloud of dust right behind him.

What he saw hidden inside was the cage keeping trapped two frightened children, huddled in the corner. Both were bleeding slightly from their heads but were seemingly otherwise unharmed. The boy tried to shield the girl with his body, which looked quite cute, keeping in mind the scene that just transpired on the road. The kids were trembling with fear.

The warrior grasped the metal bars of the door and attempted to open it, but it was firmly locked.

„Never easy, huh?” He murmured, frustration evident on his face.

He yanked the metal door off its hinges, bending parts of it in the process before discarding it with a powerful throw. The metal moaned in protest as it landed heavily on the ground, near the gruesome remains of the battlefield.

"You are coming with me," he declared to the terrified youngsters.

Their fear seemed to overwhelm them, leaving them incapable of comprehending what was happening. Undeterred, the man turned away from them, pointing decisively toward the safety of the forest with his finger, signaling for them to follow. Without waiting for their response, he began walking with purpose, trying to lead them away from the scene of destruction and into the shelter of the trees.