“What do you want?” I asked in a weary tone.

Even when the oppressive presence of the mysterious man before me was gone, it still took all of my willpower to keep myself from shaking in fear. I still have Sabrina to protect behind me, and I can’t trust someone who can make people kneel with their presence alone.

Though the man showed he was unarmed, I’ve seen a fraction of his power. Even if he showed no hostility, there’s always a chance he wanted to let our guard down.

So, I stood my ground with as much courage as I could muster. I know it’s stupid to go against someone so powerful, but I won’t back down and be a captive to some powerful sage.

The man did nothing to answer my question. He stayed standing with his arms raised, the sound of rain hitting the muddied ground the only answer that accompanied my question.

With slow steps, I quietly guided Sabrina to walk to the side, keeping my body in front of her to act as her shield. I kept my eyes on the man, looking for sudden movements or attacks. Yet, nothing came. He only watched us as we made our way near a tree, readying ourselves to run into the woods.

“Where’s the nearest settlement?” The man asked. His voice was deep and husky, yet it carried a gentleness unlike before.

The question stopped us in our tracks, my head looking back towards the man still raising his arms.

Maybe I misjudged him. I thought.

He did save us from that maniac earlier, so giving him some answers would be the least we could do.

“There’s a town near here. If you follow the river upstream, you should see a bridge. Take it and follow the road.”

The man lowered his arms, nodding in appreciation before turning back. I was about to do the same when he asked another question.

“Did you know what happened to the abandoned settlement down the river?”

The question stopped me in my tracks, my mind flashing with pictures of smoke and fire. My hands turned into fists, unknowingly clenching them in anger until Sabrina yelped in pain.

“I’m sorry,” I said quickly, kneeling in front of her to see her tired face.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded, yet I could see her eyes starting to mist over.

“So you do know.” The man stated.

I heard his footsteps come closer through the pouring rain. If he weren’t so powerful, I would have punched his face just to shut him up. However, I only managed a nod of my own.

Glancing back, I could see him looking at the two of us. Though the black cloth covered most of his face, I could sense his gaze switch between me and Sabrina.

“Are you two from there?” He asked, his voice low and gentle. Yet it did nothing to quench the flame building within me.

“Yes,” I replied rudely, though I couldn’t care less if I offended him.

I stood up, offering a hand to Sabrina as I looked at the man behind me.

“We thank you for helping us, your rescue is much appreciated.”

We were just about to leave when the man spoke again.

“You two shouldn’t go back.”

The words made me stop.

“And why is that?”

The man hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“There isn’t much to see there anymore.”

The statement sent me into the pits of despair, my hands shaking as my mind buckled at the news. The sounds of my neighbor’s screams and desperate fighting played in my head as I pictured those bastards killing my family. The scene sent shivers down my spine, bile threatening to run out of my mouth as flashes of a gruesome battle burned into my eyes. I could smell the smoke in the air, the sky turning red from the fire surrounding me. My breath quickened, yet no matter how much air I could breathe I couldn’t seem to fill my lungs. My heart drummed in my chest, ready to explode until I too met my—

“Breathe.” someone calmly said.

The word was like a piece of driftwood to latch onto through a sea storm, enough to keep me afloat. I followed their instructions, filling my lungs with air as deep as I could. However, it did nothing to calm my racing heart.

“Feel the ground.” the voice said.

I followed it without a second thought, my fingers brushing across the muddied floor of the forest. The screams that I was hearing before turned into drops of rain. I could feel my heart slow, my chest widening to let more air in.

As I opened my eyes, I could see Sabrina’s worried face. She watched me with furrowed brows, her little hands clutching my own. I didn’t know how long I was out, but it looks like it hasn’t been more than a couple of minutes. While I sat on the ground with my back against a tree, I heard someone sit beside me. They let out a long sigh which drew my attention.

It was the mysterious man from before.

“You should get something to drink before standing back up.” He said slowly.

My sister fetched the bag, took out our canteen, and handed it to me. At first, I hesitated, embarrassed that a big brother like me would need to be taken care of by my little sister. But the look in Sabrina’s eyes made me relent.

“Thank you,” I said in a low whisper.

Only the sound of rain followed for the next few minutes. We watched the ripples in silence while the occasional thunder boomed above us. At one point, Sabrina stuck herself to my side, seeking warmth until she drifted into slumber. It was a few seconds later when I finally asked the question that had been at the back of my mind since meeting the man.

“Why did you help us?”

Silence followed for the next few seconds until the man replied.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

The question caught me off-guard. In my head, I thought of him wanting something in exchange. There was always a reason, a motive, or an agenda. Yet, his tone seemed so genuine that it left me speechless. It took me a second to gather my mind before I could say something again.

“No one saves a couple of strangers just because they could,” I said.

I can’t even save my own family.

“There’s always a reason.”

Another bout of silence followed, my eyes locked on a small puddle as I waited for a reply.

“Does having the power to do so enough of a reason?”

“So being able to save someone is enough of a reason for you?”

“I wouldn’t say I saved you two. More like intervened.” He said.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Which stopped a fight from happening.” I followed.

“More like delayed it.”

“What do you mean by that?”

The man shifted from his seat, his gaze turning from the pouring rain to me.

“I’ve seen what happened to your village.” The man answered, his voice laced with sadness as he continued.

“The people who did that are monsters, and I don’t think that guy who followed you would turn over a new leaf from the get-go.”

“Then why didn’t you kill him?” My voice came out in vitriol.

If I had his power, I would have popped that guy’s head without hesitation. I would have tortured him until he begged for mercy. I could have saved my home. Yet the only thing I could do as I watched my village burn was run. All I could do was escape with my sister, hoping that my parents were still alive. Yet, it seems like that hope was gone.

“Why let him go?” I said in anger.

The man hesitated to answer, shifting on his seat as he came up with a response.

“Because I don’t want to knock someone out in front of a kid.” He said calmly, which only irritated me further.

“You could have run after him,” I argued.

“And leave you two in the middle of the woods?” The man scoffed.

“We could handle ourselves.”

“Anyone who gets a good look at you two wouldn’t be so sure.”

His arguments only fueled my anger. His tone and rebuttal reminded me of my father so much that it only caused more pain. In a moment, my hands latched onto the man’s clothes, pulling him close to me.

“And how would you know?!” I yelled in fury, face flushed in anger as I glared at the cloth the man had wrapped around his head.

I breathed heavily, puffs of white mist escaping my mouth as I kept my angry eyes locked with the man’s own. The darkness of the sky kept me from seeing him, but I could tell that his eyes were wide in surprise.

“Brother?” a small voice asked.

Whipping my head around, I saw Sabrina rubbing her eyes from the nap she had taken. Seeing her calmed my bubbling anger, the guilt of waking her up putting out the fires of fury in my chest.

“We’re just talking, Sabrina. Go back to sleep,” The man said, his voice calm yet his gaze was locked on me.

My sister nodded, using the tree to support her while she used our bag as a pillow. I watched as she got back into a deep slumber.

Hearing the man mention my sister’s name got my attention, my eyes narrowing in a silent question towards him.

“I asked her name when you were having your episode.” He said.

Seeing that my outburst woke my sister up, my anger subsided. My hands let go of the man’s shirt, yet my eyes still held its glare.

“Tell me what you saw,” I commanded.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea after what happened to you.” The man replied.

“Then, we’ll just have to see it for ourselves,” I said as I made to get up.

“Wait.” The man quickly said.

“Don’t you think your sister needs more time?” He followed.

“Then, I’ll leave her to you while I see it myself,” I replied.

“Don’t leave her with me.” The man said in a scared tone.

“Why?”

“Because I’m a stranger in the middle of the woods?” He answered.

Good point.

The thought of leaving Sabrina with a stranger did scare me. Yet, something about the man made me trust him. He seems like a good and caring person, someone with a kind heart.

“That’s true, but you’ve saved us, and helped me. I think you’ve earned our trust from that.” I stated.

“No, really, you shouldn’t leave me with her. Something bad could happen.”

Now that’s concerning.

“Are you one of those people who likes-”

“What?! No! I didn’t mean it like that!” The man said in a panic.

Seeing someone so overbearing a moment ago turn into a worried mess made me smile. Someone who could make people pass out with their presence alone pleading to not be left alone with my adorable sister was so comical the tension I’d been holding onto seemed to melt away.

“Then, I can leave her with you,” I said whilst I stored the canteen I’ve been drinking out of into our bag.

“Don’t leave your sister alone.”

Those words stopped me in my tracks. The memory of my mother’s last words repeated over and over in my mind. Yet, the gnawing feeling of worry grew stronger the more I thought about my village. I wanted to see the aftermath of what happened, hoping that there was still something left of our home.

Looks like my emotions have been present on my face since a sigh escaped the man's mouth beside me.

“I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?” The man said in a whisper as he stood up.

“Fine, but I’m telling you, this will be hard, for the two of you.” he added.

He walked into the woods, retrieving a bag dangling on a tree, and walked back towards us.

I was about to carry the sleeping Sabrina onto my back when the man stopped me.

“I’ll carry her.” The man said, kneeling beside me and picking my sister up from where she slept.

“I can handle it,” I said as I made to stop him.

“I trust that, but you’d only tire yourself out. And I wouldn’t want to carry two people with me.”

I could only nod my head as I followed after him. He didn’t need to say what direction we were going, I already knew we were heading towards our settlement.

As we walked, the rain stopped pouring. There were still light showers, but the sound of thunder had long gone.

The wake of the storm had left the river overflowing, making our journey difficult. We had to watch our step, the floor too slippery from the mud. We weaved through trees that grew more familiar with each step. The sounds of birds chirping filled the forest, accompanied by the croaks of frogs and songs of crickets.

As we rounded a corner, I saw the familiar forest where I grew up.

“This is where my dad used to take me for hunting,” I said, talking to no one in particular.

“He always had something to say, like when I missed my first arrow.”

The memory left me chuckling.

“There was another time when a Jackalope left me with a nasty scar. My mom was so mad, I thought she was about to send me to the Nine Hells.”

My mind remembered the path so well I didn’t have to think of where my legs took me. I kept reminiscing, reliving the happy memories I’d made here while I followed the man in front of me. He kept himself silent, letting me spew memory after memory until he stopped walking.

“Then, there was this thing where—”

“We’re here.”

The smile that I’ve been wearing on my face slipped away. The man’s voice was like a bell’s toll bringing me back to reality. I saw the burnt remains of our village, the welcoming archway into our settlement a broken mess as we made our way inside.

The man kept quiet, letting me see the wrecked building that was once our home. The doors to our house were gone, and the roof burnt to a crisp. The beautiful carving that we made had faded until there was only charcoal and ash.

It was a good thing that Sabrina was asleep right now. She wouldn’t have to see the wreckage of what was once our house.

The man stood behind me, waiting until I composed myself. I stayed there for a few more seconds, taking in the destruction that those Silver Swords did to our home.

“Where’s the bodies?” I said, my throat threatening to choke from keeping the dam breaking.

“Follow me.”

The man carrying my sister walked deeper into our village. We strolled in silence, our footsteps and the gusts of wind the only sound I could hear. We passed multiple burnt buildings; the smithy where I got my first dagger, the bakery I used to frequent, the feasting hall, until finally, we reached the elder’s home.

“This is where they are?” I asked.

“No.” The man sighed.

He didn’t say anything after that, only moving past the wooden building and making his way behind it. I followed after him, remembering that the back of the chief elder’s house was supposed to be farmland.

We made our way behind the burnt house, my back slick with sweat from anxiety about what I would be seeing next. My mind raced with pictures of limbs and missing heads, preparing myself not to puke at the first sign of a corpse. Yet, I didn’t see corpses or any hint of a body. What I saw instead left me stunned.

A sea of stones spanned across what was supposed to be farmland. Flowers that had long dried up were laid in neat rows. I could still see an outline of disturbed ground indicating that each stone marked a dead body below them.

My mind was left blank, my body moving on its own as I walked through the cemetery. Each step was heavier, yet I kept walking.

The man followed me, his presence forgotten as I stared at the fields with dead eyes, only making himself known once I stopped my mindless walk.

“I came upon your village a few days ago. I saw no signs of the people who did this, and the bodies were left outside…It was the least I could do.” He said in a melancholic tone.

At that, my legs failed me. I kneeled as I looked at the span of tombstones around me. My home, my friends, my family. All of them were gone. I tried to deny it, even bargained with the gods while we were running, hoping for them to protect my family. Yet now, faced with reality, the emotions I’ve kept locked away came rushing back.

Memories of my time here came in flashes, my ears ringing as I crumpled on the ground. I could feel my throat burn, my face wet with tears. I could hear their screams in my mind, echoing in my skull until I realized…I’ve been the one screaming all along.