Nebula and Nova found themselves wandering through the dense forest at the base of the mountain where their village resided. Officially, it was called Greenleaf Forest, named for its perpetually verdant canopy, but locals had long referred to it as Dire-Wolf Grove. The twins had encountered their fair share of young dire wolves in the past, but they had yet to test their strength against a fully matured one.

"Hey, Nova, how much longer are we going to be stuck in this forest?" Nebula whined, her feet aching from the day's relentless trek.

Nova glanced at her sister before responding. "We should be out by tomorrow afternoon—assuming we don't get lost."

Nebula groaned. "I was hoping we'd be out before nightfall... Guess that means we need to find a safe place to sleep."

"We should be fine as long as we stick to the path," Nova reassured her. "Besides, I was hoping we'd actually camp here for the night."

Nebula gave her a skeptical look. "Really? I mean, I get the appeal, but aren't you even a little worried about the dire wolves?"

Nova shook her head. "Not really. I think we can handle a few of them. We're not complete amateurs, you know. We did beat Wayne, after all."

Nebula scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Beating Wayne wasn't exactly an... accomplishment. He was predictable in every way."

"Yeah, you've got a point," Nova admitted with a small chuckle. "But either way, we'll be fine."

Nebula sighed, though she silently agreed. They weren't seasoned warriors, but they could hold their own in a fight.

As they pressed deeper into the forest, a distinct sound caught their ears—metal clashing against metal. Their gazes met in silent agreement before they hurried toward the commotion. When they arrived, they saw five men surrounding two women, with four bodies already lying motionless on the ground.

"Now then," one of the men sneered, stepping forward. "Come quietly, and maybe—just maybe—we'll let you live when we're done with you."

"We're not going anywhere, you monster!" one of the women, dressed in a maid's uniform, snapped. She brandished a sword, her stance defiant despite the odds.

Another man grinned, revealing crooked, yellowed teeth. "Oh, boss, can I have a go first? You know I like them feisty."

"You know the rules, Ken." The leader smirked. "I get the maidens first."

The maid's expression twisted in disgust, but she tightened her grip on her weapon. The other woman, however, cowered behind her, seemingly untrained in combat. The maid managed to hold her ground, fending off the bandits' initial attacks, parrying their blades with impressive skill. But she was tiring.

Nebula and Nova exchanged a knowing glance—there was no need for words. In perfect sync, they moved. With the bandits fully focused on their intended victims, the twins slipped behind them unnoticed. In a swift, practiced motion, they drove their blades into the backs of two unsuspecting men. The bandits barely had time to gasp before collapsing, blood pooling beneath them.

Their comrades spun around in alarm, eyes widening at the sight of their fallen men. Realizing they were under attack, the remaining three bandits turned their attention to the newcomers.

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The moment the remaining three bandits turned their attention them, Nova and Nebula sprang into action.

The leader, a broad-shouldered man with a jagged scar across his cheek, gritted his teeth and pointed his blade at them. "You little brats just made a big mistake."

One of his remaining men, Ken, lunged first, swinging a rusted longsword straight for Nebula's head. She ducked low, sidestepping his attack with ease. Before he could recover, she drove her knee into his gut, forcing him to stagger backward with a wheezing grunt. Wasting no time, she slashed upward with her sword, carving a deep gash across his chest. He howled in pain, clutching the wound as blood seeped through his torn shirt.

Meanwhile, Nova engaged the third bandit, a wiry man wielding twin daggers. He was fast, darting forward with a flurry of quick slashes meant to overwhelm her. But Nova remained calm, parrying each strike with precision. Steel clashed against steel in rapid succession as she studied his movements, waiting for an opening. When he overextended on his next attack, she twisted to the side, bringing her blade down on his forearm. His dagger clattered to the ground as he cried out in pain. Nova capitalized on the moment, stepping in close and driving her sword straight through his chest. He gasped, eyes widening in shock before collapsing lifelessly at her feet.

The leader, now the last man standing, snarled as he watched his men fall. "Damn pests!" he roared, gripping his sword with both hands as he charged at Nebula. His strength was undeniable—when he swung his blade, it tore through the air with deadly force.

Nebula barely managed to block in time, the impact sending a sharp vibration through her arms. He was stronger than the others. Much stronger. He pressed down on her sword, attempting to overpower her, but before he could break through her defense, Nova intervened.

She swept in from the side, slashing at his leg. He twisted at the last second, avoiding a fatal blow, but the edge of her blade still sliced into his thigh. He let out a hiss of pain, momentarily distracted. That was all the time Nebula needed.

Summoning all her strength, she twisted her body and drove her sword straight through his gut. The bandit leader's breath hitched, his mouth opening in a silent scream. Blood dribbled from his lips as he staggered backward, dropping his weapon.

"Bastards..." he wheezed before collapsing onto the forest floor, unmoving.

Silence filled the clearing. The only sound was the distant rustling of leaves and the quiet, ragged breathing of those left standing.

Nebula let out a deep exhale, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Well... that was fun," she muttered, trying to shake off the adrenaline.

Nova chuckled, nudging her with an elbow. "You call that fun? You were struggling with that last guy."

"Was not."

"Were too."

"We can settle this later. For now, let's focus on them," Nebula said, crossing her arms and turning away.

Nova smirked but shifted her attention to the maid and the woman behind her. "Are you two alright?"

"We are, thanks to you," the maid responded, her voice laced with relief. She let out a shaky breath before tossing her bloodied blade aside, pressing a hand to her side. "If you hadn't shown up when you did, I don't think I could've handled them much longer."

"Jenny, you're bleeding!" the girl behind her cried out, her voice filled with concern.

"It's just a small wound from when they struck me earlier. I'll be fine, madam," Jenny reassured her.

"If you leave it untreated, it won't be. Here, let me see it," Nebula said, stepping forward.

She knelt beside Jenny and placed a hand near the wound. A warm, golden glow emanated from her palm as she focused, casting a healing spell. Within seconds, the wound sealed itself, leaving only faint traces of dried blood.

Jenny glanced down at her side in astonishment, patting the area where the pain had once been. She then looked up at Nebula, eyes full of curiosity.

"Thank you. The pain is completely gone," she said before pausing. "Forgive me for prying, but... did you just cast that spell without an incantation?"

Nebula nodded. "Mhm. It took my sister and me ten years to master that. It wasn't easy."

"I see," Jenny murmured. "Are you two, by chance, from the mountain range? I've heard of wolfkin before, but no one ever really sees them. They tend to keep to themselves in the mountains."

"Yeah, we actually came from there not too long ago," Nova responded. "We're heading to the nearest city or town with an adventurers' guild to sign up."

Before Jenny could reply, the girl beside her suddenly blurted out, "Can I touch your tail?"

Jenny gasped in horror. "Alicia! That is incredibly rude! You don't even know them!"

Caught off guard, Nova blinked before letting out a small laugh. She held up a hand. "It's alright, I'm not offended. Just don't pull on it, okay?" She flicked her tail toward Alicia, who eagerly grabbed hold of it.

"The rumors were true! They really do keep them soft!" Alicia exclaimed, her fingers running through the fur.

"I... try to," Nova said, rubbing the back of her head, feeling Nebula's amused stare on her. She shot her sister a look. "Oh, shove it. My tail's fluffier than yours anyway."

"Nova, we're twins," Nebula reminded her with a smirk.

"Oh, piss off," Nova huffed, crossing her arms. "Anyway, where are you two heading? We can accompany you back if you want."

"We would..." Jenny let out a deep sigh as she watched Alicia happily stroking Nova's tail. "...greatly appreciate it. We can have her father pay you for your services, and perhaps he'll even recommend you to the guild for helping his daughter and me."

"I'll drive the carriage," Nebula offered. "You and Alicia can rest inside."

"Can she sit with us?" Alicia asked excitedly, looking between Nova and Jenny.

"Alicia..." Jenny groaned.

"It's fine," Nova said, waving her off. "I'm used to this." She smirked at Nova.

Nebula huffed and turned away.

Jenny let out a tired sigh but eventually nodded. "If you're alright with it, then I suppose it's fine."

As they climbed into the carriage, Nebula glanced toward the road ahead. "I assume we just follow this path?"

"That's correct," Jenny replied. "Keep going until you see a sign pointing toward Lacross."

"Got it," Nebula said with a small smile.

With that, the group set off toward Lacross