Kael's feet touched the road with a soft sound.
Aldric climbed down after him, closing the carriage door more forcefully than necessary. His hand already rested near the hilt of his sword, the instinctive posture of an experienced warrior facing an unknown situation.
The Captain approached both of them, torch in hand.
"Young Kael, we can still simply..."
Kael raised a hand, cutting off the words before they finished.
"Let's see what we have here first."
The scene before them was painted in the orange light of torches and dancing shadows.
Two carriages blocked the road. One was clearly crashed into the other, a broken rear wheel, splintered wood visible even from a distance. The second carriage looked intact but positioned in a way that prevented any passage.
A man lay on the ground near the damaged carriages. A guard by his dust and blood-stained clothing. His breathing was weak, shallow. A dark puddle was spreading beneath his side.
The driver of the sisters' carriage stood a few steps back, rigid with fear, not daring to intervene.
Two female figures were near the fallen guard. One older, perhaps twenty years old, modest but good-quality traveling clothes. Disheveled brown hair. A face etched with tears and barely contained terror.
The second figure was a girl. Twelve years old perhaps, maybe less. She clung to the older woman's arm with both hands, her face buried in her sleeve, broken sobs escaping between ragged breaths.
And then there was him.
The Noble.
Kael assessed him in two seconds.
Approximately twenty-five years old. Expensive but truly unstylish clothing. The kind of attire that screamed recent money rather than ancient lineage. Black hair meticulously combed. A face that some women would probably find attractive if it weren't twisted into an expression of smug arrogance.
Four guards flanked him. Mercenaries by their mismatched gear. Cheap swords. Poorly maintained armor. The type of muscle hired for little money when you need to intimidate but not fight real opponents.
The noble was speaking when Kael approached. His voice dragging out each word with cruel satisfaction.
"...you just have to be reasonable, Elara. Your father made a deal. A legitimate deal. And now it's your turn to fulfill your part. It's simple, really. You come with me. Your sister can come too if she insists so much on not being separated from you. And this stupid guard can stay here bleeding out until..."
He stopped when he noticed movement.
He turned his head. He saw Kael approaching. He saw Aldric a step behind. He saw the Drayvar guard escort keeping their distance but clearly present.
His expression shifted. Irritation.
"Get lost, boy. This doesn't concern you. Get back to your carriage before you get hurt."
Kael continued walking. A calm pace. Hands clasped behind his back.
The Captain stepped forward. His sword slid from its scabbard with a metallic hiss. Just enough for the light to gleam on the steel.
"Watch your tongue and who you address, scum."
The noble blinked.
His gaze dropped to the Captain's chest. To the embroidered emblem.
Black Shield. Silver Lightning Bolt. Bright Blue Borders.
House Drayvar.
Color drained from his face.
He backed up half a step. An unconscious movement. Survival instinct overriding arrogance.
He swallowed audibly.
His guards noticed the change. Hands moving toward weapons but not completing the motion. Looking at each other with expressions that clearly asked if they were paid enough for this.
There was a tense silence. Three seconds. Four. Five.
The noble looked at Kael again. This time much more carefully. Evaluating. Calculating. Searching for an exit that wouldn't end with him dead on the road.
Kael stopped at conversational distance. Relaxed posture.
"What exactly is happening here?"
"Why are you blocking the Imperial Road in the middle of the night?"
Before the noble could respond, the little girl lifted her head.
Face soaked with tears. Eyes red and swollen. Mucus running down her nose and upper lip. The kind of ugly crying that comes from desperation.
"Sir, please!"
"He crashed his carriage into ours on purpose! He hurt our guard and now he wants to take my sister by force! Please, you have to help us! Please!"
The noble whirled toward her with surprising speed.
"Shut up, brat! That's not true at all! I'm just helping my fiancée come with me as is proper. It's a simple family misunderstanding. Nothing that concerns strangers."
"Nooo!" The girl's scream was sharp, desperate.
"Nooo! He's lying! She's not his fiancée! He's just a damn womanizer who's harassing my sister because my family owes him money!"
The older woman closed her eyes. Her hand grasped her sister's arm.
"Nia..." Her voice came out trembling, broken.
"Please... quiet. Please."
The noble took a step toward the girl. His face twisting into barely contained fury.
"Enough! You insolent child, I'm going to teach you to shut that mouth once and for all!"
He raised his hand.
Kael raised his. A simple movement. Palm forward.
He didn't say a word.
Aldric took half a step forward. Hand closing over the hilt.
The Captain and guards tensed their stances.
The noble froze mid-movement.
He slowly lowered his hand. Backed up a step.
Kael lowered his hand.
A heavy silence fell.
Kael observed the entire scene. Taking his time.
'Shattered guard. Carriages obviously crashed on purpose. Terrified woman. Crying girl. Sweating noble.'
'This is so transparent even an idiot would see it.'
Kael let the silence stretch one second longer.
"Seeing the situation as it presents itself... it seems quite clear what's happening here."
"The young gentleman is simply trying to help his fiancée and her family travel safely during these dangerous night hours. Nothing more than a noble and proper gesture from a man concerned about his future wife's well-being."
Absolute silence.
Nia lifted her head. Looking at Kael with betrayal in her eyes.
"No, no, no!" The words came out desperate, incredulous.
"You can't believe him! Don't you see our guard? He's dying on the ground! Don't you see the carriages? He rammed us deliberately! Please, sir, you have to believe me! Please!"
The noble opened his mouth. Visible relief crossing his face. A smile beginning to form at the corners of his lips.
"That! That's exactly it! Shut up for once, brat!" He turned toward Kael with an expression attempting to be camaraderie between nobles.
"The young Lord Drayvar is right, of course. I'm just a man trying to fulfill my responsibilities toward my future wife. Young people today are so impulsive, so dramatic. They don't understand the traditions of proper marital engagement."
Kael nodded slightly.
"Yes, yes... I understand perfectly."
The noble laughed nervously.
"Yes, yes... exactly. I knew a noble of your stature would comprehend..."
They both laughed briefly.
Elara watched with absolute horror. Tears falling faster now. Her arms closing around her sister in a protective hug that wouldn't protect anything.
Nia sobbed openly. Face buried in her sister's shoulder. Her body shaking with every ragged breath.
The injured guard on the ground let out a weak groan. A sound of despair. Of knowing his death had been useless. That he hadn't protected anything.
The Captain looked at Kael with a confused expression. Clearly not understanding what was happening.
Aldric watched the scene with a clenched jaw.
'What the hell is going on here?'
He knew Kael. He had seen what Kael was capable of. The lines he crossed without a second thought.
Maybe he really could be this cruel.
The silence stretched. Five seconds. Six. Seven.
Awkward. Heavy. Oppressive.
The noble began to relax. Shoulders lowering. Breathing becoming more regular. Thinking he had won. That the danger had passed.
He opened his mouth to speak again. Probably to thank Kael. To offer some kind of reward or future favor between nobles who understood each other.
Kael spoke first.
"Enough with the jokes, bastard."
The voice changed. From neutral to lethal.
The noble froze.
"What... what did you just say?"
Kael stared at him.
"What you heard perfectly, you son of a bitch." The words came out flat. Without raising his voice. Without emotion. Simply stated facts.
"Did you really think I'm such an imbecile as to not see what you did here?"
The noble sputtered. Searching for words. Searching for an argument. Searching for anything.
"I... I didn't... young Drayvar, there must be a grave misunderstanding..."
"There's no misunderstanding." Kael cut off the words as if they were rotten threads.
"What you heard, you son of a bitch. Did you think I'm such an imbecile as to not see what you did? You rammed your carriage into theirs. You beat their guard half to death. You tried to force this woman using threats."
A pause.
"So you're going to get into your carriage. You're going to get off this road. And you're going to pray that I never hear your name again. Because if I do..."
He left the threat hanging in the air.
The noble tried to regain some courage. His hand moved toward the hilt of his sword.
He stopped halfway.
He looked at the Drayvar guards. All with a superior aura. All looking at him with expressions that clearly expected him to make that mistake.
He looked at his own guards. Four mercenaries who were already subtly backing away. Distancing themselves. Preparing to run if this turned ugly.
He lowered his hand.
But he couldn't leave completely defeated. Not without trying to save some dignity. Some wounded pride.
He turned toward Elara.
His expression changed. From fear to something darker. Possessive. Lustful.
"This isn't over, Elara."
"Your family owes me a lot of money. A lot. And you... you will pay that debt one way or another. Eventually."
He slowly licked his lips. His eyes scanned Elara's body up and down. Without pretense. Without shame.
"I'll visit you soon. Very soon. And then there won't be any Drayvar to protect you. Just you. And me."
Elara closed her eyes. Her body trembling. Nia buried her face deeper in her sister's shoulder.
"Move, damn it! Get in the blasted carriage now!"
The mercenaries didn't need to be told twice. They climbed in quickly.
The noble followed them. Fast steps.
The carriage pulled away down the same road that led toward Arven.
Everyone watched until it disappeared.
Elara let out a sob she had been holding back. Her body collapsing slightly. Nia held her despite being much smaller.
They looked at each other. Fresh tears, but these of relief.
Then they ran.
Not toward Kael. Toward the guard on the ground.
They knelt beside him. Hands moving over his body. Searching for the wound.
"Please, please hold on..." Elara's voice came out broken.
"We're going to be okay now... we're going to be okay... just hold on a little longer... please..."
Nia touched the wound on the guard's side. Her fingers were stained red immediately.
"He's bleeding a lot! There's so much blood! What do we do? What do we do about the wound?"
Kael approached. Calm steps.
He stopped beside them. Looked down at the injured guard.
A deep wound in the left side. Between the ribs. Probably hit against the corner of the carriage.
He would survive. Probably.
"Yes, that looks like a fairly deep wound. Probably from when he was kicked against the carriage or struck with something blunt."
"But calm down. We have a knight with medical knowledge in our escort."
He turned slightly.
"Aldric, come quickly."
Aldric clenched his jaw.
"Yes... coming."
He walked toward the injured guard.
He knelt in the mud beside the man. Ignoring how it stained his armor.
He examined the wound. Took bandages from a pouch on his belt. Cleaned the wound as best he could with water from his canteen. The guard groaned weakly but did not regain consciousness.
Aldric closed his eyes briefly. Concentrating.
Aether flowed through his channels. Power responding to will. Electric blue energy shining faintly around his hands.
He wasn't a true healer. He had no specialized training in medical Aether. But every knight learned basic stabilization techniques. Enough to keep a fallen comrade alive until real help could be found.
He pressed his hands against the wound. Aether flowing inward. Seeking broken blood vessels. Temporarily sealing them. It wasn't a true cure. Just something momentary.
The bleeding slowed to a trickle. The guard's breathing deepened slightly.
Aldric bandaged the wound with efficient movements. Tight but not too much.
Kael spoke.
"Relax. Aldric has miraculous hands. He's treated much worse wounds than this on campaigns. Your guard will survive."
Elara and Nia watched without fully understanding what they had just witnessed.
They had seen the blue glow. They had seen how the bleeding stopped. They had seen expert hands working with a precision that only came from real experience.
They bowed toward Kael simultaneously. Almost touching the ground with their foreheads.
"Thank you, thank you..." Elara's voice came out choked with emotion.
"We don't know how to thank you. You... you saved us. If you hadn't been here... if you hadn't..."
She couldn't finish. Sobs interrupted the words.
Nia spoke through her tears.
"Thank you, thank you! I thought I was going to lose my sister! I thought that horrible man was going to take her and I'd never see her again!"
Kael made a dismissive gesture with his hand. Like swatting an annoying fly.
"No need for so much drama. I didn't do anything extraordinary."
'I just exerted power over someone weaker.'
He looked toward the sky. Dark. Stars. Nearly full moon.
He looked toward the road in both directions. Empty. Dark. Dangerous.
"But it's too dark to travel alone. It would be dangerous to leave you here in the middle of nowhere. Especially with that bastard knowing exactly where to find you if he decides to return."
"It would be better if you came with us."
Elara lifted her head. Her face showing gratitude but also concern.
"That is... that is very generous of you, sir. More than we could have hoped for. But we... we need to take our goods to the city of Arven. It's our livelihood. Contracts signed. If we don't arrive on time, we'll lose everything. Our family..."
Nia quickly added.
"And it's in the completely opposite direction! Like five days' travel from here to the west!"
Kael processed the information.
'Arven.'
He thought of the noble fleeing. The direction his carriage had taken.
'The same direction.'
'Interesting.'
"Oh... that is a considerable problem."
"But it would be much worse to leave two such charming young girls alone at night, especially knowing that noble is still nearby on the same route. Who knows if he'll decide to wait a few hours and return when he thinks we've left. This time without witnesses."
He turned toward the Captain who had been observing the entire scene with an increasingly confused expression.
"Captain, load the goods into the carriage. And the injured man too, carefully. Change of plans. We'll go to the city of Arven."
The Captain blinked. Once. Twice.
Then his expression hardened.
"We cannot do that, young Kael." His voice came out firm.
"Our orders are clear and specific. We must return to Stormvale as quickly as possible. The Grand Duke expects your return. There is no room for detours."
Kael maintained a neutral expression.
"It won't be necessary for all of us to go to..."
The Captain interrupted him. Voice harder now.
"They are not suggestions, young Kael. They are direct orders from the head of the family. Orders I am instructed to follow to the letter. We will set off toward Stormvale right now. The women will have to fend for themselves or come with us to Stormvale."
Tense silence fell over the group.
The guards watched. Some uncomfortable. Others curious about how this would be resolved.
Aldric slowly stood up. Looking between Kael and the Captain. Recognizing the type of confrontation that was developing.
Elara and Nia watched with worried expressions. Not knowing what to do. Not wanting to cause more trouble after everything this noble young man had done for them.
Kael looked at the Captain fixedly.
"You and the other guards will return to Stormvale as my father ordered."
"Aldric and I will go to the city of Arven."
The Captain took a step forward. Expression hardening even more.
"We cannot allow that. You are the Grand Duke's son. You require proper protection. One knight is not enough escort for..."
"I have a Knight with me." Kael cut off the words without raising his voice.
"That is more than enough protection for a five-day journey on patrolled Imperial roads. Unless you are suggesting that the Empire's routes are so dangerous that not even a knight can guarantee basic safety."
The Captain clenched his jaw.
"It's not a matter of capability. It's a matter of protocol. Of orders. The Grand Duke was specific about..."
"This is an order from me, Captain." Kael leaned slightly forward.
"This is an order from me, Captain. Not a suggestion. It will be my complete responsibility to explain this to my father. Any consequences will fall on me. Not on you."
The Captain looked at Kael for a long moment.
He looked at Aldric. The knight seemed resigned.
The Captain sighed heavily. Defeated but not completely.
"As you command, young lord." The words came out strained.
"But this will be in my full report to the Grand Duke. Every detail. Every decision."
"I expect it to be." Kael nodded slightly.
"It would be negligent of you not to report something like this. My father will appreciate your diligence."
The Captain turned halfway around. Began barking orders.
"Change of plans! Transfer the goods from the damaged carriage to ours! And the injured man too! Carefully, damn it! We divide here!"
The guards moved. Some confused. Others relieved that the tension had resolved without violence.
They began loading the boxes and sacks from the damaged carriage. Varied goods. Fabrics. Spices. Some tools. The kind of cargo that minor merchants transported between cities.
Two knights carefully lifted the injured guard. The man groaned but did not wake up. They carried him toward the intact carriage that Kael would use. They settled him inside as comfortably as possible.
Elara and Nia watched everything with stunned expressions. As if they couldn't fully believe what was happening.
The process took fifteen minutes.
When they finished, the Captain mounted his horse. He looked at Kael one last time. His expression mixed worry, irritation, and something that almost looked like reluctant respect.
"May the Eternals protect you on your journey, young lord."
He didn't wait for a response. He spurred his horse.
The remaining knights followed him.
They rode away down the road. Southward. Toward Stormvale.
The escort's torches became distant points of light. Then nothing.
Silence fell over the small group that remained.
Kael. Aldric. Elara. Nia. The unconscious injured guard inside the carriage. And the driver who had come with the sisters, now standing next to the horses with a nervous expression.
Aldric approached Kael. Voice low. Just for him.
"Do you know what you just did?"
"Yes."
"Your father is going to..."
"I know."
"Then why?"
Kael didn't answer immediately. He looked toward the road where the escort had disappeared. Then toward the opposite direction. Toward where the noble had fled. Toward Arven.
"Because I can."
Aldric closed his eyes briefly. As if he had a sudden headache.
"Someday that answer is going to get you into trouble that not even your name can resolve."
"Probably."
"And that doesn't worry you?"
"No."
Aldric let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a bitter laugh.
"Of course not."
Kael turned toward the sisters. They straightened instinctively when his attention fell on them.
"Get into the carriage. Your guard is already inside. Settle yourselves as best you can."
Elara bowed.
"Sir... we truly don't know how to..."
"You've thanked enough. Now get in."
Elara closed her mouth. Nodded. Took her sister's hand.
Both climbed into the carriage. Careful movements. Still processing everything that had happened.
The driver approached Kael timidly. A middle-aged man. Face weathered by years under the sun. Simple but clean clothes.
"Sir... I... thank you. For helping my ladies. If that man had..."
"Drive." Kael cut off the words.
"You know the way to Arven, I assume."
"Yes, sir. I've done the route dozens of times."
"Good. Then move."
The driver nodded quickly. Ran toward the driver's seat. Took the reins.
Aldric got into the carriage first. Then turned to offer a hand to Kael.
Kael ignored it. Climbed in on his own.
Inside the carriage: the injured guard lay on one of the long benches. Breathing more stable now. Bandages staying clean for the moment.
Elara and Nia had settled on the opposite bench together. Nia still clinging to her sister's arm.
Kael took a seat near the window. Aldric sat across from him.
The driver whipped the horses. Softer than the other one. The animals began to walk. Then trot.
The carriage set off.
Clattering of wheels on the dirt road. Familiar movement. Rhythmic.
Direction: west. Toward Arven.
Deep night ahead.
Elara looked at Kael with an expression that mixed gratitude, confusion, and something akin to reverent fear.
"Lord Drayvar..." She began timidly.
"Are you sure about this? We didn't want to cause you trouble with your family. If your father gets angry because you disobeyed orders..."
"It's not your problem."
"But..."
"Rest. We have five days of travel. You'll need energy when we arrive."
Elara closed her mouth. Nodded slowly. Leaned back against the bench. Nia snuggled against her side.
Aldric watched Kael with an inscrutable expression.
Kael looked out the window. Watching the dark landscape pass by. Fields. Trees. Shadows.
'Debt. Gratitude. Fear.' 'Everything has its price in this world.'
He thought of the noble fleeing. Of his final threat. Of how he had looked at Elara.
He thought of Arven. A city he didn't know. Territory he hadn't explored.
'Five days to learn about a new place. New contacts. New opportunities.'
'New pieces for the board.'
He smiled slightly.