The three tamers crashed into the clearing like a small avalanche, their exhaustion forgotten in the face of worry for their companion. Mira reached Ren first, dropping to her knees beside him with practiced efficiency, her hands immediately checking his pulse and injuries.
"He's alive," she breathed, relief flooding her voice. "Unconscious but alive. Ren, you stubborn idiot, I told you not to engage alone."
Garrett and Finn arrived moments later, their grass-type oxen lumbering behind them. The bearded man took in the scene—the dead thunder-horse, Kael's injured mythbeasts, Ren's unconscious form—and let out a low whistle.
"You took down a thunder-type," he said, looking at Kael with something like awe. "Kid, do you have any idea how rare that is? Thunder-types are glass cannons, sure, but they're fast enough that most fights end before you can exploit their weaknesses."
Kael shrugged, trying to play it off as luck rather than tactical coordination. "It was injured. We got a good opening shot, and then just kept the pressure on."
Through his bond with Vera, he felt her amusement at his understatement. The fight had been brutal and precisely coordinated, but he couldn't let them know that. Couldn't let them see how much of his own power he'd contributed.
Divine Restoration hummed at the back of his mind, available now that the cooldown had expired. He could heal Ren, could heal Vera, could make everything better with a touch. But his hand stayed at his side.
Nobody was dying. Ren's injuries were serious but stable. Vera's burns would heal naturally, even if it would take days instead of seconds. And revealing his healing ability here, in front of witnesses, when he was barely strong enough to defend himself—that was a risk he couldn't afford.
Not yet. Not until he understood this world better, understood what people with his abilities would face.
Soon, he promised Vera through their bond. When we're alone, I'll heal you. I swear it.
She sent back understanding mixed with patience. She trusted him to make the right call.
Finn had moved to check on the grass-moose, running his hands over the creature's injuries with gentle competence. "Your beast saved his life," the sandy-haired young man said, addressing the moose directly. "Held off a thunder-type alone. That's courage."
The moose made a low sound, pressing its nose against Ren's shoulder. The bond between tamer and beast was evident in that simple gesture.
Mira finished her examination of Ren and sat back on her heels. "He needs proper medical attention—a healer, preferably—but he'll live. No permanent damage that I can see, though those electrical burns are nasty." She looked at Kael. "Your beasts? How bad?"
"Vera took some electrical damage in the final exchange," Kael said, scratching behind his psychic cat's ears. "Burns, mostly. Ember's just exhausted. Nothing that rest and food won't fix."
It was the truth, if not the complete truth.
Garrett nodded slowly, then settled down onto the ground with a groan. "We need to rest. Just for a bit, let our beasts recover some stamina." He looked at his two oxen, both of whom were practically swaying on their feet. "After fighting those rock birds and then rushing here, they're done."
The group fell into a companionable silence, each tending to their mythbeasts and catching their breath. Kael listened as the three tamers talked among themselves, piecing together their story.
They were young tamers—all four of them in their early twenties—who'd banded together to train their beasts in the forest. It was supposed to be a relatively safe area, they explained, known for having mostly low-to-mid level wild mythbeasts. Good for training without excessive risk.
"We weren't expecting rock birds that coordinated," Mira said, frustration evident in her voice. "Or a thunder-horse that aggressive. This forest's reputation must be outdated, or we just had the worst luck imaginable."
"The latter," Finn muttered darkly. "Definitely the latter."
Kael filed that information away. So there were areas known for training, with reputations for certain types and levels of wild mythbeasts. That suggested a level of civilization and infrastructure he hadn't seen yet—maps, guilds maybe, information networks.
"We should leave," he said after they'd rested for perhaps twenty minutes. "This forest clearly isn't as safe as you thought, and we're all in rough shape. The sooner we get to civilization, the better."
Garrett looked at him with surprise. "You're not from around here, are you?"
Kael hesitated, then decided on a version of the truth. "No. I'm... new to the area. Been traveling."
"Where from?" Mira asked, curious but not pressing.
"Far away," Kael said vaguely. "Different region entirely. I don't know this forest at all—I was just passing through when I heard your fight."
It was close enough to the truth that he didn't feel like he was outright lying. He was from far away—just infinitely farther than they could imagine.
"Lucky for us you were," Finn said sincerely. "We'd be dead without you and your beasts."
Ren groaned, his eyes fluttering open. "Did someone... say dead?" His voice was rough, weak, but conscious. "Because I feel dead."
"Ren!" Mira moved to his side immediately. "Don't try to sit up. You got hit pretty badly."
"Thunder-horse?" Ren asked, his eyes finding the corpse. "Please tell me that thing is dead and not just resting."
"Very dead," Garrett assured him. "Thanks to our new friend here."
Ren's eyes shifted to Kael, taking in his youth and his two mythbeasts. "You... took down a thunder-type? How old are you, twelve?"
"Seventeen," Kael said, slightly offended. "And it was a team effort."
Ren managed a weak smile. "Seventeen with a psychic-type that strong and a fire-type that hits like a siege weapon. Either you're incredibly talented or incredibly lucky."
"Can't it be both?" Kael asked.
That got a small laugh from the group, breaking the tension.
After another few minutes of rest, they began preparing to move. Ren could walk with support, leaning heavily on Garrett. The mythbeasts were recovering slowly—the grass-types drawing energy from the forest around them, the wind wolf's natural stamina regenerating over time.
"Which way?" Kael asked, realizing he had no idea how to get out of this forest.
Ren, despite his injuries, proved to be their salvation. "I'm a tracker," he said. "Been mapping this forest for months. The nearest exit is northwest, about two hours at a steady pace." He grimaced. "Or three hours at our current shuffle."
"Northwest it is," Mira decided. "Let's move before anything else decides we look like easy prey."
They formed a rough column—Mira's wind wolf scouting ahead, the two grass oxen supporting the flanks, and Ren's grass-moose walking protectively beside its injured tamer. Kael and his companions took up the rear, Vera's psychic senses alert for any threats following them.
As they walked, Kael noticed Ember flying energetically through the treetops despite the recent battle, her flames bright and curious. She seemed the least affected by the day's events, her ethereal nature giving her resilience that flesh-and-blood creatures lacked.
The sun was setting, painting the forest in shades of amber and gold. They had maybe an hour of good light left, which meant they'd be navigating the last part of their journey in darkness.
"We'll make it," Ren said, as if reading Kael's thoughts. "The path gets clearer as we get closer to the forest edge. And once we're out, there's a road that leads straight to Thornhaven."
"Thornhaven?" Kael asked.
"The city," Finn explained. "Fortress city, technically. Big walls, lots of guards, decent infrastructure. It's where we're all based."
A city. Civilization. Answers to his questions about this world.
Kael felt anticipation build in his chest. The forest had been a trial by fire—literally—but it was just the beginning. The real challenge would be navigating human society with his secrets intact.
Through their bonds, he felt Vera and Ember's excitement matching his own. Whatever came next, they would face it together.
The group pressed on through the darkening forest, heading toward the promise of safety and the unknown challenges that awaited in Thornhaven.