The air in Grainwick felt heavier than ever as David stormed through the narrow paths between homes. The evening sun bore down, but it did little to warm the simmering anger in his chest.
His small hands were clenched into fists, and his mind raced with ideas—half-formed plans of traps, poisons, and alchemical defenses that could stop anyone foolish enough to threaten Aura.
A spray of acid? Or maybe a strong base would be easier to make. Something potent enough, that even small -
His thoughts were interrupted as he passed the open square. A familiar voice, smug and sharp, carried over the muted conversations of villagers.
David ducked behind a stack of crates, his eyes narrowing as he spotted Sir Calland and Lady Elvara standing near the well. Those two together? That could not bode well.
The timid knight, whom Bert pointed out as one of the good ones, stood before them, his shoulders hunched and his hands fidgeting nervously. Calland leaned in, his grin predatory.
“Come now, Sir Gero,” Calland said, his tone mockingly sweet. “You’re not getting cold feet, are you? We need every able body on patrol, especially with the Commander gone.”
“I-I just think we should wait,” Gero stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. “The monster—”
Elvara cut him off with a harsh laugh. “Oh, please. Viel’s cautiousness has rubbed off on you, hasn’t it? That’s why we’re taking charge. No more waiting around like cowards.”
Calland clapped Gero on the shoulder, the force of it making the younger knight flinch. “Besides, it’s not like you have a choice, do you? Orders are orders.” His smile sharpened. “And you wouldn’t want to disappoint your commanding officers, would you?”
Gero hesitated, his eyes darting to the ground. “N-no, of course not.”
“Good,” Elvara said, her tone dripping with condescension. “Then let’s get moving.”
David’s lip curled as he watched the two knights turn and lead Gero toward the village gate. Where were they going with only three knights? And why were they so eager to get Gero along? He decided to follow, sticking to the shadows as he trailed the trio.
They hadn’t gone far when they encountered a young girl on the outskirts of Grainwick. David’s face paled. It was Sophie. She still looked about seventeen, but her expression was far from her usual cheerful, confident demeanor. She froze as Calland approached.
“Well, well, an unexpected meeting, but a welcome one!” he said, his voice full of mock charm. “Out gathering, are we? How about you come with us on patrol? We could use the company.”
The girl’s grip tightened on her basket. “I… I have to get these back,” she said, her voice trembling.
Calland’s smile didn’t waver as he pulled a dagger from his belt, the blade catching the sunlight. “You should agree while I’m asking nicely.”
The girl’s eyes widened, and she took a step back, but Elvara moved to block her path. “Be quiet and do as you’re told,” Elvara said coldly. “You wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt, would you?”
David’s heart pounded in his chest as he watched the scene unfold. His first instinct was to run, to find Brenn or someone who could intervene. But he remembered Bert’s words, of how mostly Calland’s group remained in the village.
He imagined villagers resisting knights, his thoughts filled with bloodied streets and lifeless bodies. Bert and Aura being killed. He froze, his small frame trembling as indecision gripped him. They wouldn’t do anything too bad with Gero there, right?
Forcing himself to calm, he crouched lower behind a stack of barrels, his mind racing.
They were getting farther from the gates now. He couldn’t stop them—not now. But he could follow. His jaw tightened as he watched Calland grab Sophie by the arm.
Despite the distance, she was visibly trembling in his grasp. Even if the best David could do was bear silent witness, maybe at least he could bring justice upon them when Viel returned. To threaten the poor girl like that was surely criminal.
David stayed in the shadows, his steps silent as he trailed them. The knights made a lot of noise for a group leaving the safety zone, making them easy to track.
His anger boiled beneath his fear, a steady fire that refused to be snuffed out. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
-=-=-
Sometimes when people fought one another, true monsters kept watch from the shadows. And they laughed.
-=-=-
The forest clearing was silent save for the faint rustling of leaves in the breeze.
Calland led the group with an air of smug authority, his polished armor flashing in the filtered sunlight, not even the coiling ivy dared to try and stop him.
Elvara followed closely behind, her hand clamped tightly around Sophie’s arm. Gero trailed at the rear, his shoulders hunched as though the weight of the entire situation pressed down on him.
They stopped in the center of a clearing, where soft grass bent under the heavy steps. Sophie whimpered as Elvara forced her to her knees, her green hair spilling over her face.
Gero shifted uncomfortably, his gaze darting between them and Calland. The shadows around them shifted ever so slightly, but no one noticed.
Calland turned, his expression darkening as he locked eyes with Gero. “You know,” he began, his voice deceptively light, “I should kill you for that little stunt you pulled. Running to Viel like a pathetic whelp, tattling on your betters.”
Gero flinched, his hands clenching at his sides. “I-I didn’t mean—”
“Didn’t mean to what?” Calland snapped, stepping closer until he loomed over the knight. “Didn’t mean to humiliate me? To undermine me in front of the men?”
Elvara chuckled from her position by the girl, her grip never loosening. “He’s pathetic, Calland. Why bother wasting your breath?”
“Because” Calland said, his tone sharpening, “he’s going to prove his loyalty. Aren’t you, Gero?”
David’s breath caught. The situation was getting wildly worse with every passing second.
Gero swallowed hard, his eyes darting to the girl. “What... what do you mean?”
Calland’s smile was razor-sharp. “You’re going to swear allegiance to me, on the Goddess’s name. Right here, right now. Forget the Commander, forget the order. You serve me.”
Gero hesitated, his face pale. Calland’s eyes narrowed, and he drew his dagger, the blade gleaming as he stepped closer. “Say it.”
“I... I swear,” Gero stammered, his voice barely audible. “By Min, I swear allegiance to you.”
Calland smirked, sheathing the dagger. “Good. Now prove it.” He gestured to Sophie. “Take her.”
Gero turned his face to the terrified girl, her tears reflecting in his eyes. The words hung in the air, the weight of them suffocating. Gero’s face twisted in horror. “I—I can’t—”
“You can, and you will,” Calland said coldly.
Gero shook his head, his body trembling. “This isn’t... this isn’t right.”
Calland’s expression darkened, and he lashed out, striking Gero across the face with the back of his hand. The other knight stumbled, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
“You don’t get to decide that.” Calland snarled. “I do.”
Elvara’s voice was icy. “If he won’t do it, he’s a liability. He might snitch again.”
Calland paused, his gaze flicking to Gero. For a moment, his expression softened into something almost bored. “She’s right. You’re not worth the trouble.”
Gero’s eyes widened as Calland’s blade flashed. The knight barely had time to raise his hands before the dagger plunged into his neck.
He collapsed to the ground, wheezing as blood pooled beneath him.
Calland bent down to wipe his blade on the fallen cloak, his expression indifferent. “I wanted to see his face when we killed him anyway, but oh well.” he muttered.
He turned to Sophie, who was now sobbing quietly, her childish joy completely gone.
Elvara stepped closer, a cruel smile on her lips as she pressed her boot against the girl’s back, forcing her lower.
David watched from the shadows, his heart pounding in his chest. His small frame trembled as he gripped the branch he’d been using for cover, his nails digging into the bark.
His head pulsed, his soul screamed at him to run, to intervene, to do something. But his legs felt like lead, and his mind was a whirlwind of shame, fear, and anger.
Calland’s actions were methodical, his voice low and filled with menace as he bent toward the girl.
Elvara laughed softly, her voice a sickening melody against the backdrop of the forest. It was as if the world itself was bent on recreating the warehouse scene from his memories.
David’s vision blurred with unshed tears as he pressed himself lower into the undergrowth, willing himself to stay silent. He had to bring them to justice, somehow.
When it was over, Calland stood and adjusted his armor.
Elvara bent down, picking up a heavy stone from the clearing’s edge. With a cruel smile, she dropped it onto the girl’s leg.
A wet crunch rang out and Sophie cried out before falling unconscious.
“She won’t be going anywhere, and her cause of death will be monsters after an unlucky bone fracture.” Elvara said lightly, brushing her hands off. “How dangerous to be a gatherer.”
Calland didn’t spare the girl another glance as he turned and strode further into the forest, Elvara following close behind.
David waited until their voices faded into the distance before emerging from his hiding place.
Deep into the forest, something trembled in anticipation, but everything in sight was still. His steps were slow, his breath shallow as he approached the girl’s motionless form.
He looked at her bruised body and the grisly wound on her shin. His anger burned hotter than ever, eclipsing any guilt he felt, but there was no time to dwell on it.
He slowly breathed out.
He had to act, and quickly if he wanted to help her.
He frantically searched his satchel for anything that could save the girl’s leg. There.
A healing tincture.
The forest felt colder now, the shadows deeper, as he knelt beside her. He felt eyes on his neck.