Relik surfaced from sleep slowly, the damp earth pressing uncomfortably against his back. The chill of the pre-dawn air pricked his skin, carrying the scent of pine and the faint, lingering smell of campfire smoke.
He blinked his eyes open to the grey light filtering through the dense forest canopy. A small fire crackled nearby, its embers glowing faintly.
Logun sat by the fire, cross-legged and unnervingly still. He wasn't drinking, which was the first thing Relik noticed. The second was the unnerving alertness in his posture.
His jade eyes, usually holding a cheerful, slightly unfocused twinkle, were sharp and clear, scanning the shadows beneath the trees.
"Morning kid," Logun said softly, his voice low and calm, almost casual. "Sleep well?"
Relik pushed himself up onto his elbows, wincing at the stiffness in his muscles.
"Like a rock," he lied, the ache in his back a reminder that he wasn't in his own bed.
"Didn't even dream of... well, didn't dream at all."
Logun's lips curved into a small, wry smile. He didn't call out the lie. Instead, his gaze remained fixed on the tree line.
"Good. Rest is important. Especially when you've managed to acquire a few... unexpected visitors." He paused, then added, his voice dropping just slightly, "Looks like my luck finally ran out. About fifteen of 'em, I reckon. All armed. And looking decidedly unhappy."
Relik's stomach plummeted.
He scrambled to his feet, his eyes wide as he frantically scanned the perimeter of their small campsite. And then he saw them. Figures detaching themselves from the shadows, cloaked and hooded, armed with swords, axes, and glinting knives.
They moved with a quiet, deliberate menace, fanning out to surround the small clearing, their numbers overwhelming.
Fear, cold and paralyzing, seized Relik. His breath hitched, and his hands clenched uselessly at his sides. Bandits. He was going to die, ambushed in the woods, before he'd even learned what a guardian was supposed to guard.
A larger figure stepped forward from the encircling group, his face obscured by a dirty hood, but his heavy, notched sword held with grim purpose.
Relik had seen few before but a Hurc could only do so much to hide their figure. Tall, broad and brutish. This one had dark grey skin and tusks just long enough to poke over his lower lip.
"Well now, Logun," the bandit leader's voice was a low growl, rough like grinding stones. "Up and at 'em, are we? Didn't think you'd be an early riser, not after last night's... festivities of course."
Logun remained seated by the fire, his posture relaxed, almost infuriatingly calm. He didn't reach for a weapon. He just offered a small, sheepish shrug. "Ah, Yabi. Fancy meeting you out here. Just enjoying the sunrise."
"Sunrise?" Yabi scoffed. "You owe us, Logun. A considerable sum. And you tried to cheat my shinali at cards. Nobody cheats my shinali and walks away clean." His eyes, hard and unforgiving, swept over Logun, then landed on Relik.
"Heard you were traveling light. But we also heard you picked up a valuable piece of cargo, afreshly selected Guardian. Surely you wont be leaving Remu until someone pays well to get their little bird back in the nest."
Relik felt a fresh wave of dread.
They knew. And this wasn't just a random robbery; it was because of Logun. His fear began to mix with a rising tide of exasperation and disbelief. He was about to be robbed, possibly killed, because his recruiter was a drunk who cheated at cards.
"Now, Yabi, let's not be hasty," Logun said smoothly, his voice regaining a touch of its usual cheerful lilt, though the sharpness in his eyes remained. "A misunderstanding, perhaps? A friendly game that got a little... enthusiastic?"
"Enthusiastic?" Yabi snarled. "You palmed the Queen of spades, Logun! My shinali saw you! You owe us the debt, plus interest for the insult." He gestured with his sword towards Relik. "And this one... he's collateral. Or maybe, even the payment itself."
Logun sighed, a theatrical sound that grated on Relik's nerves. "Collateral? Yabi, you wound me. You think the Burning Tempest is going to hand over coin for a fledgling who hasn't even had his first training session? We'd just send someone to collect your shinali."
As the argument continued, Relik's initial terror began to ebb, replaced by a strange mix of disbelief and a growing sense of the absurd.
They were surrounded by armed bandits, discussing gambling debts and collateral. It felt less like a life-threatening ambush and more like a bizarre, early-morning negotiation over a bar tab.
The immediate threat, while still physically present, felt less pressing with every word exchanged.
"Look," Relik interjected suddenly, the words escaping before he could stop them. His voice was shaky, but there was a definite edge of annoyance.
"Can we speed this up? I'm cold, I'm hungry, and frankly, this is a ridiculous reason to get robbed. Did you guys seriously track us out here because he cheated at cards?"
The boy shook his head, "cards?"
Yabi's head snapped towards Relik, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You got a mouth on you, kid. Keep it shut."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Relik retorted, a strange, reckless defiance blooming in his chest, fueled by a mix of residual fear and pure exasperation at Logun's antics.
"Didn't realize bandits had such delicate sensibilities. Just thought, you know, if you're going to interrupt our morning with a debt collection, you could at least be efficient about it. Or are you guys just practicing your standing-around skills?"
A few of the bandits shifted uncomfortably, exchanging glances. Yabi's grip on his sword tightened.
Relik noticed.
Logun chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. "See the potential? Always thinking about efficiency."
He looked back at Yabi. "He has a point, you know. This is hardly the most streamlined approach to debt collection. And frankly, capturing a Guardian-in-training is going to bring a lot more trouble down on your heads than my paltry gambling debt is worth."
"Your debt and the insult!" Yabi snarled. "And we know that he's the Von Vino's son, only child to be exact. This kid's worth more than you and me."
Relik glared at Logun, then back at the bandits. The resignation was settling in now, thick and heavy. They were stuck here, apparently, until this bizarre standoff concluded. He might as well lean into the absurdity.
"Seriously though," Relik said, stepping slightly forward, ignoring the warning glares from the bandits. "This whole operation... it's kind of amateur hour, isn't it? Ambushing people for gambling debts? Standing around talking about it? Do you guys have like, a recruitment process? Or do you just wait for someone to cheat at cards and hope they're worth something?"
"For cards?" he repeated as the struggle for comprehension continued.
Silence fell over the clearing once more, broken only by the crackling fire and the rustling leaves. The bandit leader stared at Relik, his mouth slightly agape beneath his hood. The other bandits looked equally stunned.
Logun, however, burst into laughter. A full, hearty, genuine laugh that echoed through the quiet woods.
"Recruiting?" he choked out, wiping a tear from his eye. "Oh, that's priceless! You hear that, Yabi? The fledgling wants to join your little gang! He thinks he will add a much needed level of 'sophistication'!"
Yabi finally found his voice, a roar of frustration. "Shut up, Logun! And you," he pointed his sword at Relik, "you've just made things a whole lot worse for yourself!"
"Honestly?" Relik shrugged, the fear now almost entirely replaced by a weary, sarcastic defiance.
"Worse than being selected by the gods and handed over to a guy who owes money to bandits? I'm not sure that's possible. But hey, if you ever decide to professionalize, look me up. I'm sure I could offer some... process improvement suggestions."
He folded his arms, waiting, a bead of sweat rolling down the back of his neck almost broke he façade.
The sun was beginning to rise properly now, casting long rays of light into the clearing. The bandits, still surrounding them, looked less like terrifying figures of the night and more like a disgruntled collection of underpaid workers.
Relik, still with folded arms, stood in the middle of it all, surrounded by fifteen armed men, and felt nothing so much as impatience for the whole thing to be over so he could finally get that breakfast he'd been denied.
Surely his annoyance could fuel him with the bravery necessary to wait out the argument.
That's what he assumed at least.
"That necklace!" one of the bandits pointed out, "it's glowing. That's an active Titan stone."
A few murmurs surfaced and Relik sub consciously grabbed at his jewel.
"Well look at fate," Yabi smirked as he extended his axe.
He took a slow step forward and said axe then fell to the ground, arm attached. Comically so the limb then bounced and rolled into the campfire.
Everyone stood still exchanging glances with as many people as they could in search of a source. Breath held in silence before a spout of blood and a cry of pain inspired an uproar.
Another bandit leapt from his place in an attempt to grab Relik. His head and arms detached a splash of blood landing on Relik's shoe.
This act took the wind out of the attack and everyone returned to their spots.
Relik finally turned to find Logun, his face devoid of emotion and a long sword in hand.
"Logun you bastard," Yabi snarled clutching his shoulder, "You chopped off my left arm."
"Well you're now right handed," Logun replied reaching up to palm Yabi's forehead with his free hand.
"Anyone else interested in trading in a limb?"
The bandits regressed but one decided to voice his opinion.
"How did he get selected wearing a Titan stone, why didn't the other guardians take it from him at selection?"
Logun forced Yabi down to his knees leading to unrest among the other bandits.
"Logun you fool," Yabi said between sharp pulls of breath, "In Hurc mythology titan stone can suppress titans. It was used to imprison them. If it's glowing it means that it is currently in use. A titan is nearby. Do you know understand that?"
"I understand that it's an expensive paperweight."
Yabi grit his teeth as Logun tightened his grip on his forehead.
"Yabi you've been my favourite gambling buddy in Remu. It's a pity how good things come to an end."
Relik interjected, "what do you mean by a titan is nearby? What do they even look like?"
Logun raised his sword and smiled at Relik, "if we let them live you will forever be a target. Remove your necklace."
Relik paused as he could not recall a moment in his life where his necklace was ever removed.
No memory of it ever being taken off.
However, in quiet obedience he reached around the back of his neck and lifted it over his head.