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Chapter 6 – Shadows on the Road
The forest was quieter than it should have been.
Sara noticed first. Even with her wrists raw and her tail bound against her back, the silence pressed against her senses. No birdsong. No rustle of animals. Only boots crunching leaves, armor clinking, and the occasional cough from one of the older hunters.
It set her teeth on edge.
Of course, none of them seemed to notice. Hunters, supposedly sharp-eyed, but too busy dragging their "captive witch" along to realize the woods themselves had gone still.
She muttered under her breath, "Fantastic. Perfect. Definitely not ominous at all."
Kael, marching close enough to catch it, glanced sideways. "What?"
"Nothing," Sara said brightly, flashing him an exaggerated grin. "Just admiring the scenic silence. Really warms the heart."
Kael frowned, his hand tightening on the spear he carried. She didn't miss the way his gaze flicked over the treeline. Maybe he did notice something after all.
The scarred leader barked suddenly, "Pick up the pace!" His voice was a growl that sent the younger hunters scrambling.
Sara stumbled when the rope jerked forward, biting into her wrists. She hissed but didn't give the scarred man the satisfaction of a complaint. Instead, she tossed her hair and muttered loud enough for Kael to hear, "What's the rush? Afraid your prisoner might enjoy the view too much?"
One of the hunters behind her snorted. "Don't talk to her. That's how they get in your head."
Sara rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt. "Yes, yes. Beware the scary girl with a fluffy tail. Truly the greatest threat in all the land."
A chorus of low mutters rippled through the hunters, most of them glaring at her back. The fear was there, simmering just beneath their distrust. And fear, she knew, could snap into violence at the smallest provocation.
Which was… inconvenient.
Because the silence of the forest wasn't just silence. Something was moving out there.
Her tail twitched before she caught herself. The instinct was sharp, primal—like static before lightning. She clenched her teeth. If she reacted too much, they'd notice. If she stayed quiet, whatever was lurking might decide to pounce.
Kael's voice was low, almost too quiet to hear. "You feel it too, don't you?"
Sara turned her head just slightly, giving him a look. He wasn't staring at her like the others—he was watching the shadows between the trees.
"Well," she murmured, "if by 'it' you mean the promise of something with claws, then yes. Very much so."
His grip tightened on the spear.
The scarred leader barked again, "Quiet in the line!"
Sara sighed. "See? No appreciation for suspense. Honestly, how do you people live without dramatic tension?"
The words had barely left her lips when the forest answered her.
A guttural roar ripped through the trees, shaking the air. Birds exploded into flight overhead, finally breaking the silence.
The hunters spun, weapons drawn, formation tightening around their leader.
Sara couldn't help herself—she grinned. "Ah. There it is. The drama."
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The creature burst from the underbrush a heartbeat later.
It was massive—wolf-shaped, but wrong, its shoulders bulging with knotted muscle, its eyes glowing faintly with sickly green light. Corrupted beast.
Sara's grin faltered. "Oh. Well. That's worse than I expected."
The hunters reacted instantly. Arrows flew, steel flashed, and Kael lunged forward with surprising speed. The corrupted wolf barreled straight into their line, scattering two men like dolls.
Sara ducked instinctively, ropes or no ropes. Her powers throbbed under her skin, demanding to be used. She grit her teeth, forcing them down. Not here. Not in front of them.
Kael's spear darted forward, piercing the beast's flank. It howled, snapping at him, but he slid back with practiced steps. His face was pale, jaw tight, but his movements—precise.
Sara watched, surprised despite herself. For a boy who looked like he still got lost on his way to market, he fought like someone who had been drilled since birth.
But the corrupted beast wasn't slowing. If anything, its frenzy grew.
One of the older hunters yelled, "Fall back! Draw it away from the prisoner!"
Sara scoffed. "Oh, sure, leave me here. Great plan."
The scarred leader ignored her, already driving his blade into the wolf's shoulder. Green ichor splattered, sizzling against the dirt. The stench of rot filled the clearing.
Sara flinched as the sound hit her—an echo that wasn't sound at all, but resonance. Her head spun. The corruption in the beast pulsed, tugging at her senses, and for a moment she saw it: veins of shadow threaded through muscle and bone, anchoring into something older, something darker.
Her breath caught.
Her powers stirred, desperate to unravel it.
She almost let them.
Almost.
Then Kael shouted her name—her real name, not "witch" or "demon." Just Sara.
Her eyes snapped open.
The wolf had turned, lunging for her.
Time slowed.
Instinct screamed to release her power, to tear the corruption apart before its fangs reached her throat. But Kael was already there, throwing himself between her and the beast, spear braced.
The impact drove him back, boots carving furrows in the earth, but the spear held.
Sara's heart hammered against her ribs. She couldn't—wouldn't—let him die for her.
Her powers surged, tail snapping against the bonds. A faint glow seeped from her skin, threads of light spiderwebbing across her arms.
Kael's eyes flicked to her—just for a second. But it was enough. His grip steadied, his spear angled, and with a sharp cry he drove the weapon upward, piercing through the wolf's jaw and into its skull.
The beast convulsed, then collapsed, green light fading from its eyes.
Silence.
Broken only by the hunters' ragged breathing.
And the faint glow still clinging to Sara's skin.
She froze. Too late.
Several hunters turned, eyes widening.
"She's glowing," one whispered.
Another snarled, "I told you! She's cursed—"
The scarred leader raised his blade. "Stand back! If she moves, cut her down!"
Sara's pulse roared in her ears. Her power trembled, begging to be unleashed. She forced it down, biting her tongue until she tasted blood.
And then—Kael stepped forward.
"She didn't do anything," he said firmly, planting himself between her and the others. His voice carried in a way it hadn't before, sharp enough to make even the scarred leader hesitate. "That glow… it didn't kill the beast. I did."
A tense silence followed.
The scarred leader's eyes narrowed. "Careful, boy. You're defending something you don't understand."
Kael didn't flinch. "Maybe. But I understand this—she's still breathing. That's more than can be said for the beast."
Sara blinked at him, stunned. For once, she had no quip, no sarcasm. Just… silence.
The hunters shifted uneasily. The scarred leader finally spat to the side. "We move. Now. The capital's close enough—we'll let the priests sort this mess out."
He sheathed his blade, but his glare at Sara promised nothing good.
The march resumed, heavier, quieter.
But Kael stayed close, his expression unreadable.
And Sara, still shaken, found herself whispering without thinking, "Why?"
Kael glanced at her. "Why what?"
"Why defend me?"
He looked away, tightening his grip on the spear. "…Because you're not what they think you are."
Sara's throat went tight. She smirked instead, because that was safer. "Careful, hunter. Keep talking like that, and people will start thinking you like me."
Kael didn't answer. But the faint flush in his ears was answer enough.
Sara let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
For the first time since her capture, the road ahead didn't feel quite as hopeless.
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AN:
Well… the hunters might have made it through the night, but the cracks in their little group are starting to show 👀. Sara can hold her own with sarcasm, but with the way tensions are brewing, words might not be enough next time.
Riddle time again!
The more you take from me, the bigger I get. What am I? 🤔
Let's see who can figure this one out—drop your answers in the comments!
✨ Teaser for Chapter 7:
Sara will soon learn that the forest hides more than roots and shadows… and sometimes, the enemy you fear least is the one standing right behind you.
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