The sun hung low over the plains, bleeding gold into the tall grass. Hooves drummed softly against the packed dirt road as Team Elysium made their way west toward the borderlands.
Kaito rode at the front, reins steady in one hand, Elenya sitting snug in front of him on the saddle. Her silver hair shimmered in the light breeze, and every so often she'd point at a bird or cloud, her voice bright against the quiet rhythm of their journey.
"Look, Dad! That one looks like a dragon!"
Kaito squinted. "Looks more like a cow with wings, sweetheart."
She giggled and leaned back against his chest, content. "You're no fun sometimes."
He chuckled, giving the horse a light tap with his heel. "Fun don't keep us alive out here, darlin'. But I'll try to work on that."
Behind them, Talia rode gracefully, her emerald cloak billowing with each stride. Beside her, Marin chatted softly, her hands resting on her staff as if it were part of her balance. Darrun brought up the rear, humming an old dwarven tune that carried over the wind like a low drumbeat.
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As the sun dipped lower, the plains gave way to scattered woods. The group decided to make camp near a shallow creek, the sound of water masking the distant hum of cicadas.
Kaito dismounted first and lifted Elenya down, setting her gently on the grass. "Alright, kiddo — help me unpack. We'll get the fire goin' before it gets cold."
Elenya nodded eagerly and got to work, humming while stacking firewood. It was clear she'd grown since the first day he found her — stronger, steadier, and smiling more freely.
Talia finished tying her horse to a post and joined them, hands on her hips. "You've gotten good at this, Elenya. Maybe better than Kaito."
"Hey now," Kaito said, feigning offense. "I taught her everything she knows."
Talia smirked. "Which means she learned to compensate for your shortcuts."
That earned a quiet laugh from Marin, who had just finished setting a perimeter charm. "It's nice to see a father and daughter getting along. Reminds me of home."
Darrun grunted from where he was unpacking supplies. "Reminds me of a headache I used to have. All that chatter before supper."
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They ate together around the fire as dusk fell, the stars starting to prick through the sky. The mood was calm, comfortable — until the wind shifted.
The horses whickered uneasily.
Kaito's head snapped up instantly. Years of battle-hardened instinct kicked in — his hand went to the hilt of his blade, eyes scanning the tree line.
Talia noticed it too. "Something's watching."
Marin closed her eyes, muttering softly. Blue runes flickered along her fingertips. "There's a trace of corrupted mana… faint, but close."
Elenya's eyes widened. "Corrupted mana? Like… demons?"
Kaito placed a steady hand on her shoulder. "Behind me, kiddo."
Branches rustled. Then — a growl, low and guttural.
A shape slipped from the shadows — hunched, slick-skinned, its arms too long and its eyes glowing a dull crimson. It was small, almost child-sized, but wrong in every way — its movements jerky, its flesh too thin.
Marin's voice was tight. "A Lesser Abyssling. A scout."
"Scout?" Kaito echoed, sword drawn. "You mean there's more?"
"Always more," Talia answered grimly.
The creature lunged.
Kaito stepped forward, blade flashing silver in the firelight. One clean strike — and it fell, dissolving into black smoke before it even hit the ground.
For a heartbeat, silence. Then three more shapes appeared between the trees, their claws glinting.
"Looks like it brought friends," Darrun growled, hefting his war axe. "Let's send 'em back to whatever pit they crawled out of."
The fight was quick but fierce — the creatures darting through the brush with eerie speed. Marin's spells lit the night with blue flame, Talia's arrows sang through the dark, and Darrun's axe cracked bone and bark alike.
Kaito fought like a storm, every swing controlled but brutal, protecting Elenya with practiced precision. When one of the Abysslings broke through the line and rushed her, Elenya loosed an arrow with shaking hands — it struck clean through the creature's eye.
The last of them fell moments later, the air thick with the smell of burnt mana and smoke.
---
Elenya stood frozen, bow still trembling in her grip. Kaito knelt beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder.
"You did good, sweetheart. Real good."
Her voice was quiet. "I was… scared."
He smiled gently. "Good. Means you're still human. Courage ain't about not bein' scared — it's about actin' anyway."
Talia approached, wiping her blade. "He's right. That shot saved us time and blood. You're growing into a fine archer."
Elenya blushed under the praise. "Thanks… Miss Talia."
Darrun threw another log onto the fire, muttering, "Fine archer or not, I don't like the smell o' this. Scouts this deep means somethin's stirring."
Marin nodded. "They don't roam this far without command. The mana traces… they're organized. Almost directed."
Kaito frowned. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"
Talia's gaze was grim. "If these are scouts, then the rumors might not just be rumors. Someone's moving pieces out here."
Kaito looked toward the western horizon, where distant lightning flickered behind the mountains.
"Guess we're headin' right into the storm," he murmured.
He looked down at Elenya, who had leaned sleepily against his arm. Her bow still rested in her lap, and though her eyes were drooping, her expression was proud.
Kaito smiled faintly, brushing a hand through her hair. "You did real good today, darlin'. Rest easy."
As the others kept watch, Kaito sat awake long after the fire dimmed, eyes fixed on the dark horizon — where unseen eyes watched them back.
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