The road stretched north beneath a sky that had begun to soften with the afternoon light. Behind them, the smoke rising from Keleushila's forges slowly blended into the horizon until only the tallest watchtowers remained visible above the rolling countryside.
For a while, neither of them spoke. The road was busy enough to keep their attention occupied. Merchant wagons creaked south toward Reka beneath loads of grain and timber, while others headed north carrying barrels, livestock, and travelers eager to reach the military city before nightfall.
It was Eren who finally broke the silence. "I've been thinking about those prices in Reka."
Shion glanced toward her. "I thought the merchants were simply charging whatever they pleased."
"They probably were." Eren smiled. "But now I understand why."
Shion nodded once.
"The Crown isn't buying swords," Eren continued. "It's buying every forge that can make them."
"More or less."
"And if Keleushila is making equipment for half the kingdom..."
"...there isn't much left for anyone else," Shion finished.
Eren looked down at the sword hanging from her belt. "No wonder even ordinary armor was so expensive."
Shion's hand rested briefly against the worn leather of her own breastplate. "A good craftsman only has so many hours in a day."
They walked on. The fields surrounding the road rolled gently beneath the summer wind, broken only by scattered groves and the occasional farmhouse standing well away from the trade route. Somewhere overhead, a hawk circled lazily against the blue sky.
By the time the sun settled low above the western hills, they had put many more miles between themselves and Keleushila. The detour from Reka's main road had cost them time; the next town still lay another day and a half ahead.
With little daylight remaining, they left the road in search of a suitable place to spend the night. A small clearing among the trees offered level ground, enough fallen wood for a fire, and shelter from the evening breeze.
The night passed without incident. Beyond the occasional call of an owl and the distant rustle of unseen animals, the forest remained undisturbed.
They were back on the road not long after sunrise.
Then a cry shattered the morning stillness.
"Help!"
Both women stopped.
The voice came again, closer this time. "Jursens! Please someone, help!"
A lone figure burst around the bend ahead, running with little regard for the uneven road. His robes were stained with mud to the knees, one sleeve was torn to the shoulder, and a leather satchel bounced violently against his side. Three thick books were clutched so tightly beneath one arm that his knuckles had turned white.
He nearly collided with Shion before stumbling to a halt. "Please—"
Shion caught him by the shoulder before he could continue. "How many?"
The man blinked. "...What?"
"Jursens," Shion said.
The scholar swallowed. "I—I don't know."
"More than one?"
He nodded frantically. "Four... maybe five."
Shion released him. "Keep running."
The scholar needed no encouragement. He hurried past them toward Keleushila without another word, the books never leaving his grasp.
Shion had already started forward, and Eren hurried after her. "He didn't even drop the books."
"Scholars rarely do."
They rounded the bend at a run. The attack revealed itself in pieces. A broken crate lay overturned in the middle of the road, grain scattered across the packed earth. Several yards farther on, one of a wagon's wheels rested on its side, still slowly rocking from the force that had torn it free. A horse lay motionless beside the ditch, the leather harness still attached. The second horse had fled, its traces dragging through the grass before disappearing into the trees.
Another impact echoed ahead. Wood splintered.
As they reached the clearing, the rest of the scene unfolded. The merchant wagon leaned at a dangerous angle, one side collapsed beneath repeated blows. Two merchants had climbed onto what remained of the cargo bed, using long poles to keep several enormous beasts at bay while a third swung an axe whenever one ventured too close.
One of the creatures hurled itself against the wagon again. The vehicle lurched sideways. The impact sounded less like flesh striking wood than a felled tree crashing into a wall.
The beast backed away with a furious snort. It stood nearly as high as Shion's chest, its shoulders broad enough to rival a draft horse. Thick plates of scarred hide overlapped across its back, rising into jagged ridges that caught the afternoon light like worn stone. Its tusks curved outward from a wide jaw, blackened and chipped from years spent gouging earth, wood, and whatever else had stood in its path.
Another emerged from behind the shattered wagon. Then another. A fourth rooted through a torn sack of grain, scattering its contents with impatient snorts before raising its head toward the merchants once more.
"There!" one of the merchants shouted as he spotted the newcomers. "Please!"
Shion drew her greatsword, the familiar weight settling comfortably into her hands.
Four."
Eren pulled her own sword free. "You've fought Jursens before?"
"A few."
"Anything I should know?"
Shion never took her eyes off the animals. "They don't stop once they commit to a charge."
Eren tightened her grip. "So don't stand in front of one."
"Exactly."
Almost as though it had understood the conversation, the nearest Jursen lifted its head. Its small, dark eyes settled on the two newcomers. It pawed once at the earth, lowered its head, and charged.