The sun was barely peeking over the mountains when Colin returned to the camp carrying a slain rabbit. The Bakurak's head still rested on the cart, while the horses grazed freely near the lake's edge.
He skinned the rabbit and set it to roast. He appreciated these peaceful mornings, as Safira and Brighid usually slept in, and he valued these moments of solitude.
"Good morning, little Colin!" Brighid appeared enthusiastically, flying around him. "What a wonderful smell!"
Safira appeared shortly after, rubbing her still sleepy eyes. "Hi..."
Colin cut pieces of the rabbit with his dagger, serving a portion to Safira and a small piece to Brighid. "We should be close to Ultan," he commented, bringing a piece to his mouth. "We need to blend in, not draw attention."
"Colin..." Safira hesitated. "Why are we going there? Brighid can continue teaching us magic..."
"We have nowhere to run, Safira. Since they are the most powerful, we might as well take advantage of that."
"Hmm..."
"This way, we'll have the capital's protection while we evolve. Brighid is a Monarch of two trees; she can help us exclusively with this." He threw the rabbit bones into the fire and rose from the rock where he was sitting. "I'll pack our things so we can hit the road."
"Okay..."
Colin walked away, and Brighid landed on Safira's shoulder while chewing her piece of rabbit.
"Did you believe him?" asked the fairy.
Safira shrugged. "I guess so... and you?"
"I believe him, but Colin must have another objective behind it..."
"What do you think it is?"
The fairy rested her hand on her chin, thoughtfully. "I don't know... I still can't read him like I can read other beings..."
"Guys, we need to go!" Colin shouted from a distance. "We can reach the city tomorrow if we hurry."
Safira threw the bones into the low fire and extinguished it, covering it with sand using her feet.
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The carriage traveled along the winding dirt road. The horses demonstrated impressive skill in avoiding the numerous potholes that multiplied with each mile.
The sun, which had earlier dared to break through the clouds, soon gave up appearing when an unexpected rain poured down over the landscape.
Colin and Safira protected themselves from the cold and moisture under their cloaks, while Brighid took shelter in Safira's hood, next to her ear.
The raindrops hit their cloaks like a melancholic symphony, accentuating the desolation of the environment.
On the horizon, something caught Colin's attention. "What's that?"
Safira squinted her eyes. "Looks like a carriage."
They approached, the rain growing stronger.
"Stay here!" Colin dismounted and went to the abandoned carriage.
What they found was a scene of horror. The carriage had been brutally looted, with the bodies of its occupants scattered on the ground.
Two women lay with their dresses torn in intimate areas and their throats cut. The man showed signs of strangulation, and his face was covered with injuries.
The carriage seats were shattered and stained with blood.
Arrows embedded in the carriage floor surrounded the corpses.
After examining the site, Colin realized that anything of value had been taken, leaving only unimportant personal items.
He exited the stagecoach and walked to the front.
Two soldiers, probably responsible for the family's security, lay motionless, with expressions of despair etched on their faces.
Even the horses had been killed.
Bandits? Could they still be nearby?
"Brighid!" Colin shouted, trying to make his voice heard over the increasingly heavy rain. "Can you tell me if there's anyone around?"
Hidden from the rain in Safira's hood, she nodded.
"There's some mana around, but it's far away!" she shouted in response.
"I understand. Safira, help me get them out of here! We'll bury them!"
"Okay!"
One by one, they placed their bodies beside the road.
Colin had sworn to himself that he would never care about the dead again, but this time was different.
"Brighid!" he called. "Can you make five graves?"
She nodded and raised one of her hands. Five magic circles appeared a little way from the road, and the earth was taken by a greenish mana, forming blocks that detached from the damp soil.
"Help me, Safira!"
First, they carried the soldiers, then the nobles, placing them in the graves. When they finished, the floating earth blocks were gently placed over the graves.
Colin went to the carriage, broke one of the shelves, and tore part of the seats. He went to the roadside and drove the wood into the ground, using the leather strip to make a cross.
"Done!" He clapped his hands to clean them. "Help me tie the Bakurak's head to the stagecoach; we'll use it."
They did this quickly.
They cleaned the blood from the interior of the stagecoach and prepared to depart.
"You can travel in there; it's safer," Colin said from inside. "Try to rest; I'll keep an eye on everything."
"You're staying out there?" asked Safira, concerned. "What if you catch a cold?"
Colin held back a laugh. After all the dangerous situations they had faced, she was worried about a cold.
"I'll be fine. Watch her, fairy."
Brighid crossed her arms and nodded. "She's right; we should get off the road and rest. This rain only makes things worse."
"I know; I'll find a place."
Colin guided the stagecoach along the muddy road while the furious storm poured down around them.
The wind howled and shook the carriage; the raindrops seemed like darts thrown by nature itself.
The horses advanced forcefully, their hooves hitting the puddles of water, while Colin held the reins firmly, his expression serious and concentrated.
Colin was no fool.
More than anyone, he knew the dangers of a storm like that. He knew that Safira's safety and his own depended on finding shelter, away from the fury of the rain and winds.
With natural skill, he guided the horses off the main road, seeking protection in the forest. Some drops still found their way under the cloaks, but the vegetation with long, robust branches offered good protection.
Finally, Colin found a safe place where the carriage could rest, sheltered from the storm.
He got down from the carriage and entered the stagecoach, looking at his companions.
"Didn't I say I'd be fine?" He took off his soaked cloak and wrung it out at the door. "The trees have eased the rain for now. We've already eaten, so why don't you try to sleep? This rain looks like it will last for hours."
"You should be the one sleeping!" exclaimed Brighid. "We're fine, but what about you? You haven't closed your eyes since we left that village."
Colin ran his hand through his wet hair, pushing it back. "Worried about me?"
"Of course I am!" She looked away, blushing. "Sa-Safira is too..."
He nodded. "I'll try to sleep, I promise."
On the free bench, Colin lay down and closed his eyes. Even knowing that a family had died there, he almost got used to it. Wherever he went, he seemed to follow an endless trail of death.
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The violent storm had passed, leaving only a light drizzle. Colin opened his eyes and looked to the side. The two were sleeping, Safira with her head leaning against the window and Brighid lying on her thighs.
How can they sleep so peacefully?
He sat up, rubbed his tired eye, and exited the stagecoach quietly. He saw that the tree branches formed almost a natural tent, protecting them from the rain, and a field of low grass stretched ahead.
The horse was grazing peacefully, and Colin went to it.
"Soon you'll be free, boy," he said, stroking the animal's mane.
His senses alerted him, and he heard footsteps, a run. The horse also became agitated. Colin raised his hand, conjuring with difficulty an electric dagger, until two children emerged from the bushes, soaked and covered in mud.
Children?
As soon as they saw him, they skidded, stopping abruptly while catching their breath.
Their frightened eyes found a tall, intimidating man holding an electric dagger, and they immediately thought about going back the way they came, but an arrow embedded itself in the ground near their feet.
"Finally!" exclaimed a man covered by a cloak, emerging from behind the bushes with a crossbow resting on his shoulder. "Children really have tremendous energy." He looked at Colin. "Thanks for this, Elf; I think I have some coins here."
The children were desperate, looking from Colin to the man with the crossbow, not knowing what to do. The girl squeezed her brother's hand and ran to the side, out of the line of sight of the two.
Squelch!
The arrow was fired, embedding itself in the back of the girl's thigh, who fell with a cry of pain.
Desperate, the younger brother cried uncontrollably.
"Yamillya! Yamillya!" the boy shouted between sobs. "What do I do? Tell me, please, what do I do?!"
"Here!" The crossbow man threw the coins at Colin's feet. "This should pay for both; I don't want trouble with a Dark Elf."
Colin looked at the children and then at the man, keeping his eyes on him as he crouched to pick up the bag of coins. "What are you going to do with them?"
He shrugged. "The boy will work, the girl too, hehe! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go. My people must be waiting for me."
With the crossbow on his shoulders, he walked to the children. The boy, in front of his sister, remained frightened, trying to protect her.
"Stay away from my sister!"
Thwip!
A knee to the stomach and the boy fell, vomiting the stew from the night before.
"You gave me a hell of a job; I'm too old for this, you know?"
"Miguely! Miguely! What did you do? What did you do?!" shouted the girl.
"Such desperation; the boy just passed out; it's easier this way."
The carriage door opened slowly, and from inside emerged Safira and Brighid, still sleepy.
"Colin..." said Safira, yawning. "What's all this shouting about?"
One look at the scene was enough for the two to understand. It was as if Safira had been awakened with a bucket of cold water. She raised her hands toward that man, conjuring a magic circle, ready to attack.
"Hehe, is this serious?" said the man. "I paid you, Elf; tell your little whore to control herself."
Colin touched Safira's arm, making her lower it.
She swallowed hard but didn't resist.
"Hehe! I knew you wouldn't disappoint me." He picked up the boy, placing him on his shoulders. "You made good use of the carriage; we were going to burn it."
"Was it you?" asked Colin. "You killed the family it belonged to?"
"Not me." He secured the crossbow to a rope at his waist and grabbed the girl who was struggling to break free. "It was my partners. I just enjoyed the aftermath. You should try noble women, Elf; being with one is like tasting a piece of heaven."
He began to slowly move away.
Safira became furious, and Colin noticed this from the corner of his eye.
"I buried them, all of them," said Colin.
"Hehe! Do you want my congratulations or something?"
Colin shook his head. "They were nobles, but everything of value they had was taken, and that disappointed me a little."
The soldier turned to face him, startled by the sinister smile forming on the lips of the so-called Elf.
He swallowed hard. "I gave you a share... you should be grateful."
Colin took a step forward, resting his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. "I want everything!"
Tch... these damn Elves!
He released the two children and pointed the crossbow at Colin. "You should have kept the coins I gave you; now you'll end up with nothing!"
"Brighid, Safira, don't get involved; he's mine alone."