The smell of burnt wood and wet earth hung heavy and uncomfortable. Safira ran through the smoking ruins, her heart pounding in her chest, desperately searching for Colin.
Finally, she spotted him. Colin was lying under the precarious shelter of a destroyed porch, the twisted remains of a house that had once been someone's home. The rain trickled through the broken tiles, intermittently wetting him. Beside him, huddled and hugging her knees, was an unknown girl, her face pale and smudged with soot.
Safira quickened her pace, the sound of her boots splashing in the mud breaking the melancholic silence of the rain. She knelt beside Colin, concern creasing her brow as her eyes scanned the cuts and bruises that marked his body. The relief of finding him alive was palpable, but the sight of his injuries distressed her.
"Colin? Hey, Colin, are you okay?" Her voice came out choked. Her eyes met the girl's, a glimmer of gratitude appearing amidst the apprehension. "Thank you... truly, thank you for taking care of him."
The girl merely shook her head, a faint, tired smile barely gracing her lips. "He... he just needs to rest a bit..."
At that instant, as if awakened by the voices, Colin groaned softly and began to stir. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking repeatedly against the raindrops that stubbornly found their way to his face, his blurry vision trying to focus on the devastated environment. A collective sigh of relief escaped Safari and the girl when he, with visible effort, tried to prop himself up on his elbows.
"Colin!" Safira exclaimed, joy overflowing in her voice. "You're awake! Are you feeling well?"
He winced, pain pulling at his lips as he tried to sit up. He managed, but leaned his back against the cracked wall behind him, breathing with difficulty. "Where... where are we?" he asked, his voice hoarse and confused, looking around without immediately recognizing the place.
"Still in the village..." Safira replied, concern returning to tinge her voice. "You passed out after the fight. If it weren't for her..." she indicated the girl with a nod of her head "...you'd be worse."
The girl moved a little closer, her keen gaze examining Colin's wounds with unexpected seriousness. After a moment, she nodded, seemingly satisfied with what she saw. "You'll be fine. But you really need to rest, and someone needs to take care of those injuries."
Colin closed his eyes for an instant, his brow furrowed as if reliving the final moments of the battle in his mind. He let out a long sigh, resigned. "Okay... okay. Rest sounds good... but not yet. First, let's find the others. Then I'll rest." His eyes met Sapphire's. "You're in one piece, at least..."
"Oh... yeah, I am. Do you really think so?" A small smile appeared on Sapphire's lips, a mixture of tiredness and pride. "It was tough back there, but I handled it... I even feel like... I got stronger, you know?"
"That's good..." He looked at the girl. "What's your name?"
"Ranila... my name is Ranila..."
◊❱───────⸂◍⸃───────❰◊
The persistent rain continued to wash the devastated landscape, the constant sound of drops hitting the rubble and the dense vegetation of the forest bordering the ruined village. The trio: Colin, Sapphire, and the newly met young woman, Ranila, advanced along the muddy path.
The path was macabre. Bodies of soldiers lay grotesquely scattered among the trees and bushes, heads separated from torsos, limbs thrown haphazardly, entrails exposed to the rain and the horrified gaze of the travelers.
Suddenly, a little further on, through the mist that began to form with the humidity, a familiar face emerged from the carnage. Lying near a twisted tree, was a man.
"Mr. Reno!" Ranila's voice tore through the air, laden with panic. She darted towards the man, slipping in the mud, but without losing momentum. She knelt beside him, her trembling fingers searching for a pulse on his cold neck.
A sigh of relief escaped the girl's lips as she felt the faint, but present, pulsation. Without hesitation, Ranila opened the small leather pouch she carried over her shoulder, revealing medical instruments and vials. With surprising agility, she prepared an injection and administered it into the man's arm.
The tension on the young woman's face visibly lessened as she watched Reno's vital signs respond to the treatment. Slowly, very slowly, he opened his eyes, focusing with difficulty on the worried face above his. "Ranila... you... you're okay..."
Tears welled up in the girl's eyes, but she nodded vigorously. "Yes, I am! And you'll be fine too, don't worry!"
The effort seemed to exhaust the man's last remaining strength. His eyes closed again and he plunged into unconsciousness, a sleep forced by exhaustion and pain.
Colin approached, his face serious. Carefully, he slipped his arms under Reno's inert body, lifting him onto his shoulder with a grunt of effort. He adjusted the weight, trying to find a position that would minimize the injured man's discomfort.
"Let's keep going," he said, his gaze meeting Sapphire's. "We need to find the others. And fast."
They resumed their march through the forest. The rain, finally, began to subside, turning into a fine drizzle and then ceasing completely. The heavy clouds slowly moved away, revealing a gibbous moon that bathed the trail with a pale, ghostly light. Now, under the moonlight, it was clear to see the flattened grass, the deep footprints in the mud; unmistakable signs that a large group had passed through there recently.
They were close.
"Thank you very much... really..." Ranila's voice sounded low beside them, choked with emotion. She discreetly wiped away a stubborn tear that trickled from the corner of her eye. "When the soldiers arrived... I thought it was the end. And then... all that hell... Thank you, truly, both of you..."
Safira and Colin exchanged a quick glance. A small, tired smile appeared on Sapphire's lips. "No need to thank us," she said. "We just did what had to be done. We're happy to help, aren't we, Colin?"
Colin, still focused on carrying Reno and observing the surroundings, merely nodded in silence.
Further on, where the forest began to clear, they spotted the group. The villagers, those who managed to escape, were gathered near the carriage, their faces marked by concern and anxiety. Brighid fluttered among them, applying bandages and offering words of comfort in her high-pitched voice.
As soon as Colin emerged from the woods with Reno on his shoulders, some stronger young men stepped forward to help. Carefully, Colin lowered the injured man, and the boys gently laid him on the ground, on some improvised blankets.
His gaze met Brighid's, who was further ahead. She nodded to him, a relieved smile on her tiny face.
"Safira," Colin called, his voice low but firm. "Let's find some food. These people must be starving."
◊❱───────⸂◍⸃───────❰◊
Some time later, Colin returned to the improvised clearing that served as a camp. Over his shoulders, he carried the carcass of a considerable deer. Safira followed close behind, bringing some rabbits she had managed to catch in the traps they quickly set up.
In the center of the improvised camp, a bonfire was already crackling, warding off some of the damp night chill that was slowly settling in. Colin, with the skill of someone who had done it countless times, began to skin and dismember the deer, using his dagger with surgical precision. Safira took care of the rabbits, preparing them for roasting.
The work was methodical, almost ritualistic. Their dexterity was remarkable, making use of every piece of the animal. With a quick gesture and a few murmured words, Safira used her magic to revive the flames of the bonfire, which danced higher and brighter.
Colin improvised a spit with sturdy branches and hung large pieces of deer meat over the fire. Soon, the delicious aroma of roasting meat began to spread through the camp. People, drawn by the smell and the warmth, began to approach, forming a circle around the bonfire.
"Hmph. When I was his age," grumbled a gray-bearded old man, sitting with difficulty on a log near the fire, "I hunted a buffalo that was bigger than a house!"
A younger woman, sitting beside him, rolled her eyes. "Dad, are you going to start with those stories again? Nobody believes that."
"It's not a lie! I should have kept the bones, I would have won a prize, for sure!"
Safira looked at Colin and caught him with a slight smile on his lips, almost imperceptible.
"You can go ahead and take some," Colin said, indicating the rabbits that were already roasted on smaller spits. "But be careful, it's damn hot."
More people gathered around the fire, seeking to warm their damp and cold bodies after the incessant rain. They wrapped themselves in torn blankets and improvised clothes.
"Hey, Elf!" the same old man called out again. "You're mercenaries, right? I've never seen anyone take out a band of those Ultan soldiers like that."
Colin shrugged, taking a piece of rabbit for himself. "You could say that."
"And what's it like?" asked a young girl, her clothes dirty with mud and soot, her curious eyes fixed on Colin.
"Yeah! Tell us!" another girl beside her chimed in. "Have you killed many monsters?"
"Some," Colin replied, his mouth full. He chewed slowly before continuing. "Almost kicked the bucket a few times, but we manage pretty well, most of the time."
"At your age," the old man intervened again, "they tried to take me to the army of the southern empire. But I refused, of course."
"Dad..." his daughter sighed, embarrassed. "He doesn't want to hear your tall tales."
"Of course he does! Look at him, he's even smiling!"
Colin, in fact, had a slight amused smile on his face. "I wouldn't mind hearing some stories, sir."
"See?!" the old man exclaimed, triumphant. "Speaking of which, my daughter here is single! She cooks beautifully, you know? You won't starve with her, I guarantee!"
"Dad!" The woman blushed violently, slapping the old man's arm.
"What's wrong? She's almost twenty! She needs to find a good man before she gets stuck!"
Suppressed laughter sounded around the bonfire. Despite the recent tragedy, a sense of community began to emerge there, warmed by the fire and shared food. Stories, worries, and hesitant smiles were exchanged under the starry sky, which now shone brightly, promising a new day.
The camp seemed united in that moment of truce, except for a small family that kept to themselves, inside the carriage. Reno was awake now, his eyes open staring at his children, Yamillya and little Miguely, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying.
"You were lucky, you know?" said Brighid, sitting on a wooden shelf inside the carriage, swinging her little feet in the air. "A few more minutes in that rain and you wouldn't have made it."
Reno put his hand to his aching ribs and managed to sit up with a low groan. "I have to properly thank your friend... If it weren't for him... my children... the villagers..."
"Relax," Brighid said, unconcerned. "We're happy to help."
He rummaged in the pockets of his worn tunic and pulled out the small metal pendant that Colin had returned to him earlier. "This belonged to my wife... before the plague took her. And it was her mother's before that..."
Yamillya, who had been observing in silence, raised her eyebrows. "He gave that back to you?"
Reno nodded. "He did... why?"
"It's just that... Mr. Colin had asked for that as payment to help us... I don't know why he..."
"You don't need to give him the pendant," Brighid interrupted. "It's a family heirloom, right? If Colin gave it back, it's because he doesn't care. You can keep it, it's yours."
Reno clutched the pendant in his hand, a look of deep gratitude on his tired face. "I'll never forget what you did. Never!"
Brighid smiled. "And where do you plan to go now? With the village destroyed and everything..."
"I don't know..." Reno sighed, his gaze lost. "Going back there and rebuilding isn't an option. Ultan's soldiers could return at any time... It's no longer safe. I think we'll go north. Anywhere far from Ultan. And you? Where are you going?"
Brighid shrugged, evasive. She didn't want to mention that their destination was precisely the fortress from which those soldiers probably came. "Oh, I don't know... Wherever there's work and money, I guess..."
"I see..." Reno leaned back, closing his eyes. "If you don't mind, Miss Fairy, I think I'll try to get some sleep."
"Of course, that's fine. I'll leave you alone."
◊❱───────⸂◍⸃───────❰◊
The night passed calmly, lulled by the sound of crickets and the intermittent glow of fireflies dancing in the cool air. The moon followed its course, bathing the sleeping camp with its silvery light. Slowly, darkness gave way to the first rays of sun, which painted the sky in shades of orange and pink.
With the day dawning, some more willing villagers returned to the destroyed village. They rummaged through the rubble of the houses, searching for anything useful that had survived the attack and the fire. They found blankets, some clothes, tools, and even some swords abandoned by the dead soldiers. They also gathered the horses that belonged to the soldiers and were now grazing freely in the surroundings.
They loaded the horses' saddlebags with the few provisions they found, clothes, and blankets, and returned to the improvised camp. They were ready to leave, to leave behind the ashes of their old lives.
"Are you sure you don't want to come north with us?" Reno asked Colin, already dressed in a dark cloak he had found and with his old sword at his waist. "We could start a new community, all together."
Colin shook his head, a slight smile on his face. "Maybe next time. Who knows, maybe we'll run into each other someday."
The two men exchanged a firm handshake.
"May the gods protect you, Elf friend."
"You too, Reno. Good luck on your journey."
The group of villagers began to organize for departure. Yamillya and little Miguely were already mounted on one of the horses, which Reno held by the reins.
"Mr. Colin! Miss Sapphire! Miss Brighid! Thank you for everything!" Yamillya shouted, her voice choked.
"Take good care of your father and your brother!" Safirareplied, waving.
Colin merely turned his back and waved his hand over his shoulder, a casual farewell gesture, but one that carried a silent weight.
They watched the large group move away along the trail, an improvised caravan heading into the unknown. When they disappeared from sight, Colin returned to the carriage, where Safiraand Brighid were waiting for him.
"Hey!" Ranila's voice sounded behind him. The girl who had healed him had returned, her peculiar staff resting on the ground beside her. "Wait a minute. Take this."
She rummaged in her leather pouch and pulled out a heavy cloth bag, which jingled with the sound of coins. She handed it to Colin. "It was that damned commander's. It seems he was carrying a lot of money. The people found more things in the village and with the soldiers. This is your share."
Colin took the bag, feeling its considerable weight in his hand. He opened it slightly, peeking at the gold coins inside. "Hmm, I guess I should have charged a lot more for that service."
Ranila smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I saved your life. Consider the full amount as a discount for emergency service." She winked. "See you later, Elf. I guess it's goodbye for now."
"Yeah. Take care, girl." Ranila was already turning to leave when Colin's gaze fell on the staff she was carrying. A memory struck him. "Hey, wait! Where did you get that staff?"
Ranila stopped, looking at the object in her hand as if seeing it for the first time. "Oh, this? It was there with the soldiers' stuff. Why? Do you know it?"
Colin hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand dismissively. "No, nothing. Just curiosity. Goodbye, girl."
"Goodbye..."
Adjusting the hood over her face, Ranila quickly walked away, disappearing down the path where the other villagers had gone. Safira approached Colin.
"That was Lady Elara's staff, wasn't it?"
Colin nodded, his gaze fixed on the path where Ranila had vanished.
"Looks like we found the guys who killed Jamily's husband, then. They must have made other victims along the way... At least they won't hurt anyone else now."
Safira agreed with a sigh and turned to the carriage, where Brighid was already impatient.
"Well, at least we didn't leave empty-handed!" Colin said, tossing the bag of coins into the air and catching it back with a dull thud. "There must be about 100 gold coins in here. And that idiot beast I knocked out also had a good amount of money. Let's continue our way to Ultan."
"Do you think that's enough for us to rent a decent room in an inn? With a soft bed and everything?" Safira asked, massaging her aching shoulders.
"Colin! Can I have a bed all to myself this time? Can I? Can I?" Brighid asked, flying excitedly around Colin's head.
"What for? You're smaller than my hand! You don't need a whole bed just for yourself."
The fairy crossed her little arms, pouting. "Why not?"
"Why not! Come on, let's go. We have a long way ahead of us."