The morning sun of Bluefish Village rose with a deceptive tranquility. However, the peace was shattered by the rhythmic thud of heavy hooves and the rattling of a high quality carriage. It was an elegant vehicle, bearing the silver crest of a blooming rose, the sigil of the House of Silverwyn.
Surrounding the carriage were ten men, their armor polished to a mirror finish. But the true power laid on the two men riding directly beside the carriage windows. They were Silver Knights of the Kingdom, men who had transcended the limits of normal soldiers.
Sir Kaelen, the elder of the two knights, pulled his visor up and looked at the humble wooden huts of Bluefish Village. "Young Master Theo" he called out, his voice gravelly but respectful. "We have arrived at the outskirts of Bluefish Village."
From within the carriage a window slid open, revealing a young man with soft features and bright curious eyes. Theo Silverwyn looked out at the rural scenery with a faint smile.
The second knight Sir Valeriusa, younger man with a sharp jawline and a quiet demeanor nudged his horse closer. "Young Master, should we stop here to rest? The horses have been running since dawn and the village well is well known for its purity."
Sir Kaelen immediately shook his head. "No. This is unfamiliar territory Valerius. My gut tells me we are too exposed in these backwater hamlets. We should push through the valley and reach the capital's garrison by nightfall. Safety lies in walls, not in open villages."
Theo let out a light, melodious laugh that seemed to brighten the somber mood of the guards. "Oh, Kaelen! You worry too much. What danger could possibly find us in a peaceful place like this? Especially when I have the legendary 'Twin Shields of Silverwyn' guarding my life? With Sir Kaelen's strength and Sir Valerius's speed, I feel as safe as if I were in the Duke's own study."
Sir Kaelen stiffened, his face reddening slightly under his helm. He looked away, silenced by the boy's genuine warmth and trust. Even a hardened knight wasn't immune to the loving praise of the boy he had protected since birth.
"Someone is on the road ahead!" the carriage driver suddenly shouted, pulling the reins.
The group came to a halt. Standing in the middle of the dirt path was a young boy, his clothes tattered and his leg bloodied. It was Elias. He looked pale, leaning heavily on a wooden stick.
"Please!" Elias called out, his voice cracking with feigned desperation. "Help me... I was checking my father's traps in the woods, and I stepped into a hunter's pit. My leg... I can't walk back to the village."
Theo's eyes widened with pity. "Kaelen, stop the carriage! We cannot leave a person in such a state."
"Young Master, there might be danger" Valerius warned, his hand moving to his hilt.
"He is a injured boy, Valerius. Look at him," Theo insisted. "Kaelen, please. Carry him to the carriage. We will at least bring him to the village center."
With a sigh of disapproval, Sir Kaelen dismounted. He walked over to Elias and hoisted him up. As they moved, Elias reached into his tunic and pulled out a large waxy leaf wrapped tightly around a thick purple paste.
"What is that?" Theo asked, leaning out of the window as Kaelen set the boy down near the step.
"It's a medicinal ointment, My Lord" Elias said, his eyes scanning the surrounding treeline even as he spoke. "The elders in Bluefish Village make it from the mountain herbs. It looks strange, but it works fast."
Elias smeared the purple paste over the deep "gash" on his leg, a wound he had carefully made with a small knife earlier to make the scene believable. As he spoke to Theo about the village, the group watched in stunned silence. By the time Elias had finished explaining that the village was famous for its fishing, the wound on his leg had stopped bleeding and was visibly knitting together.
"Incredible" Theo whispered. "I have seen royal mages use high-tier healing spells but for a simple herb to work with such speed..."
Elias smiled weakly but his mind was elsewhere. His Nature's Call ability was screaming. The rustle of leaves to the left wasn't wind. The silence of the birds to the right was a warning.
Suddenly, several black feathered arrows hissed through the air.
"Ambush!" Kaelen roared, his sword out in a flash, swiping an arrow out of the air that was aimed directly at Theo's head.
A dozen men in dark leather armor, the mercenaries Elias had seen the night before jumped from the bush. They didn't shout war cries instead they moved with the professional silence of paid assassins.
"Protect the Young Master!" Valerius shouted.
The fight was brutal but short. These mercenaries were skilled, but they had underestimated the "Twin Shields." Sir Kaelen was a whirlwind of steel, his heavy blade shearing through mercenary shields like paper. Sir Valerius moved like a shadow, his rapier finding the gaps in the assassins' armor with lethal precision.
Within minutes the attackers laid dead in the dirt.
Elias stood by the carriage with his face grim. He looked at the system screen floating in the corner of his eye.
[Quest: The Silverwyn Incident
Status: In Progress...]
Why isn't it finished? Elias thought, his heart sinking. The attackers are dead. Theo is safe. Why is the quest still active?
Kaelen walked back to the carriage, wiping blood from his blade. He had a shallow cut on his shoulder, and Valerius had a gash on his thigh. "The vermin are dealt with, Young Master. But they were professionals. This wasn't a random bandit attack."
The atmosphere was heavy with agitation. The guards were on high alert, their eyes darting to every shadow. Theo looked shaken, his face pale as he looked at the bodies.
"You are wounded" Elias said, stepping forward with his wrapped leaf "Please, let me help. You saved me from the road, let me repay you with our village medicine."
Kaelen looked skeptical, his hand tightening on his sword. But Valerius feeling the sting in his leg looked at the boy. "He's the one who healed his own leg in seconds, Kaelen. If that paste can get us back to full strength before the next wave comes, we'd be fools to refuse."
Elias applied the purple ointment to their wounds. Just as before, the results were near-miraculous. The pain vanished instantly, and the skin began to close before their very eyes.
"This is no mere village herb" Kaelen muttered, staring at his healed shoulder. He looked at Elias with new respect. "Boy, what do you want for this? Gold? A recommendation to the capital?"
Elias shook his head, offering a humble bow. "I want nothing Sir Knight. You protected my home by killing those men. I only hope your journey is smooth from here on. Please, leave the village safely. If there are more of them, the open road is safer than being trapped in our narrow streets."
Theo smiled warmly, reaching out to pat Elias's shoulder. "You are a brave and kind soul, Elias. I will not forget this favor"
The group departed, the carriage picking up speed as they left the village outskirts. Elias stood by the road, waving until they were a mere speck on the horizon.
The moment they were out of sight, Elias's face transformed. The innocent village boy vanished, replaced by the cold, sharp mask of a veteran soldier.
"The quest didn't end" he whispered. "Which means the threat isn't outside the group."
Elias didn't go back to the village. He turned and sprinted into the treeline, using his Nature's Call to track the vibration of the carriage wheels. He ran with a steady rhythmic pace, keeping several hundred yards of forest between him and the road.
An hour passed. The carriage reached a secluded stretch of the valley road, flanked by steep cliffs.
Suddenly, Elias's heightened hearing picked up a sickening sound—the sound of steel piercing mail.
He burst through the bushes to a vantage point on the cliffside. Below him, the carriage had stopped. Sir Kaelen was slumped over his horse, a sword buried deep in his side. Standing over him, his blade dripping with the blood of his comrade, was Sir Valerius.
"Valerius... why?" Kaelen gasped, coughing up blood.
Valerius's face was a mask of cold indifference. "The Duke is old, Kaelen. The Silverwyn name is a sinking ship. My 'employer' pays in more than just silver."