A Good Man Awakens

Chapter 29: The Road's Trials

Damp earth and pine filled the air as we made our way through the dense forest, the narrow dirt path winding between towering trees. The storm from the night before had left the ground slick, and the sky above remained a sullen gray, threatening more rain. Kendril led the way, on foot his horse pulling the cart I had made home, for the last few days, I followed a few paces behind, still feeling the weight of my injuries but growing stronger with each day.

The journey had been quiet, too quiet for my liking. Every rustle of leaves, every creak of a tree branch set my nerves on edge. There was an unspoken tension in the air, as if something was watching us from the shadows. Kendril, for all his silence, seemed alert, too. His hand never strayed far from the hilt of the dagger at his side.

"How far is the next village?" I asked, my voice low, not wanting to break the stillness too much.

Kendril didn't turn around, but his voice carried back to me clearly. "Half a day's walk, if we're lucky."

I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. The weight of everything that had happened—Sophia, Reece, the enforcers—still hung over me like a cloud, suffocating every thought, every breath. Sophia's face flickered in my mind, the sound of her humming a melody as she fed the animals, and then the image twisted, becoming the nightmare of her last moments. Her body crumpled to the ground, lifeless. A chill ran through me. Had Villias seen this coming? Was this all part of some grand plan he never bothered to share with me?

I couldn't shake the feeling that I had been a pawn in some larger scheme—used by forces I couldn't yet understand. Sophia had paid the price, and for what? To push me further along some path I didn't choose? The idea clawed at my insides, gnawing at the remnants of guilt that still festered in my soul. If Villias had foreseen this, then why hadn't he warned me? Why hadn't he given me the chance to stop it?

I thought of the Faye and the magic they had taught me, the delicate balance of light weaving, the ancient whispers that I had once thought would guide me. But now those lessons felt distant, hollow, like a forgotten dream. What had all of that been for? To watch the people I cared about die? My mind flashed back to the endless forests of the Faye realm, the strange and magical paths that twisted and turned, leading me always to new revelations, new challenges. Now, it felt like I had wandered too far off the path, into a darkness that had no end.

The future felt uncertain, like a ship adrift on an endless, stormy sea. What lay ahead? Could I even trust Kendril?

As we rounded a bend, the path ahead narrowed, flanked by dense thickets of bramble and gnarled trees. The wind whistled through the branches, carrying a chill that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Without warning, Kendril stopped in his tracks, his head tilting slightly as if listening for something. His eyes scanned the treetops, narrowing in suspicion. My stomach tightened in response.

"Trouble," he muttered under his breath, his hand now firmly on his dagger.

Before I could ask what he meant, figures emerged from the woods—half a dozen men, all armed with crude weapons, their faces smeared with dirt and malice. Bandits. Or worse, Arcana scouts. I couldn't tell, but they were here for blood.

"Looks like we've got some company," one of them sneered, stepping forward. His sword was rusty, but it was still sharp enough to kill. "Hand over your valuables, and we might let you keep your tongues."

Kendril's stance shifted subtly, his muscles tensing as he prepared for a fight. I could feel the change in the air around him, a low hum of energy building. Something was about to happen.