Eclipsed

Chapter 39

wind whipped through the sky as Alric flew effortlessly through the clouds. His wings sliced the air, and the world below seemed small and distant. After a long day of travel, though, the weight of exhaustion began to catch up to him. He glanced at Valen, who was sitting silently beside him, eyes focused ahead.

"Well, it's been about a day," Alric said, breaking the silence. "You wanna make a stop?"

Valen looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly, then gave a subtle nod. "Yeah, it's been a while."

Alric tilted his wings and descended smoothly toward the ground. The village of Tiberon came into view, a small but bustling settlement with a marketplace and modest buildings. It wasn't much, but it would do for a brief rest.

"Seems like a good place to rest," Alric commented as they touched down softly.

Valen nodded wordlessly, his gaze distant as usual. They made their way into the village, weaving through the marketplace filled with vibrant stalls, the air alive with the sounds of people haggling and chatting. The scent of fresh bread and sizzling meats filled the air, and their stomachs growled in agreement.

They made their way to the food section, where various vendors sold their goods. After quickly choosing their meals, they sat down at a small table, the food warm and fragrant. Valen dug into his roast chicken with a quiet intensity, savoring each bite, while Alric dug in more eagerly.

After a few moments of quiet eating, Alric glanced up. "Still a day to go. I sense the same force of hiraigen as I do back in the kingdom."

Valen paused, then responded, his voice even. "That's good. We're getting closer."

"Hm, yes," Alric murmured, scanning the room. "We're about halfway there, but—"

Suddenly, the door to the shop slammed open with a loud bang, and a group of rowdy teenagers barged in. Their loud laughter and obnoxious chatter cut through the otherwise calm atmosphere. One of them kicked a crate out of the way as he entered, sending it tumbling across the floor. The others followed, making themselves known with crude remarks as they approached the counter.

"Oi, look at this place," one of them sneered, a lanky teen with a scruffy haircut. "Smells like garbage in here." He knocked over a stack of bowls, just for the fun of it.

The group of delinquents started pushing over crates of food, some of them grabbing whatever they wanted off the shelves without even paying. The cashier behind the counter nervously scrambled to keep up, but the teens were too much, shoving him aside with rude gestures.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Alric's voice was sharp as he watched the scene unfold. He looked over at Valen, who hadn't moved yet, his expression unreadable.

"You stay down. I'll go deal with them," Valen said, standing up from the table.

Alric was about to protest but then thought better of it. With a brief nod, he watched as Valen walked toward the group, his calm demeanor cutting through the chaos like a knife.

The first of the delinquents, a burly teen with a scar over his eyebrow, turned to Valen with a sneer. "You think you can stop us,? This ain't your fight."

Valen didn't flinch. "Actually, it is. You're making a mess, and I don't like it."

The teen let out a short laugh, clearly underestimating him. "A mess? Look at this dump! What are you, some kind of hero?" He shoved Valen's shoulder roughly. "Get lost, punk, before we decide to teach you a lesson."

Valen's eyes narrowed slightly as he stepped closer. His voice dropped to a low, dangerous tone. "You really think that's going to work on me?"

"Yeah, 'cause we're gonna break you in half!" Another teen shouted, stepping forward with a menacing grin. "How about we make you eat dirt?"