"Hey, Sister! Look over here!"
A young boy stood by the lakeside, his bare feet sinking into the soft, damp earth. His small hands gripped a wriggling fish, its silvery scales glistening under the sunlight as it thrashed violently.
"Look! It's huge!" he exclaimed, beaming excitedly as he lifted the fish higher for his sister to see.
"It is big!" The young girl quickly walked toward him, unfazed by the mud splashing onto her dirt-stained dress. Carefully, she wrapped the fish in her clothes, holding it close as if it were the most precious treasure in the world. "Let's take it to Mother. We can finally have a proper meal tonight."
Blub… Blub… Blub…
A series of bubbles emerged from the center of the lake, breaking the originally calm water surface.
"Another fish!" The little boy ran to the water's edge excitedly, his eyes sparkling.
"Wait, be careful—" The girl's warning was cut short.
"AAAAAHHHH!!!"
A terrifying screech pierced the air.
From the once calm surface of the lake, a monster emerged. It was nearly two meters tall, with spindly limbs covered in mud and murky water. Its body was covered in gray and brown silt, and it twitched unnaturally. Its open mouth was filled with rows of sharp teeth, like a shark's teeth.
Its round, predatory eyes fixed on the boy.
Then—it pounced.
The boy froze in fear, collapsing on the muddy shore, his legs failing him.
"RUN!" the girl screamed, her voice filled with sheer panic.
The boy scrambled backward, but it was too late. The creature was already upon him, its jaws stretched wide, ready to devour him whole.
"NOOOO!!!"
"KUAHHHH!!"
A sudden roar of pain erupted from the beast.
A figure wearing light armor appeared., his silver sword buried deep into the monster's skull.
But the creature was far from dead.
It let out an ear-splitting shriek, violently thrashing its head in a desperate attempt to shake off its attacker. The young warrior clung to his sword, gripping it tightly as he struggled to maintain his hold.
"GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!" he shouted.
But the two siblings were paralyzed with fear, their bodies trembling as they desperately crawled backward, unable to stand.
The creature's wild movements intensified. Its massive head twisted and jerked, flinging mud and water in all directions. The warrior's grip was slipping—any moment now, he would be thrown off.
Then, with unwavering focus, he began chanting.
"Ryvthor ignis! Flamara velkrai, solis verun!"
A burst of heat ignited from his blade, flames erupting from the steel and surging into the creature's skull.
"KUAAAAHHH!!"
With one final agonized shriek, the beast convulsed before collapsing lifelessly onto the ground.
The warrior let out a breath, stepping back as the last remnants of flame flickered away. With a practiced motion, he wrenched his sword free from the creature's skull. His gaze flickered toward the two children—pale, wide-eyed, and still trembling.
Without another word, he lowered his blade and swiftly severed the monster's head, lifting it by the horn-like protrusions. Turning away, he began to walk off.
"W-Wait!" The girl's shaky voice called after him.
The warrior stopped, glancing back. His eyes briefly fell upon the fish still wrapped in her arms.
She hesitated, swallowing down her fear before speaking again. "T-Tonight… please come eat with us…" Her voice was barely above a whisper, still trembling. "It's… it's the least we can do to thank you…"
The warrior studied her for a moment. Then, with a slight nod, he wrapped the monster's severed head in rough cloth, securing it tightly before slinging it over his back. His silver sword, now bound with a rope, rested against his side.
"Let's go," he said, glancing at the children. "Where's your home?"
"I'll take you there!" The girl grasped her younger brother's hand and, hesitantly, reached out to tug at the edge of the warrior's sleeve.
"What's your name?" The boy stared up at the young man's striking features, curiosity shining in his tired eyes.
"…Michael."
"Michael what?"
"Just Michael. Nothing else."
"That's strange," the boy muttered, his gaze drifting toward the cloth bundle slung over Michael's back.
"Why are you carrying that thing? Are you… hungry too?"
Michael frowned slightly. "Why would I be hungry?"
The boy's grip on his sister's hand tightened as his voice trembled. "Ever since those bad people invaded our home… we haven't had a proper meal."
The girl lowered her head, her voice barely a whisper. "We lost everything."
Tears welled up in the boy's eyes as he choked out, "Aunty May… I saw her die. Albert and the others, too… They're all gone."
Michael's expression darkened slightly. "You're from Brisden?"
"Yes," the girl replied softly. "I'm Kandy… and this is my little brother, Edmund."
The three walked in silence for a while, the conversation shifting occasionally to lighter topics. Eventually, they arrived at a makeshift settlement—a refugee camp. Tattered tents stretched across the clearing, housing displaced families huddled together in quiet desperation.
Michael scanned the area. Some tents sheltered entire families, others held only widows and orphans. Some had no one at all—just a lone figure curled up in a corner, staring blankly into the dirt. Compared to the others, Kandy and Edmund were among the lucky ones.
"Papa! Mama!"
The two children ran toward a weary-looking couple. Relief flooded their parents' faces as they embraced their children tightly, whispering words of comfort.
Michael remained at the entrance of their tent, watching as the family reunited.
After a few hushed exchanges, the couple turned to face Michael. They stepped forward and bowed deeply, their eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Thank you," the father said, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Thank you for saving these two troublemakers… If it weren't for you, they would have—" He swallowed hard, his voice faltering.
Beside him, his wife let out a quiet sob, covering her mouth with trembling fingers.
"Please, stay with us," she pleaded. "We have little to offer, but—"
"There's no need to repay me." Michael cut in, shaking his head. "I was going to hunt that monster anyway. It was nothing more than a coincidence."
The father studied him for a moment before nodding. "Then… you must be a bounty hunter, right? I used to run a tavern—I've met a few in my time."
Michael nodded.
"Our kids caught a fish today. Please, share it with us—we don't have much, but this is the only way we can repay you. We insist."
"Alright," Michael agreed with another nod.
"Wonderful!" Their father's face lit up with a rare smile. "Dear, start cooking the fish."
"Of course, right away." Their mother quickly got to work.
"Come, let's talk for a while. It's been so long since I've had a proper conversation," the father said as he and Michael sat down on the sandy ground. "Kandy, bring some water!"
They spoke for a while, exchanging simple words. Then, out of nowhere, the father asked:
"So, Michael, where are you from?"
"Ascaris."
"That explains it. That place is a haven for mercenaries and bounty hunters." The father sighed heavily.
"Brisden… it's gone now. There were civil wars before, but at least we still had a kingdom. Now…" His expression darkened, his fists clenching.
"Those damn Vaelthrone soldiers… they invaded to expand their territory, destroying everything in their path. Brisden was just one of their many victims. They left no survivors..." His voice trembled, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears.
"We ran for as long as we could, with nowhere to go. We heard that Solmaria was taking in refugees, but it's too far. It's in the south, and we're stuck up here in the north. It's an impossible journey." He let out another long sigh.
"Zephandria."
"What?"
"Go to Zephandria. It may be a small kingdom, but its people are kind, and it's in a good location—safer than here."
"…Zephandria, huh? We'll think about it. Thank you." The father nodded in gratitude, then smiled. "Now, enough about us. Let's talk about you, bounty hunter."
"There's not much to say," Michael said simply. "One day, I woke up alone. An old mercenary found me, took me in, and trained me in swordsmanship. A few years later, he passed away."
"So you're not originally from Ascaris?"
Michael shook his head.
"Then where are you from?"
Michael hesitated before answering, "A place far, far away. A place you'll never hear of in your lifetime."
"The fish is ready!" Their mother's voice called from behind them.
"I'll get you some food," the father said, dusting off his pants as he stood up.
"I'll be outside," Michael said as he turned toward the exit.
"Alright, wait for me!"
As their mother carefully sliced the fish, she glanced at her husband and said, "It's been a long time since I've seen you talk so happily."
"Well, of course. It's rare to meet an outsider," the father replied, pausing for a moment. Then, with a resolute tone, he added, "Dear… let's try our luck in Zephandria. Michael said it's safer there, and I believe him."
She sighed, nodding slightly. "At this point, we don't have much choice. Kandy, take this bowl of fish to our guest."
"On it!" Kandy responded, dashing out of the tent with the bowl in her hands.
"Be careful!" their mother called after her.
Moments later, Kandy's panicked voice rang out. "Mama! Papa! Michael is gone!"
"What?!" The couple exchanged stunned looks before rushing outside—only to find that Michael was nowhere to be seen.
"I'll go look for him!" The father hurriedly reached for his shoes, but the moment he slid his foot in, he felt something odd. Frowning, he took off the shoe and turned it over—silver coins clattered onto the ground.
A dozen of them.