CHAPTER ELEVEN — The Road to the City
The creak of the wooden carriage wheels on the dirt road was a constant rhythm beneath them, a reminder that motion was progress, that they were leaving behind the only home they had ever known. The trader driving the horses, a burly man with sun-browned skin and a thin beard, glanced back nervously at the five children seated inside. The sunset painted the sky in streaks of crimson and gold, casting long shadows across the rolling fields and distant forests.
Eyron sat stiffly at the center, his gaze sweeping the horizon, analyzing the road, the treelines, the hills—anything that could conceal danger. The carriage rattled over small stones, sending the younger twins, Lisha and Liam, tumbling slightly against each other.
"Careful," Eyron said, catching Liam's shoulder. "Keep your balance. You're making it easier for someone to knock you off if they intend to."
Liam grunted but righted himself. Lisha rolled her eyes. "You worry too much," she said, pulling her legs up onto the seat. "It's just a road, not a battlefield."
Eyron's lips twitched slightly, not quite a smile. "There's a difference between 'just a road' and one that leads straight to the city where enemies—human or otherwise—wait to take advantage of inexperience."
Arian, seated opposite, rested his arm on the carriage's side and looked at the distant hills. "At least we're not walking. Trader says we'll reach the city before dusk tomorrow if the horses hold." His voice was steady, but his eyes flicked nervously to the treeline. "Still… feels strange to be moving after everything."
Sera sat beside Arian, her twin blades sheathed, but her fingers absentmindedly tracing the hilt as if seeking comfort. "I never thought I'd see the village empty like that. No one out front, no one hiding… nothing. Just dust and silence." Her tone was quiet, reflective, and for a moment, the tension of the past day seemed to settle between them like smoke.
Lily, perched near the carriage door, wind stirring the loose strands of her hair, leaned forward and peered at the fields. "It's beautiful, though. The sunset. Look at those clouds. They look like they're burning from the inside." She smiled faintly. "Almost like a painting."
Eyron's eyes flicked toward her, unreadable. "Appreciate beauty while you can. It fades faster than you think."
The carriage rattled over a small incline, and Eyron leaned slightly forward, scanning the edges of the forest along the road. The hairs on his arms prickled. "Stop looking at the scenery," he muttered. "Eyes forward. Movement in the shadows—something approaches."
The trader froze, reins tightening. "What? Where?"
From the tree line, three figures emerged like specters from dusk—ragged bandits, faces half-hidden under hoods, weapons crude but glinting menacingly. Their footsteps were soft, but there was intent in every measured pace.
Eyron's Analyse skill flared. Subtle energy readings, shifts in posture, the faintest tension in their muscles—it all told him these were opportunists, hungry for coin or supplies.
"Bandits," he murmured. "Watch carefully. Do not panic. We will not fight them unnecessarily, but we will defend ourselves if provoked."
The leader stepped onto the road with a grin. "Well, well, what do we have here? Five kids in a carriage, little gold, and not enough muscle to stop us. Hand over whatever valuables you've got."
Eyron studied him, noting how he tilted his head, the twitch in his shoulder, the way he balanced his weight. "I suggest a small demonstration," he muttered under his breath, "to make them hesitate without giving them reason to attack outright."
Arian tensed. "We're children, Eyron. We're not—"
"Not defenseless," Eyron interrupted sharply. "Exactly. That's why we do this quietly, without rashness. Observe."
He leaned slightly and whispered instructions to each sibling, careful not to alarm the trader. "Arian, control fire near the ground, subtle—don't burn anything yet. Sera, prepare ice on the carriage steps, ready to shift it beneath them. Lily, wind ready to knock off balance or divert arrows if they pull any. Liam, shadows waiting. Lisha, light ready for precision strikes."
The bandits laughed, taking slow steps toward the carriage. "Come on, hand it over," the tallest one barked.
Eyron's hand twitched lightly. A thin spark of electricity crawled along Arian's sword. A faint mist crept along Sera's boots, chilling the air around her. Lily adjusted her grip, wind circling, tugging at the bandits' cloaks. Shadows flickered subtly around Liam's feet. Lisha's light pulsed softly, enough to make shapes appear where none existed, teasing the edges of perception.
The leader's grin faltered slightly. "What—what are you doing?"
Eyron's voice carried clearly, calm and measured, as though the words themselves were a weapon. "Calculating outcomes. You may proceed, but be aware. Every action has a consequence."
The bandits hesitated. Arian flicked his sword subtly, arcs of electricity jumping along the blade. Sparks kissed the dirt near the bandits' boots, startling them. Sera nudged her heels; the ice spread thinly across the road in front of them. One bandit slipped slightly, catching himself just in time. Lily exhaled, sending a gust to nudge the nearest bandit sideways. Shadows flicked at their feet, and golden light made small illusions dance near the others' eyes.
The bandits cursed and lunged. In seconds, chaos unfolded with sharp, calculated efficiency. Arian's fire and electricity forced the tallest bandit to stumble; Sera's ice underfoot tripped another; Lily's winded arrows knocked weapons from hands; Liam's shadows restrained movement; Lisha's light distracted and disoriented the remaining one.
The fight lasted less than a minute. The bandits lay sprawled, bruised and shaken, groaning but alive.
Eyron straightened, voice calm. "Enough. No unnecessary harm. Let them leave with their dignity intact. They'll think twice next time."
The trader exhaled shakily. "I… I've never seen anything like that. How—?"
Eyron only shrugged. "Situational awareness. Preparation. Discipline."
The carriage moved again, this time slower, everyone quieter. The air was heavy with the aftermath of the encounter.
"Eyron," Lisha said softly, breaking the silence. "You planned all that… before it even happened."
Eyron's eyes scanned the horizon. "Yes. If you do not calculate, you react. And if you react, you make mistakes. Mistakes get you killed."
Sera rubbed her temples. "You're always thinking three steps ahead. It's exhausting just watching you."
Eyron glanced at her, expression unreadable. "Better to be prepared and tired than unprepared and dead."
Lily tugged on the edge of her cloak, looking worried. "Do you think more bandits will come? Or worse?"
Eyron exhaled. "Undoubtedly. This road leads to the city, and the city draws attention. Every step we take will be watched by someone with power—human, divine, or worse. That is why we remain vigilant."
Arian leaned back, running a hand over his face. "Still… better than being back in that empty village. At least we're moving. At least we have a chance."
Eyron looked at him and nodded slightly. "Exactly. A chance is all we need. And every choice we make—every action, every calculated risk—brings us closer to reclaiming what was taken."
The carriage rattled onward. Night began to fall, stars blinking faintly through the violet sky. Shadows stretched along the road, and the wind carried whispers of the world beyond. The siblings sat in contemplative silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts, the weight of their journey pressing against them.
Eyron's eyes swept the road ahead one last time before leaning back. "Rest if you can. Tomorrow, we ride through more uncertainty. And remember—control is the only thing that separates survival from failure."
Lisha muttered, almost to herself, "He makes it sound so simple."
Eyron's faint smirk was the only answer.
The road stretched forward, winding into the darkness, and the carriage creaked on, carrying the heirs of the Arknight family toward the city, toward uncertainty, and toward a future that no one—not angels, not men, not fate itself—could predict.
Sera asked," Why didn't you tell us to kill them..a.. you know the bandits." Eyron replied, "Because they weren't really bandits, didn't you notice that they never had bloodlust towards us all they asked for was money."
" I don't get it." Lily said
"Well bandits kidnap children and sell them and yet the bandits never seemed to have a need for us they only needed the money." Eyron replied.
" But it's still wrong to steal." Arian said.
"But can you blame them the nation has faced poverty and it's people are trying to find means to change that, but don't worry we will be the one to set this kingdom straight." Eyron replied.