Chapter 12

  I stood there for a moment, looking out over the devastation the last time.

  There was nothing more I could do here.

  "Come on, boys, let's go home." I said to my wolves.

  Fei was waiting in the town square. I climbed onto his back, securing the leather pouch with our salvaged supplies, the coins and tools clinked softly as we lifted off.

  The flight back to camp was quiet, the only sounds were the steady beat of Fei's wings and the wind rushing past us. Below, Nox and Orion bounded through the forest, keeping pace with us as we headed home.

  When I landed back at camp, the smell of cooked meat was even stronger. My stomach gave an embarrassing growl that probably carried halfway across the forest.

  "There you are," Henrik called from beside the fire. "Was starting to worry those knights you."

  I slid off Fei's back, patting his neck gratefully.

  "Town's empty. Knights are long gone." I held up the leather pouch. "But I found some supplies we can use."

  "Any other survivors?" the woman with the child asked hopefully.

  I shook my head. ‘The whole place is... gone."

  A heavy silence settled over the group. I could see it in their faces—the final death of hope that maybe some of their friends and neighbors had made it out somehow.

  "Well," Henrik said after a moment, his voice deliberately bright perhaps to ease the grim atmosphere that settled after my news.. "At least you made it back safe. And that meat's finally ready."

  He started carving chunks off the spit, distributing them on flat stones that served as makeshift plates. The boar smelled incredible, and I realized I was starving. When was the last time I'd eaten? Yesterday afternoon, maybe?

  "Before we eat," Henrik said to me, "figured we should do proper introductions to you.”

  He gestured to himself first. "Henrik. A carpenter.”

  The woman with the child spoke next. "I'm Marta," she said softly. "This is my son Emil. He's only four." The little boy was clinging to her skirt, staring at my wolves with wide eyes.

  Marta had the same brown hair as the others, but her son was different. Emil had bright blonde hair and the most striking bright blue eyes I'd ever seen.

  One of the teenagers, a girl with brown hair tied back in a practical braid, cleared her throat. "I'm Senna. That's my brother Jorik." She nodded toward the other teenager, a gangly boy who looked like he was trying to grow into his arms and legs.

  The remaining adults introduced themselves—

  Aldric, a baker with thinning brown hair; Mira, who'd worked in the lord's manor and had her brown hair pinned up neatly despite everything they'd been through; and Tormund, a farmer whose brown hair was streaked with early gray.

  "And I'm Vera," I said when they all looked at me expectantly. "Nice to meet you all.”

  We ate in relative quiet, everyone too hungry and exhausted to make much conversation. The boar was perfectly cooked—tender and smoky, seasoned with some wild herbs Henrik had found. Even Emil managed to eat a decent portion, though he kept glancing nervously at my monsters.

  They made small talk. They asked me the usual questions: where I was from, what brought me out here, why I chose to live in the forest of all places.

  Thank God I’d rehearsed my answers the night before.

  I told them I was from a small town up north. Isolated. Quiet. The kind of place people forget exists unless they’re born there or get lost on the way to somewhere more important. I didn’t name it, and they didn’t press, which I appreciated.

  That we grew up isolated, and they didn’t teach us anything about the world. I said I ran away from there as I want to explore the world, unfortunately I got lost and was stuck in this forest for more than a week.

  They all nodded in understanding, and fortunately they didn’t press any further. At the same time, I took the opportunity to learn what I could about this new world I’d found myself in.

  I saw the skepticism in their eyes, but thankfully, they still answered my questions.

  Through careful questioning that I tried to make sound like casual conversation, I started piecing together the basics of this world I'd found myself in.

  We were currently in something called the Great Viridian Forest, which apparently covered most of the northern border of the kingdom and stretched for hundreds of miles in every direction. The destroyed town where the survivors had lived was called Millbrook—a farming community that had been there for generations, built around a mill stream that gave it its name.

  More importantly, we were in the Kingdom of Argus, one of something called the Five Kingdoms. King Aldaron had been ruling for about fifteen years since his father's death. The other kingdoms were Drakmoor to the east—which was probably where those murdering knights had come from, based on the dark looks the survivors gave when Henrik mentioned it. Then there was Valenhall to the south, Nordmark to the west, and Soltara way down south past Valenhall.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  It sounded like your typical fantasy political setup, with multiple kingdoms probably competing for resources and power. But there was also mention of something called the Eastern Empire and a war that Henrik described as "complicated" when I pressed for details.

  The way everyone's faces went grim when that topic came up told me it was probably a bigger deal than they wanted to discuss. Not surprising—these people had just watched their entire town burn. The last thing they probably wanted to talk about was more warfare.

  Still, I filed away every piece of information they gave me. Understanding the political landscape might be crucial for survival, especially if knights from neighboring kingdoms were going around massacring entire towns.

  As the conversation wound down, I noticed the group's attention shifting to my monsters. Nox was still lounging nearby, occasionally opening one eye to check on the humans. Orion had wandered off to patrol the perimeter, and Fei remained perched on his branch above us.

  "So," Aldric said eventually, his voice careful. "Are you a mage?"

  Everyone was looking at me now, waiting for an answer.

  But how should I answer? I had no idea if being a mage was common or rare in this world. Was it something people feared, or just accepted as normal? Would claiming to be one make me seem powerful and valuable, or dangerous and threatening?

  The way they were all staring at me—like they were seeing me in a completely new light—suggested it wasn't exactly an everyday thing. But the mage who'd burned the forest last night had been working with those knights, so magic definitely existed here.

  "Yes…I guess."

  The group exchanged glances, and I could see a mixture of awe and wariness in their expressions.

  The silence stretched on and I could feel their eyes studying me.

  "Is being a mage... rare?"

  Henrik nodded slowly, his weathered face serious. "Very rare," he said, leaning forward slightly. "Most folks go their whole lives without meeting one."

  He paused, stroking his beard. "Don't you know?"

  I felt heat rise to my cheeks. Of course I should know how rare mages were if I actually was one. But how could I explain that I'd literally just arrived in this world this week?

  "My town was... different," I said carefully, buying myself time to think. "We didn't really talk about the outside world much. I never knew how things worked beyond our borders."

  Henrik nodded in understanding, his expression softening. "Ah, one of those places," he said with a knowing look. "There are still a few settlements like that scattered around the kingdoms. Folk who keep to themselves, don't trust outsiders."

  "Exactly," I said, relief flooding through me. Thank God he was filling in the gaps himself.

  "Makes sense then," Marta chimed in, adjusting Emil on her lap.

  "So," Senna said, her teenage curiosity getting the better of her caution, "what kind of magic can you do? Besides... you know, taming monsters."

  All eyes turned to me again. I felt my throat go dry. What was I supposed to say? That I could somehow communicate with creatures and they just... listened to me? That I had no idea how any of this worked?

  "I'm still learning," I said honestly. "My abilities are... new to me. I can work with animals, obviously." I gestured toward my companions. "But I'm not really sure what else I can do yet."

  Henrik stroked his beard thoughtfully. "That's unusual. Most mages start showing their talents as children. They get sent to academies or find masters to train them."

  "My town didn't have any of that," I said quickly. "When my abilities started manifesting, the elders just... told me to leave. Said it was dangerous to stay."

  The group exchanged sympathetic looks.

  "That's terrible," Mira said, shaking her head. "To cast out their own child like that."

  "Some places are still afraid of magic," Tormund added grimly. "Even after all these years."

  "Years?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

  "Since the Mage Wars ended," Henrik explained. "About twenty years ago now. Before that, mages were... well, let's just say they weren't always used for good purposes."

  The weight of his words hung in the air. I could feel the tension ripple through the group.

  "But things are different now," Aldric said hastily. "The Crown Guild regulates magic use. Makes sure mages are properly trained and... supervised."

  "The Crown Guild?" I asked.

  "The continent’s official organization for mages," Henrik explained. "They handle registration, training, all that. King Aldaron established it after the wars to keep things peaceful."

  Registration. That sounded like an adventurer’s guild. "Do all mages have to register?"

  "Supposed to," Tormund said with a slight grimace. "Though I imagine some slip through the cracks, especially in remote areas."

  Like me, I thought. The idea of registering with some royal organization made my stomach churn. What if they asked questions I couldn't answer? What if they could somehow tell I didn't belong in this world?

  "Don't worry about that now," Henrik said, noticing my expression. "You've got more immediate concerns."

  "Like what?" I asked.

  "Well," he said, glancing around at the other survivors, "we've been talking while you were gone. About what comes next."

  I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the evening air. "What do you mean?"

  Marta shifted Emil to her other knee. "We can't stay here forever," she said quietly. "Winter's coming, and we need proper shelter. Food. Safety."

  "The nearest town is Oakenford," Henrik continued. "About three days' travel south. It's big enough to have work, places to start over."

  "That sounds like a good plan," I said carefully.

  "The thing is," Senna said, shooting a meaningful look at her brother, "we were wondering... would you come with us?"

  I blinked. "Me?"

  "You saved our lives," Jorik said, speaking up for the first time since the introductions. His voice cracked slightly. "And you're a mage. Having you with us would... it would make the journey safer."

  "Plus," Aldric added, "you said yourself you're new to exploring the world. Traveling with a group is better than wandering alone."

  They were right, of course. I knew virtually nothing about this world beyond what I'd learned tonight. Traveling with experienced locals would be invaluable.

  But there was also the registration issue. If I showed up in a town with a group of refugees, claiming to be a mage, would that draw unwanted attention from this Crown Guild?

  "I..." I hesitated, weighing my options.

  "Take your time thinking about it," Henrik said gently. "We're not leaving for a few days anyway. Need to rest up, gather what supplies we can."

  "And you don't have to decide today," Marta added. "Sleep on it."

  I nodded gratefully. "Thank you. I'll think about it."

  Author's Note:

  Sorry, life’s been a bit hectic lately, and I haven’t had the chance to sit down and write a new chapter. Things have finally eased up, so I’ll be aiming to upload at least once or twice a week now that I’ve got some room to breathe.