Chapter 25: Vael’s Suspicion.
Kael’s face darkened at Elias’ question. His expression grew grim, and his gaze lowered. He let out a slow, heavy breath before finally speaking.
"We were a merchant caravan," he began, his voice low and steady. "We were transporting goods from the southern border, passing through Embergrove Forest. The route was risky, but it was the shortest path to the human city on the other side. Lord Veran here hired me and a few of my comrades as guards to protect the caravan. Everything went smoothly for most of the journey... until a few days ago."
His voice dropped slightly as he continued. "It started like any normal day. The guards and I were scouting ahead, keeping an eye out for danger. Then, out of nowhere, without warning, a beast horde appeared."
"Beast horde..." Elias muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing.
He knew exactly what those words meant. In this world, a beast horde was a living nightmare—swarms of wild creatures, either driven by hunger or instinct, or sometimes led by a powerful boss beast. Either way, they were extremely dangerous and hard to survive.
Kael nodded with a grim look. "Yes. We didn’t stand a chance. The first wave hit hard. Half the caravan was wiped out in an instant. The carriages were smashed, the goods destroyed, and most of my men were killed before they even had time to scream."
Elias’ brows furrowed in concern as he listened.
"We ran," Kael said, his voice tightening. "We escaped with what little we had left. But the horde didn’t stop. They chased us, night after night. Every night, another attack. Every morning, fewer of us left. We only got away this time because some of our people stayed behind to fight them off... they gave their lives to buy us time."
His voice trembled slightly at the end, and Elias could hear the pain behind it.
Elias gave a slow nod. "A great loss," he said softly. "But you’re safe now. You don’t have to run anymore. I won’t turn you away. Stay here. Rest. Recover. This land may be new, but you’re welcome to find peace in it."
He raised his hand, motioning to the open clearing around them. "As you can see, this territory is still in its early stages. I only discovered and claimed it a few days ago, so there’s not much here yet. But it will grow... with time."