Chapter 9

The forest was silent—too silent. Shaun pulled his hood up, his eyes watching the thick bushes around him. The trip to Valtheris had been uneventful so far, but something about this part of the forest made him uneasy.

"I'll find the truth, no matter what," Shaun thought, gripping the hilt of his sword. A memory of his mother's warm smile flashed in his mind, but he quickly pushed it away. He couldn't afford any distractions—not now. The forest was thick and unfamiliar, and every shadow seemed to hide something dangerous.

The air smelled of damp earth and pine. The only sounds were rustling leaves and the occasional bird, but something felt wrong. The forest was too quiet, as if even the animals were holding their breath.

A twig snapped behind him, sharp and clear. Shaun froze, his body tense. His instincts told him to move, but he forced himself to stay calm. Slowly, he turned, scanning the bushes. The shadows seemed to shift, and for a moment, he thought he saw something move.

"Who's there?" Shaun called, his voice steady. He kept his hand on his sword, ready to draw it. "Show yourself!"

No answer. Only silence. His heart pounded, but he took a slow breath. Stay calm. Don't let them know you're nervous.

Carefully, he stepped forward, his eyes darting between the trees. The forest felt like it was closing in on him, the shadows growing darker. He knew someone was watching him, waiting for the right moment to attack.

Then—without warning—a man jumped out from the bushes, swinging an axe. The blade cut through the air, missing Shaun's ear by inches. He barely dodged, stumbling back as his body reacted on instinct.

Shaun pulled out his sword, his eyes quickly scanning the area as more bandits appeared from the darkness- six in total. They looked wild and messy, their weapons different from each other but still dangerous. Their leader, a burly man with a scar on his face, stepped forward with a smirk.

The bandit leader stepped closer, his grin growing wider as he spun his axe in one hand. His face was covered in scars. "Well, well," he said slowly. "What do we have here? A lost little traveler, all alone in the woods? Hand over your money, boy, and maybe—just maybe—we'll let you walk away alive."

Shaun tightened his grip on his sword, his knuckles almost turning white. He met the bandit's gaze, his own eyes steady despite the rush of adrenaline in his veins. "I don't have any money," he said, his voice calm but firm. "But if you move aside now, I'll let you walk away. Consider it a one-time offer."

The bandit leader threw back his head and laughed, a rough, grating sound that echoed through the trees. His men joined in, their laughter full of mockery. "Brave words for a kid," the leader said, wiping a tear from his eye. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. But guts don't mean much when you're outnumbered and outmatched."

Shaun clenched his jaw but didn't react to the insult. "Stay calm," he reminded himself. "Don't let them see you're scared."

The bandit leader's grin turned sharp as he stepped closer, resting his axe on his shoulder. "Tell you what, kid. I like your attitude. Give me that fancy sword of yours, and maybe I'll let you join us. We could use someone with a bit of fight in them."

"I'd rather die than be one of you." Shaun retorted.

The leader's grin faltered for a moment, replaced by a flicker of irritation. Then he shrugged, his tone turning cold. "Suit yourself. Boys, let's teach this brat some manners."

The bandits moved in. Shaun took a deep breath,"you'll regret not taking my offer."

The bandits attacked, their movements chaotic but aggressive. Bandit 1 swung a rusty sword at Shaun, but he quickly stepped aside, letting the blade miss his shoulder. He countered with a quick slash, his sword cutting through the air like a silver streak. The bandit stumbled back, clutching a shallow cut on his arm.

Before Shaun could catch his breath, Bandit 2 was on him, lifting a heavy club with spikes. Shaun ducked just in time as the club smashed into a tree stump, splitting it apart.

He rolled back to his feet, raising his sword just as Bandit 3 attacked. The clash of their steels rang out, sending sparks flying.

"Too many of them," Shaun thought, his breath coming in short gasps. He blocked another strike, the force of. The bandits were relentless, their attacks coming from all sides. Shaun was forced to retreat, his boots scraping against the dirt as he struggled to keep up.

Bandit 4 swung his heavy axe, Shaun leapt back, the axe embedding itself in the ground where he had just stood. He used the opening to strike, his sword slicing through the air in a wide arc. The bandit barely managed to dodge, his eyes wide with surprise.

Bandit 5 one came at Shaun from the side, holding a dagger in each hand. His attacks were fast and anyone could see he had experience using the twin blades.

Shaun reacted instantly, spinning to face him and blocking with his sword. He kept attacking from different angles, quickly and very unpredictable trying to land a hit. But Shaun stayed focused, dodging and blocking. The sound of steel clashing continued ringing as their blades met again and again.

Bandit 5 suddenly lunged low aiming for Shaun's ribs but Shaun was ready, swinging his sword down very swiftly, forcing the bandit to retreat or risk losing a hand.

Their eyes locked in for a brief moment, both trying to calculate their next move.

In that moment, Bandit 3 was able to land a kick to Shaun's side. The attack took him by surprise and sent him stumbling backwards. He grunted in pain but quickly regained his footing.

The bandit leader watched from the sidelines, a cruel smile on his face. "Not so tough now, are you, kid?"