Dark & Light – Chapter 14: A Day of Play, A Hunter’s Instinct

A Morning of Freedom

The sun was high in the sky, casting a warm glow over Toban's farm as Rai followed Mira through the open fields. The crisp air carried the scent of hay, fresh grass, and the distant aroma of baked bread from the house.

It had been a while since Rai had a day with no training, no running, no pressure to survive. Today, he was just… a kid.

Mira, on the other hand, was a ball of energy, taking charge like she owned the whole place. "Come on, slowpoke! We've got a whole farm to explore!"

Rai chuckled. "I'm coming, I'm coming."

She led him through the stables, where they checked on the horses, Mira proudly introducing each one like they were close friends. "This one's Storm—he's the fastest. That one's Clover, she's got an attitude. And that one over there? That's Bolt. He's… kinda dumb."

Rai laughed. "He looks fine to me."

Mira grinned. "Wait till you see him try to jump a fence."

They fed the horses, Mira showing him how to properly hold out an apple so he wouldn't get his fingers bitten. Rai was hesitant at first but eventually got the hang of it.

"Not bad," Mira admitted. "Maybe you're not useless after all."

"You've been saying that a lot," Rai teased.

She shrugged. "Gotta make sure you don't get too confident."

Exploring the Farm

After spending time with the horses, Mira led Rai around the rest of the farm.

They visited the chicken coop, where Rai learned the hard way that roosters can be vicious.

"Ow! What the hell?!" Rai yelped, hopping back as a particularly aggressive rooster pecked at his boots.

Mira doubled over laughing. "Oh, yeah. That one's named Scar. He doesn't like strangers."

"You could've warned me!"

"Where's the fun in that?"

From there, they wandered over to a small pond at the edge of the property. Mira picked up a handful of smooth stones and started skipping them across the surface.

"Think you can beat me?" she challenged.

Rai smirked. "You're on."

After several failed attempts, Rai managed to get a stone to bounce three times. Mira, of course, easily doubled that.

"Tch. Beginner's luck," Rai muttered.

Mira grinned. "Sure, keep telling yourself that."

A Trip into Town

After spending the morning on the farm, Mira decided to take Rai into Redgrove's marketplace to show him around.

The streets were livelier than before, merchants calling out, peddling their goods, and the scent of freshly baked pastries and roasted meat filling the air.

Mira dragged him from stall to stall, pointing out all the interesting things.

At a blacksmith's stand, she showed him a dagger that had a serpent's hilt. "See this? This is real craftsmanship."

Rai raised an eyebrow. "Do you even use weapons?"

Mira smirked. "Not yet. But I will one day."

At a trinket shop, they came across a small wooden carving of a wolf. Rai picked it up, turning it over in his palm.

"You like it?" Mira asked.

He nodded. "It reminds me of something… but I don't know what."

Mira stared at him for a moment before tossing a coin to the vendor. "Then it's yours."

Rai blinked. "Wait—"

"Don't make it weird. Just take it."

Rai hesitated before smiling. "Thanks."

Meanwhile…

The Hunter at Work

Deep in the forests of Redgrove, Vael crouched low, his fingers brushing against the dirt. The scent of fresh tracks lingered in the air.

He had felt something off earlier, but he had brushed it off as paranoia.

Now, he activated his detection skill, his senses sharpening.

A dozen beasts moved within range, scattered throughout the area.

He sighed. "This should be easy enough."

With calculated precision, Vael moved like a shadow, silent and deadly.

One by one, he eliminated his prey.

A massive boar—a swift strike to the throat.

A towering elk—a precise arrow through the skull.

A feral direwolf—a clean decapitation.

Within an hour, his cart was already half-full.

"Good enough for the day," he muttered.

But just as he was about to wrap up, a sudden presence sent a chill down his spine.

His detection skill flared.

Something was nearby.

Something big.

An Ancient Beast

Vael turned toward the source. The trees trembled. The ground shook beneath his feet.

Then—it stepped into view.

A monstrous creature, standing at eight meters tall, covered in thick, obsidian-like scales, its yellow eyes burning with primal hunger.

An Ancient Beast.

Vael immediately understood why hunters had been abandoning this region.

This thing had been consuming everything.

It wasn't just a predator—it was the reason for the meat shortage.

Vael exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders.

"Alright. Let's see what you've got."

The Hunt Ends

The Ancient Beast lunged—but Vael was faster.

Dodging to the side, he closed the distance in an instant.

His daggers flashed.

A deep gash tore through the beast's flank, but it barely flinched.

It's tough.

Vael smirked. "Good. I was worried this would be boring."

The battle lasted only a few minutes.

In the end, Vael moved too fast. His blades struck too precisely.

With a final piercing strike to the throat, the Ancient Beast collapsed.

Vael stood over it, breathing evenly.

"That should be enough for today."

He wiped the blood from his blades and turned back toward his cart.

There was still plenty of daylight left.

And plenty more to prepare for.