The Mercenary Veteran V

A year passed.

And in that year, everything changed

Kael gradually became a central figure in the village. At first everyone had been wary of him and his battle scars. His brooding nature and extreme reactions frightened many.

However, as days blurred into months, Kael changed. He became approachable, his standoffish attitude gradually shifting.

He was now someone who would always be there for you - even if he didn't want to admit it. He would repair roofs, help with heavy lifting, and occasionally teach village boys how to throw a punch.

He was still very much a warrior; he would walk with the cautious grace of a man expecting an ambush, but with time, he had softened. Just a little.

And somehow, my mother had played a role in that.

....

"Kael!" My mother's sharp voice rang out from across the village square.

Kael, who had been leaning against a fencepost, watching some of the village boys spar, immediately tensed. The battle-hardened soldier, the man who had faced down armies, visibly flinched.

I grinned.

"Yes, ma'am?" he called back. His back straightened like a recruit under inspection.

Mom marched over, hands on her hips, her apron still dusted with flour. "I heard from old man Joran that the kids broke his fence because of you. You haven't fixed it yet."

Kael rubbed the back of his neck. "It wasn't broken, just... slightly loosened."

Mom narrowed her eyes. "It was shattered."

Kael looked away and mumbled, "Oops... I didn't know..... Ugh, I'll fix it now."

He quickly turned, ready to escape.

"Good. And you're coming over for dinner tonight. I don't trust you to feed yourself properly. You always end up quietly starving yourself."

"Ma'am, I-"

"That wasn't a request."

Kael sighed, running a hand down his face. "...Yes, ma'am."

I cackled from the sidelines.

Kael shot me a look that promised retribution.

But it was too late. The damage had been done.

My mother had defeated him months ago. There wasn't anything he, or anyone, could do. And besides, it was healthy for him. I think.

Similarly, Lily had increasingly been taking after my mom. She had spent the last year terrorizing Kael ...and me.

"Kael," she had declared one day, standing before him with her arms crossed and her nose in the air, "you're also boring."

"What do you mean by also?" I exclaimed. "I'm not boring."

Kael simultaneously raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You never have fun. You just play with Alex, ignore me when I poke you, stare at the sky all broodily, and pretend to ignore the way you blush whenever my mom teases you about Elara."

Kael choked on his drink.

And thus she declared war on Kael. One that Kael would not win.

Lily constantly tormented him. She stole his boots, filled them with mud and frogs. She rigged his chair to collapse the second he sat on it. She hid behind corners and would try to trap him at random intervals just to test his reflexes (which, unfortunately for her, resulted in a near-instant grab and flip the third time she tried it).

Kael's default strategy was to pretend nothing was happening and to ignore her.

It never worked.

"I hate children," he muttered one day, after Lily had managed to replace his entire breakfast with a wooden replica of food she'd carved and painted herself.

Honestly, she was kinda impressive. She would do anything to not be bored.

"Cmon', you love us," I said, biting into a piece of bread. I suddenly choked and spat out a splinter. As I spluttered, I eyed the piece of wood-bread in my hand.

Maybe this was getting out of hand.

Kael muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "debatable."

But through all of Lily's distractions, I trained.

Every morning, before the sun fully rose, Kael dragged me out of bed, my body aching from the previous day's lessons. Every evening, I collapsed onto my mattress, sore but stronger.

I learned to fight without thinking. To move before the attack came. To balance the weight of my strikes, hear the rhythm of combat, and take advantage of the moment an opponent hesitated.

Kael didn't hold back.

I got faster.

I got stronger.

But it wasn't enough.

Because I had a plan. A dream.

I was going to leave. I had been preparing to leave for months. Kael didn't know. Lily didn't know. Not even my mother suspected.

I wasn't reckless enough to run off blindly, but every day, I took another small step toward my escape.

I studied ancient maps whenever I could find the chance.

I listened to every story he told, memorizing which roads were safest, which towns were worth avoiding, which paths led to Dawnhaven. I learned about plants, history, and culture.

I saved food. Supplies. Stole a spare cloak from the village storehouse.

I had one shot at this.

And when the time came…

I wouldn't miss it.

.....

One evening, after a brutal training session that left my arms feeling like lead, I sat next to Kael by the fire, staring into the flames.

He hadn't spoken for a while, just watching the embers flicker, the firelight dancing in his eyes.

"You've been quiet lately," he said at last.

I shrugged. "Tired."

Kael hummed, unconvinced.

The silence stretched.

Then, softly, he said, "Are you afraid of this world?"

I turned my head toward him, frowning.

He wasn't looking at me. He was still staring at the fire. His expression unreadable.

"I used to be," I admitted.

Kael exhaled through his nose, his fingers twitching slightly against his knee. "Good."

I blinked.

He finally turned to me, his gaze sharp. "You should be."

The weight of his words settled between us.

But I didn't break eye contact.

"I am afraid," I said quietly. "But I still want to see it."

Kael studied me for a long time.

Then, he smirked. "Idiot."

I grinned. "Takes one to know one."

He shook his head, chuckling softly before going quiet again.

For a while, we just sat there, the fire crackling between us, the night stretching endlessly above.

I wondered if, somehow, he already knew.

That I was planning to leave.

And if he did…

I wondered if he would try to stop me.