SHADOWS OF TIMBERLINE

(Total Words 1790)

The thug leader collapsed, completely drained of his Kendra energy and critically wounded. 

"Ugh... I'm exhausted. My whole body hurts," Frederick muttered, taking a deep breath. 

"Sir Frederick! Are you alright?" Duke called out from a distance. 

Frederick exhaled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright... just in a bit of pain. That explosion and shockwave from the gang leader still hit me, even if it was only at 20% power." 

Duke sighed in relief. "We thought you were dead... I'm so glad you're okay." 

Frederick gave a tired smile. "Sorry, kid. I didn't do my job well. Because of my mistakes, I put all of you in danger... I'm sorry."

"No, you saved us, Sir Frederick. If you weren't here, we all would've died," Duke said firmly. 

Frederick gave a small smile. "You're strong, Duke—both on the outside and inside." 

He took a deep breath and glanced at their wounds. "Come on, let's tend to our injuries."

Both of them walked toward the horse cart, where Vance was stitching Jack's wound. 

"Ouch! Ouch! Ahhh! I'm gonna die from the pain—it hurts!" Jack screamed. 

"Hey, stop moving. Your armor saved your life," Vance said, focused on his work. 

Duke approached with concern. "Hey, Jack, how are you holding up?" 

"Not fine—ahhh...!" Jack groaned. 

Vance glanced at Frederick. "Sir Frederick, what should we do next?" 

Frederick let out a tired sigh as he removed his armor. "I'm in no condition to fight. I got burned a bit from the explosion, and I've drained all my Kendra energy using Wind Shelter twice. We'll head to the nearest village." 

"Alright, sir," Vance nodded. 

"But first, tie up all the bandits who are still alive. We'll hand them over to the authorities in the village," Frederick ordered. 

Vance and Duke got to work, securing the three surviving bandits. The one who had attacked Jack was already dead. 

Meanwhile, Frederick winced as he accidentally touched one of his own burns. "Tch... even I ended up hurting myself," he muttered under his breath.

After sometimes"Sir, we've tied them all up. One of them is dead," Vance reported. "The gang leader's wound is deep too." 

Frederick nodded. "Treat his wound. He must have a bounty on his head. We'll turn him in once we reach the village." 

Vance sighed. "Understood." 

"Once that's done, we move out," Frederick added. "We need to reach the village before nightfall."

After tending to the gang leader's wound, the horse cart moved forward. Duke kept watch over the tied-up thugs, while Jack rested, still recovering from his injuries. Frederick sat nearby, also taking a moment to rest, while Vance guarded from behind. 

After some time, Jack started talking to Duke. 

"That thug was telling me about his boss," Jack said with a smirk. "He kept saying their boss was a monster and that he'd kill both of us. I just laughed at him—oh really?" 

"Be quiet, or your wound will reopen," Duke said, his voice filled with concern. 

Jack winced. "Yeah, you're right... It's already starting to hurt again. Ouch." 

Then he looked at Frederick. "Thank you, Sir Frederick. I would've died if it weren't for you." 

Frederick shook his head. "No need to thank me. It's my job." He paused, then added, "But I must say, you did well holding on until the end. If anything had happened to you guys... I would've been ashamed."

"You did your job perfectly. You saved me—that's the only thing that matters," Jack said, giving Frederick a tired smile. 

"He's right," Duke added. "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be here." 

Frederick exhaled, leaning back against the cart. "I just did what I had to. But you both held your own out there—you should be proud." 

Jack winced as a sharp pain shot through his wound. "Ugh... Less talking, more resting." 

The horse cart driver glanced back. "We'll be reaching Timberline Town soon. Hold on a little longer."

"Timberline Village," Duke repeated, looking ahead. 

"A new place? I'm ready to explore!" Jack said excitedly. 

Frederick shot him a look. "Remember your wound? You'll be staying in the room and resting." 

"Yeah, yeah..." Jack muttered, rolling his eyes. 

Duke furrowed his brows. "Sir Frederick, what was that technique you used against the gang leader? It felt completely different." 

Frederick let out a tired sigh. "That was *Wind Shelter*. It's a high-level technique—very risky. It drains almost all of my Kendra energy." 

He leaned back, feeling the lingering pain from the battle. "It creates a temporary wind barrier that reduces the impact of any attack by 70 to 80 percent. But using it too much can leave you completely drained, just like I am now." 

Duke's eyes widened. "That sounds incredible… but also dangerous." 

Frederick smirked. "It is. And if you train hard enough, you might get to learn techniques like this one day."

"I can't wait to explore my Kendra energy. Who knows? I might even get stronger than you, Duke!" Jack said with a smirk. 

Duke chuckled. "Even without my Kendra energy, I could still beat you." 

Jack's eyes twitched. "What did you just say? Remember these words, punk—I'll make sure you're the first one I defeat once I get my technique!" 

Duke smirked. "Why are you getting angry just because I spoke the truth?" 

Jack tried to sit up, his frustration boiling over. "Forget Kendra techniques—I'll beat you right now!" But the moment he moved, pain shot through his body. "Ahh! Ouch, ouch!" he groaned, clutching his wound.

Duke laughed. "See? You can't even move without whining like an old man. How do you expect to beat me?" 

Jack gritted his teeth. "Just you wait… once I recover, you're done for." 

Frederick shook his head with a small smile. "Enough bickering, you two. Rest while you can. We still have a long journey ahead." 

Jack sighed, leaning back against the cart. "Fine, fine. But when we get to Timberline Town, I want a big meal first. I nearly died back there, you know." 

Vance smirked. "Then you'd better hope the town has good food. Otherwise, you'll have to settle for whatever scraps we find."

After some time, they finally arrived at Timberline Town. The guards helped unload their luggage and escorted the captured thugs into custody. 

Frederick approached Duke and Jack, handing them a small pouch of coins. "This is the bounty money we collected. Go eat something and get some rest." 

Duke nodded. "I'll bring something back for Jack. You should stay here and recover." 

Frederick adjusted his coat. "I'm heading out for urgent business. There's something I need to check." He turned to Vance. "Need anything?" 

"Yeah, bring back some food for me," Vance replied. 

Before Duke could leave, Jack suddenly stood up. "Hey, idiot! I'm coming too!" 

Duke frowned. "Are you kidding me, Jack? Your wounds aren't even healed yet. Frederick will scold you if he finds out." 

Jack waved him off. "Shut up, Duke! We have a chance to explore a new place, and I'm not missing it. My wounds are fine now. Let's go!"

After leaving the restaurant, Duke and Jack carried some food back for Vance. 

"Hey, there's a river nearby. Let's check it out," Duke suggested. 

"Yeah, let's go!" Jack agreed eagerly. 

As they approached the river, Jack's eyes widened. "Wow, the river is almost frozen!" 

"It's freezing out here," Duke muttered, rubbing his arms. 

Jack grinned. "What a view! Let's make a bonfire near the house later." 

"Nice idea," Duke nodded. 

Just as they turned to leave, Duke suddenly stopped. "Wait… there's someone collapsed near the river!" 

"Where?" Jack asked, looking around. 

"THERE! LOOK!" Duke pointed. Without hesitation, he rushed toward the fallen figure. 

"Hey, I'm coming too!" Jack followed quickly. 

The person was dressed in a heavy coat, a wide hat, and a mask that covered their face completely. 

"They must have passed out from the cold," Duke said, kneeling beside them. 

Jack hesitated. "Judging by the body shape… I think it's a girl." 

"She must be seriously ill," Duke muttered. He reached for her hat, trying to remove it. "It's really tight..." 

As he finally pulled it off, he gasped. "She has white hair!" 

Jack's eyes widened in alarm. "A white-haired girl? Duke… she's definitely a witch! We should leave her here." 

"Shut up, idiot," Duke shot back. "Let me check on her." He tugged at the mask, but it wouldn't budge. "Damn, this thing is stuck tight." 

Jack scratched his head. "How does she even eat with that thing on?" 

Duke ignored him. "We can't leave her here. She'll die from the cold." 

Jack sighed. "You're really gonna carry her back?" 

"We have no choice," Duke said, lifting her into his arms. 

"As you wish," Jack muttered. "I just hope she's not a witch..." 

When they arrived back at the house, Jack glanced around. "Hey, where's Vance?" 

Duke didn't answer as he carried the girl upstairs. "I'm putting her in the first-floor room," he called. 

"Alright…" Jack sighed, still uneasy.

Duke came back downstairs. 

"Hey, is she okay?" Jack asked. 

"I put a blanket on her. Let's wait for Vance and Frederick—they might know what to do," Duke said. 

Jack stretched. "In the meantime, let's get that bonfire ready." 

"Yeah," Duke agreed. 

Duke gathered some firewood while Jack cleared a spot near the house. Just as they were about to start, Vance returned. 

"Hey, Vance, we're preparing a bon—" Duke started. 

But Vance cut him off, his voice urgent. "Stay alert! There have been masked bandits spotted in town. They killed a soldier—brutally. Sir Frederick warned me and told me to inform you both."

"We're screwed," Jack muttered. 

"We rescued a girl wearing a mask... She's upstairs," Duke admitted. 

Vance's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me? Grab your weapons! She could be dangerous! The bandits killed a highly skilled soldier—his rank was the same as Sir Frederick's!" Vance panicked, unsheathing his sword. 

Duke grabbed his own sword. 

"Not again," Jack groaned. "I've had enough of this. Damn it, Duke, this is all because of you! And my wounds still hurt!" 

"We can't just let her go," Vance insisted. "The other soldiers are too far away. We have to catch her now!" 

"Hey, you stay back," Duke said. "We'll handle this." 

"No, I'm coming," Jack said, forcing himself to stand. 

"Wait—I have a plan," Vance added. "Me and Duke will go upstairs. Jack, you stay down here with your sword. If she tries to escape through the window, you cut her off." 

Jack nodded. "Alright." 

"Let's do this," Duke said, taking a deep breath.