Chapter 42 : March to Emberfield

The Ember Couriers kept their pace steady, weaving along the dirt path that cut through the forest. Their breaths were visible in the cold evening air, the world around them dimmed by a curtain of dusk. Each step carried weight: the healer they escorted was weak and half-stumbling, their cart rattled with supplies meant for a distant outpost, and behind every tree lurked the possibility of another ambush.
Ryo walked at the front, his beast padded silently beside him, luminous eyes scanning the undergrowth. The orb from Paradise, wrapped and hidden in a satchel on Ryo’s back, pulsed faintly, as if aware of the danger surrounding them. He could feel it humming, like a heartbeat pressing against his spine.
Behind him, Aldah was keeping pace with the healer, occasionally cracking a joke that made the man’s lips twitch despite his exhaustion. Vix trudged along the side, carrying most of the heavier supplies without complaint, though his tone was sharp whenever Aldah’s chatter grew too loud. Lara, ever composed, walked near the rear, scanning their surroundings, her staff at the ready.
For a time, the forest was still.
Then came the crows.
They erupted from the trees in a black storm, their wings slicing through the sky, their cries piercing the silence. The healer flinched and nearly dropped to his knees. Lara’s voice cut the panic short.
“ again?”
“We can’t fight if they swarm us,” Vix muttered. “We move. Faster.”
The group obeyed, hastening their pace, their boots striking the dirt in rhythm. The healer struggled to keep up, but Aldah practically dragged him forward, refusing to let him fall. The crows faded into the distance, but their cries lingered in everyone’s mind, a reminder that more eyes had seen them than they would have liked.

---
Night fell before they reached Emberfield. They set up camp in a clearing, huddling around a small fire shielded by rocks to dim the glow. Lara prepared salves for their wounds, her hands steady as she pressed herbs into cuts and bruises. Aldah leaned back against a tree, gnawing on stale bread, her voice lower than usual.
“Feels like the whole world’s watching us,” she muttered. “Every bandit, every crow, every shadow.”
“Because they are,” Vix said flatly. “It’s war, Aldah. The roads aren’t safe. Supplies like these… healers like him—” he nodded toward their charge, who was sleeping against a pack, “—they’re worth more than gold right now.”
Ryo remained quiet, staring into the fire. His mind kept drifting back to Kael. He imagined his comrade training at Stone Gate, swinging a blade under a drillmaster’s barked commands, learning the grueling rhythm of a courier’s duty. He envied him in a way. Training sounded simpler than this constant edge of danger, the exhaustion of battle, the weight of responsibility pressing down.
Yet, Ryo knew Kael’s time of peace would not last. Soon, Kael would walk the same roads. Soon, they would stand shoulder to shoulder in missions like this.
The orb pulsed again, drawing Ryo from his thoughts. He glanced at the satchel. It had been quiet most of the journey—strange, but not unwelcome. Tonight, however, its glow pressed against the fabric. Ryo could almost hear it whispering.
Lara noticed his distraction. “are you alright?”
He nodded. “yeah...just tired.”
Her expression darkened. “you are hiding something”
“for real ?” Aldah muttered.
“nevermind” Lara replied simply.
The fire crackled between them, and silence fell again.

---
By dawn, they resumed their march. The healer stumbled often now, pale with fatigue. Aldah carried him on his back without hesitation, grumbling the whole time but never slowing.
Halfway through the pass, the air shifted and everyone froze.
Shadows flickered across the trees.
“Ambush!” Vix roared.
Arrows rained down, clattering against shields and stone. Bandits surged from both sides, blades flashing. The Ember Couriers closed ranks. Ryo’s beast lunged forward, scattering the first wave, Lara raised her staff, chanting, light flaring at the tip as she cast a barrier over the healer.
Aldah fought fiercely, but even in the chaos, she never let go of the healer. She shielded him with her own body, lashing out with precise strikes whenever an enemy drew too close.
“Push through!” Lara shouted. “We can’t hold this pass forever!”
Ryo nodded, slashing through another bandit with the beast strength. “Stay tight! Move!”
Step by step, they forced their way forward. The orb inside Ryo’s satchel pulsed wildly now, so strong it felt like his heart was beating outside his chest. His vision blurred, and for a moment, he swore he saw trails of light. Enemies fell faster than he could comprehend.
When at last the last foe crumpled to the ground, silence returned. Blood stained the path, and the pass was littered with bodies.
The healer trembled. “You… saved me again.”
Aldah smirked despite the blood on het face. “Told you. Ember Couriers don’t leave anyone behind.”
Vix sighed. “Let’s keep that motto quiet. It’s exhausting living up to it.”
Lara shook her head, but there was the ghost of a smile on her lips.
" You didn't even fight ! "" I am a healer dummy, I only fight when it's necessary"
Allah groaned---
By the time the gates of Ember field loomed ahead, the sun was setting again. Soldiers patrolled the battlements, their banners fluttering in the mountain winds.
Ryo felt a swell of relief. They had made it. The healer would be safe. The supplies would reach the garrisons. For tonight, at least, they had fulfilled their duty.
As they entered through the gates, a familiar figure was waiting in the courtyard. Kael. He stood taller than when Ryo last saw him, his stance sharpened, his eyes determined. Training had changed him, forged steel where once there had been uncertainty.
“You made it,” Kael said, stepping forward. His gaze moved over them, then it settled on Ryo.
Ryo just stared at him.
Something changesYou feel that too kiddo?
Kael’s lips tightened. “I'm a courier now, meet my healer, Arachne.”
The name struck like a blade through calm air. The storm Ryo had feared, the girl who almost killed him.