Chapter 55
Thorne had leaped from the top of the boulder adding to his already impressive vertical jump. His sword was already drawn, held inverted in his grip, the blade angled downward. Air rushed past him as he dove toward the beast’s broad back. Steel drove deep into flesh.
The blade pierced between ribs and sank into the lung. The impact forced a violent burst of air and blood from the creature’s mouth. The girl turned at the sudden sound, her humming cutting off as she saw the massive beast and the man descending upon it. A scream tore from her throat, high and raw, as she dropped her basket. Herbs scattered across the forest floor. She stood frozen, hands clenched at her sides, unable to move.
The Goliath Goat staggered, legs buckling unevenly as it tried to regain balance. Thorne hit the ground and wrenched the sword free in one fluid motion. Blood poured from the wound, soaking into the creature’s matted fur.
The beast attempted to swing its horned head toward him, but its strength was already faltering. Thorne stepped in close, lifted the blade high, and brought it down in a powerful arc toward the thick neck. Steel bit through muscle and sinew, cutting halfway through before striking bone. The blow was decisive. The Goliath Goat shuddered once, its massive body collapsing into the undergrowth with a heavy crash that shook loose leaves from nearby branches.
Silence followed.
? Level 1 Monster Killed: Goliath Goat
? Drop Available: Black Steel Level 1
Thorne let the sword fall from his hand. It struck the earth beside him with a dull thud. He raised both hands slowly, palms open, as if surrendering to an unseen guard. Blood streaked his arms and chest, but he made no move toward the girl.
“It is over,” he said gently. “You are safe.”
He remained where he stood, giving her space to breathe, to see that the creature no longer moved, and to understand that the danger had passed.
Back in the village square the argument had swelled into a full crowd. The young girls screams had been drowned out by all the yelling. More villagers had gathered, drawn by raised voices and the promise of answers. Faces lined the edges of the well and spilled into the narrow lanes between huts. Tama stepped forward, lifting both hands until the noise slowly diminished.
“We are not going to reach a decision like this,” she said firmly. Her voice carried the authority of someone accustomed to steadying others. “We need to gather properly and talk this through. Riley has made an offer for us to leave this place. The real question we must ask her is how moving somewhere else makes anything better. The Clawborn will come looking for us. They will unleash their wrath. That sounds worse than staying here.”
A ripple of uneasy agreement passed through the crowd.
Riley felt every eye turn toward her again. She swallowed and forced her voice to remain steady. “I have built walls,” she said. “There are soldiers there. They are trained. They can defend our community.”
Skepticism lingered in the air like smoke.
Before anyone could respond, a stir began at the edge of the square. Heads turned toward the path leading back to the forest. Thorne emerged from between the trees, walking slowly beside a young woman whose steps were unsteady. Her face was pale, streaked with tears, and bits of leaf clung to her skirt. Blood stained the hem of Thorne’s clothes and a piece of black steel in his hand.
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A voice from the crowd broke the silence. “It is Lani.”
The name traveled through the villagers in a wave. Lani’s mother pushed forward, hands trembling as she reached for her daughter.
Another voice shouted, sharp with suspicion. “Who is this man? What has he done to her?”
The mood shifted instantly. Several men stepped toward Thorne, fists clenched. Thorne took a single step back, hands visible at his sides, his posture calm but ready.
“Wait,” Riley called out, her voice cutting across the rising tension. “He is with me.”
The crowd hesitated, though distrust still simmered.
Lani pulled free from her mother’s grasp long enough to speak, her voice shaking but clear. “He saved me. There was a monster at the edge of the tree line. It was horrible and it would have killed me.”
The words settled over the square.
Riley stepped forward, seizing the moment. “He is one of mine,” she said. “He is a hero. He protects my community. If you come with me, he and others like him will protect you too.”
A man near the well crossed his arms. “What is the catch? Nothing is free.”
Mali and her mother looked at the people around them and disappeared into the crowd.
Riley met his gaze. “You are right. It is not free. If you come with me, we build together. Your labor will serve the community. Our community. You will work, and in return you will be protected, fed, and part of something stronger than what you have here.”
Low murmurs rippled through the villagers. Some nodded slowly. Others frowned, weighing the trade.
Tama raised her hand again and the noise faded. “You have heard the offer,” she said. “We will vote and decide.”
She turned to Riley and Thorne. “You will leave now. We will have our answer in time.”
The crowd began to disperse in small clusters, conversations continuing in hushed tones as families retreated to their homes.
Thorne walked over to Riley and handed her the Black Steel, which she put in her bag with the Blue Copper. Riley flashed Thorne a look of wide-eyed excitement for an instant, knowing that this was the final piece for his new armour. A proper celebration would have to wait until they returned to the kingdom.
Tama walked with Riley and Thorne toward the gate at the edge of the village. The evening light cast long shadows across the dirt road.
“It is a good offer,” Tama said quietly once they were out of earshot. “But it requires blind faith to believe you can protect us.”
Riley stopped just short of the gate and looked at her. “Then come with us and see for yourself.”
Tama studied her for a long moment, searching her face for something that could not be faked.
“Wait!” Mali’s mother rushed with Mali in toe. She was carrying one large backpack and another handled bag. “We are going with Riley,” she said panting.
Tama looked at Mali and her mother shocked, “The village hasn’t decided…”
“We have,” Mali’s mother said, her voice steadier now that she had caught her breath. “Riley is not just offering a safer place. She is offering the chance at a future. We do not have that here. If not for me, then for Mali. She deserves to know what freedom feels like. I have forgotten.”
She shifted the strap of the pack across her shoulder and drew her daughter closer. “We are going with her. If we do not return in a day or so, then you will know her claims are true.”
A hush settled over those still watching.
The square beyond the gate had gone quiet again, a few villagers watching from a distance.
Riley moved closer to Mali and her mother, lowering herself so she wouldn’t loom over the child. Her eyes shifted between the mother’s steady determination and the child’s wide, hesitant gaze.
“I will not promise you a life without hardship,” Riley said. “But I will promise you this. No one will kneel to fear alone again. If you walk with me, you walk as part of something that stands together.”
Mali tightened her grip on the doll and took a small step closer to Riley.
Behind them, Tama remained still, the weight of leadership pressing visibly on her shoulders as the first choice was made without her.
Riley stood beside them and gave Tama a single nod, not triumphant, not pleading. Just acknowledgment. Then she turned toward the forest.
Mali kept hold of her mother’s hand as they crossed the open ground. At the edge of the trees, Thorne waited in silence, his presence steady and watchful. Without another word, the small group passed into the shadows beneath the tree canopy.
Tama stood motionless for a long moment, watching the group disappear into the trees. The forest swallowed them slowly, until there was nothing left but shifting leaves and fading light.
Only then did she turn back toward the villagers who had remained behind. They were watching her now, waiting.
She paused, feeling the full weight of what had just happened. A choice had been made without her. And now a greater one stood before her.
Every pair of eyes in the square fixed on her as she began to walk toward them.
One way or another, the decision would be made.
If this story had to double down on ONE primary focus, what should it be?