The three men looked at each other, their faces pale, hands shaking as they tightened their grip around their swords. Kaiden stood in front of them with that same calm look that made their bones rattle. His sword still dripped blood, drop after drop hitting the dirt quietly.
One of them finally snapped. With a loud yell, he ran forward and swung his blade straight at Kaiden's neck. Kaiden stepped aside smoothly, catching the man's arm mid-swing. Before the guy could even blink, Kaiden turned the sword and plunged it right through his chest.
The blade went in with a heavy sound.
"Ghhhaaaa!" the man screamed as blood poured out of his mouth. Kaiden twisted the sword before pulling it out. The body hit the ground lifelessly with a dull thud, his eyes still wide open, like he was staring at his own death in disbelief.
The other two men froze. They didn't even think he was human anymore. One of them tried to talk, "W-we can talk, right?"
Kaiden tilted his head slightly, wiping the blade on the dead man's shirt. "Talk? You tried to cut off my head a second ago."
He moved toward them slowly.
Panic took over, and both of them attacked together. One came from the left, the other from behind. Kaiden ducked the first swing, feeling the air slice just above his head. He spun around and kicked the second guy in the knee so hard that the bone cracked with a nasty sound.
"Aaaaahhh!" the man screamed as his leg bent the wrong way. He dropped to the ground, rolling around like a worm in pain.
Kaiden didn't stop. He swung the sword down fast, cutting right across his throat. The scream stopped halfway as blood sprayed all over the ground. The smell of iron filled the air, mixing with the sound of the crickets around them.
Only one man was left now. His whole body trembled. He backed away slowly, raising his sword like it would protect him. Kaiden took one step forward, then another. He didn't rush. He wanted him to feel the fear.
The man's breathing was loud and uneven. He swung first out of desperation, but Kaiden easily blocked it. Their blades clashed once, twice, sparks flying in the dark. Kaiden could see the man's hands shaking. The grip was loose, weak.
Kaiden pushed him back and kicked him hard in the stomach. The man flew a few feet before landing on his back. His sword fell off his hand, sliding across the dirt.
Kaiden walked toward him slowly, dragging his sword behind him. The sound of metal scraping the ground filled the air. The man coughed up blood and looked up at him with wide eyes. "P-please… don't…"
Kaiden stopped in front of him and raised his sword. "You picked the wrong job."
Just as he swung down, the man threw something small and shiny into the air. It burst open midair, and a cloud of powder hit Kaiden's face.
"Ahhh—shit!" he cursed as his eyes burned. It felt like hot sand had been poured into them. He stumbled back, wiping at his face but the pain only got worse.
He could barely open his eyes now, his vision nothing but white and red flashes. By the time he blinked through the sting, the man was already gone. He could hear footsteps fading into the distance, fast, desperate, crashing through the bushes.
Kaiden spat on the ground, angry at himself. "Coward."
He rubbed his eyes again until the pain lessened. Slowly, his sight came back enough to see the three bodies on the ground. The one who escaped wouldn't get far. He'd tell someone, that much Kaiden was sure of.
He bent down beside one of the corpses and searched through his pockets. He found a small coin pouch and a folded note soaked in blood. The note was almost unreadable, but one thing stood out clearly — the mark of a raven drawn in black ink.
Kaiden stared at it for a few seconds, frowning. "Raven… huh."
He stuffed it into his bag and looked up at the moon again. The wind was cold, blowing across the trees. The night that started quiet had turned bloody fast.
He looked back at the bodies one last time before climbing onto his horse. "If this is the kind of welcome I'm getting before reaching the academy," he muttered, "then I can't wait to see what's waiting there."
He pulled the reins, and the horse started moving again, hooves clapping softly against the dirt as Kaiden disappeared down the dark road.