The morning of their fifth day dawned crisp and clear, marking the beginning of the second half of their journey to the capital. Kael woke to find frost coating the grass around their campsite, his breath misting in the cold air as he emerged from his bedroll.
"Four more days," Lyssa said as she stoked the fire back to life, adding kindling until flames crackled cheerfully. "We're past the halfway point now. Should reach the capital in the evening of the eighth day if we maintain this pace."
"Assuming nothing slows us down," Kael added, stretching to work out the stiffness from sleeping on the ground.
"Always the optimist."
"Just being realistic." He grinned. "Though honestly, the trip's been smoother than I expected. No bandits, no dangerous wild mythbeasts, just steady travel."
"Don't jinx it," Lyssa warned, but she was smiling.
Breakfast was simple—dried meats and fruits from their supplies, washed down with water from their canteens. Nothing fancy, but it was efficient fuel for another day of travel. Kael made sure all his companions ate well, with Granite receiving extra portions to maintain his strength for pulling the cart.
Ready for another day? Vera's mental voice was calm as always, though Kael could sense her contentment. The psychic tiger seemed to genuinely enjoy the journey, perhaps appreciating the change of scenery after weeks of intensive training in the same clearing.
"Always," Kael responded aloud. "Though I think someone's more ready than the rest of us."
Fulminus sent a pulse of fierce agreement from his perch on the cart. The thunder eagle had been awake before dawn, already running through warm-up exercises in preparation for his first intensive training session of the day. His dedication remained absolute, unwavering despite four consecutive days of pushing his limits.
They broke camp efficiently, loaded the cart, and set off down the King's Road as the sun climbed above the eastern horizon. Granite settled into his steady pulling rhythm, the cart's wheels rolling smoothly over the well-maintained stone surface.
The fifth and sixth days of travel passed much like the previous four. The routine was comfortable now—walk, practice light control exercises, stop for breaks, continue onward. Fulminus completed his five intensive training sessions each day, growing measurably faster and more controlled with each cycle. Kael continued experimenting with his psychic-poison combination, refining the mental attack until he could deliver it with reasonable reliability.
The landscape gradually changed as they traveled south. The dense northern forests gave way to more open terrain—rolling hills dotted with copses of trees, vast fields of grain preparing for harvest, the occasional farmstead with smoke rising from chimneys. The air grew warmer, too, the biting northern cold replaced by milder temperatures.
They passed more travelers on this stretch of road. Merchants with full carts are heading north to the frontier cities. Farmers are driving livestock to southern markets. Other adventurers and tamers, some heading to the capital for the tournament, others on different quests entirely. Everyone was civil, exchanging brief pleasantries before continuing on their respective journeys.
On the evening of the sixth day, they camped near a small grove of ancient oak trees. Kael practiced his power combinations while Lyssa prepared dinner, and the mythbeasts relaxed after another day of travel and training.
"Two more days," Lyssa observed as they ate. "Getting excited?"
"More nervous than excited, honestly," Kael admitted. "The closer we get, the more real it becomes. I'm going to be fighting in a royal tournament. Against the best young tamers in the kingdom. For prizes that could change everything."
"You'll do fine. Better than fine." Lyssa's confidence was unwavering. "You've got four powerful companions, multiple elemental abilities, power combinations that most tamers can't even conceive of, and Divine Restoration as a trump card. You're more prepared than you think."
"I hope you're right."
"I'm always right," she said with a grin. "You'll learn that eventually."
---
The seventh day of travel began like all the others. Wake at dawn, quick breakfast, break camp, continue south. The King's Road stretched before them, straight and true, carrying them ever closer to their destination.
Fulminus completed his morning training session, then his second shortly before midday. The thunder eagle's progress continued to be remarkable—his aerial speed now produced visible shockwaves, his control over electrical propulsion so refined that he could execute impossibly tight turns at full sprint.
It was early afternoon when they noticed the commotion ahead.
"What's that?" Kael squinted at something on the road about a quarter-mile distant. "Looks like... a carriage?"
"A tipped carriage," Lyssa corrected, her voice taking on a cautious edge. "Lying on its side."
As they drew closer, the scene became clearer. An elegant carriage, painted in deep blue with gold trim, had toppled onto its side in the middle of the road. No horses were visible in the harnesses, and there was no sign of any people around it.
Kael and Lyssa exchanged glances.
"Could be legitimate," Kael said carefully. "An accident, people in need of help."
"Could also be a trap," Lyssa countered. "Classic bandit tactic—fake a breakdown, ambush anyone who stops to help."
"True." Kael looked around at the surrounding terrain. Rolling plains stretched in all directions, dotted with occasional trees and low hills. No obvious places for an ambush party to hide, but that didn't mean they weren't out there. "What do you think we should do?"
"We can't just ignore it," Lyssa said after a moment. "If someone's hurt and we pass by without helping, I couldn't live with that. But we approach carefully, stay alert for any signs of ambush."
"Agreed." Kael reached out through his bonds, alerting all his companions to potential danger. "Everyone, stay sharp. Watch for threats. Chance of ambush might be small, but it's never zero."
Vera's mental presence sharpened, her awareness expanding outward. Ember moved closer to Kael's shoulder, flames ready. Fulminus descended from his training altitude, circling overhead with electrical sparks dancing between his wing feathers. Even gentle Mushy's poison aura thickened slightly, prepared to defend if necessary.
Granite rumbled with understanding, slowing his pace but maintaining his position with the cart. Lyssa readied her crossbow, loading a bolt and keeping it pointed safely downward but ready to raise at a moment's notice.
They approached the overturned carriage slowly, Kael calling out when they were about fifty feet away.
"Hello? Is anyone there? We're travelers on the road—we mean no harm!"
For a moment, nothing. Then movement from inside the carriage came. The door—now facing upward since the vehicle was on its side—creaked open slightly.
What emerged was unexpected.
A ferret-like head poked out of the door, but scaled up to massive proportions. The creature's head alone was easily fifty centimeters wide, with sleek fur in shades of silver and blue. Intelligent eyes, almost startlingly so, fixed on Kael and his group with wary assessment.
Common pattern in this world, Kael thought. Take a normal animal, make it huge, give it magical powers. I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore.
The massive ferret emerged further, revealing a body maybe two meters long, serpentine and graceful despite its size. Water began to gather around it—not from any visible source, but simply manifesting from the air itself. Within seconds, dozens of perfectly spherical water orbs floated around the creature, rotating in complex patterns like a defensive barrier.
A water-type mythbeast. And clearly a protective one, judging by its defensive posture.
"Everything alright?" Kael called out, keeping his voice calm and non-threatening. "We're friendly—we just want to help if someone needs it."
The ferret's eyes narrowed, the water orbs spinning faster. It made no aggressive move, but the message was clear: stay back.
Vera, Kael projected through their bond. Can you communicate with it? Ask what's wrong?
The psychic tiger stepped forward, her violet eyes beginning to glow as she reached out with her mental abilities. The ferret tensed initially, water orbs coalescing into more threatening shapes, but Vera's presence was calm and non-aggressive. After a moment, the ferret responded, and Kael felt the flow of mental communication even if he couldn't understand the specific exchange.
When Vera withdrew, she turned to Kael and projected clearly. The ferret's tamer is inside the carriage. She's alive but unconscious, not responding. The ferret can't get her out safely on its own—the angle is wrong, and it doesn't have the right body shape to lift a human carefully.
"Okay," Kael said aloud for Lyssa's benefit while also projecting reassurance toward the ferret. "We can help with that. But I'll need to get close, which means the ferret needs to trust us."
Tell it we mean no harm, he instructed Vera. I'll come forward alone—my companions will stay back. And remind them that if we wanted to cause trouble, we'd just attack. We're offering to help.
Vera relayed the message. The ferret was silent for a long moment, water orbs continuing their defensive rotation. Then, slowly, reluctantly, they began to dissipate. Not completely—the ferret maintained a few orbs nearby, ready to reform the barrier instantly—but enough to signal acceptance.
"I'm going in," Kael told Lyssa and his companions. "Stay alert, but don't approach unless something goes wrong."
Are you certain? Vera's mental voice carried concern. If this is a trap—
Then I've got my own powers to defend myself, Kael reminded her. Fire, lightning, psychic abilities, poison. I'm not helpless, even without you all right beside me. And besides, I don't think this is a trap. That ferret's concern feels genuine.
He approached the overturned carriage slowly, hands visible and empty of weapons. The ferret watched his every move, those intelligent eyes tracking him with laser focus. When Kael reached the carriage, he paused.
"I'm going to climb up and look inside, okay? Just to assess the situation."
The ferret chittered softly—not a threatening sound, but acknowledgment. Kael took that as permission and carefully scaled the side of the carriage, which was now effectively the top due to its orientation. The door was still open where the ferret had emerged. Kael peered inside.
The carriage's interior was elegant—plush seats now awkwardly positioned against one wall, curtains in rich fabrics, clearly designed for someone of wealth and status. And there, lying in an uncomfortable angle against what used to be the side wall, was a young woman.
She wore a beautiful dress in soft pinkish tones, the fabric expensive and well-made. Her position meant Kael could only see the back of her head—dark hair arranged in an elaborate style that had come partially undone in the accident. She was breathing, he could see that much, but completely unconscious.
"You probably couldn't get her out carefully on your own, could you?" Kael asked the ferret gently. "Wrong body shape, and the angle makes it nearly impossible to lift her without potentially making injuries worse."
The ferret chittered again, a note of frustration in the sound. It had clearly tried and failed to extract its tamer safely.
"How about we work together?" Kael suggested. "You can reach in from outside—grab the back of her dress collar and help lift while I support her from this side. Between us, we should be able to get her out carefully."
The ferret's head disappeared for a moment as it repositioned itself. Kael carefully lowered himself partway into the carriage, bracing against the seats to avoid putting his full weight on the unconscious woman. He got his hands under her shoulders, ready to lift.
"On three," he called up to the ferret. "One... two... three!"
They lifted together. The woman was surprisingly light, or maybe Kael's strength had increased more than he'd realized from all the training and elemental enhancements. The ferret's long neck allowed it to reach down while keeping its body outside, gripping the back of her dress collar as Kael had suggested.
Together, they maneuvered her through the door opening and onto the top of the carriage. The ferret's head was angled such that it couldn't see directly where Kael was working, focused instead on maintaining its grip and not dropping its tamer.
As soon as the woman was laid flat on the carriage's exterior, Kael quickly checked her pulse at the wrist. It was there, but weak. Weaker than he'd like.
He made a split-second decision.
The ferret was focused on its tamer's face, concerned and attentive. It couldn't see Kael's hands positioned near the woman's legs. And if he could keep his Divine Restoration hidden while ensuring she'd be okay, why not?
Golden-white light flowed from his hands, directed low and carefully controlled. Not the full dramatic display he usually allowed, but a subtle application of the healing power. The light barely extended beyond his palms before sinking into the woman's body.
The effect was immediate. Her pulse strengthened noticeably. Color returned to her cheeks. Her breathing deepened, becoming more regular.
Kael withdrew the healing and climbed out of the carriage opening, his secret preserved. "Let's get her down from here—carefully."
Between him and the ferret, they managed to lower the unconscious woman to the ground, laying her gently on a patch of grass beside the road. Now, for the first time, Kael could see her face clearly with no hair obscuring his view.
He had to consciously prevent himself from staring.
She was, quite simply, one of the most beautiful people he'd ever seen. Delicate features, flawless skin, and an elegant bone structure. Even unconscious and disheveled from the accident, she possessed a natural grace that was striking.
Kael shook those thoughts away firmly. Not the time, he reminded himself. Professional. Focus.
He checked her pulse again at the neck—strong and steady now, thanks to the surreptitious healing. "She seems fine," he reassured the ferret, who was hovering anxiously nearby. "Just knocked unconscious when the carriage tipped. She should wake up on her own once her body's ready."
The ferret chittered with obvious relief, moving to curl protectively around its tamer. Water orbs reformed around them both—not threatening, but clearly establishing a defensive perimeter.
Kael stood and walked back to his group, who'd maintained their distance as requested.
"Well?" Lyssa asked.
"Unconscious woman and her very protective water mythbeast," Kael explained. "Carriage accident, no serious injuries that I can see. She should wake up on her own, but it might take a while."
"So what do we do?"
Kael looked at the sky. It was still relatively early afternoon, but setting up camp now wouldn't be unreasonable. "I'm thinking we camp here for the night. Wait until she wakes up, make sure she's okay. Then we can figure out the next steps."
"That'll put us a bit behind schedule," Lyssa pointed out, though her tone suggested she agreed with the decision.
"I know. But I can't just leave someone unconscious by the roadside." Kael turned back toward the ferret and its tamer. "Let me go ask if they're okay with us staying nearby."
He approached carefully, making sure the ferret could see him coming. When he was close enough to be heard without shouting, he spoke gently.
"Is it all right if we make camp here? Wait until your tamer wakes up on her own? We won't get too close—just want to make sure everything's okay before we continue our journey."
The ferret studied him for a long moment, those intelligent eyes seeming to assess his intentions. Then it chittered softly and settled more comfortably around the unconscious woman—a clear signal of acceptance.
It senses no malice from you, Vera translated. It agrees to your presence.
"Thank you," Kael said to the ferret directly. "We'll give you space."
They set up camp about thirty feet from the overturned carriage, close enough to respond quickly if needed but far enough to not seem threatening. Granite was unhitched from the cart, and Lyssa began preparing the campsite while Kael tended to the mythbeasts.
Once things were settled, Vera approached the water ferret again, initiating another mental conversation. After several minutes, she returned to relay what she'd learned.
The mythbeast's name is Ripple, Vera explained. He says they were traveling from somewhere north, heading to the capital. The carriage was going too fast, hit a rock or an uneven patch of road, and tipped over. The impact broke the harness attachments, and the horses ran off—probably heading back to their home stables in the capital on instinct. Ripple's tamer was thrown against the side of the carriage and knocked unconscious. He couldn't get her out safely on his own, so when we arrived, he was protecting her and hoping someone would stop to help.
"Poor thing must have been terrified," Kael murmured. "Not knowing if anyone would stop, not being able to help his own tamer."
He's grateful, Vera continued. He says thank you again for helping.
"Tell him he's welcome. And that we'll stay until his tamer wakes up and we're sure she's okay."
As evening approached, Lyssa prepared dinner—a simple soup made from their travel rations, but warm and filling. The smell of cooking food filled the camp, and Kael noticed Ripple's nose twitching with interest.
"Think they're hungry?" he asked Lyssa quietly.
"Probably. When was the last time they ate? Before the accident, at least, and we don't know how long they were trapped in that carriage."
Kael prepared an extra portion of soup and some dried meat, carrying it over to where Ripple maintained his protective vigil. "Thought you might be hungry," he said, setting the food down within easy reach. "You need to keep your strength up to protect your tamer."
Ripple chittered gratefully and began eating without leaving his position curled around the unconscious woman. Clearly, he took his protective duties seriously.
Just as the sun touched the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple, Kael noticed Ripple suddenly become more alert. The ferret's head lifted, water orbs reforming instinctively, then dissipating as he recognized what was happening.
The woman was waking up.
Her eyes fluttered open—striking blue, Kael noted from his position by the campfire. She looked confused for a moment, taking in her surroundings with obvious disorientation. Then her gaze found Ripple, and relief flooded her expression.
"Ripple?" Her voice was soft, cultured, with the refined accent of nobility. "What happened? Where are we?"
Ripple and his tamer engaged in what was clearly a mental conversation, much like Kael did with his own companions. He saw her expression shift from confusion to understanding to concern to gratitude as Ripple presumably explained the situation.
Finally, she looked over to where Kael, Lyssa, and their companions were gathered around the campfire. She sat up slowly—carefully, as if checking for injuries—and then rose to her feet with Ripple's support. Together, they approached the camp.
"I understand I have you to thank for rescuing me," she said, her voice carrying genuine warmth. "Ripple told me what happened. You saved me from being trapped in that carriage, made sure I was safe, and even stayed to wait until I woke. I'm deeply grateful."
"It was the right thing to do," Kael replied simply. "We couldn't just leave someone in trouble."
"Not everyone would stop," she countered. "Especially not for a stranger. Your kindness means more than you know." She paused, then continued with a slightly shy note in her voice. "I know this is perhaps presumptuous to ask, but... would you allow me to accompany you to the capital? If that's where you're heading? My carriage is unusable, my horses ran off, and I have no other way to reach the city safely."
Kael glanced at Lyssa, who gave a small shrug—the decision was his. He looked back at the woman and her ferret companion, seeing nothing but genuine need and gratitude in their expressions.
"No problem," he said. "We're heading to the capital anyway. You're welcome to travel with us. We've got room in the cart if you need to rest, and Granite doesn't mind the extra weight."
Relief and gratitude flooded her expression. "Thank you. Truly. I promise I won't be any trouble." She paused, a slight smile crossing her face. "And I should mention—my big brother will definitely want to reward you for helping me and escorting me safely back to the capital. He's rather protective."
"Who's your brother?" Kael asked curiously.
Her smile widened into something almost mischievous. "That's a secret for now." She glanced at Ripple, who chittered in what sounded like amusement, as if sharing an inside joke. "You'll find out when we reach the capital."
"We don't need any reward," Lyssa interjected. "We're just helping someone in need."
"That's very kind, but my brother will heavily insist on it regardless," the woman replied with certainty. "He's... well, he's very particular about debts and obligations. Especially when it comes to my safety."
"Then I guess we'll meet your brother when we get there," Kael said. "For now, are you hungry? We have soup, and you should probably eat something after being unconscious."
"That sounds wonderful, thank you."
They settled into camp for the night, the woman and Ripple joining them around the fire. She ate the offered soup gratefully, making quiet conversation about inconsequential things—the weather, the quality of the King's Road, how beautiful the sunset was.
She never offered her name, and Kael didn't push. If she wanted to keep that secret along with her brother's identity, that was her right. They'd find out eventually.
As the camp settled down for sleep, Lyssa pulled Kael aside for a quiet conversation.
"Do you recognize her?" she asked in a low voice. "Or that emblem on the carriage?"
Kael glanced back at the overturned vehicle, where a coat of arms was painted on the door—a stylized shield with a crown and crossed swords. "I don't recognize it. Should I?"
"I don't recognize her specifically," Lyssa admitted. "But that emblem? That's the mark of the Royal Guard. The personal guards of the royal family."
Kael's eyebrows rose. "So she's..."
"Someone important. Nobility at minimum, possibly royalty itself." Lyssa kept her voice carefully neutral. "Which raises the question of why someone that important was traveling with no guards, no escort, just her and her mythbeast."
"Could be innocent," Kael suggested. "Maybe she snuck out for an adventure, didn't want the formality of a full guard detail."
"Could be," Lyssa agreed, though she sounded skeptical. "Just... keep your eyes open, okay? Not that I think she's dangerous, but situations involving nobility can get complicated quickly."
"I'll be careful," Kael promised. "But I don't think she means us any harm. Ripple's protective but not aggressive, and she seems genuinely grateful for the help."
"Probably right," Lyssa conceded. "I'm just naturally suspicious after years of bad luck making me paranoid about everything."
They returned to the fire, where their mysterious rescued noblewoman was already settling in for sleep with Ripple curled protectively around her. Kael's companions arranged themselves in their usual positions, maintaining a subtle watch despite the peaceful atmosphere.
As Kael lay down in his bedroll, staring up at the stars, he couldn't help but wonder about their new traveling companion. Who was she really? Why had she been traveling alone? And who was this protective older brother who would apparently insist on rewarding them?
Questions for another day. For now, they needed rest.
Four more days to the capital.
Three, really, if they make good time tomorrow.
And somehow, Kael suspected, their journey had just gotten a lot more interesting