Everyone jolted.
Kiel, who had been fighting boredom as lookout, reacted on pure instinct. He bolted toward the wagon and yanked the door open. "What happened—"
He froze.
Inside stood Maddy and Petra in their nightwear. Maddy held a dagger mid-raise, blade aimed at absolutely no one. Petra hovered half a step behind her, eyes wide, clutching the hem of her clothes like a shield.
For half a heartbeat, the world stopped.
Then Maddy's brain caught up.
Her face turned scarlet.
She let out a strangled sound and, without lowering the dagger, snatched Petra's metal gauntlet off her arm and hurled it.
Kiel yelped, barely ducking as the gauntlet whistled past his head and clanged against a stone. He slammed the door shut so fast the hinges squealed.
"WHO THE HELL GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO OPEN THE WAGON?" Maddy roared from inside.
"I— I HEARD PETRA SCREAM!" Kiel shouted back, already backing away. "I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING! NOT A THING OR TWO!"
"You'd better run, kid," Maddy snapped. "Once I finish changing, I'll deal with you personally."
Kiel didn't need to be told twice.
Ulon wandered over, arms folded, eyes gleaming with interest. "What a lively morning you've got here."
Shane, already awake and unruffled, sighed. "Clean the camp," he said calmly. "We're leaving soon."
He turned and walked toward Molly, who was resting near a tree, utterly unconcerned with the chaos.
Kiel took off like his life depended on it—which it very well might have. He sprinted to the fire pit and aggressively shoveled ash over the embers, coughing as smoke puffed up.
Shalotte, flustered and apologetic by default, gathered the blankets in a hurry. He knocked gently on the wagon. "A-are you… finished changing? I need to put these back."
"Wait a second!" Maddy barked.
Not long after, the wagon door creaked open. Maddy stepped out first, fully armored now, expression dark. Petra followed quickly and crouched to retrieve her gauntlet from the ground, slipping it back on as if nothing had happened.
Maddy's gaze locked onto Kiel.
She drew her dagger again, letting it glint in the morning light. "Now, kid," she said sweetly, "let me take your eyes."
Kiel backed away, hands raised. "I swear, I saw nothing! It was an accident!"
Shane arrived then, leading Molly by the reins. He paused, took in the scene—the dagger, the terrified teenager, the tense air—and spoke evenly. "Everything in order? We're moving."
Maddy clicked her tongue, spun on her heel, and marched back into the wagon with Petra. The door slammed shut.
Kiel let out a sigh of relief.
Ulon looked up at the top of the wagon. "Hey, Slouch. You still alive up there?"
Klaus's voice drifted down, lazy and dry. "I hate to disappoint you, but yes. Still breathing."
"Shame," Ulon said. "I was really looking forward to praying at your funeral."
"Keep looking forward," Klaus replied. "Might be you who gets there first."
Shane was already settled on the driver's bench, reins looped loosely around one gloved hand. He lifted two fingers to his lips and whistled—sharp, practiced.
Zevy answered at once.
The bird burst from a nearby branch, wings slicing through the air as it spiraled upward before circling once above the clearing. Its cry echoed briefly, then faded.
Shane didn't look impressed. He glanced back over his shoulder instead.
"You two. Get in. We're moving."
Ulon hauled himself up beside him, boots thudding against the wood. His grin was wide, eyes sharp with anticipation.
"You're really in a hurry, boss."
"The sooner we arrive," Shane replied, eyes already scanning the road ahead, "the better."
Inside the wagon, tension lingered like smoke. Maddy waited like a predator waiting for her prey.
Kiel hesitated at the open door, staring at it as if expecting something to leap out again. The wagon creaked impatiently beneath him. After a second of internal debate, he chose what he clearly considered the safer option—scrambling up the side and hopping onto the roof instead.
He landed beside Klaus with a clumsy thump.
"M-may I join you, Mr. Klaus?"
Klaus shifted an inch. Not out of politeness—just enough to reclaim his personal space.
"Suit yourself."
That was all the invitation Kiel needed. He settled in, eyes shining, legs dangling over the edge.
The wagon lurched forward, wheels crunching over dirt and roots as the clearing slowly slipped behind them.
Moments later, the treeline stirred.
Two hooded figures stepped into view, faces wrapped, movements measured and quiet.
"Shall we follow?" one murmured.
"Of course," the other replied without hesitation. "That's our job."
"I still don't get why the Mayor wants Shieldbreaker tailed, too."
A pause. Then—flat, final.
"Don't think. We're here to follow orders."
They melted back into the trees, swallowed by shadow as the wagon disappeared down the road.
The ride was quite, broken only by the creak of wood and the rhythmic snort of Molly's breath.
Shane glanced back into the wagon.
"Why did you scream earlier, Petra?"
Petra stiffened instantly. Her hands clenched on her lap.
"There was… a cockroach."
A beat.
Then Ulon burst out laughing, slapping his knee.
"A mighty knight, capable of cutting enemies in half," he said between laughs, "afraid of a tiny little cockroach?"
Petra's face flushed beneath her helm. She nodded, shoulders hunched.
Ulon laughed harder.
Shane caught it immediately—the way Petra's grip tightened, the way her posture shrank. She felt discomfort.
"Enough teasing, Ulon," he said calmly. "Everyone has something they're scared of."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Kiel, for example. He's scared of his mom."
Kiel jolted upright on the roof.
"I'm not scared of her!" he protested. "I'm just… respectful!"
Ulon nearly choked.
"Yes, yes," he wheezed. "Mama's boy."
Even Shalotte let out a nervous snort before catching himself. Maddy shook her head, lips twitching despite her tension.
Then the scenery changed.
The trees thinned. The light dimmed.
Ahead, the land split open.
A massive canyon stretched across the horizon—vast, and jagged. The road widened unnaturally, broad enough for four wagons to ride side by side, yet it looked pitiful against the canyon's scale. The cliffs rose so high that sunlight barely touched the bottom, leaving the depths cloaked in shadow.
Shane's expression sharpened.
"Be prepared," he said evenly. "We're reaching Al'Qatl Canyon."
The mood snapped.
Petra's fingers tightened around her scythe until her knuckles whitened.
Shalotte's staff hummed softly, its tip glowing with a dim, unstable light.
Maddy slipped the safety off her dagger, mana crawling over her palms like mist.
Ulon reached behind him, gripping his mace with eager restraint.
Kiel drew his bow from his storage ring, eyes bright.
"Now we're talking."
Only Klaus remained unmoved.
Shane raised one hand and whistled. Zevy descended smoothly, landing on his arm. Shane tapped a ring against the bird's leg—and Zevy vanished into his special storage.
He then placed a steady hand on Molly's thick hide.
"Molly," he murmured, "are you ready, girl?"
The rhinoceros let out a low sound—deep, understanding.
Shane activated his skill.
"Viral Modification."
Golden light erupted.
Molly's white hide thickened, plating over as gold armor formed along her body. Spikes pushed outward from her shoulders and forehead, gleaming sharply in the dim light. Within seconds, the gentle beast became a living battering ram of gold and steel.
On the roof, Klaus finally stood.
A rifle materialized in his hands. He checked the magazine—ten bullets. Satisfied.
He looked down at Shane.
"They're coming."
Right on cue—
The Al'Qatl man-eating spider monkeys began to rain down from above.
Screeches filled the canyon as shadows dropped toward them.