Chapter 24

  Making plans Plus First Fantasy Fight

  By the time they stopped, the sky had shifted from pale grey to the soft gold of early morning. The forest was quiet here, save for the soft rustle of leaves and the faint chatter of birds waking with the sun.

  They’d chosen a small clearing nestled between a cluster of boulders and a shallow stream—easy to defend, with natural cover on all sides. The wolfmen immediately began pacing the perimeter, ears twitching at every sound.

  The rescued demi-humans collapsed in the grass or leaned against the rocks, some drinking greedily from the stream, others just staring at the trees as if unsure this was all real.

  Lux stayed standing, leaning slightly against one of the boulders, scanning the treeline until Luna came to stand beside him.

  “We’re safe for now,” she said quietly. “But we can’t stay in one place long. The Baron’s men will search the roads first, but once they realize you’re not traveling on them…”

  “They’ll start combing the forest,” Lux finished.

  She nodded, then let out a long, heavy sigh. Her eyes moved slowly across the exhausted faces of the freed captives.

  “There’s… one place we could take them.”

  Lux looked over at her, brow raised.

  “My kingdom’s capital city,” she continued, voice quieter now. “Deep in the wilds. The capital of the lost kingdom of Greenwood.” Her gaze shifted toward the thick wall of trees to the east, as though she could see the place in her mind. “It’s a two-day walk from here, if we push it.”

  Lux studied her for a moment, searching her face. “You’re just now telling me this?”

  Her ears twitched faintly. “Because I wasn’t sure you’d believe me… or trust me with something that important.” She met his gaze. “But if we keep wandering, they’ll catch us eventually. In Greenwood, they won’t.”

  The wind stirred the leaves overhead, carrying a faint, distant echo of something—maybe nothing—but Lux’s gut told him their time here was already running short.

  Here’s that scene with Lux pushing back and laying out the harsh reality:

  Luna’s words hung in the air, but Lux didn’t nod or agree. Instead, his jaw tightened, and he shook his head slowly.

  “No,” he said flatly.

  Her ears flicked back. “What do you mean no? It’s our best chance.”

  “Our best chance of walking everyone straight into a death trap,” Lux countered.

  “We don’t have the supplies or the weapons for a two-day march through monster territory. And even if we did make it, what then? What if your ‘capital’ is just a pile of stone walls crawling with things that would love to make a meal out of thirty exhausted, half-starved people?”

  Luna’s expression hardened, but he wasn’t finished.

  “I’m not saying your idea’s bad, but we have to face facts—right now, we’ve got maybe seven people who can fight: me, the rabbit girl, the four wolfmen, and the goat man. That’s it. The rest? They can barely stand without shaking.” He swept a hand toward the group. “I’m not dragging them into a gauntlet with no food, no rest, and no guarantee there’s even a safe haven at the end of it.”

  The wolfmen, sitting a few paces away, exchanged uneasy glances at being singled out as the only real fighters. The rabbit girl gave a small nod in agreement, while the goat man just kept sharpening his spear in silence.

  Luna looked away, staring toward the east where Greenwood supposedly lay. “If we stay here too long, they’ll find us.”

  “I know,” Lux said, voice low. “But if we move without a plan, the forest will kill us before the Baron’s men do.”

  Luna didn’t argue right away. Her tail flicked side to side, the only sign she was chewing over his words. Then she drew a slow breath.

  “Fine,” she said at last, “we won’t head for Greenwood… not yet.”

  Lux raised an eyebrow.

  “There’s a smaller place,” she continued, glancing toward the south. “An abandoned settlement, half a day’s walk from here. It was just a border hamlet before it was left to rot—most folks don’t even remember it’s there. We can hole up, resupply if we’re lucky, and figure out our next move without walking everyone into their graves.”

  Lux considered her for a moment. “How abandoned?”

  Her mouth curved into a faint, humorless smile. “Abandoned enough that we might have to chase out a few squatters. But that’s better than fighting the Baron’s men and the forest at the same time.”

  The rabbit girl spoke up. “If it’s only half a day away, we can reach it before nightfall. Less chance they’ll track us there.”

  Lux nodded slowly, scanning the ragged group. “Alright. The hamlet it is. We move soon, keep a tight line. No one wanders.”

  The wolfmen grunted in agreement, already adjusting the straps on their weapons. Luna gave Lux a brief, approving glance—an unspoken acknowledgment that, for now at least, they were on the same page.

  Luna’s eyes swept over the weary faces, her ears twitching as she assessed the terrain ahead. Then she called out, “Rabbit, Dog Mother—take point. Head south until you see the dry creek bed, then cut east. I’ll hang back.”

  The rabbit girl hesitated. “You sure?”

  “Positive,” Luna said firmly. “You know the path I described—get them moving.”

  With a nod, the rabbit girl and the older dog woman began shepherding the group forward, the wolfmen flanking the sides as guards. The line of demi-humans shuffled into motion, vanishing gradually between the trees.

  Luna lingered, letting the distance grow until she and Lux trailed several paces behind. When she finally spoke, her voice was low, carrying only to him.

  “You’re not wrong,” she said, eyes fixed ahead. “If we’d gone to Greenwood now, half of them wouldn’t survive the trip.

  Supplies or not… you’re thinking further ahead than I expected.”

  Lux glanced sideways at her. “You sound surprised.”

  She gave a short, humorless laugh. “I am. Most humans who stick their necks out for demi-humans do it for glory or guilt. You?

  You act like you’re… planning for something bigger. Something more permanent.”

  “Maybe I am,” Lux said, his tone guarded. “But for now, it’s about getting them somewhere they won’t be hunted before they can sleep through a night without fear.”

  Luna’s gaze softened just enough for him to notice. “We’ll see if that’s all you want.”

  The forest swallowed the sound of the group ahead, leaving only the two of them trailing in the quiet, their words hanging between them like smoke.

  Here’s how that scene could play out with Lux opening up and giving Luna the full weight of his thoughts and memories:

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  The two trailed behind, the group ahead fading deeper into the trees. Luna’s eyes flicked toward him, measuring, before she spoke.

  “So tell me, Lux,” she said quietly, “what is your endgame? You move like a man with a plan, but you don’t speak of it.”

  Lux slowed his steps, his gaze settling on the ground ahead. “I hate what I’ve seen so far,” he said, voice low but steady. “Slavery. Nobles using people like they’re nothing. This… rot sitting at the core of everything.”

  She watched him closely, ears twitching at the tension in his tone.

  “My memories—they’re scattered,” Lux continued, “but pieces keep coming back. I was a soldier… in another world. We fought to stop a madman. A dictator who killed millions just because he could. Back then, I was just another cog in the machine, doing my part. I thought once we stopped him, maybe the world would be better.” He shook his head. “But evil… it just finds new places to grow.”

  His hand tightened into a fist. “And here… this place—this world—it’s like someone planted that same sickness in the soil and let it run wild. People in power crushing anyone weaker, not because they have to, but because they enjoy it.”

  He looked at her then, a steady, unflinching stare. “I can’t stand by and watch it happen again. Not here. Not to your people. I’m done being a cog. If there’s evil taking root, I want to rip it out—root and stem. And if someone’s taking advantage, I’ll remove them… permanently.”

  Luna’s breath caught at the rawness in his voice.

  “You opened my eyes, Luna,” he said, softer now. “You may be a fallen princess, but I’m telling you right here—I’ll help you regain what you lost. And I’ll help you get your kingdom back.”

  For a long moment, she didn’t answer, her expression unreadable. Then, without looking at him, she murmured, “Careful, Lux. Don't make a girl a promise if you cant keep it .”

  After a noneventful day of traveling and a undistured night on the next day. By late afternoon, the forest thinned and the broken outline of an old settlement came into view — sagging rooftops, vine-covered walls, and a well choked with moss. The air smelled of damp stone and long-forgotten fires.

  Luna stepped forward, motioning for the rabbit girl and older dog woman to guide the group toward the largest intact structure. “Get everyone settled there for now,” she instructed, voice calm but firm.

  Once the others were occupied, she drifted back to Lux’s side. “If you meant what you said earlier…” she began, “then this is where you prove it.”

  Lux arched a brow. “How so?”

  She gestured toward the outer buildings.

  “We don’t know what’s moved in since this place was abandoned. Bandits, ferals, worse. If we’re to make this a temporary refuge, someone needs to sweep it clean.” Her eyes narrowed, testing. “You said you wanted to fight the evil that’s taken root? Good. Here’s your first step.”

  Lux glanced toward the crumbling houses, the shadows between them deepening with the setting sun. “You want me to do this alone?”

  “No,” she said, her tone unreadable. “Take the wolfmen and the goat man. The rest will stay to guard the noncombatants. If you find anything dangerous, you handle it. If you can’t…” She let the sentence hang, as if waiting to see if he’d flinch.

  Lux met her gaze evenly. “I can.”

  Something flickered in her eyes — approval, maybe — before she turned toward the main hall. “Then go. And Lux…

  if you don’t come back, I’ll make sure they remember you kept your word.”

  The group came to a halt at the edge of the abandoned settlement. The place reeked of mold and dust, roofs sagging, streets overgrown, silence thick enough to choke on.

  Luna’s eyes swept the empty buildings.

  “This was a caravan stop once… until the monsters claimed it. We take it back, it’s ours.” She turned to Lux. “You promised me, Lux. Said you’d fight for what’s right. Now prove it — clear it out so the others can move in.”

  Lux’s jaw tightened. Another test. Always another test. He forced himself not to snap, but the irritation burned behind his eyes. After this, he swore to himself, after we’re inside and safe, she and I are going to hash this out. I’m not some errand boy she can keep testing forever.

  “Fine,” he said flatly, adjusting his grip on the short sword. “I’ll give you your proof.”

  The wolfmen were already loosening their weapons, ears twitching toward faint sounds in the distance. The rabbit girl and the older dog woman led the freed demi-humans to wait in the treeline.

  Lux stepped past the broken archway into the settlement, the wolfmen flanking him.

  A faint scratching came from the nearest building, followed by the low, wet chitter of something not human.

  One of the wolfmen sniffed the air, lip curling. “Goblinoid. Several.”

  “Then let’s make it quick,” Lux said.

  They moved in, keeping low. A hunched, green-skinned creature shuffled out from behind a collapsed wall, gnawing on a bone. Its yellow eyes went wide just as Lux’s blade cut the distance. One swift strike across the neck — the thing dropped without a sound.

  From deeper inside, answering screeches erupted.

  The hunt had begun.

  A goblinoid lurched from a doorway—cut down before it could scream.

  Two more leapt from a rooftop—met by a wolfman’s spear thrust that pinned one to the wall, Lux’s blade taking the other mid-fall.

  From the next alley, a cluster of the creatures charged, crude blades flashing.

  Lux dropped into their midst, parrying high, stabbing low—feeling the wolfmen slam into their flank. The rabbit girl darted in from behind, smashing one’s skull with the butt of her dagger.

  Another building cleared—dust, broken chairs, a foul stench.

  Out back, three more monsters, half-hidden in weeds. Lux cut one down, a wolfman tackled another, and the third bolted. A quick throw—his knife spun and dropped it mid-stride.

  The sounds of the settlement shifted.

  The chaotic chittering grew into a steady rhythm—a beat, a chant.

  From the central square, a hunched figure emerged, draped in stitched hides and bones. Its beady eyes glowed, and a long, twisted horn-flute hung from its lips.

  Lux started forward—

  WHUMP!

  A blast of compressed air slammed into him, knocking him clean off his feet. He hit the dirt hard, breath torn from his chest, ears ringing as the shaman’s shrill, warbling notes echoed through the square.

  For a split second, the square faded away. The air blast wasn’t a spell anymore—it was a gunshot.

  Concrete. Dust. Shouts in English. A hot, tearing sting that never came this time.

  His hands swept his chest, ribs, side—no blood, no hole.

  The vision snapped away.

  The ramshackle square was back. The hunched goblin shaman still warbled into its horn-flute, rattling the air with its unnatural rhythm.

  Lux grit his teeth. “Not today…”

  He shot a look at the rabbit girl, who’d frozen mid-step.

  “You’re the fastest—go! Find Luna! Tell her we’ve got a new one to deal with!”

  She nodded once and bolted into the side street, vanishing in a blur.

  Lux tightened his grip on the short sword.

  The shaman’s chanting deepened, and goblins began to emerge from doorways and alley mouths, drawn by the sound.

  “Alright, ugly,” Lux muttered under his breath, stepping forward as the wolfmen moved to flank.

  “You just made this personal.”

  The drawn-out fight began.

  The shaman blew another note—an air blast slammed into a wolfman, sending him sprawling into a rotting cart. Two goblins pounced on him immediately, forcing Lux to lunge in and carve them down before they could finish him.

  Another note, higher pitched. The air shimmered around Lux’s legs—something clamped at his calves. Tangled roots? No—ropes conjured from nothing. He slashed himself free, but more goblins were closing, a half-circle of snarling teeth and rusted steel.

  The shaman kept backing toward the far side of the square, always just out of reach, its eyes fixed on Lux like it knew exactly who it had to break.

  Lux’s jaw clenched. Every time he cut one goblin down, two more darted in to take its place—shields of filthy flesh for their shaman.

  Another low, vibrating note from that cursed horn.

  An air blast slammed into his chest, shoving him back a step.

  He didn’t fall this time.

  “Oh… you’re dead.”

  His tone was cold now, his face twisting in a way even the wolfmen hadn’t seen before.

  The shaman’s yellow eyes widened a fraction—then narrowed.

  It barked something in its guttural tongue, and the goblins surged forward in a coordinated rush.

  Lux’s short sword blurred in his hand, carving through shoulders, necks, and wrists. A spray of dark blood painted the cobblestones, but the press didn’t ease.

  Another note—higher, sharper—caught him in the side. His teeth ground together as pain lanced through his ribs.

  “You want me down?!” he snarled, driving his blade into a goblin’s gut and shoving the corpse aside.

  “You’re gonna need more wind than that!”

  The shaman took a step back, then another, the horn pressed to its cracked lips. The next blast rattled the shutters on the buildings around them, the shockwave forcing Lux to drop to one knee. His ears rang.

  Something in him snapped.

  With a roar, he shoved himself upright and charged, plowing through the remaining goblins. The shaman’s eyes widened—it raised the horn for another spell, but Lux batted it aside with his forearm and slammed his shoulder into the creature, sending them both sprawling.

  The goblin screeched, scrambling backward on hands and feet, the horn clutched tight. It raised the instrument again—Lux kicked it from its hands, the thing skittering across the square.

  “Oh, we’re done playing music.”

  The shaman spat something defiant and reached for a dagger—Lux stomped on its wrist, wrenching the weapon free.

  The goblin started chanting, no horn now, but a raw voice—desperation in every syllable. The air between them shimmered again.

  Lux snarled, driving his blade down. The chanting stopped.

  For a moment, the only sound was his breathing—ragged, furious.

  Lux didn’t hesitate.

  One clean thrust through the throat silenced the shaman for good. Its eyes bulged, its clawed hands clutching at the wound as it gurgled and collapsed, the dark blood pooling under its chin.

  He yanked his blade free, flicking the gore aside.

  No more blasts. No more goblins.

  Lux spun on his heel, scanning the square.

  Two of the wolfmen were still on their feet, panting, weapons dripping green-black goblin ichor. The third was on one knee, clutching a bleeding gash along his upper arm but still gripping his spear tightthe forth was nurseing a cut cheek an the horned man ha only minor scrapes.

  “You five alive?” Lux called, striding over.

  The one kneeling bared his teeth in a grin despite the blood. “Aye. These pests hit harder than they look.”

  Lux crouched beside him, giving the wound a quick glance. “You’ll live. We’ll patch it once everyone’s inside.”

  The other two wolfmen were already sweeping the street for stragglers, their ears twitching at every faint sound. One of them jerked his chin toward the far alley.

  “That was the last of ‘em here. No movement now.”

  Lux let out a slow breath, his shoulders easing just a fraction. “Good. We regroup with Luna and get the rest of the settlement cleared before anything else comes crawling out of the woodwork.”