The cries grew louder.
Branches snapped.
Horses whinnied in panic.
Kael moved swiftly through the forest, weaving between trees without disturbing the undergrowth any more than necessary.
As he neared the source of the commotion, he slowed.
Grandpa Elias had taught him long ago.
"Never rush into something you don't understand."
"Observe first."
Kael climbed onto a thick tree branch overlooking a clearing.
Below him...
A merchant caravan had come to a complete stop.
Three wagons formed a rough circle.
Several guards stood in front of them, weapons drawn.
Two horses had broken free from their harnesses and were desperately trying to escape.
Standing opposite the guards was a beast nearly twice the size of a normal wolf.
Its fur was charcoal black.
Long scars crossed its muscular body.
Its amber eyes glowed with a predatory intelligence.
It paced slowly.
Watching.
Waiting.
One of the guards tightened his grip on his spear.
"D-don't let it get behind us!"
Another guard swallowed nervously.
"It's an Ironfang Wolf..."
"We're finished..."
A young merchant crouched behind a wagon, shielding a little girl no older than eight.
She buried her face against his chest, trembling.
The beast growled.
Low.
Deep.
Then...
It lunged.
---
"Shield!"
The caravan captain roared.
The guards reacted quickly.
Two raised wooden shields.
Another thrust his spear.
The wolf twisted midair.
The spear missed completely.
Its massive paw slammed into one of the shields.
Bang!
The guard tumbled backward, rolling across the ground.
Before anyone could recover—
The beast opened its jaws.
Its fangs flashed.
---
Kael sighed softly.
"...That should be enough observing."
He stepped off the branch.
His feet landed soundlessly on the forest floor.
Then he walked into the clearing.
No hurry.
No dramatic entrance.
Just an ordinary young man carrying a travel pack.
The guards stared.
"...A kid?"
"Where did he come from?"
The captain's face changed.
"Run!"
"This isn't your fight!"
Kael looked at the wolf.
Then at the frightened merchants.
Finally, he nodded politely.
"Good afternoon."
The captain blinked.
"...Good afternoon?"
The timing of the greeting completely confused him.
---
The Ironfang Wolf turned toward the newcomer.
Its ears flattened.
It growled louder than before.
To it...
Kael was simply another meal.
The beast charged.
The earth shook beneath its weight.
Several merchants closed their eyes.
They couldn't bear to watch.
---
Kael remained where he was.
Only when the beast entered arm's reach did he move.
One small step.
His body shifted slightly to the side.
The wolf flew past him.
As it passed...
Kael gently placed one palm against the side of its neck.
Not a strike.
Not even a shove.
Just a simple touch.
Using the beast's own momentum, he guided its charge toward the largest oak tree in the clearing.
The Ironfang Wolf tried to correct its course.
Too late.
BOOM!
The tree shuddered violently.
Leaves rained down from its branches.
The wolf collapsed onto the ground.
A few moments later...
It let out a dizzy groan.
Then...
It stopped moving altogether.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Even the birds seemed too stunned to sing.
---
Kael looked at the unconscious beast.
"...You hit that rather hard."
He walked over to it.
Knelt beside it.
After checking its breathing, he nodded.
"It'll wake up later."
The caravan guards looked at one another.
None of them knew what to say.
The caravan captain slowly approached.
"...Young man."
Kael stood.
"Yes?"
"...Did you..."
The captain pointed toward the unconscious wolf.
"...do that?"
Kael looked at the beast.
"It ran into the tree."
The captain stared.
"...It certainly did."
No one argued.
After all...
That was technically true.
---
A little girl cautiously peeked out from behind the wagon.
She stared at Kael with wide eyes.
"Mister..."
Kael looked toward her.
"Are you hurt?"
She shook her head.
Then pointed toward the wolf.
"Is... is it sleeping?"
Kael nodded.
"I think it has a headache."
The little girl giggled.
The tension in the clearing finally broke.
Several merchants laughed in relief.
---
The caravan captain bowed deeply.
"My name is Gareth."
"I lead this caravan."
"You've saved all our lives."
Kael quickly waved his hands.
"Oh..."
"It wasn't anything."
"It was something."
Gareth replied firmly.
"If you hadn't appeared..."
He glanced toward his injured guards.
"...we would've lost people today."
Kael scratched his cheek awkwardly.
He wasn't sure how to respond.
After a moment, he remembered the reason he had come down the mountain.
"Actually..."
Gareth smiled.
"Yes?"
"I wanted to ask something."
"Anything."
"Do you happen to know..."
Kael paused.
"...where Martial High is?"
The clearing became strangely quiet again.
One merchant blinked.
Another looked toward Gareth.
The little girl tilted her head.
"...That's what you wanted to ask?"
Kael nodded earnestly.
"My grandfather told me to go there."
Gareth suddenly laughed.
Not mockingly.
Heartily.
"So that's it!"
"You've never been down the mountain before, have you?"
Kael shook his head.
"No."
"I got lost almost immediately."
"You've been walking without knowing the direction?"
"...Yes."
"And the first thing you did after getting lost..."
"...was save a caravan?"
Kael thought about it.
"I suppose."
Gareth laughed even harder.
"I like you already."
---
One of the older merchants stepped forward.
His beard was streaked with gray, and his round belly strained against his travel clothes.
He looked Kael up and down before smiling kindly.
"Young man..."
"Martial High is a long way from here."
"It'll take weeks on foot."
Kael blinked.
"...Weeks?"
He had expected perhaps a day or two.
Not weeks.
The old merchant nodded.
"And fortunately for you..."
He pointed toward the wagons.
"We're heading toward Azure River City."
"From there..."
"You'll find plenty of people traveling to the Martial High Entrance Tournament."
Kael repeated the unfamiliar words.
"...Entrance Tournament?"
Gareth nodded.
"Every few years."
"Young martial artists from all over the continent gather to compete."
"The successful ones earn admission into Martial High."
Kael stood silently.
His grandfather had never mentioned a tournament.
Or perhaps...
He simply hadn't had the chance.
Gareth folded his arms.
"If you don't mind traveling with merchants who complain too much..."
He glanced teasingly at the gray-bearded man.
"...you're welcome to join us."
The old merchant snorted.
"I only complain when people deserve it."
"You complain when it rains."
"I dislike wet socks."
Several merchants laughed.
Kael looked from one smiling face to another.
Then bowed politely.
"If it isn't too much trouble..."
"I'd like to travel with you."
Gareth extended his hand.
"Welcome aboard."
Kael looked at the offered hand for a moment before carefully shaking it.
He had never greeted someone that way before.
"...Did I do it correctly?"
Gareth blinked.
Then smiled.
"You'll fit in just fine."
As the caravan prepared to continue its journey, none of them realized that the quiet mountain boy walking beside them would soon become someone none of them would ever forget.
But for now...
He was simply Kael.
A polite traveler trying to find the road to Martial High.
End of Chapter 6