The sky was only just beginning to shift to a pale blue-gray when Hatsune nudged Klarion awake. His eyes opened slowly, the stiffness in his neck reminding him he’d slept in full armor. Not the most comfortable decision—but he had decided it was probably the smarter choice. Out here, with only Hatsune beside him and no idea what else might be stalking the edge of the Savage Wilds, he would rather wake sore and ready for a fight than wake unarmored and vulnerable.

  Hatsune crouched beside him, ears still turned to the entrance of the tent, her voice soft. “Your turn.”

  Klarion nodded, sitting up with a groan, hand already reaching to take the hilt of the greatsword he had laid at his side. The cold of the night clung to him as he stood and adjusted his cloak. Hatsune didn’t say anything else and simply stepped toward her bedroll. She was asleep in seconds, even though she, too, chose to keep her armor on and sword within reach. He spent a moment longer looking at her, curled under her cloak, her breath already deep and even.

  He stepped outside the tent, going over to the spot that Hatsune had been keeping watch from earlier. It was a good position, slightly covered from the view of the road, and near enough to the tent if he needed to rush to Hatsune in the event of an attack. Not that that seemed likely, what with the peaceful breeze and crickets playing their songs. Klarion stood alone for a long while, letting his eyes adjust to the murky edges of twilight. Thankfully, without a fire to ruin his night vision, it didn’t take him too long to adjust.

  Feeling himself start to drift, he paced slowly around the camp, every few minutes adjusting position to resist the urge to sit down. If he did so, he worried that he would fall back asleep. A few times, he paused to listen—ears straining against the sound of wind through the nearby fields, the occasional chirp of a nightbird, or the rustle of some distant, unseen animal.

  Nothing approached, thankfully. Still, Klarion kept his greatsword within easy reach, a hand never straying far from its hilt. The night might have been peaceful, but he’d learned by now that peace didn’t mean safety. By the time dawn finally began to break in earnest, golden light bleeding across the horizon, Klarion’s limbs ached and his shoulders had stiffened. He didn’t mind. At least they’d made it through the night without incident.

  Taking one more look at the road to make sure no one was traveling along it this early, he stepped back into the tent and gently knelt beside Hatsune. A small sound escaped her lips as he came close, and Klarion paused. He hated to wake her; she looked so at ease, so far removed from the relentless pressure they had both been struggling with back at the Academy. But the sun was coming up and they couldn’t afford to waste any time.

  “Hatsune,” he said softly. “Sun’s up.”

  Her eyes blinked open at once—no groggy haze, no confusion. She was alert in an instant, trained reflexes evident even now. She sat up with a quiet stretch, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face.

  “Nothing?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” Klarion confirmed. “The rest of the night was quiet.”

  She nodded once as she stood, already moving to pack their things away. “Good.”

  They didn’t linger long. Klarion initially struggled to collapse the tent, but with Hatsune’s help, they were able to make quick work of it. After a brief meal of dry rations, they pulled on their packs and made sure they hadn’t forgotten anything before heading off. Klarion took one last glance around the clearing before they moved on, brushing away the signs of their presence. No sense leaving an easy trail, even if he expected there would be no pursuit of them outside Bastion after they had lost whomever had been following them yesterday.

  They started off slow, then gradually picked up their pace. Hatsune didn’t say much, though whether that was from being tired still or simply paying more attention to their surroundings, Klarion couldn’t tell. Honestly, he didn’t mind. The walk was peaceful and he just enjoyed her company.

  Morning gradually gave way to afternoon, and the road Klarion and Hatsune followed had narrowed into a simple dirt track, flanked on both sides by swaying crops and wooden fences. Knowing they were heading the right way, they followed the track for a while, eventually finding the site of the first Expeditionary Mission he had accepted.

  Ahead, rising from the flat land like a sturdy sentinel of labor and tradition, was a large farmhouse of rough timber and red-painted shutters. Its roof sagged slightly with age, but the structure stood proud nonetheless, nestled near a wide, open pasture.

  In that pasture were a dozen or more shaggy-looking cows—though Klarion hesitated to call them cows exactly. Their bodies were broad and low-slung, their coats thick and blue as a winter sky. Curved horns peeked through tufts of fur, and their eyes, placid and dark, blinked slowly as they watched the approaching visitors to the farm.

  Pulling his attention from the strange cow-like creatures, he stared at the large wooden barn beside the house, its design shockingly familiar. Klarion found himself slowing, eyes lingering on the weathered planks and wide sliding doors. It shared a lot of similarities with the barns he'd seen growing up back on Earth.

  He gave a low chuckle, more to himself than anything.

  Hatsune glanced from Klarion to the barn and back, then arched an eyebrow. “Something funny?”

  Klarion shook his head. “Just… funny how some things are the same no matter where you go. Different world, same barns, same smell of manure in the air.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I could do without the last part.”

  As they reached the fence line that separated the open field from the main yard, Klarion looked around, hoping to find someone to talk with about the Expeditionary Mission. There should have been at least a few people up and about, given the size of the farmhouse. The afternoon sun was already high in the sky, casting golden light over the wide, gently rolling pastures and the rough wooden fencing that framed them. As they came closer, he could hear the low grunts and snorts of the shaggy blue-furred cows.

  From behind one of the fence posts, a small head popped up—no more than a flash of motion at first, but Klarion immediately glanced in that direction. Straw-blond hair, freckled cheeks, and eyes as wide as saucers. A human boy. He looked to be around eight or nine years old, and the moment his eyes met Klarion’s armored frame and the steel hilt at his back, the child froze.

  For a heartbeat, they stared at each other—just long enough for Klarion to register the boy’s startled expression.

  Then the boy spun on his heel and bolted, bare feet kicking up small clouds of dust as he sprinted in full panic toward the farmhouse while shouting incoherently.

  Klarion’s stride slowed and he motioned for Hatsune to do the same as he watched him go. He couldn’t blame the boy. He and Hatsune must’ve looked like something out of a bad dream to a child that age—two strangers clad in armor, armed to the teeth, striding in his direction without saying a word. Hatsune, with her long, silver-gray hair and Leporine ears, moved with the quiet grace of a predator. Klarion knew he himself cut a tall, broad figure, his cloak trailing behind him like a shadow and his sword glinting in the sun. And that didn’t even take into account the scars the boy would have seen had he been closer. No, to the boy, they must’ve looked less like travelers and more like mercenaries… or worse, bandits.

  Klarion muttered, “Well, that went well.”

  Hatsune raised an eyebrow, though she didn’t take her attention from the farmhouse the boy had disappeared into. “Children can be good judges of danger.”

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  “That doesn’t make me feel better,” Klarion muttered under his breath.

  Still, the moment served as a reminder. Outside the Academy walls, he wasn’t just a student or a noble’s son preparing for service to the Empire. Out here, people didn’t see titles—they saw weapons and armor and didn’t wait to ask questions. He’d need to be mindful of how he carried himself. Especially when walking onto someone else’s property.

  By the time they approached the house proper, the boy had already vanished inside. Moments later, the front door creaked open and out stepped a man with shoulders like an ox and a square jaw dusted with graying stubble. He wore a sleeveless tunic smeared with dirt and grease, and one gloved hand held a rusted but well-used pitchfork. His expression was hard and cautious, eyes flicking from Hatsune to Klarion with all the wariness of a man used to fending for his own.

  “What business brings you to my farm?” he called, voice low and firm.

  Klarion stepped forward, lifting one hand in a casual wave. “We’re here about the Blaze Lion.”

  That made the man slow. He eyed Klarion more closely, then looked to Hatsune, his gaze lingering for just a moment longer on her before he shifted back.

  “You’re from the Academy?”

  Klarion nodded. “That’s right.”

  The man—clearly the boy’s father, judging by the resemblance—grunted and rubbed at his chin. “You’re here to deal with the thing that’s been breaking into my pens and snatching cattle?”

  Klarion nodded once again. “That’s the idea.”

  There was a pause. The farmer's eyes narrowed slightly, as if measuring them both. “Haven’t seen your kind down this way in a while. Thought they'd send a group, maybe a hunter at least, not two kids looking to play soldier for the first time.”

  Hatsune crossed her arms but said nothing. Klarion kept his tone even, though inside he was a bit irritated at being dismissed out of hand. “We can handle it. You’ll have no more missing livestock by tomorrow.”

  The farmer didn’t look convinced, though his shoulders loosened a bit. “You’re not the first to say that. Hired a couple of sellswords to try their luck two weeks ago. One of them came back bloody, the other didn’t come back at all.”

  “We’re not sellswords,” Klarion said calmly.

  The man grunted. “No, I guess not. You look too clean.”

  That earned a quiet snort from Hatsune.

  “Name’s Donovan,” the farmer finally said, stepping closer and unhooking the gate latch that Klarion and Hatsune still stood on the other side of. “And if you’re really here to take care of the Blaze Lion, then you’re damn well welcome on my land.”

  “Klarion,” he said, stepping forward and introducing himself, then motioned to his bodyguard. “This is Hatsune.”

  Donovan gave a polite nod to them both but then frowned again as he opened the gate wide for them to pass through. “I’m guessing you’re here on behalf of some scion? One of the noble brats trying to reap the rewards of having his servants kill a Blaze Lion?”

  Klarion glanced briefly at Hatsune, who raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

  “That’s right,” Klarion said, choosing not to correct him.

  “Figures,” Donovan muttered, stepping aside. “Well, whoever your patron is, I hope they’re paying you well. That Blaze Lion’s been a right bastard. Comes in late at night, jumps the fence like it’s nothing, tears one of my cows to pieces, and vanishes before anyone knows it’s there. I’ve hired guards, rigged traps, even left out poisoned meat. Nothing works. Damn beast’s too clever.”

  Klarion followed the man as he walked them past the barn and toward the fields beyond, Hatsune coming behind them both. “How often does it come?”

  “Every third or fourth night. Last night was quiet, which means we’re due,” Donovan said grimly. “You planning to track it?”

  “Tonight, we’ll wait for it,” Klarion said shaking his head. “If it shows, we’ll end it. If it doesn’t, we’ll see about how to track it down.”

  Donovan shot him another sidelong look, still skeptical but not as openly dismissive as before. The farmer could now see the scars that traced up and down his face and hands. “You really think the two of you can take it down?”

  Klarion’s voice was firm. “Yes.”

  There was a long pause. Then, at last, Donovan nodded, choosing to take Klarion at his word. “Alright then. You’ll have a place to rest in the barn. And supper, if you’re willing to eat what the rest of us do.”

  Hatsune perked up at that. “As long as it’s not more rations, I’m in.”

  Donovan gave a short laugh, the first warm sound he’d made. “Aye, well. We’ve got stew tonight. Made with beef from before my animals started vanishing.”

  Excusing himself, Donovan went back inside to set his son back to work. Not having anything to do for the moment, Klarion and Hatsune made their way over to the barn. The shaggy blue-furred cattle grazed lazily, but while the animals appeared calm, the farm itself bore scars of the recent violence.

  The pens were bordered by sturdy wooden fencing—well-constructed, likely by Donovan himself—but there were clear signs of wear and stress that betrayed recent repairs. Some boards looked newer than others, their fresh wood lighter in color and still unweathered by sun or rain. Nails gleamed where they’d been hammered in hastily, and a few posts leaned slightly, as if they had been reinforced in a rush.

  Klarion slowed his walk over to the barn, stepping closer to the fence. Deep claw marks had been gouged into several beams—long, raking streaks that split the wood and suggested a creature with immense strength and size. Some of the marks were old and weathered, while others were disturbingly fresh, the wood beneath still raw and splintered. Black marks singed all of the cuts, like a flaming brand had been rubbed against the grooves cut into the wood.

  Looking down beneath a particularly damaged beam, Klarion saw scorched patches of earth had scarred the ground near the corners of the fencing, the grass burned away in blackened circles where flame had kissed the soil. The smell of char lingered faintly, especially where the damage was more recent. But what he didn’t see were any tracks. Donovan had probably covered them up.

  The wooden doors of the barn creaked slightly as Klarion pushed one open to let them inside. The scent of hay and old leather filled the air. Sunlight spilled in through the gaps in the walls and roof, casting long beams across the interior. Like he had expected from seeing it outside, the barn was simple—functional, not fancy—but well-kept. Large piles of hay were stacked along the edges, and old tools hung from pegs on the wall: rusted shears, harnesses, a rake with one bent tine. A sturdy ladder rose toward the loft above.

  His boots crunched against stray bits of straw as he moved to one of the walls and leaned against it, arms crossed. He looked over the structure, mentally noting the exits, the vantage points, the weak spots. While he had faith in his stats, and having Hatsune’s support, if the Blaze Lion proved to be more than they could handle, they’d need a fallback position. But part of him hoped they wouldn’t need the barn for that.

  While Hatsune did her own inspection, his thoughts turned inward. Beyond the heart of a Blaze Lion needed to unlock his class, he hoped fighting the creature would provide the extra push needed to unlock the Essence of Fire.

  Klarion returned his attention to Hatsune as he watched the Leporine begin to climb the ladder, her silver-gray hair cascading over her shoulders like a flowing banner, catching the light with each subtle movement. He couldn't help but appreciate the view from below, his eyes naturally drawn to the way her form moved with fluid grace. Her toned legs flexed as she ascended, and the curve of her waist and the firm, sculpted line of her backside caught his attention, a momentary distraction that seized his attention. He felt his body become heated as he stared at her from below.

  When she glanced down at him, her eyes meeting his own, Klarion realized he had a smile on his face.

  “You coming?” she asked, her tone still sharp, but with an undercurrent of curiosity.

  Klarion tilted his head, feigning deep thought for a moment even as he made up his mind. “I was considering staying down here,” he replied, his voice teasing, “The view is better from this angle.”

  Hatsune’s eyes widened, and a blush crept up her cheeks, the faintest hint of embarrassment flashing across her face. She quickly turned her head, muttering under her breath. “Shut up, Klarion. Get up here already.”

  Klarion chuckled, clearly enjoying the effect his teasing had on her, but after a beat, he did make his way over to the ladder. “Alright, alright. I’ll come up. But I’d be lying if I said the view wasn’t tempting.”

  She chose not to respond to his comment, but Klarion could tell that it had landed with how tightly she had gripped the ladder after he said it. Once she was in the loft, he began his climb, each rung of the ladder groaning softly beneath the weight of his armor. When he reached the loft, he found it surprisingly spacious—at least enough for the two of them to lay out bedrolls and prepare their gear. Not ideal, but it would do.

  Klarion dropped his pack near the wall and unbuckled the top straps of his armor, letting it loosen just enough to breathe without fully removing it.

  Hatsune leaned against a support beam and eyed him. “You didn’t tell the farmer you’re the scion.”

  Klarion shrugged, not surprised that she had turned the conversation away from his teasing. “Didn’t seem necessary.”

  “He’s going to find out eventually.”

  “Probably. But not for a while, hopefully.”

  She gave a small grunt of acknowledgment, then moved to set up her bedroll to sit on. “You think it’ll come tonight?”

  “From what Donovan said, it’s due,” he said, stretching out his shoulders and neck. “Hopefully it won’t be too late, and we’ll have a bit of light for the fight.”

  He turned his attention back to her, watching as she unrolled her bedroll. Something about the way she moved, so confident and sure of herself, made him feel a sense of calm, despite the upcoming fight. They had faced worse together before. One Blaze Lion shouldn’t be a problem.

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