The carriage lurched forward, the sound of the wheels rolling over rough terrain filling the silence as the group continued their journey deeper into the unknown. The morning fog hung thick in the air, wrapping the landscape in a cold, gray shroud. Jack sat in the back of the carriage, his gaze distant, his thoughts still swirling with the weight of everything he had learned.
Ein was beside him, her head resting gently on his shoulder, her presence a calming balm in the chaos of his mind. For a moment, Jack allowed himself to relax, his fingers lightly brushing against her hand. Despite everything that had happened, despite the darkness creeping closer every day, there was still a quiet peace in this moment, as if the world had paused just for them.
Talon and Monte sat up front, with Monte at the reins. Jack could hear their murmured conversation, the occasional laugh from Monte breaking the tense quiet. Talon's sharp tone and Monte's slurred responses had become a familiar sound over the last few days, but there was something comforting in their banter. They were all in this together, and that shared bond, however shaky, was something Jack found himself clinging to.
The sun began to break through the clouds as they traveled, casting pale light over the sprawling wilderness around them. The dense forest, once alive with color, now felt oppressive, as though it were closing in on them. Every rustle in the bushes, every snap of a twig, had Jack's hand twitching toward his sidearm. The threat of danger was always present, lurking just beyond the edge of sight.
"We should be there by nightfall," Talon called back to the group, his voice low but steady.
Monte grunted from the front, steering the carriage with a surprisingly steady hand despite his evident inebriation. "Yeah, if we don't hit any more goddamn rocks."
Jack nodded, though he had little idea where "there" actually was. He hadn't asked many questions about the faction—they'd told him only as much as they needed to. They were all moving on instinct now, trusting that wherever they were headed would offer the answers they desperately needed.
As the day wore on, Jack's mind kept returning to his earlier conversation with Ein. The raw emotion in her words had struck him harder than he'd expected. He had never realized just how much his distance had hurt her, how deeply she had longed for him even after all this time. And yet, despite the pain in her eyes, there had been no anger in her words—just a quiet plea for him to see her, to acknowledge the bond they shared.
He could still feel the weight of her body in his arms, the softness of her touch when she'd held his face, the intensity in her gaze. It stirred something deep within him, a feeling he hadn't allowed himself to fully embrace. He was terrified of losing her, terrified of what might happen if he allowed himself to fall in love. But when he had seen the fire in her eyes—the same fire he had once known so well in his comrades—it reminded him that maybe he didn't have to be afraid anymore.
Ein shifted beside him, drawing him from his thoughts. Her fingers brushed lightly over his, a silent request for his attention. He looked down at her, and for a moment, the rest of the world seemed to fade away.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the carriage. "I shouldn't have pushed you like that. I know you've been carrying a lot of pain."
Jack shook his head, his thumb gently tracing the back of her hand. "No, Ein. You were right. I've been shutting myself off from you… from all of it. I'm just scared of losing anyone again."
Her eyes softened, and she gave a small, understanding nod. "I won't let you lose me, Jack. I'll fight for us, for you, for whatever comes next. But you have to let me in. You have to let me help you carry the weight."
The sincerity in her voice made his chest tighten. He couldn't argue with that. He couldn't keep pushing her away, not when she was the one person in this broken world who truly understood him.
He took a deep breath, "I'll try."
A small smile tugged at the corner of Ein's lips. "That's all I need."
The rest of the ride passed in silence, the only sound the occasional crackle of the carriage wheels over the dirt road. As nightfall approached, the trees grew thicker, the shadows deeper, until they found themselves surrounded by a dense, quiet forest. Monte slowed the carriage, his eyes scanning the darkened path ahead.
"We're close," Talon said, his voice sharper now, as if he could sense the change in the atmosphere. "Stay alert."
The group disembarked when the carriage came to a stop, the weight of the journey settling heavily on their shoulders. The air felt thicker here, colder, and Jack couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. His instincts screamed at him to be ready.
Monte stumbled slightly as he got out of the carriage, still a little unsteady from his earlier drinking, but the determination in his eyes was unmistakable. "This is it," he muttered, looking around at the darkened woods. "We've made it."
The group moved cautiously, their steps deliberate, the crackle of the fire from their camp behind them the only sound breaking the stillness of the night. Jack shouldered his M4 Carbine as he followed Talon aiming down his sights as he looked around. Talon, who led them deeper into the trees, toward a hidden path known only to those who had been involved in the rebellion.
As they walked, Jack couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, a nagging sense of unease creeping through his body. His mind raced, trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle. The government. The prophecy. This faction. Who could they trust? What were they truly walking into?
And then, through the darkness, Jack heard a sound—an almost imperceptible rustle in the trees, followed by a low, guttural growl. His eyes flicked to Ein, who had already drawn her blade, ready for anything. Talon and Monte seemed equally alert, their movements quiet but deliberate. They were being watched.
The tension in the air was thick, the silence oppressive. Jack knew this was the moment that everything could change. Whatever they were walking toward—whatever this faction held—it was bound to be a turning point in their journey.
They stopped. The forest stood still, waiting.
And then, from the shadows, a figure emerged.
First, it was a lone goblin. But one by one more and more goblins emerged from behind the trees. They were countless, more just kept emerging. Jack remembered the goblins that killed Ein's abusive husband when they first met. That seemed so long ago. Jack put his M4 Carbine down, he knew he didn't have enough ammunition for all of them and he wanted to save as much as he could for emergencies.
Talon stepped in front of the group, his shield raised high. He slammed the back of the pommel against the shield three times and let out a roar. Taunting the goblins, they began to run toward Talon. Talon stood his ground defensively, blocking the goblins and his armor stopping most of their attacks. As they would attack him, Talon would take swings with his sword killing three or four at a time. Talon was the definition of a tank.
Ein ran forward, flipping and somersaulting, slicing the goblins with such speed they couldn't keep up with her. Ein would twirl and accurately slice the throat of two or three goblins at once, somersault into the air and slice the throats of a few more. Jack was proud of his student and how much she had improved in their time together.
Monte had his staff in hand and his eyes close, talking soundlessly. Jack watched him closely, to Jack it seemed like Monte was doing nothing but then he saw it. A giant fireball forming above the goblins backline. Monte quickly finished his incantation and dropped the large smoldering ball of fire onto the goblins head burning and killing about twenty of them at once.
'Maybe this old drunk is more useful then I imagined' thought Jack.
The air began to take on the stench of burnt flesh and blood, Jack recognized this smell all too well. He drew his combat knife and stormed the like with Ein, Jack had less finesse then Ein but much more brute force. Once Jack reached the line he charged through multiple goblins, Jack had enough strength to grand and toss the goblins like rag dolls. Stabbing and punching and kicking Jack was mowing down goblins like a rabid animal. Jack was in his element. He loved the action the adrenaline. Killing was the one thing he was best at, as he tore the goblins limbs off with his pure brute strength, blood splattered all over his face and body he couldn't help but be happy in this moment. Jack knew he had a screw loose but he didn't care, he used his skills for good. His love for combat.
The number of goblins were dwindling, it was clear that the fight was almost over. But at that moment there was a high pitched sound coming from the trees. A bright green glow encompassed the forest around them and all the goblins that Jack's team had slain were all getting back up in one piece. Not only were they getting up but more were emerging from the trees.
"What the hell was that?" Jack asked angrily as he watched all their hard work amount to nothing.
"They must have some type of necromancer or maybe even multiple in the forest. I think something is spawning these goblins. I don't know how much longer I can last" Talon responded between heavy breaths.
He was getting tired and so was Monte. Ein looked like she could keep going easily, Jack was glad she took her conditioning seriously, she had plenty of endurance and stamina to last in a long battle if need be. But Jack knew that if this wasn't finished soon, eventually they would get tired as well. This was a battle of attrition and if something wasn't done, they would lose.
Jack ran back for his M4 Carbine, "I'm going to run into the woods and take out the ones casting spells! You all just do your best to keep fighting and stay alive! Please. Talon, you continue to block and taunt, bring the enemy to you. Ein, assist Talon by keeping them off his ankles, kill them as they get close to him. Monte, keep creating those fireballs as best you can to take out their backline, aim for the goblins with the arrows first. It only takes one lucky shot to end a life so make sure they can't take any shots. Once I've dealt with the ones reviving and spawning these guys I will come back to help clean up."
They all nodded to Jack in confirmation and determination, none of them planned on dying here. Everyone got into formation according to Jack's orders and did exactly as he said. This helped them conserve their energy over time so that Jack can stop them from coming back.
Jack ran into the woods, his rifle shouldered and aiming down his sights, looking all around for anyone that could be using magic. He knew time was of the essence and he needed to kill whatever was bringing them quick or else they will all die.