The coastal forest smelled of salt water and pine needles.
Kai rode his black horse at a steady pace along the winding dirt path.
Eliza wrapped her arms comfortably around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder.
The afternoon sun filtered through the green canopy above them to cast shadows across the road.
A loud crash broke the quiet peace of the woods.
The frantic screaming of panicked horses echoed through the trees.
'That sounds like a lot of trouble,' Kai thought to himself, pulling the leather reins to turn his horse toward the sudden noise.
'And trouble usually means easy experience points.'
They burst through the dense tree line and found a wooden merchant wagon tipped onto its side.
Three large wolves with glowing purple eyes and rotting grey fur snapped their bloody jaws at a woman hiding behind a broken wooden wheel.
"Stay on the horse," Kai told Eliza over his shoulder.
He dropped to the dirt road and drew his blessed dagger from his belt.
