Night had taken over Mibu's broken remains, yet sounds from the fight hung around like thick fumes. Screams, metal hitting metal, gasps cut short - all stayed present once quiet fell. Not calm quiet, mind you. More like a hush that weighed on your chest, tense and alert. Almost as if those killed were perched above, watching from roof edges, fixed on the pair left standing.
The stranger moved back from the corpses, brushing gore from his cuff like it was dust. Yet the kid - Tari - just gaped, pupils blown, face pale for someone so young who'd lived through hell. Breath came fast, fingers clenched on splintered wood, gripping that cracked flute like it alone stopped him crumbling into pieces.
The wanderer kept his eyes away - just for now. Instead, he scanned what was around: quiet trails, smashed shelters, a soft snap from flames fading out. A slow breath pulled into his lungs.
"Hmmm," he murmured. "Death is still walking around here."
Tari swallowed hard. "Th… they're gone, right?"
"A few," said the traveler. But some folks keep their eyes open
Tari's head jerked upright. "You saw that?"
The traveler put one finger up to his mouth.
"Quiet. If you want to live long in this Kyoden of today, you must learn to make silence your friend."
His voice had a heaviness - Tari snapped his mouth closed right away.
The traveler crept farther into the settlement, moving at a steady pace while tuning in to the sounds around him. Behind him came the kid - way too near - copying each step exactly like he couldn't touch anything beyond that path or get burned.
The wanderer stopped.
"You don't have to follow me that tight," he said without turning. "It's annoying."
Tari hesitated. "But… what if they come back?"
The guy shifted a little - his hat's edge covered much of his features, yet let through a single sharp gaze, one that knew death far better than dawn.
"If they come back, staying close to me won't save you," he said. "Use your head. Not fear."
Tari swallowed hard. "My bad."
The traveler turned ahead once more. "Alright."
They headed to the edge of the village, where woods got denser and shade stretched longer. At a tiny rock-cut well, the pail lay flipped, liquid spilled out wide. Dropping down near it, he stuck his palm into the wetness then flung chilled drops up onto his skin.
Blood ran down his chin, then splashed into the soil.
Tari hugged himself. "Why did they come after me? Why Mibu?"
The traveler stayed quiet at first. Then he wiped his palms, deliberate-like, kind of how someone might move when they've repeated something endlessly.
Finally, he said, "The Red Scorpion Clan doesn't attack for fun. They hunt with purpose."
Tari looked down, expression tightening.
"I don't have any purpose."
"Hmm." The traveler took a quick look. Yet he said, "You're making that up."
Tari's shoulders stiffened.
"Why are they looking for you?" the wanderer pressed.
The kid nibbled on his lip. "Uh... I can't..."
"Hmm," the wanderer grunted again. "You talk too much and say nothing."
He stood up.
"I won't ask again. If you want to survive, talk."
Tari's eyes watered. His voice trembled. "I… I don't know everything. My uncle… he said I must never talk about it."
"And now your uncle is dead."
Tari jerked back. Her eyes watered - yet nothing spilled out.
The traveler breathed out deep inside. Kids plus crying - he always dreaded this bit. "Hey, hold on to it. Once you wanna share, just say."
He grabbed the fabric near his blade, pulling the tie tight. Quick motions, clean cuts, every move locked down - like someone holding back from going further.
Tari watched him closely. "Why didn't you use your sword?"
The traveler stopped suddenly. Then the wind changed direction.
"That weapon…" Tari continued, "you didn't even touch it tonight."
The wanderer's jaw flexed. "That's not a question you should ask."
"But--"
"Boy," the wanderer said sharply, "in this life, learn to leave sleeping lions alone. That sword has slept for a long time, and I prefer it that way."
Tari bobbed her head fast - dread creeping back in.
The traveler moved off from the old well, making for the trail into the woods. "Time to move."
"Where are we going?" Tari rushed behind him.
"Away from here."
"But--my uncle's body--"
"There are too many dead to count tonight," the wanderer said without slowing. "If you stay here, you'll join them by morning."
Tari blinked rapidly. "What about you? Why are you even helping me?"
The wanderer chuckled softly -- a humorless sound. "I'm not helping you. I'm helping myself. Those Scorpion dogs will come back. They saw me. They'll hunt me too now."
"So… you're protecting me because you don't want trouble?"
"No."
"Then why?"
The wanderer stopped.
Turned.
Facing the kid straight on now, after everything that went down.
His face didn't show what he felt.
"I killed their men," he said. "So, they will chase me until their pride is satisfied."
His voice lowered.
"And you… you will bring more trouble than I need. Until I know what you are carrying, I'm not letting you out of my sight."
Tari swallowed. "So… I'm a burden."
"Exactly."
"But you're still taking me with you?"
"For now."
Tari blinked. "Why?"
The traveler gave a light knock on his ribs.
"Because my spirit is restless. And when a man like me feels something wrong in his bones, he follows it."
He turned again.
"Let's go before the night swallows us."
---
They stepped into the woods, with bugs buzzing close by. Light from the moon cut through the trees in jagged flashes. She tripped two times; even so, the traveler kept moving without turning.
He was listening.
Watching.
Thinking.
Later on, Tari spoke up - "Hey?"
"Talk."
"What do I call you?"
The traveler let out a scoff. "Just don't call me anything."
"I have to call you something."
"No, you don't."
"Should I call you… Uncle?"
The guy froze on the spot.
Tari stopped still right there, just behind his back.
Slowly, the wanderer turned his head with the kind of expression that could silence a marketplace. "If you call me 'Uncle' again, I will leave you here for the forest spirits to adopt."
"Sorry!" Tari squeaked.
They continued walking.
After a while, the traveler muttered, "Some folks refer to me as Okuta."
Tari's eyes brightened. "Okuta? So that means - "
"Don't give it meaning," Okuta cut him off. "It's just a name someone gave me when I needed one."
"So it's not your real name?"
"No."
"Then what's your real---"
"Ask that again and I'll sew your mouth shut."
Tari shut his mouth right away.
Silence returned.
Yet this quiet felt different - softer somehow, as if the woods finally stopped watching them. Instead, it settled around like an old coat.
Okuta suddenly stiffened.
He raised his arm.
Tari froze.
A soft shuffle. Then a creak. Or maybe metal sliding slow.
Okuta's voice fell quiet, barely more than a murmur.
"They found us."
Tari gasped. "B-but... how?"
"You talk too loud," Okuta replied calmly. "And fear has a smell. Warriors can sense it."
Flickering torchlight danced through the woods.
Shadows moved.
Okuta moved a bit in front of Tari.
"Stay behind me," he murmured. "And whatever happens, don't run."
Tari nodded, trembling.
The first Scorpion fighter moved ahead, smirking. "Guess this is where you rodents were hiding."
Okuta cracked his neck. "I knew this night was too peaceful."
The soldier raised his sword. "Give us the boy and die quickly."
Okuta raised a single brow. "Actually, I'd go for the reverse."
"What?"
"You die quickly."
The soldier lunged.
Okuta didn't move.
His hand stayed close to the cloth-covered blade - no contact, no pull - but when the soldier got within range, Okuta moved like smoke. A quick stab of his fingers hit the guy's neck just right.
The soldier fell down quiet - no noise at all.
Okuta let out a quiet breath. "One."
Fresh troops showed up, their swords glinting under the pale light of the night sky.
Tari whimpered.
Okuta whispered, his tone getting quieter.
"Tonight is long," he said. "If trouble wants to dance, let it bring drum and flute."
He stepped forward.
The woods burst with chaos.