I am Just an Average Tamer

As they stepped into the clearing.

Whoosh!

An arrow whizzed past Raven's shoulder.

She gasped, instinctively ducking.

Theron yanked out his blade, back to back with his sister.

"Who's there?"

Kai didn't even flinch.

He rolled his shoulders and clicked his tongue. "Took them long enough."

From the trees, figures emerged—some dropping from branches, others stepping out with rusted swords and cudgels.

Ten. No.

Sixteen in total.

A tall, grimy man sneered, stepping forward. "Hand over the girl and your beasts, and we might let you crawl away."

Kai chuckled, low and sharp. "Bad move."

Before anyone could blink-

Whoosh!

He vanished into the shadows.

The clearing exploded into chaos.

"AAAH!"

One of the thugs screamed as Vael swooped down like a silent storm, claws raking across his face.

Vex lunged out of nowhere, fangs sinking into another's leg and dragging him screaming into the thicket.

Raven and Theron moved like sparks and flames, back-to-back.

Raven raised her hand, a sharp snap of lightning cracking out and lashing across a thug's chest.

Theron let out a roar, flames dancing around his blade as he clashed with two foes at once.

"Kai—where—?!" Raven shouted, ducking under a swing.

"Focus!" Theron barked, launching a fireball at a charging thug.

From the shadows, Kai struck silently.

One by one, he took them apart.

A slash across the neck here.

A dagger hurled to the back there. Every movement was calculated—every kill silent and precise.

To the attackers, it felt like death had taken a human form.

Vael screeched again, wind blades slashing through the air, disorienting two foes enough for Raven to send a crackling bolt between them.

Three remained.

One tried to flee—only to be pounced on by Vex, dragged back into the undergrowth.

The last two stood frozen, weapons trembling.

Then Kai stepped out from the shadows behind them, blades dripping with blood.

"Boo."

They barely screamed before he cut them down.

Silence fell.

The forest, save for the panting of the trio and the low growl of Vex, returned to calm.

Raven glanced around, wide-eyed. "That… that was a trap."

Kai casually wiped his blade on a dead thug's cloak. "Yeah."

"You knew?" Theron barked. "You knew and didn't say anything!?"

Kai shrugged. "Would've ruined the surprise."

Raven's hands trembled slightly as she let the last crackles of lightning fade from her fingertips.

She turned toward Kai, disbelief flickering in her eyes.

"You let us walk right into that."

Kai crouched beside a corpse, rummaging through the thug's pouch for anything useful.

"And you walked out just fine." He glanced up, flashing a grin.

"Call it a trust-building exercise."

Theron stomped toward him, face flushed with frustration. "You could've gotten us killed."

Kai stood, his casual smirk unwavering.

"If I thought either of you would die, I would've ended them before they even reached the clearing."

He flicked blood off his dagger and sheathed it.

"But I needed to see what you two could do when it's real."

Raven's brow furrowed. "So this was… a test?"

"A test, a clean-up, and a good way to stretch my legs," Kai replied. "Take your pick."

Vex padded over to him. Vael soared once before landing on a low branch nearby, surveying the scene with unblinking eyes.

Theron crossed his arms. "Next time, give us a damn warning."

Kai shrugged, turning his back to them. "Next time, trust your instincts."

Raven looked over the fallen enemies, her voice quieter now. "Do you think… someone sent them?"

Kai paused. "Probably. Could've been mercenaries, or bandits just greedy for coin and beasts."

Raven's expression darkened.

Theron's jaw tightened. "We've been careful. Covered our tracks."

Kai gave them a meaningful look. "Careful… isn't always enough."

He began collecting the essence cores of the fallen, slipping them into his storage bracelet with practiced ease.

Raven watched him in silence, then crouched near one of the corpses and muttered, "They didn't carry any insignia."

"They wouldn't. Professionals rarely do." Kai stood up, dusting off his hands. "But their technique was sloppy. Probably low-ranked mercs. Nothing above C-rank."

Theron looked toward the thick woods. "Should we move?"

Kai nodded. "Yeah. We can't stay here long. Someone knew our route."

He glanced at Raven. "You still got energy left in you?"

She nodded, determined. "Yeah."

"Good. There's a river a few klicks east. We'll set up camp there for now. I'll throw a barrier once we're settled."

As they moved, Raven glanced sideways at Kai. "You weren't worried at all, were you?"

Kai smirked without turning. "I was bored."

That earned a slight laugh from her. Even Theron's shoulders relaxed a fraction.

----

The river flowed gently, its surface reflecting the twilight sky like a mirror.

A fire crackled nearby, casting flickering shadows. Smoke curled into the air, rising toward the canopy.

Vex lay near the fire, silent and still, her yellow eyes half-lidded but alert.

Vael perched on a branch just above, feathers ruffling every time the wind shifted.

The clearing was protected now—Kai's barrier shimmered faintly, invisible to most, but solid enough to stop a stray arrow or probing spell.

Raven knelt by the river's edge, rinsing her hands, blood still caught in the creases of her knuckles.

Her hood was down, and her silver hair clung to her neck, damp from the mist.

Theron paced behind her, arms crossed tightly over his chest, jaw clenched.

Kai sat on a log opposite them, legs stretched out, a twig between his lips. He chewed it absently, eyes half-lidded but tracking everything.

The silence between them wasn't comfortable.

"So," Theron said at last, voice low and clipped, "is this how you treat everyone you travel with?"

Kai didn't answer immediately. He flicked the twig aside and met Theron's gaze without blinking. "Only the ones I don't trust yet."

Raven turned slightly, casting a glance between the two. "You knew we were being followed from the start."

Kai nodded.

"And you said nothing," Theron growled.

"I wanted to see how you handle danger. A blade only shows its worth when it's bloodied." Kai's voice was calm, even.

"If I was wrong, I'd have stepped in. But I wasn't."

"Tch."