Chapter 6 Chapter 6
Kael woke before sunrise with the uncomfortable feeling that something was wrong.
The feeling refused to leave.
He sat upright on his bed and stared through the window while the village remained wrapped in darkness. According to his memories, the bandit attack should happen two days from now. He had already changed several events, but the timeline should still be close enough for that prediction to remain accurate.
At least, that was what he thought.
Then the village bell started ringing.
Once, twice, three times.
The sound exploded through Oakridge like a thunderclap.
Kael was already moving before the fourth ring. He burst out the door and sprinted toward the village entrance.
People stumbled from their homes wearing confused expressions and half-buttoned clothes. One man ran outside carrying a cooking pot instead of a weapon while another somehow managed to put both feet into the same trouser leg and immediately fell over.
Chaos, pure chaos.
A terrified guard came running down the road.
“They’re here!”
Kael’s stomach dropped.
The attack wasn’t supposed to happen today. It wasn’t supposed to happen tomorrow either.
The bandits were early, history had changed again.
The realization hit him like a punch to the chest. The future was breaking faster than he expected.
By the time he reached the main gate, villagers were already panicking.
“They’re attacking!”
“We’re all going to die!”
“Why are bandits awake this early?”
“That’s your concern?”
“It’s a reasonable concern!”
Kael climbed onto a wagon. “Everyone listen to me!”
Nobody listened.
Several people continued screaming and one woman started crying.
A farmer attempted to hide behind a goat. The goat looked deeply offended.
Kael took a deep breath, then he pointed toward the eastern road.
“The cart carrying wheat is about to break an axle.”
“What?”
The farmer frowned.
Seconds later a loud crack echoed through the village.
The axle snapped.
Silence…..
Every head slowly turned toward Kael. He immediately pointed toward a nearby rooftop.
“A loose tile is about to fall.”
A tile slipped from the roof and shattered on the ground.
The silence deepened.
Kael pointed toward a water barrel. “The left support beam is rotten.”
The beam collapsed and the barrel tipped over.
Water flooded the road.
The villagers stared.
Kael stared back.
Finally, Old Martha raised a trembling finger.
“The military ghost is talking again.” A village elder gasped. “I knew it.” Another elder nodded vigorously. “I told everyone he was possessed.”
Five minutes ago they wanted a priest.
Now they looked at Kael as if he had descended from the heavens. The change was honestly impressive.
Old Martha hurried forward.
"Military ghost, what do we do?"
Kael stared at her. "Can you stop calling me that?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because it's accurate."
"It isn't."
"You predicted three accidents in under a minute." She folded her arms. "That's ghost behavior."
Kael gave up immediately. “Move the women and children to the center of the village. Put every wagon near the north entrance. Gather all hunting bows. Fill every bucket with water.”
The villagers moved instantly, not because they trusted Kael but because apparently they trusted the military ghost possessing him.
Gareth arrived carrying a spear. His beard looked particularly angry this morning.
“What happened?”
"The future broke."
Gareth stared at him for several seconds.
"You know, most people would start with the bandits."
"The bandits are the reason the future broke."
"I regret asking."
The first bandits appeared moments later. Dozens of riders emerged from the trees and charged toward Oakridge.
Several villagers panicked.
Kael didn’t because he had seen worse. Much worse, he had commanded armies against demon kings.
A few bandits weren’t enough to shake him.
“Archers!”
The hunters raised their bows.
“Wait.”
The villagers hesitated.
The bandits continued advancing.
Fifty meters, forty, thirty.
Several hunters looked nervous.
“Wait.”
Twenty, ten.
“Now!”
Arrows filled the air, and the front line collapsed immediately as the charge broke apart in confusion, causing panic to spread through the attackers while Kael watched with a faint smile because everything was unfolding exactly as he expected.
The next few minutes became a lesson in controlled chaos. Every time the bandits tried advancing through one entrance, Kael redirected defenders to block them.
Every time the attackers shifted tactics, Kael responded before they could gain momentum.
To the villagers, it looked like magic. To Kael, it was simply experience.
Years of experience.
At one point, Old Martha appeared beside him holding a broom.
"Military ghost."
Kael already sounded tired. "What now?"
Martha lifted her broom.
"Where do I attack?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"You're the military expert."
"You have a broom."
Martha looked offended.
"It's a very aggressive broom."
Before Kael could answer, she charged a bandit.
The man screamed, the bandit actually screamed. Kael wasn’t sure whether to be impressed or concerned.
Eventually the attackers began retreating.
Panic spread through their ranks and the battle was over.
Cheers erupted throughout the village as people laughed, cried, and embraced one another in relief, while one villager attempted to hug Kael, then another followed, and before long three more were moving toward him with the same idea.
Kael escaped before the situation became dangerous.
However, his peace lasted less than thirty seconds. A hunter dragged a wounded bandit commander into the village square.
“We caught this one.”
The man looked exhausted and blood covered his clothes, yet he was smiling, and that smile immediately bothered Kael before the commander suddenly laughed.
"You still don't get it, do you?" Blood stained his teeth when he laughed. "You think we came here for loot."
Kael said nothing.
"You think this village matters." Another laugh escaped him. "It doesn't."
His gaze moved through the crowd. "And neither do you."
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
Then who?
The commander's gaze drifted across the crowd, then stopped.
Slowly, his smile widened.
"There he is."
Gareth frowned. "Who?"
The commander pointed directly at him. "Him."
The village became silent.
Gareth frowned.
“What?”
The commander pointed directly at him. “The order was specific.”
Kael felt his pulse quicken. The target had always been Gareth?
The commander coughed before continuing.
“Someone wanted Gareth Ironwood dead.”
Every instinct inside Kael screamed, something was terribly wrong.
Why would anyone care about an old hunter living in an insignificant village?
It made no sense.
Unless Gareth wasn’t as insignificant as everyone believed.
Kael grabbed the man’s collar. “Who gave the order?”
The commander’s smile returned. “A very important—”
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
Kael’s eyes widened, too late.
An arrow erupted from the darkness beyond the village and buried itself in the commander’s throat.
Blood sprayed as the commander collapsed to the ground, and while shocked villagers gathered around the body.
Kael slowly turned toward the forest where no movement, footsteps, or shadows revealed themselves.
