Reincarnated as the favorite of an obsessive goddess: gave me a system-Chapter 23: Valira

The morning dawned cool, with a light mist clinging to the treetops like a silver veil. Kai woke up before the rest of the village. The sky still held that grey blue hue that precedes the true dawn, and the silence was only broken by the early song of a bird and the soft snorting of the horses in the new corral.

He approached the wooden fence. The grey mare was already awake, her ears pricked toward him from the moment he stepped onto the path.

She didn’t neigh or paw the ground impatiently, she simply watched him with those large, calm eyes, as if she knew exactly why he had come so early.

"Good morning, girl," Kai murmured, resting his forearms on the top rail.

She approached slowly, step by step, until her muzzle brushed the fingers he extended. Her warm breath heated his skin. Kai smiled and ran his hand over her forehead, moving down to her neck. Her coat was soft, still a bit rough from the journey, but it was already starting to regain its shine.

"Today it’s just going to be you and me," he told her in a low voice, as if it were a secret between them. The mare snorted softly, as if in agreement, and nudged his shoulder with her head in a gesture that had already become familiar.

Kai opened the gate carefully to avoid making noise and took out the bridle the seller had given them. She lowered her head on her own, making his job easier. There was no resistance, only trust. Once the bridle was on, Kai also placed the saddle and finally mounted.

The mare moved under him naturally, as if carrying him was the most normal thing in the world.

Kai gave her a couple of gentle pats on the neck.

"Let’s go slow. There’s no rush."

They left the village by the eastern path, the one that wound through the oldest trees. The path was narrow, covered in fallen leaves and damp moss that muffled the sound. Kai let her set the pace, sometimes she trotted with contained energy, sometimes she walked with a long, relaxed stride. He didn’t guide her with the reins more than necessary, using only light touches to indicate direction or to ask her to slow down when he wanted to stop and look at something.

The further they advanced, the more natural riding felt. Kai remembered how in his past life he traveled the earth and how in one country he learned the basics of riding. Slowly, some memories of his first life in this world also helped him.

By mid morning, they found a small clearing by a stream. The sun had already dissipated the mist and rays filtered through the branches, drawing golden spots on the ground. Kai dismounted and let the mare drink. He sat on a flat rock, took a handful of oats from the saddlebag, and held it out in his open palm.

She approached without fear, her lips picking up the grains one by one. Kai watched her attentively, the way she moved her ears, how she turned her head slightly to look at him while she ate, the way her tail moved slowly, almost like a quiet metronome.

"I don’t know how it occurred to you to choose someone like me," he said in a low voice. "I’m a mess of half assembled memories, a hero who doesn’t even remember how to be one entirely... and yet, since the first day at the market, you haven’t stopped looking for me."

The mare raised her head, oats still stuck to her muzzle, and gave him a gentle nudge in the chest. Kai laughed softly and scratched behind her ear. She closed her eyes for a second, enjoying the contact. "I could call you Silver," he tested. "For the color of your coat when the sun hits you full on. Or Luna."

She snorted, as if neither of the two quite convinced her, and moved away a few steps to nibble on the fresh grass. Kai stood up and followed her without haste.

"How about Air?" he asked, walking by her side. "Because you move as if the air carries you. Or perhaps Ceniza, for that soft grey you have... but no, that sounds too sad." The mare stopped and looked at him over her shoulder, ears turned toward him.

Kai approached and leaned his forehead against hers, just as he did with Lyla. The contact was warm, solid, and real. "You aren’t sad," he whispered. "You are strong. Calm. Loyal."

He sat on the ground, his back against a tree. "I’ll keep thinking," he affirmed with a slight smile.

Kai took advantage of the moment of tranquility to open the statistics menú, he had 4 unused points.

STATS

Strength: 19

Speed: 20

Endurance: 15

Intelligence: 20

Mana: 800/800

Perception: 25

Kai thought for a brief moment before making his decision.

STATS

Strength: 21

Speed: 20

Endurance: 15

Intelligence: 22

Mana: 800/800

Perception: 25

After the stat increase, Kai closed the menu and his eyes, letting the sound of the stream, the wind through the leaves, and the steady heartbeat of the mare fill the silence.

When they moved again, Kai mounted once more. This time he left the reins completely loose and simply rested his hands on the withers, feeling the movement of the muscles under the blanket. The mare chose the path, first a light trot that took them through a grove of birch trees, then a short and joyful gallop through an open meadow where the grass reached their knees. Kai leaned forward, laughing as the wind whipped his face.

"You’re incredible!" He shouted, and she responded with a joyful neigh that echoed in the clearing.

They stopped at the end of the meadow, on a low promontory from which a random village could be seen in the distance, with columns of smoke from the chimneys, thatched roofs, and children running between the houses. Kai dismounted again and sat in the grass. The mare lay down beside him, legs tucked, head resting near his knee.

It was the first time she had allowed herself to lie down like that with him, vulnerable and trusting. Kai stroked her neck for a long time, tracing slow circles with his fingers. "I think I have it now," he finally said, almost in a whisper. "It’s not a grand or epic name like those from the old tales. But I think it suits you perfectly."

He leaned toward her ear. "I’m going to call you Valira. Because you carry a quiet strength inside, like a mountain that doesn’t need to shout to prove it’s there." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

The mare raised her head and looked at him intently for several seconds. Then, as an answer, she gave him a soft and warm lick on the cheek, followed by a low and satisfied snort.

"Valira, then," he said, scratching her forehead affectionately. "Welcome officially, partner."

They stayed there until the sun was high. Kai spoke to her in a low voice, he told her about Lyla, about the small wooden heart she wore around her neck, about how the village was growing little by little, about the memories that returned in trickles and how they sometimes hurt, but other times gave him strength. Valira listened, moving her ears and snorting occasionally as if she understood every word.

When they finally decided to return, the bond was already something tangible. It wasn’t just that she obeyed his directions, it was that they moved as one. When Kai thought about turning left, she was already starting to lean her body. When he wanted to stop, it was enough for him to breathe more deeply and she slowed down without the need for reins.

But before they could get very far he saw it. Beyond the forest, on the eastern road, a carriage advanced slowly. It was large, pulled by four heavy horses. But it wasn’t a normal merchant carriage. Iron cages hung from the sides, some empty, others with dark shapes moving inside. Shadows of people. Kai narrowed his eyes, feeling a cold knot in his stomach.

Kai looked back toward the small village from before, a column of black smoke rose thick and slow. It wasn’t the clean smoke of a chimney. It was real fire. Houses, perhaps. Or something worse. Valira felt the change in him instantly. Her ears flattened back and she let out a low, uneasy snort, but she didn’t retreat a single step.

Kai rested his hand on her neck, calming her as much as he calmed himself. "Easy, Valira," he whispered. "Easy, girl." But his gaze remained fixed on the carriage and the distant smoke.

His heart beat strongly, not from fear, but from something more, contained rage, memory of burnt villages, of cages, of children separated from their mothers. He got off Valira carefully and stood at the top of the hill, one hand still in her mane.

"It seems peace is running out for us, Valira," he said in a low voice. "We don’t have time to go back to our village and bring reinforcements,"

Kai thought for a few seconds before finally letting out a determined sigh. "You and I will have to handle this on our own."