A chilling wind howled around him as he stood on the precipice, his silhouette stark against the starlit sky. His iron gaze, cold and calculating, swept across the village nestled below in the valley.
"Where are you?" his voice rasped, the words seeming to hang heavy in the air, swirling like mist around his mouth.
Suddenly, a piercing screech ripped through the silence, splitting the night sky. To the ears of the villagers, it might have sounded like a raven's cry, but he knew better. It was a signal, a coded message from his loyal companion Hewar, informing him that his prey had been located.
A black mass materialized in the darkness, soaring towards him with the grace of a phantom. He extended his left arm, clad in gleaming metal armour, and the creature alighted upon it, its powerful talons digging into the metal with a sharp scrape.
The beast, a raven of unimaginable size, looked up at him with intelligent, obsidian eyes and let out another ear-splitting screech.
"You have been demanding more these days," he acknowledged, a hint of amusement playing on his lips. "But I am not one to disappoint my loyal servants."
He reached into a pouch at his waist and retrieved a hunk of raw meat, the crimson flesh glistening in the faint moonlight.
"Your reward," he declared, tossing the meat over the edge of the cliff.
With a powerful flap of its wings, the raven, Hewar, plunged into the depths of the mountain, disappearing into the darkness like a falling star.
The man tightened his grip on his long knife, the cold steel a comforting presence in his hand. He drew the blade from its scabbard with a flourish, letting it spin through the air before catching it with a swift, practiced movement.
His master's orders were clear: Seek the woman named Sera and ensure her silence. After a year of relentless pursuit, he had finally found her.
Tonight, he would end his mission.
With a grim smile, he turned away from the valley and began his descent, a predator stalking its prey in the moonlit shadows. His path was shrouded in darkness, but his purpose was clear. He would find Sera, and he would end her.