Ray nodded, his jaw tightening. "We leave now."
Without waiting for the mayor's reply, the trio strode out of the office and into the streets. As soon as they were far enough, Cassandra broke the silence, struggling to keep pace.
"Alright, what's really going on? You two looked like you'd seen a ghost back there."
Ray kept his eyes ahead, his voice clipped and urgent. "Virella isn't just out of the way—it's gone."
"What?" Cassandra asked, confused.
"Destroyed. By demons," Seraphine added sharply, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Cassandra stumbled slightly as the weight of their words hit. "Wait—what do you mean 'destroyed'? How does no one know?"
"They didn't leave witnesses," Ray said, his tone grim. "It was a massacre, start to finish. If Callen and his team are heading there, they're dead men walking."
Seraphine's voice was steady but cold. "The mayor doesn't know what's out there. No one does. But we do, and we can't let them go in blind."
Cassandra's face hardened as she quickened her pace to match theirs. "So we're running straight into a demon-infested death trap to save people who don't even know they need saving?"
"Pretty much," Ray muttered, his eyes scanning the dimming streets.
Cassandra huffed but didn't argue. "Alright then. Let's not waste any more time."
They turned the corner and headed toward the stables, their steps echoing in the growing silence of the evening.
----------
The night air was chilly as their carriage rattled along the uneven road to Virella. The tense silence between the three was interrupted only by the occasional creak of the wooden wheels.
Well, almost silence—if it weren't for the muffled sounds of their unwilling companion in the corner.
"Hmmph! Hmmmph!"
Ray sighed, rubbing his temples. He looked at the bound elf sitting opposite him, glaring daggers. "For the last time, stop making noises. You're not in a position to negotiate anything."
The elf growled behind the gag, clearly furious.
"Honestly, why are we even dragging him around?" Seraphine muttered.
"I've been asking myself that too," Cassandra added, leaning lazily against the carriage wall.
"Look," Ray said, holding up a finger as if delivering a grand revelation.
"In every great story, the sole survivor of a tribe or village comes back for revenge or redemption. That sole survivor is always important later on."
The elf narrowed his eyes suspiciously, his muffled protests growing louder.
"Only one problem," Cassandra cut in dryly. "That survivor is usually a kid. Not, you know, the fully grown ex-leader of the tribe himself."
"Hmpph?! HMMMMPH!" The elf's muffled yell was furious as he thrashed against his bonds.
"Exactly!" Cassandra said with a mockingly sweet smile. "He agrees with me!"
"Alright, fine!" Ray threw up his hands. "You have a point, but I still think he'll be useful. And if he's not…" He trailed off with a shrug.
"'If he's not' what?" Cassandra asked, raising a brow.
Ray grinned, leaning back casually. "Then we can say we tried, right?"
The elf gave an enraged grunt, his eyes full of fire, before he managed to kick the side of the carriage in protest.
"Oh, for gods' sake." Seraphine glared at Ray. "Can't you shut him up?"
"I can do better than that." Ray leaned forward, tugging the gag tighter. "There. Problem solved."
"MMPH!" the elf tried to yell again, but it was muffled beyond recognition.
It was then, as the elf's muffled protests faded into the creaking of the carriage wheels, that Ray suddenly frowned. "Wait. I just realized something."
Seraphine gave him a side glance. "What now?"
Ray turned to the elf, who had resorted to glaring at him again. "We never asked you this before, but… what's your name?"
The elf's glare shifted into something else—hurt? Betrayal? He looked genuinely offended as tears welled up in his eyes.
"Oh no," Cassandra whispered, smirking as she watched the elf. "You really broke him this time."
"Never mind," Ray muttered, sitting back and turning to stare out the window at the darkened forest. "Forget I asked."
Behind him, the elf gave a pitiful, muffled whimper as the carriage trundled along into the growing night.
Ray's gaze lingered on the road ahead, the familiar bends and overgrown foliage tugging at unwelcome memories. When the carriage veered onto the narrow path leading from Valltherion to Virella, he tensed.
"Stop the carriage," he ordered, his voice firm but calm.
The driver turned his head, startled. "Stop? We're not even close yet."
"Here's fine," Ray said curtly, already opening the door.
The others exchanged puzzled glances, but followed as the carriage slowed to a halt. One by one, they stepped out into the cold, damp air of the forest.
The faint chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves filled the silence, a stark contrast to the cozy stillness of the carriage.
Cassandra pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, shivering as her boots crunched against the dirt path.
"You know, I liked it better when we were warm and not surrounded by, you know, potential murderers." She gestured to the dense forest around them.
Ray gave her a dry look. "Trust me, it's better this way. Last time we came through here, we had to run for our lives. Bandits have a whole operation in these woods."
Cassandra froze mid-step. "Wait, bandits? As in, a whole gang of them?"
"Yes," Ray replied, scanning the treeline with sharp, deliberate movements. "We barely made it out. They were organized, well-armed, and very motivated to kill us."
Cassandra's voice rose an octave, her smirk now replaced by genuine concern. "And you thought it was a good idea to drop us in the middle of their territory? What if they attack us again?"
Ray shrugged, motioning toward Seraphine with a small grin. "Well, this time I have a secret weapon."
Seraphine arched an eyebrow at him. "A secret weapon?"
Ray gestured at her sword. "You. One swing, and you're half an army on your own."
Seraphine rolled her eyes but said nothing. Cassandra, however, wasn't amused. "Oh great, so your plan is to just rely on her to cut us out of a potential ambush? That's comforting."
Ray smirked, starting down the path. "I didn't say it was the only plan. Just the best one."
Cassandra groaned and fell in step behind him. "And what about him?" She gestured to the elf, who was trudging along behind them, still bound and gagged.
"What's he supposed to do? Bleed on them until they give up?"
The elf glared at her, letting out an indignant muffled grunt.
"Hey, you never know," Ray said, glancing back at the elf. "Maybe he'll have a change of heart and decide to be useful. But until then…"
He tightened the ropes binding the elf's gag. "He's not exactly the most trustworthy ally."
Seraphine sighed, her tone serious. "Focus. The bandits might still be around. And if they are, we won't get a second chance if we're ambushed again."
Ray nodded, his playful demeanor fading. "Good point. Last time, they saw us coming from a mile away. We were lucky to escape, but we won't get that lucky twice."
"So what do we do?" Cassandra asked, her hand brushing the hilt of the dagger at her side.
"We move carefully," Ray said, his voice low. "Stealth. Stick to the shadows, no unnecessary noise. If they're still out here, we're not giving them the advantage."
Cassandra glanced at the darkened trees and swallowed. "Great. Just another relaxing stroll through death's backyard."
Ray didn't respond. He motioned for them to follow as he veered off the main road and into the underbrush, their steps now muffled by the thick forest floor.
The group fell into silence, their movements calculated and deliberate, every creak of the trees or rustle of leaves making their senses sharpen.
The air was heavy with tension as they crept forward, each step drawing them closer to the unknown—and the danger waiting for them in Virella.