The forest felt different at night. The towering trees loomed like silent sentinels, their twisted branches reaching out toward the sky, casting long shadows across the ground. Kael and Veyron moved quietly through the underbrush, their senses on high alert. The moon hung low, offering just enough light to guide their way, but the tension between them was as clear as day.
They hadn't spoken much since leaving the cave. There wasn't much to say.
Kael's mind raced as he replayed the events of the day. The mercenaries had been cut down too easily. Even now, his body still ached from the wounds he had taken, though he forced himself to push through the pain. His grip tightened around his sword, the weight of it both comforting and familiar.
Beside him, Veyron limped, his face pale but determined. They were both battered, but alive. For now.
"I overheard something," Veyron said suddenly, breaking the silence. His voice was low, barely more than a whisper, as if the forest itself might betray them. "Before I escaped."
Kael glanced over, his expression unreadable. "What did you hear?"
Veyron paused for a moment, catching his breath before speaking again. "The soldiers... they weren't just hired muscle. They were part of a larger force, a private army. Someone with deep pockets wanted us dead."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Which house?"
"I couldn't catch the name," Veyron admitted, his voice strained.
Kael's jaw tightened, his thoughts swirling. He had always known their work put them at odds with powerful houses, but this was different. Someone had gone to great lengths to set this ambush. And the fact that they had chosen Kerric's band as the target meant one thing: they were being hunted.
"What do you think Kerric will do when he finds out?" Veyron asked, his voice filled with unease.
Kael didn't answer immediately. He wasn't even sure if Kerric was still alive. The thought gnawed at him, but he pushed it aside. Kerric's survived worse, he told himself. He'll survive this too.
"He'll do what he always does," Kael said finally, his voice cold. "He'll fight."
Veyron nodded, but his face betrayed his doubt. Kael didn't blame him. There was a difference between a fight and a slaughter, and what they had just survived had felt like the latter.
Hours passed, and the forest began to thin out. Kael's mind raced as they moved, the weight of the ambush still pressing heavily on him. They needed more information, but that wouldn't matter if they couldn't find the others. If any of Kerric's men had survived, they would need to regroup before the enemy could strike again.
The sound of voices ahead made Kael stop in his tracks, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his sword. Veyron froze beside him, eyes wide with fear.
Kael motioned for silence, then crept forward through the brush, his movements quiet, practiced. He reached the edge of a small clearing, where the flicker of firelight illuminated two figures huddled by a campfire. They weren't soldiers. They were survivors.
Kael stepped into the light, his appearance causing the men to spring to their feet, weapons drawn. Recognition flickered across their faces as they lowered their blades.
"Kael?" one of them said, his voice disbelieving. It was Harlan, one of the younger mercenaries who had joined Kerric's band not long ago. His face was streaked with dirt and blood, but he was alive. "You made it."
Kael nodded, his eyes scanning the small camp. "You're the only ones?"
"Far as we know," Harlan replied, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "We haven't seen anyone else since the ambush. What happened back there?"
"Ambush," Kael said bluntly. "It was a setup."
The men exchanged nervous glances, but they didn't question him. They knew better. In this world, there were no coincidences.
Kael's jaw clenched at the thought of Silas. He had been on the battlefield, watching from the sidelines. He hadn't lifted a sword, hadn't even dirtied his hands. But Kael had seen him, seen the way he observed everything with that same cold disdain. Silas wasn't like the others. He didn't fight for money or power. He fought for something else, something that Kael had never understood.
"Do you think this has something to do with Silas?" Veyron asked, as if reading Kael's thoughts.
Kael didn't respond immediately. Silas was a dangerous man, but he wasn't the kind to hide behind soldiers. If Silas had wanted Kerric's band dead, he would've done it himself. No, this was something bigger. But that didn't mean Silas wasn't involved in some way.
"Maybe," Kael said finally. "But this feels... different."
Veyron nodded, though he didn't look convinced. The rest of the group remained silent, the weight of the unknown hanging over them like a shroud.
Night had fully fallen by the time the camp grew quiet, the fire crackling softly in the darkness. Kael sat apart from the others, his back against a tree, eyes scanning the forest for any signs of movement. His mind churned with possibilities. Whoever had set this ambush was still out there, and they wouldn't stop until Kerric's band was wiped out.
But there was a deeper question gnawing at him, why? Kerric had made enemies over the years, but none had ever been bold enough to move against him so directly. Whoever was behind this was playing a dangerous game, and Kael knew they would need to move carefully if they wanted to survive.
"We can't stay here," Veyron said quietly, breaking the silence. "What's the plan?"
Kael didn't answer right away. He knew what Kerric would do, he'd rally the survivors and strike back. But Kael wasn't Kerric. And if this was truly a larger conspiracy, they couldn't afford to rush into another fight without knowing who their enemy was.
"We need information," Kael said finally. "We'll head to the nearest town, find out who's behind this. Then we'll decide our next move."
Veyron nodded, though the uncertainty lingered in his eyes. The others wouldn't question Kael's leadership, he had proven himself in battle time and again, but Kael knew the weight of the responsibility was heavier than ever. For the first time, he realized that Kerric's survival might not be guaranteed.
And if Kerric was gone, the responsibility for the band would fall to him.
As the fire died down and the camp fell into uneasy sleep, Kael remained awake, his thoughts heavy with doubt and resolve. He had spent years following Kerric, trusting his judgment. But now, for the first time, Kael found himself facing a decision that could determine not only his future, but the future of everyone who still followed him.