The cutting wind whistled through the twisted trees of Frostvale, covering the ground with a thick blanket of snow. The horses trudged forward slowly, their hooves sinking deep into the ice, while the gang members, cloaked in heavy mantles, followed in silence. Each breath formed white clouds, dissipating quickly into the frozen air.
The era they lived in was brutal and relentless. A medieval age where adventurers had been banned, and kingdoms no longer tolerated mercenaries or nomadic groups. Without magic or witchcraft to aid them, the only tools for combat were simple firearms—pistols, rifles, and powder shotguns. Horses and wagons were the sole means of transportation, and the law of kings hunted them without rest. To identify each other and maintain their unity, every member of the gang wore an iron chain with a pendant shaped like a stag's horn, symbolizing their survival and loyalty to the group.
They were known as the "Demon Shadows." Not criminals, but survivors. Adventurers in a world that despised them, hunting down bandits, assassins, and those whom society itself feared to face. Their philosophy was simple: "You don't hire a saint to hunt a sinner. That's why demons exist. And we'll catch them." Their reputation spread like a whisper on the wind, a threat to those who thought they were above justice.
Finn Ashford gripped the reins of his horse tightly, his gaze fixed on the path ahead. His body ached from the past weeks of fleeing and failed ambushes, but he could not show weakness—not now. Finn was a man of few words. His gray-blue eyes carried the weight of years of violence and bad choices, and his face—marked with discreet scars and a rough stubble—revealed a man who had seen it all.
He had once been someone better. Now, he was merely an experienced gunslinger trying to survive, even though deep down, he knew that the fate of men like him rarely ended well. His body was strong, but his spirit was tired. And lately, nightmares of the past haunted him more and more.
Yet, despite it all, Finn still held a sense of honor. He might be an outlaw, but he wasn't a monster. He tried to protect those around him—even if he knew, one day, he might be forced to abandon them.
His son, Maximus Ashford, only thirteen years old, rode alongside his father on the same horse. The young boy kept a serious, determined expression, trying to ignore the cold that made his fingers tremble. A clever and observant child, forced to grow up far too quickly in the life of fugitives. Finn wanted to protect him from the fate that had been thrust upon him, but deep down, he knew that every day spent in the gang was shaping him, making it inevitable that one day, he would have to choose between innocence and survival.
"You okay, son?" Finn asked, his voice a low murmur.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just worried about mom." Maximus replied, his face clouded with worry, clearly disturbed by his mother's condition and the constant cold.
"Your mother has been through much worse, son. She's been with me for a long time. This... this is probably three times worse than this cold." Finn replied, trying to mask his own concerns with a faint smile.
Caim, the leader of the group, rode ahead, his eyes scanning for any sign of danger. Caim observed with intense, calculating eyes. Tall, with neatly combed black hair and a confident smile, he was a man who knew how to talk. And he talked well.
Caim believed that the gang could still build something great, that the world hadn't defeated them yet. To him, running was not an option—they had to fight, they had to survive. And, above all, they had to win.
But there was something about him that worried some of the others. A glint in his eyes that sometimes seemed to border on madness. His ambition was his greatest strength, but also his greatest danger.
Harvey Pierce rode alongside him. He was one of the oldest in the gang and, to many, the brain behind their operations.
Cynical, grumpy, and impatient with nonsense, Harvey had seen enough to know that dreams of grandeur led nowhere. He disagreed with Caim, but still, he stayed—perhaps because, deep down, he still believed in something.
Despite his gruff exterior, Harvey commanded respect. When he spoke, others listened. Because, in the end, he was almost always right.
"Did you hear that?" Harvey murmured, his voice barely audible. Finn couldn't quite make out the words. In the back, Talon Reid and Ronan followed closely, the tension evident on their faces.
Caim then spoke, his voice breaking the silence.
"Finn, any sign of Jax Mercer? And the others?"
"No, nothing." Finn replied, his voice thick with exhaustion.
"That damn scrawny bastard got lost in the snow hours ago. I hope he wasn't eaten by wolves. We need to rescue him as soon as possible."
Finn muttered something under his breath, clearly annoyed. Caim glanced at him and spoke calmly, his voice firm.
"I understand your frustration with him, Finn. But he's your brother. We're all brothers here. Loyalty—remember? No one gets left behind, not even after everything. And he's one of the best shooters we've got."
Finn nodded reluctantly, but in his mind, he thought, 'Why should we rescue that fool? He abandoned us when he could, even with his son still alive. He's not a man. Let him be.'
Suddenly, Caim halted and pointed toward a wooden cabin ahead, partially hidden by the snow that had piled up around it.
"Stop. Look at that." Caim murmured. "Finn, you and Ronan, come with me. Let's pay a visit to these humble folk."
Finn nodded, dismounting and handing Maximus over to Ayla Grey. He and Caim advanced cautiously, drawing their weapons and sneaking toward the cabin's entrance. A sound from inside made them exchange a wary glance.
"Looks like they're having a party in this cold? How do they have so many supplies? But we can't just take them for free."
Finn then turned to Caim.
"My wife is dying, Caim. We need to warm her up, and we don't have a choice. We need to do this."
"Three inside." Caim whispered, a wry grin playing at his lips. "I think I can talk to them. What's the worst that could happen? My old silver tongue has never let me down. You two stay on watch, I'll see what I can do."
Caim stepped up to the cabin door and knocked.
THUMP THUMP THUMP.
After a moment, three drunken men staggered out, eyeing Caim suspiciously.
"What do you want, stranger?"
Caim began his pitch.
"I need your help, comrades. We've got women and children. They're going to die out here in the cold. We don't have supplies. Please, help us."
The men stared at him for a moment, before one of them spoke.
"And what do we have to do with that, friend? Wait, did you say women? Hah, looks like tonight might be better than we expected, lads."
Caim quickly realized that the conversation was going nowhere and noticed a barn behind the cabin, where there were at least ten more men. He signaled to his comrades, and they prepared for trouble.
"It's a shame, gentlemen. I wish things could have gone differently. I'll take my leave."
As he turned, Caim swiftly drew his weapon and shot both men standing at the door.
BANG BANG BANG.
A firefight erupted. Finn and Ronan emerged from their hiding spots and quickly joined Caim in taking down the remaining men. Outside, all the enemies were dead, and they decided to enter the cabin.
With a nod, Finn kicked down the door, and the two of them fired on the remaining occupants. The gunfire echoed through the forest, and after a few moments, silence once again descended. The bodies fell heavily onto the weathered wooden floor. Caim nodded, signaling that the threat was over, and spoke to Finn.
"Alright. Please, Finn, go fetch the rest of the group. I think this place will work."
Finn mounted his horse, which trembled from the cold, and went to gather the others. When they arrived, Maximus stared wide-eyed at the carnage. He was still unaccustomed to the violence of his world, but he knew that one day, he would have to accept it.
As the others entered, Ayla carried a hooded figure in her arms. It was Helena Ashford, Finn's wife. Her face was pale, and her body trembled violently from the brutal cold.
"She won't last much longer." Ayla said, her voice heavy with concern.
Finn's heart tightened in his chest. His wife needed warmth and urgent care. Time was against them, and now the battle was against nature itself. Finn shouted.
"Quick, make a fire. We need to warm her up now."
The gang quickly made a fire, and Finn held his wife's hand, praying for the best.
Hours later, Caim and Harvey called Finn for a conversation.
"We need you and Talon to go find Jax."
Finn hesitated, then shouted in frustration.
"My wife is dying, and you want me to go after that fool?"
Caim stepped forward, his gaze steady.
"Loyalty, brother. Where is your loyalty? I know you don't like Jax, but have some compassion. He has a son too. Put yourself in his son's shoes, worried about his father."
"My son is out there, begging his mother not to freeze to death. We had to run after that ambush. That plan was a disaster..."
"We don't talk about that. Not now. Listen, brother, I have a plan, but I need everyone. We can't afford to lose anyone else. We've had too many losses since the ambush. We need to unite and fortify. Agreed?"
Finn, reluctantly, agreed. After all, Caim was still the leader, whether he liked it or not.
As Finn prepared to leave, he reflected on his history with Caim and Harvey. They had been like family. Caim had always led the gang on their adventures, and Harvey, his right-hand man, always advised him—it was like his brake. Every decision Caim made had Harvey's input, and through all their adventures, they had always succeeded. But something had changed after the government outlawed adventurers and began hunting them. Caim had developed a deep hatred for the government, creating enemies at every turn. They had faced numerous problems and dangers, and it seemed that Caim's mental state was deteriorating with each passing day.
Loyalty—that was the key word in the gang. As long as they remained loyal to each other, they could get through anything. But after all this, and with his growing concern for his son, Finn began to fear Caim's plans and the direction they might take.
Talon then called to Finn.
"Are you ready, my friend?"
Finn responded quickly.
"I have to be."
They mounted their horses and set of
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