The Path of Pursuit

The Silver Curse – Volume 3, Chapter 4: The Path of Pursuit

The Journey Begins:The dense forests of the western frontier stretched endlessly before them, the path barely visible through the thick undergrowth. The smell of damp earth clung to the air, mingling with the faint scent of blood that still lingered on their clothes from their last battle.

Lina exhaled sharply as she wiped sweat from her brow, eyes flickering over the worn map in her hands. "We're wasting time. We should've reached the outpost yesterday."

Lyra, walking beside her, smirked. "You're acting like we haven't been ambushed three times already. Excuse me for not being a fan of running headfirst into another death trap."

Lina shot her a glare. "You could take this a little more seriously. We have no idea where he is. If we don't find a lead soon—"

"Then we keep moving until we do," Lyra interrupted, stretching her arms over her head. "Look, I know you're worried, but stressing out over something we can't control is useless. We've survived so far, haven't we?"

Lina sighed but didn't argue. Lyra was right, in a way. But the weight of everything—losing their comrade, the increasing danger on the roads, the brutal fights they had been forced into—was beginning to wear on her.

Flashback – The Day They LeftThe streets of the town were eerily quiet that morning, the usual bustle of adventurers absent in the early dawn. Lina stood frozen in place, her hands clenched into tight fists as she watched Yuto and Mira disappear down the road.

She had tried to stop them. She had tried to reason with Yuto.

"You don't have to go," she had pleaded. "We can figure this out together."

Yuto had barely looked at her. His expression was unreadable, distant—like he was already a world away.

"I have to," was all he had said before turning his back on her.

Mira had offered a half-hearted apology before following after him, but the damage had already been done. Lina had never felt so powerless.

She had wanted to chase after them. But her legs wouldn't move.

She was alone.

Meeting LyraLina had wandered aimlessly for days, torn between staying in town and pursuing Yuto. Every time she made up her mind to leave, something held her back—fear, doubt, or the painful realization that she had no idea where to start.

Then she had met Lyra.

The rogue had been sitting at the edge of a tavern, idly flipping a dagger between her fingers when Lina had stormed in, frustrated and lost. Their paths had crossed over a shared bounty hunt, and before Lina realized it, they had become traveling companions.

"You looked like someone with nowhere to go," Lyra had said with a smirk. "Figured I'd tag along until you made up your mind."

Lina hadn't argued. She had needed the company.

That had been weeks ago. Now, the two of them were deep in the wilderness, chasing a shadow of a lead and hoping it would bring them closer to the answers they sought.

Battle on the RoadThey had barely walked another mile when the familiar sound of rustling in the undergrowth put them both on edge.

Lyra was the first to react, daggers drawn, her golden eyes narrowing. "We're being followed."

Lina immediately dropped into a defensive stance, unsheathing her blade. "How many?"

"At least four. Maybe more."

A moment later, the shadows between the trees moved—dark figures emerging with weapons drawn, their ragged cloaks identifying them as mercenaries rather than organized soldiers.

The leader, a burly man with a scar running down his cheek, grinned. "Well, well. Look what we have here. A couple of lost little adventurers. Didn't anyone tell you these roads are dangerous?"

Lyra twirled her daggers in her hands. "Didn't anyone tell you that sneaking up on two very armed women is a great way to get yourself killed?"

The man chuckled. "Funny. But you're outnumbered. We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Lina tightened her grip on her sword. "I was hoping you'd say that."

The fight began instantly.

Lina darted forward, clashing swords with the mercenary leader, their blades sparking in the dim light. Lyra was already moving, spinning between attackers, her daggers slicing through armor with deadly precision.

The forest erupted into chaos—metal clashing, footsteps pounding against the earth, the sharp hiss of pain as steel found flesh. Lina parried a heavy blow, stepping into her attacker's guard and driving her sword through his chest before spinning away.

Lyra, meanwhile, had vaulted over an enemy, landing behind him before slitting his throat in a single fluid motion.

Within minutes, the remaining mercenaries realized they had made a mistake.

The last man standing turned and fled into the trees.

Lyra wiped her blade clean and shrugged. "Coward."

Lina exhaled, looking down at the fallen bodies. "They were scouting ahead. There's likely more of them nearby."

"Then we should keep moving," Lyra said, already stepping past the corpses. "We don't have time to waste."

A Familiar LeadThe next morning, as they packed up their camp, they overheard a pair of traders passing by on horseback.

"Did you hear? Some warrior's been making waves east of Valkris," one of them said. "Rumors say he's been taking down beasts and high-ranking fighters alike."

"People are saying he fights like a demon, like he's not even human," the other trader added. "But who knows if any of it's true?"

Lina frowned. "That could be something."

Lyra crossed her arms. "It's not much to go on, but it's better than nothing."

"If he's out there, we'll find him." Lina's grip on her sword tightened. "We go east."

Lyra smirked. "Now we're talking."

With new resolve, they set off, their mission clearer than ever.

They had found their first real lead.

And they weren't about to let it slip away.

End of Chapter 4