Crimson Hunt Begins

Eris ran across the forest, cloak billowing behind her as she fled towards the mountains.

No doubt. No regrets.

The Crimson Blades had taken hostages. That was all she needed to know.

"Eris, this is madness," Leon growled. "These are pro killers, and you just escaped from a dungeon. Maybe—

"Maybe what?"

Eris danced around a downed log. "We let them escape? Let them continue to kill people?"

"I am not saying that we do not require a plan!"

Eris clenched her teeth. Leon was correct, but they could not waste time sitting idle. The longer she lingered, the further away the mercenaries traveled.

She moved faster, her breathing chopped and deliberate. The acrid smell of smoke still hung in the air, guiding her like a moth to the raiders.

And then she saw it—

Tracks.

Boot prints, deep and new, heading north. A dozen or more of them.

She trailed after them, her thoughts going a mile a minute.

The Crimson Blades were no common bandits. They were former military, trained warriors who resorted to banditry when their kingdom came crashing down.

Which meant two things:

They were old professionals.

They knew how to leave no trails.

But for all their training, they had made one fatal error—

They had underestimated her.

Eris adjusted her hold on Leon and forced ahead.

"Alright, then," she growled. "Let's stalk."

---

---

Eris crept behind a solid tree, gazing out over the improvised camp ahead.

It perched on the rim of a rocky outcrop, overlooking a steep valley. Tents were arrayed randomly, torches flaring against the darkness.

At its center—

A cage.

Inside, five villagers were crouched together, their wrists tied.

Outside, six men wearing red lounged near a fire, drinking and laughing. Their swords and axes were handy, though, not necessarily out of hand.

Eris's eyebrows drew together.

"Six guards," Leon said. "The others must be inside the tents or out on patrol."

Eris saw at least four tents, so there were other enemies around.

Bulldozing in headfirst would be suicidal.

"Okay, Eris, let's have a plan," Leon said. "We can't take them all at once, but if we take out a few quietly—"

But Eris was already in motion.

"Of course you're not listening to me," Leon muttered.

She drifted through the darkness, creeping up on the camp like an animal.

The first guard—a bald, overalled fellow—stood over a crate, drinking from a bottle.

Bad idea.

Eris crept up behind him, silent as the wind.

Shadow Strike!

Her sword glinted, slicing across his neck before he realized she was there. He gagged, eyes bulging, before falling silently to the ground.

One down.

Eris moved on the second target—a lean mercenary by the cage, sleeping half-up against a rock.

She picked up Leon—

But the sword faltered.

"Wait," Leon breathed. "Look at his armor."

Eris scowled, looking closer.

The red armor bore an emblem—a black motif, the silhouette of a coiled sun.

Her stomach tightened.

"That's not Crimson Blade issue equipment," Leon growled. "That's. something else."

Before she had a chance to process, the guard's eyes snapped open.

Eris didn't skip a beat.

Phantom Dash!

She vanished in a blink—only to reappear behind him, blade glinting.

The guard was lucky if he managed to get more than a noise out of him before her sword pinned his spine.

The flames crackled. The laughter ceased.

"Shit," Leon cursed. "You just blew their cover!"

Eris was spinning around the moment the final four mercenaries sprang up.

"INTRUDER!" one of them yelled.

Another grasped for his sword, regarding Eris. "It's the village girl! KILL HER!"

"Here we go," Eris replied.

Two of them attacked her.

Eris parried, barely missing a swinging axe. She cut back—her blade slicing through the first mercenary's leg, through muscle and bone.

He shrieked, toppling.

The second bandit swung—

Too slow.

Eris parried his blow, kicking him in the stomach with her knee, then threw in a cruel slash across his chest.

Two more.

One loaded a crossbow and pressed it to her head.

"Eris, MOVE!" Leon yelled.

Shadow Step!

She vanished from sight even as the bolt flew past her, striking a tree.

She reappeared over him, whirling in mid-air—

And drove her sword straight into his head.

The last mercenary?

He put away his sword and fled.

Eris drew a lungful of air, shaking blood from Leon's blade.

"You let one get away," Leon said.

"Yeah," Eris growled. "On purpose."

He'd go back to the rest of his crew.

Which meant…

They'd come to her.

She went to the cage.

The prisoners within glared at her, their eyes wide with terror, trembling.

"Don't just sit there," Eris snapped the lock. "Run!"

They didn't fight it. One by one, they ran.

But just as Eris stepped into the woods, she heard it.

A horn blast in the distance.

Then another one.

Her gaze leapt to the tents.

Silhouettes shifted inside.

A low growl snarled, "Looks like we have a problem."

The tent flaps tore open.

More men spewed out—

Too many.

Eris's heart was racing.

"Okay," Leon gritted out. "Now we might have a problem."