Chapter 19: Shadows in the Alley

The alley was deathly silent. The only sounds were the faint echoes of distant voices from Silk Row and the slow, deliberate breaths of the men preparing for a fight.

Aedric stood his ground, dagger in hand, his gaze locked onto Vask. The brute of a man stood at the center of his gathered thugs, his war axe gleaming even in the dim alley light. His presence alone made the space feel smaller, like a caged battlefield where escape was no longer an option.

"Last chance," Vask growled. "Give back what you stole, kneel, and maybe I'll let you live."

Aedric smirked. "You should know by now—I don't kneel."

The moment hung heavy in the air. Then, Vask moved.

His boots thundered against the cobblestone as he lunged forward, faster than a man his size had any right to be. Aedric barely had time to twist out of the way as the war axe came down, splintering the wooden crate behind him into pieces.

The fight had begun.

Varen struck first. Emerging from the shadows, he drove his sword toward one of Vask's men, forcing the thug to parry at the last second. Lirian followed, her twin daggers flashing as she danced through the fray, slicing through exposed flesh with deadly precision.

But Vask's men were not ordinary street thugs. They were enforcers—killers who had spent years surviving the brutal hierarchy of Velmire's underworld. They fought hard, and they fought to kill.

Aedric ducked as another swing from Vask's axe came dangerously close, the wind from the strike brushing against his face. He moved quickly, aiming a precise stab at Vask's exposed side, but the man twisted, deflecting the blow with the handle of his axe.

"You think you're clever, boy?" Vask sneered, shoving forward with raw strength. Aedric staggered back, narrowly avoiding a follow-up swing that sent shards of stone flying from the wall beside him.

Lirian and Varen were holding their own, but the fight wasn't going to be easy. The alley, though narrow, had enough space for Vask's men to move in tight formation. Their numbers gave them confidence, and they pressed forward, forcing Aedric's group backward.

Tessa, positioned on the rooftop above, loosed an arrow. It struck one of Vask's men in the thigh, causing him to crumple with a scream. Another arrow followed, embedding itself in the shoulder of a second thug. The sudden attack from above created just enough of a distraction for Aedric to regain his footing.

Using the opening, he darted forward, slashing his dagger across the arm of one of Vask's men. The thug howled in pain, dropping his sword as blood spattered onto the cobblestones.

Vask roared in frustration. "Enough of this!"

With terrifying force, he swung his axe in a wide arc, forcing Aedric to leap backward. But the strike wasn't meant for Aedric—it was meant to clear space. Vask's men seized the moment, pushing forward aggressively, overwhelming Aedric's group.

For the first time in the fight, they were losing ground.

Aedric's mind raced. They needed to break the enemy's momentum before they were forced into an even worse position. He glanced upward at Tessa, who was already preparing another shot.

A silent signal passed between them.

Tessa shifted her aim—not at Vask, but at the wooden beams supporting a stack of heavy barrels at the alley's edge. With careful precision, she released the arrow.

The wooden support shattered.

The barrels tumbled forward with a thunderous crash, rolling directly into the ranks of Vask's men. Two were crushed instantly, while others were knocked off balance. The momentary chaos was enough.

Aedric didn't hesitate. He surged forward, driving his dagger into the chest of a stunned opponent before twisting it free. Varen followed, cutting down another with a clean strike to the throat.

Lirian grinned, twirling her daggers. "Now that's more like it."

But even as the tide turned, Vask was still standing.

The barrels had only forced him to take a single step back. He was breathing heavily now, his muscles tensed with rage. His men were falling, but his eyes were locked onto Aedric with pure, unrelenting hatred.

"You think this is over?" Vask spat, wiping blood from his cheek. "You've just signed your own death sentence."

Aedric met his glare, raising his dagger. "Then let's end it."

Vask let out a roar and charged again, his axe gleaming as it came crashing down. This time, Aedric was ready.

He sidestepped at the last second, using Vask's own momentum against him. As the war axe struck the ground, Aedric pivoted, slashing his dagger across the back of Vask's leg. The cut wasn't deep enough to cripple him, but it was enough to stagger him.

Lirian took the opportunity. Moving like a shadow, she appeared at Vask's side, driving her dagger into his exposed ribs.

Vask howled, swinging wildly in retaliation. Lirian twisted away, avoiding the strike, but Vask wasn't finished. With brute force, he grabbed her wrist and hurled her against the alley wall.

She hit the stone hard, the impact knocking the air from her lungs.

Aedric's heart pounded. He lunged at Vask again, aiming for the throat, but Vask managed to bring his axe up just in time to block. Sparks flew as metal met metal.

"You're a slippery little rat," Vask growled, shoving Aedric back. Blood dripped from his side where Lirian had stabbed him, but he still stood firm, towering over them all.

Aedric clenched his jaw. Vask was wounded, but he wasn't done. If they didn't end this soon, reinforcements could arrive.

That's when Tessa struck.

From her vantage point above, she loosed an arrow straight at Vask's exposed back. It struck true, embedding itself just below his shoulder blade.

Vask let out a ragged snarl, staggering forward. His movements slowed. His breathing turned uneven.

Aedric didn't hesitate.

This was the moment.

He surged forward, driving his dagger deep into Vask's stomach.

The enforcer gasped, his fingers twitching around the handle of his axe. He tried to lift it, to swing one last time, but his strength was fading. His knees buckled, and for the first time, Vask looked afraid.

Aedric twisted the dagger before pulling it free.

Vask fell to his knees, his body swaying. His mouth opened, as if to curse Aedric one last time—

But no words came.

The enforcer collapsed face-first onto the cobblestone.

The alley fell silent.

Aedric took a step back, his breaths heavy. The battle was over. Vask was dead.

Lirian groaned as she pushed herself up from where she had been thrown. "Hells, that was messy."

Varen wiped his blade clean. "But effective."

Tessa leaped down from the rooftop, landing lightly beside them. She glanced at Vask's lifeless body. "It's done, then."

Aedric nodded. "Vask was the strongest of Gorran's enforcers. Without him, the rest will fall apart."

He looked down at the corpse, knowing that this was only the beginning.

Vask was dead.

Now, Gorran would take notice.