Ambush

Kieran thought he had rid himself of many useless emotions during his time as a killer in the organisation. And then after merging with the soul from Earth, it felt like he had become even more rational. But hearing that his father was ill, his fingers couldn't help but tremble.

The father in his mind was so powerful he would not bend to anybody. Henry Vale, or 'The Mountain', as he was called in his younger days, was such a man. 

But now this strong man had become ill due to his worry for his son.

At this moment, Kieran almost wanted to reveal everything to his elder brother and quickly go find his father. However, he knew that he could not act rashly. 

He had already planned not to show up and protect his father in the dark. If The Pale Oath found out his location it would not make the situation any better. 

Kieran was thinking deeply in his mind but he was still a trained killer and as such he always paid attention to his surroundings. 

It was at this moment he saw a man come out of the outside toilets and glance into the tavern. When his eyes saw the two figures through the window, the man's face suddenly changed and he began walking away hurriedly. 

Kieran narrowed his eyes.

The two people by the window didn't seem to notice this however as they began eating and drinking casually. Soon after they paid the bill and then began their journey toward Emerald City again.

On the long dirt road, the two figures walked slowly while leading their horses. They were very relaxed and the woman even had time to point out various animals she saw in the surrounding woods. 

Suddenly, the earth began to shake and dirt and dust flew across the ground as cries of thunder rang out in the air. Almost in the blink of an eye, several fast horses arrived ahead of them. 

The leader in the front had sharp eyes and his face was covered by a black scarf. His hair was in a mess, and the murderous intent emanating from his body was immense.

"You are Riven Vale from Emerald City?" 

Riven didn't seem surprised. He stood out in front of the ferocious gang with his back straight and said in a calm voice:

"What of it?"

Hearing his arrogant attitude the leader laughed. Soon everyone behind also joined in.

"As expected of the son of that old man, he's so confident even now! Do you know who I am, Riven Vale?" 

The man pulled down the black scarf covering his face to reveal a hideous sight. The entire lower half of his face was burned off, the skin was twisted and scarred giving the already ferocious face an even more frightening expression. 

"The leader of Iron Howl, Ashgrave..."

The Iron Howl is quite famous. Originally, they were a gang of six brothers who gained infamy for their strong skills and ruthless behaviour of robbing caravans and small villages. 

This gang left a wake of devastation everywhere they went, and finally the head of the Vale family couldn't take it anymore so he let his eldest son go after them to bring them to justice. 

Theron Vale, the eldest son, was a very powerful warrior and with the help of other forces in Emerald City he quickly ambushed the Iron Howl's headquarters. After a tough battle only the leader of the Iron Howl escaped while his five brothers were all killed, even then he didn't escape without paying a heavy price. 

Afterward, everything seemed to be peaceful. But then the Iron Howl returned again led by a man with a ferocious scar on his face. 

But this time it seems they learned their lesson, becoming much more secretive. Riding powerful horses they came and went like the wind and no one could catch their tail. Because their headquarters were hidden, every attempt to destroy them had failed so far. 

These were all things Riven had heard in the taverns along the way but he didn't expect to meet them in this way. 

"Do you recognise me from this scar? Do you know the one who gave it to me?!" The leader almost screamed the next words:

"It was your elder brother!"

Riven was silent. He calmly stepped back and handed the reins of his horse to the beautiful woman next to him. 

"Aunt-Master, please look after my horse."

The tall woman nodded at him, then took a giant swig from her wine gourd and walked back a way. 

Ashgrave didn't stop their actions. His target this time was Riven, he would deal with the others later. 

He didn't have enough strength to fight the eldest heir of the Vale family but that didn't mean he couldn't wound him. Ashgrave wanted that man to know how it feels to have his brother killed. His fingers ran over his face softly. 

It has been many years since then but the scar still ached.

Ashgrave motioned to the men around him with his hands, and they began encroaching toward the lone young man. It seems they wanted to completely surround him, leaving him no way to escape.

At this time, hidden in a large tree in the surrounding woods, Kieran watched the whole exchange. Seeing his elder brother was being surrounded, his whole body suddenly became tense. 

He had also heard of the Iron Howl but he didn't know the full history. Clearly the man from before had run off to inform the gang and they had formed their ambush here. 

Kieran thought in his mind. There are ten enemies, including their leader.

Even though the situation seemed dangerous, Kieran was still somewhat confident in his brother. Riven was always the most naturally gifted warrior in the Vale family. 

Having gone to the Stellar Academy at such a young age, Kieran didn't believe his elder brother would lose to a group of bandits but still…

Kieran knew that strength didn't always translate the same way in a fight. He didn't know what his brother had experienced but in front of him were ferocious bandits who would do anything they needed to win.