It was a dark and frigid night.

A forest of towering pine stretched out for miles and miles, drenched in the shade of a looming mountain. The world was silent and the darkness complete. Then, through stalking trees and shadowed branches a warm orange glow appeared— the herald flame of traveler's quarry.

This new light belonged to a weathered caravan, wandering in secret through the mountain roads and headed by its longtime driver [https://img.wattpad.com/d8dbbeb5cdb3e36fee4546a3a96e7c7404d5f5e1/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f3169372d50454e326f655a6c68413d3d2d313435343837383238382e313764613436643437656430633630343439373035353938373239372e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

This new light belonged to a weathered caravan, wandering in secret through the mountain roads and headed by its longtime driver. Hanging beside the driver was a rusted oil lamp, which swung side to side with every bend or turn of the path. Mister Weiss had been traveling these roads for well over a decade before the War of Blood and Iron, and he had resumed his business immediately after the war had ended. It was his responsibility to provide passage to many a traveler from the mountain city of Malendar's Edge to the southern border of Omnirius proper.

Yet on this night, there was but one passenger in Mister Weiss' company...

"So, you're from the south you say?" Mister Weiss asked cheerfully. "Quite a long ways to come."

The traveler sat quietly next to Mister Weiss; he had his hood drawn down, so that only the lower half of his face was visible. Around his neck glistened a dark metal chain embellished with a red gemstone. A plain dark green cloak was draped over his body and the pommel of a sword poked out from behind the cloth.

"Not as far as you'd guess."

The travelers tone was surprisingly light, despite his dower appearance.

"That's quite the fancy necklace you 'ave," Mister Weiss remarked. "Bit odd for a ranger to 'ave such a trinket."

At this, the man gave no response.

Mister Weiss winced at the awkward silence between them and tried to change the subject.

"Are you visiting someone?"

The cloaked figure shook his head.

"First time in Omnirius, then?"

The man nodded.

"Mhm-hmm. Then I suppose you 'aven't heard of Rhoden's Decree?"

"I have not."

Mister Weiss pulled the reins a little to the left to avoid a dip in the road.

"Before that ol' war monger King Rhoden went and died, he laid out some crazy new law. Whoever get's a hold of that sword they call Glabrius gets to be king!?" Mister Weiss laughed mockingly at the thought. "What bollocks!"

"Well," the traveler said with a small grin, "That is rather interesting. Does anyone know where this sword is?"

Mister Weiss shook his head.

"No one's got a clue. The old king went and died before he could tell anybody where he hid it. People say they've searched...but no one's found it yet."

"That must have people quite excited."

"You're telling me! I've transported over forty bastards thanks to that ol' King. He's good for business! There's a lot of people out there who would like to get their hands on that sword. Come to Omnirius from all around, they do. Of course, those highway robbers don't help much."

"Are there that many along these roads?" the figure asked.

"Unfortunately," Mister Weiss said with a sour expression. "Truth be told, I'd rather not make these night trips but...well, you seemed like you needed the help."

The man folded his arms and exhaled sharply.

"Is that so."

Mister Weiss reached for the oil lamp and fiddled with the knob to adjust the flame, flaring it brightly for a few moments before setting it back to a soft glow.

"Say, fella, if you ain't here for Rhoden's Decree, then what brought you all this way?"

"I heard they were building something very special up north."

"Ahhh," the coachman smiled, "You're here for Gate City."

"So that's what they call it?"

"Oh, sure! Gate City! Course, I ain't never seen it— probably won't live long enough if they don't pick up the pace. They say its going to be grander n' even Eadenfros, if you can believe that."

A silver glow then washed over the road as the cloud cover began to thin. The carriage had crested the top of a hillock and from their vantage they could see another several miles of forest. Beyond that, a large town was silhouetted by moonlight against the placid landscape.

Then the carriage stopped.

The man in the cloak turned in surprise to Mister Weiss who sat staring at his hands.

"That's Viemen down there," Mister Weiss said. "Marks the beginning of Omnirius proper. This is far as I can take you."

The cloaked figure leaned forward and began to climb down from the caravan seat.

"Hey, fella!"

The man stopped and turned toward Mister Weiss.

"My fare."

"Ah. Of course."

The cloaked figure reached into his pocket, pulled out several coins and handed them to the driver.

Suddenly, the sound of a snapping branch caught the traveler's attention and he turned his head toward the forest. The man listened carefully, focusing beyond the rustling of the leaves and wind.

"Mister Weiss, I believe those bandits you mentioned have found us. You should take your leave while you still can."

The traveler then felt something in the small of his back— the unmistakable pressure of the tip of a blade.

"Sorry, fella. But I can't leave just yet."

The sound of approaching boots grew louder as five men crossed from the dark cover of the forest and into the clearing. They were all of them armed with a weapon of some kind; they bore scars on their faces and a greedy look in their eyes.

"Just one, Weiss? Haven't we taught you better n' that?"

"Now, now. Take a good look," a crooked-nosed man said as he pointed the tip of his stiletto at the traveler's chest, "This one's got a pretty necklace."

"How much you think a stone like that is worth, anyway?" another asked.

"At least a noble? Maybe more."

"Only one way to find out..." the largest man said with a smirk. "Bring him here, Weiss!"

Weiss hesitated a moment then urged the man forward by pressing his dagger harder against his back.

"Go on, now. Do as they say."

The cloaked figure turned to look at Weiss in the eyes.

Weiss felt his body go cold; he caught his breath and backed away.

"Come on, Weiss! No more delays! We've been waiting on you all day! It's cold out here you know?"

The cloaked figure turned from Weiss and walked toward the men of his own volition.

In response, the large central figure held out his broadsword toward the hooded man.

"Let's have it then," he commanded.

But the traveler did not move.

The men began to sneer; they loved it when the prey had spunk.

"I won't ask again. Give us the necklace. Now!"

"Why should I?" the cloaked man asked. "You will kill me either way...right?"

A couple of the men snickered and gestured between each other mockingly.

"If you do as we say, then we'll make it quick," one man answered.

"And if not..." added another as he drew a crooked blade from its sheath and held it up to catch the moonlight, "Then we make you wish you'd never been born."

The cloaked figure stood still, facing off against the five bandits. Each now had a weapon drawn and they began to prepare themselves for an attack— gripping tight to their weapons and tensing their bodies.

"As you wish..."

The cloaked figure lifted his hand and drew back his hood. He then lifted the necklace over his head and held it out toward the men. It hung from its blackened chain, still and beckoning— devouring the moonlight like an endless crimson abyss.

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

"Go get it," one of the men said as he shoved another man forward.

The chosen bandit moved forward slowly, taking only a few paces at a time. Once close enough, he reached out for the necklaced stone.

"Take it," the cloaked figured offered with the faintest hint of a smile.

The man gritted his teeth and swiped the necklace out of the air; then, he let out a gasp.

"Hah...."

He then looked down at his hand.

"Good, Lenny. Now gut him and let's go home."

Lenny drew his stiletto dagger and held it out toward the cloaked figure.

But before striking, he took one last look at the gemstone.

One final look.

Just one...

"Lenny!?" The leader shouted. "Hurry up!"

The man named Lenny did not move. His body was trembling and his breath was shaky; he could not take his eyes off the stone.

"Hurry up, Lenny," one of the bandits shouted. "Do as you're told!"

"As I'm...told...?"

Lenny's hand gripped the gemstone tightly and sweat began to gather on his brow.

"Kill him, Lenny!"

"Do as you're told, Lenny," whispered the cloaked figured, with a soothing tone.

"I..."

"Come on, Lenny! Hurry up, will ya?"

"Idiot!"

"Hurry up!"

"I-I can't..."

The cloaked figure sighed sympathetically.

"Its alright, Lenny. Do it."

Tears began to well at the corner of Lenny's eyes.

"P-please..." he whimpered, "Don't make me do it..."

"LENNY!"

The leader of their group pushed passed the others and stormed towards him.

"Its alright, Lenny," the cloak figure whispered softly, "Everything is alright."

"Lenny you fucking dolt!"

The leader reached out towards Lenny and grabbed his shoulder.

"If you don't kill that son of a—"

A red mist sprayed into the air as Lenny's stiletto blade slid into the side of the leader's skull.

"AGH!!!"

The man shoved Lenny away and gripped at his head, thrashing himself about as a trail of blood poured down the handle of the dagger.

"LENNY!?"

"What the fuck did you do!?"

Two men ran forward and caught their leader as he fell.

"Boss!? BOSS!"

"Hang in there!"

A few gurgling breaths left his throat and within a few moments he was still.

Lenny staggered back and his knees began to shake.

"I-I didn't...it wasn't me!"

But his pleas fell on deaf ears.

The three remaining men descended on Lenny; their murderous eyes focused on him as they drew their weapons without hesitation. Lenny whimpered and froze. Then, he stumbled forward and tried to plead with them.

"It wasn't me, I swear! You know me! I wouldn't!" Lenny felt a growing weight in his palm— it made his muscles ache and burn. "It was him!" Lenny shouted. He then turned and pointed desperately at the cloaked man. "He did it! He made me do it!"

The cloak figure tilted his head to the side sympathetically.

"They don't seem to think so."

Lenny felt a rush of movement.

"Please! You have to believe—!"

Lenny's breath left him as two swords ran through his gut and out his back. The men grabbed Lenny's body and shoved him away, sliding their swords out from his torso. One of the men then began to stomp on Lenny's face with his boot.

"Stupid— son of a— bitch! You KILLED him!"

"Easy, now," another man said. "We still got a job to do."

The man withdrew his boot from Lenny's broken face and bent down to grab the gem from his lifeless hand. However, try as he might, he could not wrestle the stone from Lenny's grip.

"Ngh! Let go already!"

The man pulled and pulled, even trying to break Lenny's fingers, but they would not budge.

He threw Lenny's arm against the ground and turned to the cloaked figure.

"What trickery is this!?"

The cloaked figure smiled; his eyes gleamed mischievously beneath the starlight.

"Trickery?" the man said as he shook his head. "There are no tricks here."

A slow wave of darkness came over the forest— clouds drifting on sinister wind to smother the moon.

The three men brandished their weapons and began to close in around the mysterious traveler.

"Behind you!"

Mister Weiss cried out with a voice of pure fear. The men obeyed, following his gaze toward Lenny's body.

The gemstone was still clutched within his carnal grip— and it was glowing.

"What is this!?" the men shouted. "What is this devilry!?"

"Throw it away! Now!"

One of the bandits lunged at Lenny's hand and tried desperately to wrestle it from him. But as he touched its polished surface, he felt a searing pain course through him.

"AGHH!"

He tried and he tried, but despite the pain he could not let go of the gem. A dark red mottling appeared across his hands and crept up his arms. With every inch it moved, the pain grew more intense, as if his flesh was burning.

The others watched in horror as he convulsed and cried out in anguish. He then began to smash his head against his hands over and over again in desperation. Blood was running down his head and made it impossible to see. With no option left, he began to bite and tear at his own forearms before his body gave one final convulsion and he fell into the dirt.

The two men stared breathless; their eyes drawn to the gemstone which glowed now even brighter than before.

They shared a look of primal terror. Then, they threw down their weapons and turned to run—

Within the blink of an eye the cloaked figure was standing before them. Two daggers were poised at each of their necks.

"How—!"

In one smooth motion, the figure slit their throats down to the bone. They each let out a miserable guttural squelching and their bodies crumpled to the ground. Then, the cloaked figure bent down and used the men's clothing to wipe the blood from his daggers before sheathing them again at his hip.

The traveler then sighed to himself as he made his way over to Lenny's corpse and bent down to pick up the necklace.

An audible gasp caught the traveler by surprise.

That gasp belonged to Mister Weiss.

"Oh? You're still here?"

Mister Weiss had not moved an inch.

The traveler looked from Weiss to the stone and raised an eyebrow. Then he nodded his head and placed the gemstone back around his neck. The grass crunched beneath his feet as the traveler moved toward the caravan, all the while Mister Weiss' breath grew more and more haggard.

"N-no! Stay away!"

Weiss staggered back and fell against the driver's step; but the man continued his slow and sinister approach. The frightened driver clawed behind him for his dagger, refusing to take his eyes off this unnatural man.

"Don't come any closer!" Weiss cried out, holding the weapon out in front of him. "S-Stop! NOW!"

The man was nearly upon him—

Weiss shut his eyes and lunged forward, pressing the dagger against the traveler's body. He felt minimal resistance as it slipped through clothing and into his abdomen.

The traveler looked down at the dagger in his gut, but his expression did not change.

Meanwhile, Weiss was panting heavily. He then let go of the dagger and backed away from the man.

"I—" Weiss stammered.

"That was unnecessary."

Weiss couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The man stood there, talking and breathing normally, despite the eight-inch dagger embedded in his gut.

"I-I stabbed you. You should be dead!"

Weiss went pale as he heard a voice speak from behind him.

"Did you now?"

A coldness spread through Weiss' back and he felt limp. He hobbled forward on faltering legs, then collapsed into the grass— a dagger stuck out of his lower back. The traveler walked over to Weiss and looked down at him.

"You were not mistaken, Mister Weiss," he said with a sinister grin. "These roads are quite dangerous."

The man then lifted his boot and stomped down on the handle of the dagger.

"AHGH!"

Weiss writhed and cried out in agony as the man continued to press and twist the knife with the tip of his boot. Then he bent down and rolled Weiss onto his back. Weiss opened his mouth to scream as the weight of his own body drove the knife deeper, but the traveler covered his mouth.

"You know, you shouldn't be so loud," he whispered, "You'll scare the horses."

He struggled and squirmed, but with each movement more and more blood left his body. Weiss' eyes remained wide and full of terror until the last. Once he was dead, the traveler lifted his hand away from Weiss' mouth and wiped it on the grass with a look of disgust. He then flipped Weiss' body over once more, pulled the dagger out from his back and cleaned it off.

"See what you've made me do..."

The traveler stepped leisurely between the corpses as he headed back to the caravan and hopped into the driver's seat. He then tugged gently on the reins and urged the horse further along the road...

After some time, two tall watchtowers rose into view. Their forms were illuminated by several burning torches that ran the length of a fortified stone wall. A large wooden gate stood slightly ajar and was guarded by two sentry men. These two men approached each other to speak as they saw the cart appear from the darkness of the road. Then, one of them split off and approached.

"Halt, Master Carter. State your business."

The man in the cart sat with his hood drawn over his head.

"Just looking for a place to rest, sir."

"From where have you come?"

"Malendar's Edge."

The guard looked at the caravan and then back to the driver.

"No passengers?"

The driver shook his head.

"Folks aren't keen to travel these days. Too many bandits on the road."

The guard sighed heavily.

"Aye. That there are."

He then turned around and waved to the men in the tower. With a heavy sound, the doors to the gate began to open.

"There is no need to worry," the guard said with a smile. "Thanks to Sir Perry, we are very safe here."

The driver smiled in return.

"I am glad to hear it. Sir Perry must be quite capable to instill such confidence."

"Absolutely," the man said proudly.

Once the gate was fully opened, the two guards stepped aside to let the driver and his carriage through.

"If you're looking for a hot meal, the Lonely Song is just down the main road."

"Thank you," the driver said with a nod of his head.

The guard opened his mouth to speak, but paused as his eye caught glimpse of an ornate red gemstone that hung around the man's neck.

"Something wrong?" the driver asked.

"No, nothing," the guard said with a shake of his head. He then held out his arm to beckon the driver forward.

"Welcome to Viemen!"