With my vision sharpened and muscles poised to burst into action, I remained motionless. Angel slowed my heart rate and reduced the energy consumption of my vital functions. The silence that enveloped us was absolute, almost unnatural. Every sound of the forest, the distant rustle of a branch, the whisper of the wind, was amplified in my ears.
The five scout riders moved cautiously, forming a search fan. Having run in a straight line during my escape, I found myself in the center of their circle, perhaps the most dangerous point of the hunting ground. They did not know if anyone had survived, but they searched with the precision of experienced hunters.
Seconds stretched into minutes. The rider in the center, who appeared to be the leader, advanced slowly until he was directly beneath my hiding spot. He raised his torch, and the light danced on the trunks and roots, casting distorted shadows around him. His eyes scrutinized every corner, every notch in the tree bark.
I knew it was my only chance. When he looked up, I leaped. The world seemed to slow down. I descended with a brutal, accurate slash that cut through the air before cleanly decapitating him. The head rolled into the undergrowth, and his body fell heavily without a human sound, but the horse was not so discreet. It neighed loudly and galloped away, startled by the sudden loss of its rider.
The commotion was enough to alert the other four.
There was no time to lose. I ran towards the nearest tree, covering myself behind the rough trunk while Angel calculated the enemies' positions.
"Three are moving in your direction," she said with robotic calm. "One remains observing the corpse."
My breathing was shallow. I slipped among the trees like a shadow, moving in the opposite direction from the majority. I avoided one of the patrolling riders, waiting for the exact moment. Silence covered me like a cloak. That rider was approaching. I heard him; I felt the vibrations in the ground with each step of his horse.
I waited... and when his silhouette passed beside me, I shot out. A direct thrust to the heart. Metal penetrated flesh and bone with a dull thud. The rider fell heavily from the saddle. I landed next to him, holding my breath. The horse, bewildered, merely blinked. It remained still, as if it understood that silence was the only way to survive.
I quickly crouched beside the body. I searched through his clothes, avoiding any unnecessary movement. As expected, he had two throwing knives on his belt, perfectly balanced. I carefully took them. My movements had to be precise; every mistake could mean death.
I left the horse tied to a nearby tree. Its presence would be useful if I needed to escape immediately.
Angel informed me that the three remaining riders were gathered near their leader's corpse. Their formation had changed: now they stayed close together, swords in hand, eyes scanning the darkness.
"We are being ambushed," one of them said in a deep voice. "Do not separate."
They positioned themselves in a triangle, backs almost touching, like veteran warriors. Without their leader, they were cautious, but no less lethal.
I advanced stealthily, step by step, until I was about twenty meters from them. I hid behind a thick tree. I could see them clearly thanks to my enhanced vision. Their faces showed tension, fear. The first one I killed must have been their commander. His death had broken the chain of command.
"Angel," I whispered, "can you adjust the knife trajectories for a one handed throw?"
"Calculating... Optimized trajectories. Simulation ready."
In front of me, Angel projected an image of the arcs the knives would follow if I threw them from a certain position. There was no time to hesitate. I took a deep breath, then shot forward to a shorter distance, raising my voice with a wild scream that shattered the stillness of the forest.
The horses neighed, staggered, recoiling. I took advantage of the confusion. I threw the knives in unison, assisted by Angel's perfect calculation. Two silver arcs cut through the air and embedded themselves with a wet sound in the eyes of two riders.
The third, still mounted, reacted quickly. He brandished his sword violently, trying to stop my advance. I ran towards him, and our blades met with a deafening screech. However, his weapon did not resist. My sword split it as if it were wood.
My next blow was a horizontal cut, clean and brutal. The blade pierced the rider and his mount in a single slash, separating them into two irregular halves. A gush of hot blood splattered my face, and silence returned.
All five were dead.
I stood still for a moment, listening. Nothing. Only the whisper of the wind. The immediate danger had passed. But I did not feel victorious. A stinging pain shot through me from my leg to my shoulder. The consequences of the effort were beginning to manifest.
My muscles were torn, especially my right arm. I had broken my limits with the last blow. Angel kept me conscious, but she could not heal the physical damage.
Time is unforgiving. I leaned on my sword as if it were a cane and with difficulty returned to the tied horse. Mounting it was torture. Every movement was bitter torture, but I could not stop.
I spurred the animal and galloped away, without looking back. The riders' bodies remained behind, along with the blood and the pain. I could not afford to search for more knives or provisions. Time was of the essence. I did not know when more pursuers might arrive.
We rode for hours. Night covered us like a shroud. The forest was a dark mass of branches and shadows, but I pressed on until I found a clearing. A stream cut through the terrain like a silver vein.
"Angel, scan the area for threats."
"Analysis complete. Area secure."
The clearing was strange, too quiet. But I could not question it. I fell from the horse, landing awkwardly. My legs trembled. My vision blurred.
I needed to heal. Quickly.
I gathered several bitter peaches. I devoured them desperately. The taste was acidic, but the effect was almost immediate. The pain lessened, the muscle burning subsided. It would not disappear completely, but I could move.
Angel remained alert while I lay down under a tree, falling asleep completely exhausted.
Meanwhile...
"Sir, we found the bodies. The entire scouting party has been massacred."
The man in front of the fire clenched his teeth. His cloak moved in the wind, but he said nothing at first.
"Do they still have enough strength to do this...?" he murmured furiously. "Damn it! We don't know what happened to the main army, and now this..."
"Sir, according to the route the enemy is taking... he is heading to Caerlin. If he reaches the city, it will be impossible to get him out."
The commander cursed again. He looked at his men: only twenty remained.
"We retreat. We don't know how many enemies he has. Inform Lord Draymore and Lord Redvale. They will know what to do."
The riders dispersed while the night covered the blood with its shroud.